Candida! Do you or a loved one experience these symptoms?

Candida!

To some, this word has no meaning.  To others it's just another "disease."  I first heard about candida just after graduating from college.  I had all of the symptoms they listed at that time.  There are other symptoms, (most of which are themselves considered "diseases"), but the most common are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Brain fog
• Digestive issues
• Recurring yeast infections
• Oral thrush
• Sinus infections
• Food allergies/intolerances
• Fungal infections on the skin and nails
• A weak immune system
• Joint pain
• Low mood*

This is another list:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Chronic Sinusitis
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia
• Thrush
• Eczema, or Atopic Dermatitis
• Autism
• Leaky Gut Syndrome/Crohn’s/Ulcerative Colitis
• Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
• Celiac**

I really didn't know what to do about the condition, and a friend of mine was seeing a doctor who attempted to treat her condition.  She ended up being paralyzed from the treatments!!  She still is wheel chair bound some 30 years later.

Initially, I didn't do anything about the condition.  Later, when reading Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, I learned more.  I felt it could be controlled with diet.  I also started self-treating with oil of oregano, as  he described in the book, and probably did that for 3-4 years around 2001.  Half a dozen years ago, I had some allergy testing and stool samples taken.  At that time, they found severe staph and strep infections.  There was also a candida infection.  I spent a year on specialized antibiotics attempting to clear these out.

In hind sight, probably all these things just made the candida organisms stronger!  I've recently begun taking a different type of probiotic -- one that actually has the enzymes to be able to break apart the tough outer shell of the candida organism.  I have heard it is like the shell of a cockroach.  No wonder I wasn't successful at just dealing with it by diet and essential oils!  Any idea how difficult it is to kill and get rid of cockroaches??  I located this description of chitinase -- the shell of the candida organism, on Wikipedia.  Basically it describes it as a pathogenic substance.  This was what I felt most significant, "Like cellulose, chitin is an abundant biopolymer that is relatively resistant to degradation." It can't be broken down easily -- meaning diet alone won't work!

Since I published my most recent article, I've had a few folks tell me that they are controlling their candida with diet.  I have not found this to be entirely successful.  This is now my 3rd candida treatment.  (I had one before the special antibiotic.)  I've never previously been rid of the condition based on the fact that my food and chemical sensitivities continued to worsen.  If the candida was "under control" my allergies would be getting better.  They have only worsened until just recently. (See previous article.)

I would caution anyone against self-treatment as I have done it. I am currently being guided by others with experience.  

Please, if you feel that you might have a candida-related condition, contact me.  

 (I am not  recommending these sites for anything but information.)

*Reference:  https://www.thecandidadiet.com/candida-symptoms/ 

**Reference:  https://www.candidasupport.org/resources/candida-related-diseases/

Tyrosine and aloe

I've been struggling with pretty severe chronic fatigue / fibromyalgia symptoms since we moved earlier this year. I've actually been taking L-Tyrosine for a while, but really hit or miss.  I didn't know what it was supposed to do. I looked up the info and was amazed. It's a naturally occuring amino acid and it helps fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue, having energy after sleepleness nights, and other things. Here's a link for information. I think it's available at WalMart or just about anywhere else. It's called L-tyrosine. I've been more purposeful about taking it and am feeling much better. My daughter even said the other day, "It's good to have you back!!" It's good to be back...

WebMD article about Tyrosine (update 9-22-14:  It's still a decent article, but they seem to have removed some of the original information they had.)

This article is not one I originally read, but it has the information I remember from the original articles I researched.  I hope this helps:  Article about l-tyrosine.

Here's my referral code for PureFormulas if you want to order online.  They are very reasonalble, have excellent quality products and free shipping.  Here's a pic of the Now brand Tyrosine.






Also, I'd like to share information about another helpful product for people with interstitial cystitis.  I've had success with aloe juice and so has my sister.  She takes it for kidney pain and Crohn's disease.  It helps with urgency and seems to help with other symptoms for people.  I use just the inexpensive Fruit of the Earth brand from WalMart.

...just thought I'd pass along some helpful information!

