Candida Treatment Protocol
TESTIMONIAL OF HOW I GOT RID OF CANDIDA
This page tells you exactly what I did to treat candida. This is based on my real experience and research. It includes a summary of the steps I took, followed by a detailed explanation of each step, and shows a week-by-week time-line. I found it was important that I followed all the steps of my candida plan to successfully get rid of candida.
Note: I include links to websites, books, and YouTube video so that you can see the products, information, and supplements that I used. I get no money from these.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. Please work with your doctor during your treatment. See the disclaimer page.
SUMMARY OF TREATMENT PROTOCOL
1. I found a supportive, holistic doctor by asking people that work at the health food store who they see.
2. I got a comprehensive stool analysis to confirm that I had candida and to find out what antifungals would kill my candida.
3. I get on the strict candida diet. You can see the food I ate and where I got it.
4. I did natural detox methods. The coffee enema was the fastest and safest way to detox my liver.
5. I boosted my immune system.
6. I took probiotics once I started my antifungal treatment.
7. Once I was on the strict candida diet and had done at least 4 weeks detox, I did the antifungal treatment under the guidance of my doctor. Nystatin ultimately worked for me. After the antifungal treatment, I continued probiotics for a month. I did another stool test to make sure the candida was gone.
9. One month after doing the Nystatin treatment, I added back foods one at a time in small amounts. I started with oatbran. Then I added back one at a time sweet potato, aramanth, quinoa, brown rice, millet, millet bread, starchy vegetables, and blue corn chips.
10. I healed my leaky gut.
FOUND A DOCTOR
I found it’s a good idea to have a doctor that understands your health situation and understands candida. Also, a good doctor can confirm that one has candidiasis and not some other condition that is causing candida-like symptoms (there are other conditions that cause bloating and abdominal pain). I went to the health food stores and alternative medicine practitioners to ask them who they see. I found that its especially important to have a good holistic doctor since I was extra sensitive to foods, medications, and supplements.
COMPREHENSIVE STOOL ANALYSIS
I did a stool test. Its expensive, about $300. A comprehensive stool analysis confirmed that I had candida and showed I had no parasites or harmful bacteria. Also, my comprehensive stool analysis showed what herbal and prescription antifungals kills my candida, so I knew what to take during the treatment stage. I had to make sure that I had not not taken any antifungals or probiotics for two weeks and I ate some starchy foods a few days prior to the test. Heres stool test that I used from Geneva Diagnostics. http://www.gdx.net/product/10123 My doctor had to order it for me.
CANDIDA DIET
The diet was absolutely key and was probably the toughest part. I found that if I didn't do the diet, then I had a vicious cycle of feeding yeast, killing yeast, and experiencing yeast die-off symptoms. Just doing the diet correctly relieved a lot of my symptoms.
To starve yeast I had to to eat mostly green veggies. I started with candida diets on the web. I found out the hardway that if I was not doing the diet correctly, then I ended up feeding yeast at the same time I was trying to kill it. I thought I was doing a strict candida diet at first but I was eating lots of pasta (made from brown rice or quinoa) and starchy vegetables. It turns out the pasta was feeding the candida. It wasn’t until I cut out all grains and starchy vegetables, and was eating 70 % vegetables with each meal that the symptoms (bloating, gas, pain, belching) greatly improved. Some diets like the pH Miricale Diet advocate a vegetarian diet, but I found my body needed a good amount of protein which included some meat. I eventually figured out how to get 70% vegetables into me, get enough protein, have snacks so I didn’t go around hungry, and not have to spend all of my time dealing with food. Heres how I did it.
Breakfast
I had a big green delicious smoothie made from avocado, lime, stevia, water, and cucumber. I got a good blender for this-I got a refurbished Vitamix 5200 https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Products.aspx. I found I could drink far more veggies than than I could eat, so a blender was great for this. I also had a protein like fish (salmon is really healthy), organic non-antibiotic chicken or organic eggs.
Lunch
I made a giant salad at the beginning of the week, using spinach, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, and red bell peppers. Then I would pull out a bowlful and add a protein like fish, salmon pattie, organic chicken, Applegate chicken hotdogs, Applegate turkey bacon, Applegate turkey slices, or organic eggs.
Dinner
At the beginning of the week I made a green soup by sautéing garlic, an onion or leek, par boiling some kale, collards, broccoli, or spinach for 5 minutes, blending it in a blender and adding sea salt. Then for dinner I would have a big bowl of soup. I could get more green veggies into me this way in one bowl than I could in a week of eating them raw or just steamed. I also steamed or sauted a non-starchy vegetable like broccoli, green beans, zuchinni, asparagus, or brussel sprouts. Instead of butter I used ghee. For protein I had fish, organic non-antibiotic chicken, or organic eggs. I also made rutabega fries, a natural antifungal.
Snacks
For snacks I had boiled eggs, green smoothies, cucumber slices, avocado, celery logs with almond butter, homemade coconut bread (coconut is antifungal), homemade buckwheat bread (buckwheat is a seed and not a grain), almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and home made kale chips using kale and a dehydrator –heres the one I purchased http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-75A-600-Watt-Food-Dehydrator/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1377871172&sr=1-1 I always had my snacks ready so I didn't go around hungry.
Drinks
I drank lots and lots of water throughout the day. I didn’t drink anything when I ate meals as its supposed to be better for digestion to chew food instead of washing it down. I also had a glass of unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk each day. Sometimes I added stevia to this.
