Health Update

This was from a couple months ago, I've lost more weight than this picture shows. Its just the latest picture I have. My husband Peter is standing with me and has lost 15 pounds since I've started the diet.

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. I guess I've been feeling so good I've kept myself pretty busy. So for the good news.... I've lost 28 pounds since I've started my Candida Diet 5 months ago. My heart has stopped skipping beats.  My PH Balance is no longer acidic. The rash around my mouth is gone. I was having a lot of bad dreams, but in the last couple of months don't remember too many dreams. A lot of anxiety and fear has dissipated. I have so much more energy than I did before! I used to get so sluggish in the afternoon and I just don't remember being very tired that often anymore.

About a month ago I took another saliva test and the results were very different than the first time I took it. The first time I had the strings floating in it. The last one I took had cloudy sediment on the bottom of the glass. According to the test, that means you still have a fungal infection. Since it was different, it made me think I was definitely getting better. I researched the test a little and found some information that the test may not be that valid. Click Candida Spit Test- A Hoax to see the video. At the end of the video it mentions some other tests you can take. Of course I also took a questionnaire which also showed I had the Candida. I also had some of the symptoms that have now gone away that lead me to believe I had the Candida.  So it is hard for me to know if it is completely gone unless I take a blood test. I know I am much healthier now than I was 5 months ago!

Saliva Test

Saliva Test

Taste Buds Change With Candida Diet

Since I started my Candida diet on April 12th, just a little over 3 months ago, my taste buds have changed dramatically. I didn't think that was ever possible. I used to love Cherry coke, all chocolate candy, well all kinds of candy, and just about everything sweet. Now I like completely unsweetened baker's chocolate, I crave apples, and raspberries are too sweet for me. So even if I tried candy, I don't think I could eat it. That is extremely exciting! Healthy foods taste wonderful to me now. I sure hope that gives some hope to people out there just starting this diet or in the middle of it. You can adapt and still enjoy food!

Nystatin and Candida

My mom was a neonatal intensive care nurse for many years and they treat babies that have thrush with Nystatin. She has been after me to try this drug for my Candida overgrowth. So I've done some research on the topic and came across this blog with some information that I think is helpful. Check it out: Holistic Help.
At the moment, I don't think I will try it. Sounds like it isn't good for the immune system and can cause some pretty bad die off symptoms. On top of that, the Candida can become resistant to it along with all the other anti-fungal drugs, including herbal products. It sure can get discouraging, seeing how long people have to fight Candida overgrowth. I'm thankful that I'm not feeling sick or experiencing too bad of symptoms. I just have to cozy into my candida diet. I've only been on it for almost 3 months and it feels like its been so much longer than that. It is about time for me to make some more recipes. I've pretty much been living on the same foods for a while. My hope is in God and I have to remember that when I get discouraged. I'm so thankful that I am able to be a stay at home mom to a beautiful boy who brings so much joy into my life! I also enjoy getting to make jewelry! I'm blessed with a wonderful husband who allows me to be creative! Thinking of all the things I'm thankful for sure renews my mind and puts a better perspective on life!

Feeling Lethargic

I have been feeling pretty lethargic the last few days. I got another charlie horse early this morning. I also took the saliva test again to see if I was rid of the Candida, since I really wanted to eat some pizza. Yes, I still have it. I sure hope that I've made some progress. It's hard to know since I've been feeling so tired. My heart has been skipping lately and the test doesn't show how much Candida you have, just if you do or don't have it. Well, still no pizza for me yet. I have only been on the Candida diet for 2 months, so it would've been pretty amazing if I had gotten Candida under control so quickly. From what I've read, it can take 6 months to several years to get rid of; depending on how long a person has had it. So I will stay the course, trusting God that I'm improving!

Blessings until next time!

From 149 lbs to 130 lbs in 50 days

Another weight loss update, just thought I would post some positive news! The last 3 days I've weighed 130 lbs, so I have lost 19 pounds in about 50 days. Again, this Candida diet is not about weight loss, its about getting Candida under control and regaining my health. The weight loss is a side benefit for me. Just 10 more pounds to go to get down to what I weighed before I was married and 15 pounds for high school weight!

Frustration With Finding More Foods I Can't Eat

I just started drinking Almond Milk, which I've been using in recipes. Over the last few days, I've drank probably 5 cartons. It is unsweetened, but I have come to love it. It gives me a creamy satisfying flavor as a substitute for my coffee with cream. It has a lot of good vitamins and minerals that my body needs. Since I've been drinking so much of it, I decided to research some of the extra ingredients that I've looked at and wondered if I should be having them. One is Locust Bean Gum which is from the carob tree and shouldn't be consumed on the candida diet according to Chemical Free Awareness. Locust Bean Gum is an additive used as a thickener in several products. The Almond Milk also contains "natural flavors" and it doesn't say what those are, so not sure what I'm getting there. The Chemical Free Awareness also says to stay away from products with added vitamins and minerals, which this has.

