A New Frontier of Deprivation

I have had the Big D for a week or so now, and I'm getting really sick of it. As I posted before, I think I may have been 'glutened', but I can't account for how long this current bout of BLAH is lasting. I keep going through my food diary trying to figure out if it was this or that or the other thing that set off my poor, fatigued body, but generally I just feel at a loss.

After talking to a friend today I think I may try a diet designed to rid the body of yeast--the Candida Diet. I have lots of the symptoms that go along with an 'intestinal yeast overgrowth'. I figure, what the hell! I'm a Human Guinea Pig. And besides, I've had diarrhea for over a week now, so I'm feeling pretty adventurous. Also, another friend has been bugging me about giving up sugar for other reasons--sugar is inflammatory and inflammation leads to HORRIBLE things. It's true.

I have read about intestinal candida before, but I assumed that it couldn't be my problem because 'freaky autoimmune problems' wasn't listed as a symptom. Unfortunately, I am only just now realizing that I could not only have a wheat intolerance (or full-blown Celiac's Disease, who the heck knows), but I could also have other problems, allergies, disorders...

In any case, it turns out that I do have a great many of the symptoms listed for someone who has a yeast overgrowth--lethargy, muscle aches, joint pains, gastro issues, inexplicable food allergies, etc. And, truth be told, I do eat a lot of sugar. Partly because it's something that was on my 'safe' list from the Cool Acupuncture Guy and partly because I like it. I like honey in my tea, juice or something juice-like with my meals, and ample amounts of syrup on my gluten-free pancakes. Alas, I think the time is ripe for a change. It's going to be about two weeks before I go in to see the CAG again, so I have some time to try it out. Generally, I don't understand about the hot/cold Chinese food philosophy, so I will ask him about yeast overgrowth and how it might fit into his view when I go see him again.

There is supposedly a horrible time after you cut out sugar in which your body totally rebels because the dying yeasties release some sort of toxins in your body. We shall see.

My goal isn't to try some new "miracle cure" everyday (as my DH has warned me against), but I don't know that there can be a downside to eating less sugar, and carbs, except that I might be a cranky, bitchy friend and wife.

Here is a Candida Killing Diet from a hospital: Click here! This one is more strict than some others I've seen.

I also liked Years Free Foods because they have a list of foods that one CAN eat. Always important when you're trying to look on the bright side..