What day is it? What time is it? Where am I? So….. candida diet, medical conference, and family vacation creates the perfect storm when it comes to an elimination type diet. I did fairly well for the first several days then little by little things started sneaking back on to my plate that should not be there. And guess what? It just like I tell all of my clients. If you dont give this diet 100% things wont get better. I have noticed the following since cheating on the protocol. I’m hungry in the morning. Like freaking starving which makes staying true so hard. When I started the protocol I noticed that I was thirsty all of the time and my water intake went from adequate at best to optimal. Since falling off the wagon I have to think about drinking enough water. I don’t have that thirst drive anymore. Back to barely adequate water intake again. And I’m cranky, I ache, and constipated (TMI I know). This medical conference is about Cardiometabolic and Immune health. I’m learning tons and have decided to try a different food protocol. It fits the parameters of the candida protocol but it will decrease inflammation. Improved inflammation is always a goal for me with my rheumatoid arthritis. So medical food for 2-3wks which means I’ll me having just smoothies. This allows my gut to just chill for a bit. Then a vegetarian diet for 2-3wks which allows the gut to be reintroduced to foods slowly. Then back to the candida food list with a Paleo emphasis. I’ll keep you all posted.
Mandy
Still plugging away… Tammy is out of the office for a few weeks and we have time to do things that we DON’T have time for! 🙂 Alycia and I made a mistake on Monday… we were both craving tacos and so we figured, how bad can a taco salad be for us? Should be fine… We ordered from El Rodeo and it was delicious!! It has been so long since we have had rice and beans (not on our diet, but how bad can it be.. it’s not a candy bar)! It was a BAAAAADDDD IDEA!!! We both ate like we hadn’t in a while and we paid! I can’t quite describe how I felt afterwards, but it’s some combination of bloated, heavy, dizzy and just plain out of sorts. We both regretted it. But here, we were hating ourselves.. we really don’t know what it was that made us feel bad–rice, beans, fried flour tortilla (ugh, so dumb)? So, stick to the diet dummy (I’m the dummy) and introduce foods back one at a time to see what it is that my system doesn’t like.
Alycia
Don’t cheat!!! I know it’s hard but Mandy and I cheated on Monday and man did I regret it! The worst part is we cheated with beans, rice, and a fried flour tortilla. So now I know I definitely react poorly to one of those things but which one… It did give me motivation to get back on the straight and narrow. I did not want a repeat of the tired gross feeling I had after cheating. Plus the stomach issues after were NOT fun!! I won’t give you the details, lets just say it was bad! Eating good all week felt much better. My mom mentioned that I am definitely acting a lot more awake and energetic. Which is funny because I have had little to no caffeine. A few Zip Fizz’s here and there. I gained back two pounds but I’m not discouraged. Overall I’m still feeling pretty good!
Walnut-Crusted Fish
4 (4oz) Flounder Fillets (Sole works as well)
1/4 C Almond Milk
1 C Finely Chopped Walnuts
1/4 tea Salt
1/4 tea Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 C Chopped Fresh Parsley for Garnish
Rinse Fish in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Place the almond milk in a shallow bowl.
Spread the chopped walnuts, salt, and pepper on a plate.
Dip the fish in the almond milk and then dredge in the walnut mixture, gently pressing the walnuts onto the fish to form the crust.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil, and then the fish. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, until the fish Is cooked through.
Squeeze lemon juice over the top, then sprinkle with parsley.
I made a mistake!! A plate of nachos died in a moment of weakness. Its hard to figure out what to eat when your tired and hungry. Heres hoping it wont cause any any issues. Next day….. I’m cranky and every muscle seems to be sore. Stupid nachos. Stupid candida diet. Obvioulsy its doing something good on my insides because one plate of nachos is kicking my but. Also, Surprise, when you take the supplements as recommend and not skip dose you feel better too. Complete week of “do as I say and not as I do”
Mandy
Annnnndddd acne. Yep, another side effect to a healthier me. This is only temporary as the toxins are leaving my body. I do feel better over all and am having more energy throughout the day. Do we smell weird? Another part of the toxins leaving our body? Alycia asked if she smells weird, “nope,” but she’s noticing something. I keep getting a weird wiff of something, do I smell weird? Alycia says, “no.” Tammy says she stinks… I don’t notice. So, apparently the toxins leaving our body is giving us a strange smell, but just to ourselves. No one else notices this–Thank heavens!! This “side effect” only lasted a few days. I visited my family out of town this weekend and it was no problem staying on the diet, luckily my family eats healthy too.
Alycia
Still losing weight! The acne and weird smells are a downside. I keep asking Mandy if I smell weird. She says No but it is still a concern. I cheated a little but have mostly stuck to the diet and I feel pretty great. I was getting a little sick of the same meals over and over again. So I have tried some other things on the list. Mostly eating as many veggies as possible. My husband has been super supportive and is eating what I eat. It has definitely been a great push for both of us to start clean eating.
