Antifungals, Enzymes, Probiotics, Polysaccharides

What is Candida?

Most doctors, and perhaps people, when they think about candida think about candida albicans, the most common form. However, there are many forms ... and often when I myself refer to candida, I am referring to a state of bacterial overgrowth in the body that is trying to take control and overwhelm the system. Candida is a yeast-like fungal organism that is found in small amounts in the normal human intestinal tract. It is normally kept in balance by the body's own helpful bacteria, but when out of balance, the bacteria-fungus shape-shifter can create yeast infection in the GI track and invade other parts of the body.

How does candida become a problem?

When the helpful bacteria gets killed off or injured by our modern lifestyle, surgery, antibiotics, coffee and/or in other ways, the invasion begins. Fungal yeast, when set free from the flora that normally keeps it in check, actually changes form or "morphs" to create a more aggressive, harmful type of fungal cell and develops long, burrowing legs. Without bacterial balance this candida yeast proliferates in our intestines. This new yeast cell is able to move throughout the body, actually burrowing through the intestinal wall. It clogs systems, gets into organs, causes candida yeast infections from vaginal to anal to penile - anywhere on the skin but more often in moist areas. It can even cause fungal sinus infections that cannot be helped by antibiotics.

Staff at Candida Support have heard just about everything from their customers in the 4 years since running their website. People complain about having candida yeast infections in their mouths (called thrush - common in babies who give it back to their mothers in a vicious cycle), in their ears, eyes and even on their scalps, making their hair fall out! Candida becomes fungal yeast cells which ingest sugars and carbs eaten by the host and then they make alcohols and a large variety of poisons called mycotoxins (myco - fungal, toxins - poison) and slowly the host gets poisoned in various and unique ways. This is best said by Ann Brooch, N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor):

In a study conducted by doctors at Biolab in London, UK, a number of chronically unwell patients were tested for blood ethanol levels an hour after ingesting a sugar solution. The study found the patients consistently had high blood levels of ethanol which the researchers concluded came from small intestinal candida yeast overgrowth. Today's food industry packages "convenience" foods for long shelf-life and easy sales and shipping. The types of foods that fit into this model are highly processed and made mostly from refined sugars and carbohydrates. Refined carbs are not much better than sugar as they turn into sugar at an unnaturally fast rate once ingested ... and feed the growing yeast problem becoming more and more apparent in the western world.The standard American diet (SAD), top-heavy in sugars and highly processed carbs, along with the overuse of antibiotics are huge factors in the number of people suffering from yeast overgrowth. Candida yeast produces a lot of alcohol (ethanol) and acetaldehyde (chemical responsible for the main symptoms of a hangover) as its major products of metabolism, and over time the body can no longer cope with detoxification, resulting in liver overload and stress.

"You're not only dealing with candida yeast overgrowth but also the fact that Candida albicans puts out 79 toxic by-products, all of which weaken your immune system. One of the major toxins produced from candida albicans is acetaldehyde, which is transformed by the liver to ethanol (alcohol), creating the feeling of intoxication and brain fog. There have even been cases where candida patients have been pulled over and tested positive with elevated blood alcohol levels above normal."

Why is my Candida so difficult to remove?
Candida is a tenacious tenant in the body that can hide in the joints, organs, sinuses and other body tissues where many candida treatments do not reach. Candida thrives on foods common to the western diet, particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates, which alter the body pH towards the acidic (acidosis), which sets up a perfect environment for ill health and candida yeast overgrowth.

Antibiotics, steroids, or oral contraceptives can also trigger the change from good candida to bad. Chlorine in drinking water, while killing harmful bacteria, also kills the good, and thus encouraging yeast overgrowth. Stress contributes to the proliferation of candida. Heavy metals like mercury and other toxins in the body do likewise. Candida is also easily transmitted from close person to person contact when someone is "ripe" and susceptible (weakened with illness, overly acidic, using antibiotics).

Nystatin, the preferred prescription drug for treating candida, is not so effective; Diflucan, with side-effects like possible liver damage, is hardly a choice for treatment. Skin creams and ointments for intimate areas only provide temporary relief and do not eliminate the yeast problem.