To my shock, most B Vitamins are made from yeast, so the Chemical Free Awareness site also says to stay away from B Vitamins and D3 vitamins that don't say "yeast free."  Well, I am short on both of those vitamins and take them both. I am unsure of what to do at this point. I need to find out if my particular vitamins are made from yeast.

Finding all this out has made me angry and frustrated, just was one of those nights last night.  I will have to do more research on what to do next. In the mean time, I'm not giving up my vitamins but I will try to find some other Almond Milk that doesn't have those ingredients if its out there. The stress I felt last night didn't help my irregular heart beat and I need those B Vitamins for the stress. I haven't figured out how to handle stress with Candida. It is one of those things your body doesn't deal with well under Candida overload. I'll be praying about it and daily giving it to God! I will revisit my thoughts on Manna From Heaven. I know God has a way out of this! He is my hope!

Update: Just found out that all Nature's Sunshine Vitamins are yeast free! So my vitamins are good! Check them out: Nutri-Calm, Vitamin D3 and Balanced B Complex.

I found a recipe for Home Made Almond Milk!

Heart Skipping Again

My heart started skipping again while we were on vacation in Florida. Irregular heartbeat is a symptom of Candida.  I did have some decaff coffee while traveling. We drove 2 days in a row of 12 hours each day. It was very difficult to find enough to eat on my Candida diet while on the road and out of town. I tried preparing a head of time, but should've prepared a little better. Decaf coffee is a no no on the Candida diet. I'm sure its because of the chemicals used to strip the caffeine from the coffee. I read on Healing Naturally By Bee that water pressed decaff coffee is okay for the Candida diet, and I found some at a Whole Foods market in Florida. However, coffee produces more acid in your body and my body is already over acidic.

"Coffee is also highly acidic and can lead to an overproduction of stomach acid that can irritate the intestines. Unbelievably, decaffeinated coffee has been shown to trigger even more acid production than regular coffee. This over-production (when combined with coffee’s laxative effects) can cause too much stomach acid to move into the intestines. All this acid can potentially cause damage to the intestinal lining." This is directly from Global Healing Center.


So maybe that is one of the reasons. Since I have gotten home from vacation, I am no longer drinking the coffee.  I've also been eating a lot of 100% bakers cacao. It is full of antioxidants, magnesium and iron.

"In its natural state chocolate is bursting with antioxidants to fight radicals - even more than fruit, vegetables, tea or wine! Chocolate supplies micronutrients, such as potassium, zinc, magnesium and iron, and is one of the richest food source of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals--rogue oxygen molecules that can accelerate aging and cause numerous health problems."

This is directly from Green and Healthy Info.

However, it is also high in saturated fat and has caffeine, two things I"m supposed to stay away from. So I think I need to slow down on the baker's cacao. I've been eating it raw and had a bunch while on vacation to tide me over. Maybe I should try and stick to using it in recipes and on rare occasions.

My heart seems to skip when I'm having a little bit of anxiety or overwhelmed with too much to do, which also makes me anxious. Also symptoms of Candida, so its a cycle. The other causes could be that I have run out of some of my herbs: High Potency Protease, Calcium-Magnesium, and I went off the Yeast Fungal Detox while on vacation. I will be ordering more High Potency Protease and Calcium Plus Vitamin D at the beginning of this coming month. I hope to be able to share that the irregular heart beat has returned to normal very soon! Say some prayers for me!

Blessings until next time!

More Energy

I think I have had more energy in the last couple of weeks. I have rearranged my living room furniture, then a few days later moved it back. I make jewelry and sell it at Creative Art Expressions, so I moved my jewelry making set up from my kitchen into the guest room. I've also dug up some Hostas from a place in the backyard where we lost a tree during a wind storm last summer, and replanted them under some fruit trees we have. All this energy and without coffee or any caffeine. I just want to go, go, go. I still never get my to do lists done. But I think it is a good sign that I have so much energy! I still am ready to go to bed at night! I usually take a couple of walks a day and we have a big hill to climb in our neighborhood. It is getting a little easier for me to get up that hill!

Blessings until next time!

Weight Loss Update

The most exciting thing on this diet is the weight I'm loosing. Since I've started the Candida diet, I've lost 14 pounds! That is over about a 3 week period. My husband has lost 5 pounds! He is still eating a lot more stuff than I am, but we are not making those big meals. Since I was the one who loved the sugar, that isn't around for him to snack on, after he finishes all of mine. When I went to the natural doctor, she also told me that husband and wife can pass Candida back and forth so she recommended he go on the diet too. Well, he was not for that, but he did decide to give up soda. He is going to take the saliva test too, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't have it.  Weighing myself today gave me a little more excitement about this diet. I'm sure as soon as I start feeling amazing and full of energy, that will help too!

