Sunday, April 29, 2012

Raw "Soup"er Suppers

          Great Green Soup

          4 medium bok choy
          2 stalks celery
          6 stems parsley
          4 baby yellow tomatoes
          1 chunk ginger
          2 cloves garlic
          2 teaspoons spirulina
          1 tablespoon olive oil
          2 cups water sea salt

Blend all ingredients and eat/drink. A very pleasant flavored blend.

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And now for another kind of soup, a kind that is vitamin rich and is for boosting the immune system - Immuno "Soup"er Booster!

Rose hips are one of the highest foods on the planet for obtaining vitamin C, third only to the Kakadu plum and the Barbados cherry. They are also rich in vitamin A, as well as more than moderate amounts of calcium, riboflavin, vitamins E and K, potassium, magnesium and manganese (for more info). Parsley is rich in B vitamins, and ginger and garlic stimulate the nervous system while protecting it with their natural anti-fungals. With the addition of brown rice, this bowl of goodness is a complete meal. Blend all ingredients until smooth for a thick and hearty blend.

Immuno "Soup"er Booster (almost raw)
An immune-booster & a complete meal

2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 tablespoons rosehips, reconstituted 8 hrs in 1/2 cup water
2 stalks celery
several stems parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 chunk ginger
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime/lemon (w/ zest, optional)
sea salt
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"Swamp Water" dedicated to my friend :)
          Tangy "Swamp" Water
2 cups water
6-7 mustard leaves
5-6 white kale leaves
1 cucumber, peeled
1 chunk ginger
1 thin wedge onion
2 cloves garlic
1+ tablespoon lemon juice
1+ tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
sea salt
Blend all ingredients and drink. This could be made thicker by using less water, some cabbage or adding a small handful of nuts. However, if nuts are added, then blend them first and with less water to make them as fine as possible. This drinkable soup supper is delightfully tangy.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Black Bean "Meatball" Curry

This came out pretty tasty and I didn't have to fuss either, so hurray for frozen "meatballs". Chopping these kinds of vegies only takes a couple of minutes and the wash-up takes only a couple more. I love quick and easy meals, especially when they taste good too.


Black Bean "Meatball" Curry

1 large onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced in half-moons
1/3 carrot, shaved
1 thick wad spinach/greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
turmeric
rosemary
sea salt
water as needed

Lightly saute the onions and garlic. As they start to soften, add in the chopped celery and sliced zucchini. Add water as necessary throughout to keep the vegies from sticking to the pan and for maintaining a moist base. Add in the "meatballs" and a bit more water to thaw them out more quickly. When the "meatballs" have been warmed through, add turmeric, rosemary (powder) and sea salt to taste.


The "meatball" curry was pretty good, even for being in a hurry when I made it. Tomorrow's impromptu outing will be great with some energy food that's still low in carbs, so I don't think my stomach will be gnawing the backbone too soon with this. And not only will it be satisfying, it's also easy to carry around till lunch. The black rice waffles (made with black wild rice and millet) in the picture above are for my breakfast on the early, early bus. I'll spread a bit of coconut oil on them (limit is 2) and maybe some sprinkles of cinnamon and have a tasty carb breakfast for a high energy day. A couple of snacks I'm packing along are two slabs of cabbage, one of purple cabbage and the other of white. Cabbage slabs travel well.  


By the way, the salad pictured is one of my favorites - bok choy salad. This particular bok choy salad also has spicey-tangy sesame seed leaves, cherry tomatoes, chopped onions, hemp seed and my lemon-olive oil dressing. Actually with the hemp, I don't feel like I need a dressing ... but it tastes better with the flavored light oil.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Vitamin A Deficiency Affecting Diseases

Hurray, hurray, hurray! I've been fighting vitamin A deficiency for almost 2 years now, to no avail (discussed in Huge Vitamin A Deficiency). Candida destroys vitamin A, but then also many of the candida killers I was using (oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract and I strongly suspect Barlena's Olive Leaf extract) also destroy it. I tried taking large doses of vitamin A in oil gels and later in the dry form, but had no results. Then I bumped into a passage in the book Supplements Exposed that said that taking the supplement vitamin A will not boost vitamin A but will actually impair it. I had just gone through a lot of vitamin A gels and thought I'd test that theory, because I didn't know what else to do. So for the two months almost every day I gobbled up more high potency vitamin A capsules (the dry kind this time), retested, and yup, the outcome showed virtually no change. I know that vitamin A needs iron, oil and other nutrients in order to become assimilated well so there might be other underlying problems why I didn't absorb any of the nutrients. So, I decided I would do it solidly through a diet saturated in vitamin A-rich foods.

So for the past 2 1/2 months I have been taking large doses of Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica, rich in vitamin A among other large doses of immune building nutrients like vitamin K for the bones and heart, vitamin B12 which vegetarians and vegans especially need, iron which is so important for women, and 2 trace minerals, manganese and chromium. [On the Hawaiian spirulina label the suggested amount is 1 teaspoon up to 3 times a day. I took 1 heaping tablespoon once a day.]

Ah, synergy of vitamins in their natural state and working in correlation with one another rather than just the isolated vitamin A in supplement form! Almost every morning I ate 2 tablespoons of chia seeds [the packaging suggests 1 tablespoon a day and elsewhere I've read to not eat this daily beyond one month as side effects are unknown]. The chia seeds are said to be rich in vitamin A (I've never found out nutritionally how rich though, but hey, I can't eat the vitamin A-rich foods like carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes and other highly glycemic foods so I just went with hearsay on this). Anyway, my wonderful vitamin A outcome just came back .... NORMAL!!!!

January 20, 2012 - my outcome at .18 (extremely low!)
April 3, 2012 - my outcome at .42 (.30~.70 is normal)

That's a whopping increase of .24 in just 2 1/2 months!!! The last 2 1/2 months I've really gobbled up tons of vitamin A-loaded asparagus too, tried to include a little oil in each of my green smoothies to help with vitamin A assimilation, and faithfully drank my spirulina and ate chia seed pudding. Yes! Finally!

And just a comment on that "normal" range above for vitamin A. I've been testing at the same clinic (a testing practice which assures a more standard reading of test outcomes) for the past 2 years, and until just a few months ago, the "normal range" for vitamin A listed on test results print-outs was .36~1.20. However, about 6 months ago that range got drastically shifted, and shockingly the "norm" for vitamin A was reduced! The "normal range" now reads .30~.70. I can understand why the range was lowered - there is great fear of vitamin A toxicity, and in fact, many of the symptoms for toxicity and for low vitamin A are the same. Go figure that one out! But for the range to actually be lowered indicates to me that the USDA/FDA/who? is becoming more accepting of the lower and lower numbers of vitamin A and is accommodating their figures to match the common, a.k.a. "normal", populace. A big study on this needs to take place.

Vitamin A Deficiency Affecting Diseases

Animal Pharm, a site dedicated to blogging about nutrition on global issues, detailed a list of diseases that low vitamin A plays an instrumental part in. But before I reintroduce the list, the site also presented that the marbling of meat - human abs, glutious maximus and biceps as well as beef - is a direct cause of insufficient vitamin A in the body. Now everybody wants to present tight shapely muscles, and yet people tend to go for the choice cuts of well-marbled meat. These two desires are in direct opposition of each other and reflect two opposing standards. Humans have the standard of desiring no marbling in their own muscles (and therefore, have the unknown desire to have adequate amounts of vitamin A) while they desire the appealing look of well-marbled meat, a grade A cut (which unfortunately could be an indication of a vitamin A deficiency in the meat, and therefore in actually a substandard cut!). This blog entry is a must read!

