I had to improvise with food on day 11. My in-laws ended up bringing pizza for dinner. I didn't eat any, don't worry. But I had defrosted a whole chicken for my family for dinner. It is now sitting in the fridge, waiting to be cooked. Poor guy. I doubled my lunch so I could just have that for dinner.
Breakfast: Veggie Scramble
Lunch: Eggs over veggie Stir Fry (and today is egg day)
Dinner: Baked Chicken and Mashed Cauliflower
Recipes
Veggie Scramble - Serves 2 to 3
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 to 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 Medium green pepper, diced
Diced avocado and cheery tomatoes to garnish
1:Place a medium sized frying pan on the stove and heat 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat
2:Saute the broccoli, onion and green pepper for 3 minutes or until tender
3:In a small bowl, whisk eggs and then pour mixture onto the vegetables and stir
4:Continuing stirring to remove egg residue from the frying pan
6:Season with salt and pepper and top with diced tomatoes and avocado
Eggs over Veggie Stir Fry - Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup raw coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame seeds
1:Heat a skillet or wok over high heat
2:Add sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, this will infuse flavors
3:Add broccoli, water chestnuts and celery, sauté for 2 minutes
4:Add in almonds, cabbage and green onion
5:Pour in coconut aminos (2-4 tablespoons)
6:Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow cabbage to soften
7:Remove and garnish with sesame seeds
Mashed Cauliflower and Baked Chicken - Serves 4
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 whole chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 shallot, minced
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1 tsp salt and pepper
1:Preheat oven to roast at 350˚F
2:Cut chicken into eight pieces (2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breasts)
3:Heat a skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
4:Sear chicken on all sides and set aside in a large bowl
5:Sauté garlic in coconut oil until the skin of the garlic softens and browns slightly
6:Place half of the garlic on the bottom of a baking pan
7:Line chicken on top of garlic and cover with the remaining garlic.Pour juice from the bowl and top with rosemary, thyme, shallot, salt and pepper
8:Cover with a lid and roast for 1 and a half hours
1 head cauliflower
1 tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1 tsp chives, chopped
1:Rinse and soak cauliflower in cool water to wash clean thoroughly
2:Trim florets from the cauliflower
3:In a large pot of boiling water, place cauliflower in steamer basket and cover. Steam until the cauliflower can be penetrated easily with a fork, about 10-15 minutes
4:Placed steamed cauliflower in a food processor or high speed blender. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil)
5:Puree until smooth and serve with chopped chives as garnish
Reactions
Food: As I said before, I just doubled lunch so that I didn't have to cook a full meal with the extended family here. I did add some meat to veggie stir fry at dinnertime to make it a little more substantial. I need to find a meal to get the chicken in so it doesn't go bad.
Body: I'm still itchy on my scalp and oily. I haven't gotten an new breakouts but the one's I do have are here for the long haul, it seems. They really haven't changed for a couple of days. I feel my energy starting to come back. Evidence is that my house is more clean then it has been in a really long time.
March 27, 2015
Day 10 - Candida Diet
Today was a bit rough. I ended up spending some time at a friends house so our kids could play. I didn't prepare my lunch and take it with me. She was so sweet trying to find something for me to eat. We couldn't find anything. Since I didn't have lunch, I just added it to dinner.
Breakfast: Eggs with Turkey Bacon
Lunch: Broccoli Salad with Turkey Bacon (I guess it's turkey bacon day)
Dinner: Steak with Chive Ghee Butter
Recipes
Eggs with Turkey Bacon - Serves 2 to 3
4 strips turkey bacon
2-4 eggs
1-2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 tsp coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1:Bring a non stick skillet to medium heat and place turkey bacon, let cook until desired crispiness is met
2:While cooking bacon, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3:Sauté green cabbage until soft and season with salt and pepper and remove from heat
4:Heat remaining teaspoon of coconut oil in frying pan on medium heat
5:Crack eggs into frying pan and cooked to desired style. Remove eggs and plate with cabbage along with bacon. serve
Broccoli Salad with Turkey Bacon - Serves 2
1 lb broccoli
6 pieces turkey bacon, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1:Preheat oven to 375˚F
2:Wash broccoli and cut into bite sized pieces
3:Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and place turkey bacon. Cook in oven for 10 to 15 minutes
4:At the same time, steam broccoli in a steamer until tender
5:After bacon is done, remove from oven and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Allow to cool
6:In another bowl, combine broccoli, sunflower seeds, olive oil and vinegar. Once bacon has cooled, crumble and place over ingredients. Mix to distribute evenly
7:Season with salt and pepper for taste, serve
Steak with Chive Ghee Butter - Serves 4
1 lb top sirloin steaks
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp chives, chopped
3 tbsp ghee butter at room 1 tbsp
salt to taste
1:Preheat grill pan to high heat with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
2:Rinse top sirloin skirt under cold water and pat dry with paper towel
3:Sprinkle generously with salt on each side and put on heated grill. Grill for 3 minutes per side
4:Remove from grill and allow to rest
5:While steak is resting, whisk butter, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and chives with a fork
6:Slice steak into thin pieces and top with chive butter and serve
Reactions
Food: The food was all very good. I did find it a little strange that lunch was just broccoli and dinner was just steak. Combining them was really yummy. I wish there were more vegetables added to some meals this week. It just seams like a lot of meat.
Body: My skin is having a rough time. I am getting the weirdest breakouts. They are below my lips on the sides of my chin. I check it on a face map and those areas are for the intestines. It makes sense that I could breakout there with the detox happening right now. My scalp is still itchy and my hair is really oily. I usually wash my hair twice a week but I think I need to do it more often right now. It just looks so gross.
Breakfast: Eggs with Turkey Bacon
Lunch: Broccoli Salad with Turkey Bacon (I guess it's turkey bacon day)
Dinner: Steak with Chive Ghee Butter
Recipes
Eggs with Turkey Bacon - Serves 2 to 3
4 strips turkey bacon
2-4 eggs
1-2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 tsp coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1:Bring a non stick skillet to medium heat and place turkey bacon, let cook until desired crispiness is met
2:While cooking bacon, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3:Sauté green cabbage until soft and season with salt and pepper and remove from heat
4:Heat remaining teaspoon of coconut oil in frying pan on medium heat
5:Crack eggs into frying pan and cooked to desired style. Remove eggs and plate with cabbage along with bacon. serve
Broccoli Salad with Turkey Bacon - Serves 2
1 lb broccoli
6 pieces turkey bacon, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1:Preheat oven to 375˚F
2:Wash broccoli and cut into bite sized pieces
3:Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and place turkey bacon. Cook in oven for 10 to 15 minutes
4:At the same time, steam broccoli in a steamer until tender
5:After bacon is done, remove from oven and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Allow to cool
6:In another bowl, combine broccoli, sunflower seeds, olive oil and vinegar. Once bacon has cooled, crumble and place over ingredients. Mix to distribute evenly
7:Season with salt and pepper for taste, serve
Steak with Chive Ghee Butter - Serves 4
1 lb top sirloin steaks
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp chives, chopped
3 tbsp ghee butter at room 1 tbsp
salt to taste
1:Preheat grill pan to high heat with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
2:Rinse top sirloin skirt under cold water and pat dry with paper towel
3:Sprinkle generously with salt on each side and put on heated grill. Grill for 3 minutes per side
4:Remove from grill and allow to rest
5:While steak is resting, whisk butter, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and chives with a fork
6:Slice steak into thin pieces and top with chive butter and serve
Reactions
Food: The food was all very good. I did find it a little strange that lunch was just broccoli and dinner was just steak. Combining them was really yummy. I wish there were more vegetables added to some meals this week. It just seams like a lot of meat.
Body: My skin is having a rough time. I am getting the weirdest breakouts. They are below my lips on the sides of my chin. I check it on a face map and those areas are for the intestines. It makes sense that I could breakout there with the detox happening right now. My scalp is still itchy and my hair is really oily. I usually wash my hair twice a week but I think I need to do it more often right now. It just looks so gross.
