I had my two month follow-up at Balanced Hormones and Health this week and found out that I also have hypothyroidism and a goiter. Whenever I hear the word goiter, I immediately think of an episode of Seinfeld when the gang signs up to visit elderly people in their homes and one of the ladies has a goiter the "size of a football." I don't think mine is that big but it is annoying and I have to get an ultrasound done to see exactly what is going on.
I have done a lot of research on the thyroid this week and I found out a lot of interesting information. It turns out a lot of people have undiagnosed or misdiagnosed thyroid problems because most doctors just look at one of the numbers that come back with the blood tests. My doctor also looked at my T3 level and she said it indicates a problem. She put me on Armour Thyroid, which is made from pig thyroid, apparently, and it has been very successful in treating patients with similar symptoms as mine. She said she wanted to treat my symptoms, not my paperwork, which I appreciate.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include: gaining weight or inability to lose weight (check), constipation (check) fatigue (check) brittle hair (sort of check) dry skin (check) and can also include various other things that are different from one person to the next. These are the things I really wanted help with, especially the weight and the fatigue so I was more than happy to start taking the medication. On a side note, she also gave my nystatin for candida, which, if you've read my other posts, you know is something I'm also combating.
So, essentially in the last few months I have found out I have a hormonal imbalance, a lazy thyroid, and an intestinal yeast infestation. Yeah, it's no wonder I don't feel so good. But the medicine and supplements are slowly working. I am starting to feel better (except for a nasty case of acid reflux, which I am thinking might have something to do with the goiter.) I am sleeping a little better, have a little more energy, and while I haven't lost any weight yet, I have stopped gaining weight, which is a step in the right direction.
Hopefully, after a few months of treatment, my symptoms will start to subside and I will start feeling like myself again! Here's hoping for healthy improvements!
Showing posts with label candida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label candida. Show all posts
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
A Basic Rule: If It Tastes Good, Don't Eat It!
Okay, that may be a little extreme. But it seems like most of the food items that I find appealing are no longer on my restricted anti-candida diet. Luckily, once the vast majority of the candida has been killed off, I will be able to work some of those foods back in.
I am a creature of habit so I know that if I want to be successful on this plan, I have to eat basically the same things every day while I am on the diet. So, I have been eating a granny smith apple for breakfast, a lettuce and organic grilled chicken salad for lunch with a salad dressing that fits the bill (no sugar, no dairy, non-processed) and just meat and vegetables for dinner (carrots, green beans, something low carb.) It doesn't sound very appealing, and it really isn't but there are a lot more food items that I could be eating if I was willing to step out of my comfort zone.
Basically, as long as it is organic and non-processed, it's okay. Oh, and it can't have any sugar in it. We've already talked about how hard it is to find food with absolutely no sugar whatsoever in it in a previous post, which you can find here. But most vegetables are fine. Meat is fine as long as it is organic. It's hard to avoid dairy altogether but it can be done. And there are some grains that are allowable, such as quinoa and buckwheat. So, it is possible to live on this diet.
The biggest problem for me is that my body is programmed to crave sugar, especially in the form of soda and chocolate. I'm still constantly battling the urge to eat something I'm not supposed to. And, honestly, I haven't been perfect on this diet. It's easy for me to find an excuse to make an unhealthy choice. But all I can do is learn from my mistakes and try again and I've been more successful at forgiving myself lately, which is something I've also had to work on.
After 4 months of physical therapy, I had my body fat remeasured and I've gained 7 pounds of muscle over the coarse of that time. That's pretty cool. I also lost 20 inches. So, what I'm doing is working, even if the scale doesn't always say what I would like for it to say. I am headed in the right direction and I feel like this diet has made me feel healthier, which is the ultimate goal for me.
I am looking forward to meeting with a new doctor next month. I really feel like I may have a hormonal imbalance and hopefully she can help me with that. I will keep you posted.
For more information on what you can eat on the anti-candida diet, check this site out.
What is working for you? What are you craving?