Recipes
All of these recipes and foods can be found on http://roosremedyrecipes.com/
Where I got the food:
Organic chicken-Made sure it said “no antibiotics” on the label. Walmart, Costco
Organic eggs-Made sure it said vegetarian fed, non-caged on the label Anywhere
Chicken hotdogs-Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods, Walmart
Turkey bacon- Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods, Walmart
Turkey slices-Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods
Kale, spinach, lettuce cucumber (organic, no pesticides) Whole Foods
Sea Salt, Himalyan salt Whole Foods
Pumpkin seeds, almonds, hemp seeds Whole Foods
Stevia (no dextrose or alcohol added) Whole Foods
Fish –Fresh is best. Ddi not use canned fish. Anywhere
Almonds, Almond butter Whole Foods
Coconut flour –Bobs Red Mill brand Whole Foods
Buckwheat flour Whole Foods
Ghee Whole Foods
Coconut Milk (made sure it was unsweetened) Whole Foods
Almond Milk (made sure it was unsweetened) Whole Foods
Implementing this diet
To implement the die I started out making smoothies the first week on the diet. I got a blender, 7 limes, 7 avocodos, 7 cucumbers, and some stevia. I also got some organic, non-antibiotic, cage-free-hen eggs and include those with breakfast.
The second week on the diet I made a giant bowl of salad for the week and kept it in the refrigerator for lunches. I got some Applegate meats for protein.
The third week on the diet I made a batch of green soup for the week and put them in small Tupperware containers in the freezer for dinners. I got some salmon and organic chicken for dinners.
The fourth week on the diet start I started introducing the snacks. I got some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and almond butter. I baked some coconut bread and buckwheat bread.
SUPPLEMENTS
You will see the supplements that I used for detoxing and boosting the immune system in this candida plan. You will also see that this protocol doesn’t call for a boatload of supplements. Some candida protocols recommend taking 20 supplements. I didn't do that. For one thing, I found that I did better on a minimal amount of supplements as more supplements just upset my stomach more. And I’m not sure about how much of a vitamin supplement was actually being absorbed into my digestive tract when I had candida. Also, it can get really expensive buying lots of supplements.
Another thing I got used to doing is reading the labels and avoiding supplements that had alcohol, dextrose, cane sugar, dyes, calcium carbonate (tums), and carnuba wax. The purer the supplement the better. Sometimes I bought supplements as a bottle of powder because the capsule version had undesirable additives.
DETOX
Before doing antifungal treatments, I did a detox for at least 4 weeks to remove toxins produced by candida and to prepare my body for the antifungal treatment part. (Before my last and final successful antifungal treatment I had detoxed for 4 months). I wanted my body to be able to process toxins so that I could handle the die-off during the antifungal treatment. I found that it is very important to continue the detox process as I took the antifungals or else my body would get overloaded and I would have to stop the antifungals. That’s what happened to me the first time I tried the antifungal treatment.
Coffee enema
That’s right. Coffee enema. I used this when I was so toxic that I was not able to tolerate any supplements. The coffee enema was developed by Dr. Gerson who used this in his treatment of cancer patients for detoxification. This is a safe and easy way to detox the liver, not to mention the lower colon. The way it works is that the coffee travels up the portal vein directly to the liver. The coffee enzymes stimulate the liver to produce glutathione, which is key in the methylation biochemical detoxification process. When the coffee is released, it empties out the liver. I did this once a week. Here is a website that has the procedure, organic coffee, and pail. http://www.sawilsons.com/basicenema.htm
Detox supplements
Molybendium is needed to breakdown acetaldehyde, a toxin produced by candida. Milk thistle is great for liver support.
The supplements that I used were gallbaldder ABx for 30 days prior to the antifungal treatment, and then liverABx during the antifungal treatment. They contain the milk thistle and molybendium. I took them 2-3 times a day per instructions on the bottle.
Gallbladder abX and Liver abX http://www.annboroch.com/products.php
Burdock root and red clover are very good for detox and I took them 2-3 times a day per instructions on the bottle. Here is a supplement that I took. http://www.iherb.com/Blood-Support-Burdock-Red-Clover-285-mg-45-Veggie-Caps/2860
Vitamin C is good in so many ways including detox. I took vitamin C twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I had a sensitive stomache and took the buffered version. http://www.iherb.com/Vitamin-C-Buffered and http://www.ester-c.com/
Detox Tea
I drank tea that had dandelion, burdock root, or red clover in it. I drank a couple cups every day. Here is some tea that I used.
http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Red-Clover-Herb-Cut_Organic
Epsom salt bath
I took Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) baths to detox and relax at the same time. I did this about three times a week and would drink my tea while in the bath.
Detox drink
I made a detox drink by adding a clove of pre-crushed garlic, a 1 inch cube of ginger root, a glass of water, vitamin C, a capsule of milk thistle, and some stevia for taste into my blender. Its very strong tasting. The milk thistle and garlic are great for the liver and the ginger is good for the digestive tract. I did this once a week.
Sauna
Sweating is a great natural detox. I did not have access to a sauna, so I would take a hot shower or lay out by a pool on a warm day. I used to drink hot tea and take a hot Epsom salt bath which caused me to sweat. I made sure I stayed hydrated!
Skin brushing
The lymphatic system is one of the ways your body removes toxins. I did skin brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system and did it just before taking a hot shower. Here is a Youtube video on skin brushing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ANy_2xWLAo
Detox Foods
I ate green leafy vegatables like spinache, kale, and chard, which are good for detox. So is garlic and broccoli.
BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A normal functioning immune system will help keep candida in check. My immune system was really beaten down and I found that I had to get stronger before I could successfully handle the antifungal part of treatment.
Stress
Stress runs down the immune system so I did what I could to manage stress. Deep breathing, meditating, and prayer are good examples. Personally, I did a lot of praying and still do.
Sleep
Sleep is key to restoring the immune system so I made sure to get a good night’s sleep.