Oven Roasted Vegetables
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
1 Cup Asparagus
1 Cup Bell Peppers
1 Cup Onion
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F while preparing vegetables. Chop veggies so that all pieces are the same size. This will ensure even cooking.
In a large roasting pan or cookie sheet, toss together all ingredients and spread in a single layer.
Roast approximately 25-30min until veggies are tender and slightly brown, stirring occasionally.
I’m constantly thirsty and cant quiet get enough to drink. Still in a good mood. I’ve complete cut the caffeine and no headache to speak of yet. I do miss the flavor and routine of my morning cup of coffee. The family is doing the diet with me mostly. I am preparing some carbs for the kids like quinoa or brown rice. I thought it might be a struggle but its amazing to watch their appetites actually increase!! I cant seem to make enough veggies to fill their bellies.
Mandy
Well, this is fun.. let the exorcism begin! The candida is beginning to leave my body–out of my armpits!! I now have a rad, itchy rash in my underarms and the tops of my hands. Using anti-fungal cream should take care of this, but I’m oddly happy its happening because it’s showing that it’s working, right?
Alycia
I’m feeling really good. It is great to have energy without caffeine. I am working out a little more. I’m consistently losing weight which is great! One downside is that I have acne everywhere I didn’t know you could get acne in your ear until now. I also was not sleeping well. I kept having odd dreams and nightmares. I finally figured out that I was not eating any sugar and that was making me weird. I have added more berries to my diet and feel much better.
Quick and Easy Smoothie!
Ice
1C Berries (Pick your favorites!)
1C Muscle Egg (I use vanilla)
A Splash of Unsweetened Almond Milk or coconut milk
Blend and Enjoy!!!
Southwest Breakfast Scramble
Chorizo Turkey Sausage
Eggs
Spinach
Fresh Red Peppers
Avocado
Brown some turkey sausage (we use the chorizo flavor), add diced red pepper, scramble eggs, then add spinach. I like guacamole or fresh avocado on top. This can be modified lots of different ways!
First week on prison rations… Just kidding. Its not as bad as I was thinking. Its hard to give up coffee and reading the fine print is very important. I thought I was being brilliant by switching to black tea but that is a no go as well. The struggle is real. But I’m super happy. Mandy and Alicia seem a bit grouchy and are p[possibly struggling with caffeine headaches but my mood is better then its been in a while. I hope its a side effect from this cleansing diet.
MANDY
The diet was really not a big deal, if you’ve done the HCG diet, this diet is a breeze. I kept the food list on the counter at all times so I could, 1) Reference it and 2) Keep me honest and not cheat. The big challenge for me was cutting caffeine out of my world. I had no idea what a slave to the brew I was!! I took it a little slow and tapered down for a few days until one day I tried it totally without. Ahhhh!!! Tired and a bit cranky and totally fatigued.. and not sure if this is worth it! I did it for 2 days and found out that I’m not as strong as my coworkers. I had a zipfizz to bring myself back to life and not let them find me face down on my keyboard!
ALYCIA
The food has not been to bad. Like anything new it took sometime to get use to. It’s a huge list so you get lots of options. For me it came down to pretty much carrying the food list with me at all times to make sure I was not cheating. I had major caffeine withdrawal symptoms! Headaches and fatigue galore. For that first week I felt so blessed to have Mandy and Tammy supporting me. My husband also made his morning coffee after I left for work. It’s the little things that keep me going in these kinds of diets. I love to cook and so does my husband so we spent time developing some new recipes I’ll put mine below. Tammy has since put a great spin on it which I will also include. Other side effects included extreme thirst so I’ve been non stop drinking water. Some dry patches around my mouth (more water and moisturizer). Best of all I lost about 5lbs. The caffeine withdrawal took about 5 days and then magically I was awake and energized without caffeine. I even exercised a few times. The weekend was a challenge I cheated multiple times but decided to stay away from caffeine and start strong Monday.
Candida Diet Baked Chicken and Pesto
Tomatoes
Chicken Breasts (Sliced in half lengthwise)
Pesto
Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Fresh Mozzarella
You can add or substitute a lot of the ingredients to your taste. Sundried Tomatoes are a great substitution. Fresh red peppers are a great addition. Add or take away seasonings. Dried red pepper adds a little spice.
Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasonings. Bake until cooked (about 375 degrees for 20-30min). Then spread pesto over cooked chicken, place a slice of fresh mozzarella and tomato on top, put it back in the hot oven until the cheese has melted. That is it!! Tip: The thinner the piece of chicken the better. Chicken Thighs work great!!
After we got our scores the choice was clear it was time to start the Candida Diet!! Lets start by cleaning up what we put in. We are going to follow the following recommended food list. Our biggest challenges I think is going to be coffee and wine. We decided as a group to not put any limits on our portions. We knew either way we would more than likely lose weight. Going from Holiday food to clean eating is usually a plan for success. So here we go!
At the start of the New Year we decided as a team to see where our guts stood in regards to candida. We all had a few or all of the symptoms associated with this imbalance. We completed a simple questionnaire that assess the probability of having “yeast syndrome.” Check out our scores below!
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