Updating hasn't been frequent because developments have not been frequent... I still feel clear and have way more energy than normal, but life has become incredibly stressful due to car troubles and my mom being in the hospital!

Still no sugar of any type or wheat! I've been eating a bit of dairy but I can tell it's bugging me so I stopped. I went to the local Asian grocery store and spent $80!!!! I got a huge shopping cart full of veggies and things that are Candida A OK. I've also been browsing recipes like crazy, trying to be creative. I discovered spaghetti squash and I'm SO IN LOVE. The taste is mild and the texture rules.

Rule number one with the Candida diet: ALWAYS be prepared. Always.

actual developments

I have been completely disinterested with food the past few days. When I go to eat, I don't want the food (even though it's really good stuff!) but then I get hungry and make myself eat. For someone who LOVES food and enjoys it thoroughly, it's a weird concept of not wanting it. Maybe my body is just going through a full no-food detox and only using the little it has to work with.

In other news... a lot of people at work have commented on my physical state (in good ways of course). It bugs me a little when people ask the chubby girl "have you lost weight"? But I take it with a grain of salt and am glad people are seeing the changes! Also, my skin looks AMAZING and everyone says I'm glowing.

The best "side affect" that I've noticed personally is that I don't have the normal fog that surrounds my brain on a daily basis. I feel like everything is clear and my decisions make sense. The world just seems more colorful and vibrant, and I don't feel so "out of it"or tired as I usually do. I am definitely not super full of energy and I don't want to go out all the time, but I chalk that up to it being January, the second official Worst Month Of The Year (besides February). I can't believe what a difference this has made in less than a WEEK. It's amazing but a bit scary. I wonder how bad the Candida is?!?!?! No matter, I'm working on it.

I have also been on a supplement hiatus for this first week, but next week I will start on Aloe Juice, Oregano Oil and major Probiotics. Those are things to help kick out the Candida and heal the digestive track (where the majority of the Candida overgrowth lives). This stuff is crazy fascinating and I've really inspired some people and helped people with no answers to their questions.

I may not realize it quite yet, but I think this diet is changing my life.

"wait for me"

Well day 4 and i'm still going strong! I'm not being as strict as last time because I'm using a different book (the yeast connection handbook) so

The sugar/carb cravings just ARE NOT going away, so I've really had to go into this slowly. This sugar substitute called Z Sweet is still a fruit sugar but 10,000 times better than real sugar and it's natural. They have a peanut butter cookie recipe that is just PB, an egg and Z Sweet. Those little buggers have really gotten me through. I am still definitely no wheat/gluten, any type of sugar, no dairy, but I'm just trying to

I've also been eating bits of rice, which is ok but usually not supposed to be around in the first few weeks. I feel as though I'm starving myself even though I'm eating tons of veggies and protein. This fucking Candida is rearing it's ugly head and I'm having to beat it back down with a baseball bat.

My appetite has also vanished somewhat, which is so good! The past few weeks I always felt hungry and when I did i got terrible shakes and nausea, which hasn't happened one bit. My digestive system is also doing great! Exercise has been minimal but at least it's something.

Music: Slow Blues Mix

When I woke up this morning I *SWEAR* that my tummy has shrunk. One day of not eating sugar and a noticeable difference? How bad was it? Oy. I am also very sore from exercising yesterday. Definitely the good kind of sore though.

"dance, dance feel it all around you, dance, dance, dance"

Today was a very very very good day!!!! I have little butterflies of excitement in my stomach just talking about it.

For those of you who don't know, I'm doing a Candida Diet. Basically, Candida is the overgrowth of yeast in the body, and many factors contribute to it. My main factors are a very high sugar and high carb diet (at least in the last few months). I did this incredibly strict diet back in April for almost 2 months and I swear to God I was superwoman! Then I went back to eating sugar and just spiraled down and went back to eating what I used to before. The past month or so I've kept getting these crazy symptoms that have been all over the place. Then my roommate Michelle said right before Thanksgiving that she was going to try to go back on the diet for a few days before Thanksgiving. That's when the light bulb came on in my head "THAT'S what all this icky feeling is from!!!" It's so insane what an awful problem Candida is in America. Shit, we put sugar in hot dogs. Who does that!?!?

