I am reluctant to post this, but please keep an open mind (candida)

As a few of you know, I've been having quite the struggle with the standard Candida Diet. I was strictly eating only veggies, meats, eggs, nuts, and oils (olive, coconut, MCT). I was also on some antifungals which were GSE, coconut oil, MCT oil, ACV, Pau D'arco and I was also drinking lemon water with cayenne. I did this STRICTLY for 20 days, roughly.

Despite all of the above, I was not experiencing die off at all, and my oral thrush was getting out of control, I was so bloated that I looked pregnant, and I had the worst constipation that could only be fixed by using laxative tea at night and doing a salt water flush in the morning. I also could feel that I was not digesting... It felt like the food would just sit in my stomach (I tried enzymes but I react badly to them). I was feeling better in a way... But feeling worse in other ways.

I came across some studies and articles which stated that ketones can feed candida as well. Also, after coming to the conclusion that fats were making me feel horrible, I looked into that as well. I read that fats and carbs together are the culprit, which then led me to come across the 80/10/10 diet. Now don't get me wrong, I DO NOT believe in 80/10/10 after reading about it, but I do think that they are onto something about the fats!

For anyone who doesn't know what the 80/10/10 diet is about, it is 80% carbs, 10% protein, and 10% fats. I think I'd die on that many carbs, it actually disgusts me to think about it! BUT, the idea is that fats are the culprit when it comes to candida and that sugar STILL DO feed candida, but not in the presence of fats. Apparently fats block insulin, causing insulin resistance (which is my problem) and they block our bodies cells from using the sugars that we do ingest. There is much more to this but I won't delve too deep (I didn't save any sources, but it is pretty easy to do a google search on this, it is a very popular diet).

It also occurred to me that fruits are good for our immune system. I know that large amounts of sugar oppress the immune system (processed sugars and other junk), but we still need some form of energy to help with cellular functions and immune function (I know about the theory behind ketosis as well and the Keto Diet, but I don't like the sound of that either). So I looked into this as well and found these studies:

“After 4 weeks, weight-loss diets that were high in protein but reduced in total carbohydrates and fiber resulted in a significant decrease in fecal cancer-protective metabolites and increased concentrations of hazardous metabolites. Long-term adherence to such diets may increase risk of colonic disease.”
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17189447?dopt=Abstract

“Under energy-restricted conditions, a short-term Low Carbohydrate diet lowered stool weight and had detrimental effects on the concentration and excretion of faecal SCFA compared with an HC diet. This suggests that the long-term consumption of an LC diet may increase the risk of development of gastrointestinal disorders.”
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19224658

"A low carbohydrate diet has been shown to affect white blood cell function as well as the health of intestinal cells. White blood cells, especially neutrophils, engulf candida cells in a process called Phagocytosis. Phagocytosis of candida is an energy-requiring mechanism that is inhibited by an inadequate supply of glucose:"

"It was concluded that phagocytosis was an energy-requiring process in which glycolysis served as the most important source of energy.”
COHN, Z. A., AND S. I. MORSE. Functional and metabolic properties of polymorphonuclear leucocytes. I. Observations on the requirements and
consequences of particle ingestion. J. Exptl. Med. 111:667,1960.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13694491

"The concept of starving candida out of the body, which so many people have adopted, can also be problematic in that starvation is one of the known triggers that causes the normal yeast form of candida to convert to its problematic, pathogenic fungal form:"

“Starvation of yeast cells induces exponentially grown cells (and usually non-germinative) to germinate. This phenomenon is also observed in cells that are transiently treated with metabolic inhibitors. During each of these treatments (starvation, metabolic inhibition), expression of a growth regulatory gene (CGRI) increases. Candida albicans: adherence, signaling and virulence.” Calderone et al.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11204138

SO... I decided to cut out almost all fats 3 days ago. I'm still getting fats that are naturally in meats and eggs, but I cut out nuts and oils (I still cook with a small amount of coconut oil). I increased my fruit consumption by VERY LITTLE. Mostly I've been eating meats and eggs in small amounts, maybe 25% of my diet, and then 15% fruits (low GI), and 60% veggies.

Well, I have been having MAJOR die off symptoms for the past 2 days. I might be fooled into thinking that this was a flare up rather, but my oral thrush has decreased by ALOT in just 2 days, my bloating has completely subsided and bowels have started flowing again.

