Boy, does time fly. It seems like ages ago that I had a dietary overhaul, but it's only been three months. It's still hard for me to believe that so much can change in such a short period of time.
In 3 months I have:
*Lost 22 pounds (it was 25 pounds one day, but I'm not going to count it until it stays consistent).
*Become incredibly in tune with my body... I know which foods affect it negatively, and have learned it's not worth the reactions of eating those foods (mainly wheat).
*I've eaten liver... twice! That's monumental and worth mentioning (see post HERE).
*I've learned that there are a bazillion and a half ideas on what makes up healthy eating, and it is incredibly time consuming and difficult to sift through it all.
*Become more mentally clear.
*Learned about body brushing, bath detoxing, and coffee enemas. I had never even heard of these before.
*Learned about colonics (see HERE), although I can't afford it right now.
*Learned about soaking grains.
*Learned about the Gut And Psychology Syndrome and how one should eat to heal the gut.
*Learned it takes an incredible amount of time to plan, prepare, and cook everything from scratch- more than I even imagined.
*Learned that my food budget has gone up by about $500 a month. (I'm probably going to start soaking my grains and making things out of wheat, which is cheaper than meat, nuts, and produce).
I really could go on and on. I've learned so much in this last little while it's hard to narrow it down.
Today I had my first follow-up visit with Dr. Porter, the doctor who diagnosed my Candida. I was looking forward to it because I thought we would do blood work and we would follow-up in two weeks and go over the results. Turns out we have to wait until February to do the blood work again, because not enough time has lapsed. That really bummed me out. He didn't comment on my weight loss or anything, either, which surprised me. He did say it seemed that I was doing a good job, and to keep doing what I was doing.
It was nice to ask him a bunch of questions I had- I asked him if he had heard of GAPS, and he was so surprised. He said he loves it, but he doesn't think I need Intro to GAPS. I also asked him about amalgam fillings (he thinks ideally they should come out), sore teeth, hair loss, and any other worries I've mentioned on this blog.
My next visit is in February. Here's to a healthy and successful three more months! That will be the test- to see if I can keep plowing forward, full steam ahead, with as much gusto as before.
Showing posts with label candidas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label candidas. Show all posts
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Intro to GAPS diet- Day 3
Ahhhhhh. Much better. I know that I was experiencing some die-off symptoms yesterday, but I'm feeling much better today!
Yesterday I felt a little nauseous and had a headache (mainly in the morning, but no, I'm not pregnant!). Thankfully that wore off once I had lunch. Maybe it was that yucky onion soup for breakfast. I ended up putting the onion broth/onions in my blender and pureeing into more of a creamy soup. It still wasn't my favorite, but a lot better than eating the onions sliced in the broth.
In the evening yesterday I suddenly started having symptoms like I was getting a cold- stuffy nose, my throat feeling itchy/funny, and sneezing. I have felt that before over the last few months, and it was always quite sudden, but went away quickly, too.
Here are common die-off symptoms (the ones I'm experiencing/have experienced in red):
Fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea (not any more), gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat (slight), body itch (behind the knees! I thought it was a reaction to something I was eating, but couldn't figure out what), muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu (slight- not so bad) .
When you do a candida cleanse everything I've read says it isn't good if you have a big die-off all and once and feel horrible. I feel like I've got a pretty good balance here, because I'm having enough symptoms to know it's working, but nothing too bad.
One of the biggest changes today is how mentally clear I feel! There is a distinct difference! The last few days I have been VERY spacey- answering questions wrong, saying the wrong words when I'm trying to say something- in a BRAIN FOG (another die-off symptom). It's hard to describe unless you've had it happen before. It's a step past "dumb blond".
I have read that when you first start GAPS or a candida diet some of the symptoms you were having in the first place get worse before they get better. I was hoping that because I had cut out simple sugars and most fruit for a few months that I wouldn't experience die-off symptoms as bad, but I can see that there is more work to do!
Today's Menu:
Boiled roast beef (with leftover butternut and onion soup from yesterday)
Creamy Cauliflower (with butter and lamb tallow - I'll use chicken fat instead of the tallow)
Crock pot Onions (I'll use the leftover from yesterday)
Mashed Carrots (boiled an hour, then mashed & adding garlic and chicken fat).
Sauerkraut Juice (!) (I get to introduce sauerkraut juice- 1 tsp! Thankfully I like it. It's supposed to be homemade, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's on my to do list. For now I'm using pricey fancy sauerkraut from the health food store).
Yesterday I felt a little nauseous and had a headache (mainly in the morning, but no, I'm not pregnant!). Thankfully that wore off once I had lunch. Maybe it was that yucky onion soup for breakfast. I ended up putting the onion broth/onions in my blender and pureeing into more of a creamy soup. It still wasn't my favorite, but a lot better than eating the onions sliced in the broth.
In the evening yesterday I suddenly started having symptoms like I was getting a cold- stuffy nose, my throat feeling itchy/funny, and sneezing. I have felt that before over the last few months, and it was always quite sudden, but went away quickly, too.
