Aha!

I'm sure all 2 or 3 of you that are reading this have been riveted to their chairs, wondering what is going on with my health these days. lol I figured I'd update. A little back story comes in this post and this one, too.

Fast forward a little to 2 weeks before Easter. There's no nice way to say this so I will just announce that I developed a yeast infection. Yes, THAT kind. I started on a quality probiotic and ate plain (gag) yogurt. Knowing that sugar feeds yeast, I went mostly sugar free for the next couple of weeks, except for when Easter came around. It was Easter, yo. Candy, cakes, etc. I was really "good", only having had a couple of fun sized candies and a slice of the cake that my mother only makes on Easter. Within minutes, I felt horrible. Headache that would not go away, severe fatigue, chills. I fell asleep on my aunt's couch, in the middle of all my family members. I had a hard time ignoring that this just might be food related.

While searching "natural yeast infection remedies", I revisited the idea that maybe I have systemic candida. I came across this info a few years ago, but for a few reasons I did not pursue it any further. My history would show that this is a viable diagnosis for me. I was on so many antibiotics growing up. I am also a product of the ridiculous low-fat diet of the 80s that included a lot of sugar and flour products.

While digging more, I found that all of my weird, seemingly unrelated symptoms were listed under the symptoms of candida. Aha! Even more research showed me that the anti-candida diet was nearly impossible. Or so I thought.

I decided to take the plunge and am following the Whole Approach method. I was nervous. How in the hell does one follow a diet that eliminates all sugar (including artificial sweeteners), fruits, all dairy products, wheat, gluten, smoked meats (ham, sausage, etc.) MSG (yuck), etc. The list of foods to avoid is long. And it's not just for a week or a month. We're talking several months to a year. And maybe the rest of my life, who knows.

Day one was fine. Day two was ok. Day three I had a fit. I believe my exact words were "fuck this fucking diet--this sucks!". In protest had a couple of old-fashioned hot dogs (no bun), a handful of doritos and some carrots and hummus. Much like what happened on Easter, I developed an instant headache and extreme fatigue, causing me to pass out cold on the couch for an hour. It was so strange and definitely the sign I needed to realize that this is serious. I need to do this. It's not a diet like a normal diet goes where you can allow yourself a treat here and there. I need to look at this more like a food allergy and take it very seriously. No cheating or treating!

4 weeks into this, I feel fantastic! I can't even begin to describe how amazing I feel. The extreme fatigue is gone, heart palpitations are gone, joint aches and pains are gone and I've lost 16 lbs. In 4 weeks!

I should add that I didn't do any exercising during this time. As hard as that was for me--I'm very active--I needed to take it slow and know exactly what is working and what is not. I did begin to exercise again today and will continue to do so from now on. I also take fish oil, vitamin D, and probiotic capsules. I also cook with unrefined coconut oil and eat a ton of garlic (both natural antifungals).

I've been forced to be very creative in the cooking department. Turns out, there's a lot you can do with just quality meats and vegetables. I am really enjoying the foods I'm eating. I have to do a lot of planning ahead and eating out can be an absolute nightmare, so I've only done it once so far, but it's going well so far.

So anyway, that's where I am with all this health stuff. I hope that I've finally figured it out and it can only get better from here. :)