Blessings,
Sharron

Supplements and Home Remedies for IC (Interstitial Cystitis)

If you ever were to eat with me or come to my house, you would see that I take a lot of supplements.  I'm not one to go to the doctor unless I've injured myself, which does happen!  However, I don't believe in hiding my head in the sand and not trying to help myself get better when I have a condition that warrants it.

I've suffered with interstitial cystitis (IC) for many years now -- perhaps 15?  I wasn't diagnosed until just a few years ago.  At the time, the doctor, (a Naturopathic Physician), just mentioned it as a side issue.  She hoped that once I cleared up the internal candida, strep and staph infections I had, that it would clear up.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  I don't know if I'll ever be completely symptom free from my IC, but I am doing a number of things that help keep my symptoms reduced.  My primary symptoms are pain, urgency and frequency.  When my bladder is flared up, I have to go as often as every 15 minutes at night.  Thankfully, I haven't had it be that bad in a long time!

Identifying and eliminating allergens in my diet has been a big factor for me, as well as, following the IC diet protocols listed in the 2012 ICN Food List, and going completely grain and dairy free.  However, that doesn't do it all.  Stress, I've found, is a huge factor in flare-ups for me.  Eating right for my bladder helps, but it doesn't help with the pain and urgency that are caused by stress.  



Supplements and Home Remedies for IC:

Aloe Gel -- I use Carlson Aloe Vera Gel.  It can be purchased at Pure Formulas.  If you use my link, we'll both get a referral credit :)  Here's a picture of the bottle


I found another site, with a much more expensive product that had dosage guidelines; so this is what I'm doing:

(Copied from http://www.desertharvest.com/IC_dosage.html)

Dosage Recommendations for IC Patients

Interstitial cystitis patients in the first double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial took 6 ("other product") aloe vera capsules per day for three months, 3 capsules in the morning and 3 in the evening (about 12 hours apart) with a full 8-ounce glass of liquid. It does not matter whether you take the aloe vera with food or without. It works the same either way. However, it is important to drink 8 ounces of liquid with each dose. Avoid taking the evening dose at bedtime, or the liquid you drink will cause more frequent trips to the bathroom in the night. Based on our anecdotal findings with more than 50,000 IC/PBS patients, we plan to conduct a dosing study to determine which dose works the best. In the meantime, here are our latest recommendations:

First Month: 6 capsules per day (3 in the morning and 3 in the evening). If you are symptom free after the first 30 days, continue taking 6 capsules a day for the next 2 months. However, if you still have some symptoms after the first 30 days, then:

Second Month: 9 capsules per day (3 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 3 in the evening). If you are symptom free after 60 days, continue taking 9 capsules a day for the third month. However, if you still have some symptoms, then:

Third Month: 12 capsules per day (4 in the morning, 4 in the afternoon, and 4 in the evening). If the symptoms do not respond within 3 months while following the 6/9/12 dosage recommendations, we assume that you are one of the 12.5% of patients who will not respond to the aloe vera at all. In our database of more than 8,000 IC/PBS patients, 75% received at least some relief and 42% had total symptom control, although symptoms can return if the aloe vera is discontinued.

Maintenance Dose: If you are symptom free after three months, the daily dose can be decreased by one capsule per week until symptoms return (for instance, week one take 5 capsules per day, week two take 4 capsules per day, week three take 3 capsules per day). When you notice symptoms, increase the daily dose by one capsule and continue on this maintenance dose. On bad days, a burst of 3 to 6 extra capsules at any time of day may bring symptoms back under control for many IC/PBS patients. It is safe to take 21 capsules or more per day.

Flare-ups: If you have a sudden increase in symptoms, we recommend 6 capsules every 4 hours until you have your symptoms back under control. Most people only have to take the first 6 capsules to see relief.

My symptoms have stabilized at being able to sleep 1 1/2 to 2 hours at a time, instead of being up every 15 minutes all night long.  I occasionally sleep for 3 to 5 hours at a stretch, but never any more than that.  My pain level has gone way down since using this product.