Day 9 - Candida Diet
Breakfast: Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes
Lunch: Grilled Steak over Kale Salad
Dinner: Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad
Recipes
Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes - Serves 2 to 4
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut milk
4 eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp baking soda
1:Combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a hand mixer
2:Oil a pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and place over low heat
3:Pour batter onto skillet and brown both sides
4:Remove from heat and serve
Grilled Steak over Kale Salad - Serves 2 to 4
2 skirt steak
1.5 tsp paprika
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp fresh Parsley
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups baby kale leaves
1:Mix the paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, parsley and red pepper
2:Lightly rub seasoning onto the surface of the steaks. Set aside to let spices infuse
3:Chop bacon and stir fry bacon until desired crispiness is met. Remove from heat and set aside
4:Heat a grill pan to medium high temperature, place 1 tbsp of coconut oil into pan
5:Place the seasoned, room-temperature steaks onto the grill pan and cook for about 2 minutes each side. Cook for desired tenderness
6:Remove bison from heat and set aside to cool. Rinse 4 cups of kale leaves
7:In a warm skillet, place 1 tbsp of coconut oil and kale leaves. Sauté for five minutes, or until kale softens.
8:Remove kale and plate with sliced skirt steak and bacon on top
9:Combine olive oil with thyme and drizzle over steak salad
Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad - Serves 1 to 2
1 cup Bean sprouts
2 cups Spinach
2 boiled eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1:Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Place eggs in once a rolling boil is reached. Let boil for 17 minutes
2:Tear up spinach and toss it in a bowl with bean sprouts
3:Once eggs have boiled, remove, de-shell and chop up into fine pieces. Mix in with the greens
4:Toss in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and distribute evenly, serve
Reactions
Food: The food was pretty great today. My favorite was lunch. The kale and steak combo just simple amazing. Just a warning with the pancakes, not sweet at all. :) I got in 14 cups of water.
Body: I'm feeling good energy wise. A couple symptoms I am having are an itchy scalp and the rash on my finger hasn't changed.
Lunch: Grilled Steak over Kale Salad
Dinner: Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad
Recipes
Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes - Serves 2 to 4
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut milk
4 eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp baking soda
1:Combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a hand mixer
2:Oil a pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and place over low heat
3:Pour batter onto skillet and brown both sides
4:Remove from heat and serve
Grilled Steak over Kale Salad - Serves 2 to 4
2 skirt steak
1.5 tsp paprika
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp fresh Parsley
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups baby kale leaves
1:Mix the paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, parsley and red pepper
2:Lightly rub seasoning onto the surface of the steaks. Set aside to let spices infuse
3:Chop bacon and stir fry bacon until desired crispiness is met. Remove from heat and set aside
4:Heat a grill pan to medium high temperature, place 1 tbsp of coconut oil into pan
5:Place the seasoned, room-temperature steaks onto the grill pan and cook for about 2 minutes each side. Cook for desired tenderness
6:Remove bison from heat and set aside to cool. Rinse 4 cups of kale leaves
7:In a warm skillet, place 1 tbsp of coconut oil and kale leaves. Sauté for five minutes, or until kale softens.
8:Remove kale and plate with sliced skirt steak and bacon on top
9:Combine olive oil with thyme and drizzle over steak salad
Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad - Serves 1 to 2
1 cup Bean sprouts
2 cups Spinach
2 boiled eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1:Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Place eggs in once a rolling boil is reached. Let boil for 17 minutes
2:Tear up spinach and toss it in a bowl with bean sprouts
3:Once eggs have boiled, remove, de-shell and chop up into fine pieces. Mix in with the greens
4:Toss in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and distribute evenly, serve
Reactions
Food: The food was pretty great today. My favorite was lunch. The kale and steak combo just simple amazing. Just a warning with the pancakes, not sweet at all. :) I got in 14 cups of water.
Body: I'm feeling good energy wise. A couple symptoms I am having are an itchy scalp and the rash on my finger hasn't changed.
March 24, 2015
Day 8 - Candida Diet
The start of week two.
I added two supplements this week.
The first being a probiotic. I ended up purchasing the Garden of Live, Womens, 90 cap per bottle. Do your research, as people around you that use probiotics. Then choose the best fit for your needs. I am taking this twice a day. One pill at breakfast and dinner.
The second supplement I added this week is a vitamin c. Now Foods Vitamin C-1000 250 caps is the brand and type I purchased.
I also stopped the detox drink this week.
You will notice in the food this week that meat is making a comeback.
Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros
Lunch: Asparagus Soup and Turkey Patties
Dinner: Chili
Recipes
Huevos Rancheros - Serves 1 to 2
2 eggs
1 whole orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 1/3 tsp coconut oil
Cilantro and avocado slices for garnish
1:Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat
2:Sauté garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened (about 3 minutes)
3:Toss in diced tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes, set aside
4:Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a non stick skillet over medium low heat
5:Cook both eggs over –easy or as desired
6:Place eggs on plate, topped with salsa, garnish with cilantro and avocado slice
Asparagus Soup - Serves 6
1 quart chicken stock
1 tbsp Vidalia onion, chopped
2 lb asparagus, ends removed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chives, minced for garnish
1:In a large soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent
2:Add the asparagus to the pot and cover with chicken broth. Cover the pot with a lid and boil asparagus until it is soft and tender
3:Transfer the soup to a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with ground pepper and chives
Turkey Patties - Serves 2
1 lb ground turkey
1 small avocado, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1:Bring 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil to medium high heat in a skillet
2:Place diced pepper into skillet and sauté until browned. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
3:Form patties by dividing the ground turkey into four equal parts. Season with salt and pepper
4:Take avocado and using 1/2 of the flesh place it into one of the formed patties. Take your veggie mixture and place it on top of the avocado
5:Take another patty and put it on top of the vegetables and make sure to press and seal so there are no gaps or openings. Repeat with the other patty
6:In a large skillet, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over medium high heat. Place patties into skillet and brown on both sides
7:Cook until juices run clear, about 5 minutes each side. Remove from heat and serve
Chili - Serves 6
2 tsp coconut oil
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded, chopped
1.5 lb ground beef
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
30 oz diced tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1:Rinse and chop onion, peppers and garlic
2:Roughly dice or put tomatoes in blender to create a sauce with tomato chunks, make about 30 oz
3:Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet
4:Sauté onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent
5:Transfer to a large soup pot that is on low simmer
6:Sauté the peppers for 3-5 minutes to give it a slight char and color. Transfer to large soup pot once done
7:Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to skillet and cook the ground beef until brown, approximately 5—8 minutes; transfer to large soup pot
8:Add seasonings and continue to cook over medium heat; make sure to stir the beef through the vegetables
9:Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, continue to stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the chili
10:Cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 25 minutes
Reactions
Food: The food was great today. It's exciting to be added different things in. I wish there were more vegetables added in though. I need the fiber!
Body: My scalp was itchy yesterday. It was itchy before I started this diet and then not so much the first week. It think it is a die-off thing. I feel like I have more energy. It was easier to get through my workout last night.
I added two supplements this week.
The first being a probiotic. I ended up purchasing the Garden of Live, Womens, 90 cap per bottle. Do your research, as people around you that use probiotics. Then choose the best fit for your needs. I am taking this twice a day. One pill at breakfast and dinner.
The second supplement I added this week is a vitamin c. Now Foods Vitamin C-1000 250 caps is the brand and type I purchased.
I also stopped the detox drink this week.
You will notice in the food this week that meat is making a comeback.
Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros
Lunch: Asparagus Soup and Turkey Patties
Dinner: Chili
Recipes
Huevos Rancheros - Serves 1 to 2
2 eggs
1 whole orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 1/3 tsp coconut oil
Cilantro and avocado slices for garnish
1:Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat
2:Sauté garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened (about 3 minutes)
3:Toss in diced tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes, set aside
4:Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a non stick skillet over medium low heat
5:Cook both eggs over –easy or as desired
6:Place eggs on plate, topped with salsa, garnish with cilantro and avocado slice
Asparagus Soup - Serves 6
1 quart chicken stock
1 tbsp Vidalia onion, chopped
2 lb asparagus, ends removed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chives, minced for garnish
1:In a large soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent
2:Add the asparagus to the pot and cover with chicken broth. Cover the pot with a lid and boil asparagus until it is soft and tender
3:Transfer the soup to a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with ground pepper and chives
Turkey Patties - Serves 2
1 lb ground turkey
1 small avocado, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1:Bring 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil to medium high heat in a skillet
2:Place diced pepper into skillet and sauté until browned. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
3:Form patties by dividing the ground turkey into four equal parts. Season with salt and pepper
4:Take avocado and using 1/2 of the flesh place it into one of the formed patties. Take your veggie mixture and place it on top of the avocado
5:Take another patty and put it on top of the vegetables and make sure to press and seal so there are no gaps or openings. Repeat with the other patty
6:In a large skillet, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over medium high heat. Place patties into skillet and brown on both sides
7:Cook until juices run clear, about 5 minutes each side. Remove from heat and serve
Chili - Serves 6
2 tsp coconut oil
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded, chopped
1.5 lb ground beef
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
30 oz diced tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1:Rinse and chop onion, peppers and garlic
2:Roughly dice or put tomatoes in blender to create a sauce with tomato chunks, make about 30 oz
3:Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet
4:Sauté onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent
5:Transfer to a large soup pot that is on low simmer
6:Sauté the peppers for 3-5 minutes to give it a slight char and color. Transfer to large soup pot once done
7:Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to skillet and cook the ground beef until brown, approximately 5—8 minutes; transfer to large soup pot
8:Add seasonings and continue to cook over medium heat; make sure to stir the beef through the vegetables
9:Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, continue to stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the chili
10:Cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 25 minutes
Reactions
Food: The food was great today. It's exciting to be added different things in. I wish there were more vegetables added in though. I need the fiber!
Body: My scalp was itchy yesterday. It was itchy before I started this diet and then not so much the first week. It think it is a die-off thing. I feel like I have more energy. It was easier to get through my workout last night.
March 23, 2015
Day 7 - Candida Diet
I just want to start this off my saying,
I MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK!!!! *Happy Dance*
Excuse my outburst.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Avocado Omelet
Lunch: Greek Salad
Dinner: Veggie Stir Fry
Recipes
Avocado Omelet - Serves 2
1 avocado, mashed
4 eggs
2 tbsp minced red onion
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp coconut oil
1:Cut open avocado, remove flesh and place into a bowl. Mash up the avocado into a fine texture with some chunks in it
2:Add in onion and cilantro to avocado and mix to distribute flavors evenly
3:Preheat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skilled over medium high heat.
4:Whisk eggs and add to skillet, cook to desired texture
5:Remove eggs from skillet and place on plate. Spread avocado mixture onto one half of the egg and fold over.
Greek Salad - Serves 3 to 4
1 cup cucumber, sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup capers
3 roma tomato, sliced
5 cup spring salad mix
2 tbsp olive oil
1:Toss spring greens with roma tomatoes, green bell pepper, sliced cucumber and red onion
2:Top with capers and olives
3:Serve with olive oil and salt and pepper
Veggie Stir Fry - Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup raw coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame seeds
1:Heat a skillet or wok over high heat
2:Add sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, this will infuse flavors
3:Add broccoli, water chestnuts, and celery, sauté for 2 minutes
4:Add in almonds, cabbage and green onion
5:Pour in coconut aminos (2-4 tablespoons)
6:Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow cabbage to soften
7:Remove and garnish with sesame seeds
Reactions
Food: The food was all very good. My family had the same dinner as I did. I just added soba noodles to their serving. The Greek Salad surprised me the most. I didn't think I was going to like it but I loved it! I had 14 cups of water on day seven.
Body: Been feeling good, for the most part. I haven't been sleeping well for the last few nights. I think it could be allergies. Spring is amazing.
I was super grumpy on day seven. My poor family had to put up with me all day. I realized this morning why evil mommy came out to play. It is, what we lovingly refer to that one time a month, "shark week". Yay me.
I MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK!!!! *Happy Dance*
Excuse my outburst.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Avocado Omelet
Lunch: Greek Salad
Dinner: Veggie Stir Fry
Recipes
Avocado Omelet - Serves 2
1 avocado, mashed
4 eggs
2 tbsp minced red onion
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp coconut oil
1:Cut open avocado, remove flesh and place into a bowl. Mash up the avocado into a fine texture with some chunks in it
2:Add in onion and cilantro to avocado and mix to distribute flavors evenly
3:Preheat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skilled over medium high heat.
4:Whisk eggs and add to skillet, cook to desired texture
5:Remove eggs from skillet and place on plate. Spread avocado mixture onto one half of the egg and fold over.
Greek Salad - Serves 3 to 4
1 cup cucumber, sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup capers
3 roma tomato, sliced
5 cup spring salad mix
2 tbsp olive oil
1:Toss spring greens with roma tomatoes, green bell pepper, sliced cucumber and red onion
2:Top with capers and olives
3:Serve with olive oil and salt and pepper
Veggie Stir Fry - Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup raw coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame seeds
1:Heat a skillet or wok over high heat
2:Add sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, this will infuse flavors
3:Add broccoli, water chestnuts, and celery, sauté for 2 minutes
4:Add in almonds, cabbage and green onion
5:Pour in coconut aminos (2-4 tablespoons)
6:Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow cabbage to soften
7:Remove and garnish with sesame seeds
Reactions
Food: The food was all very good. My family had the same dinner as I did. I just added soba noodles to their serving. The Greek Salad surprised me the most. I didn't think I was going to like it but I loved it! I had 14 cups of water on day seven.
Body: Been feeling good, for the most part. I haven't been sleeping well for the last few nights. I think it could be allergies. Spring is amazing.
I was super grumpy on day seven. My poor family had to put up with me all day. I realized this morning why evil mommy came out to play. It is, what we lovingly refer to that one time a month, "shark week". Yay me.
March 22, 2015
Day 6 - Candida Diet
On day six my family and I went on a two mile hike, which left me starving most of the day. I did add a few appropriate snacks to help with the hunger.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Eggs over Tomatoes
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Dinner: No Bake Zucchini Lasagna
Recipes
Eggs over Tomatoes - Serves 1 to 2
1 large slice of tomato
1 egg poached
1/2 avocado
3 tbsp. water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
1:Rinse tomato and cut into 1/4” thick slices
2:Place the meat of 1/2 avocado into a food processor, add lemon juice, 1 glove of garlic and 3 tablespoons of water
3:Blend until a thick and creamy sauce is made
4:Place an egg poacher onto a frying pan over medium heat. Break egg into the poacher and pour 1/4 cup of water into the frying pan.Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes
5:Serve by stacking the egg on a tomato slice and generously spread the avocado sauce over the combination. Season with pepper to taste
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached
Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers - Serves 2
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained liquid reserved
3/4 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
1 cup pepper Jack Cheese
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed
salt and pepper
1:Preheat oven to 350˚F
2:In a saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes.
3:Add cumin and garlic and cook for an another minute. Stir in drained tomatoes (reserving liquid) and cook for 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4:Stir in quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
5:Pour reserved liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of your baking dish.
