candida diet

Banana Bread/Muffins

/ Amy Buckley

I just found Bob's Red Mill 100% Bean Flour at my local grocery store!  I have not been able to eat a bread-like product for over 3 years.  But I immediately adapted my Banana bread recipe and I'm in heaven!  My kids even like the results, so it must be good to a normal palate as well.  We all like the Carob addition but you can just leave it out if you don't want the chocolate-like flavor.  Give them a try – they are quick to cook – b/c nothing really needs to 'cook'.  And since there are no raw eggs, everyone can eat the batter without fear of getting sick.     The middle part of my 4" round did not get done all the way so it's very thick and rich and decadent – very heavenly.

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"Chocolate" Banana Bread/Muffins                                by Amy Buckley

(No wheat, no gluten, no egg, no dairy, no corn, no rice, no soy, no potato, no chocolate, no sugar)

If using Carob and/or Coconut oil, melt them first.

I put the Carob in the applesauce and heat it and then stir it.

Note:  T = Tablespoon   t = teaspoon

 

1. Cream together the following in mixing bowl:

1/2 Cup Agave 

1/4 Cup Applesauce

1/4 Cup Coconut oil

 4 T Carob Powder 

 

 2. Add the following and mix all together until smooth:

2 Brown skinned bananas, mashed with a fork & mixed to soup consistency

2 t  Baking Soda

1 t  Vanilla

2 Cups Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour

1.5 T Chia seeds pre-soaked in 4.5 T Water (egg substitute)

1 t  Ground Cinnamon

 

Grease pan w/coconut oil (even non-stick pan)

Bake @ 350 F

Makes 24 mini-muffins(pictured):  10 minutes

And one 4" round:  15 minutes

Other sizes I have not tried yet.  They 'cook' fast!

 

My Story Update: May 2009 – July 2010

/ Amy Buckley

I left off the telling of my story in May 2009, where I had just found the bioresonance practicioner near my house in Wisconsin.  As I said, that's when the real road to recovery took place.  The machine produced such a dramatic improvement in my health that I will dedicate one or more entire entries to it.  For now, I'll leave you without the details on that and just say that it did not entirely solve my recurring issues.  The problems that kept coming back were dizziness, heart palpitations, green urine, circulation problems (including blue nail beds on my fingers), food sensitivity, environmental sensitivities, etc.  However, after a year following the bioresonce machine's recommendations those symptoms were often so slight I only knew there was a problem because I was still keeping daily notes.  One slight heart palpatation would happen and a few days later a slight dizzy feeling and then I would review my notes and see the pattern.  More on that and May 2009 – May 2010 update of my health later.

By the fall of 2009 I was pretty convinced that I wanted to become a Naturopathic Doctor myself.  I had been trying to figure out what career/job I would do once my time of staying home with the kids was over.  I liked a lot of areas and knew I was done working for a a big corporation, probably done doing Mechanical Engineering work, and didn't really want to work for any one else.  I started telling my thoughts about becoming an ND/NMD to my friends and extended family and everyone was very encouraging.  My husband thought that it was an outstanding idea.  Even though he seemed to be fighting against me with every alternative therapy I tried, he was ecstatic about the thought of me becoming an ND.

We decided that I needed to be a 'bridge' between western medicine and natural medicine.  So I wouldn't get my ND degree on-line or from a small school but I would get the same education as any Medical Doctor, MD.  To do that you have to go to an accredited naturopathic medical college.  There are currently 6 such colleges in North America.  I began investigating them on-line, contacted admissions counselors and started talking to current students.  I wanted to get a feel for how hard the schooling was, how long it would take, and what I needed to apply.  We knew it would be expensive, but you get student loans for that and pay it back as you make money in your practice. (For us, the $150,000 – $250,000 the medical school costs were a concern but not a stopping mechanism.  We were used to large numbers from working at GE. The amount is like owning a house, which we also had experience with).  Since I would be in school for at least four years and we would have to move our whole family to the city where the school was we decided we better visit the campuses early-on to make sure the whole thing would work for our family.  (Note that I already knew I would have to take at least 6 courses at a community college to fulfill the pre-requisite education requirements).  So, even before getting started on that we went to visit the schools.  (See my complete review of the schools under the Schools tab).