My die off symptoms include an increase in acne, depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, extreme diarrhea (sorry to be descriptive, but the loose mucousy kind), horrible gas, among some other lovely things...

I do admit that I feel worse, but if I am experiencing die off... Then that is to be expected. I am also not far enough into this to tell anyone if this is truly working or not. My body could just be playing tricks on me, I hope not!

What was most concerning to me on the Candida Diet was that my digestion COMPLETELY STOPPED. I looked into this as well and found some stuff about how you MUST be "eliminating" when it comes to winning the battle with candida. I tried everything before adding fruit back in to get my bowels moving again, nothing worked...

I want to be clear though and say that I AM NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE. I do not know if this is going to work, I could be wrong, I just wanted to share my experience so far. I also believe that candida overgrowth is due to a "weak link" in your body that is INDIVIDUAL AND SPECIFIC to each person! Maybe my weak link is not sugar... I am also not trying to push this on anyone suggesting that they try it themselves.

ANY feedback would be helpful, I am looking for thoughts, opinions, experiences, etc. Thanks for listening!

I think she's saying she is killing off Candida on this diet?

Sorry for the confusion! I have put Lyme treatment on the sidelines temporarily because I was responding horribly to treatment. I wanted to focus on candida instead right now.

So this post is only about candida.

Thanks, Huddie!

>>It also occurred to me that fruits are good for our immune system.

Bingo. Depriving yourself of one of the fundamentally healthy food groups because one is worried about 'feeding the bugs' is ridiculous for most of us. Fruits have so many benefits and are the part of so many healthy diets that to exclude them seems silly. Seems more LLMD's are coming around to saying you can have fruits in moderation but always stay away from the processed sugars.

Katie to be honest 2+ years into this and 20 months of antibiotics later I'm not quite sure if candida issues are causing problems/symptoms for me. I do get the white tongue worse when I'm on the abx (its always there a little bit on days i'm not using them). I also had throat problems early on when taking Cefdinir and they stuck a scope down my throat and the doctor swore it was yeast when he saw white spots. Soon as I stopped the Cefdinir it went away so not sure if it was a side effect or because Cefdinir is a cephalosporin it was encouraging yeast growth.

My GI tract is fine but there are plenty of folks who have candida problems with no issues there either.

Oh I also was tested positive for mycotoxins which is a byproduct of yeast and candida.

So sorry no help ;)

I had mold sickness, systemic candida, other mold spore fungal issues, and then I manifested Borellia and Bart but my Lyme symptoms are mild because I didn't wait too long to use Fluconazole (6 months), Nystatin(week long pulses every 2 weeks for 6 weeks ), and Doxy (10 day pulses for 40 days total on) to stop the yeast.

And then I went after the heminths and nematodes. And now I am about to go after the remaining bacteria. Yet now the bacteria is starting to feel like it matters less and my body is beating it now that these helminths and nematodes are gone.

I have been asymptomatic for a couple weeks except for minor lung irritation which is improving slowly, shoulder, and the decade long back pain which isn't Lyme. (I currently continue the itraconazole and Febendazole and will end it before adding Augmentin for my back pain and the Lyme bacteria. I will incorporate LB Core Protocol and add Nitazoxanide pulses).

Now that the invaders are being taken care of in proper order I am going to go after the remaining bacteria and beat this thing completely.

Are you suggesting to feed the candida rather than starve it of what it likes?! I will be happy to pick you apart not for your nutrition, but for your lack of a plan other than diet.

Im sorry but please tell me this is not your plan. This is a serious condition you have fallen into.

Digestion Stopping? Shouldn't that lead to chronic constipation? Nematodes in your GI tract will do this also.

You need a plan of attack not a defensive diet to solve this.

You cant take antibiotics while your fungi is high so you wont ever arrive at the next phase in time with a nutrition only approach. You system is far too out of balance and needs help.

You shouldn't attempt to rebalance the Lyme bacteria to live in harmony with one another by diet alone. You will set yourself up to fail without a plan of attack on the candida.

At this point it is my humble opinion that it is a bit too late for a diet only approach. Strong Herbs and the knowledge how to use them or allopathics or a combination is needed.

The Lyme bacteria will keep advancing until you kill the fungal and remove the nematodes. If you are systemically fungal then odds are you will have helminths and nematodes.

Then you will have to remove the nematodes that you got because you were fungal and insects love to eat fungus and they will give you nematodes.