6:Fill each halved bell pepper with 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
7:Transfer stuffed bell peppers onto serving dish and drizzle pan juices
No Bake Zucchini Lasagna - Serves 4
1 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
3 to 4 zucchini, trimmed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 to 3 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced width wise
1/4 cup pitted black olives
1:In a small food processor or powerful blender combine the pine nuts, garlic and salt, process into a fine powder. Add lemon juice and 1/8 cup of water to process until thick and creamy
2:In a blender combine tomatoes extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt and rosemary
3:Arrange the lasagna by spreading half of the zucchini over the bottom, followed by half the tomatoes, the pine nut mix, the sauce and olives. Repeat with remaining ingredients in this order and serve
Reactions
Food: I am not a fan of poached eggs. For breakfast I fried the eggs and added everything on top. At lunchtime I made the Raw and Fresh Pad Thai Salad from day five. It was really good. I ended up cooking all of it and the flavors were really nice. I would eat this again. Dinner was the no bake zucchini lasagna. I forgot to buy pine nuts so I just layered everything and ate it together without the pine nut sauce. It was really tasty. I had 12 cups of water today. I mentioned that I added some snacks. They were almonds and two pieces of turkey deli meat.
Body: I am feeling pretty good. As I mentioned above, we went on a family hike yesterday morning. With the little people we couldn't do anything strenuous. It was a lot of fun. I didn't get very tired but I did get hungry the rest of the day.
I am noticing with the amounts of water I am getting each day that I haven't had to use lip balm. I live in a very dry climate so lip balm is ma must but I haven't needed it. My headaches come and go. They are getting less frequent and less intense.
Oh! I keep forgetting to mention this. I didn't have a BM until Friday (day 5). Nothing...all...week. Which is strange for me. Eating the way I am, I expected it to be a "multiple times a day" thing. I've had a BM each day since Friday (which, I know, has just been a couple of days but I am happy things are "moving").
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Eggs over Tomatoes
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Dinner: No Bake Zucchini Lasagna
Recipes
Eggs over Tomatoes - Serves 1 to 2
1 large slice of tomato
1 egg poached
1/2 avocado
3 tbsp. water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
1:Rinse tomato and cut into 1/4” thick slices
2:Place the meat of 1/2 avocado into a food processor, add lemon juice, 1 glove of garlic and 3 tablespoons of water
3:Blend until a thick and creamy sauce is made
4:Place an egg poacher onto a frying pan over medium heat. Break egg into the poacher and pour 1/4 cup of water into the frying pan.Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes
5:Serve by stacking the egg on a tomato slice and generously spread the avocado sauce over the combination. Season with pepper to taste
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached
Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers - Serves 2
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained liquid reserved
3/4 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
1 cup pepper Jack Cheese
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed
salt and pepper
1:Preheat oven to 350˚F
2:In a saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes.
3:Add cumin and garlic and cook for an another minute. Stir in drained tomatoes (reserving liquid) and cook for 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4:Stir in quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
5:Pour reserved liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of your baking dish.
6:Fill each halved bell pepper with 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
7:Transfer stuffed bell peppers onto serving dish and drizzle pan juices
No Bake Zucchini Lasagna - Serves 4
1 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
3 to 4 zucchini, trimmed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 to 3 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced width wise
1/4 cup pitted black olives
1:In a small food processor or powerful blender combine the pine nuts, garlic and salt, process into a fine powder. Add lemon juice and 1/8 cup of water to process until thick and creamy
2:In a blender combine tomatoes extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt and rosemary
3:Arrange the lasagna by spreading half of the zucchini over the bottom, followed by half the tomatoes, the pine nut mix, the sauce and olives. Repeat with remaining ingredients in this order and serve
Reactions
Food: I am not a fan of poached eggs. For breakfast I fried the eggs and added everything on top. At lunchtime I made the Raw and Fresh Pad Thai Salad from day five. It was really good. I ended up cooking all of it and the flavors were really nice. I would eat this again. Dinner was the no bake zucchini lasagna. I forgot to buy pine nuts so I just layered everything and ate it together without the pine nut sauce. It was really tasty. I had 12 cups of water today. I mentioned that I added some snacks. They were almonds and two pieces of turkey deli meat.
Body: I am feeling pretty good. As I mentioned above, we went on a family hike yesterday morning. With the little people we couldn't do anything strenuous. It was a lot of fun. I didn't get very tired but I did get hungry the rest of the day.
I am noticing with the amounts of water I am getting each day that I haven't had to use lip balm. I live in a very dry climate so lip balm is ma must but I haven't needed it. My headaches come and go. They are getting less frequent and less intense.
Oh! I keep forgetting to mention this. I didn't have a BM until Friday (day 5). Nothing...all...week. Which is strange for me. Eating the way I am, I expected it to be a "multiple times a day" thing. I've had a BM each day since Friday (which, I know, has just been a couple of days but I am happy things are "moving").
March 21, 2015
Day 5 - Candida Diet
Day five didn't go as planned. I ended up eating lunch at my parents house and dinner out with my family. I'm going to put the meal plan and recipes below. Then I will describe what I actually ate at the bottom of the page.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Easy Omelet
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Fresh and Raw Pad Thai Salad
Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup
Recipes
Easy Omelet - Serves 1 to 2
3-4 eggs
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/3 cup onion, diced
2 tsp coconut oil
1:Preheat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat
2:Sauté chopped broccoli and onions until softened, about 2 minutes and set aside
3:Add remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and place the skillet back over medium heat
4:Whisk 3-4 eggs in a bowl ten pour into the hot skillet. Make sure to evenly distribute eggs
5:Pour the cooked broccoli and onions over one half of the eggs
6:Fold the other half over the vegetables and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes
7:Flip the omelet over using two spatulas, allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and then remove from heat and serve
8:OPTIONAL: top with avocado, grape tomatoes or any other vegetable of your choice
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached
Fresh and Raw Pad Thai Salad - Serves 2
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 cup sliced purple cabbage
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 juice from lime
handful bean sprouts
1 tsp sunflower seed butter
1 tps water
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/4 small jalapeno, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
1:Using a julienne peeler or mandolin slicer, slice zucchini and carrot into string like pieces
2:Chop red cabbage and in a large bowl combine zucchini, bean sprouts, onions, cilantro cabbage and lime juice
3:Mix sunflower butter, water, lime juice, coconut aminos, cilantro, jalapeno and garlic in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds
4:Pour dressing over the salad and stir to distribute evenly and serve
Butternut Squash Soup - Serves 6
1 whole butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp coconut oil, organic
1:Sauté chopped onion in coconut oil in large pot. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
2:Add in chopped butternut squash to a pot and pour in broth, boil until the squash in the broth until tender
3:Once the squash has softened, puree soup in a food processor or high speed blender until a smooth texture is obtained
4:Serve and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and chopped walnuts
Reactions
Food: As I mentioned above, the only meal I ate from the meal plan on day five was breakfast. It was good. Your basic eggs with broccoli and onion. My husband had an omelet too. He liked it except that he could taste the coconut oil and he is not a fan of coconut...weirdo.
For lunch I ate at my parents house. I ended up having two hard boiled eggs, about 1.5 cups combined of steamed zucchini and summer squash and celery and bell peppers rolled up into sliced turkey. It was a great lunch.
At dinner we decided to go out as a family. We ate at a place called SomeBurros. I ordered a taco salad without the shell with shredded beef and pico de avocado on top. It was really really good but I didn't know that the taco salad would have beans and cheese in it.
Body: I did some hard labor yesterday which tired me out quickly and ended up eating lunch late. I'm finding that when I get hungry now I don't get shaky like I used to. I feel my energy levels drop. Before I would get shaky and nauseous. Now I just feel the energy leaving me. I don't know if that makes sense. It's hard to explain. I'm an enjoying the new awareness to my body and what it needs. I did get a headache yesterday. I only got eight cups of water in so I am attributing the headache to lack of water.