Now, for the diseases that result in vitamin A deficiency or possibly are a partial result of vitamin A deficiency...

Who might be vitamin A deficient?
..... vegans
..... those who eat 'low fat'
..... those who don't consume a lot of wild seafood/grassfed meat
..... children less than age 4 and women
..... those with cancer
..... chronically ill
..... those with infections or high CRP (chronic restrictive pulmonary)
..... those with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism
..... those with other autoimmune diseases: Grave's, RA (rheumatoid arthritis), SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), Sjogrens, MS (multiple sclerosis), NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), primary biliary cirrhosis, CAD (coronary artery disease), etc
..... those with skin conditions (again, autoimmune origin and wheat-triggered): eczema, rosacea, skin cancer, poor wound healing, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, dermatitis herpetiformis, porphyria cutaneous tarda
..... those with gluten enteropathy, (known vs. unknown) wheat/casein allergies, 'leaky gut' and a poor intestinal barrier which prevent absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins
..... those without a gallbladder who may not produce sufficient digestive enzymes to absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins
..... those who take Orlistat/Xenical or OTC Alli (weight loss pills which block fat and thus fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K1, K2)
..... those on antiseizure drugs (valproic acid, carbamezepine, phenytoin which increase metabolism/elimination of vitamin A)
..... those who have had gastric bypass which unnaturally cuts out a great portion of our most important absorptive surface area for fat and nutrients, the duodenum
..... diabetic-induced rats fed vitamin A deficient lab chow
..... Inuit children with frequent lower respiratory tract infections and otitis media [the children are probably no longer consuming their traditional H-G-fish Paleo diets but the S.A.D. (standard American diet) grain-based one like Americans]
..... third world countries where night-vision blindness is prevalent

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Biamonte Ctr - Treating Candida, part II

The Biamonte Center, which is specifically for treating candida, has developed a four-stage program for eliminating candida and rebalancing the body. For an overview of the center and its purpose, see the previous blog entry or go to the website.
Phase 1 : Eliminate the candida infection
Phase 2 : Detoxify the intestines and body
Phase 3 : Correct hormone or nutritional deficiencies
Phase 4 : Support and rebuild the immune system

Michael Biamonte, clinical nutritionist, gives an overview of each of the phases and includes some of the elimination drugs/supplements used as well as discusses the philosophy behind each phase. I do appreciate this information, especially some of the whys and wherefore being explained about the chronological process.

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PHASE 1 : Eliminate the candida infection

This is the "systemic phase", the phase that refers to treatment of the entire body and its systemic infection (caused by virus, bacteria, yeast, fungus or parasite).

In this phase there are two types of natural and herbal substances to be taken. The first is taken on rotation, that is, every 4 days one of the items is stopped and another is taken for 4 days. There might be 4-6 items in the rotation group with the products being taken for 30 days before re-evaluation, resulting in possible extention of treatment for another 30 days. The principle behind rotating these treatment herbs/supplements is that candida is able to build up immunity to an herb/supplement/drug after only 21 days (some say 7 days), and so to keep the process of elimination alive and continuous, rotation is needed. The carefully selected herbals/supplements in Phase 1 are chosen for their ability to be absorbed by the blood, travel through the bloodstream and lymphatic system, and be able to kill or eliminate most of the infection throughout most of the body.

Non-rotated supplements are the second group. The non-rotated items are to be taken every day. They aid the die-off of the infection. Products used are Biocidin or Bioradiance (the double-strength of Biocidin) accompanyied with Biotonic, products of Bio-Botanical Research Inc. These products are said to be very powerful so must be taken with food.

Resulting from the rotated and non-rotated herbals and supplements is the likely die-off reaction, also known as Herxheimer reaction. The reaction is due to a larger number of bacteria or toxins being dumped into the bloodstream, colon or wherever too quickly for them to be transported out, resulting in a toxic reaction. The toxic reaction in itself is a good sign of the products working, but it can affect the already weakened immune system; therefore, some of the doses should be lessened in order for the body, specifically the liver, not to be too overworked-overstressed. Reactions could be headaches, myalgia, fever, chills, fluttering heart, hypotension, flu-like symptoms, among others. During die-off, to lessen discomfort and reaction, continual flushing with fluids is strongly recommended - at least 4 oz. every half hour.

Through the Biamonte Center, this phase lasts 30 days before retesting, which determines whether the person procedes to the next phase or will repeat phase 1 again with perhaps a change in herbals/supplements and dosages. Urine tests are given to determine progress. The urine sample measures 3 things:
(1) pH which tells the likelihood of an active infection (should be about 6.4 but if 5 or especially below 4 the person is more infection susceptible; a pH between 6-7 shows little infection susceptibility)
(2) indican, which indicates the amount of toxicity in the colon and intestines. Indican is produced by food that is putrefying in the intestines, mixing with harmful bacteria, parasites or yeast, which is then releasing indole, a harmful substance. Indole gets absorbed in the blood and then is eliminated through urine as indican.
(3) protein waste product that is given off by parasites and yeast

Also in the non-rotated group are supplements, e.g. enzymes to help aid digestion, perhaps an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic or anti-yeast product.

What is not used in this phase are immune boosters and/or anti-oxidants. Taking such would counteract the herbals and supplements for killing off the candida by strengthening it. Anti-oxidants include beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, zinc, quercetin, pycnogenol as well as nutrients which stimulate and/or activate viruses/bacterias - calcium, vitamin D, copper, CoQ10, B-complex (individual vitamin Bs may be necessary though).

This phase will NOT eliminate all the symptoms or all the infection, but the severe symptoms of active infection are expected to go away. Once symptoms have been reduced and bloodwork determines that the infection likewise is reduced, the person procedes to Phase 2 with no "vacation" between herbal/supplement cycles. In fact, for best results, a three-day overlap of supplements in Phase 1 and Phase 2 is often encouraged.

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PHASE 2 : Detoxify the intestines and the body

Phase 2 is to cleanse the body of viruses and parasites. Parasites are eliminated through cleansing the bowel. Viral conditions like Epstein-Barr or cytomeglio virus or other Herpes-type viruses usually associated with chronic fatigue are cleansed through the intestines and by cleaning the liver, the lymphatic system, the spleen, and various other organs and glands that are known to house viruses. Bacteria is eliminated in similar ways. Phase 2 has three steps.

Step 1 : Use 4-5 different supplements to kill the infection
.......... i. "looseners"
.......... ii. "bulldozers"
.......... ii. "digestive aids"
.......... iv. "mop-up items"
.......... v. "vermifuges" (some people only)
Step 2 : Introducing friendly bacteria
Step 3 : Repair the intestinal tract

Step 1 : Use 4-5 different supplements to kill the infection

The "looseners" - Their job is to loosen old debris, old mucus or fecal matter sitting in the intestinal tract and which hide yeast, parasites or harmful bacteria. Once loosened and removed, more intestinal tract surface will be available for the "good" bacteria to live and thrive. Castor oil, garlic oil, bromelin, pancreatin, pepsin (an enzyme produced in the stomach) and comfrey. Taken on an empty stomach 2-3 times a day and usually in high amounts, as in 4-8 "looseners" at one time - Example, 4-7 castor oil or garlic oil first thing in the morning and last thing at night and 4-6 pancreatin 2-3 times a day.

The "bulldozers" - These push out debris from the intestinal tract which the looseners have loosened. High fiber products commonly containing psyllium (a fiber) and benzonite (a highly absorbent clay capable of holding several times its weight in toxins and toxic matter). Taken on an empty stomach twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

The "digestive aids" - These help with rebuilding the digestive system or aid the overtaxed digestive system with its work. Enzymes, hydrochloric acid, pancreatin, bile salts - items the body needs and if healthy can produce on its own. Taken at meal and snack times.

