Top 10 Bible Foods that Heal + the Biblical Diet

Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, (born 1981) is a doctor of natural medicine and is a chiropractic physician and clinical nutritionist with a passion to help people get healthy. He operates one of the world's largest natural health websites at www.DrAxe.com, and he has published extensively - for blogs, health articles and even several books:

The following article, Top 10 Bible Foods that Heal + Biblical Diet, was also written by him.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS

November 4, 2017

Whether you eat, drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

All throughout the Bible, references are made to the medicinal properties of foods and herbs. Representing health and longevity from Almighty God, the importance of diet and of preparing and eating food was oftentimes seen as a spiritual act. If you want to consume some of the most common foods mentioned for their health properties in the Bible, then you’ll want to try these top 10 healing Bible foods.

But first, let’s look at what foods the Bible considers clean vs. unclean. Of course, all of the healing foods land in the clean category.

What Are Clean and Unclean Foods?

When you go on the Bible diet, there are only certain kinds of food that you can eat. Certain foods are “clean” and should be eaten while others are “unclean” and should be completely avoided.

Acceptable Biblical foods:

Trees whose edible yield is bearing seeds or is seed — To put it simply, this kind of food is mostly fruits. All fruits are acceptable in the Biblical diet, just as long as they come from seeds. Fruits from fruit trees are okay to eat, as well as anything that grows on a vine, a shrub or anything with a woody bark tissue. (1) 

Plants whose edible yield is bearing seeds or is seeds — This classification refers to anything that may grow on plants that are not necessarily trees. Examples of seed-bearing plants include squash, tomatoes, corn and beans. (2) 

Field plants — Field plants or “plants of the field” are the next thing on the list, which can consist of herbs, roots and green, leafy vegetables. (3) 

Clean meat — Now this one’s a little detailed because the definition of clean meat is pretty complex. According to Leviticus, clean meat is defined as the meat of every animal that has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud. (4) Examples of clean meat include the ox (cattle), buffalo, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, antelope and mountain sheep, just to name a few. Examples of unclean meat include pig, camel, hare and rock badger. The Bible also instructs us not to eat the blood of animals or to eat any meat that has been sacrificed to idols. (5)

As for seafood, everything with fins and scales are allowed, but whatever doesn’t have fins such as shellfish is prohibited. For birds, everything is allowed except eagles, vultures, kites, ravens, ostriches, seagulls and owls. It is also noted that all winged insects are considered unclean. (6)

Top 10 Bible Foods with Healing Properties

1. Olives and Olive Oil — Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied. (Deuteronomy 6:10-11)

The Jews were the elite olive merchants of their day. During antiquity, this precious commodity was used for its healing capabilities, for cooking, to light lamps, for soaps, for cosmetics and even for currency. Olive oil was considered so sacred to ancient culture that it was even used to anoint kings and priests. Hence, the Hebrew for Messiah, Moshiach, meaning “anointed one!”

Research has been conducted that proves regular consumption of olives and olive oil contributes to heart, brain, skin and joint health. They have even been linked to cancer and diabetes prevention. (7) Needless to say, this sacred foodstuff has lived up to its ancient reputation!

2. Pomegranate — For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey. (Deuteronomy 8:7-8)

Tasty, messy and just recently gaining ground in the American market these past few years, several research studies have shown that pomegranates contain strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-obesity and anti-tumor properties. According to researchers, “Many beneficial effects are related to the presence of ellagic acid, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and flavones, which seem to be its most therapeutically beneficial components.” Subsequently, pomegranates are being considered valid treatment options for chronic diseases such as cancer, insulin resistance, intestinal inflammation and obesity. (8)

3. Fermented Grapes — May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. (Song of Solomon 1:2)

I can’t make a list of top Bible foods without including grapes. Several epidemiological studies have shown that moderate alcohol intake, particularly drinking red wine, may lower the risk of cardiac mortality due to atherosclerosis. (9) The general recommendation is no more than one (five ounces) of red wine per day except for men under the age of 65 who may be able to have two drinks per day. (10)

When grape juice is fermented, natural anti-oxidant and flavonoid properties are exemplified through a substance called resveratrol. Consequently, researchers have focused much of their attention on evaluating the health benefits of resveratrol in recent years, which has been linked to chronic disease prevention and treatment including diabetes and obesity. (11)

4. Flax — An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels … She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. (Proverbs 31:10,13)

One of the most important plant fibers in the Bible, flax has been used to make linen for as long as recorded history. Although it has been widely replaced by cotton in recent years, flax remains one of the most important fiber plants in the world and one of the top Bible foods.

Having a rich history of medicinal use dating back to Babylon in 3000 B.C., flax seeds have been wholeheartedly embraced by natural health and medical circles alike because it provides a natural, vegan source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber. Subsequently, research show that flax seeds may be able to help fight against cancer, lung disease and heart disease. (12)

5. Sprouted Grain Bread — Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. (Ezekiel 4:9).

In the Book of Ezekiel, God gave the prophet Ezekiel a recipe for what has proven to be the perfect bread as science has recently shown us that it creates the “complete protein,” one that contains all essential amino acids. The main reason that Ezekiel bread is healthier than other breads is because the grains and legumes are soaked and sprouted, which makes them easier to digest — and as a result, is the only bread to make this list of top Bible foods.

Harvesting “sprouted grains” happens right after the seed has started to sprout, but before it has developed into a full-grown plant. During this critical growth state, the young shoot digests a portion of the starch to fuel its growth. Subsequently, because the grain’s starch has been utilized, the level of vital nutrients — including proteins, vitamins and minerals — are enhanced. Additionally, research studies have suggested that iron and zinc actually become more “bioavailable,” (i.e. more easily absorbed) after sprouting. (13)

6. Raw Goat Milk — The lambs will be for your clothing and the goats will bring the price of a field. There will be goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and sustenance for your maidens. (Proverbs 27:26-27)

Raw milk is filled with the vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy dental fluid flow and help maintain strong teeth. Loaded with calcium, vitamin K2, magnesium, phosphorus and fat-soluble vitamins, researchers have carried out a comparative study on the properties of cows’ milk compared to those of goats’ milk and have discovered that goats’ milk may be even more beneficial.