I am a creature of habit so I know that if I want to be successful on this plan, I have to eat basically the same things every day while I am on the diet. So, I have been eating a granny smith apple for breakfast, a lettuce and organic grilled chicken salad for lunch with a salad dressing that fits the bill (no sugar, no dairy, non-processed) and just meat and vegetables for dinner (carrots, green beans, something low carb.) It doesn't sound very appealing, and it really isn't but there are a lot more food items that I could be eating if I was willing to step out of my comfort zone.
Basically, as long as it is organic and non-processed, it's okay. Oh, and it can't have any sugar in it. We've already talked about how hard it is to find food with absolutely no sugar whatsoever in it in a previous post, which you can find here. But most vegetables are fine. Meat is fine as long as it is organic. It's hard to avoid dairy altogether but it can be done. And there are some grains that are allowable, such as quinoa and buckwheat. So, it is possible to live on this diet.
The biggest problem for me is that my body is programmed to crave sugar, especially in the form of soda and chocolate. I'm still constantly battling the urge to eat something I'm not supposed to. And, honestly, I haven't been perfect on this diet. It's easy for me to find an excuse to make an unhealthy choice. But all I can do is learn from my mistakes and try again and I've been more successful at forgiving myself lately, which is something I've also had to work on.
After 4 months of physical therapy, I had my body fat remeasured and I've gained 7 pounds of muscle over the coarse of that time. That's pretty cool. I also lost 20 inches. So, what I'm doing is working, even if the scale doesn't always say what I would like for it to say. I am headed in the right direction and I feel like this diet has made me feel healthier, which is the ultimate goal for me.
I am looking forward to meeting with a new doctor next month. I really feel like I may have a hormonal imbalance and hopefully she can help me with that. I will keep you posted.
For more information on what you can eat on the anti-candida diet, check this site out.
What is working for you? What are you craving?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Loads of Supplements
When I decided to do the anti-Candida diet, I did a lot of research on supplements. I found a great probiotic called Keybiotics, which is manufactured by Whole Body Research. I have been extremely happy with the products I have purchased from this company so I thought this would be a good choice. A probiotic is extremely important when fighting candida because you want to replace the bad bacteria (including the candida) in your gut with good bacteria. That's what a probiotic is. And Keybiotics has more live-strands of bacteria than any other probiotic I could find. The reviews were great as well and even though it's a little pricey, I think it's worth it.
I am also taking anti-fungals. These are the supplements that kill off the candida. There are several supplements that do this but the ones I am taking are caphylic acid, grape seed extract, cinnamon, and garlic. That may sound like a lot, and it is a lot, but candida can become resistant to anti-fungals so you have to either vary your supplement or take a lot of them at the same time. Right now, I'm taking all of them. I won't continue to do that for the rest of my life but until I start to really kill off the candida, I want to throw everything I've got at it.
When candida dies, it releases toxins into your body. Some of these toxins are pretty nasty and some sites say there are up to 79 different toxins that can be released. If you kill of the candida too quickly, you can get something called candida die off when you get really sick from the toxins. Some people feel like they have the flu. There are some supplements you can take to relieve yourself of these symptoms so I've been taking milk thistle and so far I haven't felt too bad. I have read that it can take up to a month before the die off symptoms really hit though so I am hopeful that I can prevent and avoid this as much as possible.
I also take psyllium and bentonite. Psyllium is a great source of fiber, which can work as a binding agent, helping to move the dead candida out of your body. Bentonite works to bind toxins and move those out of your body. I think this may also be contributing to why I haven't gotten many die off effects.
Taking all of these things at the same time is hard and a little bit scary but I really do feel like it is doing me some good. I am not tired like I was before, cravings are minimal and basically limited to when food I used to eat is right in my face, and I haven't had as much pain from my fibromyalgia and other ailments. The weight loss has also been beneficial but it hasn't been my primary goal with this.
