Know Your Body! (part 1)

Last time, I promised to help you better understand how the food you eat can be hurting you, and how to know which foods are making you sick. 
 
I also gave you several typos, a very bland-looking blog page, and numerous updates.


Well, get used to it!


The good news (for me) is that I got a new computer for my birthday - yay!  The bad news is, I am still learning BlogSpot and it doesn't seem to be going so well.  (I will try to proofread a little better!)


I first learned about candida back in 2010.  I work in child care, and I usually get ringworm about once a year.  I hate ringworm - it's quite annoying, takes weeks to get rid of, and can really put a damper on your social life.  On the other hand, if you recognize it, expect it, and catch it quickly enough, it should be no more difficult than applying an over-the-counter cream and keeping things extra clean.  At least, that had been my experience in the past.  But in October of 2009, I got ringworm and couldn't get rid of it.  It just kept getting bigger.  And, it spread.  I tried some different creams, and some different home remedies.  I looked and felt awful, and it just wouldn't end.  By December, I was at my wits end - I was out of town on business when I finally called my family doctor and asked for a prescription cream; I was told the doctor would not call in something without seeing me, and that I should go to urgent care.  I thought that was insane!  I wasn't going to the E.R. for ringworm!  So, I continued to suffer, and the fungus continued to spread.


Sometime around January of 2010, it hit me like a bag of ...SUGAR! 


The conversation in my head went pretty much exactly like this: Ringworm is a fungus, and fungus is fed by sugar.  What if I tried treating it from the inside out?


I've always been a big fan of natural and home remedies, so I started researching online the relationship between ringworm and diet, and lo and behold, I learned about candida albicans and how they can grow out of control in the gut, wrecking havoc on the body.  I read as much as I could find online and used my own judgement to put together a diet plan - if this worked, I would finally be rid of the horrible skin rashes for good. 


But, what I didn't know then was how changing my diet would change my life...


For four weeks I deprived my body of sugar in any form - no sweets, no carbs, no grains, no dairy, no fruit, and only limited vegetables and meats.  It wasn't easy, but thankfully I enjoy all kinds of foods - fresh, raw and cooked, veggies included - and knowing it would be only for a time made it easier. 


What made it totally worth it at the time, though, was seeing my skin clear up and no new rashes.  IT WORKED!


And then, a miracle happened.  In order to keep myself well and not overwhelm my body, I made a point to re-introduce foods a little at a time over the next few weeks.  First, fruits, then grains, and finally dairy.  That's when I got bronchitis.  Suddenly, it was so clear - my chronic bronchitis was caused by dairy in my diet!  I could actually go back to my earliest childhood memories and see how many seemingly minor health issues were caused by dairy.  I cut it out immediately.  It was like being reborn - I was getting to know my body and learning to listen to what it was telling me; I was learning to treat my body with respect and kindness, the way I would like it to treat me.  I was learning that every single thing I put into my body has an effect on my health.