New member with candida problem

[kimphoenix]

I have been suffering with candida bad digestion bloating pain cramping nausea etc for about 2 years now I have trie various products and even went to a clinic in mexico that had me giving myself shots and myatatin. Still no relief. In desperation I was searching for help and found various products ie kolorex and candi something found in the uk. also threlac sp? Any one have any results ? Oh and i an on the strict diet too. Today I had a colonic to see if cleaning out my colon would help I have really bad bloating and fatigue. Any suggestions. Is that normal after a colonic? Anyone out there been that route? I did get a good suggestion from this board about rotating the anti fungal remedies and not taking the probiotic with the antifungals. I have tried so many naturpaths with no success in fact one made me worse loading me up with antibiotics to get rid of h-pylori about a couple years ago i think that is why i am plagued with this ultra resistant candida. After spending much time and money getting hopeful the getting deflated after feeling worse I am going it on my own now but need support. Hoping this is it.

[sallyseachange]

Re: New member with candida problem

Hiya Kimphoenix and welcome. I take it you are doing Atkins, as you posted here. What stage of the programme are you on?

I'm sure you'll get people pitching in with helpful suggestions very soon. Have you read the stickies in this forum? You might get a few tips there.

[biogeek]

Re: New member with candida problem

When you say you're on the "strict diet," which one do you mean? Are you following the KISS diet, and if so, how long have you been on it? If you find that you are still suffering after following that diet FAITHFULLY, there is a stricter yeast diet out there call the Gold Standard (GS). I suffered from having yeast, but the KISS diet was NOT strict enough in my particular case. I had to further restrict my eating and kept a food journal of everything I ate, how I felt afterwards, and so forth.

Keeping a food journal is important when following any new diet. You can go back and see trends in how you felt and what worked and what didn't. When it's time to add foods back into your normal diet, you do so one food item at a time per week, all the while, noting any changes. It can be long and tedious, but it is worth it.

Best of luck to you.

[kimphoenix]

Re: New member with candida problem

actually I came across your board in my need to help my candida. I have been on a diet of low carbs and i have lost 25 lbs but my intention was to get rid of candida. I thought the posts on this board were well thought out and inteligent and the other boards for candida were either trying to sell me something or were just to basic to get any help from. Could you enlighten me as to the different diets you mentioned. ie KISS and Gold. I am basically on a diet of mostly veg and meat. eggs. no dairy and no simple carbs. I might eat a bit of oats or rice or a rye cracker but it modration. Other than that no other carbs not even fruit at this time

[julirama723]

Re: New member with candida problem

I would try the KISS diet first. Dr. Crook has 4 anti-candida plans in his book, The Yeast Connection, but with the exception of one (which is basically the KISS diet) they sound too carby for you. If KISS doesn't work, try The Gold Standard, which is more stringent.

I would ditch the grains immediately. KISS basically consists of protein, low carb veggies (NO STARCHY VEGGIES), eggs, and olive oil. Butter is usually OK, too.

Check out the stickies in the Candida forum--there are some great links!

I'll reply again when I have more time...

[kimphoenix]

Re: New member with candida problem

Thank you for your reply...Which book would you recommend for my problem. I am in the diet mode so adding or subtracting would me pretty easy. i just need some food suggestions for breakfast as I have little time in the am and since grabbing fruit or cerael are out i could use some help. I must say the members here are the quickest to respond and helpful. thank you !

[shari_dawn]

Re: New member with candida problem

I too have a problem with candida and here is what I've learned. The herbal remedies such as oil of oregano and olive leaf oil say that you should take X amount of pills. That is for someone who is healthy with no symptoms. What you have to do is take at least double that amount to combat candida. Also Caprilic acid can be expensive but well worth the money. Make sure whatever you buy is in a gel cap form. NOT dairy based that will defeat the purpose. Also OMIT sugars, carbs (which transform into sugars in the blood) dairy based (except cream cheeses) and any fungi such as mushrooms. The idea is to starve the candida and reintroduce the good bacteria. Also when using a probiotic get one that has to be stored in the fridge and has at least 20 billion microorganisms and 12 probiotic strains. Solaray Dietary Suppliment is a good sourse and is what I use. Also avoid vinegar it feeds candida. If your not yet on the atkins diet I would recommend it. I've tried nearly every diet out there and one you get past the induction phase it is one of the easiest diets out there. This is truly the best diet for people with candida.

Take care and p.m. me with any specific questions

[julirama723]

Re: New member with candida problem

Shari, great post!

Shari is right. Foods to avoid are sugars/carbs, aged foods, fermented foods, molds, and fungus. This means no dairy, no nuts, no fruit, no breads/cakes/rolls/starches, no alcohol, no mushrooms. Vinegar is up for debate, as vinegar does NOT feed candida, but can destroy "good" bacteria. I've seen that organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar is OK for use.

Google "KISS diet" and see what comes up. Also check out www.yeastconnection.com or pick up a copy of The Yeast Connection.

As for anti-fungals and probiotics, it's another story of contradictory information. Some say to use anti-fungals for a few weeks, then switch to probiotics. Others say to use the two simultaneously. Others say to take probiotics in the morning and anti-fungals at night, and vice versa. I personally take my probiotics in the morning with breakfast, and take all my anti-fungals at night.

You can incorporate natural anti-fungals into your everyday life too. Do you like onions and garlic? Eat them in homemade salsa, meat sauce, chopped in an omelette. I take garlic capsules, drink oil of oregano-infused water, and take a yeast-cleanse supplement from Solaray. I also eat TONS of garlic and onion!