In May 2010 my husband and I went to visit Bastyr near Seattle, WA and NCNM (National College of Naturopathic Medicine) in Portland, OR.  We were extremely impressed by NCNM, it's on-site Medical Clinic, the Helfgott Research Institute (part of NCNM), and Portland iteself.  In fact, the city, and our future, took such hold of us that we decided to move ASAP.  We flew home on a Sunday and Monday had 5 yards of mulch delivered to our house in Wisconsin to start getting it ready to sell . . .  We had lived in Wisconsin for 12 years.  The housing market is the worst in decades.  We have three kids ages 7, 5, and 3 years.  Portland is over 2000 miles away from our house in Wisconsin.  Todd had one business associate and I had one former college friend that we knew in Oregon, that's it.  We cut down our belongings from taking up over 3,300 sq. feet of space to fitting into 1 POD – 128 sq. feet of space!  We rented a house from just viewing it's listing over the internet.  My husband, Todd,  had just started his own business in Oct. 2009 – his income was not steady nor assured.  And I had a three year on-going illness that needed constant attention and often rendered me physically useless and/or mentally fuzzy (I'm the main planner/organizer/detailed-oriented/experienced mover of the two of us).

DOES ANYONE THINK WE ARE CRAZY YET?!!  

 We are,         but,         we did it.

WE are now living in Portland, OR literally across the street from the Rock Creek, PCC (Portland Community College).  While our Wisconsin home, still for sale, got over two feet of snow and a low of -4F yesterday . . . we are in a place that doesn't often get below 45 degrees in the winter!  The house we rented on-line looks just like the photos, it's beautiful and full of light.  I made it through my first quarter at PCC where I took the same Chemistry class I had 21 years ago.  I also took Psychology of the Human Life Span (good one if you want to be a doctor) and passed both.  Somehow we have managed to keep up with all our bills.  Todd is loving Portland and it's great for his new business.  The kids have lots of new friends and love riding the bus.   In other words, life is really great right now.  :)    But the saga that is my illness continues, more on that later.


 

Liver Gallbladder Cleanse

/ Amy Buckley

Last night and this morning I'm doing the Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse (I was given this file w/no author but found it was almost verbatum from Hulda Clark's book, The Cure for All Diseases, Pg. 555 – 558, I have added back a couple of items from Hulda Clark's version):  Download Liver-Gallbl Cleanse. 

I'm working on 'cleaning up' from my systemic yeast infection and other issues. I expected the cleanse to be a lot worse given it's description and instructions.  But I guess after eating the Candida Diet for 2 years, killing parasites for 1.5 years, exercising 3 or more times a week the whole time, doing a 3 week Kidney Cleanse only 14 days ago, and having on average three BMs a day previous to this cleanse – I suppose I might be the 'best case' scenario.  The worst case might be a person that the cleanse absolutely didn't work and he threw-up the whole concoction in the morning.  He was admittedly NOT in the 'great' shape I was previous to his cleanse.

Basically the cleanse cleans out your intestines and opens up your bile ducts via 2 doses of Epsom Salts the night before, then stimulates the bile ducts to release via the Olive Oil right before you go to sleep.  Over night lots (hopefully 100's to 1000's) of your gallstones, liver stones, and cholesterol crystals roll out of your open bile ducts into your intestines.  In the morning you clean our your intestines again with 2 more doses of Epsom Salts.

I would say I got out 100 – 150 stones and LOTS of 'Chaff' – cholesterol crystals.  Now for some further details on my experience:  The first two Epsom Salt drinks I waited for something to happen but it did not.  At 10pm I had a normal BM.  After drinking the olive oil mixture, and laying down perfectly still, I definitely felt the 'rolling marble' effect that Hulda Clark talked about.  I took 6 L-ornithine but still woke up at 2:30am to empty my very full bladder and tried to go back to sleep, felt a little nausea.  At 3am-ish I had a BM (of course mostly liquid now) and was able to sleep after that. (Note that when I've been sick 3 am seems to be when my bowels like to empty, so not making it through the night didn't surprise me).  In the morning there was no rush to go, but I went at 6am.  I drank the Epsom salts at 6am and 9:40am and followed that with the instructions of when and how to start eating.  I had another 6 visits to the bathroom between 7am and 10am.  And then another 7 BMs, from Noon to 9pm.  The next day I didn't have a BM at all – as I'm sure everything was solidifying.  And the 2nd day after the cleanse I got a few stones and some chaff with my normal BMs.  (One other note, as you may expect I was down 3 pounds the morning of the cleanse and that's got back to normal by the 4th day after the cleanse).