The Candida Doctor Vacuum

In our modern times, there is a huge "glitch" in the medical system. Candida overgrowth in the body is not a "disease" that they can be traced to a familiar pathogen, and medical doctors usually don't have the understanding to diagnose candida. In fact, no medical specialty dealing with fungus in the human body exists. It's just not taught. And when most people in the western world relying on doctors explain their problem to medical personnel, they find only frustration. Treatment are not difficult but following careful protocol, the following 4 treatment categories can work to alleviate/eradicate the problem (must be done in conjunction with careful diet control):

• Anti-fungals
• Enzymes
• Probiotics
• Polysaccharides

Category 1: Anti-fungal Products

This group of products relies mostly on anti-fungal agents in its ingredient base: caprylic acid, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, Pau D'Arco, olive leaf, coconut oil, garlic, black walnut, collodial silver, etc. These anti-fungals will send a person into a spiral of "die-off" (so it seems like they are working!) but anti-fungals do not eliminate the problem, but they sure do point the person in the right direction for recovery. Rotating the anti-fungals so the yeast cannot build up immunity is vital.

Synthetic, chemical anti-fungals like Diflucan, sporanox and Nystatin  can give temporary relief but they don't finish off candida or restore balance to the body while doing damage to the liver. Just a comment, Diflucan, at its inception, came out in 50mg tablets, but now comes in 200mg tablets! A person can just hear their liver run! The 150mg tablets are 3 for $125.00! The synthetic anti-fungals are prescribed by doctors who learn about them from pharmaceutical reps.

Basically, anti-fungals work only if the candida infestation is relatively new and weak. By the time most people start searching for help via the internet or wherever ... it's too late for them to rely solely on anti-fungals to eradicate a now very entrenched problem.

Category 2: Enzymatic Products

Enzymes work on the cell wall of candida and can attack candida almost anywhere in the body, at least this is the theory. Certain enzymes do dissolve the type of cell wall common to these fungi but enzymes need to be supported by other eradicating products to achieve balance as the "fungal factory" deep in the intestines keeps churning out new yeast cells to such an extent that enzymes by themselves can't effectively curtail the activity.

Category 3: Probiotic (acidophilus) Products

Some probiotic products offer huge numbers of bacteria or are blended with herbs, enzymes or anti-fungals to make them "candida fighters". However, many probiotics are poorly designed. Good probiotics have the following two aspects:

• The friendly bacteria in them must be alive and kicking. Many studies of late reveal that the acidophilus-type flora in some/many probiotics is dead or largely dead. (From a ConsumerReports study on probiotics: "All products contained the major groups, or genera, of probiotic bacteria labeled, but seven supplements - four pills and three liquids - had far less than the amount claimed at the time of manufacture."
• The bacteria must have some sort of guaranteed delivery system that gets them through the stomach without being digested and into the colon where they are needed. Always check the labels. Most do not have any delivery system at all.

Category 4; Polysaccharide Products

Some new products on the market tout the benefits of mushrooms, and new scientific research has shown these mushrooms contain polysaccharides, sometimes called phytonutrients, glyconutrients or essential sugars. The essential sugars are: Mannose, Galactose, Fucose, Glucose, Xylose, N-acetylneuramic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. A study of the ingredient labels show that these sugars are derived from a group of mushrooms that over 5,000 years of history are believed to be very healing. (These sugars are also found in lesser amounts in Aloe Vera).

The original content (much edited) came from the blog site Gripes of Wrath. I post it here as a compliment to my previous entry also on anti-fungals, enzymes, probiotics and polysaccharides posted here last month. These two articles should be read in conjunction with one another.

Cookies by Accident

It's a joy when a mistake becomes a delicious addition to a meal, and tonight I made another flaming mistake. For the last few days I've really been wanting some more waffles. But since I usually just eyeball measurements I really flubbed tonight and stuck the waffle iron together ... for the second time this week. Erghh! But I know what the problem is ... too much rice flour which makes the waffles too gummy. So I tried to fix yesterday's gummy mess by adding in a half of a cup of buckwheat flour and a little more oil. Nope, it didn't work for waffles, and it didn't work for pancakes. Both just made a royal mess.

Well, I didn't want to toss the mixture so thought that if I baked it as pancake breads, they might turn out as harder pancakes, but at least they would be pancakes. Last time (not just yesterday) I made waffles, I gummed the waffle iron together and had to pry it open, and of course couldn't make any more waffles till I soaked the burnt crispies out. So with the remaining waffle batter, I dropped big spoonfuls on a greased cookies sheet ... only to have the cookie-waffles stick terribly to the sheet. Ugh, not nice.

So tonight, I not only greased the cookie sheet with coconut oil but also liberally sprinkled flaxmeal over it where I would be dropping spoonfuls of waffle batter. And hurrah! My sticky messy globby batter made wonderful cookies. Hmmmm, must write the recipe down next time. I do know it was about 45% black rice, 35% millet, and perhaps 10% buckwheat with flaxmeal, coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, sea salt.