Any probiotics are better than none. You can use the "cheapie" probiotics as suppositories, since they're not likely to reach your large intestine the natural way. It's worth it to invest your money in GOOD probiotics that you will take religiously, ones free of sugar and milk ingredients.

Also double-check your supplements. B vitamins usually contain yeast, and Vitamin C usually contains added sugars. Sometimes vitamins that aren't even yeast-harvested or "sugary" will have added starches as fillers. Nature Made makes a lot of yeast- and gluten-free vitamins.

For breakfast, I usually eat egg salad or hardboiled eggs (if I'm on the run). Sometimes I eat leftovers. Search the board for a recipe called "Scooter's farm sausage"--I make it all the time, it's EXCELLENT! Invest in some flavored oils (like garlic OO, basil OO, chili OO) to liven up your fats. Butter is generally OK, too.

After a while you can start adding foods back in. I found out that I can't eat mozzarella (even though Dr. Atkins' anti-yeast plan OKs it) because it causes yeast symptoms, but I *can* eat cheddar. Whole full-fat yogurt with the 3 major strains of probiotics also produce no symptoms, so I've been eating that with cinnamon and my probiotic powder in the mornings.

[shari_dawn]

Re: New member with candida problem

Julirama the only thing I wonder about is the onions. What is the carbohydrate count of them? I've always avoided them because I thought they were loaded with sugar. I love them, don't get me wrong but are they legal on induction? I don't think of them as vegetables.

[julirama723]

Re: New member with candida problem

Check the induction list, they are an "other" veggie. Generally most of the 54 induction veggies are allowed on KISS. With anti-candida, it's not neccessarily how many carbs you eat, but what kind. I probably eat 60-80g carbs a day, all veggies.

[julirama723]

Re: New member with candida problem

Here's a quick reference of KISS foods. Onions are on the list. Eat them up, they're natural anti-fungals!

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/irock/kiss_foods.html

[biogeek]

Re: New member with candida problem

Love your post, Julie!

The KISS diet is effective for most people, so start with that one as the GS diet is more restrictive, and quite frankly, gets tiresome after awhile. For example, with the GS diet, you have to watch the type of carbs as well as how many carbs you consume at one sitting. Onions are a no-no as is cheese. As a cheese-lover, this is so difficult!

Currently, I'm on the KISS diet this time around after being on heavy-duty antibiotics (for what seemed like forever!) when I had pnuemonia and sepsis a few months ago. If I feel that it's not working for me, then I'll switch over to GS. After you give the KISS diet a good & honest attempt and you feel it isn't working for you, let me know & I can give you the info on the GS diet.

[kimphoenix]

Re: New member with candida problem

My diet is no sugar no grains at all so mostly eggs chicken turkey fish and lots of veggies..I have lost about 25 lbs but still have digestive problems. IBS and candida so I have to be really strict...i make my own yogurt and let it ferment at least 24 hours...that is the only dairy I can tolerate. NO Cheese or any other milk product..I run out of things to eat if I am out so I feel like a shut in that has to cook for herself and for her family and I get pretty discouraged.

[julirama723]

Re: New member with candida problem

Kim, are you on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet? It sounds like it, with the homemade yogurt. I know the SCD was designed specifically for intestinal woes, and many people swear by it! It's a very healthy plan, too, in some ways more strict than Atkins, and in some ways it gives you more freedom.

Here is a question, have you kept a food diary? There's a chance you might have specific food intolerances that are giving you digestive trouble. Gluten, corn, soy, and dairy (lactose, casein or both) are common problems for many of us, though most people aren't even aware of it. There are also other food intolerances that are relatively common--some people have problems with the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.) and some people have problems with the lily family (onions, garlic), both of these families would be ones you'd be eating on a yeast-free diet.

Have you heard of Leaky Gut Syndrome? Basically your body begins to see food as invaders and you begin to develop intolerances to "everyday" foods that should not be harmful or problematic. In LGS, the intestine becomes so permeable that things that should not pass through the lining, do indeed enter the bloodstream. The body produces antibodies to fight off the attackers. It can be caused by toxicity, by food intolerances, by eating a non-varied diet, by disease, etc.

I'm dealing with gluten intolerance, corn intolerance, and lactose intolerance. On top of that, I'm finding that I have other foods that give me problems. Keep in mind that the healing process can be slow--all of the damage was not done overnight, so it will not be healed overnight. Your intestines and your villi need to heal, be patient.

My advice is to keep a food diary to try to see if a seemingly "safe" food is causing problems.

[kimphoenix]

Re: New member with candida problem

I do not keep a written diary Just a mental note. I can not tollerate the nut on the scd but I am trying to give that a go...not so easy...I spent all year with tests ie. colonoscopy, endoscopy, ultrasounds, ct scan..the breath test revieled I have small intestinal bacterial over growth sibo..I was put on rx xifan I think...I declined the barium swollow test and kind of going it on my own now as the rx for the bacterial overgrowth made my canida worse. It was a strong specific antibiotic that kills ecoli but I had to take 2x the amount to do that. I did it reluctanly as I knew it would be bad for candida but was desperate and was told it only targeted the sibo Big mistake. Now I am in the scd and probiotic and oregano oil then switch to olive leaf and other stuff that is supposed to kill candida. I keep trying new stuff as I have bad digestion that wakes me up and I feel toxic and have horrible breath. I have tried accupunture and shots from mexico and herbs from various holistic practioners etc.... Still searching