Now, 6 days after the cleanse, I would say my BMs are improved but it's still too early to note any other improvements . . . as with all things with your health – you just get to wait and see. 

My Story – The Longer Version

/ Amy Buckley

For the shortest version of My Story (that I could write) see My Story – Just the Facts.

For
this Longer Version, let me summarize by dates the last 2 years and 4
months.  I'll TRY to
keep it short…..and post it as-is for now and make improvements
later.  Also, later I will break up different parts of My Story to
expand on my thoughts and actions, explain my symptoms, and add more
information (charts, test results, etc.).

First of all I should tell you that 'I never get sick'.  Yes the
occasional cold or flu but nothing serious (just some ear infections
when I was a toddler).  My parents and my maternal grandparents don't
really get sick either.  Also, I love sports and have played them my
whole life and continue to exercise when I'm not playing on a team.  I
eat healthy compared to lots of people I know; including, I started
eating a big salad once a day (back in college) because I felt that
would be better for me/my health.  However, until this disaster I had
no real idea about any alternative medicines (since I don't get sick I
didn't really know about western medicine either!).  On with the story
. . .

– October 25, 2007  
    Give birth to my 3rd child.  Natural childbirth, no drugs. My recovery is the best of the 3, until . . .

– November 9, 2007    (2 weeks later)
   
VERTIGO/Dizzy – the room is spinning when I wake up and try to get out
of bed.  My O.B., an MD, prescribes Meclizine (found in BonineTM and
other products) over the phone.  12.5mg/4hours.  Call my regular MD if
it still exists in 2 weeks.  Side effect: it makes you very tired.

– November 13, 2007  (4 days later)
   
The Meclizine is not working.  My MD via her nurse on the phone
prescribes Meclizine 25mg/8hours.  Even in my weak state I can point
out that this is the same amount that isn't working!  Nurse is coarse
with me and barks that I will have to be seen for any more than that to
be 'prescribed'.  I try taking the larger dose at the broader intervals.
   
My family (parents who were here to help after the birth and my
husband) keeps trying to convince me that I just need to rest; that I'm
still recovering from being pregnant and waking up all night long with
the baby.  I spend about 18hours a day trying to rest and breastfeed
the new born baby.  It's not helping.  I'm getting fed-up with resting
that's not helping me feel rested!

– November 27, 2007  (2 weeks later)
    My help is gone and I now have responsibility for 3 kids under the age of 5 years – including the new born.
   
Now I have cold symptoms, flu symptoms, I have a 103 degree fever,
every time something moves in my intestines I get dizzy, I can't bend
over without getting dizzy, my blood pressure is off when I swoop down
low and then get up and lots of other crazy symptoms.  I'm in bad
shape.  I take pity on myself and call the doctor's office.  I'm able
to get in the same day with my MD.
She hears all the symptoms and
asks to look at my breasts to see if there is any redness, heat, or
lumps.  She guesses I have a bacteria infection – mastitis – and
prescribes anti-biotics. It helps except I'm still having all kinds of
digestive trouble (with foods I never had trouble with before).

– January 12, 2008  (10 weeks later)
   
The same crazy symptoms are coming back again.  My MD calls in the
anti-biotic for me (I only talk to her nurse).  The symptoms abate.

– February 6, 2008

   
I talk to my MD on the phone – I tell her my theory that every time I'm
fighting something off (flu, cold) my ear gets plugged up and I think
it plugs up into my inner ear and I get dizzy throughout the day.  She
prescribes Sudafed – 24hours a day/7 days a week.  Says it is fine to
take it indefinitely (many people do for other ear problems) and it's
fine for breast feeding the baby.     Side effect for me – it seriously
drys you out!  Drinking massive amounts of water doesn't help and after
about 6 weeks on it I start to get IBS symptoms (ie. constipation then
diaherrea alternating), an anal fissure (I found out several months
later this is what it was after flipping through a 1960's 'Medical
Encyclopedia' of all things!), and having a BM gets quite painfull. 
BUT I can't be off of it for more than 3 days without getting dizzy
again.

