We are all working towards clear skin, a healthy body, and happy mind. Believe it or not, it all starts with gut health.
Trust me I know how it goes. As a busy mother of three working full time, teaching classes, and starting a business, my days were filled with an extra handful of goldfish snacks and the crust of the pb&j cut from one of my children's sandwiches.
Then somewhere along the way I began having what seemed like endless sinus infections. My face was breaking out like crazy. I was so tried and cranky. Let's not even talk about the chronic constipation. And let's be real; no sex drive-- and hey, I happen to really love my husband and love that piece of our relationship. Everyone said, "It's just stress, you're burning your candle at both ends. You just need to work less. And then everything will be 'normal'."
Let's just take a moment to wrap our heads around this thought process. The cure to all that ailed me was to stop doing the things that made me happy? Well that wasn't going to work for me. No. There had to be another solution.
Now, that's not to say that they weren't partially correct. I did need to slow down. But not necessarily cut things out, just redirect. But more importantly, I needed to get real with how I was fueling my body. How could I expect my body to preform on demand without proper fuel. You wouldn't put the low grade cheap stuff in your Maserati and expect it to perform like the beautiful machine it was designed to be; but we don't think of our bodies that way. We don't show our bodies nearly the same respect and fuel it to preform like the beautiful machine it was designed to be.
To my advantage I have always been thin. Painfully thin. The girl that was made fun of as a child for being so thin. Now, as an adult-- eat whatever, three kids, pssshhhhh. No worries with very little effort I was right back to my double zero's. But friends I wasn't healthy. Believe it or not you can be skinny andunhealthy.
As I mentioned I was pledged with chronic sinus infections, yeast infections, exhaustion, cloudy thinking, anxiety, cranky, almost no libido.
Then I started to experiment and research. And almost immediately I knew exactly where the change needed to occur. With my diet--- here's what a typical day would look like:
Breakfast- eggs, fruit, bread product (toast, bagel, scone)
Snack (with the kids) fruit
Lunch -- pb&j or chicken salad w/spinach on bread, fruit. Goldfish
Snack (with the kids) fruit/veg and pb. Chips and guacamole. Something sweet (cookies, dark chocolate)
Dinner-- fish, veg, bread
Anyone see a common theme?
I ate like this for all of my adult life. Truly I thought I was eating "healthy". I'd throw a smoothie in now and then and magically I was doing great.
The theme is a ton of sugar!!! I mean a ton. So I began to research more about taking sugar out of the diet. There's a plethora of information out there: NSNG, paleo, gluten free, candida, and so many more. Then came the challenge which way of eating worked best for me and my body. I am an Ectomorph (with maybe a touch of Mesomorph). I didn't function well with all the protein of a strict paleo diet but knew I need a diet low in sugar/sugar alcohols and gluten because I was having all sorts of random sickness that I couldn't explain. I began to read about the candida diet and the damage that we do to our gut by eating so much gluten and yeast feeding sugars and molds. Was there truth to gluten intolerance and celiac disease? Was there truth to candida overgrowth? Maybe?
So here's what I've learned -- we have modified the wheat plant to be resistant to drought. Great for farmers and great for 'us'; no one goes hungry. But in doing so we've modified the protein in the wheat plant-- made it tough. Really tough and our bodies are not able to digest this protein. When it reaches the gut it can actually cause microscopic holes to form in the intestine allowing microscopic particles from the intestine to start to seep through the intestinal wall -- leaky gut syndrome. These microscopic particles are detected by the immune system and create an immune response and inflammation in the body. People start to experience all sorts of random allergies and discomforts. Bloating, acne, rashes, fatigue, cloudy thinking, etc. Gluten and yeast are the biggest offenders.
Great! I was fairly certain I knew the cause, but remember I was eating 'healthy' and I liked my diet. What was I going to eat if I eliminated gluten and all candida feeding foods? I struggled for a couple weeks, I mean really struggled. I ate raw veg and yogurt. I was HANGRY! I kept reading and found thousands of recipes that were compatible with the gluten free/candida elimination diet--it's been an amazing journey in rediscovering flavors and foods. Eating every color of the rainbow in my meals. Recipes that my husband and children love as well.
With the change in the diet comes a cleanse. Remember the gut? You have to start to heal it .The gut has been so badly damaged from poor diet over the years causing all the symptoms/ aliments that lead to this journey in the first place, right? So I followed a candida elimination diet cleanse (there are many) and immediately my symptoms began to resolve. Quickly with in the first week I noticed a difference. Huge! I continue to incorporate some of the elements of the cleanse in my daily routine and stick to the diet fairly closely. Now, that is not to say I don't enjoy an random piece of birthday cake, or glass or wine now and again.
Here's what a typical day looks like now:
Breakfast: eggs, spinach, peppers, onions, coconut bread OR yogurt, berries and almond butter, hot water and lemon.
Lunch: "Power House Soup", pumpkin, greens (collard greens or spinach), topped with a scoop of plain yogurt (active cultures), raw almonds, turmeric, and cinnamon.
Snack: Kale chips and guacamole
Dinner: Salmon, mixed greens salad topped with apple cider vinegar and garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, and eggplant.
Throughout the day I sip on water with lemon and three times a day I drink a small glass of 2 ounces apple cider vinegar in 6 ounces water, as I am in the later phases of the candida diet.
Fixing the gut is not an easy or quick process, years of damage will take time to repair. My promise to you, is that you will immediately notice differences in the way you think and feel. Remember that each day is a journey, that there is no perfect diet and life happens. And you must enjoy every single day. Seeking help from a professional is a great way to get started on your journey to a better you.
Are you ready to be strong, healthy, and energized from the inside out? Take the first step now and Schedule your consultation.
Lastly, if you're looking for an easy way to dip your toe into the Candida diet, check out my recipe for the ultimate easy to make sugar and grain free bread.