The "mop-up items" - Also known as "candida killers" are to mop up any remaining substances secreted in hard-to-get areas. They are oil-type products that line the intestinal tract and absorb into it, reaching yeast that is unreachable by other products. These are products that absorb into the blood and travel throughout the body, killing yeast in obscure places. Taken with each meal but these supplements/oils needs to be rotated.

The "vermifuges" - These are "vermin" (worm or parasite) killers. Nasty as it may sound, almost everyone with candida has worms or parasites which must be expelled before real healing can be expected. K-min, black walnut and butternut bark. Taken on an empty stomach.

Phase 2 also has Herxheimer reaction, and some people have gastro-intestinal upset gas, bloating, poor digestion. Rectal itching is also very common, especially if a person has worms or parasites.

Step 2 : Introducing friendly bacteria

Friendly bacteria are started to be introduced into the system via FOS, a fruit sugar found in garlic, artichokes, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables which tend to selectively feed only friendly bacteria. Bifidofactor or Superdophilis are two powerful types of the DDS strain and which do a fast and thorough job. Dosages are half a teaspoon of Bifidofactor in the a.m. and half a teaspoon of Superdophilis in the p.m. while taking FOS three times a day at half a teaspoon doses. All should be taken on an empty stomach because the acid in the stomach can kill these friendly bacteria. The FOS is the most important because it will get into the intestinal tract and feed the friendly bacteria and get it to multiply.

In this phase it is very common to have intestinal bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort due to the growth of the friendly bacteria which produces gas and bloating as it wipes out the harmful bacteria. If the gas and bloating is bad, simply reduce the doses until no reaction in produced and then gradually try to increase the amount.

Step 3 : Repair the intestinal tract

Certain vitamins and nutrients are used for repairing the intestinal damage, like "leaky gut" or permeability, caused by the candida, thereby also eliminating the key symptoms of leaky gut which are arthritic symptoms and food reactions. Two categories of supplements are used - one for repairing and the other for reducing inflammation. Depending on the supplements, they can be taken with food or on an empty stomach.

At the end of Phase 2 a person should have vastly increased digestive ability, far fewer food reactions, better bowels movements and less gas and bloating. The person should now be ready to correct vitamin and mineral and other nutrient absorption.

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PHASE 3 : Correct hormone or nutritional deficiencies

This part of the program addresses issues of energy and also nutritional deficiencies. Blood testing and hair analysis (done through the Bio-Cybernetics Center) is used for assessing how to individually treat each patient. Blood shows transportation of say nutrients while hair shows storage of for example toxins like mercury, arsenic, lead, copper, bismuth, etc. Many people who have arthritis or any type of joint or muscular pain commonly have toxic metal poisoning, as do women with severe PMS or difficulties conceiving. Commonly also are people with candida or Epstein-Barr virus having excess copper (likely from copper pipes) or mercury (likely from silver fillings).

The adrenal glands and the thyroid are the energy producers in the body. Many people may also have energy issues due to deficiencies in their reproductive organs - the prostate and testicles for men, the ovaries, uterus and mammary glands for women. In fact, candida in women is very likely linked to issues of either too low or too much estrogen. Women need special attention in regard to rebalancing their reproductive organs as estrogen is always fluctuating throughout the month. In general although men may have hormonal imbalances, they need less attention to hormonal therapy.

To boost the energy level and to get the glands working properly, specific nutrients the person is deficient in are given, for example, vitamin A and C may show up as needed mutritional supplementation. Or B-complex. Mineral deficiencies may also show up, but supplementation may not be done with minerals as a further imbalance could be created with this micronutrient category. Protein concentrates are given and these are actual protein organ extracts of animals specifically raised for the purpose of gland and organ processing. Specific herbs for stimulating specific organs or glands could be prescribed.

On this phase diet is changed to address the issue of building the body's nutritional defences. The diet is changed to fit the person's fast or slow metabolism. If the person has a slow metabolism, the person should eat a meal high in protein and low in fat to stimulate the thyroid, adrenal glands and energy-producing glands for raising the metabolism and for burning more calories. Only protein is capable of increasing metabolism and the calorie burning rate. If the person has a fast metabolism (only about 20% of the American population), then he/she burns up carbs and starches too quickly and runs out of energy so needs to consume more fats and oil which are slow-burning fuels for maintaining a more constant level of energy within the body.

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PHASE 4 : Support and rebuild the immune system

This phase deals primarily with the immune system and to make sure the thymus gland, spleen and lymphatic system are functioning properly, and very importantly, to make sure the liver is producing antibodies and has an immune system response. Of course the adrenals need to be furthered strengthened, so reintroducing some of the Phase 2 supplements might be considered. Phase 4 has two parts - the first is to take nutrients for 1-2 months to build and repair the immune system, and the second is to use specific herbs which stimulate the immune system.

Part 1: Nutrients to build and repair the immune system

Which supplements are given are determined through blood and/or hair testing, or even occasionally through a special test for T-cells and B-cells (similar to the test given to HIV patients) for determmining exact immune system requirements. However, the principal test that will determine progress is by the white blood count and the many individual white blood cells which are measured on a complete white blood count: cenefils and basofils (white blood cells that indicate allergies), monocytes (tell how well the liver is functioning), and then the primary indicators, the nutrofils and lithocytes (which are good indicators of infection in the body). In another section on the blood test, the total globulin (a protein utilized by the immune system) also tells how well the immune system is doing, as also does the albumin (another protein). A test called totalbillyrubin can give some idea of the functioning of the thymus and the liver and also an idea of the immune system's response.

In the hair analysis, some of the principal minerals which indicate the immune response in the body are zinc, copper and iron. In an immune-deficient person an excessively low zinc and an abnormally high copper is common. A very low or high iron also tells how the immune system is functioning. The mineral selenium indicates how well the body is responding to chemical toxins or odors and fumes and things in the environment which cause sensitivities. Toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic and copper also give an idea of how well the immune system is doing - the lower the metals, the better the immune response.

Part 2 : Specific herbs for boosting the immune system

Vitamin C flush - Sometimes a vitamin C flush is necessary for boosting the immune system. The flush gives the system very high doses of vitamin C to the point where it totally saturates the system. For this flush, vitamin C is given every hour (strict records are kept documenting time and amount as well as outcome, e.g. loose stool, diarrhea). For example, if someone takes 1000mg of vitamin C every hour for 6 hours and then has loose stool or diarrhea, then 6000mg was consumed before reaching evacuation. So, subtract 1000mg from the total to reach 5000mg, and then in the next 3 hours the high tolerance doses of 5000mg is given to saturate the body and boost the immune system. Another example, is a person takes 12,000mg before having loose stool, and so subtracting 1000mg, the high vitamin C dose of 11,000mg is given within the next 3 hours. The high dosages would continue for up to 3 days at 3 hour intervals, but every time 1000mg less would be given, and the outcome of the doses would no longer result in loose stool or diarrhea. This is the vitamin C flush. [The reason for achieving loose stool is for the body to indicate that it is totally saturated by vitamin C. The flush has been shown clinically to raise the immune response as high as possible by the megadoses.] High power vitamin C used in this program could be Ultra Potency by Metagenics or another high powered one by Alacer company or a supplement called Emergency-C or even another kind.

The mineral germanium - [Purpose : unclear] Another mega-dosing program is with the use of the mineral germanium, to be effective, taking germanium in a 4-day to 1-week course. For example, a person might start with 25mg one day, the next take 50mg, then 100mg, then 150mg, then 200mg, and then 250mg. Perhaps then the person would take a 2-day break and then start over at the 25mg dose and work up in the same way. The cycle could even be repeated again.