Unlike cows’ milk, scientists from the University of Granada has revealed that data concerning goats’ milk suggests that it could prevent diseases such as anemia and bone demineralization. Additionally, goats’ milk has properties that help with the digestive and metabolic utilization of minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. (14)

7. Lamb — Now you shall eat it [the unblemished lamb] in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste — it is the Lord’s Passover. (Exodus 12:11)

Due to the significance of the Passover Lamb and equating that role to Christ, lambs are the most revered animal in history, and the most honored food in the Bible (and the only meat earning a spot in the top 10 Bible foods). Lamb is the meat of young sheep that are generally one year old or younger. Due to slaughtering the animal at such a young age, the marble fat content is considerably lower than older varieties of meat, which contributes to heart health and helps prevent again obesity. Rich in protein, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, zinc and other vital nutrients, it is arguably the healthiest red meat on the planet. (15)

On a side note, make sure to purchase local, organic, grass-fed varieties when possible. Grain-fed factory farmed animals are loaded with genetically modified corn feed, countless additives and are simply not worth the risk.

8. Bitter Herbs* (coriander and parsley) — They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (Exodus 12:8)

Scholars are not in complete agreement which plants the authors of Bible were referring to when writing about “bitter herbs,” but coriander and parsley generally make the list.

Coriander is the seed of the powerful anti-oxidant and natural cleansing agent cilantro. Traditional medicine has long used and labeled coriander as an anti-diabetic plant and scientific research confirms its helpful effects on blood sugar. Coriander also appears to be helpful for high blood pressure and heavy metal detoxification amongst other positive health effects. (16)

Parsley is another health-promoting herb and a rich source of several crucial vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. (17)

9. Vegetables — Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. (Daniel 1:12)

Instead of eating the tasty dainties of the Babylonians, Daniel and his friends requested to live on a vegetarian diet. When it was time for them to be presented to the king, Nebuchadnezzar and all of the leaders were astounded to see that the four young Jewish friends were more fit and looked better than the other young men who ate the Babylonian fare. Often referred to as the Daniel diet or the Daniel fast, history and biblical text actually support that Daniel continued his vegetarian lifestyle throughout his entire life.

Of all the food groups, vegetables are arguably the most nutrient-dense and safest to eat. There’s relatively no risk in consuming too many of them; whereas, if you eat fruit all day, you run the risk of spiking your blood sugar or developing dental caries because of the excess sugar.

Vegetables are so effective at healing that, according to the National Cancer Institute, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, radish etc.) can help prevent cancer because they are rich in glucosinolates – a large group of sulfur-containing glucosides. Known to break down during chewing and digestion, these powerhouse chemicals can slow down and even reverse cancer cells growth. Additionally, it has also been reported that glucosinolates can treat the following health concerns: (18)

• Inflammation
• Bacterial and viral infections
• Carcinogenic toxicity
• Tumor angiogenesis (blood vessel formation)
• Tumor metastasis (tumor migration)

10. Raw Honey — Have you found honey? Eat only what you need that you not have it in excess and vomit it. (Proverbs 25:16)

It’s no wonder raw honey is referred to as “liquid gold.” The medicinal applications to the skin and internal body seem limitless. First of all, raw honey is loaded with key nutrients. Research has also shown that honey contains the disease-fighting antioxidant flavonoids like pinostrobin, pinocembrin and chrysin. (19)

In addition to being a fantastic replacement to energy drinks for athletes and people needing a little boost, raw honey also supports the growth of probiotics in gastrointestinal tract including (Bifidobacteria). (20) Another fascinating quality of honey is its ability to improve allergy symptoms. (21) However, be sure to purchase the local variety, as it will contain indigenous pollen species unlike generic store-bought brands.

Recommendations and Benefits of a Biblical Diet

Is it possible to lose weight by following the Bible’s teachings on food and eating? Founder of the Bible Diet, author of The Maker’s Diet and motivational speaker Jordan S. Rubin believes so! According to him, the Bible Diet is heavily influenced based on the teachings from the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy and the only food considered acceptable or clean is the only kind that should be eaten.

Recommendations from The Makers Diet

The four classifications of food (trees that yield seed, plants that yield seed, field plants, clean meat) is the foundation of a Biblical diet. There are also other important things you should consider when starting or following a Biblical diet:

Water, sunshine and exercise. These three are absolutely key to good health. You should always remember to drink lots of water, get lots of exercise and go outside. I recommend one quart water daily for every 50 pounds of weight. Also, it’s important to drink high quality water. 

Eat safe, clean meat. This means abstaining from certain kinds of meat and seafood such as pork, lobster, clams and mussels, shrimp and catfish. 

Eat foods that are in season. The Bible states that everything has a season. This should also be our attitude when it comes to picking out the things we eat. Lean towards eating fruits, vegetables and herbs that are in season, as they’re fresher and better for your health. 

Eating raw. Eating uncooked raw food is very much encouraged. Some vegetables may need to be cooked, but a majority of them can be enjoyed raw. 

Unprocessed real whole foods. What you eat should ideally be consumed in the way that it was found in nature. This means that we should stay away from preservatives, processed foods, or those produced with lots of contact with hormones, fertilizers and pesticides.

Benefits of Following a Biblical Diet

All these food restrictions may seem like a whole lot of sacrifice, but what about the rewards. According to Rubin, those who go on the Biblical diets and eat Bible foods can look forward to the following benefits:

Weight loss

A diet high in unprocessed food, fruit and vegetables is ideal for weight loss. Natural and raw fruits and vegetables carry fewer calories and are easier to digest then other processed foods.

A longer lifespan 

Rubin claims that some of our ancestors that went on the Biblical diet went on to live for 120+ years. Although we may not reach that age, studies show that a diet high in fruits and vegetables lead to little or no health complications, thus indicating a longer lifespan.

Energy and improved mood 

When our bodies are in a state of imbalance due to poor dietary habits, we immediately feel it. We can feel sickly, sluggish and depressed. Eating right can increase energy, balance hormones and improve our mood.

Final Thoughts

Who would have thought that you could get nutritional advice in the Bible, huh? At the end of the day, if it were good enough for people back then to eat, I think it’s probably good for us today. So much of what the Bible lays out so clearly for how we should eat also makes a lot of sense when you look at scientific research. A Biblical diet is filled with healing foods that promote a well-rounded diet and so many awesome health benefits.

