| The doctors said that I was a nuerotic 34 year | | | | cesarean birth and remained in hospital longer than |
| old housewife. I knew they were wrong. Here is | | | | I wanted to. I wanted to go home to my |
| my story and how I beat Candida. | | | | daughter and husband. |
| I thought I was becoming depressed. I felt very | | | | So I suppose I would have had a great deal of |
| irritable, something which was not like my normal | | | | stress going through my body and this could well |
| self. Each morning I would get myself out of bed | | | | have led to my Candida. Dr Robert Young (The |
| feeling like I was an old woman. My joints ached | | | | PhMiracle) says that stress contributes to an |
| all over my body. My fingers were swollen and it | | | | acidifying condition. A diet of acidic foods and |
| hurt when I brushed my hair. | | | | beverages combined with stress are the exact |
| My body seemed to feel very sensitive. I cried | | | | conditions that allow Candida to get out of control. |
| easily and felt exhausted all the time. All I wanted | | | | In August of 2006 my partner and I attended a |
| to do was sleep and not get out of bed. And | | | | Health Retreat for a general 10 day juice detox. |
| when I did drag myself out I would start crying. | | | | My partner had been here many times before |
| Eventually I decided that I needed some help. I | | | | and this was my second visit. |
| never liked visiting the doctor but could not think | | | | I was feeling great and well into the detox but on |
| of what else to do. At that time I wanted a quick | | | | the fifth day the retreat introduced some fruit |
| fix. I made an appointment and dropped my | | | | into our diet. Within a matter of hours I could feel |
| daughter at kindy and took my little son and went | | | | the sensation of Candida going through my body. |
| to visit the local, so called, doctor. I left his office | | | | I was very upset as my detox was going so well |
| in tears. He told me I was a neurotic housewife | | | | and I felt ready for the Mountain climb which I |
| and that I would get over it. | | | | knew would be the next day. That night I felt the |
| I knew I wasn't the person the doctor accused | | | | pain and tiredness and could not surface for the |
| me of, and that there must have been a reason | | | | challenging climb. |
| why I was feeling so bad. In desperation I looked | | | | Instead I went to the resident naturopath |
| in the yellow pages and decided to go and see a | | | | explained to him that I thought I had Candida. He |
| naturopath. I chose one close to home but had to | | | | did a quick blood test which showed a positive |
| wait two weeks before I could get into see her. I | | | | diagnosis. |
| had never consulted an alternative practitioner | | | | We narrowed it down to the fact that I had |
| before although I was certainly not against the | | | | eaten strawberries for lunch and the sugar |
| idea, just that I had never been sick to have that | | | | content did not agree with my detoxing body. My |
| need. | | | | partner asked if he could be tested as well and he |
| How relieved I was when I sat in front of this | | | | was also diagnosed with a high level of Candida in |
| new person and virtually without any prompting | | | | his body. |
| from me she told me what my symptoms were | | | | His symptoms were a constant and irritating |
| and that there was a name for how I was feeling. | | | | cough, nail fungus, insomnia and depression. The |
| I had a severe case of "Candida". From memory I | | | | question was raised as to why they did not test |
| think I was on a scale of 9/10 - far too high. I left | | | | each guest on arrival. Apparently they did not |
| my new practitioner again in tears. But this time | | | | want to charge the extra $35.00. Considering that |
| they were tears of relief. | | | | the fee is generally $3,000 for a 10 day program |
| I was determined to do everything she said. It | | | | we thought it ridiculous that they did not test |
| was the start of a six week strict diet plan. No | | | | guests. |
| bread, milk, cheese, yogurt, alcohol, coffee, | | | | The result of our experience was that we led an |
| sweets of any kind, certain fruits and also some | | | | avalanche of guests asking for Candida tests with |
| vegetables. Wow, so what would I eat? | | | | most of them testing positive. In a subsequent |
| I also had to cook for my husband and children. | | | | newsletter the founder of the retreat published an |
| My family actually went on the recommended diet | | | | article on Candida. Hopefully the retreat staff are |
| with me, not that my children knew. I steamed | | | | now more aware of the issue and Candida is |
| veggies, had lots of raw food and drank water | | | | treated with suspicion for all guests. |
| and herbal tea. I baked with buckwheat and made | | | | One young woman I observed was doing a |
| pancakes and cakes using all sorts of interesting | | | | double or 20 day program and she over-heard |
| gluten-free ingredients. | | | | me speaking to someone else about my own |
| For a person who does not like cooking I actually | | | | experience. She asked about what was Candida |
| had to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. You see | | | | and said that she also now felt absolutely terrible. |
| I wanted desperately to get better. | | | | I felt quite sad for the young woman because |
| After four weeks I went back to see my new | | | | she had spent thousands of dollars on her double |
| naturopath and she said the moment I walked in | | | | program and now was only a few days from |
| the door that my skin was glowing with health. I | | | | going home. |
| had also lost quite a bit of weight. That worried | | | | We now realize that my partner has suffered |
| me a little as I did not need to lose any weight. | | | | from Candida for quite some time. His toe nails |
| But I felt fantastic. | | | | were quite dark with fungus. As a result of |
| My energy increased and the aching joints and | | | | changing diet to be virtually sugar free and very |
| other irritations throughout my body started to | | | | low carbohydrate, detoxifying and drinking lots of |
| disappear. I continued the diet and after six | | | | good alkalized/ionized water, they have now |
| weeks I gradually introduced certain foods. 17 | | | | cleared. |
| years later and I still watch my diet. | | | | I know that most bodies carry Candida in a |
| So what triggered my Candida? They say stress | | | | morph state, but I believe if more of us were |
| can be a cause. Well I suppose I had had my fair | | | | aware of it, we would be better able to take care |
| share of stress before the birth of my son. With | | | | of it. |
| my first child I had a wonderful healthy | | | | So here's what do I do |
| pregnancy. But with my second I was diagnosed | | | | 1. My water intake is generally 3 litres. We drink |
| with an itchy disease called POLYMORPHIC | | | | alkaline water. |
| ERUPTION. Unfortunately it does not go away | | | | 2. I hardly ever have bread, biscuits, cakes or |
| until after the baby is born and you are unable to | | | | chocolate. A few weeks ago my body craved for |
| take any medication for it. | | | | some chocolate. I paid for it the next day. |
| This itchiness developed in my seventh month | | | | 3. I eat a lot of different raw alkaline vegetables |
| and by the eighth month (the same time that we | | | | which my partner makes up as a salad. |
| had to move house) I was scratching so much | | | | 4. I generally eat fish. |
| that I would make my hands and feet bleed. A | | | | 5. When we have cooked food we use Virgin |
| week before my son was due the medical staff | | | | Coconut Oil. (VCO is anti-fungal, anti-viral, |
| decided to take me into hospital as I was | | | | anti-bacterial, antiprotozoan). It is approximately |
| becoming distressed and not sleeping. They were | | | | 50% lauric acid, a similar quality to human breast |
| worried about the baby. | | | | milk. |
| After my son's birth, the itchiness went away. | | | | 6. Regular exercise |
| However, I did not recuperate as quickly as I had | | | | 7. I also take 1tsp of Zeolite powder in water - |
| hoped, and developed a bad infection from the | | | | great detoxing agent. |