I also keep forgetting to mention, I've had a small rash on the side of my middle finger on the left hand for months now. I'm keeping an eye on it while doing this diet to see if it changes at all. I've read that candida overgrowth can cause rashes. So far there isn't any change.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Easy Omelet
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Fresh and Raw Pad Thai Salad
Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup
Recipes
Easy Omelet - Serves 1 to 2
3-4 eggs
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/3 cup onion, diced
2 tsp coconut oil
1:Preheat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat
2:Sauté chopped broccoli and onions until softened, about 2 minutes and set aside
3:Add remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and place the skillet back over medium heat
4:Whisk 3-4 eggs in a bowl ten pour into the hot skillet. Make sure to evenly distribute eggs
5:Pour the cooked broccoli and onions over one half of the eggs
6:Fold the other half over the vegetables and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes
7:Flip the omelet over using two spatulas, allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and then remove from heat and serve
8:OPTIONAL: top with avocado, grape tomatoes or any other vegetable of your choice
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached
Fresh and Raw Pad Thai Salad - Serves 2
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 cup sliced purple cabbage
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 juice from lime
handful bean sprouts
1 tsp sunflower seed butter
1 tps water
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/4 small jalapeno, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
1:Using a julienne peeler or mandolin slicer, slice zucchini and carrot into string like pieces
2:Chop red cabbage and in a large bowl combine zucchini, bean sprouts, onions, cilantro cabbage and lime juice
3:Mix sunflower butter, water, lime juice, coconut aminos, cilantro, jalapeno and garlic in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds
4:Pour dressing over the salad and stir to distribute evenly and serve
Butternut Squash Soup - Serves 6
1 whole butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp coconut oil, organic
1:Sauté chopped onion in coconut oil in large pot. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
2:Add in chopped butternut squash to a pot and pour in broth, boil until the squash in the broth until tender
3:Once the squash has softened, puree soup in a food processor or high speed blender until a smooth texture is obtained
4:Serve and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and chopped walnuts
Reactions
Food: As I mentioned above, the only meal I ate from the meal plan on day five was breakfast. It was good. Your basic eggs with broccoli and onion. My husband had an omelet too. He liked it except that he could taste the coconut oil and he is not a fan of coconut...weirdo.
For lunch I ate at my parents house. I ended up having two hard boiled eggs, about 1.5 cups combined of steamed zucchini and summer squash and celery and bell peppers rolled up into sliced turkey. It was a great lunch.
At dinner we decided to go out as a family. We ate at a place called SomeBurros. I ordered a taco salad without the shell with shredded beef and pico de avocado on top. It was really really good but I didn't know that the taco salad would have beans and cheese in it.
Body: I did some hard labor yesterday which tired me out quickly and ended up eating lunch late. I'm finding that when I get hungry now I don't get shaky like I used to. I feel my energy levels drop. Before I would get shaky and nauseous. Now I just feel the energy leaving me. I don't know if that makes sense. It's hard to explain. I'm an enjoying the new awareness to my body and what it needs. I did get a headache yesterday. I only got eight cups of water in so I am attributing the headache to lack of water.
I also keep forgetting to mention, I've had a small rash on the side of my middle finger on the left hand for months now. I'm keeping an eye on it while doing this diet to see if it changes at all. I've read that candida overgrowth can cause rashes. So far there isn't any change.
March 20, 2015
Day 4 - Candida Diet
I goofed yesterday and ate the food for day five. If you are following this diet just switch day four and day five meals. Honestly, it happened because I got so excited when I saw coconut bread on the meal plan that nothing else mattered. oops.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Coconut Bread with Almond Cream Cheese (You need to start making this meal the night before)
Lunch: Veggie Stir Fry
Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup
Recipes
Coconut Bread - Serves 2 to 3
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1:Preheat oven to 350° F and oil a bread pan with coconut oil
2:Using a hand mixer or blender, mix all ingredients together
3:Pour into lightly greased bread pan ad distribute evenly
4:Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Almond Cream Cheese
1 cup raw almonds
1/3—1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1:Soak Almonds in filtered water overnight or for 8 hours.
2:Drain and rinse almonds. Blanch by pouring very hot water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes
3:Remove the almond skins by pinching the almonds between your fingers
4:In a blender or food processor put in blanched almonds, water, salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice
5:Blend until smooth a cream cheese like texture is obtained
Veggie Stir Fry - Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup raw coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame seeds
1:Heat a skillet or wok over high heat
2:Add sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, this will infuse flavors
3:Add broccoli, water chestnuts, celery and sauté for 2 minutes
4:Add in almonds, cabbage and green onion
5:Pour in coconut aminos (2-4 tablespoons)
6:Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow cabbage to soften
7:Remove and garnish with sesame seeds
Tomato Basil Soup
6 tomato vine ripened
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 small white onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 oz fresh basil leaves
Handful fresh thyme
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tbsp pasture raised butter
1:Melt the pastured raised butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2:Stir in the onion, garlic, celery and let sauté until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes
3:Add in tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste to the pot and stir well
4:Pour in broth, stir, cover and turn down to a low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes
5:Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
6:Plate and serve with chopped basil as garnish
Reactions
Food: The coconut bread and almond cream cheese were good and way more filling then I thought it would be. I didn't actually get to eat the veggie stir fry because we were out of the house at lunch time. By the time we got home I was starving and ate leftover Ratatouille from the night before. The tomato basil soup was fantastic! I there are leftovers that I will probably eat with lunch on day five.
Body: My headaches are getting better. I didn't get enough water yesterday (12 cups) so I wasn't feeling great in general. My cravings are still intense. I want bread more than anything.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Coconut Bread with Almond Cream Cheese (You need to start making this meal the night before)
Lunch: Veggie Stir Fry
Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup
Recipes
Coconut Bread - Serves 2 to 3
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1:Preheat oven to 350° F and oil a bread pan with coconut oil
2:Using a hand mixer or blender, mix all ingredients together
3:Pour into lightly greased bread pan ad distribute evenly
4:Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Almond Cream Cheese
1 cup raw almonds
1/3—1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1:Soak Almonds in filtered water overnight or for 8 hours.
2:Drain and rinse almonds. Blanch by pouring very hot water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes
3:Remove the almond skins by pinching the almonds between your fingers
4:In a blender or food processor put in blanched almonds, water, salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice
5:Blend until smooth a cream cheese like texture is obtained
Veggie Stir Fry - Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup raw coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame seeds
1:Heat a skillet or wok over high heat
2:Add sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, this will infuse flavors
3:Add broccoli, water chestnuts, celery and sauté for 2 minutes
4:Add in almonds, cabbage and green onion
5:Pour in coconut aminos (2-4 tablespoons)
6:Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow cabbage to soften
7:Remove and garnish with sesame seeds
Tomato Basil Soup
6 tomato vine ripened
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 small white onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 oz fresh basil leaves
Handful fresh thyme
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tbsp pasture raised butter
1:Melt the pastured raised butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2:Stir in the onion, garlic, celery and let sauté until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes
3:Add in tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste to the pot and stir well
4:Pour in broth, stir, cover and turn down to a low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes
5:Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
6:Plate and serve with chopped basil as garnish
Reactions
Food: The coconut bread and almond cream cheese were good and way more filling then I thought it would be. I didn't actually get to eat the veggie stir fry because we were out of the house at lunch time. By the time we got home I was starving and ate leftover Ratatouille from the night before. The tomato basil soup was fantastic! I there are leftovers that I will probably eat with lunch on day five.
Body: My headaches are getting better. I didn't get enough water yesterday (12 cups) so I wasn't feeling great in general. My cravings are still intense. I want bread more than anything.
March 19, 2015
Day 3 - Candida Diet
Day three.
I am going to make it through this week....pray for me.
