Day 6 - If At First You Don't Succeed...

I had planned to write about something else today, but first thing this morning I decided today's post would be about something we all know but nobody likes to talk about - failure.

I decided this as I bit into a piece of chocolate.

Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't a snickers bar, and I didn't feel too much guilt about "cheating".  I have been feeling weak in the mornings (probably a symptom of die-off), and I have found that a glass of water with a little lemon and ginger gives me what I need just to get through fixing breakfast.  But this morning was different.  I was feeling light headed and much weaker than I have the past few mornings.  I needed to do something quick.  I remembered these little chocolates my sweetheart had hidden for me around the house - little peppermint patties made with honey.  

It didn't take long for life to confirm my decision to write about failure...

Breakfast was served.

We all experience failures in our lives, some great and some small.  I, for one, tend to have these experiences in the kitchen more often than not.  It's how we handle things that matters.  

The hardest thing about this diet is mustering the self discipline it takes to keep going when the first thing on your mind for the past three days has been a glazed doughnut! 

(Oh, maybe that's just me.)

My point is, I didn't just give up and give in after this morning's little fall.  I got back up and kept going.  Because I KNOW the changes I am making in my body will all be worth it. 

If you want to change your health, you are going to have to make some big changes in the way you think about food.  It won't be easy.  Some days will be more difficult than others.  In a moment of weakness (either physical or mental), you may be tempted to throw in the towel.  But if you will stick it out, I promise, you will not regret it.  I'm not promising you a cure for your diseases or a future with no sickness or pain - but once you start to feed your body the real food it craves, healing will begin, and you will feel better than you may have felt in a very long time.

Tomorrow, I will share with you a little more of what I've been eating, and I will show you a recipe that is to diet for!  

I may have experienced some failures today, but I'm also counting my success.

I did five loads of laundry today, which in this house - from the upstairs bedroom to the basement laundry area - equals 250 steps.  

Life is good.

Day 5 - Twenty-five Reasons To Change the Way You Think About Food

I took this picture yesterday, at an office building where I had to be for work.  The last time I was here was about two years ago, and I remember very well the feeling in my gut upon encountering those steps.  It was that feeling that stopped me in my tracks yesterday and made me want to count them, snap the picture, and share with you - 25 steps.

25 very good reasons why I'm glad I changed the way I think about food...

Ever since I began feeling well, after my three year battle with autoimmune symptoms, I have discovered a new hobby - counting steps!

It started one day with a visit to my favorite surgeon's office.  

This man has never performed any sugery on me; the reason he is my favorite surgeon is because he respectfully left it up to me to decide whether or not I should have my gallbladder removed a few years ago, when I was having regular attacks.  At that time, I asked what exactly was wrong with my gallbladder - I don't have any problems with having a dangerously infected organ removed, but I also really would rather keep it if I can. I figure, if the Good Lord put it there, there must be a reason for it.  No doctor was actually able to tell me what was causing the attacks; stones had been ruled out, and I was informed that a HIDA scan could tell at what level the gallbladder was functioning but still would not be able to tell me why.  I politely informed Mr. Surgeon that if he couldn't tell me what the problem was, then I was going to give him a hard time about taking it out.  He said that was fine with him... and I've liked him ever since.  (I later learned about the connection between gallbladder troubles and the liver and got myself a good liver cleansing supplement, with milk thistle and dandelion and all the right things. As long as I'm careful about what I eat, my gallbladder and I get along just fine now.)

On this particular day - the day I started counting steps - I was being counseled about a small nerve biopsy of the mouth; this had been ordered by one doctor or another, it's all a blur in my mind now.  But some time between the scheduling and the actual appointment, I had taken the step to change my diet, and things had started looking up...

Way up...

Upstairs, if that's where your surgeon's office happened to be.  

I bypassed the elevator and took the stairs that morning, without even thinking about it. Mr. Surgeon and I had a nice little discussion about food and health, and we decided that I could hold off on the mouth biopsy for now, as long as things were going okay.  (I really like this guy.)  

I came out of that doctor's office that day feeling like a winner.  I had beaten the pain and maybe educated somebody a little on how it could be done.  Life was good.  I walked quickly down those steps, and then... I stopped.  Turned around.  And looked back up at what I had just done. At that moment, I'm pretty sure every set of steps I had encountered anywhere over the past three years flashed before my eyes.