– March 2008
    Lots of digestive problems.  Many
nights of diarrhea at 3am.  Stomach often feels bad – nausea.  Still
getting up with the baby to breast feed at night.  And in the morning
taking care of the 3 toddlers.  But still exercising, because I always
feel better afterwards.
    I start searching for what could be
wrong with me.  I attend an Acupuncture talk on 'Allergies' at the YMCA
where I work out.  His presentation did not help to convince me but his
office is only 1 mile from my house.  I'll think about going after I
figure out what's wrong with me and after the baby is done
breastfeeding. . .
    From researching, it looks to me like I have
either candida or gluten intolerance.  The symptoms are similar.  AND
the symptoms seem all encompassing – my husband and to some degree I am
very skeptical about the two problems.  They do seem like catch-all
'diagnosis'.

– April 2008     ENOUGH!
    A family of
friends comes to visit from out of the country.  Of the 4 adults and 5
children I am the only one that gets massively ill – serious diaherrea
starting at 3am.  No one else gets sick at all, including the two
newborns.  I get no sleep.  Even after my friends arrive I'm still too
'excited' to go to sleep – as I learned later that's an adrenal problem.

   
I've had enough.  SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME!!  I'm not listening to my
husband's 'just wait, it will pass' any more!  I KNOW that going to
Acupuncture is the right thing to do.  If no one is going to help me
I'll do it myself!

– April 2008  First Acupuncture appointment.
   
I tell my Acupuncturist that I need to grow more white blood cells to
fight off germs (Acupuncture is proven to do this, I don't have the
reference for it though), I have digestive problems, and I'm physically
dizzy – which I think is coming from my inner ear.  He says he can help.

    Beginning this day I never have to take Sudafed or Bonine again.

    My acupuncture appointments are every other day for two weeks; then twice a day for

– May 12, 2008 
   
Visit to Nutritionist.  I go to try to get a handle on what I should
not be eating – having digestive issues (bloating, gas, loose stool)
after everything I eat!  And I notice the good effects from Acupuncture
are ruined by things I eat.  The Nutritionist uses two bio-resonance
machines (ASYRA and SCIO) and muscle testing to come up with a list of
foods to avoid and a list of vitamins/supplements I need.  I had never
heard of either methods but co-workers of my husband had gone to him
with good results for foods to avoid.
    NO foods come up as being
above his 'avoid' limit!  He says I need way more protein.  And
"Superfuel Plus" tests very well for me with muscle testing.  He
recommends Standard Process Zymex (for digestive trouble) and Standard
Process Catalyn (a multi-vitamin).  Via muscle testing he says I have
too many bacteria, parasites, and fungus (ie. like yeast).   But I'm ok
with viruses.  I'll scan-in the papers he gave me with the results at a
later time.  I follow his recommendations.
    I go home and research the two machines – the SCIO creator is in trouble with the US Government.  But the ASYRA
is an FDA Class II medical device and it blows my mind away!!  I
immediately see that the Nutritionist is only using 1% of the
capability of his machines!  Much more on this all over my blog . . .

– May 21, 2008  (14 weeks after the 2nd round of anti-biotics)

   
Here come all the symptoms again – dizzy, nose stuffy/cold symptoms,
fatigue, right side under my ribs is hurting, low blood pressure when I
stand-up from squatting, etc.  The symptoms are a little better this
time – due to the Acupuncture appointments.  I DO NOT want anti-biotics
this time and have researched that enough to know I had killed off good
bacteria too; so I find a pro-biotic to take and start replacing the
good bacteria.

    I first cut out all white/refined sugar
products.  I do experience some cravings and light headedness a few
days after starting this.  Could be due to the yeast or could just be
due to cutting out sugar.  

    Coincidentally, we installed a
Reverse Osmosis 'R/O' water filtration system in April.  So I know I've
minimized the amount of toxins/molds/etc. I'm drinking.  