Vitamin A - For mega-dosing with vitamin A, water-soluable A (a kind of vitamin A that does not accumulate in the liver for long periods of time) is used and in dosages of up to 250,000 units. The 250,000 dosage can be maintained for 2-3 weeks and then dropped down to 50,000 units for 1-2 weeks, and then brought up to 250,000 units for another few weeks before being dropped back to 50,000 units for a week or so. So, one could conceivably be taking 250,000 units a day for 2-3 weeks, and 50,000 units for 1-2 weeks. This again serves to stimulate certain parts of the immune system at a very high level.

Glandular concentrates - Certain other glandular concentrates from the thymus, lymphs, spleen, adrenals and liver are also used in very high doses in order to generate and increase immune response. Sometimes they may be taken every hour.

The vitamin C flush, germanium, vitamin A and the hourly technique of taking glandular concentrates may also be used if the person is feeling on the verge of a relapse or coming down with a cold or flu. Echinacea, a commonly used herb for the immune system, can also be used to ward off an oncoming cold or flu. The dose is 2-3 teaspoons, 3 times a day, and then after the inital high dosages, dropped down to 1/2 teaspoon 3 times a day.

Phase 4, the rebuilding of the immune system which took years to destroy, takes the longest; it may very likely take as long as a year. In this very individualized phase, fiber supplements to keep the bowels moving, some flora supplement for aiding correct bacteria growth, and digestive supplements for assisting with digestion are employed. Energy boosters from Phase 3 might even be continued in addition to the mega-dosing techniques above.

Sometimes in this phase a rash or pimples might appear. These are primarily the result of the lymphatic sstem and the immune system cleansing themselves. If this happens, a dry massage to massage off dead skin can be done to activate better circulation of the vascular and lymphatic systems which will help push poisons out of the skin. Saunas and steam baths are even more efficient for cleansing impurities out.

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Other principles to keep in mind:

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are done under a very carefully regulated diet. The Biamonte Center has three diet choices: a high-protein diet that includes meat with few carbs, a vegetarian diet which includes a few more carbs, and the caveman diet which is for toughest candida (mainly meat protein with low carb vegetables).

Phase 1 and Phase 2 primarily eliminate the total infection; Phase 3 and Phase 4 build back the immune system and repair the damage caused by the infections.

Phase 1 handles active infection; Phase 2 handles the digestive system and nutrient absorption; Phase 3 addresses energy; Phase 4 aims for rebalancing the immune system.

Rule of thumb - Liquids are taken on an empty stomach; all tablets or capsules are taken with meals.

At no time in the program does a person want constipation. Drinking plenty of water and eating lots of fiber is to help flush the body regularly and speedily from the toxins that are poured into the colon, but if constipation occurs, the toxins build up and are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream and possibly making the person very ill indeed.

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All the of the above material came from the Biamonte Center's webpages, specifically under the category of "Tour Our Program". I have tried to condense the pages describing the program as succinctly as possible without changing any of the therapies or nuances of the 4 phase candida cleansing and repair program. I do NOT agree with everything in the program, but this summary is just what it is, a summary of a program and devoid of my opinion.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Biamonte Ctr - Treating Candida, part I

Michael Biamonte, clinical nutritionist, has studied for 18+ years how candida interacts with various other treatment plans and how viable those plans are. He's come to the conclusion that the majority of candida elimination programs work predominantly on the elimination phase but do not address detoxing issues, hormonal or nutritional imbalances or work to rebuild the immune system ... and that is why candida resurfaces. [This has been pretty much my experience in reading about detox programs, and until I started reading on this site, I had no idea how to effectively use acidobifidus or how to rebuild the immune system or address hormonal and other deficiencies ... and I've had "clean" periods only to have a relapse.]


The Biamonte Center has a four-fold treatment plan. The center functions on the belief that candida has to be stripped from the body in layers due its construction and causes. The phases are:
Phase 1 : Eliminate the candida infection
Phase 2 : Detoxify the intestines and body
Phase 3 : Correct hormone or nutritional deficiencies
Phase 4 : Support and rebuild the immune system

WATCH : Introduction to Candida video clip

Some key points brought out in the video clip:

~ Candida can build immunity to an antifungal treatment after 21 days (on another page Biamonte cites 7 days). Candida is like a chameleon and can change itself easily from a fungus to a yeast. It is highly resistent to attack and can easily mutate against an herb or antifungal if it's taken 21 days or longer.

~ Pharmaceuticals, specifically Nystatin and Nizoral, the preferred anti-fungals for treating candida, are often ineffective. Medical research states that these drugs can be only taken for a short period of time before causing toxicity in the body, not to mention that Nystatin's effect is limited to localized areas and cannot travel through the blood stream to areas outside of the GI track. On the other hand, Nizoral, impairs the vitamin D-like substance needed for the yeast cell membrane. This drug is difficult for candida patients to assimilate due to low levels of stomach acid, which is also a common underlying cause of yeast infection. As for hazards of taking the drug, Nizoral may cause liver damage (the liver is already compromised by candida toxicity) or even fatal reactions.

~ Another common, but ineffective medication is acidophilus. Acidophilus may reduce some candida symptoms if used regularly, but only after the candida has been eliminated and the intestinal track is clean. But if systemic candida exists, candida overgrowth will choke out any acidophilus introduced to the body.

~ Certain vitamins and minerals can spread candida. Some of these include: vitamin B-complex, vitamin D, CoQ10, calcium, copper and iron. Many of these nutrients protect the candida from the very medicines used to eliminate it. These nutrients can bolster the candida, or, they may cause an uncontrolled release of toxins, shocking the body and causing some patients to become severely ill. Once candida has been eliminated, however, the patients can resume taking supplements.

~ Hormonal problems are linked to candida. Elevated levels of estrogen or cortisol, or, lower levels of testosterone, DHEA or progesterone can make a man or woman more prone to candida and cause continual relapse.

~ Stress will cause candida by elevating the stress hormone cortisol, which depresses the immune system, and like estrogen, raises the amount of sugars in the mucus surrounding the candida.

~ Toxic metals : "Do not try to reduce or eliminate toxic metals while treating candida." Toxic metals like arsenic, iron, bismuth, copper, aluminum and mercury show up consistently in people with candida. These metals can disable the exact part of the immune system that seeks to control candida, as well as destroying the gut flora that restrains candida overgrowth. Trying to clear these heavy metals before killing yeast will actually result in spreading candida. As the huge outpouring of metals move down the intestinal tract, they contact and spread the yeast. Therefore, removal of these metals must be done after the candida has been eliminated.

~ A low-carb diet is used to weaken the candida so that a regime of rotating anti-fungals may more effectively attack and eliminate the yeast.



Information above has been a synthesis of what was said on the video clip. The materials above as well as the picture of candida are taken from the Biamonte Center's website. Posting this information here does not mean that I endorse it, only that I find it very interesting and think it the most comprehensive candida elimination and rebalancing regime that I've come across online. website.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Vegies and "Meatball" Casserole

This is a quick and easy recipe if there are leftover patties or "meatballs" in the freezer. From my Black Bean Burger Ball recipe, I had made 10 patties to experiment with some kind of casserole. Well, tonight I concocted something that's much like meatloaf but is well balanced with lightly-cooked-but-still-crisp vegies. The "meat" patties soaked up the vegie juices and some of the gravy flavors and the dish came out pretty good, although different than I expected. I expected the white sauce gravy to soak down and around the vegies and make something like a vegie-primavera casserole with "meat" patties, but instead the white sauce sealed in the vegie juices and made a great egg-like battery topping. Unique!