Anti-fungals

SYSTEMIC ANTI-FUNGALS + ANTI-BIOTIC – works in whole body, but also kills good probiotics:
Fresh, raw garlic & onlion
Goldenseal
Olive Leaf extract
Oil of Oregano
Tea tree oil (toxic so 5 drops a day in water maximum!)*
Colloidal silver
Pau d’ arco
Cloves & clove tea
Red thyme oil
Barberry
Oregon Grape
Citrus seed extract

SYSTEMIC ANTI-FUNGALS – works in the whole body:
Liquid aged garlic (Kyolic brand)
Peppermint oil – (enteric-coated)
Kolroex Undecylenic acid (SF-722)
1000 mg doses of Vitamin C

NON-SYSTEMIC ANTI-FUNGALS – only kills fungus in the intestines:
Caprilic Acid
Diatomaceous earth

NON-SYSTEMIC ANTI-FUNGALS + ANTI-BIOTIC – kills fungus & good probiotics in the intestines only:
Oxygen formulas (Bioxy Cleanse)

SUPPORT:
Biotin 8000 mcg – inhibits yeast transformation to invasive form
Co Q10 – antioxidant and increases systemic oxygen
L-Cystein – amino acid that detoxifies mycotoxins
Molybdenum picolinate - detoxifies (chelates) mycotoxins
Omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed oil or molecularly distilled fish oil is anti-fungal
Ginger tea – decreases inflammation from infection
Echinacea immune boosters
Kelp, dulse, seaweed – antifungal foods to use as seasonings
Organic Aloe Vera gel – antimicrobialat 10,000 MPS / L


Credit for this amazing research goes to "Wadawas" on the blog Beating Systemic Candida.  

*I personally tried tea tree oil, 3 drops I think, and had a very disconcerting reaction. My left side of my face (where the problems seems concentrated) and even the left side of body were twitching and spasming. IF a person tries tea tree oil, which IS toxic, then I would recommend starting with a drop the first time, diluted of course. But that said, I've never tried tea tree oil since the somewhat 1-3 hour scary twitching event.

Daily Candida-expunging Protocol

DURING ALL PHASES OF THE CLEANSE:

• Take digestive enzymes right before eating and before bed
• Drink organic aloe vera gel in water as often as desired. Note: Most store-bought aloe vera juices have citrus acid in them for preserving. Avoid!
• Use ground dulse on food instead of salt (suggestion)
• Drink tea made with real ginger root or chew on ginger
• Drink peppermint tea
• Unless otherwise stated on bottles, herbs work best on an empty stomach: generally ½ hour before eating & 2 hours after eating
• Fiber must be taken with a huge amount of water, and then will only work if the body is properly hydrated throughout the day
• Drink at least ½ a cup of water every hour of the day - If drinking reverse osmosis or distilled water, add mineral drops
• Avoid multivitamins until stated in later phases as they help yeast & parasites thrive and actually spread the condition in the body.

Remember - Throughout the whole protocol for ridding the body of Candida, eating food at any time that feeds the yeast strengthens it and promotes growth, which allows the yeast to multiply again ... taking longer to kill it.


STEP 1: Preparing the body & weakening the candida - 4 weeks 

• Eliminate foods that feed the yeast
• Eat 70 - 80% alkaline and 30 - 20% acidic
• Eat a small meal every 3 hours to keep cortisol in check
• Eliminate foods and environmental factors that destroy the good bacteria that needs to be replaced in the colon
• Candida and fungus live off of sugar, so to weaken them, starve them. Keep carbs to less than 150 grams / day. If very active daily (like heavy labor job) go up to 150 grams of carbs a day as needed. But if possible, try to eat only about 50 grams a day. The lower the carbs, the weaker the Candida becomes. Going into ketosis will not help, so eat above 30 grams.
• Always eat protein, fat and veggies together.

Mastering the dietary changes for 4 weeks before getting into the expensive parts of the candida cleanse allows for screw-ups from cravings that most candida sufferers experience. Cravings must be ignored. Before moving on to the STEP 2, flawlessly completing STEP 1 is best. 


STEP 2: Cleaning The Colon & Mechanically Removing Candida - 6 weeks to 2 months 

If medically safe, a fasting colon cleanse is a fast & effective method of removing a lifetime of old fecal colon plaque that is stuck to the intestinal walls (where candida, parasites & bacteria thrive). An effective, simple & common colon cleanse (usually done for 5 - 7 days) is:

• 1 Tbsp bentonite (hydrated volcanic ash clay) + 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp psyllium seed husks in a large glass of water 5 - 6x a day. Follow with another full glass of water.
• Drink 5 liters of water thoughout the day.
• Two hours after / one hour before the psyllium & bentonite, take digestive enzymes (enteric coated pancreatin or serrapeptase are best) and Diatomaceous Earth (name: K-MIN from the Daily company).
• When coming off the fasting cleanse, eat only raw vegies and leafy green juices (wheat grass, barleygreen, etc) for a whole day.