Read Next: What Does Kosher Mean? Kosher Foods & the Kosher Diet

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*Hyssop, not commonly used today, is also referred to in the Bible as a bitter herb. [It's very, very bitter, and when my brothers and I were babies, my mom had extreme ulcerative colitis, something doctors said was incurable at the time. We were babies, and she knew she had to overcome her problem for our sake, so she went to a health food store (Harvest Health in Grand Rapids, MI) and someone there recommended she drink hyssop tea. She did, every day and throughout the day, and ate the blandest diet, e.g. boiled green beans, boiled potatoes with no butter or salt. After a year she was able to gradually add foods, and eventually because of the tea and her bland diet, she could overcome her problem! A careful, thoughtful diet does cure! Praise God!] - CM

Gluten Ataxia: A Rare Autoimmune Condition Affecting the Brain

Gluten ataxia, a rare neurological autoimmune condition involving your body's reaction to the gluten protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, can irreversibly damage the part of your brain called the cerebellum, according to practitioners who first identified the condition about a decade ago.

This damage potentially can cause problems with your gait and with your gross motor skills, resulting in loss of coordination and possibly leading to significant, progressive disability in some cases.

However, because gluten ataxia is so relatively new, and not all physicians agree that it exists, there's as of yet no accepted way to test for it or to diagnose it.

But that may be changing: a group of top researchers in the field of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity has issued a consensus statement on how practitioners can diagnose all gluten-related conditions, including gluten ataxia.

In Gluten Ataxia, Antibodies Attack the Cerebellum

When you have gluten ataxia, the antibodies your body produces in response to gluten ingestion mistakenly attack your cerebellum, the part of your brain responsible for balance, motor control, and muscle tone. The condition is autoimmune in nature, which means it involves a mistaken attack by your own disease-fighting white blood cells, spurred on by gluten ingestion, as opposed to a direct attack on the brain by the gluten protein itself.

Left unchecked, this autoimmune attack usually progresses slowly, but the resulting problems in balance and motor control eventually are irreversible due to brain damage.

Up to 60% of patients with gluten ataxia have evidence of cerebellar atrophy—literally, shrinkage of that part of their brains—when examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. In some people, an MRI also will reveal bright white spots on the brain that indicate damage.

How Many People Suffer From Gluten Ataxia?

Because gluten ataxia is such a newly-defined condition and not all physicians accept it as of yet, it's not clear how many people might suffer from it.

Dr. Marios Hadjivassiliou, a consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in the United Kingdom and the neurologist who first described gluten ataxia, says as many as 41% of all people with ataxia with no known cause might, in fact, have gluten ataxia. Other estimates have placed those figures lower — somewhere in the range of 11.5% to 36%.

Since ataxia itself is a rare condition—affecting only 8.4 people out of every 100,000 in the U.S.—that means fewer still actually have gluten ataxia. Estimates are much higher for the number of people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity who have neurological symptoms.

Gluten Ataxia: Gluten-Induced Neurological Problems

Gluten ataxia symptoms are indistinguishable from symptoms of other forms of ataxia. If you have gluten ataxia, your symptoms may start out as mild balance problems—you might be unsteady on your feet, or have trouble moving your legs.

As symptoms progress, some people say they walk or even talk as if they're drunk. As the autoimmune damage to your cerebellum progresses, your eyes likely will become involved, potentially moving back and forth rapidly and involuntarily.

In addition, your fine motor skills may suffer, making it more difficult for you to work writing instruments, zip zippers, or to manipulate buttons on your clothing.

Diagnosis Not Straightforward for Gluten Ataxia

Since not all physicians accept gluten ataxia as a valid diagnosis, not all doctors will test you for the condition if you show symptoms. In addition, experts in the field of gluten-induced disease only recently have developed a consensus on how to test for gluten ataxia.

Gluten ataxia diagnosis involves the use of specific celiac disease blood tests, although not the tests that are considered the most accurate to test for celiac disease. If any of those tests shows a positive result, then the physician should prescribe a strict gluten-free diet.

If ataxia symptoms stabilize or improve the diet, then it's considered a strong indication that the ataxia was gluten-induced, according to the consensus statement.

Gluten Ataxia Treatment Involves Strict Gluten-Free Diet

If you're diagnosed with gluten ataxia, you need to follow a very strict gluten-free diet with absolutely no cheating, according to Dr. Hadjivassiliou.

There's a reason for this: the neurological symptoms spurred by gluten ingestion seem to take longer to improve than the gastrointestinal symptoms, and seem to be more sensitive to ​lower amounts of trace gluten in your diet, Dr. Hadjivassiliou says. Therefore, it's possible that you might be doing more damage to yourself if you continue to ingest small amounts of gluten.

Of course, not all physicians agree with this assessment, or even necessarily with the advice to eat gluten-free if you have otherwise unexplained ataxia and high levels of gluten antibodies. However, it does seem to be backed up by anecdotal reports from people with diagnosed gluten ataxia and from people with severe neurological problems associated with celiac disease: Those people say the neurological symptoms take much longer to resolve; while some stabilize but never improve.

A Word from Verywell

The number of potential gluten ataxia sufferers is very small when compared with the numbers of people with celiac disease, and it's also small when compared with estimates for how many people have gluten sensitivity.

However, many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity also suffer from neurological symptoms, which often include gluten-related peripheral neuropathy and migraine. Some also complain of balance problems that do seem to resolve once they go gluten-free.

It's possible that, as more studies are conducted on gluten ataxia, researchers will find even stronger links between that condition, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity. In the meantime, if you have symptoms similar to those of gluten ataxia, talk to your doctor. You may require testing to determine if you have another condition that can cause similar symptoms.

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Sources:

Fasano A. et al. Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification. BMC Medicine. BMC Medicine 2012, 10:13 doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-13. Published: 7 February 2012

Hadjivassiliou M. et al. Dietary Treatment of Gluten Ataxia. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2003;74:1221-1224.

Hadjivassiliou M. et al. Gluten ataxia in perspective: epidemiology, genetic susceptibility and clinical characteristics. Brain. 2003 Mar;126(Pt 3):685-91.