Some people that I have talked to about this have been skeptical. They ask me how I even know for sure that I have candida overgrowth, and I guess I really didn't. But once I decided to go ahead and try the anti-Candida diet and started taking the supplements, it became clear to me that I certainly had a lot of candida in my system. I hate to be too graphic but you can literally see the results of the supplements on the candida as they make their way out of your body. I don't know how long it will actually take for me to be able to say, "I'm done, I've defeated the candida," but I plan to continue this battle for at least the next 6 weeks.
That isn't to say that I haven't or won't eat anything that has sugar in it because this week I've been traveling for work and I've made some food choices I wouldn't have typically made if I were at home. It's been pretty difficult to know for sure whether or not I'm eating processed food and I've encountered some carbs. But I'm very cognizant of my choices and what they do to my body now and I know that avoiding sugar is a necessity if I want this overgrowth to go away. It's never going to be easy and I have to allow myself to be human sometimes but sugar and carbs are the enemy and I have to remember that.
Is anyone else taking supplements for candida and if so what are you taking and how is it going?
I am also taking anti-fungals. These are the supplements that kill off the candida. There are several supplements that do this but the ones I am taking are caphylic acid, grape seed extract, cinnamon, and garlic. That may sound like a lot, and it is a lot, but candida can become resistant to anti-fungals so you have to either vary your supplement or take a lot of them at the same time. Right now, I'm taking all of them. I won't continue to do that for the rest of my life but until I start to really kill off the candida, I want to throw everything I've got at it.
When candida dies, it releases toxins into your body. Some of these toxins are pretty nasty and some sites say there are up to 79 different toxins that can be released. If you kill of the candida too quickly, you can get something called candida die off when you get really sick from the toxins. Some people feel like they have the flu. There are some supplements you can take to relieve yourself of these symptoms so I've been taking milk thistle and so far I haven't felt too bad. I have read that it can take up to a month before the die off symptoms really hit though so I am hopeful that I can prevent and avoid this as much as possible.
I also take psyllium and bentonite. Psyllium is a great source of fiber, which can work as a binding agent, helping to move the dead candida out of your body. Bentonite works to bind toxins and move those out of your body. I think this may also be contributing to why I haven't gotten many die off effects.
Taking all of these things at the same time is hard and a little bit scary but I really do feel like it is doing me some good. I am not tired like I was before, cravings are minimal and basically limited to when food I used to eat is right in my face, and I haven't had as much pain from my fibromyalgia and other ailments. The weight loss has also been beneficial but it hasn't been my primary goal with this.
Some people that I have talked to about this have been skeptical. They ask me how I even know for sure that I have candida overgrowth, and I guess I really didn't. But once I decided to go ahead and try the anti-Candida diet and started taking the supplements, it became clear to me that I certainly had a lot of candida in my system. I hate to be too graphic but you can literally see the results of the supplements on the candida as they make their way out of your body. I don't know how long it will actually take for me to be able to say, "I'm done, I've defeated the candida," but I plan to continue this battle for at least the next 6 weeks.
That isn't to say that I haven't or won't eat anything that has sugar in it because this week I've been traveling for work and I've made some food choices I wouldn't have typically made if I were at home. It's been pretty difficult to know for sure whether or not I'm eating processed food and I've encountered some carbs. But I'm very cognizant of my choices and what they do to my body now and I know that avoiding sugar is a necessity if I want this overgrowth to go away. It's never going to be easy and I have to allow myself to be human sometimes but sugar and carbs are the enemy and I have to remember that.
Is anyone else taking supplements for candida and if so what are you taking and how is it going?
Friday, January 31, 2014
Everything Has Sugar In It!
I am nearing the end of my first week on the candida diet and I have been really happy with my progress so far. I really feel better. I don't know exactly how to explain it but I feel awake. It's nice because for a long time I felt like I was just always going to feel like I was dragging. I know a big part of it is the no sugar aspect of the diet. Having no sugar (or very little and all from plant sources) is making a huge difference in how my body regulates and processes the food I'm eating. Without caffeine to keep me awake, my body has had to actually start doing it by itself, which has forced my adrenals and other systems to start doing their job properly again--or close to it anyway. I really like how I feel right now, less pain, more focus and more energy.