White Sauce

1/3 cup cashews (soaked 1 hr and soak water tossed)
1/3 zucchini
1 big chunk ginger
1 stick celery
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 cups water
sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a BlendTec until smooth. Will be a light warm yellow.

Vegie "Patty" Casserole

10 "meat" patties
2/3 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 small firm tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 head broccoli, cut in small pieces
1/3 head cauliflower, cut in small pieces
mixed herbs, for garnishing the top

Prep the vegies and lay vegies in layers with "meat" patties in the middle of the layers. Pour the white sauce over the vegies, allowing sauce to seep into crevices. Sprinkle the white sauce with mixed herbs. Put into oven and bake for 40 minutes on 350F.

I served with a serving of mixed rice (not pictured), cucumber salad with parsley, and guacamole and rosehip sauces for the rice.
Cucumber salad: 3 peeled and sliced cucumbers, several stems of parsley, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic minced, sea salt.
Guacamole sauce: 2 avocadoes mashes with the same lemon-olive oil dressing as the cucumber salad.
Rosehip sauce: 1 heaping teaspoon dry cut and de-seeded rosehips soaked in 2 tablespoons water for 8 hours, then add a little lemon and garlic for mildly tangy sauce.




Monday, April 16, 2012

Strict Candida Diet

The Strict Candida Diet is for people experiencing a wild array of symptoms related to foods. To make this diet, I’ve cross-referenced many candida diets and read about why certain foods are on the list or why they are stricken from it. This is not a “perfect” diet for everyone experiencing radical food sensitivities as people even develop individual sensitivities/allergies. However, this is a core diet and can be added to or subtracted from based on the individual’s needs.

The diet principles exercised here are sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free, yeast-free, processed food-free, and low-carb. The intent is to starve (actually weaken) the offending bacteria so that anti-bacterials, anti-fungals and anti-inflammatories can further damage and kill them off.

DIETARY RATIO – 65% - 20% - 10% - 5%

Keep this tentative ratio in mind when planning meals: 65+% of high fiber foods such as steamed vegies (broccoli, celery, red radishes in moderation, asparagus, cabbage, spinach and kale) with raw garlic, onion and ginger, three natural anti-fungals; 20% of high protein foods like nuts, seeds (and some people eat eggs); 10% complex carbs like brown rice, millet, select beans (carbs actually help promote a healthy body and deter candida, but once there is overgrowth the bacteria must be weakened and so carbs are withdrawn); 5% fresh fruits like lemons, limes, avocadoes and perhaps green apples or blackberries if the person can tolerate them (some people like myself must be very strict with this category). ?? % of oils is unknown but depends on the individual – some oils are very instrumental in fighting against the candida overgrowth, and so some people require more oil than others; for those upping their oils, reduce the carbs as they compete with each other. A word of caution here, a low-carb diet long-term, say for six months or more, has been known to cause electrolyte problems.

ALLOWABLE FOODS

VEGETABLES

Vegetables starve the candida of the sugar and mold that feed it. Vegies filled with chlorophyll absorb fungal poisons and escort them out of the body. Avoid starchy vegies like carrots sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, corn, all winter squash, beets, peas, parsnips and all beans except green beans; the starch quickly turns to sugar which feeds the candida. Vegies are typically very alkaline and should be eaten raw or slightly steamed. Cooking makes all food - vegies included - acidic, the pH which candida thrives in. Seaweeds are good, e.g. spirulina, chlorella, dulse, but many seaweeds are processed with processed salts and corn oil, which could cause reaction and/or feed the candida. Tomatoes are acidic (yellow tomatoes less so) and a nightshade, which affects inflammation and particularly those with rheumatoid problems - best to avoid.

Vegetables : amaranth leaves, asparagus, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber (peeled), dandelion greens, eggplant (controversial as it’s a nightshade), endive, garlic stems, green beans, kale, lettuce (all types), leeks, mustard greens, okra, fresh olives, onions, red radish (in moderation), seaweed, spaghetti squash, spinach, spring onions, swiss chard, tomatoes (controversial), turnip greens, zucchini

LEGUMES
Legumes can be very moldy. Some candida diets restrict all legume consumption, some allow low-carb legumes such as chickpeas/garbanzo beans, lentils, black beans, black-eyed peas and adzuki beans. Because of the possible mold factor, soak beans (except lentils) for 8 hours, drain off dirty water and rinse till rinse-water is colorless. Cook as desired. Slow-cooking in a crock pot will retain the most nutrients that higher heats will kill.

NUTS & SEEDS
Nuts are rich in nutrients, essential fats but can be very moldy. Also they are tough on the digestive system of many candida sufferers; some people react while others tolerate them well. For eliminating mold on nuts, soak and rinse nuts before eating. For the busy person, they can be soaked in bulk and dried in a dehydrator to be eaten when desired. Drying temperatures over 118F (in the oven for example) kill nutrients, essential for the healing candida sufferer’s body. Flax seeds (chia and hemp to a lesser degree) go rancid quickly so buy whole seeds and blend the seeds to a powder just before using. Heat also destroys the nutrients in these fragile seeds so eat raw.

Nuts : almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts (no more than 6 at a time due to heavy selenium)
Seeds : sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds

GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS
Grains contain a high amount of fiber, so figuratively they are the pipe-cleaners of the intestines grabbing pollutants, chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals and sweeping some of them out. Grains are complex carbs but they do break down into sugars and so must be eaten in small proportion when “starving” the candida so anti-fungals work more effectively.

Gluten-free grains: adlay/Job’s tears, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum (possibly), wild and brown rice

BEVERAGES
The GI track needs to be continually washed throughout the day to remove toxins, so drink lots of water. The herbal teas listed have anti-fungal properties. Chickory root is also a great prebiotic (it contains 20% inulin) so can help repopulate the gut with healthy bacteria.

Beverages: almond milk, chamomile tea, chickory root, cinnamon tea, clove tea, fennel tea, ginger tea, lemongrass tea, licorice tea, peppermint tea, taheebo/pau d’arco tea, lots of water

SWEETENERS
Candida loves sweeteners. Supposedly stevia (controversial) can be eaten in tiny amounts every day. Coconut oil is naturally sweet, as are green apples, cinnamon, almonds and almond flour. Blend ingredients considering natural flavors and skip on all sugars and chemical-compound substitute sugars, including xylitol (known to mess up pets’ pancreases) and agave (90+% fructose while corn syrup is only about 50%; also processed at temps around 400F! thus a trans fat?).

FRUITS
Fruits range from very high fructose to fruits with much less fructose. Fruits tend to be slightly acidic, which makes them even more appealing to candida. So, choosing low fructose, low-acidic fruit is important. Limes and lemons are both low acidic, as are avocadoes. Cranberries are very low fructose but high acidic; tomatoes are acidic. The following fruits are “good” fruits for the strict candida diet but must be eaten only upon occasion and as each body allows. Limes, lemons and avocadoes are the first fruits to add to the diet.

Fruits: avocadoes, blackberries, cranberries, green apples, green papaya, lemons, limes, red or black currants

CONDIMENTS, VINEGARS & SEASONINGS
Condiments are typically fermented but people with candida have huge intolerances to yeast and/or fermentation, so they must think simple, eat simple … but feel well. Coconut aminos is a great alternative for soy sauce. Salt, by the way, is processed and often has dextrose and chemical ingredients in it; eat unprocessed sea salt which is loaded with accessible nutrients and minerals. Dried herbs are known to be moldy, not to mention irradiated. Dehydrated garlic and onion powders might have sugar additives.