Hadjivassiliou M. et al. Gluten Ataxia. The Cerebellum. 2008;7(3):494-8.

Rashtak S. et al. Serology of celiac disease in gluten-sensitive ataxia or neuropathy: role of deamidated gliadin antibody. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 2011 Jan;230(1-2):130-4. Epub 2010 Nov 6.

The Secrets of Sugar - documentary

Just found an interesting documentary online, "The Secrets of Sugar". I'm not eating any sugar, not even the 'natural' sugars in honey, molasses or fruit. Well, on extremely rare occasions I indulge in a a Granny Smith apple or a banana heavily smeared with almond butter which the fat from it greatly slows the breakdown of sugar from the fruit.

Since cutting all sugars, and I mean all, and eating so many veggies with high fiber gluten-free grains (quinoa, millet in moderation as it's high glycemic, adlay/Job's tears, brown rice) and low glycemic beans only (lentils, garbanzos and black beans) my energy which was always good is very good. People are amazed that my simple diet gives me so much energy. And even better, I hardly ever have a sniffle, a cold or a sore throat (only after eating something that has a high glycemic or fructose count, irritates my upper GI candida). Hmmm, could there be a connection between eating no sugar and feeling well? Wow, I would so say so!

Here's the link to the online documentary "The Secrets of Sugar". Sugar is a definite link towards autoimmune diseases, cancers, Alzheimer's, diabetes type 2, and more states of unhealth.

Tangy Avocado Dill Dip

Because I had a molar gouged out, according to the dentist it's very important that a person takes amoxicillin to combat the bacteria in teeth from relocating to the heart ... and killing the patient. I wasn't going to take the amoxicillin because it's an antibiotic and therefore a feeder of candida, but when I asked a friend who's very much into holistic health about it, she told me the same. I decided it might not be a bad idea to take the amoxicillin ... but I'm going to combat the chemical and bacteria toxins with LOTS and LOTS of enzymes. So even before I had the molar pulled, I started soaking lentil, mung bean, and a tiny black bean to make enzyme-rich sprouts for feeding my body, especially while it's undergoing so much medical stress.

 

 

And since sprouts need a little something to make eating large amounts of them very palatable, I whipped up a creamy tangy dressing, which turned out VERY YUM!

Tangy Avocado Dill Dip/Dressing

 

1 avocado

1 whole lemon*

1/2 - 1 cup water

1 thick wedge onion

1 stalk celery

2-4 garlic cloves

1/2 rounded teaspoon Himalayan salt

1+ tablespoon dill (fresh is best)

* If the lemon isn't organic, the peel should be removed in order to eliminate pesticide residue that gets trapped in the thick and rough-surfaced skin.

Put all the ingredients in the blender except the dill, adding the desired amount of water to make either a creamy dip or a smooth pourable dressing. Whizz the ingredients to a creamy blend. When blended smooth, add the dill and buzz once to mix but not pulverize the attractively dill-flecked dip. Serve.

Reaction to Electric Space Heater

This morning—thankfully it’s the weekend—had some difficulty waking up. Just felt really tired. When I finally got up and looked into the mirror, wow, surprise! My eyes, especially my right eye was very swollen. I knew immediately what happened as this had happened a couple of years before I got systemic candida.

 

swollen eyelid again ... a space heater reaction

At that time, I didn’t have floor heat in my one-room so used a space heater. Then one day when I woke up, both of my eyes had almost swollen shut. I was so ashamed to go anywhere, but did go to the store immediately and bought a long duck-billed baseball cap and wore it low for three days as I waited for the swelling to go down. I also went immediately to the hospital to consult with docs about what the hey was happening. Allergy testing was recommended because I had cats and the docs all thought it was them. Nope, I would have reacted long ago or at least had some hint, but I did test for cats, mold and a couple other things. Nothing! I was referred to some kind of skin specialist and that doctor (arrogant as could be) wanted all my perfumes, shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, make-up because he was going to do (very expensive) testing to find the one that was causing my problem. I told him I didn't use perfume (one cat was very senstive), only used two shampoos, never used conditioner (makes my hair feel heavy), hair spray was only one brand and in very tiny amounts, and for make-up only used mascara, and none of these things had ever given me any indication of being injurious to me. He basically called me a liar because all females are cosmetic-freaks. [What arrogance, and mostly because his communication was top-down because (1) he spoke English fluently, a high value here and (2) he had the "doctor is god" attitude! Errrgh!] He only listened enough to ask what chemicals I had been around … Ah, there was a good thought! … but I couldn’t think of a single one. He demanded then that I bring all my cosmetics because that was where the problem was. That just didn’t make sense to me and he was so arrogantly insistent that I just left.

A couple days later my eyes were getting better. BTW, I had to sleep for two nights in my neighbor’s one-room because every time I went into mine, my eyes would begin to swell again. Well, after a couple of days I was back home and my cats were happy and I was happy to be with them as I read, sitting in front of my space heater. And then I could feel my eyes swelling again. I turned off the space heater and stayed in a very cold room that day, and then the next day turned on the space heater again. Yep! Sure enough. It was the space heater causing my reaction. So I went online to find out what could possibly be causing that reaction and what I found is rather disturbing—the coils have asbestos and other toxic materials in them. I read in several places online that over time these materials break down with use. Yikes is just putting it mildly! Here are the toxic/chemical materials listed in the coil heating elements—nichrome, iron-chrome, nickel-chrome, nickel-iron, nickel, stainless steel, molybdenum, tungsten, and MoSi2 conductor wire, and the insulation materials are the ones to really question—mica, asbestos, ceramics, fiberglass, and synthetic liquids (and just what are they??? some evil known-to-be toxins that are a trade secret so they don't need to be listed???).

Well, over the past several years I have rarely used the space heater because of my previous reaction, but yesterday I didn’t care to heat my whole apartment as I was just going to be working in front of my computer. So for four hours the space heater was pointed my way, about a yard away, heating me up and putting toxins in my body. BTW, my face was turned away from the heater so wow, it really fed some toxins into the environment, into probably my whole body, and the outcome appeared this a.m. Not good, not healthy, not going to use the space heater again!!