I haven't been hungry either, not really hungry. I have learned over the years that there is a difference between having a craving and really being hungry. I will admit that I have had some cravings and with a lot of those food items in my face and offered to me this week, it's been hard but I have declined successfully so far. I am satisfied with the amount of food I have eaten so I haven't felt hunger pains or anything like that. Just the constant thought of, "Hmmm, a chocolate chip cookie would be nice. . . ." And it has been very difficult to deny myself my constant Dr. Pepper but so far I haven't had any--just a whiff of a friends.
This diet is tough because it eliminates so many of the things I would normally eat. I'm not allowed to have any sugar in any form. Period. That means no fructose, which is what we find in fruit. The only things that are somewhat allowable if you read some sites are Granny Smith apples and some berries. So I have had a few apples and some blackberries this week. It also doesn't allow anything that turns in to sugar--so that means there are not a lot of carbs that I can't eat either. There are some that are allowable, like the buckwheat bread I've been eating, but all of the things I am used to eating--like rolls, pizza crust, white bread, are not okay.
Artificial sweeteners are also off the table, as well as tea and other drinks that have caffeine (unless it's decaffeinated). I am allowed to use Stevia so I got some of that but I haven't used it. I'm trying to get my body to understand that I don't need everything to be sweet all of the time. There are other flavors! So far I have been fairly successful with this and I plan to hold off for as long as I can.
The good news is that, if I am doing this diet solely to fight off the candida and not as a weight-loss diet, I can start introducing "normal" foods back in a couple of months from now. That does not mean I can start shoveling cookies into my mouth or drinking Route 44 cherry-vanilla Dr. Peppers from Sonic everyday but it does mean I can have an occasional sweet snack or drink, in moderation. And that's really the key to everything. I think we forget that.
Processed foods, now that's a different story that I will save for anther post. I will also discuss the supplements I'm taking in more detail as I continue to post on this topic.
I'd love to hear from anyone else who has followed the candida diet or suspects they may have candida overgrowth. Please feel free to leave a comment.
I haven't been hungry either, not really hungry. I have learned over the years that there is a difference between having a craving and really being hungry. I will admit that I have had some cravings and with a lot of those food items in my face and offered to me this week, it's been hard but I have declined successfully so far. I am satisfied with the amount of food I have eaten so I haven't felt hunger pains or anything like that. Just the constant thought of, "Hmmm, a chocolate chip cookie would be nice. . . ." And it has been very difficult to deny myself my constant Dr. Pepper but so far I haven't had any--just a whiff of a friends.
This diet is tough because it eliminates so many of the things I would normally eat. I'm not allowed to have any sugar in any form. Period. That means no fructose, which is what we find in fruit. The only things that are somewhat allowable if you read some sites are Granny Smith apples and some berries. So I have had a few apples and some blackberries this week. It also doesn't allow anything that turns in to sugar--so that means there are not a lot of carbs that I can't eat either. There are some that are allowable, like the buckwheat bread I've been eating, but all of the things I am used to eating--like rolls, pizza crust, white bread, are not okay.
Artificial sweeteners are also off the table, as well as tea and other drinks that have caffeine (unless it's decaffeinated). I am allowed to use Stevia so I got some of that but I haven't used it. I'm trying to get my body to understand that I don't need everything to be sweet all of the time. There are other flavors! So far I have been fairly successful with this and I plan to hold off for as long as I can.
The good news is that, if I am doing this diet solely to fight off the candida and not as a weight-loss diet, I can start introducing "normal" foods back in a couple of months from now. That does not mean I can start shoveling cookies into my mouth or drinking Route 44 cherry-vanilla Dr. Peppers from Sonic everyday but it does mean I can have an occasional sweet snack or drink, in moderation. And that's really the key to everything. I think we forget that.
Processed foods, now that's a different story that I will save for anther post. I will also discuss the supplements I'm taking in more detail as I continue to post on this topic.
I'd love to hear from anyone else who has followed the candida diet or suspects they may have candida overgrowth. Please feel free to leave a comment.
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