Supplements for immune system
I took IgG2000 to boost the immune system. I took it twice a day per instructions on the bottle.
IgG2000 https://www.xymogen.com/products/product-detail.aspx?pid=84
PROBIOTICS
When I started taking antifungals, I took a good quality probiotic. The best ones are the ones that are kept refrigerated as opposed to the ones you find on the store shelf. I took one every evening throughout my yeast infection treatment per instructions on the bottle and for about a month after treatment.
I don’t recommend taking huge amounts of probiotics as some protocols do. Nor do I recommend eating probiotic foods three times a day as in the Body Ecology Diet. I did the Body Ecology Diet and found that the probiotic veggies gave me a really upset stomache. Also, I wanted to avoid getting small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO). People with candida sometimes have other problems like low stomache acid and gallbladder issues, which can possibly lead to SIBO if one overdoes it with probiotics.
Some of the literature says that candida patients will have to take a probiotic the rest of their lives. I took them for about a month after treatment and then stopped and I am doing fine.
Here are some good probiotics that we used. I kept them in my refrigerator.
Ultimate Flora http://www.iherb.com/Renew-Life-Ultimate-Flora-Critical-Care-50-Billion-60-Veggie-Caps/22252
HMF Forte http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/hmf-forte-probiotic-capsules-by-genestra.html
MegaFlora http://www.iherb.com/MegaFood-MegaFlora-90-Capsules-Ice/4084
Six Strain Probiotic Powder http://www.customprobiotics.com/custom-probiotics-six-cultures.htm
ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT
Prescription antifungals
My first attempts at using prescription antifungals failed because I didn’t know about detox and was not on a strict anti-candida diet (although I thought I was at the time). I used two weeks each of diflucan, itraconazole, and ketoconazole. Note that these antifungals can be very hard on the liver, which works against the detox process. A year later I successfully used the prescription nystatin which is very powerful but also very safe. They even use it on newborn babies. I had been on a strict candida diet and doing detox for about 4 months before taking the nystatin. Just before taking the Nystatin I had thrush from eating a red potatoe. I took the nystatin three times a day for 10 days as directed by my doctor. It gave me some diahrea and stomache cramps, probably from yeast die-off. A comprehensive stool test afterwards showed the candida was a +1 on a scale of 1 to 4, with one being acceptable.
Herbal antifungals
I also tried to treat my yeast infection using herbal antifungals, but could not get through the treatment because I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing detox during the the treatment. I believe the herbal treatment would have worked if I could have gotten all the way through it. The treatment was a 4 day rotation of oregano, uva-ursi, and caprylic acid. I made it about half way through a nine week treatment plan. I took the herbal antifungals three times a day. Here are some good ones that I purchased.
Horopito+aniseed https://www.revital.co.uk/-Forest_Herbs_Horopito_Aniseed_2
Caprylic acid http://www.pureencapsulations.com/caprylic-acid.html
Oregano (Biotics A.D.P.) http://www.pureformulas.com/adp-60-tablets-by-biotics-research.html
Uva ursi http://www.iherb.com/Eclectic-Institute-Uva-Ursi-350-mg-90-Veggie-Caps/2965
Berbemeycin http://www.acuatlanta.net/xymogen-berbemycin-120-capsules-p-58477.html
Food antifungals
My favorite antifungal foods were rutabaga fries, garlic, coconut bread, and coconut oil. When using garlic, its best to crush the garlic clove, wait a few minutes, then peel it, then cook with it. This is supposed to generate allicin, which is the antifungal ingredient in garlic. See http://roosremedyrecipes.com/ for easy recipes using these foods. I made sure I went slowly and tried a little at a time, watching for die--off symptoms.
Enzymes
There are enzyme products that kill candida by destroying the cell wall. Two that I used initially were Candisol and YeastZyme. They were good to use in combination with an herbal antifungal and were taken once or twice a day per instructions on the bottle. Here are the ones I tried.
YeastZymeMax http://www.pureformulas.com/yeastzyme-max-45-capsules-by-advanced-naturals.html#sthash.M4F8XCim.dpbs
Candisol http://www.i-amperfectlyhealthystore.com/product/candisol.html
Rotating antifungals
There is controversy on whether or not to rotate antifungals. People rotate antifungals because candida quickly mutates and adapts to antifungals. Fortunately there are lots of effective antifungals. Some people rotate every two weeks and some people rotate every 4 days. I rotated oregano, caprylic acid, and uva ursa every two weeks on my first go-around. Another approach people do is to use two or three antifungals at the same time. Also there are products that have several herbal antifungals in one.
DIE-OFF
Die-off, also known has the herxheimer reaction, occurs during the antifungal treatment. When my die-off symptoms got bad, then I slowed down on the antifungal treatment, made sure I was on a strict candida diet, and did the detox techniques described above. I found out that putting myself through very bad die-off just beat down my body and was not the way to go.
AFTER ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT
To make sure that the I had gotten rid of canidida, I had a comprehensive stool analysis done. After the nystatin, I was still having some bloating, belching and gas, especially after eating even though I was still on the strict candida diet. So about a month after the nystatin, I did the stool test and it showed that the candida was essentially gone. I figured out that I had developed a nasty case of IBS. The book “The First Year: IBS”, by Heather Van Vorous really helped me figure out what was going on. http://www.amazon.fr/The-First-Year-Irritable-Essential/dp/1569245479
I started introducing soluble fiber (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and rutabaga fries) as that has been known to help people with certain kinds of IBS.