My Story – Just the Facts

/ Amy Buckley

Here is a super-quick summary of what has gone on with me the past 2.5 years.  For more details please see My Story – The Longer Version.

First of all I should tell you that I 'never get sick'.  Yes the occasional cold or flu but nothing serious (just some ear infections when I was a toddler).  My parents and my maternal grandparents don't really get sick either.  Also, I love sports and have played them my whole life and continue to exercise when I'm not playing on a team.  I eat healthy compared to lots of people I know; including I started eating a big salad once a day (back in college) because I felt that would be better for me/my health.  However, until this disaster I had no real idea about any alternative medicines (since I don't get sick I didn't really know about western medicine either!).  On with the story . . .

VERTIGO hits me two weeks after giving birth to my 3rd child; November 9, 2007.  2 different MD's have me cover it up with Meclizine (found in BonineTM and other products); doesn't really work and I develop lots of other symptoms so:

Round 1 of Anti-biotics works on lots of the symptoms for about 10 weeks.  Then my crazy symptoms all come back; every time something moves in my intestines I get dizzy, I can't bend
over without getting dizzy, my blood pressure is off when I swoop down
low and then get up and lots of other crazy symptoms (see Candida tab for more info. on that).

Round 2 of Anti-biotics works on most symptoms but the dizzy-ness keeps creeping in on me so:

I start Sudafed 24-7; stops the dizzy feeling but I start to get IBS symptoms (ie. constipation then diarrhea
alternating), an anal fissure, and having a BM gets quite pain full.  BUT I can't be off
the Sudafed for more than 3 days without getting dizzy again.

Round 3 of Crazy Symptoms returning but I don't want anti-biotics.  I've had it with my MD not addressing my crazy symptoms and everyone else blaming it on recovery from having a baby!  I start researching what's wrong with me; it looks to me like I have either candida or gluten intolerance.  And I know I need more blood cells to fight infections, since your count is lower after having a baby. 

April 2008 – I start Acupuncture and I am still going to this day. This is the start of getting better.

May 2008 -I visit a Nutritionist to try to get at my digestive troubles.  He has a Bio-resonance machine – I research it and am flabbergasted by what it does.  I'm 90% certain I have candida.  I start the strictest form of the Candida Diet and other diet restrictions (see Candida – What DO you eat?).  And then I try to start killing the Yeast with Grapefruit seed extract.

July 2008 – I find an NMD (Naturopathic Medical Doctor) – I have a rash on my chest and uppper back so bad it's scary (die-off effect from killing the yeast).  Especially scary while breast feeding my new born baby!  I do the Standard Process Cleanse and use Coconut Oil topically.  It works for the rash!

August 2008 – I visit 2 Chiropractors as it feels like something on the left side of my neck is blocking my Chi/blood flow at Acupuncture.  My top 2 vertebra are out of alignment.  It helps with Acupuncture.

March 2009 – I visit an Iridologist.  Worth it for the perspective it brings and the insight into my condition.

April 2009 – I find a new ND with a Bio-resonance Machine.  I start the REAL road to recovery.

January 2010 – I start this Blog.  I'm still seeing the ND with the Bio-resonance and I'm almost rid of the Candida.  You are all up to date.  Please read on in My Story for lots of important details.

Candida Diet

/ Amy Buckley

The question has come up again "What DO you eat?".  You can find lots of lists of Candida diets on the web and you will start to see repetition of the restricted food items.  One of the most comprehensive lists I found was in the book I HIGHLY recommend, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch.

My current diet is based on three things:

1. Candida Diet lists  

2. My Bio-resonance Nutritional Reading

3. My type from The Geno Type Diet  by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo  

4. The tingling on the back of my neck and the twitching in my left ear when I ate certain foods.  

If I could find someone who uses the Bio-resonance machine to it's full capacity (as I intend to do in my practice) then #2, 3, & 4 would have been totally unnecessary.  As it stands, if I strictly follow these four food markers there would literally be NOTHING I could eat. While eating nothing could work for a few days I decided it wasn't a good long term plan, especially since I was breast feeding my newborn baby!

So I tried to gets lots of protein (to sustain me and the baby) while taking my carbohydrate count as low as possible, to stop the yeast.