I've done a lot of research since the last time so I know a lot about it and how to approach it. There is a great website called www.wholeapproach.com that is a good starter. It's for people who have severe severe problems with Candida and a lot of food allergies, but it's good to read about it and get recipes.

Last time I went on the diet (I prefer NOT to use that word, it's pretty evil!), *ahem* cleanse, I stopped wheat, dairy, sugar, fruit, tea, coffee, soy, grains and starches all in one day. Needless to say I broke out in hives and thought I was dying, so much so that I went to the hospital!!! Of course I finally figured it out, but it was awful and scary! This time I'm doing it gradually. Today was no sugar (processed, honey, maple syrup, any fruit, etc), tomorrow is wheat (bread, pasta, crackers) and Tuesday is dairy (yogurt, milk, cheese). Depending on how sick you are and what Candida Diet plan you are using, certain foods will vary. I am doing pretty strict so no tea (it grows mold), no mushrooms of any type, no grains or starchy foods (potatoes, corn). I get to eat most vegetables unlimited and all lean meats (no processed pig parts). I can have some alternative grains like amaranth and quinoa, but I'm going to skip those at least for 2 weeks. I can also have any nutritional oils and nuts (no peanuts), eggs, stevia, and some legumes. It seems extreme, but I need to be extreme in controlling this!!! I hope to do this very strict part for at least a month and then go from there. Last time I was the great shrinking woman, so I hope this can be a jump start to my new life.

Now here's the little section I'm going to try to do every day even if I don't do a real post...

Food: Absolutely NO sugar!!!! Little bit of cheese and a little bit of whole wheat pasta. Everything else was A OK.
Water: 32 oz x 2
Work: 11 -7, it was crazy and I got mean towards the end of the shift because of the sugar withdrawal. I swear sugar is a DRUG.
Exercise: that's right, I exercised AGAIN!!!! Yoga Booty Ballet Go-Go Live (don't hate on YBB). For some reason it had me in fits of giggles for most of the time. I'm feeling the muscles I've long since forgot so I know it's working!
Mood: definitely very up and down, but a general good mood despite the sugar detox
Music: lots of neil, he is depressing but makes me happy.

<3

"caught you knockin on my cellar door..."

I forgot to start my eating plan today. OK, didn't "forget", just didn't do it. I'm scared for some stupid reason. Even though I've done this before I'm hesitant this time. But I KNOW I can do it. Again, it's just the being prepared part. Today I spent a lot of the day doing stupid things that weren't on my list of things to do that would be productive. I luckily cleaned up the kitchen and am gathering up all the things in the kitchen that I will not be able to eat.

Before I go to bed tonight I'm going to get a few recipes together and shop for them after work tomorrow. There is no use putting this all off. I need to take a stand for my health. I'm just having a hard time finding my solid ground to stand on...

Why am I my own worst enemy? I guess that's what makes us stronger - standing up to ourselves.

uphill battle

Today seemed like the longest day of my life, and I don't know why! Work was crazy-busy and food choices were dismal because I simply haven't had time to prepare. It's frustrating, I'm not going to lie! Doing this crazy Candida Food Cleanse is incredibly time consuming and the #1 absolute most imporant thing is to BE PREPARED. When you can't eat fruit, wheat, gluten, starches, dairy and any type of sugar it's near impossible to eat food that you didn't make! I'm off tomorrow so I will be spending the day reading, cleaning, preparing and getting rid of every single cookie within a 10 mile radius! If anyone wants some, hollah. I don't like to waste food.

I spent the evening with Madeleine. I think she's officially my mentor now, whatever that words means anymore. She's my favorite person to pow wow with about alternative everything - food, diets, health, medicine, ideas. I think we are trying to make a way for all those people who simply just don't know. I am lucky to know her and call her a friend!

Good news for today: I exercised!!! No, it's not a typo. I actually exercised for a whole HOUR! For any of you naysayers that think something called Yoga Booty Ballet is the dumbest thing you've ever heard - just try it. You'll change your mind. My body is so incredibly happy and really hopes that I do it again tomorrow. Methinks I will attempt it.

Current book: "The Yeast Connection" (You need to read it. You don't even know!)