If medically unable to fast, the following is a slower cleanse: (3x a day) 

• Take NAG, MSM and digestive enzymes on empty stomach 30 minutes before eating
• Take Diatomaceous Earth (name: K-MIN from the Daily company) with food
• Take fiber (preferably ground flax seed mixed with grapefruit fiber and psyllium) + bentonite 30 minutes after eating

STEP 2 - Phase 1: Herbal Killing - 2 to 8 months

For the next phase, continue doing the slower cleanse above for three days while adding anti-fungal herbal rotations. All herbs are to be taken for only 4 days, then move onto the next herb, because like bacteria, fungus/yeast can become resistant to anti-fungals. If using combination anti-fungals, make sure that the ingredients are not repeated between the combination capsules.

Use all herbs to the strongest recommended dosage. Make sure to have them at least 4 times a day, evenly spread out (as if a prescribed antibiotic). Pick at least 4 different strong anti-fungals. Here are some used in combined rotation - pairing a non-systemic anti-fungal with a systemic one.

Examples:
Day 1-4 ... Goldenseal + olive leaf extract
Day 5-8 ... Colliod silver + fresh garlic*+ caprillic acid
Day 9-12 ... Oil of oregano (Oreganol P73) + enteric coated peppermint oil + cloves
Day 13-16 ... Extra Strength Grapefruit seed extract + Pau d’Arco
Then repeat the cycle over and over.
* large clove of garlic, chop finely (don’t press!) let sit 5 minutes, then drink down with water

Support supplements taken during Phase I:
Molbdenum (it chelates the mycotoxins excreted by fungus & contaminated foods)
Biotin 8 (8000mg - it stops Candida from further changing into the aggressive, fungal form. Make sure it is not yeast derived!)

Vaginal anti-fungals:

If having vaginal infections, this needs to be included in the cleanse. Rotate the same anti-fungals taken orally on that day in the vaginal therapies. Here are methods of making suppositories & douching for different anti-fungals:

• Garlic: douche with 1 tsp Kyolic liquid aged garlic to 2c pure water or wrap a halved garlic clove in cheese cloth, tie it off leaving a tail to pull it out after leaving in overnight
• Grape seed extract: douche with 15 drops in ½ c aloe vera gel
• Oil of oregano: Put one drop in an empty capsule and fill the rest of the way with olive oil, puncture a few holes in the capsule with a needle and insert. Or make a suppository by melting coconut oil in a hot water bath, add a drop of oregano, put in something small and freeze in the freezer. Insert as high as possible at bedtime.
• Goldenseal – douche with 15 drops in ½ cup pure water. Most of the anti-fungals can be used vaginally either by making a suppository, putting it in a capsule with a few pinholes or by douching in the above manners.

Douches should be at least 2x / day, try for 4 if possible. Continue with Phase I until the Candida symptoms are about 90% gone. This should take about 6 weeks for a very mild case. For systemic Candida overgrowth, this could take 8 months to a year. When moving onto Phase II, overlap the phases for 3 days. DO NOT GAP IN BETWEEN! Candida yeast starts multiplying once the anti-fungals have been withdrawn. 


STEP 2 - Phase 2: Mop-up Killing & Parasites - 3 months

Continue diet and switch back to the slow colon cleansing method while overlapping the anti-fungal rotation for 3 days. This is a mop up to kill all the resilient fungus and parasites in the system.

Same rules as Phase 1. Except the anti-fungals in this battery are taken for 7 days consecutively instead of 4, rotating SF-722 by the Thorne Company with 2 other preferred fungals from Phase 1. Take the SF-722 with meals (up to 5 caps each dose), others on an empty stomach as done in Phase 1. Continue the most effective vaginal anti-fungals in Phase 1.

Parasite cleanses must be done for 3 months in order to kill off all phases of parasites from egg to reproducing adult. In the morning & evening on an empty stomach, have: garlic oil, bromelin, pancreatin (enteric coated is best), NAG, MSM, anti-parasital herbs from the parasite cleanse of choice (example, the parasite cleanse from the Dr. Hulda Clark’s program + Para 90 from the AIM company). One hour later, take K-MIN and fiber + bentonite. With Food, take digestive enzyme complex (enteric coated enzymes are best), Betaine Hydrocloride acid (HCL) supplement with pepsin. 