BTW, here's a very detailed account of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I am a bit sensitive to paints and air conditioning filters (they're very moldy and should be cleaned often) and some others, but for the most part if I can just get to better ventilation away from those known toxins I'm fine. I wouldn't say that I have multiple chemical sensitivities, but if I don't practive prevention, then I think I could develop some awful sensitivities.

Iodine Test for Thyroid Function

The iodine paint test is a very controversial measurement for testing and identifying thyroid dysfunction. Biomedical practitioners may use the diagnostic procedure, but this informal test is principally administered by holistic practitioners who are knowledgeable about the micro- and macronutrients on the body and its function as opposed to biomedical practitioners who place their trust predominantly is pharmaceutical and, it must be said, invasive measurements for identifying a diseased state.

The iodine patch test, nevertheless, is said to be able to reliably test the uptake of iodine from an iodine tincture painted on the skin. The iodine must be the tinted 100% solution in order to ascertain how quickly it is absorbed, and the interpretation is based on how quickly the iodine is absorbed into the skin. Rapid absorption indicated iodine deficiency, and a slower rate indicates the thyroid functioning under more optimum conditions. For a thyroid to be functioning in an efficient state, iodine absorption should take between 24-48 hours. The amount less than 24 hours indicates the extent of the deficiency.

My mom and I both had this iodine paint test done at our holistic chiropractor's office. She painted an inch swath on both Mom's and my forearms, my swath was definitely darker as the chiropractor liberally triple painted it. In any regards, 6 hours later my mom's tinted tincture had disappeared. Mine disappeared 9-10 hours later. The chiropractor's interpretation of both of our thyroid functions was pretty much, not desirable functioning but certainly nothing to be concerned about at this stage. I wasn't really concerned, but when she tested our thyroid function with kinesthesiology, both of our thyroids demonstrated weakness, and with both of us having a history of impaired thyroid function, getting not too bad results on this test - albeit somewhat of an informal test as no actual numbers or percentages of TSH, T3 and T4 were proven to be impaired - was positive and yet mildly eye-opening in regard to awareness of an underlying problem. And so now we will look for foods that support thyroid function.

The flip side of the coin in regard to the actual reliability of the iodine skin test is given by a physician, David Derry. In determining the efficacy of a treatment, all sides need to be considered to make informed decisions about the test measurement procedure. Here is his medical opinion:

The "test" of putting iodine on the skin to watch how fast it disappears is not an indicator of anything. The iodine disappearance rate is unrelated to thyroid disease or even iodine content of the body. Meticulous research by Nyiri and Jannitti in 1932 showed clearly when iodine is applied to the skin in almost any form, 50% evaporates into the air within 2 hours and between 75 - 80 percent evaporates into the air within 24 hours. A total of 88 percent evaporates within 3 days and it is at this point that the evaporation stops. The remaining 12 percent that is absorbed into the skin has several fates. Only 1-4% of the total iodine applied to the skin is absorbed into the blood stream within the first few hours. The rest of the iodine within the skin (8-11%) is slowly released from the skin into the blood stream.

 
Other alternative testing for thyroid function include:  

Saliva Testing Saliva testing is growing in popularity with complementary and integrative practitioners. There are a number of companies claiming to provide saliva testing for thyroid function, but only one company seems to be used frequently by complementary practitioners: Diagnos-Techs. You can find out more about saliva testing in this article from Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames.  

Urinary Testing Urinary testing for thyroid dysfunction is not in wide use, and is rarely done in the U.S. It’s primarily performed by physicians in in Europe. Typically, doctors in the U.S. who are familiar with the work of the late Dr. Broda Barnes are more likely to use this test as part of the diagnostic process. Currently, the tests are being processed in Europe, and are fairly costly. More information.  

Basal Body Temperature Testing Typically, basal body temperature (BBT) testing involves measuring the early morning temperature, before movement, over time. In Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness , Dr. Broda Barnes’ groundbreaking book on thyroid disease, Barnes advocated use of this test as a diagnostic tool. According to Dr. Barnes, a basal temperatures consistently below 97.8 was a possible indicator of low thyroid function. A small percentage of alternative practitioners rely on basal body temperature results as their primary means of diagnosis. Other alternative practitioners feel that it may be one criterion among several to consider in diagnosis. Most conventional practitioners do not consider the test useful in thyroid diagnosis.

Most of the information has been borrowed from the following two sites:

http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/a/othertests.htm

http://thyroid.about.com/library/derry/bl2a.htm

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.

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."

Huge Vitamin A Deficiency

A few days ago I got the reading on yet another vitamin A test result. It had dropped significantly! After a lot of careful consideration on what could have dropped my vitamin A so significantly in 4 months, the only thing I could think of was because I was taking Barlean's Olive Leaf Complex every day, sometimes twice a day in smaller amounts, and occasionally three times a day. The serving size is 1 tablespoon (15ml) with 26 servings per bottle. It would take me about 1 1/2 months to go through a bottle, so really, I wasn't overdosing. But again, I do realize that all herbs, supplements, even food have side effects if taken every day for a long period of time, or if over-consuming, or if it has a tendency to interact with one's nutrition anyway. Taking something everyday does result in a build-up, whether good or bad, so getting this vitamin testing every few months and watching my vitamin A numbers is really important. I probably took this product for up to 3 months and went through 2 bottles and had just started a third.



Anyway, there are many supplements and/or drugs that interact with one's vitamins; grapefruit is one that is often listed, and it is widely considered as VERY healthy, low calorie and phenomenal as a morning food.

And then many people and health practitioners believe that popping a pill can correct the vitamin deficiency. Well, I tried vitamin A supplements for a couple months, got tested, saw a drop of .03 in my numbers. Then I read a book entitled Supplements Exposed and a comment on taking vitamin A for correcting deficiencies was that the supplement actually creates bigger deficiencies. Well, I thought I'd test that theory and took 5,000 units almost every day, as well as eating all the vitamin A rich foods on my limited list and my vitamin A went up .03 in just under 3 months. What a crock! I can't consider those supplements as helping at all, and in such high units too! So I scrapped the vitamin A supplements and thought I'd try Barlean's Olive Leaf, an oil, that taken with vitamin A rich foods would hopefully help the vitamin A in the foods be assimilated. Well, that didn't work as can be seen by my huge drop in numbers, down .10 in 4 months, creating an even bigger deficiency!