That did the trick and over the next couple of months my IBS settled down. I then introduced one at a time gluten free grains like aramanth, quinoa, brown rice, and millet. I added Hilary’s green label veggies burgers, which are really tasty. Then I added millet bread and blue corn chips. I also added starchy vegatables like lima beans. I now eat a healthy diet with no bloating, belching, gas, stomache pain, or any yeast infections. “The Candida Cure” by Ann Boroch has a good chapter on adding back foods after candida. http://www.amazon.com/The-Candida-Cure-Program-ebook/dp/B004NNW116
Plan for just in case if the antifungals did not work
If my symptoms return or don’t go away, then my plan was to talk to my doctor and do a comprehensive stool analysis to see what antifungals would kill my candida. Remember, even if one had a stool test done in the past, the candida may have become resisitant to certain antifungals, so it’s a good idea to have a current stool test before one takes antifungals. However, I did not need to do this back up plan as my candida was finally cured.
GUT HEALING
Leaky Gut
Once I had gotten past the candida treatment I took steps to heal my gut. Since I had candida for a year, I most likely had a condition known as leaky gut which can result in food sensitivities and other health problems.
Here is a great program that I used to deal with leaky gut. http://www.leakygutcure.com/
Here is a book on leaky gut that helped me long ago before I even heard about candida. http://www.amazon.com/Was-Poisoned-Body-Fibromyalgia-Sensitivity/dp/0967605091
L-glutamine
I took L-glutamine for healing my leaky gut. I took it twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I used Glutaloemine.
Glutamine http://www.acuatlanta.net/xymogen-glutaloemine-168-grams-p-52504.html
Cod liver oil
I took cod liver oil for healing my gut and as a natural antiflammatory. I took a teaspoon twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I used Carlson's cod liver oil.
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/p-108-cod-liver-oil-regular-flavor.aspx
Bone Soup
According to the book ''Gut and Psychology Syndrome", bone soup is a natural way to heal the gut and is especially good for people that are too sensitive to take supplements. Basically, I cook a whole chicken bones and all or beef stew with soup bones all day. I use an organic chicken that says “no antibiotics” on the label. The book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” has the soup recipes. Here are some recipes. http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/
Go to http://roosremedyrecipes.com/ to get a recipe on bone soup infused with garlic-very healthy!
WHAT IF I NEED TO TAKE AN ANTIBIOTIC?
First of all, now I always ask my doctor if I really need an antibiotic to treat a particular infection, or is it just a preventative measure. Also, I always check to see if there is a natural alternative to antibiotics for a particular infection and discuss with my doctor. For example, D-mannose worked just as good as an antibiotic when I had a UTI infection. My doctor says if I do get a bacteria infection and need to take an antibiotic, then a Z-pack may be the way to go since it is taken only for 5 days. And if I have to go on an antibiotic, I will go on a probiotic and stay on a it for a couple of weeks after I am done with the antibiotic.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE
I always try to keep a positive attitude as much as possible. Educating myself using the resource page on this website helped to give me the knowledge that I needed to overcome candida. I joined the forum on the curezone-they were supportive. I cut negative people out of my life. And most importantly, I never gave up!
WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONS
Here is what I would have done to carry out the protocol if I had all the information upfront, shown week-by-week. (It actually took me a year of trial and error).
Week 1
Found a doctor that could partner with me for my health. I made an appointment.
Read the protocol.
Got a blender.
Ordered immune system supplement.
Week 2
Made green smoothies for breakfast. Got 7 limes, 7 avocodos, 7 cucumbers, and some stevia.
Got some organic, non-antibiotic, cage-free-hen eggs and included those with breakfast.
Started taking the immune system booster supplement.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Ordered detox supplements (molybendum, milk thistle, vitamin C).
Ordered the coffee enema kit and organic coffee.
Got some detox tea (burdock root, dandelion, or red clover)
Week 3
Made a giant bowl of salad for the week and kept it in the refrigerator for lunches. Go some protein like the Applegate meats.
Took the detox supplements-started with one a day (molybendium, milk thistle, vitamin C).
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea everyday.
Talked to my doctor about doing a comprehensive stool analysis and had him order the test kit.
Week 4
Made a batch of green soup for the week and put them in small Tupperware containers in the freezer for dinners. Got some salmon and organic chicken for dinners.
Continued with the detox supplements twice a day.
Did a coffee enema.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea everyday.
Did the comprehensive stool analysis. It took two weeks to get results back. Made an appointment with my doctor so I could get the results.
Got a brush for skin brushing.
Week 5
Started introducing the snacks. Got some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and almond butter. Baked some coconut bread and buckwheat bread.
Continued with the detox supplements three times a day.
Did a coffee enema.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea every day.
Did skin brushing before taking a hot shower or hot bath.
Week 6
Met with my doctor on my comprehensive stool analysis results. Discussed what antifungals I will be using.
Ordered the antifungals. I used Nystatin.
Ordered the probiotics.
Continued with the detox supplements, coffee enema, Epsom salt bath, detox tea, and skin brushing.
Continued with immune system boosters.
Made sure I was on the strict diet and can stayed on it.
Week 7
Maintained the candida diet, detox methods, and immune system boosters.
Started taking the antifungals, building up slowly. Watched for die-off symptoms.
My prescription antifungal was taken for about 2 weeks.
Week 8 and beyond
Maintained the diet, detox methods, and immune system boosters.
Continued the antifungals and started the probiotic before bed, watched for die-off symptoms.
After the antifungals had stopped:
Took the probiotics for a month after the antifungals had stopped. Continued the detox methods and immune boosting supplement during this time.
After taking the probiotics for a month, I got a comprehensive stool analysis. I also stopped the detox methods and immune boosting supplements.
One month after stopping the antifungals, I started adding back foods one at a time.
After the antifungals had stopped, I started doing things to heal my leaky gut including the cod liver oil, bone-soup, and l-glutamine. I did this for at least three months.