Condiments: fresh garlic, fresh ginger, fresh onion, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, hemp oil; mustard powder (rarely; very arguable); apple cider vinegar (very very arguable!)
Seasonings: (unprocessed) sea salt, black pepper (very arguable)

HERBS & SPICES
Certain herbs and spices contain antioxidants and anti-fungals. Some increase circulation and reduce inflammation. Some improve digestion and alleviate constipation. Most herbs and spices are beneficial in the fight against candida. Avoid the nightshades, that is, any in the red pepper family.

Herbs and spices: basil, black pepper (very arguable), cardamom, cayenne (very arguable), cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, coriander (good cinnamon substitute), cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, turmeric

OILS & FATS
Eat carefully selected oils only, and always choose cold-pressed and extra virgin if given the option. Heating or boiling destroys oils, especially fragile oils like hemp and flax oils.

Oils: coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, hemp oil
Fats: avocado, cleaned nuts (almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts)


FOODS TO AVOID

SUGARS

Sugars exacerbate candida. Soft drinks are loaded, and even if “sugar-free” there are chemicals and the drinks are very acidic. Artificial sweeteners can impair the immune system.

Avoid: honey, syrup includes brown rice syrup, lactose, malt, sucrose, fructose, chocolate, molasses, artificial sweeteners (e.g. asulfame, nutra-sweet, saccharine, maltodextrine), agave nectar, coconut sugar, yacon syrup

ALCOHOL
Alcohol is high in sugar, plus it is fermented, both of which cause candida to thrive. Alcohol puts stress on the organs and immune system. Mixing alcohol and candida is like opening all the windows in a house fire!

Avoid: beer, cider, liquors, spirits, wine

GRAINS & GLUTINOUS FOODS
Most candida sufferers have high sensitivities to glutens, so avoiding them allows the immune system to repair itself and spend more energy attacking the bacteria rather than the introduced toxin. Corn products like popcorn are highly contaminated with toxic fungi. White rice causes rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.

Avoid: glutens (wheat, rye, barley, oats and wheat variations like spelt, couscous, cream of wheat, durum, semolina, farina, triticale, etc); corn (popcorn, blue corn, hominy, grits)

LEGUMES
Most legumes are high in carbs, moldy, as well as hard to digest and so should be avoided. Lentils, garbanzos and black beans are probably the easiest to digest and have the lowest glycemic count. Soy products are toxic to people with candida, probably because the majority of soy is GMO, which has been linked to immune system damage and other health problems. Soy is also disruptive to the thyroid, a common problem with candida sufferers. Cocoa powder, even unsweetened, contains caffeine and weakens the adrenal glands. Bean sprouts contain high levels of bacteria and sometimes e.coli – those grown at home can be safe.

Avoid: all beans except later on the lentils, garbanzos and black beans; all soy (tofu, tofu cheese, textured vegetable protein, soy milk, tempeh, etc); carob powder; cocoa powder; bean sprouts

NUTS
Nuts contain high amounts of molds/fungal toxins, which can inflame candida. Some nuts are extremely moldy like the peanuts and pistachios while almonds and walnuts are easiest for the candida sufferer to clean and eat. Coconut meat is inflammatory while coconut oil fights against the candida bacteria (the body uses these materials very differently).

Avoid: all nuts, especially peanuts and pistachios; coconut meat, milk and cream; pecans cause inflammation; cashews can be very moldy

MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms often have mold on their exterior. Eating fungi can further the spread of candida, as they are a mold; however, some molds have been used to fight the candida mold-bacteria, ex. reishi and maitake.

FRUITS
Fruits have high sugar content, which candida thrives on. Melons and especially cantaloupe tend to be very moldy. Oranges and grapefruits cause inflammation and are acidic (even orange peel as a flavoring must be avoided) while lemons and limes are alkaline and low-inflammatory. Dried fruits and fruit juices are sugar intensified and must be avoided as they heavily tax the adrenals; processed canned fruit with natural fruit sugars and the added sugars does too!

ROOT/STARCHY & OTHER VEGETABLES
Root vegies are dense in nutrients but have high starch that easily convert to sugar. Winter squash are incredily starch and thus speedily convert to sugar. Hot peppers (capsicum family) and other peppers, including sweet peppers, are in the nightshade family (along with potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes) and therefore cause inflammation in many people with autoimmune diseases, particularly those with rhuematoid problems.
Avoid: beets, brussel sprouts (many people react), carrots, daikon radishes, eggplant, parsnips, all peppers (hot and not), peas, potatoes, all squash (except zucchini and spaghetti squash), sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams and yucca

MEATS & FISH & SEAFOOD & EGGS
Avoid all meats: Meats like beef and pork are grain-fed, which increases the acidy of the meat, filled with hormones and antibiotics, and bacterial carriers. Pork cells contain retroviruses that survive cooking and may further harm a weakened digestive system. Processed meats like lunch meat and spam are loaded with dextrose, nitrates, nitrites, sulphates and sugars.

Avoid all fish and seafood: Most fish, excepting perhaps sockeye salmon and sardines, contain alarming levels of heavy metals and toxins, which suppress the immune system. Farm-raised salmon is grey in color before factory coloring making it more appealing to consumers, not to mention farm-raised salmon is extremely inflammatory while wild salmon is considered extremely anti-inflammatory, excepting for the fact that it’s loaded with PCBs, mercury and carcinogenic agents, as is farm-raised salmon according to studies. Seafoods are the oceans floor sweepers and are toxic by nature.

Avoid eggs: eggs are inflammatory (one naturopath found that 90% of all people with food sensitivities had an egg sensitivity too)

DAIRY PRODUCTS
Dairy is inflammatory, loaded with bacteria, hormones and antibiotics as well as pus. Dairy also contains lactose, a sugar compounded with milk agents, which feed bacteria and create phlegm (bacteria crap). Cheese is created by bacteria by-products aka crap.
Avoid: dairy (all cheese, milk, cream, buttermilk, even kefir and yogurt although many argue that these two are beneficial as probiotics, but these are fermented)

ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES
Chemicals disrupt friendly bacteria and allow candida yeast to flourish. MSG and citric acid are in most processed foods and are derived from yeasts as they underwent a fermentation process. The natural citric acid in lemons and limes is not a chemical compound and is beneficial.
Avoid: MSG, citric acid, maltodextrin, chemicals and anything on the list that can’t be pronounced.

BEVERAGES
Caffeine causes blood sugar spikes feeding candida and stressing the adrenals and weakening the immune system, both already weaknesses in the candida sufferer. Coffee contains mold, one of the most important food categories to avoid; it also contains taurine, another evil. Decaf coffees and teas contain residual caffeine. Coconut water/milk contains a high amount of sugar and so is inflammatory.

Avoid: coffee, black and green tea, diet and regular sodas, energy drinks, sport drinks, malted drinks (e.g. Ovaltine, Horlicks, Caro), coconut water, fruit juices (fresh or packaged), rice milk, coconut water/milk

CONDIMENTS & VINEGARS
Condiments are usually fermented (vinegars, olives, pickles) or have sugar and/or citric acid (ketchup, tomato paste). They may even contain soy (soy sauce, fermented Asian bean sauces, Bragg’s, balsamic vinegar). Vinegars are made in a yeast culture, which depletes the stomach of acids and can cause inflammation in the gut

Avoid: Bragg’s, horseradish, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salad dressings, soy sauce; brewer’s yeast; nutritional yeast (some can tolerate nutritional yeast flakes though)

FATS & OILS
Avoid: Peanut, cottonseed, cotton and canola oils are mold contaminated. Sunflower and safflower oils are highly processed. Most beans in soy oil are GMO. Margarine is dairy plus saturated fat. Shortening is highly processed and has trans fat. Sesame seed oil is inflammatory for people with candida (some can tolerate it though).