So, for the next few months before I undergo vitamin A testing again, I'll quit taking the Olive Leaf Extract, and eat high vitamin A foods. The problem with that is many of the high vitamin A foods are on the can't-eat-because-I-have-candida list. Here's one of the high vitamin A lists (the ones in bold are the ones that I may enjoy without candida repercussions):

FRUITS (most fruits have vitamin A, but the following have a significant amount): cantaloupe, grapefruit, guava, mango, papaya, passion fruit, tomato (occasionally and in small amounts), watermelon

VEGETABLES: amaranth leaves (where can I get it?), bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, chinese broccoli (where can I get it?), chinese cabbage, kale, leeks, peas, pumpkin, rapini (where can I get it?), spinach, squash (winter, summer), sweet potato, swiss chard

NUTS/GRAINS: chestnuts (occasionally b/c they're so nutritious but they are rather starchy too), pecans, pistachios

MEAT/DAIRY PROTEIN (which I don't touch for many health reasons!): cheddar cheese, cream cheese, cow's milk, whipping cream, eggs (I do eat eat eggs sometimes - shame on me), tuna, goat milk, goat cheese, sour cream

LEGUMES (most legumes do not contain a significant amount of vitamin A)

However, there are two foods rich in vitamin A that aren't typically on food charts, and thank goodness I've stumbled across them .... at least I think "thank goodness" right now. The foods are spirulina and chia seeds.

Chia Seeds and Spirulina

To be on the safe side, I looked up the side effects of chia seeds. The only one that could affect me is "high triglycerides: Blood contains several types of fat, including cholesterol and triglycerides. Triglyceride levels are too high in some people. Eating some types of chia can make them even higher." Well, my triglycerides are so low as to be almost abnormal. 40~whatever is considered normal, and I've had the range in the paste 8 years of being from 36~56. [A couple years ago I bumped into some comments on having triglycerides that were too low, and the consequence could be Grave's disease/hyperthyroidism. Well, hello! That's exactly what happened to me about 6 years ago. I couldn't really understand why Grave's disease was considered a nutritional disease ... until I read that statement. People want low triglycerides, and even though mine were abnormally low, I was told by a couple docs that my triglycerides were amazingly wonderful! Hmmmm.]

Another side effect is the vitamin B17 overload, that is, a phytonutrient overload. Also, chia seeds have caused gastrointestinal problems in some. What I am finding in research zones is that because chia seeds are still relatively untested, it is best to take them a maximum of 3 months and then give them a break. Will do ... that'll give me enough time to see if they work in getting my vitamin A up. BTW, even though sites say that chia seeds have a significant source of vitamin A, vitamin Bs and magnesium, I can't corner any numbers for any of them. Sigh.

For Spirulina, I can find numbers! On the label of my PureHawaiian Spirulina Pacifica the vitamin A (as beta carotene) is 11,250 IU or 230% of the daily value by taking 1 teaspoon (3g). That's some loaded vitamin A! No wonder flamingos turn pink when they eat shrimp that have lived off blue-green algae rich in carotenoids, the beta carotene type! Maybe I'll turn pink like a flamingo if I consume this product. Anyway, the side effects (since I better know based on my history) is given on one particular site:

"A 2006 study of mice shows that intake of spirulina can decrease bone mineral density under estrogen-deficient conditions..."

"When starting with spirulina supplementation you might experience what is perceived as spirulina side effects due to natural processes spirulina may trigger, like detoxification of the body or the enzymatic and probiotic effects on the digestive system. Results can be experienced as passing “side effects”. These so called spirulina "side effects" are a healthy sign that spirulina is doing your organism good. However, if you are an insulin dependent diabetic or type 2 diabetic you should consider consulting your physician before taking spirulina. The same goes for anyone who might be predisposed to gout (also known as podagra or uric acid arthropathy). High-quality spirulina is considered relatively safe and even recommended during pregnancy. Although animal studies are promising, no human research has looked into possible side effects during pregnancy, consulting your physician is always advisable."

"Avoid side effects from spirulina: Look for well established and trusted brands that provide you with relevant information about production, quality and safety to avoid spirulina side effects. Keep in mind that you might experience some passing “side effects” from spirulina as it takes effect on your organism. A healthy detoxification process could be perceived as a “side effect”, but usually passes within two weeks."

One side effect could be gas, which I had a little when I first started taking it. My mom took spirulina 3 times I think and each time she asked if it made me burp too. It didn't. She hasn't taken it since to my knowledge but it seems that minor side effects are possible.

Cashew-Basil Gravy w/ Vegies

A friend stopped over for a yak and some food. My friend has been interested in my unusual diet, especially as she a couple of years ago she was very ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Actually when I first started trying to figure out what my problem was, CFS really caught my attention. CFS is basically when a person's vital energy is depleted and their adrenal glands are exhausted and deal with stress of any kind. That was one of the reasons I hit green vegies so hard when I became sick. Stress, stress, stress was in everything and I knew that vitamin Bs could help me deal with stress (doctors tried to laugh me out of the hospital on that one!), but on the days I ate green vegies, I did feel better. My friend is now doing all right, holding down a job, and has pretty much returned back to the normal way of eating ... oh that yummy Korean food with sesame seed oil, soy sauce, vinegar, spicy red pepper sauce and fermented soybean paste . But she's still so wants to eat to continue better health AND she's very curious about what I've found to help me with my health probs.


So, I put together a vegetable rich spread! For supper we had:

brown rice with chestnuts
cucumber salad with dill, lemon, olive oil, garlic, sea salt
baby bokchoy and tomato salad sprinkled with hemp seeds
cashew-basil gravy with zucchini and baby lima beans
almonds and walnuts (washed and dehydrated)
strawberries (3 little ones max for me)

Cashew-Basil Gravy w/ Vegies

1/2 cup cashews (soaked 4 hours, soak water tossed)
10-20 leaves fresh basil
2/3 zucchini, sliced
2/3 cup baby lima beans, frozen
1 medium onion
5-6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 - 1 teaspoon turmeric
sea salt
4 stems parsley, chopped (more for garnish)
carrot shavings (garnish)
3-5 cups water (as necessary to adjust thickness)

In blender, blend the soaked cashews, fresh basil, onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, turmeric and 3 cups of water. In the fry pan, lightly saute the zucchini until soft adding baby lima beans gradually. Pour the blended gravy over the softened vegies. As the gravy is heated, it will thicked. Salt as needed. Stir occasionally and remove from heat after 10-15 minutes. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley, reserving some and the carrot shavings for garnish. Serve with rice or pasta.