© 2013
This page tells you exactly what I did to treat candida. This is based on my real experience and research. It includes a summary of the steps I took, followed by a detailed explanation of each step, and shows a week-by-week time-line. I found it was important that I followed all the steps of my candida plan to successfully get rid of candida.
Note: I include links to websites, books, and YouTube video so that you can see the products, information, and supplements that I used. I get no money from these.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. Please work with your doctor during your treatment. See the disclaimer page.
SUMMARY OF TREATMENT PROTOCOL
1. I found a supportive, holistic doctor by asking people that work at the health food store who they see.
2. I got a comprehensive stool analysis to confirm that I had candida and to find out what antifungals would kill my candida.
3. I get on the strict candida diet. You can see the food I ate and where I got it.
4. I did natural detox methods. The coffee enema was the fastest and safest way to detox my liver.
5. I boosted my immune system.
6. I took probiotics once I started my antifungal treatment.
7. Once I was on the strict candida diet and had done at least 4 weeks detox, I did the antifungal treatment under the guidance of my doctor. Nystatin ultimately worked for me. After the antifungal treatment, I continued probiotics for a month. I did another stool test to make sure the candida was gone.
9. One month after doing the Nystatin treatment, I added back foods one at a time in small amounts. I started with oatbran. Then I added back one at a time sweet potato, aramanth, quinoa, brown rice, millet, millet bread, starchy vegetables, and blue corn chips.
10. I healed my leaky gut.
FOUND A DOCTOR
I found it’s a good idea to have a doctor that understands your health situation and understands candida. Also, a good doctor can confirm that one has candidiasis and not some other condition that is causing candida-like symptoms (there are other conditions that cause bloating and abdominal pain). I went to the health food stores and alternative medicine practitioners to ask them who they see. I found that its especially important to have a good holistic doctor since I was extra sensitive to foods, medications, and supplements.
COMPREHENSIVE STOOL ANALYSIS
I did a stool test. Its expensive, about $300. A comprehensive stool analysis confirmed that I had candida and showed I had no parasites or harmful bacteria. Also, my comprehensive stool analysis showed what herbal and prescription antifungals kills my candida, so I knew what to take during the treatment stage. I had to make sure that I had not not taken any antifungals or probiotics for two weeks and I ate some starchy foods a few days prior to the test. Heres stool test that I used from Geneva Diagnostics. http://www.gdx.net/product/10123 My doctor had to order it for me.
CANDIDA DIET
The diet was absolutely key and was probably the toughest part. I found that if I didn't do the diet, then I had a vicious cycle of feeding yeast, killing yeast, and experiencing yeast die-off symptoms. Just doing the diet correctly relieved a lot of my symptoms.
To starve yeast I had to to eat mostly green veggies. I started with candida diets on the web. I found out the hardway that if I was not doing the diet correctly, then I ended up feeding yeast at the same time I was trying to kill it. I thought I was doing a strict candida diet at first but I was eating lots of pasta (made from brown rice or quinoa) and starchy vegetables. It turns out the pasta was feeding the candida. It wasn’t until I cut out all grains and starchy vegetables, and was eating 70 % vegetables with each meal that the symptoms (bloating, gas, pain, belching) greatly improved. Some diets like the pH Miricale Diet advocate a vegetarian diet, but I found my body needed a good amount of protein which included some meat. I eventually figured out how to get 70% vegetables into me, get enough protein, have snacks so I didn’t go around hungry, and not have to spend all of my time dealing with food. Heres how I did it.
Breakfast
I had a big green delicious smoothie made from avocado, lime, stevia, water, and cucumber. I got a good blender for this-I got a refurbished Vitamix 5200 https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Products.aspx. I found I could drink far more veggies than than I could eat, so a blender was great for this. I also had a protein like fish (salmon is really healthy), organic non-antibiotic chicken or organic eggs.
Lunch
I made a giant salad at the beginning of the week, using spinach, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, and red bell peppers. Then I would pull out a bowlful and add a protein like fish, salmon pattie, organic chicken, Applegate chicken hotdogs, Applegate turkey bacon, Applegate turkey slices, or organic eggs.
Dinner
At the beginning of the week I made a green soup by sautéing garlic, an onion or leek, par boiling some kale, collards, broccoli, or spinach for 5 minutes, blending it in a blender and adding sea salt. Then for dinner I would have a big bowl of soup. I could get more green veggies into me this way in one bowl than I could in a week of eating them raw or just steamed. I also steamed or sauted a non-starchy vegetable like broccoli, green beans, zuchinni, asparagus, or brussel sprouts. Instead of butter I used ghee. For protein I had fish, organic non-antibiotic chicken, or organic eggs. I also made rutabega fries, a natural antifungal.
Snacks
For snacks I had boiled eggs, green smoothies, cucumber slices, avocado, celery logs with almond butter, homemade coconut bread (coconut is antifungal), homemade buckwheat bread (buckwheat is a seed and not a grain), almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and home made kale chips using kale and a dehydrator –heres the one I purchased http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-75A-600-Watt-Food-Dehydrator/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1377871172&sr=1-1 I always had my snacks ready so I didn't go around hungry.
Drinks
I drank lots and lots of water throughout the day. I didn’t drink anything when I ate meals as its supposed to be better for digestion to chew food instead of washing it down. I also had a glass of unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk each day. Sometimes I added stevia to this.
