Wednesday 13 January 2016

My Candida Diet Experiment Day 25: How I lost a Stone in Three Weeks

On a low carb diet without sugar, junk food or fruit, I am seeing slow and small changes in my health. I began my experiment to see if the candida diet works before Christmas. I had some hitches, namely, two courses of antibiotics for a strep G infection. I had no choice but to complete the course before continuing on this diet. I also submitted to Christmas pressure, having a serving of Xmas pud and a choc or two. However, this sugar intake is nothing compared to what I used to eat on a normal day.

Read why I began the candida diet, about my hair loss and the things I have learned dabout coconut oil after having my life ruined by this horrible bug.

Is the Candida Diet Good for You?

Candida Diet to Clear Oral Thrush
Some catching up here. Fatigue continues to plague me, particularly in the mornings. I am finding it almost impossible to get up before 8am. My eyes have dark circles, they look puffy and awful. Still, they look better as the day progresses.

My oral thrush is a stubborn problem. I had a false reading on day 14 of my candida diet after completing a course of antibiotics and the thrush cleared. However, it returned on day 18 with a light yeast coating on my tongue. Now 11 days after completing my final course of antibiotics, the oral thrush has cleared again somewhat, but not good enough. I want the blighter completely gone.

Bald patches in my hair have yet to grow back properly. I am moisturising my scalp with coconut oil after each wash with gentle shampoo.

My eyes continue to be dry at night, but last night (day 24) my eyes weren’t so dry as usual. They did get dry in the small hours. Private itching comes and goes. Am not sure if the candida diet is responsible. The only way to convince is if the itching disappears altogether.

Weight Loss on Low Carb Diet

One of the biggest changes is my weight loss. I have lost a stone in a few weeks. I no longer have that horrible spare tyre that hanging over my jeans. To be frank, weight loss was a secondary aim of this diet. I just wanted my energy, hair and health back. Yes, I have lost weight, but the symptoms persist.

Raw Foods are the Best Prebiotic
My choice of foods is a problem at lunch time when I used to eat bread, toast or biscuits. I tried making low carb flatbread with chickpea flour and buckwheat. It’s ok, but gets a little boring after a while. So I have incorporated a few raw veg blends into my diet. Raw veg is a feast for your good gut bacteria. It is the best prebiotic for your probiotic. The taste is bitter and takes some getting used to, but I don’t really enjoy toast or bics either. I am looking for the perfect recipe for a veg blend lunch. I’ve yet to find it. For now, this is what I have tried.

Energy Giving Raw Foods

Notice I don’t juice my veg here, because there is no fibre in juiced veg. I want fibre as well at the vitamins and minerals and prebiotic tonic. I tried blended red cabbage, half an avocado, a few slices of apple (not apple juice) with lemon juice and seasoning (salt, pepper and a little turmeric). I added a little water then blitzed the veg in a blender, then poured it into a saucepan for warming. I won’t eat it cold.

A little onion and garlic would make it antifungal, only trouble is, it makes your breath smell. I have odourless garlic instead.

The result is a powerful flavoring warm raw veg soup. Yes, it made my taste buds wince, but I don’t enjoy that horrible tinned processed soup anyway. My first foray into raw veg. I will try other recipes and hope to find the holy grail of a great tasting raw blend of veg.

Back to my previous post: day twenty of the candida diet