Morgellons Disease and Diet?

Today on Yahoo was the posting "Study of freakish mystery illness finds no cause" with the disorder named Morgellons, as of 2002. This disorder is said by doctors to be psychological as they could find nothing wrong with 40 of the identified 115 people suffering from symptoms that could possibly be "Morgellons". That sufferers complain of fiber-like things growing out of their skin and have parasite-like sensations with bruising and discoloration to back up their complaints seems more than just a psychosomatic disorder ... and it's been my experience that when doctors just don't know they "blame" the patient with psychological problems. It seems to me that with visible display of symptoms the doctors might be more acknowledging of the disorder ... and yet the article says that sufferers are searching for a doctor that will consider their complaints as plausible and try to work with them.

There are many skin disorders - psoriasis, impetigo, eczema, cellulitis, shingles - and there are diets to help those problems. Candidiasis also results in skin disorders too for some, and candida also requires a specific diet for the return to "good" health. I would hazard that following a big diet change which includes high chlorophyll for transporting toxins out of the body, people with Morgellons would see a radical improvement. Perhaps following the candida diet? There are many levels to the candida diet; in fact, very very few are as strict as my diet ... thank goodness or we'd have a herd of two-legged cattle on this planet! But the chlorophyll-rich diet could help rid the build-up of toxins that come from the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink.

I recently saw the movie "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" about an Australian bloke who had a rare skin-related autoimmune disease and he took to juicing for 60 days to clean out his GI track, which is where diseases typically begin (surprised?!?!). Joe Cross, the bloke, has an online diary describing some of the things he did to recover his health and personal well-being. I highly recommend the movie - very informative and supportive of what I'm also trying to do to clean the candida mold/fungus out of my body.


Another useful link with much more information on the disease and the strange fibers is at Natural Health Techniques.

Failed Diagnosis :(

Near the end of December I was talking with a doctor at the university hospital where I have done the majority of my testing to find my problem (for the past 2 1/2 years). The doctor I was speaking with was a listener - wow! - and I had met him a few times before. In fact, he made a very astute statement a couple years ago that was filled with truth, "With all your problems [heart, lungs, neck, neural, bone, female, muscle, etc] you really need all your treating doctors to get together to discuss what the problem is ... but you know that will never happen." So, in the course of our conversation I told the doctor the problem was systemic candida. He looked surprised and said, "Really? That is very rare." [Hmmm, from what I'm reading on the internet, diseases - especially autoimmune diseases - stem from bacterial invasions of the body, and those bacteria are linked to 'candida'. Hmmm, so maybe not as rare as is taught in medical dialogue!]

I just gave him a snippet about where I think the main problem lies - the esophagus in the mid-neck area - and supported it with diagnostic testing: For months I had gone to the ENTs with severe throat and later mouth problems, and on record are picts of the deep throat taken by a scope. The picts consistently show a foamy cottage cheese-like unknownness, and when I eat the wrong food, it would be larger and thicker and I would constantly be spitting up phlegm, and when I went on solid vegies for several days before returning for re-analysis, it had been greatly reduced. He listened and seemed to quite agree with what I said. And then he said, "Well, getting a bacterial test is very easy, but if the problem is viral, well, viruses just are hard to test for and pick up evidence about. But bacteria, easy!" Shocked that someone told me about such an easy test when I had mentioned to 3 doctors [ENT, gynecologist, and my dentist] that I thought the problem was candida (not candida albicans) when they all had poo-poohed the suggestion. So, I asked for the blood test.

The blood test was composed of aerobic and anaerobic blood samples, 10cc of blood for each. After 5 days of being in the lab, the outcome was ... nothing. All the wild symptoms (except 9 days of arm convulsions and a low-grade fever with slight dizziness a couple months after onset) fit perfectly to equate to systemic candida. Even my food sensitivities pointed to that, for example, when I had food reactions I would hit the internet with "tomatoes and candida" or "citric acid and candida" and sure enough, people with candida should NOT eat those items. So I was shocked that I still had no diagnosis!

Finally I went on-line and researched about blood readings for candida. The only thing I found that could relate is that when the blood registers bacteria overgrowth in it, then the body is seriously compromised and the bacteria is spreading throughout. Well, that seems to make sense. I have been on a strict systemic candida diet for 13 months and the symptoms are virtually gone .... AS LONG AS I STAY ON THE STRICTEST OF DIETS (perhaps a strawberry or a slice of apple, but that's rare). I've read in other places that candida is a shape-changer -- it's both bacteria and mold/fungus and can successfully "hide" from detection. Sigh ... whatever it is, it's very successfully hiding from the highly esteemed medical world.

Anyway, I'm still not 100% sure the problem is systemic candida, BUT I can say that the diet I am on is (1) almost completely controlling the symptoms, (2) has virtually eliminated the pain and inflammation, and (3) gives me loads of energy, bright eyes, and very healthy skin. When the nurse called me to tell me the test outcome, her dismissing statement really irritated me, "The test came back negative. You don't have candida, so don't worry about it anymore." Ooooh, I fight for every day of health in my kitchen, never eating out because restaurant food causes pain and return of symptoms, and she says "Don't worry about it anymore." I'm going to keep stating to everyone, "The prob is systemic candida" because NO ONE has ever found any answers but I have found one huge solution, THE SYSTEMIC CANDIDA DIET!!!

An Overview of Candida Albicans (Yeast)

Candida albicans, also known as yeast infection, candidiasis, thrush, candidosis, moniliasis and oidiomycosis. In most cases from the age of 6 months, the majority of population has this bacteria in the intestinal tract. However, candida albicans is not the only type of candida, for in fact, there are as many as 81 identified kinds! Candida albicans is the one which happens to get the largest diagnosis, probably because the symptoms become most apparent - e.g. a white film in the mouth or on the tongue, fungus in the nails, vaginal discharge, and other vaginal and penile fungal problems.