Here are common die-off symptoms (the ones I'm experiencing/have experienced in red):
Fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea (not any more), gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat (slight), body itch (behind the knees! I thought it was a reaction to something I was eating, but couldn't figure out what), muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu (slight- not so bad) .
When you do a candida cleanse everything I've read says it isn't good if you have a big die-off all and once and feel horrible. I feel like I've got a pretty good balance here, because I'm having enough symptoms to know it's working, but nothing too bad.
One of the biggest changes today is how mentally clear I feel! There is a distinct difference! The last few days I have been VERY spacey- answering questions wrong, saying the wrong words when I'm trying to say something- in a BRAIN FOG (another die-off symptom). It's hard to describe unless you've had it happen before. It's a step past "dumb blond".
I have read that when you first start GAPS or a candida diet some of the symptoms you were having in the first place get worse before they get better. I was hoping that because I had cut out simple sugars and most fruit for a few months that I wouldn't experience die-off symptoms as bad, but I can see that there is more work to do!
Today's Menu:
Boiled roast beef (with leftover butternut and onion soup from yesterday)
Creamy Cauliflower (with butter and lamb tallow - I'll use chicken fat instead of the tallow)
Crock pot Onions (I'll use the leftover from yesterday)
Mashed Carrots (boiled an hour, then mashed & adding garlic and chicken fat).
Sauerkraut Juice (!) (I get to introduce sauerkraut juice- 1 tsp! Thankfully I like it. It's supposed to be homemade, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's on my to do list. For now I'm using pricey fancy sauerkraut from the health food store).
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Mmmmmmmmm.... Baby Food Soup!
Well, I can actually say now that I'm feeling a difference with this new diet. It's only taken.... hmmm... about three weeks? Four weeks? The great thing is that I'm not hungry. I HATE that. I always have been one to eat on time, and eat my plate clean. You know those kids that would skip lunch at school? Not me. EVER. So the thought of a diet change is something that really put me off.
In fact, I suspected candida a few years ago, but then blew it off because of the dietary changes that would have to be made. The nurse practitioner I was going to had me do a "candida cleanse" which was quite similar to this, but allowed nuts. I'm not sure why, but I had a horrible reaction to it & felt AWFUL. Not to mention the timing was horrible. I thought that I would be able to do it over spring break while the rest of my family ate out & had yummy treats & goodies. NOT. And I was training for my first Ragnar at the time, and I knew that the altered diet would mess that up. So I didn't do the diet, and wasn't convinced that it was Candida. I thought it might just be my Vitamin D deficiency, or hormonal imbalance.
Now, a year and a half later, I know it was the Candida. And now I definitely feel mentally clearer, and happier. YEAAAAAAAA!!!! Brain fog & depression is why I went to the doctor in the first place, and now to see a difference is the best! I still am kind of moody, though, and I have some theories on that (it CERTAINLY couldn't just be personality, could it?). And I think it's just more than frustration when I don't eat a treat. More on that, though, on another day.
Today I decided to try a new recipe for lunch- Carrot & Sweet Potato comfort soup. It has 2 baked sweet potatoes (peeled), 2 cups baby carrots (cooked), 2 cups vegetable broth, a little salt, coriander, and cumin, and a packet of stevia. I blended it up in my Vitamix, and it is basically warmed up baby food. I guess I can see how it would be enjoyable on a cold winter night, but for now I think I'll stick to my huge lunch salad with a ton of vegetables & an avocado.
In fact, I suspected candida a few years ago, but then blew it off because of the dietary changes that would have to be made. The nurse practitioner I was going to had me do a "candida cleanse" which was quite similar to this, but allowed nuts. I'm not sure why, but I had a horrible reaction to it & felt AWFUL. Not to mention the timing was horrible. I thought that I would be able to do it over spring break while the rest of my family ate out & had yummy treats & goodies. NOT. And I was training for my first Ragnar at the time, and I knew that the altered diet would mess that up. So I didn't do the diet, and wasn't convinced that it was Candida. I thought it might just be my Vitamin D deficiency, or hormonal imbalance.
Now, a year and a half later, I know it was the Candida. And now I definitely feel mentally clearer, and happier. YEAAAAAAAA!!!! Brain fog & depression is why I went to the doctor in the first place, and now to see a difference is the best! I still am kind of moody, though, and I have some theories on that (it CERTAINLY couldn't just be personality, could it?). And I think it's just more than frustration when I don't eat a treat. More on that, though, on another day.
Today I decided to try a new recipe for lunch- Carrot & Sweet Potato comfort soup. It has 2 baked sweet potatoes (peeled), 2 cups baby carrots (cooked), 2 cups vegetable broth, a little salt, coriander, and cumin, and a packet of stevia. I blended it up in my Vitamix, and it is basically warmed up baby food. I guess I can see how it would be enjoyable on a cold winter night, but for now I think I'll stick to my huge lunch salad with a ton of vegetables & an avocado.
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