Manna From Heaven

Yesterday was very difficult emotionally. My first period on this diet and that is when my chocolate cravings are at their greatest. I'm only sharing this information so anyone else going through the same thing can know they are not alone and can know what they might expect during the diet. I was angry and I cried some and I wasn't a nice person to be around. I was searching for something just to give me a little chocolate fix. I took a bite of some 100% cacao bakers chocolate. It was terrible but had a satisfying aftertaste. I even melted a tiny bit of the chocolate, with a tiny bit of real butter and a tiny bit of coconut milk, stirred it up and topped it on my almond flour pancakes. It wasn't very good but it did something to quench the craving and then I was a little better. I spent a while playing with my son and that cheered me up. He's such a joy to watch! The real treasures are really in the sweet moments like that!

Going through this diet change keeps bringing up in my mind the manna from heaven. Manna is the bread God rained down from heaven in the Desert of Sin during the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Manna means "what is it?"

"That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" or "manna" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, 'It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.'" Exodus 16: 13-15

"The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.  Moses said, 'This is what the Lord has commanded; 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'"  Exodus 16: 31-32

"The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan." Exodus 16: 35

"The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, 'If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost-also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.'" Numbers 11:4-6


I imagine I would have gotten sick of the manna as well. Especially after 40 years, since I'm already sick of vegetables after a few weeks. God had saved them from slavery in Egypt and they were wishing to go back because they believed they had it better off as slaves with whatever they wanted to eat. Wow, that speaks to me! About how for the taste of something sweet, you can keep your body in slavery. Much of what we eat has an affect our health and our emotions. I desire to be free from the pull to eat sugar, to be free from feeling that I need it to put a little joy in my life. It is the same with any addiction. I don't want to "need" anything but Jesus!

Later manna is compared to Jesus, the true bread from heaven:

"So they asked him, 'What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus said to them. 'I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  John 6: 30-32

"Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." John 6:57-58


My focus has been too much on instant gratification...... the feelings or illusions of satisfaction I get from sugar. I desire to turn my focus to my real home!

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"
John 17: 3

True satisfaction only comes from knowing God which is accomplished by reading about Him in the Word! My true home is at peace knowing God and having a constant mind of thankfulness for all He has done! I am not there yet, but that is my goal!

Blessings until next time!

Too Much Kiwi?

For the last few nights I have been eating Kiwi fruit as a snack after dinner. I read some information on Fruit and Vegetable Servings that 2 Kiwi fruit is one fruit serving.So last night I had 2 Kiwi fruit. I already ate my 2 servings of vegetables. Well, my throat starting hurting last night and I woke up this morning with the rash starting to come back around my mouth. Kiwi is highly acidic which may be the reason for my negative response. Even though many fruits are highly acidic, they still have an alkalizing affect on the body. All fruit has a higher alkalizing affect on the body when they are more ripe but before they spoil, according to Livestrong. So for now I will slow down on the Kiwi until my mouth heals and my throat feels better. Since I've added fruit to my diet, its hard to limit it. I have to force myself to get the 2 servings of vegetables in for every 1 serving of fruit. I had edamame and yellow squash yesterday. That was tasty. I'm sick of the cauliflower and broccoli, along with the frittata I made a couple of days ago. I found a sauteed cauliflower with tumeric recipe I will try soon.

Blessings until next time!

Candidia Diet and Weight Loss

Since I've started my Candida diet a couple of weeks ago, I've lost 7 pounds. Now I wouldn't have chosen this diet for weight loss, its not really healthy for anyone, but its necessary to get the Candida under control. It is a side benefit for me and one positive outcome I'm focusing on during this time. I'm excited to one day get into some of my old clothes and feel better!

How I'm Feeling With New Candida Diet Change

I am still trying to figure everything out. I'm not much of a cook. I mean I can follow a recipe but there are so many other things I'd rather be doing. So I have spent a lot of money at the Sunflower Farmer's Market. I should've waited until I knew exactly what I can and can't eat, because I've bought a lot of stuff that I found out later I couldn't eat. Trying to eat organic is extremely expensive, so I will have to spend more time planting and taking care of stuff outside in my garden. Everywhere I read about the Candida diet, its all supposed to be organic. I've also ordered stuff from Living Beyond Organic. It has great products, but also very expensive.

Now on to how I'm feeling. I have had some emotional times, but not near what I expected. I haven't really been craving sugar like I've read I would be. I attribute that to God's grace while I go through this. Now if I think about it or look at a desert too long I would like it, but I'm not like "I gotta have that." My energy in the morning is pretty good. During the afternoon I'm quite tired. I'm sure that has to do with the fact that I really haven't found a whole lot to eat that will give me energy. I'm getting sick of vegetables and grocery shopping, lol. But I have been able to fill my tummy. I fell like I'm eating to live rather than living to eat. :)  In other words, there isn't much flavor to all I eat. Some things are tasty but I've been eating the same things over and over. So I will soon try new recipes after I get the ingredients for them! I haven't felt sick except for the one day of flu symptoms. So I would say its going pretty well.