Recipes
All of these recipes and foods can be found on http://roosremedyrecipes.com/
Where I got the food:
Organic chicken-Made sure it said “no antibiotics” on the label. Walmart, Costco
Organic eggs-Made sure it said vegetarian fed, non-caged on the label Anywhere
Chicken hotdogs-Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods, Walmart
Turkey bacon- Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods, Walmart
Turkey slices-Made sure it was Applegate brand. Whole Foods
Kale, spinach, lettuce cucumber (organic, no pesticides) Whole Foods
Sea Salt, Himalyan salt Whole Foods
Pumpkin seeds, almonds, hemp seeds Whole Foods
Stevia (no dextrose or alcohol added) Whole Foods
Fish –Fresh is best. Ddi not use canned fish. Anywhere
Almonds, Almond butter Whole Foods
Coconut flour –Bobs Red Mill brand Whole Foods
Buckwheat flour Whole Foods
Ghee Whole Foods
Coconut Milk (made sure it was unsweetened) Whole Foods
Almond Milk (made sure it was unsweetened) Whole Foods
Implementing this diet
To implement the die I started out making smoothies the first week on the diet. I got a blender, 7 limes, 7 avocodos, 7 cucumbers, and some stevia. I also got some organic, non-antibiotic, cage-free-hen eggs and include those with breakfast.
The second week on the diet I made a giant bowl of salad for the week and kept it in the refrigerator for lunches. I got some Applegate meats for protein.
The third week on the diet I made a batch of green soup for the week and put them in small Tupperware containers in the freezer for dinners. I got some salmon and organic chicken for dinners.
The fourth week on the diet start I started introducing the snacks. I got some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and almond butter. I baked some coconut bread and buckwheat bread.
SUPPLEMENTS
You will see the supplements that I used for detoxing and boosting the immune system in this candida plan. You will also see that this protocol doesn’t call for a boatload of supplements. Some candida protocols recommend taking 20 supplements. I didn't do that. For one thing, I found that I did better on a minimal amount of supplements as more supplements just upset my stomach more. And I’m not sure about how much of a vitamin supplement was actually being absorbed into my digestive tract when I had candida. Also, it can get really expensive buying lots of supplements.
Another thing I got used to doing is reading the labels and avoiding supplements that had alcohol, dextrose, cane sugar, dyes, calcium carbonate (tums), and carnuba wax. The purer the supplement the better. Sometimes I bought supplements as a bottle of powder because the capsule version had undesirable additives.
DETOX
Before doing antifungal treatments, I did a detox for at least 4 weeks to remove toxins produced by candida and to prepare my body for the antifungal treatment part. (Before my last and final successful antifungal treatment I had detoxed for 4 months). I wanted my body to be able to process toxins so that I could handle the die-off during the antifungal treatment. I found that it is very important to continue the detox process as I took the antifungals or else my body would get overloaded and I would have to stop the antifungals. That’s what happened to me the first time I tried the antifungal treatment.
Coffee enema
That’s right. Coffee enema. I used this when I was so toxic that I was not able to tolerate any supplements. The coffee enema was developed by Dr. Gerson who used this in his treatment of cancer patients for detoxification. This is a safe and easy way to detox the liver, not to mention the lower colon. The way it works is that the coffee travels up the portal vein directly to the liver. The coffee enzymes stimulate the liver to produce glutathione, which is key in the methylation biochemical detoxification process. When the coffee is released, it empties out the liver. I did this once a week. Here is a website that has the procedure, organic coffee, and pail. http://www.sawilsons.com/basicenema.htm
Detox supplements
Molybendium is needed to breakdown acetaldehyde, a toxin produced by candida. Milk thistle is great for liver support.
The supplements that I used were gallbaldder ABx for 30 days prior to the antifungal treatment, and then liverABx during the antifungal treatment. They contain the milk thistle and molybendium. I took them 2-3 times a day per instructions on the bottle.
Gallbladder abX and Liver abX http://www.annboroch.com/products.php
Burdock root and red clover are very good for detox and I took them 2-3 times a day per instructions on the bottle. Here is a supplement that I took. http://www.iherb.com/Blood-Support-Burdock-Red-Clover-285-mg-45-Veggie-Caps/2860
Vitamin C is good in so many ways including detox. I took vitamin C twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I had a sensitive stomache and took the buffered version. http://www.iherb.com/Vitamin-C-Buffered and http://www.ester-c.com/
Detox Tea
I drank tea that had dandelion, burdock root, or red clover in it. I drank a couple cups every day. Here is some tea that I used.
http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Red-Clover-Herb-Cut_Organic
Epsom salt bath
I took Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) baths to detox and relax at the same time. I did this about three times a week and would drink my tea while in the bath.
Detox drink
I made a detox drink by adding a clove of pre-crushed garlic, a 1 inch cube of ginger root, a glass of water, vitamin C, a capsule of milk thistle, and some stevia for taste into my blender. Its very strong tasting. The milk thistle and garlic are great for the liver and the ginger is good for the digestive tract. I did this once a week.
Sauna
Sweating is a great natural detox. I did not have access to a sauna, so I would take a hot shower or lay out by a pool on a warm day. I used to drink hot tea and take a hot Epsom salt bath which caused me to sweat. I made sure I stayed hydrated!
Skin brushing
The lymphatic system is one of the ways your body removes toxins. I did skin brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system and did it just before taking a hot shower. Here is a Youtube video on skin brushing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ANy_2xWLAo
Detox Foods
I ate green leafy vegatables like spinache, kale, and chard, which are good for detox. So is garlic and broccoli.
BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A normal functioning immune system will help keep candida in check. My immune system was really beaten down and I found that I had to get stronger before I could successfully handle the antifungal part of treatment.
Stress
Stress runs down the immune system so I did what I could to manage stress. Deep breathing, meditating, and prayer are good examples. Personally, I did a lot of praying and still do.
Sleep
Sleep is key to restoring the immune system so I made sure to get a good night’s sleep.
Supplements for immune system
I took IgG2000 to boost the immune system. I took it twice a day per instructions on the bottle.