STEP 2 - Phase 3: Probiotic Re-Colonization

To prepare for a probiotic enema and douche:

• Stop taking bentonite for 14 days before your enema (last 2 rotations).
• Stop taking all anti-fungals that are also natural anti-biotics for the last 7 day rotation (ending on 7 days of SF-722 is a good choice). For maintenance after this point, stick with anti-fungals that are not anti-biotic.
• Stop taking any laxatives, K-min or psyllium for the last 7 day rotation. Use chicory root inulin fiber instead and fresh ground flax seed fiber with meals.
• Do a sweet dairy whey enema 1x / wk for 3 weeks before your probiotic enema to re-acidify your colon (4T of whey to 1 quart of distilled or reverse osmosis water). Probiotics need an acidic colon to survive; fungus & parasites thrive in an alkaline colon. The colon needs to be re-acidified since it will be alkaline from the bentonite.
• Make sure that the pro-biotics have been refrigerated and are human strain. Only human strain probiotics root and take up permanent residence in the human body.

The Enema:
Do a sweet dairy whey enema first to eliminate debris. Use this ratio, but increase uniformly if more water is required: 1 Tbsp sweet whey with 4 capsules of Kyo-Dophilus + 5 billion count refrigerated human strain probiotics to 2 cups of purified water.

Get positioned on hands and knees, then lay on right, then on back, then left side and massage the belly from bottom left in a clockwise circle to bottom right while holding in water for at least 10 minutes. Hold for as long as possible. Make sure to release the valve on the enem bottle so water starts coming out which removes all air bubbles before inserting the enema tube.

Probiotic Douche:
2 Tbsp of pure water to 1 billion count of human strain probiotic. Douche 2x / day, again trying to hold in the water for as long as possible (best to lay on a slant board for 15 minutes). Follow-up, vaginally insert a probiotic capsule with tiny pin prick holes and leave it in overnight. Be sure to stay away form all things that will kill or inhibit the probiotics, or the purpose of recolonization will be defeated. Avoid chlorinated water, colon cleansers (herbal laxatives, fiber…), do no oxygen therapy, and do no use anti-biotic drugs or more parasite killers for 3 months.

After the enema:
CONGRATULATIONS!! The body's BACTERIAL BALANCE has been restored. Now just maintain it by STAYING AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT HURTS PROBIOTICS and AVIOD THINGS THAT ENCOURAGE CANDIDA / FUNGAL GROWTH.

Know that ... 

Candida is communicable from sexual contact & medical staff hands. Any enema other than a probiotic enema is not good: herbal, oxygen, ozone, bentonite, wheat grass, plain water all = alkaline colon & destroy your good colony.

Be extra careful for the first 6-8 weeks after your enema. The probiotics still need to try to root and colonize into the intestinal wall for permanent residence. Try to eat mainly soft, easy to digest foods (cooked veggies & grains, easily digested animal protein, healthy fats only). It will take up to a year for the probiotics to fully root & colonize, so treat your body well.

If you are ever in a situation where you might hurt the probiotics, go back to an anti-fungal diet for 4 weeks, do take human strain probiotics daily during the period & after the intrusion is over, do another probiotic enema and /or douche.

STEP 2 - Phase 4: Restoring vitamin and Mineral Balance, Rebuilding the Immune System

1. eliminate all toxic metals - take nutrients to reduce copper, support adrenal & thyroid functions as well as support iron and anemic factors 
2. correct vitamin / mineral, amino acid, hormone and fatty acid deficiencies - Immune function will not come back if there are deficiencies and toxic metals as these problems can suppress the immune system. Involved are: B complex, wheat germ oil, glyconutrients, germanium (stim. Interferon), omega-3 oils, vitamin T (in sesame oil), A, B12, B5, magnesium, copper, C, zinc, iron, folic acid, protein

DISCLAIMER:

I don't agree with all the information in this posting but I do think that it's a good application of a Candida expunging protocol which follows the one advocated by the Biamonte Center, and which I blogged on earlier in an intro to their practices and in the protocol itself. This summary is taken from the old blog Beating Systemic Candida and Other Natural Jazz.  I really appreciate the person who did the research to compile this insightful detailed list of time and treatment tools. To go to the original source of this article, go to www.health-truth.com (Biamonte Center's key page) which describes the nature of Candida albicans overgrowth and why the steps in this layout are the most effective method of rebalancing the body’s natural bacteria.

High Copper and Candida

90% of people treated by a Doctor of Nutripathy for candida had high levels of the trace mineral copper. Copper toxicity can be traced back to copper pipes affecting drinking water, eating acid foods that were prepared in uncoated copper pots as well as other environmental sources like fungicides, pesticides and household cleaners. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the vegetable heavy vegetarian diet, vitamin pills, jewelry and birth control pills can also disrupt the copper balance. Copper buildup and toxicity affects the liver and the kidneys. Besides copper affecting people with candida, copper has also been traced to three diseases - (1) Indian childhood cirrhosis that is easily traced to the Indian population that boils milk for children in copper pots, (2) Wilson's disease, a genetic disease causing neurologic and psychological symptoms and liver and brain disease from non-secreted copper buildup, and (3) Alzheimer's disease where elevated copper and zinc, opposing elements actually, bind to amyloid beta proteins which form reactive oxygen species in the brain.