The meal plan goes as follows,
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Cauliflower Pancakes
Lunch: Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad
Dinner: Ratatouille
Recipes
Cauliflower Pancakes - Serves 2 to 3
1 head of cauliflower
1 yellow onion
1 egg
2 tbsp. almond Flour
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
1:With a cheese grater or food processor, grate the head of cauliflower and onion
2:In a small bowl whisk together the egg, garlic and almond flour; add in salt and pepper to taste
3:Stir in the grated cauliflower and onion into the mix
4:Preheat a large skilled and add 1 table of coconut oil
5:Scoop up about 1/2 cup of cauliflower mixture and add to skillet
6:Flatten with spatula and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute
7:Flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 1 minute
Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad - Serves 1 to 2
1 cup Bean sprouts
2 cups Spinach
2 boiled eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1:Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Place eggs in once a rolling boil is reached. Let boil for 17 minutes
2:Tear up spinach and toss it in a bowl with bean sprouts
3:Once eggs have boiled, remove, de-shell and chop up into fine pieces. Mix in with the greens
4:Toss in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and distribute evenly, serve
Ratatouille - Serves 6 to 8
2 tsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 large tomatoes, finely diced
10 basil leaves, minced
6 sprigs of thyme
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 green zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1:Preheat oven to 350˚F
2:Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add in onions. Sauté until they are soft and add garlic, sauté for another 30 seconds
3:Add bell peppers and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to simmer and cook until the peppers soften, about 5-10 minutes
4:During this time slice zucchini and eggplant with a mandolin slicer
5:Add basil and thyme to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and evenly spread the mixture into an oval or round oven baking dish
6:Layer slices of the zucchinis and eggplant around the dish in any pattern, typically in a spiral layout. Make sure to layer tightly together and season with a spritz of coconut oil, basil, thyme, and a sprinkle of salt
7:Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes. After that, uncover dish and return to oven for additional 15-20 minutes or when the zucchini and eggplant have shriveled and the tomato mixture is bubbling up from underneath
Reactions
Food: The only meal I would eat again was lunch. That spinach salad was delicious. I found out when trying to eat breakfast that I don't like cauliflower that much. It is kinda yucky. Of course I have eaten it before, but I liked it then. Maybe, since it was called a "pancake" I was expecting something else in my head and that made it taste not great. I had a hard time with the recipe as well. It really needs more binders. I would add and egg or two. Dinner was fine. I had to modify the recipe because my eggplant had gone bad and I had to throw it out. So no eggplant. In the shopping list it had zucchini listed twice. One of those was suppose to say "yellow zucchini" which is also summer squash. So no summer squash. I ended up just putting everything in a pan and sauteing it together. It tasted fine so I'm guessing the recipe above would be even better. I also ate the leftover asparagus soup from the night before as an afternoon "snack". It was still yummy!
Body: I felt pretty good for the day. I helped my mom tear out some flooring in a bathroom and hallway. I got tired quickly. Which I expected to. I am having terrible allergies. I was having them a little before starting the diet and now they are crazy intense. It could be that things are starting to bloom and I am allergic to something out there. Probably not diet related, but thought I would mention it, just in case.
We went to the movies last night (Cinderella! It was so cute.) It was hard. I sat there, smelling the popcorn, one of my all time favorite foods, while everyone around me ate it. I abstained (Yay, me!) but it was hard. There is even some sitting on the counter right now. I need to put it away. It's taunting me.
I am going to make it through this week....pray for me.
The meal plan goes as follows,
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Cauliflower Pancakes
Lunch: Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad
Dinner: Ratatouille
Recipes
Cauliflower Pancakes - Serves 2 to 3
1 head of cauliflower
1 yellow onion
1 egg
2 tbsp. almond Flour
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
1:With a cheese grater or food processor, grate the head of cauliflower and onion
2:In a small bowl whisk together the egg, garlic and almond flour; add in salt and pepper to taste
3:Stir in the grated cauliflower and onion into the mix
4:Preheat a large skilled and add 1 table of coconut oil
5:Scoop up about 1/2 cup of cauliflower mixture and add to skillet
6:Flatten with spatula and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute
7:Flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 1 minute
Spinach and Bean Sprout Salad - Serves 1 to 2
1 cup Bean sprouts
2 cups Spinach
2 boiled eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1:Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Place eggs in once a rolling boil is reached. Let boil for 17 minutes
2:Tear up spinach and toss it in a bowl with bean sprouts
3:Once eggs have boiled, remove, de-shell and chop up into fine pieces. Mix in with the greens
4:Toss in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and distribute evenly, serve
Ratatouille - Serves 6 to 8
2 tsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 large tomatoes, finely diced
10 basil leaves, minced
6 sprigs of thyme
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 green zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1:Preheat oven to 350˚F
2:Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add in onions. Sauté until they are soft and add garlic, sauté for another 30 seconds
3:Add bell peppers and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to simmer and cook until the peppers soften, about 5-10 minutes
4:During this time slice zucchini and eggplant with a mandolin slicer
5:Add basil and thyme to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and evenly spread the mixture into an oval or round oven baking dish
6:Layer slices of the zucchinis and eggplant around the dish in any pattern, typically in a spiral layout. Make sure to layer tightly together and season with a spritz of coconut oil, basil, thyme, and a sprinkle of salt
7:Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes. After that, uncover dish and return to oven for additional 15-20 minutes or when the zucchini and eggplant have shriveled and the tomato mixture is bubbling up from underneath
Reactions
Food: The only meal I would eat again was lunch. That spinach salad was delicious. I found out when trying to eat breakfast that I don't like cauliflower that much. It is kinda yucky. Of course I have eaten it before, but I liked it then. Maybe, since it was called a "pancake" I was expecting something else in my head and that made it taste not great. I had a hard time with the recipe as well. It really needs more binders. I would add and egg or two. Dinner was fine. I had to modify the recipe because my eggplant had gone bad and I had to throw it out. So no eggplant. In the shopping list it had zucchini listed twice. One of those was suppose to say "yellow zucchini" which is also summer squash. So no summer squash. I ended up just putting everything in a pan and sauteing it together. It tasted fine so I'm guessing the recipe above would be even better. I also ate the leftover asparagus soup from the night before as an afternoon "snack". It was still yummy!
Body: I felt pretty good for the day. I helped my mom tear out some flooring in a bathroom and hallway. I got tired quickly. Which I expected to. I am having terrible allergies. I was having them a little before starting the diet and now they are crazy intense. It could be that things are starting to bloom and I am allergic to something out there. Probably not diet related, but thought I would mention it, just in case.
We went to the movies last night (Cinderella! It was so cute.) It was hard. I sat there, smelling the popcorn, one of my all time favorite foods, while everyone around me ate it. I abstained (Yay, me!) but it was hard. There is even some sitting on the counter right now. I need to put it away. It's taunting me.
March 18, 2015
Day 2 - Candida Diet
Day two was rough. I was feeling really hungry all day but I will talk more about that in a minute.
Below is the food situation for the second day.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Eggs over sauteed cabbage
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Cucumber Salad with tomatoes
Snack: (not part of the meal plan) almonds and turkey lunch meat
Dinner: Asparagus Soup
Recipes
Eggs Sauteed over Cabbage - Serves 1
1.5 cups cabbage thinly sliced
1 egg
1 tsp Asian sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp parsley, chopped
1.5 tbsp. coconut oil
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
1:Slice cabbage into thin strips and rinse under cold water
2:Place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into skillet and preheat to medium high heat
3:Place cabbage into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes and set aside
4:Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet and cook egg on medium low heat
5:Place egg over cabbage and top with parsley
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached (I added a little unsweetened coconut milk to make it smoother)
Cumber Salad with Tomatoes - Serves 2 to 3
1 cucumber, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp parsley leaves
1 tbsp cilantro leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
salt and pepper
1:Cut your vegetables
2:In a salad bow, toss together the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley leaves and cilantro leaves
3:In a cup or jar, mix together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper, drizzle over vegetables and distribute evenly, serve
Asparagus Soup - Serves 6
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 tbsp Vidalia onion, chopped
2 lb asparagus, ends removed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chives, minced for garnish
1:In a large soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent
2:Add the asparagus to the pot and cover with chicken broth. Cover the pot with a lid and boil asparagus until it is soft and tender
3:Transfer the soup to a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with ground pepper and chives
Reactions
Food: Breakfast and Dinner were amazing. I was really surprised with breakfast. It did not smell that great when it was cooking but it was really yummy. Lunch, on the other hand, I couldn't eat. I have issues with cucumber I guess. I got through about one third of a serving before I couldn't eat anymore. That is why I included a snack.