It always went something like this:  I'm standing at the top of the steps, feeling like I'm about to enter the lion's den.  I wait a few seconds, take a deep breath, put my hand on the rail, and take just one step at a time.  Every muscle and bone in my body hurts, my feet are burning with pain, my hips and thighs feel bruised, my joints are stiff and don't want to move, and my mind is overwhelmed with despair.  

Walking up steps, for some reason, didn't seem quite as bad, and it got to the point where even stepping off a curb onto the street was a dreaded thought.

But on this day - this glorious day, at the surgeon's office - I looked back at those steps, and I thought, I have to see how many! 

I fairly ran all the way back up; and then starting from the top, I counted 42 steps to the bottom. My first thought was that I had done it, but my immediate next thought was that I had done it twice!

And that is how I started counting steps.

The funny thing is, I still had pain in my feet for a year after that, but it hardly affected my life.  A later small nerve biopsy showed nerve damage in both feet, so I figured that pain would always be there.  And, then one day, it wasn't.  

I see that as a constant reminder that things don't change overnight, and that good health does not mean fighting one battle, but making real changes for life.

Day 4 - Do What You Can With What You Have

This morning I ate three eggs for breakfast.  I told you before, I like eggs.  I have to be careful about how many I eat in a week (I could very easily eat six eggs in a day, so if you think I've been excessive this week, you ain't seen nothin'!).  These were hard boiled, which for me is like popping potato chips.  My poor tummy was more than a little unsettled first thing this morning, and - strange as it may seem - the eggs helped.

I also really enjoyed my lemon ginger drink, which I can tell right now is going to become a regular morning thing for me - I have never had anything that really wakes me up with a little "zing", like this, before!

So, with my little "zing", I went shopping!

When you are on a tight budget (and let's face it, who isn't these days?), it can be hard to commit to a very restrictive diet, because one of the first thoughts is, Can I afford to do this?  

When I look at the stack of medical bills I racked up in three years of trying to figure out what was destroying my body, I think Can I afford NOT to do this?

As of yet, you will notice I have not mentioned pills, supplements, probiotics, powdered drinks, bizarre foods only found at high-priced health food stores, or fancy tools or equipment for preparing them.  There is a reason for that.  It's because I know everybody doesn't have access to all of those things, and I want people to understand that you CAN do this - you CAN change your health by eating real food. 

It may be harder at first with the "elimination diet", and so few choices.  But once you have re-introduced different food groups back into your diet, you will of course have many more options. No matter what kind of results you see the first few weeks, once you realize that you are surviving without the daily junk food, sweets and treats, you will also realize that you can save dollars by cutting back on those things on a regular basis.  If you are like me and suddenly realize that certain foods have been causing you some serious health problems, you will actually want to make big changes!  

Because I know everyone has different circumstances, including finances, I wanted to share with you what I was able to get at the grocery store today.  You may be able to get much more or less, and you will probably do much better if you are good at planning the menu (which I am not!).  I also want to share with you a few simple ways you might stretch your food a little, and encourage you to do your homework and to come up with more things that work for you...

For just under $25, I was able to get leaf lettuce, romaine and kale, 7 lemons, a dozen eggs, 2 pieces of ginger root, a pound (4 pieces) of tilapia, and a pound (one big piece) of cod, a can of sardines, and 4 large purple onions...

One great way that I save is by checking out clearance bins - yes, even at the grocery store.  Our local grocery store regularly clearances out produce that isn't the best or is starting to go bad.  I paid 50 cents for all four onions today; what I won't use right away, I will cut up and put in the freezer.

I also like to use everything.  My husband is a little more particular than I when it comes to eating his veggies.  He especially doesn't like the crunchy hearts of lettuce, so this time, I broke off the leaves for his salad and added a little extra crunch to mine.  (My dressing is a mix of lemon juice, olive oil and water, with some dried herbs added.)

(I tried sardines for the first time ever today, and I liked them a lot!)

 He also likes the very flowery tops of broccoli, but not the stems.  I have found the stems make great chips, soup, or just a great side dish by themselves.  Tonight, I stir fried them with onions in a little olive oil and added them to a big bed of lettuce and romaine.

Finally, a good friend posted this on facebook today, and I wanted to share - some neat ways to stretch your food a little, for those of you with a sunny window and a green thumb. Enjoy!

Day 3 - Live Free and Die-Off Hard?