Copper as an Essential Mineral

Copper is actually necessary as a trace mineral (between 50mg and 120mg) to maintain the healthy body. Copper-rich sources ae beef and calf liver, but it is also high in oysters, shellfish, avocado, sunflower seeds, nuts and trail mixes along with many other foods but at lower levels. Once eaten, copper is assimilated through the stomach lining and then transported via the blood stream to other body parts. As an important element found in 13 enzymes in the human body, having access to it (the body does not produce copper) is essential. Copper is important for proper nerve function, bone growth, fetal development, formation of blood cells, heart and muscle movement and tone as well as development of the brain and nervous system. It has functions throughout the body and is essential for the body to effectively use iron in the blood stream.

Copper Deficiencies and Excess

Copper deficiencies, on the other hand, are thought to play a part in high cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease. Anemia, osteoporosis and a wide variety of other major and minor health conditions are also thought related to copper deficiency within the body.


A Kayser-Fleischer ring, copper deposits found in the cornea, is an indication the body is not metabolizing copper properly. [Wikipedia, "Copper Toxicity"]

Large deposits of copper resulting in toxicity is apparent through iridology, which identifies a Kayser-Fleischer ring, that is, a dark ring or rings that encircle the iris of the eye, and clearly points to copper toxicity. The Kayser-Fleischer rings are most common in people with Wilson's disease.

In excess, copper does the following - (1) suppresses potassium storage in the cells (potassium is vital as it helps the thyroid produce the body's energy), (2) suppresses adrenal gland function (the adrenals are the "fuel pumps" for the body), as well help control blood sugar and allergy response, (3) blocks the functions of zinc, the mineral involved in thousands of evergy and immune-related cycles (high copper and low zinc have been found to cause depression and mental disorders), (4) suppresses iron storage, causing anemia, (5) causes abnormal depositing of calcium in the soft tissues, which has been shown to depress thyroid function and cause an increase in viral activity.

NOTE:  Hidden Copper Toxicity Indicators. The hair copper level is a very unreliable indicator for copper toxicity.  So is serum copper, serum ceruloplasmin, and many other tests because the copper can hide deep in the brain and the liver.  A liver biopsy is a good indicator, but is a painful and somewhat invasive procedure.

Biamonte Center - The Copper Connection
Copper toxicity - Wikipedia

Copper Toxicity Syndrome (excellent info!)

How Does Copper Affect Us?

Waiting for the Waffles to Cook

While waiting for the Quinoa & Millet Waffles to cook, gotta stay busy. So I made a pot of curried lentils (turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin, sea salt, onion, garlic), two salads and two dressings. One of the salads was a cucumber-cilantro salad with a fresh lemon juice-olive oil dressing with extra minced garlic to complement the cool cucumbers. The other salad had the same dressing but more lemon in it and less garlic; it was a watercress and radish sprout salad with tomatoes. Before putting a big bowl of it in my lunch box, I added some hemp seeds to give it some protein. So one dressing was a lemon and olive oil and the other was one was a thick seed dressing.

Supper! Plus a Cranberry Nut Bar from yesterday!

I've made several pumpkin seed dressings and dips because the seeds are so nutritious and flavorful, but here's another variation:

Pumpkin Seed Dressing or Dip

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds soaked 3 hours, soak water tossed
2 big chunks ginger
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon rosemary powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups water (depends on desired consistency)

After soaking the seeds and discarding the soak water, blend all ingredients in a BlendTec until smooth or the mix reaches the desired consistency.

Gluten- & Sugar-free Waffles

Quinoa & Millet Waffles (gluten- and sugar-free)

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups millet
1/3 cup flaxseeds
1 handful cleaned almonds
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla (Frontier)
1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free butter flavor (Frontier)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2+ cups water

In the BlendTec, whizz the quinoa, millet, flaxseeds and almonds to a somewhat coarse flour. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend to make the waffle batter. BTW, I didn't measure the water. I just kept adding more water as needed, especially as the flaxseeds keep expanding, making the batter thicker and thicker. The batter should be somewhat easy to pour. Just a reminder, when cooking these in the waffle iron, they will take longer to cook than traditional waffles as there is no leavening in this mix and gluten-free grains are denser than the glutinous grains. It takes me 13-15 minutes to cook one waffle, so I'm making salads, washing the dishes and doing other things in the kitchen while I wait.