Body: I had a headache off and on yesterday. It was nothing compared to the first day. I felt tired a lot of the day as well. I was hungry all day. I read that feeling hungry is just part of the process. But it was pretty rough. I am feeling less "sick". That feeling in the back of my throat has almost disappeared.
I mentioned yesterday that I go to the gym. Because the calories in this diet are so low I take it really easy when exercising. For example, last night I walked on the treadmill at three miles an hour for about 40 minutes. That was it. Exercise will help with the detox process. I'm keeping the workouts light just so I don't burn too many calories.
I had a full gallon of water yesterday as well.
For your information, some kitchen gadgets that have come in handy with this diet are a spiralizer (I got mine for about $15 at Bed, Bath and Beyond.), food processor, immersion blender and a mandolin slicer.
Below is the food situation for the second day.
Breakfast: Detox Drink and Eggs over sauteed cabbage
Lunch: Green Smoothie and Cucumber Salad with tomatoes
Snack: (not part of the meal plan) almonds and turkey lunch meat
Dinner: Asparagus Soup
Recipes
Eggs Sauteed over Cabbage - Serves 1
1.5 cups cabbage thinly sliced
1 egg
1 tsp Asian sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp parsley, chopped
1.5 tbsp. coconut oil
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
1:Slice cabbage into thin strips and rinse under cold water
2:Place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into skillet and preheat to medium high heat
3:Place cabbage into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes and set aside
4:Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet and cook egg on medium low heat
5:Place egg over cabbage and top with parsley
Green Smoothie - Serves 1
1 tomato
1 stalk of celery
4 large spinach leaves
1/2 cup parsley
1:Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until desired consistency is reached (I added a little unsweetened coconut milk to make it smoother)
Cumber Salad with Tomatoes - Serves 2 to 3
1 cucumber, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp parsley leaves
1 tbsp cilantro leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
salt and pepper
1:Cut your vegetables
2:In a salad bow, toss together the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley leaves and cilantro leaves
3:In a cup or jar, mix together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper, drizzle over vegetables and distribute evenly, serve
Asparagus Soup - Serves 6
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 tbsp Vidalia onion, chopped
2 lb asparagus, ends removed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chives, minced for garnish
1:In a large soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent
2:Add the asparagus to the pot and cover with chicken broth. Cover the pot with a lid and boil asparagus until it is soft and tender
3:Transfer the soup to a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with ground pepper and chives
Reactions
Food: Breakfast and Dinner were amazing. I was really surprised with breakfast. It did not smell that great when it was cooking but it was really yummy. Lunch, on the other hand, I couldn't eat. I have issues with cucumber I guess. I got through about one third of a serving before I couldn't eat anymore. That is why I included a snack.
Body: I had a headache off and on yesterday. It was nothing compared to the first day. I felt tired a lot of the day as well. I was hungry all day. I read that feeling hungry is just part of the process. But it was pretty rough. I am feeling less "sick". That feeling in the back of my throat has almost disappeared.
I mentioned yesterday that I go to the gym. Because the calories in this diet are so low I take it really easy when exercising. For example, last night I walked on the treadmill at three miles an hour for about 40 minutes. That was it. Exercise will help with the detox process. I'm keeping the workouts light just so I don't burn too many calories.
I had a full gallon of water yesterday as well.
For your information, some kitchen gadgets that have come in handy with this diet are a spiralizer (I got mine for about $15 at Bed, Bath and Beyond.), food processor, immersion blender and a mandolin slicer.
March 17, 2015
Day 1 - Candida Diet
After a lot of research, I decided to use the candida diet outlined HERE from Probacto. This guide includes recipes, meal plans, supplement list and oodles of good information. Before I get into what I ate yesterday, I wanted to list the supplements I am taking and what they are for. (The information I am sharing here is from Probacto at the link above.)
(For the record, I am not paid by Probacto. It is just a site I found while conducting research. I have not used any of their products so I cannot comment on the quality of Probacto products.)
Pau d'arco - 2 capsules, twice a day, with food - Safely promotes the growth of probiotic flora and eases Candida Die OFF symptoms
NAC with Molybdenum and Selenium - 1 capsule, twice a day - Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral that helps your body to expel a neurotoxin named acetaldehyde, a toxin released by Candida. It also contains critical antioxidants that helps maintain cellular health
Milk Thistle - 1 capsule a day - Milk Thistle is important because it supports healthyliver function. Since Candida is heavily concentrated around the liver, this organ suffers the most damage
Now Foods Organic Fiber-3 - 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water morning and night - Fiber is essential for digestion health and to promote proper bowel movement. During the detox stage you want to ensure that you avoid constipation so that you are not retaining harmful toxic waste in your body
Nettle Leaf Tea - Once a day at first, if tolerated well drink twice a day - Nettle leaf tea is a good detox drink that provides the body with the ability to strengthen the kidneys and support both your thyroid and adrenal glands
I will be adding more supplements next week, on top of what I am taking here.
As for the food, it is all actually pretty good. The hardest part about yesterday is that I got a "snack attack" in the afternoon. There aren't any snacks in the meal plan given so I just improvised.
I am logging all my food on myfitnesspal.com. If anyone wants to see calorie counts just leave a comment and I will give you my profile name.
Breakfast: Detox Drink, Veggie Scramble
Lunch: Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce
Snack (not in the meal plan): celery with sunflower seed butter
Dinner: Mean Green Soup
Recipes
Detox Drink - 8 ounces each morning the first week
3 pints distilled water
2 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1:Pour all ingredients in a large bottle or glass container and combine by stirring or shaking vigorously
2:Store in refrigerator and when ready to drink pour an 8oz glass and drink through straw
Veggie Scramble - Serves 2 to 3
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 to 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 Medium green pepper, diced
Diced avocado and cheery tomatoes to garnish
1:Place a medium sized frying pan on the stove and heat 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat
2:Saute the broccoli, onion and green pepper for 3 minutes or until tender
3:In a small bowl, whisk eggs and then pour mixture onto the vegetables and stir
4:Continuing stirring to remove egg residue from the frying pan
5:Season with salt and pepper and top with diced tomatoes and avocado
Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce - Serves 2
4 medium zucchini
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup ripe grape or cheery tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
12 to 15 turns freshly ground pepper
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut
1:Wash zucchini, peel off skin and use a mandolin or julienne peeler to create “noodles”. Place “noodles” in a mesh strainer and salt generously. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, discard liquid and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the noodles
2:Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Set aside to dry
3:Grab a handful of fresh basil leaves, place in a flat pile, roll up and thinly slice
4:Place a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once very hot, add coconut oil, then tomatoes. Cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally until they blister and start to burst, about 5 to 7 minutes
5:Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomatoes, add in crushed garlic. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes and release their juices.
6:Toss zucchini “noodles” into frying pan, stir to combine and cook until noodles are heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
7:Remove from heat, adjust salt and pepper if necessary, toss with fresh basil, serve
Mean Green Soup - Serves 2
1/2 lb spinach
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup leek, diced
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1:After chopping vegetables, sauté in coconut oil with garlic
2:Once softened and flavors infuse, add water and thyme. Allow mixture to simmer for around an hour and let it cool down
3:Once cool, puree in blender to desire texture. If needed, heat up again and serve
Reactions
Food: The first day was okay. The food was all very good. The only meal I had a problem with was dinner. It tasted great but I had a texture issue.
Body: I had a headache most of the day yesterday. Also, you know the taste or feeling you get in the back of your throat when a cold is coming on? I had that feeling most of the day. I took a detox bath last night after I went to the gym, and I felt a thousand times better.
(My detox bath is Epsom salt, baking soda, and 5 to 10 drops lavender essential oil. Get the water as hot as you can stand it and soak for at least 20 minutes.)
I also had 14 cups of water yesterday, just two cups shy of a gallon. You need to drink a lot of water on this diet. Water is the best way to flush the unwanted things out of your system. A gallon each day is what I am aiming for. You choose how much water you feel is best for you.
I realized I haven't talked about the Die-Off symptoms you can get during this time of detox. They vary from person to person, so I can't tell you exactly what will happen. You can read HERE for information about Die-Off symptoms. I will share my experiences as they come up.