IgG2000 https://www.xymogen.com/products/product-detail.aspx?pid=84
PROBIOTICS
When I started taking antifungals, I took a good quality probiotic. The best ones are the ones that are kept refrigerated as opposed to the ones you find on the store shelf. I took one every evening throughout my yeast infection treatment per instructions on the bottle and for about a month after treatment.
I don’t recommend taking huge amounts of probiotics as some protocols do. Nor do I recommend eating probiotic foods three times a day as in the Body Ecology Diet. I did the Body Ecology Diet and found that the probiotic veggies gave me a really upset stomache. Also, I wanted to avoid getting small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO). People with candida sometimes have other problems like low stomache acid and gallbladder issues, which can possibly lead to SIBO if one overdoes it with probiotics.
Some of the literature says that candida patients will have to take a probiotic the rest of their lives. I took them for about a month after treatment and then stopped and I am doing fine.
Here are some good probiotics that we used. I kept them in my refrigerator.
Ultimate Flora http://www.iherb.com/Renew-Life-Ultimate-Flora-Critical-Care-50-Billion-60-Veggie-Caps/22252
HMF Forte http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/hmf-forte-probiotic-capsules-by-genestra.html
MegaFlora http://www.iherb.com/MegaFood-MegaFlora-90-Capsules-Ice/4084
Six Strain Probiotic Powder http://www.customprobiotics.com/custom-probiotics-six-cultures.htm
ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT
Prescription antifungals
My first attempts at using prescription antifungals failed because I didn’t know about detox and was not on a strict anti-candida diet (although I thought I was at the time). I used two weeks each of diflucan, itraconazole, and ketoconazole. Note that these antifungals can be very hard on the liver, which works against the detox process. A year later I successfully used the prescription nystatin which is very powerful but also very safe. They even use it on newborn babies. I had been on a strict candida diet and doing detox for about 4 months before taking the nystatin. Just before taking the Nystatin I had thrush from eating a red potatoe. I took the nystatin three times a day for 10 days as directed by my doctor. It gave me some diahrea and stomache cramps, probably from yeast die-off. A comprehensive stool test afterwards showed the candida was a +1 on a scale of 1 to 4, with one being acceptable.
Herbal antifungals
I also tried to treat my yeast infection using herbal antifungals, but could not get through the treatment because I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing detox during the the treatment. I believe the herbal treatment would have worked if I could have gotten all the way through it. The treatment was a 4 day rotation of oregano, uva-ursi, and caprylic acid. I made it about half way through a nine week treatment plan. I took the herbal antifungals three times a day. Here are some good ones that I purchased.
Horopito+aniseed https://www.revital.co.uk/-Forest_Herbs_Horopito_Aniseed_2
Caprylic acid http://www.pureencapsulations.com/caprylic-acid.html
Oregano (Biotics A.D.P.) http://www.pureformulas.com/adp-60-tablets-by-biotics-research.html
Uva ursi http://www.iherb.com/Eclectic-Institute-Uva-Ursi-350-mg-90-Veggie-Caps/2965
Berbemeycin http://www.acuatlanta.net/xymogen-berbemycin-120-capsules-p-58477.html
Food antifungals
My favorite antifungal foods were rutabaga fries, garlic, coconut bread, and coconut oil. When using garlic, its best to crush the garlic clove, wait a few minutes, then peel it, then cook with it. This is supposed to generate allicin, which is the antifungal ingredient in garlic. See http://roosremedyrecipes.com/ for easy recipes using these foods. I made sure I went slowly and tried a little at a time, watching for die--off symptoms.
Enzymes
There are enzyme products that kill candida by destroying the cell wall. Two that I used initially were Candisol and YeastZyme. They were good to use in combination with an herbal antifungal and were taken once or twice a day per instructions on the bottle. Here are the ones I tried.
YeastZymeMax http://www.pureformulas.com/yeastzyme-max-45-capsules-by-advanced-naturals.html#sthash.M4F8XCim.dpbs
Candisol http://www.i-amperfectlyhealthystore.com/product/candisol.html
Rotating antifungals
There is controversy on whether or not to rotate antifungals. People rotate antifungals because candida quickly mutates and adapts to antifungals. Fortunately there are lots of effective antifungals. Some people rotate every two weeks and some people rotate every 4 days. I rotated oregano, caprylic acid, and uva ursa every two weeks on my first go-around. Another approach people do is to use two or three antifungals at the same time. Also there are products that have several herbal antifungals in one.
DIE-OFF
Die-off, also known has the herxheimer reaction, occurs during the antifungal treatment. When my die-off symptoms got bad, then I slowed down on the antifungal treatment, made sure I was on a strict candida diet, and did the detox techniques described above. I found out that putting myself through very bad die-off just beat down my body and was not the way to go.
AFTER ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT
To make sure that the I had gotten rid of canidida, I had a comprehensive stool analysis done. After the nystatin, I was still having some bloating, belching and gas, especially after eating even though I was still on the strict candida diet. So about a month after the nystatin, I did the stool test and it showed that the candida was essentially gone. I figured out that I had developed a nasty case of IBS. The book “The First Year: IBS”, by Heather Van Vorous really helped me figure out what was going on. http://www.amazon.fr/The-First-Year-Irritable-Essential/dp/1569245479
I started introducing soluble fiber (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and rutabaga fries) as that has been known to help people with certain kinds of IBS.