These tasted amazingly sweet!

Yikes, made them again but this time got too much water in the batter. The extra water made the waffle batter more like typical waffle batter ... but the outcome was an UTTER MESS! For some reason, with too much water they became particularly sticky with the waffle iron and stuck the irons together! Took me forever to clean up the burnt-on mess!
- a word from the not-very wise

Gluten- & Sugar-free Cranberry Nut Bars

The Cranberry Nut Bars were actually the result of a mistake. I fully intended to make muffins so I could easily ration myself one or maybe two muffins a day (gotta watch those carbs because I'm getting ready to do another candida eradication session) but accidently put too many cranberries in the mix, which also was thicker than usual, very dough-like in fact. The consistency reminded me very much of white brownies, so ah-ha! Why not make bars instead of muffins?! And wow, the recipe is perfect. Uh, not being arrogant here, but this is one of the best recipes I've put together :)

Cranberry Nut Bars

2 cups quinoa
2 cups millet
1/2 cup flaxseed
3-4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2/3 teaspoon coriander
2/3 teaspoon cardamom
2/3 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla (Frontier)
1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free almond (Frontier)
2+ cups water***
1/2 cup cleaned walnuts, pieces
1 cup cranberries, whole
1/2 cup cleaned almonds, whole
cinnamon and cloves for sprinkling on the top

In the BlendTec, whizz the quinoa, millet and flaxseed to a somewhat coarse flour. Pour the flour mix into a mixing bowl and add in and mix together the dry ingredients; then add the coconut oil and (not cold) water. ***Actually, I have no idea how much water I put in. I tend to just pour and stir until I get the right consistency. The desireable consistency is a moist dough that holds its form well but is not too sticky when using the hands to press it down firmly in a deep-dish pizza pan. Once the dough consistency is right, add in the walnuts pieces and mix together. Fold in the cranberries so as not to crush them. And reserving the almonds for later, press the dough in the pizza pan. Then, scatter the almonds equally around the top and press them into the dough. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and clove powder. Bake on 350F for 55 minutes.

the dough

before dusting with cinnamon and cloves

fresh out of the oven - moist but firm

what a treat!

Turmeric Rice Soup

This is another version of my Quick Vegie-Rice Soup. I just love the flavor of the soup broth and hit the jackpot on the soup being a "piece of cake" to make. Prep time, just 20 minutes! This recipe makes 2-3 big bowls ... but I can pretty much eat it all in one sitting if I don't make a flatbread to go with it.

Turmeric Rice Soup

2 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cups of water
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
5 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 big chunk ginger, shredded
1/3 zucchini, quartered and sliced thinly
2-3 stalks of celery, cut small
6 firm cherry tomatoes, cut in pieces
a chunk of cabbage
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
3/4 - 1 teaspoon turmeric
thyme powder
rosemary powder
sea salt

In 2 cups of water add the coconut oil, onion and garlic and cook them till slightly tender. Add in the celery, zucchini and cabbage. When they are becoming tender, add the remaining water, brown rice and seasonings. Cook till the brown rice is heated through and vegies are lightly tender. Add in tomato pieces, turn off heat, and eat.

In appearance, this reminds me of some Thai soups I've had. The Thai use coconut milk (imflammatory to me), rice noodles (ugh, processed flours) and fish. Hmmm, might try some fish as a little treat in the future. Maybe some Thai lime leaves too or fresh lemon grass, or even slices of organic lemons or limes. Has to be organic. Lemons and limes are often color-sprayed as well as sprayed for pesticides, and both of these could make a person very sick.

Flatbread, Dip and Guacamole

A savory, simple supper indeed. Three pieces of heavy-on-the-turmeric-and-onion flatbread, a guacamole sauce with small cut cherry tomatoes, steamed broccoli (oops, left it in the steamer too long while I was finishing up the guacamole), and pumpkin seed dip for the broccoli. I made the guacamole super tangy and the pumpkin seed dip savory. A delightful simple supper and with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch! Wah-lah. I must add, however, that not all the flavors blended well. The tangy guacamole was phenomenal with the herbed flatbread, but the flatbread and the savory dip competed. The dip though was very good with the plain steamed broccoli, and so I ate the meal with the food appropriately paired. Lunch tomorrow will be a big ditto.