SUMMARY

Candida flourishes in an acidic environment, and this acidity inhibits the bodies’ ability to absorb vitamins and minerals as well as limits enzyme production of digestive proteins, thus causing gas and a sense of being bloated and an increase in food sensitivities. Therefore, selecting foods from the ALLOWABLE FOODS list is important. A rule of thumb when “starving” the candida is to diet for one month for every year the person has had candida. That is, if someone’s had it for 18 years, then he/she must be on a strict candida diet for 18 months. Candida results in deficiencies; the strictness of the diet does not aim to clean up those deficiencies and may create more; however, once candida has been eliminated the body can be restored. There will never be any kind of restoration as long as candida survives and thrives.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Reverse osmosis water and distilled water are acidic waters and contain no minerals and actually leach minerals from the body. Adding minerals to water does not help as processed minerals cannot possibly duplicate what Mother Nature provides.

Canned foods are high in molds and lack nutrients; frozen is better; fresh is best.

Avoid all yeast: brewer’s yeast, baker’s yeast, vitamins & minerals (unless labeled “yeast free” and “sugar free”), B-complex (usually vitamin B1 undergoes a major fermentation process … this might affect the vitamin B1 additive in breads too)
Avoid malt products: malted drinks, cereals, candy (fermented)

Avoid sprouts unless home-grown. Sprouts often contain high amounts of bacteria and even e.coli.

Leftovers grow mold. Two hours after putting leftovers in the fridge, mold starts growing. It’s best to freeze leftovers.

Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Consider lymphatic drainage techniques also (dry skin brushing) to keep the lymph system moving, which by the way, has more fluid in it than there is blood in the body. Exercise regularly (cardiovascular) to promote good circulation and oxygen-rich blood, which candida dislikes.



SOURCES

http://www.guruwellness.com/wellness_candida-2.htm

http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com/candidadiet.html

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/foods50.php

http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoeat.htm
http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoavoid.htm

http://www.becomehealthynow.com/ebookprint.php?id=416

http://www.detoxwithcolonics.com/the_candida_diet

http://www.holistichelp.net/candida-diet.html

http://lightworkers.org/node/45200

http://www.yeastinfectioncure101.com/a-detailed-candida-diet-stage-1a-candida-detox.html

http://www.wellnesswatchersmd.com/feature_articles/cure_candidiasis.php

http://www.vrp.com/womens-health/candida-yeast-protection-program-part-ii-freeing-the-body-from-candida-and-preventing-recurrence

Friday, April 13, 2012

Black Bean Burger Balls

Black Bean Burger Balls

4 cups cooked black beans, smashed
2 cups cooked millet
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
3/4 cup flaxmeal
1/2 cup ground garlic stems (10-12 stems)
1/2 cup grated onion
1 cup celery, shredded
2 cups cauliflower, riced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
2+ tablespoons cumin
3 tablespoons tumeric
1-inch ginger, grated
1/3 cup mixed herbs
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup pumpkin seeds

With a potato masher, coarsely mash the black beans. In a food processor, by turns whizz the garlic stems, onion, celery, cauliflower and cabbage until coarsely ground. Add each to the black beans and mix thoroughly. Then add in the flaxmeal, garbanzo bean flour and millet as well as the seasonings. Add the oil after mixing this well, and add the pumpkin seeds last.

Roll into burger balls or patties. With this huge batch I was able to make more than 70 almost golf-ball sized balls and 10 small patties!




Bake balls at 350F for 40 minutes, flipping them over and alternating pans in the oven if necessary after 20 minutes. If making patties which are flatter, maybe reduce the baking time by 5 minutes.


These make great items in lunch boxes, and freeze well. I bagged up 5 bags of 12 burger balls each for nights when I just won't have time to prepare supper or pack a lunch for the next day.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Gluten-free Sugar-free Zucchini Bread

The sky was overcast and a bit chilly as I walked home, and so my mind was thinking of something that would warm me up and of course would have cinnamon in it, which makes me think of snug winter days in a warm kitchen or in front of a fire with a book. Ah, but yes, why not use the last zucchini and make some bread?!


Gluten-free Sugar-free Zucchini Bread

4 cups grated zucchini
1 1/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cup flaxmeal
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
4 small eggs
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons cloves
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
a little water as needed
1/2 cup washed walnuts

Grate the zucchini and mix all ingredients together. This is not particularly sweet, but if replacing the 1 cup garbanzo bean flour with coconut flour (inflammatory for me) or with more almond flour (I try to limit my nut intake to protect my kidneys), then this would definitely be sweeter. I think even a grated apple (which I can't do at the moment) would make it wonderful and very complimentary to the warm spices!

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350F for 40+ minutes, rotating the pans so that the tops or bottoms don't burn. This made 4 small loaves.



Serve warm or cold and spread with coconut oil (as pictured) or almond butter.


For another gluten-free, sugar-free zucchini bread, try one with quinoa and flaxmeal as the flour-base and then flavored with walnuts, red currants and complementary spices. Here's the recipe.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Great Medical Quotes

When our medical professionionals uses such phrases as "practice medicine" and "perform surgeries" in an operating room "theater", it seems logical for patients to question the skill of the "practitioner" and the mysterious link between theatrical performances and the skilled ability.

Following are some apropos quotes related to the practicality of the medical and health profession and which could shed some more light on why medical doctors use the phrase "practice medicine" ... (rather an outsider's perspective to be sure). The quotes were borrowed from the site Diary of Unknown Symptoms.

GREAT MEDICAL QUOTES

Dr. Michael F. Holick, MD - "Can you imagine what would happen if a drug company came out with a single pill that reduces the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, PMS, SAD, and various autoimmune disorders? There would be a media frenzy the likes of which has never been seen before! Well, guess what? Such a drug exists … it is the sun."

Dr. Bernard Jensen - "Unless we know and use foods that have the right chemical elements needed to sustain health, we are hopelessly unable to resist disease."

Dr. Michael Klaper, MD - "It's not natural for humans to drink cow's milk. Humans milk is for humans. Cow's milk is for calves. You have no more need of cow's milk than you do rats milk, horses milk or elephant's milk. Cow's milk is a high fat fluid exquisitely designed to turn a 65 lb baby calf into a 400 lb cow. That's what cow's milk is for!"

Dr. David Bridgman - "Of all the people I test for allergies, 99.9% so far show severe sensitivity to any microwaved food."

Dr. Otto H. Warburg in 1924 - "Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar."

The Analyst - "Health problems rarely occur in isolation or for obvious reasons. Instead of simply guessing at what might be wrong, discover what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving."

Dr. Mercola - "Breast milk contains virtually all of the nutrients that an infant needs except for Vitamin D ... That's because infants weren't designed to swallow the vitamin D, they were designed to have sun on their skin."

Bill Maher - "The human body doesn't get sick for no reason...90% of why people are sick, is because they eat shit."

Web site quote - "Essential vitamin, mineral, and amino acid deficiencies frequently go undiagnosed in conventional medicine because conventional testing methods look for pathology — meaning the tests only check for chronic conditions that are present, and NOT for the precursors that lead to illness."

Dr. Riina Bray - "I learned a long time ago that preventive medicine is a much healthier approach than waiting to develop a treatment strategy once the threat has been introduced, be it a disease or a chemical contaminant."

Wendy Mesley - "I’ve always been a health nut and I got cancer. I knew there had to be something else. We’re not told a lot about what causes cancer in things we encounter every day. But some people do know, and ideally, it’s the right to not be contaminated."