That did the trick and over the next couple of months my IBS settled down. I then introduced one at a time gluten free grains like aramanth, quinoa, brown rice, and millet. I added Hilary’s green label veggies burgers, which are really tasty. Then I added millet bread and blue corn chips. I also added starchy vegatables like lima beans. I now eat a healthy diet with no bloating, belching, gas, stomache pain, or any yeast infections. “The Candida Cure” by Ann Boroch has a good chapter on adding back foods after candida. http://www.amazon.com/The-Candida-Cure-Program-ebook/dp/B004NNW116
Plan for just in case if the antifungals did not work
If my symptoms return or don’t go away, then my plan was to talk to my doctor and do a comprehensive stool analysis to see what antifungals would kill my candida. Remember, even if one had a stool test done in the past, the candida may have become resisitant to certain antifungals, so it’s a good idea to have a current stool test before one takes antifungals. However, I did not need to do this back up plan as my candida was finally cured.
GUT HEALING
Leaky Gut
Once I had gotten past the candida treatment I took steps to heal my gut. Since I had candida for a year, I most likely had a condition known as leaky gut which can result in food sensitivities and other health problems.
Here is a great program that I used to deal with leaky gut. http://www.leakygutcure.com/
Here is a book on leaky gut that helped me long ago before I even heard about candida. http://www.amazon.com/Was-Poisoned-Body-Fibromyalgia-Sensitivity/dp/0967605091
L-glutamine
I took L-glutamine for healing my leaky gut. I took it twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I used Glutaloemine.
Glutamine http://www.acuatlanta.net/xymogen-glutaloemine-168-grams-p-52504.html
Cod liver oil
I took cod liver oil for healing my gut and as a natural antiflammatory. I took a teaspoon twice a day per instructions on the bottle. I used Carlson's cod liver oil.
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/p-108-cod-liver-oil-regular-flavor.aspx
Bone Soup
According to the book ''Gut and Psychology Syndrome", bone soup is a natural way to heal the gut and is especially good for people that are too sensitive to take supplements. Basically, I cook a whole chicken bones and all or beef stew with soup bones all day. I use an organic chicken that says “no antibiotics” on the label. The book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” has the soup recipes. Here are some recipes. http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/
Go to http://roosremedyrecipes.com/ to get a recipe on bone soup infused with garlic-very healthy!
WHAT IF I NEED TO TAKE AN ANTIBIOTIC?
First of all, now I always ask my doctor if I really need an antibiotic to treat a particular infection, or is it just a preventative measure. Also, I always check to see if there is a natural alternative to antibiotics for a particular infection and discuss with my doctor. For example, D-mannose worked just as good as an antibiotic when I had a UTI infection. My doctor says if I do get a bacteria infection and need to take an antibiotic, then a Z-pack may be the way to go since it is taken only for 5 days. And if I have to go on an antibiotic, I will go on a probiotic and stay on a it for a couple of weeks after I am done with the antibiotic.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE
I always try to keep a positive attitude as much as possible. Educating myself using the resource page on this website helped to give me the knowledge that I needed to overcome candida. I joined the forum on the curezone-they were supportive. I cut negative people out of my life. And most importantly, I never gave up!
WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONS
Here is what I would have done to carry out the protocol if I had all the information upfront, shown week-by-week. (It actually took me a year of trial and error).
Week 1
Found a doctor that could partner with me for my health. I made an appointment.
Read the protocol.
Got a blender.
Ordered immune system supplement.
Week 2
Made green smoothies for breakfast. Got 7 limes, 7 avocodos, 7 cucumbers, and some stevia.
Got some organic, non-antibiotic, cage-free-hen eggs and included those with breakfast.
Started taking the immune system booster supplement.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Ordered detox supplements (molybendum, milk thistle, vitamin C).
Ordered the coffee enema kit and organic coffee.
Got some detox tea (burdock root, dandelion, or red clover)
Week 3
Made a giant bowl of salad for the week and kept it in the refrigerator for lunches. Go some protein like the Applegate meats.
Took the detox supplements-started with one a day (molybendium, milk thistle, vitamin C).
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea everyday.
Talked to my doctor about doing a comprehensive stool analysis and had him order the test kit.
Week 4
Made a batch of green soup for the week and put them in small Tupperware containers in the freezer for dinners. Got some salmon and organic chicken for dinners.
Continued with the detox supplements twice a day.
Did a coffee enema.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea everyday.
Did the comprehensive stool analysis. It took two weeks to get results back. Made an appointment with my doctor so I could get the results.
Got a brush for skin brushing.
Week 5
Started introducing the snacks. Got some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and almond butter. Baked some coconut bread and buckwheat bread.
Continued with the detox supplements three times a day.
Did a coffee enema.
Took an Epsom salt bath.
Drank some detox tea every day.
Did skin brushing before taking a hot shower or hot bath.
Week 6
Met with my doctor on my comprehensive stool analysis results. Discussed what antifungals I will be using.
Ordered the antifungals. I used Nystatin.
Ordered the probiotics.
Continued with the detox supplements, coffee enema, Epsom salt bath, detox tea, and skin brushing.
Continued with immune system boosters.
Made sure I was on the strict diet and can stayed on it.
Week 7
Maintained the candida diet, detox methods, and immune system boosters.
Started taking the antifungals, building up slowly. Watched for die-off symptoms.
My prescription antifungal was taken for about 2 weeks.
Week 8 and beyond
Maintained the diet, detox methods, and immune system boosters.
Continued the antifungals and started the probiotic before bed, watched for die-off symptoms.
After the antifungals had stopped:
Took the probiotics for a month after the antifungals had stopped. Continued the detox methods and immune boosting supplement during this time.
After taking the probiotics for a month, I got a comprehensive stool analysis. I also stopped the detox methods and immune boosting supplements.
One month after stopping the antifungals, I started adding back foods one at a time.
After the antifungals had stopped, I started doing things to heal my leaky gut including the cod liver oil, bone-soup, and l-glutamine. I did this for at least three months.
© 2013