Yesterday, I discovered rutabaga.  I can't believe I never knew about this stuff!  I absolutely love it.  It's the only root vegetable allowed on the candida diet (besides carrots), and is actually recommended.  Here is another article I found that explains a bit about how the rutabaga works in fighting candida.   I'm not sure what effect cooking has on the anti-fungal properties, but today I am preparing myself for die-off symptoms.  I did wake up at 2:00 am with a sudden jarring pain in my lower abdomen, but it passed as quickly as it came, and I went right back to sleep after a quick trip to the bathroom.  So far, I felt pretty crummy this morning (weak, woozy), but I'm not sure if that was die-off or just being ready to eat.

So, what is die-off?  I am so glad you asked!

Here is the best article on candida die-off that I have found.  I do a lot of research on the internet, and I think we all know that can be a dangerous thing!  You've got to have common sense, and it can be hard sometimes to know what to believe, especially when you are dealing with the unknown mysteries of your body and health.  I need to state again that I am not endorsing any product - I am not selling anything or making any money from advertising anything - but I like when I find information that is simple to read and yet intelligent, and it may just so happen to be advertising a certain product.  

Simply put, "die-off" is the body's reaction to the toxins released by candida yeast literally "dying off".  Your body has to work extra hard to rid itself of those toxins, which can cause some pretty unpleasant side effects.  They say it always gets darkest just before the dawn, and the symptoms of candida die-off are really just a signal to you that you're doing it right.  

Some possible symptoms of candida die-off:

fatigue

aches and pains

depression

lethargy

itchy ears or skin

heavy foggy head

memory issues and confusion

feeling like you have the flu

nausea

diarrhea

old symptom flare up 

generally feeling worse

Not fun stuff, I know.  Now is the time for self-discipline!  Because you may want to quit, but if you are experiencing these symptoms, that means it's working!  You've got to ride it out, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, try a steamy hot shower for a "sauna" effect, or epsom salt bath (soak for twenty minutes in a hot bath with epsom salts - be sure to shower off after).  

I tried this lovely  lemon ginger detox drink this morning, and I really like it.  Many of your allowed foods for the diet are liver cleansing foods, so make sure you eat variety.

When you are feeling at your worst, just keep in mind - you have been putting real, healthy food into your body, and that can only be good!

For breakfast this morning, I finished off the rutabaga - yum!

Later, I had steamed broccoli, with onions.

For lunch, I had two eggs, fried with onions and spinach - I like to use fresh baby spinach and let it wilt over the top of the hot food for just a minute before eating.  I also absolutely love kale this way.  I didn't photograph my lunch, because I burned it.  That happens sometimes with me.

But here is a pic of the fabulous roasted veggies (carrots, broccoli, onion, asparagus - tossed with olive oil and a little sea salt) I had for dinner, along with a turkey burger.

Day 2 - Are We Having Fun Yet?

If you have decided to travel down this road with me, you are probably... hungry.

The first time I did the candida diet, I felt lost and alone - I knew about green veggies, and that was pretty much it.  The web was not much help - every source of information on the subject seemed to differ in some way or another.  I had to use my own judgement to decide what was best for me.  I was my own guinea pig.  

That's why I wanted to do this blog, to share my experiences, and to show that it doesn't take any crazy health foods or miracle pills to get started on the road to better health.  I know how it feels being so tired and in so much pain that the kitchen is the last place you want to be.  I want to make this easy, because I know how terribly hard even the easy things can be.

Last night, I went to bed feeling weary.  Day 1 down, and I was ready to quit.  I wanted a gluten free cookie (or six).

This morning, I woke feeling refreshed.  I had slept fairly well (that doesn't happen all the time), and I was ready to face another day.  Now, how's that for instant results?

Breakfast today, mmmm steamed broccoli...

It doesn't get much easier than that!  And, soooo good!

For lunch today, I had a hard boiled egg, and a handful of almonds.  For me, that isn't really enough, but I was on the run today, and that is one of the things I really need to work on - taking the time to eat real food.  I did stop on the way to work for a pack of Annie Chun's Seaweed Chips which I found in the ethnic section of the grocery store for $1.59

While I was at the store, I picked up a rutabaga, since it was on the list and I've never tried it.  I'll admit, I didn't have high hopes, but boy was I surprised!

I found lots of ideas on Pinterest for this ugly thing...

Tonight, rutabaga fries - oh, yes!

Just peel, slice, toss with olive oil and salt, and bake at 450 degrees until done (the recipe I used said 30 minutes, but these took closer to an hour - keep turning them every so often, so as not to burn them). 

Yum!

I enjoyed the fries with dinner, a big salad.  By the way, I only used half of the rutabaga, and the other half I plan to eat mashed tomorrow.  I wish I would have known about this sooner, I have found a new food that I really like!