Aloe Juice -- In addition to taking aloe gel, I drink aloe juice.  It may seem like over kill, but I was recently travelling and had a flare.  As can be seen above, one way to deal with a flare is by taking a large dose of aloe gel pills (6).  Well, I didn't have any extra, so we got some aloe juice at the store.  It helped so much, I've continued using it.

Marshmallow -- Marshmallow root can be purchased as a dried herb or a tincture.  I started out with the tincture and then learned how to make my own from the dried roots.  Marshmallow is very soothing to the digestive tract and is good for a variety of camplaints, ranging from coughs to Crohns.  I take the tincture twice daily, (in my aloe juice), and use the loose herb, (in a tea ball), when I need a little extra help.

It can be purchased at Pure Formulas.  If you use my link, we'll both get a referral credit :)  


Peppermint -- Peppermint has always been a "go to" for me.  It's soothing to the digestion, as well as, being highly anti-inflammatory.  I rub the essential oil on my areas of arthritis, and I take the tincture internally once a day.

It can be purchased at Pure Formulas.  If you use my link, we'll both get a referral credit :)  


Coriander Seed -- This is available in most spice sections of a grocery store, although, if possible, I would recommend getting it from a health food store, as it will be much fresher.  It is helpful when having a flare.  

Marshmallow, Peppermint and Coriander Tea

I have a very large mug, about 2 cups, that I brew tea in.  I put about a teaspoon of each herb into a fairly large tea ball, pour hot water over it and brew it for 15 minutes.  Throughout the day, I sip on this to help alleviate my symptoms if I'm having a flare.

Pro-biotics -- Unfortunately, I recently discovered that the probiotic formula I've been using for several years had rice in it.  (Why do manufacturers do that??)  So I don't have a brand to recommend.  

Probiotics provide the essential bacterias for proper gut-health.  Recently, studies have suggested that our entire immune systems are based in our guts.  All the more reason to be sure they are healthy!


Baking Soda -- The final thing I do for my IC is an old home remedy my momma used to give me when I had a tummy ache.  I put 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into about 4 ounces of water with a few drops of stevia to help with the taste.  I use this when I'm having pain or trouble making it to the bathroom without an accident.  I almost never need it during the day, but I will take up to two doses an hour apart if I'm struggling at night.  I always sleep better when I use this remedy.  Baking soda is an alkalizer which is a good thing, (alkaline vs. acid = acid is bad.)

I hope this helps someone.  Please let me know if any of this information was beneficial or if there's another remedy I've missed.

Blessings,
Sharron

cSharron Long and Adams Media, Inc., 2014

Inflammation and Diet

Inflammation

This blog will highlight my personal journey battling inflammation and its underlying causes.  I have a few conditions that are directly linked to inflammation.  The two biggies for me are arthritis and interstitial cystitis (IC).  The one that causes me the greatest distress is the IC.  I’ve suffered with this condition for most of my adult life, only having it diagnosed in the last couple of years by my naturopathic physician.  I am doing a number of things to help with the pain and urgency, but the real bottom line is diet.  It can be overwhelming trying to figure out what “works” and “doesn’t work” with an IC diet, but I discovered this wonderful document that really takes a lot of the guess-work out of it.  Generally, my body agrees with what the document lists as safe and unsafe on an IC diet.  It is the 2012 ICN Food List 

Some may recognize me as the author of Extreme Lo Carb Cuisine and Extreme Lo Carb Meals on the Go.  They would be correct.  While doing a modified Atkins / Paleo approach, I lost 90 pounds a few years ago.  I have since regained the weight because of this underlying inflammation.  I hope to continue to lose weight while regaining my health.

Since food is the biggest issue with interstitial cycstitis, a majority of this blog will be recipe-focused.  In addition to the general guidelines for IC, I follow a dairy-free and grain-free protocol, that some might consider a “paleo diet.”  I will share recipes as I write them.  I hope the content will bless and encourage folks struggling with IC and other inflammation- related conditions, like arthritis.  It is possible to eat well, while following a strict IC eating plan!

Blessings,

Sharron Long

cSharron Long and Adams Media, Inc. 2014



My dairy free almond milk recipe