This connection is now proven beyond a shadow of doubt. I recently discovered that this has been known for at least 8 years AND has been hidden from the public.

A different nematode(s) has a relationship with each different Lyme bacteria.

This is why antibiotics alone cannot not cure Lyme and I don't think they ever will in vivo, because there is always an untreated nematode(s) that will continue to produce a Lyme related bacteria.

If you are fungal you WILL attract more nematode larvae through bug bites. You probably already have them. Bugs eat fungi and fungi things. When you get these and you don't get rid of them you don't stay healed.

You should focus on candida first. I don't believe that you cant heal anything else until you do.

If you can eat strict no bread, starch or sugar then eat all the fat you want. Meat protein is rougher on our kidneys makes our weak organs work harder.

Many nuts and wheat and grains are contaminated by fungals and high in aflatoxins.

Paleo is better but Keto for candida its fine.

Diet is the minimum requirement for the drugs to work. When you cheat you take 2 steps back.

If you can do the diet then and only then do the drugs like Fluconazole which penetrate the CSF and kill the candida in 2-6 months.

If you have Lyme and Systemic Candida it is my opinion that some allopathic medicine is needed. If your diet is strict the drug will eventually work.

Concurrent Doxycycline with Fluconazole makes the latter fungicidal and prevent resistance. You will herx on Doxy but by the 5th day that will stop. If you do this then don't eat much meat so your kidneys wont have had to work so hard.

After no Fluconazole for a week if you still are having issues then you can finish with Itraconazole which gets what Fluconazole cant. Always a week apart.

I hope you devise a treatment plan with a doctor who follows a Klinghardt like protocol.

I would keep a medical journal of what is working and what is not no matter what you decide. Best of luck.

Post Edited (ChickenArise) : 1/15/2017 6:39:46 AM (GMT-7)

Katie95 said...
ChickenArise... I'm a little confused. But when you said "Digestion Stopping? Shouldn't that lead to chronic constipation?", both of these things happened to me on the Candida Diet but went away when I added a small amount of fruit back in and cut out the majority of fats. And my plan of attack would yes, be the diet, but I am also using antifungals...
I'm not attempting to balance out the Lyme with diet alone. I am not focusing on Lyme right now, my body cannot handle it, Lyme is on the back burner right now. I can't even handle small amounts of Lyme herbs. I don't even know if this was due to the Lyme itself, or the candida. But assuming it was the candida, then I can try to get it out of the way first... Which we are in agreement on from what I understand? You agree that I should take care of the candida first, right? That is what I am doing...

Ok I misunderstood you, I apologize for jumping to a conclusion. I am glad to hear you are using allopathic medicine also. Yes go after that yeast and put everything else on the backburner as you intend to.

ChickenArise said...

"This connection is now proven beyond a shadow of doubt. I recently discovered that this has been known for at least 8 years AND has been hidden from the public."... Could you elaborate on this please?

I am of the school that is convinced that nematodes and helminths are producing the Lyme bacteria that you are choosing to ignore treating for now (which is fine). Proven was a terrible choice of words.

The oldest internet reference to this idea that these type of parasites are producing all of the Lyme bacteria is about 8 years old and from another forum. The community is divided on the existence of nematodes causing the emergence and continuation of Lyme bacteria.

It is all anecdotal and I can provide no evidence to show where the bacteria are coming from. Few and far between are doctors who address this at all.

For now this aspect of Lyme disease remains only conjecture since the medical authorities which govern treatment of this disease do not recognize nor acknowledge the nematode/bacterial connection.

I went on a rant there and got ahead of things. I assumed you were not using antifungals and that makes an ass out of me for assuming. I apologize for this.

Post Edited (ChickenArise) : 1/15/2017 7:49:59 AM (GMT-7)

Katie95 said...

What would be the difference between treating for nematodes and helminths vs. treating for spirochetes and bacteria? Do you use different antibiotics?
....parasites, fungus, molds, bacteria, and viruses are the cause of all illnesses! Those as well as sugar and grains!

The advanced LLMDs are using antihelmintic drugs and antibiotics (as well as antifungal drugs. If you can find a doctor willing to prescribe the former that is a big plus. The disease often goes into remission with antibiotic only treatments but it is often temporary without use of antihelmintics.

Yes, it seems all of those things you mentioned are out to get us