As many of you know, or maybe you don’t know, I have a condition referred to as candida overgrowth. Candida or yeast, is found in small quantities in everyone’s digestive track, but I have more than most people, thanks to these extra little guys I used to experience all sorts of discomfort, body aches, acne, tiredness, moodiness, digestive issues, even eczema on my scalp and the list goes on. No one could figure out what was wrong with me, I was diagnosed with everything from Fibromyalgia to Lyme Disease. That all changed once I met my fabulous nutritionist, she helped lessen my levels of Candida and get me on track to a happy, healthy, energized life.
Hate to break it to ya…I am not cured, there really isn’t a cure, you will always have to watch your sugar intake, that means carbohydrates included! But I do feel tremendously better. And don’t your worry I’m not a robot from time to time without too much discomfort I enjoy a normal human sweet or two, a yummy carb meal, or really just anything my tummy desires. If you want to know more about the way I eat now to maintain my health, click here!
For example if I’m in Italy, I’m going to eat some fucking pizza, I am gluten and dairy intolerance but there are some things in life that should be enjoyed. And interestingly enough some people who have actual allergies to these foods have gone to other countries and eaten them with little or no digestive discomfort!.. hmmm AMERICA.. whats that say about our food quality?
I better steer away from that topic because once you get me started on the food in America and the FDA etc. you won’t be able to get me to stop!
Back to Candida, I now eat in a way that I like to call Candida Maintenance. I do lots of yoga, take multiple supplements, and most importantly feel better! Before I started healing I was exhausted, stressed and honestly just a total grump ball. I didn’t feel like myself, I wasn’t exactly depressed but I wasn’t exactly high on life either! I had mental and physical symptoms but no doctor could figure out what was wrong with me or make me feel better.
Some of my physical symptoms were, serious bloating.. like I looked pregnant at the end of the day, my hair was falling out in chunks, really dry painful lips, eczema on my scalp, tiredness, not sleeping very well, body aches, pimples, getting sick all the time, constipation, I don’t even know you name it I probably had it.
On top of not feeling my very bestest I also had some mental health complaints. I just felt very moody all the time, like I would snap at any second, I felt a little depressed or maybe just tired or bored with life and not very excited, I also had bad brain fog ( meaning there was no wayyy I could make it through the day without at least 2-3 caffeinated drinks).
Like I said I had been to countless docs, I had started to get fed up. Like really fed up. When I was in high school I saw an Osteopath for my back, he was one of the most knowledgeable men I have ever meet. He was the one who originally opened my mind to alternative healing. After trying normal doctors throughout my first few years of college, I somehow remembered THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF HEALING! So I found a doc near school and got started, their recommendations helped a little, but what was really helpful was that they reminded me just how good alternative medicine could be.
A year later I was fortunate enough to meet Krystal Ross, the new Nutritionist and Reiki master at my mom’s pilates studio. She’s the one who really turned my life around. She’s the one who found out I had Candida, a whole host of food intolerances, leaky gut, and taught me that healing the body isn’t just about the body, but the mind too.
We have been working together now for a little over 9 months and the changes I have seen in my body and MIND have been insane. She had me doing tests, gave me a diet and supplement protocol and tips for helping to heal the mind. I strongly recommend my girl Krystal, but the key is to find a knowledgeable practitioner you trust!
That being said, I had to do the work too. I would spend hours researching things, and I would come back to Krystal with many questions, which she would always answer. I would look over my blood work, I would read tips about de-stressing, I practiced my yoga, journaling exercises and of course the obvious, I would cook health food.
This is really the way I was able to get my health back on track. The ecezma in my scalp has gone away, my skin is clear and vibrant, my eyes look lively, I’m not nearly as tired, I’m not bloated, I don’t have much brain fog, I’m not even cold all the time anymore and I am definitely way less moody! I’ve felt happier healthier and calmer than I ever have in my whole life.
It was a lot of work but when you decide to take control of your health it is definitely worth those extra bits of effort. Some people feel bad for me because I can’t enjoy cake or cookies or pasta, but honestly since learning about how bad the ingredients of those mainstream foods are I wouldn’t want to eat them even if I could. I take more time to prepare my food, go grocery shopping or order at a restaurant but I enjoy it.
So this is were I am today, a healthy happy foodie, who through her candida journey has learned how to cook, how to make a website, how to create a less toxic environment and a boat load of other skills. I hope you get here soon too!
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