The following information was taken from an article written by Gary Farr. I recommend reading more about candida on this site as Dr. Gary Farr packs in a lot of information that is well organized and an excellent overview for the candida problem. The information below are excerpts, but keep in mind that when the term "candida" is used, it does not necessarily have to be candida albicans.

Facts to know about candida:

... Candida can occur both in the digestive tract and can spread systemically.
... Going from doctor to doctor and switching from product to product is not a solution to handle Candida.
... Candida has the ability to change from a yeast and become a fungus. As a fungus it operates in a similar fashion to any other fungus such as athletes' foot fungus, etc. Candida is kept at low levels by the friendly bacteria that also reside in the digestive tract.
... Candida creates chaos in the intestines and diseases of which the doctors have little or no answer and can use only medicines to treat it.
... Candida can spread throughout the intestinal tract causing bloating, gas, food reactions and allergies, constipation, diarrhea and a host of digestive complaints.
... Any medication or drug that can cause a gastrointestinal side effect may cause yeast growth by disturbing friendly bacteria.
... Many people have a low iron content because this mineral is hard to absorb when Candida is present, and therefore have little oxygen in the tissues.
...Candida itself is totally preventable and if you have this condition, there is a special way in which it can be completely and permanently eliminated.

Hmmm, on this last point. Since the "good" bacteria feed off of candida, why would I want to completely and permanently eliminate it? And how on earth is that possible since it's a shape-shifter?!?!

More facts about candida:

... Yeast secrete an enzyme that digests the lining of the intestines.
... Yeast shifts the immune system from Th1 to Th2. This sets the stage for allergies and viral infections.
... Yeast enzymes break down IgA. IgA is the most predominant type of antibody that is found covering the gut mucosa. IgA keeps toxins and bacteria from binding to the cells that line the intestines. Without enough IgA, the intestines become inflamed, and the lymphoid tissue in the gut swells.
... The byproducts of certain yeasts or fungus are able to alter the bacterial content of the intestines. (The fact that fungal metabolites can do this should come as little surprise. Many of our antibiotics are made from molds.)
... Candida secretes an enzyme that reduces the body's ability to kill Staphyloccocus aureus, a common pathogen in human intestines.
... Yeast creates toxins like tartaric acid, acetylaldehyde and arabinol that interfere with the body's ability to produce energy.
... Drs. Truss, Galland and Ionescu have all measured reduced levels of amino acids, imbalances of fatty acids and deficiencies of various vitamin and minerals in their yeast syndrome patients. In particular, yeast reduce the body's coenzyme Q10, coenzyme B6, alpha ketoglutaric acid, taurine, and asparagine. Some types of yeast promote the formation of pentosines. These create a functional deficiency of B6, lipoic acid and folic acid.
... The most dramatic proof of harmful yeast toxins comes from the Great Plains Laboratory. Tartaric acid from yeast causes muscle weakness. Dr. Shaw discovered very high levels of tartaric acid in the urine of two autistic brothers. Both had such severe muscle weakness that neither could stand up. When treated with an antifungal called Nystatin, the tartaric acid measurements declined, and the children improved. When the Nystatin was discontinued, the tartaric acid levels rose, and the children got worse. Often, Dr. Shaw also finds tartaric acid in the urine of those with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by muscle pain, poor sleep and tender points.
... Yeast can be present in the intestines even if they don't show up in a stool culture. Dr. Leo Galland has shown that the yeast can be damaged and not grow in a culture, even though the yeast were present in a stool sample.
... The most harmful place for yeast seems to be in the small intestine. This was shown in a study of children with failure to thrive. Biopsies of the upper small intestine were taken and were examined with an electron microscope. The yeast were embedded in the intestinal lining in their invasive fungal or mycelial form. Some of these children had no yeast showing up in their stool. Yet the yeast in this first part of their intestinal tract was interfering with their nutrition.

"The digestive system is a complex system consisting of multiple organs. Candida can affect multiple organs in the digestive tract."

"Candida is a yeast that lives in the human digestive system. It has the ability to change from a yeast and become a fungus. As a fungus it operates in a similar fashion to any other fungus such as athletes' foot fungus, etc. Candida is kept at low levels by the friendly bacteria that also reside in the digestive tract. The friendly bacteria feed on the Candida, thus a balance in the body is maintained. Modern medicine's "gift" of antibiotics, birth control pills, cortisone and chemotherapy kill this friendly bacteria as do street drugs, alcohol, and junk food diets. Once this friendly bacteria has been destroyed, the yeast begins to overgrow and take over the digestive system. Left untreated, it becomes a fungus and grows into a plant-like structure complete with roots. These roots can break through the intestinal walls, allowing the yeast to travel to other areas of the body such as the sinuses, throat, reproductive organs, the lungs and skin just to name a few. It is capable of producing over 100 symptoms. This makes it extremely frustrating for anyone with this condition to be able to find out or understand what is exactly wrong with them.

"Billions are spent each year on antibiotics, creams, nasal sprays, unnecessary hospital visits, operations and antidepressants, due to the ignorance and arrogance of the medical profession. It is written in their own journals that antibiotics can cause this condition, yet they continue to boldly prescribe them and are resentful when discussing their side effects. One doctor who was backed into a corner on this subject during a radio talk show became hysterical with fear and began screaming, "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CANDIDA!"

Well, this has been my experience with candida. Modern-day medical doctors, following the Greek Hippocratic school of thought, that is, demarking a clear separation of body and mind, do not recognize the multitude of symptoms created by candida as stemming from a bacteria wildly out of control. Instead, non-holistic treatment is performed. Namely, if a patient has an ear-infection, that patient is never questioned about any other possible occurring symptoms - the ear is the sole location of treatment.

For patients with systemic candida who more than likely have a bizarre assortment of ailments, doctors feel forced to prescribe prescription drugs to manage the symptoms. Or if looking for the source but no specific bloodwork problem surfaces, then, since the body is "obviously not ailing" it must be the mind ... and psychiatric treatment is prescribed, blaming the patient's mental state rather than admitting a physical state unknown to the doctor. I've heard many doctors tell me that I didn't have candida, or "Of course you have candida, everyone has it", which is true, but doctors in my experience don't admit that candida is the source of the problem. Haha, I can imagine many of them wanting to scream at me, "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CANDIDA!"