One other thing I forgot to mention in Day 1's post, I have been drinking lots more water than I normally do, which doesn't really amount to as much as I should drink, but it's another thing I'm working on.  Also, I enjoy a cup of green tea in the evening after supper.  If you don't drink green tea, ever, it will definitely have a "cleansing" effect the first couple of times you drink it; give your body a chance to adjust, because it's super good for you.

My Food List for MY 28 Days

There are some foods you definitely want to include in your daily menu when doing a candida diet.

The following is a list I took directly from here, but that I cross-referenced with http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typeindexer.htm  for the purpose of removing possible trigger foods.  You can read the first list to learn a little about why these foods are helpful.

GARLIC

ONIONS

SEAWEED

RUTABAGA

GINGER

OLIVE OIL

LEMON JUICE and LIME JUICE

I'm a big fan of garlic, but I really haven't developed a taste for seaweed (except for these amazing seaweed chips I found at my local health food store, which I will tell you about another time), and I'm pretty sure I have never eaten a rutabaga(?).  BUT, I will be making a point to eat all of these things regularly over the course of this month.

A more extensive list of foods allowed on this diet follows.

Again, I have taken this list from here, and cross-referenced here...

Vegatables:

Arugula

Asparagus

Bamboo shoots

Beet greens

Bok choy

Broccoli

Carrots (cooked)

Celeriac

Celery

Chives

Collard greens

Dandelion greens

Endive

Escarole

Fennel

Garlic
Green beans

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Lettuces

Okra

Onions

Parsley

Rutabaga

Scallions

Shallots

Spaghetti squash

Spinach

Sprouts (mold free)

Swiss chard

Turnips

Watercress

Zucchini

Paprika

Pimento

Fruits:

Lemons

Limes

Cranberries (sugar & sulphite-free)

Meats:

Turkey

Eggs 

Fish:

Sardines

Carp

 Cod

 Mullet

Tilapia

Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds

Macadamia nuts

Hemp seeds (shelled)

Fats and Oils For Cooking:
Flax (raw only)
Extra Virgin olive
Olive oil

Beverages:
Water
Green tea
Herbal teas


From the original list, I have completely omitted legumes as well as grains.  For the first few weeks, strict is best, especially if you know you are dealing with candida overgrowth.  Once you have slowly introduced all food groups back into your diet, paying attention for any symptoms caused by possible trigger foods, the full list can be used to continue on the candida diet - it has been said that for ever year of bad health caused by candida overgrowth, the body will need one month to recover (so, then, for example, a person who has been suffering for 7 years would want to continue the diet for 7 months...)

Day 1 - The Battle Begins

I was hungry.  I was determined to cut out sugar completely. 

The previous day had been my birthday - I had hot dogs and onion rings, and Sprite Import, and dairy free neopolitan soy ice cream, and various chocolate candies that I found my husband had hid for me around the house.  Life was good.

Today, I had begun my 28 days on a crash diet, in an effort to restore some balance to my body.  Ever the procrastinator, I didn't have much of a plan, but I knew I was having green beans for breakfast, because that's what I wanted.

I mentioned before that in this house, we don't always have organic.  We shop at Aldi as much as other places, we are on a pretty tight budget, and we do what we can with what we have.  When trying to better your health, you have to start somewhere, and the most important thing is to actually start... 

Restricted diet, or not, one of my favorite things to do with green beans (and broccoli, and different various other vegetables) is to stir fry them in a little olive oil, with garlic.
EASY PEASY!

 Breakfast is served!

Out and about, around 10:30am, of course, I was hungry - so, I thought it was time for a little mid-morning snack...

For lunch, I added some red and green peppers to the leftover green beans from the morning, fried an egg, and put it all on top of a nice bed of baby spinach.

I can not tell a lie, I also ate a hard boiled egg shortly after lunch.  You might not mind, but my gall bladder is pretty particular about how many eggs I eat in a week (it's also funny about beef), so I try to keep it happy while satisfying my own big appetite!

For supper, I fixed a big salad, with roasted turkey breast on top.  You will notice there are bits of carrot on that salad, and that is where we have to give just a little, because some of the diet plans for candida say no carrots, and some say only cooked carrots.  I say, one half a carrot once a day is acceptable for me, if it means I've added a just little color and nutrition to my salad.

I know, you may be looking at this and thinking, EW!  But the reality is, all of tasted so good!  I'm no cook, and I do tend to over cook everything.  But the content here is more important than individual tastes, and if you happen to be a pretty decent cook, you could produce something much prettier!