Dr. Bernard Jenson - "Every disease is a sign of a chemical shortage in the body. All of these chemical elements are in our foods, but we don't know what a proper diet is. If our patients do not improve, we are not using the right foods to treat them. Diseases are the end result of chemically deficient organs in the body that are not functioning properly."

Bill Cameron - "In general, any treatment that does not fall within the traditional, proven, conventional canon is treated with great suspicion or simply dismissed."

Dr. Mercola - "Avoid getting sucked into the hype that sunlight is dangerous. It is only dangerous if you are clueless about fat nutrition, which most medical doctors are."

Augusto Odone - "When he was diagnosed, Lorenzo's father Augusto was desperate. I was terrorised, I was shocked. Well, it's a death sentence. So I asked the doctor if I could read the medical papers. He said, 'Don't bother, you won't understand them.'" (reference the movie Lorenzo's Oil)

Bill Maher - "If you believe you need all the pills and drugs the pharmaceutical industry says you do - then you're already on drugs."

Andrew Taylor Still - "To Find Health Should Be the Object of the Doctor. Anyone Can Find Disease."

Bill Cameron - "The throat specialist interpreted my problem as tension, a benign blockage of the throat. A surgical resident said it was a fibrous growth of some sort, nothing to worry about, and scheduled a test two months away. These missed diagnoses are hard to justify. Difficulty swallowing is one of esophageal cancer's more obvious symptoms. It's half a year from those early symptoms until the surgeon leans into my face and tells me I have advanced, aggressive cancer."

Thomas Edison - "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Tourette's Syndrome and the Candida Diet

A friend has been struggling with her son's sudden increase in tic symptoms and other side effects of Tourette's Syndrome. She's been to doctors, therapists, acupuncturists, alternative med places and is currently doing hair analysis to find help for her teenage son. Medical personel just don't seem to know much about Tourette's and she's getting more and more frustrated, plus getting extremely tired of educating people on the problem that she is seeking a solution for. Although we've been friends for years, she didn't know I've had candida for the past 2 1/2 years and I didn't know that her son's had Tourette's for 2 years ... we've kept our skeletons well hidden. But because of a posting on the health problems related to soy products, we opened the closet doors and the bones fell out.

Research on Tourette's Disease and Outcome

I didn't know hardly anything about Tourette's previously so spent a few hours looking at various sights and how the disease could be treated holistically. Well, not really to my surprise, Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is thought by some doctors to be a result of a yeast overgrowth, much like candida, and should be treated with the powerful and very body-compromising statin, Nystatin, also the principle drug for treating candida. This didn't really surprise me as I've discovered that most, perhaps all, autoimmune diseases are the result of bad bacteria in the body, just different kinds of bacteria in different locations. TS, according to many other web sites is also very related to the neurological disease Parkinson's (PD), which my dad has. The basal ganglia in the brain is the control center for most of the body and where both TS and PD originate in symptom. And then other but fewer sites relate TS to epilepsy based on where the tics are originating - in the brain - but then the neurological tremors are originating in the brain from PD people too. Does epilepsy also originate within the basal ganglia? It wouldn't surprise me.

As for nutrition, TS results in vitamin B deficiencies, magnesium (and perhaps potassium) deficiency, as well as abnormalities in the neurotransmitters dopamin and serotonin and norepinephrine (similar to PD). Therefore, B vitamins are essential for helping to rebuild the nerves, foods promoting the increase of the electrolytes magnesium and potassium are necessary, and then of course amino acids - the building blocks for neurotransmitters in the brains - are a must.

Looking for a Diet for Tourette's

Anyway, my friend is looking for a diet or at least diet ideas to ease her son's increasing discomfort. I was able to gather three dietary suggestions from the many, many web sites I looked through - over 30 sites! The suggestions were to follow a modified Atkin's diet, follow a ketogenic diet (needs medical supervision), and the implied suggestion of following a candida diet. By implied I mean that the site suggested that TS was the outcome of yeast overgrowth (candida) and to treat with Nystatin. Well, no one can hope to be successful in treating yeast overgrowth if some effort with diet isn't made, and for that reason, an implied diet could be said to be suggested. However, I want to add that if the site had explicitly said to follow a candida diet, the reader would still be very much in the dark as there are so many candida diets on the web and they confusingly contradict each other as to what is beneficial. If I followed 95% of those diets, I would revert to my former very sick self. I've come to realize that the majority of those candida diets on the web are for the mildest cases of candida, not the kind that chokes the body with yeast (mold) to the point that the organs are suffocated and are slowly shut down.

Since three diet ideas have been suggested, finding out how to build a diet for Tourette's is the next task. For starters, I recommended taking a look at Parkinson's Disease and the Candida Diet and then adding to the diet from there.

Other off-the-top-of-my-head suggestions are:

Cleaned walnuts and almonds (powerful Omega-3 and calcium, respectively) - avoid other nuts for now, esp the very moldy peanuts and pistachios; cleaning gets rid of the mold and dust causing allergens. If no dehydrator, then just soak the walnuts 1 hour before eating and almonds 8 hours, pour off the polluted water and the nuts will be much cleaner!

Flaxseed oil (2-3 tsp oil is better than 2 capsules) - take in the a.m. with 8 oz of water upon waking. First drink the water then sip the oil. The oil will lubricate and actually fight against the bad bacteria as it descends down the GI track and into the stomach. Wait at least 15 min before eating, 30 min is best. (This is based on naturopath's belief that 70+% of diseases start in the GI track.)

Evening primrose oil capsule - 1300mg - take one with a tall glass of water before going to bed. This fights inflammation which is often worse at night.

Hawaiian spirulina - take 1-2 teaspoons in a glass of water between meals, once or twice a day. This has very high vit A, B12, magnesium and other trace minerals. It's also a complete protein - amount depends on the product.

Bee pollen (granules) - must be organic. This is extremely high in vitamin Bs. I'm a little hesitant to take it myself b/c it has 2g sugar and my candida-infested system can't process sugars. My cat, on the other hand, has been simulaneously sick with me (am sure it's our heavily chlorinated water). She's had some severe neurological symptoms - obvious neuropathies - and once I started pumping bee pollen and other herbs in her system, she drastically improved! One caution of this - this is a bee product and some people have severe reactions, so before taking the label suggested amount of 1 teaspoon, a person should put a few granules under the tongue and wait; if no reaction, repeat with a larger amount later; repeat again with a larger amount, and then the person should be good to go. The person can then build up to the suggested 1 teaspoon a day.

Coconut oil, organic and cold-pressed - Can be taken much like flaxseed oil as it has the same bad bacteria fighting properties while boosting the system. This is the product that helped me overcome hypoglycemia, a problem for some people with candida. At that time, I was taking as much as 6 tablespoons a day. That is 600 calories in oil ... but I needed it!

Hemp seed - 4 tablespoons a day equals a complete protein! This is amazing stuff b/c it contains all of the essential proteins the body needs - very good, especially for people with Parkinson's and Tourette's because of the complete amino acids which help make serotonin and dopamine. Caution - some people develop allergies to this b/c of overdoing it, so this cannot be over-consumed and probably should be eaten in a rotation diet, that is, not every day. [Spirulina also is a complete protein but supposedly can be taken every day!]

Enzymes for digestion - take one enzyme every time food is put in the mouth, for meals and for even a candy or cracker snack. When the body is so heavily taxed and riddled with symptoms, it has difficulty producing all the enzymes needed to make it function properly or digest food properly, so enzymes take the stress off the liver, pancreas and adrenals which give them more space to recover and heal.