Candida

Ok, so lets start this post with a sentence that I think just might be true.

I just might be the yeastiest person you have ever met.

I will leave out a few details, well, because they are embarrassing so just keep in mind that there is, unfortunately, more to my yeasty experiences.  

I grew up with Eczema.  I remember the back of my legs bleeding because I had scratched them so much.  Around puberty, it lessened quite a bit but you can imagine...um...me being a girl...what came next.  And trust me when I say it was often.  That seemed to go away once I got married when I started noticing me sweating in certain places in my body that was just odd.  Not gross, just odd.  But even more odd was the smell.  My sister, April, and I have been blessed with no body odor.  We sweat but we don't have to wear deodorant during the winter because we don't have too.  I'm not in denial.  We just don't stink.  I bring this up because all of a sudden I started smelling.  Not B.O.....I swear it was like a yeasty rising bread smell.  I know, gross.  After a few years of wearing deodorant in weird areas I started having issues with Eczema again.  So I went to a doctor because I knew there were topical creams that I could use.  Unfortunately they didn't work at all so after a few years, I went back.  I wanted a steroid or something just really strong.

Intro to my first discovery that I had a yeast overgrowth in my body.

The doctor told me that she didn't think my Eczema was exactly what I thought it was.  Yeah, it was probably Eczema but it didn't need to be treated like I had in the past.  She asked me about yeast issues.  After I told her my past, she told me that yeast will exit our body in anyway that it can.  For me, she thought, it was exiting through my skin.  So she prescribed me Nystatin, commonly used for things like Thrush.  

Ok, rewind.

I forgot to mention that with 2 of my babies, they came out with Thrush....a coincidence....I think not.  

So the Nystatin worked wonders.  It made me start researching things and before long I was pretty sure I had a Candida overgrowth problem.

We all have yeast in our bodies but some of us have an overgrowth problem.  I started a parasite cleanse just to be safe and then was going to change things in my life to help curb this overgrowth.  Unfortunately life happened and it didn't last long.

So we moved to Utah in 2012 and I get Shingles.  Yeah, you know, what the ELDERLY get.  I mention this, mainly to point out how weird my body is, but some things that I have read have linked it with Candida but the jury is still out.  Anyways, I was extremely blessed that it didn't get very big and I have very little scarring (I was very faithful with my scaring gel :)

About a month or so ago, the "last straw" happened.  I had these horrid canker sores.  7 HUGE ones on my gums and I lost count of how many tiny white bumps were on my tongue.  It is really hard to describe how uncomfortable it was.  No, not uncomfortable, sooooooo very painful!  I have been prone to canker sores all my life but this was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.  Usually my sores stick to my tongue but this time it went crazy.  I was gargling with Peroxide, making homemade Baking Soda paste to put on it, changing toothpastes, you name it.  If there was a suggestion online, I tried it.  It was horrible and by the time that I finally gave in and went to the Dentist about it, I could hardly taste anything because of all the stuff I was using tyring to cure my problem.  It was bad.

He prescribed me some medicine but the next day I was in tears.  I knew the canker sores were due to stress but how can you "calm down" when you are in so much pain?  I went to a doctor who told me that he would have prescribed me the same thing and then he tried to leave the room.
I was desperate and I was not leaving without a prescription. Sad to say but I wanted PAINKILLERS!!!!!  There was no way I was going to "calm down" to ease this stress problem I had until the pain went away.  Finally, giving in, he looked in my mouth again and told me that he didn't think this was it but that he would treat me for Thrush.

Seriously?!  Less than a year earlier I had been treated for Shingles (as much as you can actually be treated for Shingles) and now this.  Only babies and the elderly get Thrush!  Ridiculous!  However, it turned out he was right.  For a week after that I still couldn't taste anything but it was good because I it gave me time to detox my body of all this yeasty crap.
So...
through all my studying it all basically comes down to the fact that I like sweets way too much.  So much so that  it is more than my body can handle.  Sugar feeds yeast.  If I was to follow a Candida diet completely, I would only live off of meat and vegetables and if you know me that just isn't going to happen!  I can do the vegetable thing but that much meat...YUCK!
So I am one day away from finishing my parasite cleanse which I will then follow with a Liver cleanse.  A lot of things that I have read have linked liver problems and Eczema together so it just makes sense to me.  Plus, what could it hurt?  We should all do cleanses often.
But I have to admit this hasn't been easy.  Definatly easier than it would have been 2 years ago when I relied on my daily pop and chocolate but still hard at times even now.  I rarely have chocolate now and honestly, if it isn't chocolate, why would I waste the sugar?!  I'm not a "candy" eater.  I just ADORE chocolate!  But I have been real good.  My problem seems to be pop.  I do wonderful and won't have it for days and then have one and then of course crave it for a week!  It is so annoying!  Luckily, I never have a problem with having more than one a day.
So I will be updating on my journey to a healthier me.  NuNaturals have been kind enough to send me samples of their stevia to help me in my journey.
Yesterday, I made fresh raspberry lemonade with their liquid Alcohol Free Stevia.  I am getting over some allergy issues, so my taste buds aren't the greatest, but I will say that Levi and Brigham LOVED the lemonade.  Tonight I made smoothies, with the liquid Stevia, for the boys.  I got 2 thumbs up :)  That is saying a lot coming from Brigham because he usually snarls his nose up at my smoothies.  I don't do just fruit smoothies.  I always add spinach, celery, or anything green that I can get away with.  Today I put in a whole container of sprouts in it.  I thought for sure he was going to hate it.  I still can't believe he actually liked it.  I'm telling you, it was the NuNaturals Stevia.  And it feels real good knowing I am not putting extra sugar in our bodies.
Lets see how tomorrow goes :)