Pumpkin Seed Dip

3/4 cup pumpkin seed (soaked 4 hours, soak water tossed)
1 stalk celery with leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
1 large clove garlic
dash of cumin (go easy)
2-3 dashes of turmeric
sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until creamy. A note on the flavor: While I liked this dip with the broccoli, I have to admit even though I put in a single dash of cumin, I was surprised that it could be clearly distinguished. I was hoping for something more subtle that would accent the pumpkin seed and onion flavors. I think was the savory flavor that competed with the similarly flavored flatbread.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado, mashed
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced
sea salt

Both avocado and lemon juice have glucose, and so shouldn't be overindulged in. In my early stages of detoxing and being ultimately strict, I couldn't eat lemon, but whenever I attempted it, my gut and legs would tremor, among other weird things. I am SO thankful I am beyond that stage, but must remember to not overdo 'cuz a relapse would not be cool. And now here's tomorrow's lunch ... along with a slab of purple cabbage not pictured.




A phenomenal celery dip!  Pumpkin seed dip!

5 Stages of Candida

The Wellness Guru site analyzed candida in a way that few other wellness centers, sites or practitioners do. The Wellness Guru categorized candida in stages or categories based on how badly the yeast has affected the human body. This is a reason why when people with candida go online to find a diet to help them eliminate their problem they find diets that conflict with one another, e.g. one says don't eat meat and others say do; don't eat tomatoes, but other sites say eat them; many sites say don't eat peas or winter squash or potatoes while many others list those starchy items under vegetables to be eaten; and then the most conflicting one to me is the very few sites that say don't eat dairy or even yogurt because of the lactose (another form of sugar) and hormone content of milk and yet the vast majority of sites assert that yogurt is loaded with the good bacteria and will help build more good bacteria. Hmmm, in my case milk especially but all dairy immediately makes my twisted pinky joint swell and I get achy and my throat phlegmy. Maybe it's just me, but I think not. With all the conflicts over what is "good" for the body, and what isn't, no wonder people are confused.

Well, Wellness Guru has an eye-opening 5 category analysis of candida as a progressive disease. The analysis is certainly not comprehensive but it is thought-provoking. On their website after the 5 categories are analyzed, they also posted dietary recommendations and restrictions per each category. I would post those here also, but there are a few points in the listings I don't agree with and since I already posted a Strict Candida Diet once, I'm not going to post what I think is a more careful diet for each of the categories. Their diet recommendations, however, are certainly worth taking a look at. They might very much help someone decide when a food item should be assiduously avoided ... or added back in.

The 5 Categories of Candida (not comprehensive)

Category #1 - The individual is probably not experiencing any major discomforts or ailments but may once in a while not feel 100%. This person would benefit from a modified yeast free regime to prevent future problems and to fine tune the occasional imbalances; however, it is not essential.

Category #2 - The individual is beginning to experience small irritations and occasional discomforts such as digestive problems, PMS, food and environmental sensitivities and allergies, headaches, fatigue, sinus and bronchial problems, anxieties, canker sores in the mouth, thrush in the vagina or mouth, athlete’s foot, an itchy groin in men or women, vaginal discharge, mild skin irritations.

Category #3 - The individual is experiencing a number of problems on a weekly basis such as gastrointestinal problems, hormonal imbalances, food and environmental sensitivities and allergies, headaches, fatigue, sinus and bronchial problems, anxieties, occasional sleep disturbances, pain and discomfort in the joints and limbs, canker sores in the mouth, thrush in the vagina or mouth, athlete’s foot, an itchy groin in men or women, vaginal discharge, skin irritations or have had surgery on an organ.

Category #4 - The individual may be suffering sleep disorders including difficulty going to sleep and/or waking up during the night, depressions, constant fatigue, pain and discomfort in the joints and limbs, temperature fluctuations, eye-sight problems, chronic gastrointestinal problems such as constant constipation, presence of cysts, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, ulcers, kidney stones, serious skin conditions, migraine headaches, nightmares, elevated sugar or cholesterol problems, high or low blood pressure, arthritis and rheumatism.

Category #5 - the individual has been diagnosed with a serious heart condition, HIV, AIDS, cancer, MS, Parkinson’s, or any other life threatening condition.

In my wide readings I found one other site that also categorized candida in 5 stages. I don't recall much about the stages except that stage #4 was when the candida yeast/mold had compromised a few or many organs in the body and they were starting to badly malfunction or shut down. Stage #3 was pretty extreme too, something like extreme insomnia, restlessness, racing heart and other problems that I had experienced at disease onset. I figure that when I was at my absolute worst and almost completely disfunctional that I probably was in stage #4 in this other candida classification heirarchy. I was eating only vegetables and forcing myself to walk in the freezing weather every day (when I could) and oh so slowly I started to get better. Thank goodness too, because I didn't diagnosis myself for many more months or come across that staging until even after that. Stage #5 on that web page was pretty scary, death. When the yeast/mold totally engulfs the organs, they can't function. For the Wellness Guru the stage #6 unspoken category would also be death. Very uncomfortable to think about.