Not Another “Diet”

It seems like I’m always on another “diet” these days which is ironic for a health and wellness coach who doesn’t believe in diets. This time, I’ve found myself on a the Candida Diet and while the other cleanses I’ve blogged about have been by choice and for the sake of research, this particular “diet”, or way of eating, is doctor’s orders. So what gives?

I may be treading on TMI territory here but rewind nine months ago when I made the decision to put my holistic approach into further action and discontinue The Pill after eight years (yes, mom, I’m using alternative birth control). Overall, my body loved this decision and I can now rest assured that I’m not ingesting scary synthetic hormones (and for eight years – what was I thinking!?!).

In my opinion, our bodies make enough hormones and exactly what we need without us adding to what we have. Looking back, while I was on The Pill my body sent me many signals (which I dutifully ignored for the sake of the convenience of it all) that it was rejecting the hormones I was feeding it. But I did enjoy the benefit of lovely glowing skin and very few blemishes. It’s no surprise that since going off The Pill, the blemishes that plagued me as a teenager have returned.

Wanting to cure my skin condition for good and not just mask or suppress it, I headed to an integrative dermatologist who ordered up the Candida Diet.

Candida is a yeast commonly found in the intestinal tract that can overgrow its normal numbers and become problematic. How does it overgrow? Most commonly it breeds on repeated courses of antibiotics, hormonal changes such as those caused by pregnancy or birth control and diets high in sugar and simple carbohydrates (bread, white rice, etc).

A balanced immune system has the ability to control the yeast overgrowth but when the yeast is in high excess, the immune system reacts in opposition and shuts down often producing an allergic reaction to the yeast which appears as inflammation — skin rash, acne. You get the idea.

So for the past two weeks, I have been restricting the foods that feed Candida. This means NO sugar or yeast, including, wine, beer, cake, candy, cookies, chocolate, bread, cheese, most fruit, mushrooms, vinegar and soy sauce (mold and fermented products also feed yeast) to name a few. The cake and candy part is not so difficult since I rarely indulge in those items anyway, but the wine is another story!

What have I been eating? Any animal protein (I only eat fish), yogurt with cultures, nut butters, maple syrup (100 percent pure and in moderation for cooking), yeast free bread, all vegetables, citrus fruits, strawberries and eggs.

I have known about this diet for some time, but in all honesty, I never thought I’d find myself on it. And when faced with the realization that I would have to follow it to cure my skin condition, I cried – just a little … but enough to the doctor’s discomfort!

The idea is that after a month or so of eating foods that favor healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract and taking (literally) a handful of supplements daily, I can kill off the yeast. By then, I will be able to add many of the restricted foods back in one at a time to learn whether or not my system can tolerate them long term.

Eliminating yeast overgrowth and restoring the health of the intestines has a long term effect on:

• allergies and auto-immune related issues
• brain function
• joint function
• thyroid function
• adrenal function – the part of the body that helps control stress but that, ironically, we put the most stress on

My new way of eating has had its challenges, especially on weekens in NYC but I’ve had wonderful support from my loving boyfriend. What I like is that this way of eating actions so many of the concepts I’ve been promoting on this blog since I started it last year.

• I feel better than ever and I have lots of energy.
• I’m eating at home more often
• In an effort to prevent getting stuck in a food rut, I’m trying new recipes. I’m carrying around the book, The 3 Day Cleanse — by the founders of the Blue Print Cleanse — like it’s my Bible.
• I’m basking in the benefits of raw food. Since the weather is now warm, I’m finding the healing properties of the raw food recipes in the book to be especially helpful – and delicious.
• No sugar cravings (as per usual anytime I cut it out of my diet completely)
• I’m maintaining a healthy, happy weight and a flat stomach with few digestive issues.

Progress!

During those times when I am challenged to stick to the diet, here’s what I do. These tips can be applied for anyone trying to maintain a healthy eating plan.

• At a bar: Drink vodka with soda and a splash of cranberry, orange or grapefruit juice (one or 2 not 10) with lots of fresh lemons or limes
• Out to dinner: Grilled fish and steamed veggies with olive oil and lemon, salad as an appetizer
• For a sweet treat: Coconut milk “ice cream” (in moderation)
• Comfort food: 1 or 2 pieces of yeast-free bread (I like Food for Life’s version found in the freezer section of the health food store – it tastes like sourdough!) well-toasted with nutbutter

As for my skin, it’s still too soon to tell but regardless of the outcome, carrying me through is the promise of the final reward: a cold glass of wine!