Die-it

I've been on this Anti-Candida diet for 5 weeks now. I can't say that I feel 100% better yet, but I can say that I've lost over 10 pounds! All the stuff you hear and read about the high protein/low carb formula for weight loss? It's true! I never thought I'd be following a strict low-carb diet in my life, but I'm now convinced sugar is the body's enemy, not fat. Do you know how hard it has been for me to not have one single bite of candy or dessert all during the holidays and my awesome trip to Asheville? Very hard. But have I cheated with the sugar? Nope. Not until this past Friday when the only thing my stomach would keep down was ginger ale and saltines. But guess what? I was so congested that I couldn't even taste the ginger ale, so that hardly counts as cheating. People have been so sorry for me that I've had to start this diet during the holidays and have encouraged me to cheat here and there. But when I cheat on this diet, I'm the one who gets cheated.

The toxins have built up so much in my body that they've been released into my bloodstream causing fatigue, lethargy, migraine headaches, muscle pain and weakness, dizziness, sensory disturbances, hypoglycemia, PMS, acne, hives, confusion, irritability, inability to concentrate, ringing in the ear and depression. Trust me, getting rid of all of the above far outweighs the pleasure I'd get from licking a candy cane.

The meals in Asheville were hard, yes, especially when I was the only one at the table who declined dessert. While everyone else was eating their pieces of peach pie and ice cream, or oreo cake drizzled in chocolate, I was biting into my third helping of roast beef. Other people binged on brownie bites and ginerbread while I stuffed myself with bacon-covered scallops. I've tossed low-fat to the wayside and have been eating as much meat as I please. No cheese, pasta, or bread, but bring on the eggs, bacon, sausage and grits. And add olive oil to that please. I can't have salad dressings with vinegar or commercially-made mayonnaise, or anything processed, but I can have as much extra virgin olive oil as I want. I've been eating lots of grilled chicken on greens with olive oil laced with salt, pepper and garlic. I've been putting olive oil on everything. Even my olive oil needs a little drizzle of olive oil here and there. I've eaten cashews and pistachios freely but have had to give up all fruits except apples.

Being on a restricted diet sets me apart from the 'norm' as I'm always needing to explain to those who eat with me what is and what isn't allowed. Getting a simple lunch at the spa at Grovepark proved to be more difficult than I would have thought. Although full of delectable treats, nothing on the menu was 100% fair game. The head chef and I spent a good ten minutes scouring the menu to find something that would work, and I finally settled on the beef tenderloin salad while asking them to hold the German potato salad (and its vinegar). When the chef handed me my salad, he whispered, "I threw some mustard sauce in there for you to try. Don't deny yourself too much," and sent me off with a wink. That was the best $20 beef tenderloin salad I've ever had.

As some of my symptoms went away, that of course encouraged me to live a little and take a chance on a tamale or two (or ten) on New Year's Eve. But it didn't pay. The spaciness came back. I've read that symptoms can actually get worse as the yeast 'dies-off' and I'm feeling that die-off period now. It's tough when you try to do everything right and you still don't feel well. One of the signs of systemic yeast is ringing in the ear or tinnitus. Reading that and reading that people with systemic yeast often break out in hives convinced me that this is what my body is going through. Mid-way through last semester, on the eve of a paper due, my whole body broke out into hives. I thought it was stress. My days are filled with noise and activity but several months ago, when I would lie down at night, I noticed a ringing in my left ear. I've stopped sharing every last ailment with David because how much more of this can actually be going on with me that he can believe in?

The road to wellness has been highly personal. People don't know how bad it gets sometimes, and I don't expect them to. Human nature expects problems to have answers and solutions and timelines. I get asked a lot how long I'll have to be on this diet. I wish I knew. When the ringing in my left ear goes away, then maybe I'll consider eating that Hershey's Kiss.