I just finished a 10 day anti-candida cleanse. It was a basically a diet of kitchadi with whole or split mung means, quinoa, kimchi and organic yogurt lassi (raw goat yogurt works for me). No sugar, alcohol, caffeine, animal protein (except for a poached egg when I feel weak) or other dairy. I could also have bitter melon or asparagus as a side dish. I also too some prescribed anti-candida herbs. I also took care of some other personal cleansing that I won’t mention here.
My symptoms went away after Day 5. I’m amazed at how much clearer my mind is without that nasty-overgrown-Candida population. I was allowed 1 tsp of raw honey when I had sugar cravings. Surprisingly the raw honey did not “upstart” any reactions. Consuming coconut oil was helpful too. I’m going to do my best to avoid sugar(s). I feel too good to go back to being bad. Surprisingly I didn’t miss drinking which is saying something now that all the festivals are going on. One thing I did miss was protein. I never felt exhausted but I did lose a lot of muscle tone. During the cleanse I just didn’t have enough gas to workout so I kept things pretty light.
The only hard part was making/eating all this cooked food in hotter wheather. It’s probably more ideal to do a cleanse like this in early spring. Last Saturday I was near the Vietnamese restaurants on Argyle and I soooo wanted a Durian smoothie! I didn’t cave though. I still can’t believe I went 10 days without lattes or chocolate. I can totally feel how those things taxed my adrenals.
I’m slowly adding back the animal proteins. I do well with fish, especially raw. I may have a few protein shakes to get back into the game. I know it’s not necessarily “real food” but I do think there are a few brands of protein shakes that are healthy. I really found that I like the taste of onions, garlic and ginger so I will keep up with these anti-candida foods.
My chiropractor introduced me to a great diet program called the Hauser Diet. Two Oak Park nutrition experts came up with a diet that is similar to what animals eat. You take a quiz (and blood test if you visit their office) to see what animal diet works for you—a Giraffe (nearly vegan diet), a Monkey (mostly vegetarian diet), a Bear (a balanced diet similar to the Zone), an O
tter (modified protein) or a Lion (high protein). I took the quiz several times and found out that I’m an Otter. I need to eat 50% protein, 25% carbs and 25% fats. It’s very similar to paleo diets. I’m going to try this out but with foods that are complementary to my dosha. As a Vata-Pitta I do best with lighter proteins, especially seafood and otters tend to eat a lot of seafood, especially small fish.
I’ve also been reading a lot about paleo topics such as Intermittent Fasting and Evolutionary Fitness. Art DeVany is the guy behind Evolutionary Fitness which is basically exercising like our ancestors—lots of walking but also sporadic exercise, high intensity in short amounts. I’ll still be loyal to Power Pilates but I will add the EF principles to my cardio and weight training.
My symptoms went away after Day 5. I’m amazed at how much clearer my mind is without that nasty-overgrown-Candida population. I was allowed 1 tsp of raw honey when I had sugar cravings. Surprisingly the raw honey did not “upstart” any reactions. Consuming coconut oil was helpful too. I’m going to do my best to avoid sugar(s). I feel too good to go back to being bad. Surprisingly I didn’t miss drinking which is saying something now that all the festivals are going on. One thing I did miss was protein. I never felt exhausted but I did lose a lot of muscle tone. During the cleanse I just didn’t have enough gas to workout so I kept things pretty light.
The only hard part was making/eating all this cooked food in hotter wheather. It’s probably more ideal to do a cleanse like this in early spring. Last Saturday I was near the Vietnamese restaurants on Argyle and I soooo wanted a Durian smoothie! I didn’t cave though. I still can’t believe I went 10 days without lattes or chocolate. I can totally feel how those things taxed my adrenals.
I’m slowly adding back the animal proteins. I do well with fish, especially raw. I may have a few protein shakes to get back into the game. I know it’s not necessarily “real food” but I do think there are a few brands of protein shakes that are healthy. I really found that I like the taste of onions, garlic and ginger so I will keep up with these anti-candida foods.
My chiropractor introduced me to a great diet program called the Hauser Diet. Two Oak Park nutrition experts came up with a diet that is similar to what animals eat. You take a quiz (and blood test if you visit their office) to see what animal diet works for you—a Giraffe (nearly vegan diet), a Monkey (mostly vegetarian diet), a Bear (a balanced diet similar to the Zone), an O
tter (modified protein) or a Lion (high protein). I took the quiz several times and found out that I’m an Otter. I need to eat 50% protein, 25% carbs and 25% fats. It’s very similar to paleo diets. I’m going to try this out but with foods that are complementary to my dosha. As a Vata-Pitta I do best with lighter proteins, especially seafood and otters tend to eat a lot of seafood, especially small fish.I’ve also been reading a lot about paleo topics such as Intermittent Fasting and Evolutionary Fitness. Art DeVany is the guy behind Evolutionary Fitness which is basically exercising like our ancestors—lots of walking but also sporadic exercise, high intensity in short amounts. I’ll still be loyal to Power Pilates but I will add the EF principles to my cardio and weight training.
Intermittent Fasting is fasting for short periods of time, such as eating within a short window of time and fasting the rest of the day. You could also chose to fast for whole days once in a while. Being hypoglycemic, I have to be careful not to go overboard. But Ayurveda supports IF, as one should only eat when you have the appetite to do so. I have to say I like this way so much better than eating 5-6 little meals. The body accumulates ama or toxins if the last meal you ate has not been fully digested. I enjoy backing up my meals with a little hunger. I also like the freedom of it, a few days a week I will eat a good breakfast and lunch, and maybe a 3pm snack then skip dinner or I'll eat a good brunch with friends then wait till I'm really hungry for dinner. Of course part of the challenge is ignoring that "mom" voice in your head stating that you should eat. It's really not low calorie but eating your daily allotment within a short window of time.
To put it in a nutshell what works for me is:
- Above all eating real food. Mostly paleo with the exceptions of a raw goat yogurt/kefir, a little wine and chocolate (oh and the occassional latte, Starbuck's hasn't come up with a CaveGirl latte yet)
-The Otter diet percentages (although I don't keep a log) - Half my calories come from protien and the rest are divided between carbs and fats. I just eyeball it. If I had a weight problem I would but since I don't I don't feel the need to stress about it
-Ayurvedic principles - I still try to eat seasonally and dosha-appropriate foods, making most of your own food, not eating left overs, avoiding eating when full or emotionally upset, daily massage, getting to bed by 10 pm, etc. etc.
- Intermittent Fasting - eating in shorter periods of time to fast and allow the body to heal. The body likes variety (although too much can upset vata, you have to experiment and listen to your body)
-EV fitness - speaking of variety. The body needs a variety of exercise and EV is the perfect model
Already I'm developing a little 6-pack and leaning out. I was getting a little thick over the winter with T-Tapp (a workout that works for everyone but me). Now I want to focus on gaining a bit more muscle. I'd like to do more push-ups and have more stamina. It's good to be back in the game!
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