(For the record, I am not paid by Probacto. It is just a site I found while conducting research. I have not used any of their products so I cannot comment on the quality of Probacto products.)
Pau d'arco - 2 capsules, twice a day, with food - Safely promotes the growth of probiotic flora and eases Candida Die OFF symptoms
NAC with Molybdenum and Selenium - 1 capsule, twice a day - Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral that helps your body to expel a neurotoxin named acetaldehyde, a toxin released by Candida. It also contains critical antioxidants that helps maintain cellular health
Milk Thistle - 1 capsule a day - Milk Thistle is important because it supports healthyliver function. Since Candida is heavily concentrated around the liver, this organ suffers the most damage
Now Foods Organic Fiber-3 - 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water morning and night - Fiber is essential for digestion health and to promote proper bowel movement. During the detox stage you want to ensure that you avoid constipation so that you are not retaining harmful toxic waste in your body
Nettle Leaf Tea - Once a day at first, if tolerated well drink twice a day - Nettle leaf tea is a good detox drink that provides the body with the ability to strengthen the kidneys and support both your thyroid and adrenal glands
I will be adding more supplements next week, on top of what I am taking here.
As for the food, it is all actually pretty good. The hardest part about yesterday is that I got a "snack attack" in the afternoon. There aren't any snacks in the meal plan given so I just improvised.
I am logging all my food on myfitnesspal.com. If anyone wants to see calorie counts just leave a comment and I will give you my profile name.
Breakfast: Detox Drink, Veggie Scramble
Lunch: Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce
Snack (not in the meal plan): celery with sunflower seed butter
Dinner: Mean Green Soup
Recipes
Detox Drink - 8 ounces each morning the first week
3 pints distilled water
2 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1:Pour all ingredients in a large bottle or glass container and combine by stirring or shaking vigorously
2:Store in refrigerator and when ready to drink pour an 8oz glass and drink through straw
Veggie Scramble - Serves 2 to 3
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 to 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 Medium green pepper, diced
Diced avocado and cheery tomatoes to garnish
1:Place a medium sized frying pan on the stove and heat 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat
2:Saute the broccoli, onion and green pepper for 3 minutes or until tender
3:In a small bowl, whisk eggs and then pour mixture onto the vegetables and stir
4:Continuing stirring to remove egg residue from the frying pan
5:Season with salt and pepper and top with diced tomatoes and avocado
Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce - Serves 2
4 medium zucchini
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup ripe grape or cheery tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
12 to 15 turns freshly ground pepper
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut
1:Wash zucchini, peel off skin and use a mandolin or julienne peeler to create “noodles”. Place “noodles” in a mesh strainer and salt generously. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, discard liquid and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the noodles
2:Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Set aside to dry
3:Grab a handful of fresh basil leaves, place in a flat pile, roll up and thinly slice
4:Place a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once very hot, add coconut oil, then tomatoes. Cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally until they blister and start to burst, about 5 to 7 minutes
5:Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomatoes, add in crushed garlic. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes and release their juices.
6:Toss zucchini “noodles” into frying pan, stir to combine and cook until noodles are heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
7:Remove from heat, adjust salt and pepper if necessary, toss with fresh basil, serve
Mean Green Soup - Serves 2
1/2 lb spinach
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup leek, diced
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1:After chopping vegetables, sauté in coconut oil with garlic
2:Once softened and flavors infuse, add water and thyme. Allow mixture to simmer for around an hour and let it cool down
3:Once cool, puree in blender to desire texture. If needed, heat up again and serve
Reactions
Food: The first day was okay. The food was all very good. The only meal I had a problem with was dinner. It tasted great but I had a texture issue.
Body: I had a headache most of the day yesterday. Also, you know the taste or feeling you get in the back of your throat when a cold is coming on? I had that feeling most of the day. I took a detox bath last night after I went to the gym, and I felt a thousand times better.
(My detox bath is Epsom salt, baking soda, and 5 to 10 drops lavender essential oil. Get the water as hot as you can stand it and soak for at least 20 minutes.)
I also had 14 cups of water yesterday, just two cups shy of a gallon. You need to drink a lot of water on this diet. Water is the best way to flush the unwanted things out of your system. A gallon each day is what I am aiming for. You choose how much water you feel is best for you.
I realized I haven't talked about the Die-Off symptoms you can get during this time of detox. They vary from person to person, so I can't tell you exactly what will happen. You can read HERE for information about Die-Off symptoms. I will share my experiences as they come up.
March 16, 2015
My experience with candida
Right now I am going to explain what candida is and how to know if you have too much.
The definition of candida (according to Merriam-Webster):
"any of a genus (Candida) of parasitic fungi that resemble yeasts, occur especially in the mouth, vagina, and intestinal tract where they are usually benign but can become pathogenic, and have been grouped with the imperfect fungi but are now often placed with the ascomycetes; especially : one (C. albicans) causing thrush."
And from About Health (http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/candidadiet.htm):
"Candida albicans is a yeast that normally resides in the body in the digestive tract and vagina. Candida levels are kept in check by the immune system and beneficial probiotic bacteria in the body. If probiotic bacteria are killed by antibiotics or if the immune system becomes weakened, Candida yeast may grow unchecked."
The definition of candida (according to Merriam-Webster):
"any of a genus (Candida) of parasitic fungi that resemble yeasts, occur especially in the mouth, vagina, and intestinal tract where they are usually benign but can become pathogenic, and have been grouped with the imperfect fungi but are now often placed with the ascomycetes; especially : one (C. albicans) causing thrush."
And from About Health (http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/candidadiet.htm):
"Candida albicans is a yeast that normally resides in the body in the digestive tract and vagina. Candida levels are kept in check by the immune system and beneficial probiotic bacteria in the body. If probiotic bacteria are killed by antibiotics or if the immune system becomes weakened, Candida yeast may grow unchecked."
My family, including extended, has candida overgrowth issues. All of my babies have gotten thrush while I breastfed. I have experienced depression off and on for the last 7 years. And recently, in the past 1-2 years, I have been experiencing more intense symptoms. They include:
-hair loss
-acne
-yeast infections
-sugar cravings
-brain fog
-weight gain/inability to lose weight
-rashes on my hands
-anxiety
-forgetfulness
-floaters in my vision/eye spots
-mood swings
-headaches
-allergies
-fatigue
-depression
I went to a doctor about a year ago and had labs done for my thyroid, because we thought that was the problem, but the test showed normal thyroid function. She tested multiple things and everything came back as "normal". I was told I am "perfectly healthy". The list above screams "perfectly healthy", right?!
Things got really out of control when I got Bronchitis a couple months ago. After seeing a doctor, I was given steroids (to help me breathe, not the kind for building muscle) and an antibiotic. After taking the two medications my candida symptoms got more intense.
One thing I would like to point out before going on, The yeast, candida albicans, is not evil. It serves a purpose in the body. Otherwise, it wouldn't be there to begin with. It is when given the chance to overgrow that it starts to cause imbalances in the body. Like when you take antibiotics. It is opportunistic, as are most things in nature.
(Tangent coming) For example, have you ever watched a documentary about the rain forest? There is a battle for space and light there. Say a large tree falls. What are the other plants going to do? They are going to grow as fast, and large, as they can to get the most sunlight possible. The same idea applies to our gut and the things living there. You take an antibiotic. It kills off all the bacteria, good and bad. What are the yeast and other organisms going to do? They fill the space. If we don't replace the good bacteria it will lose it's place in our gut.
Some ways to test for candida overgrowth are a blood test, stool analysis, urine tartaric acid test and a spit test.
The spit test you can do at home. First thing in the morning, before you eat, brush your teeth or drink anything get a glass of room temperature water and spit into the glass. Then every ten to twenty minutes for an hour check on it. If it floats at the top of the water then you probably don't have a candida problem.* If the spit starts to "grow legs", hang in the middle with cloudy specks or sink to the bottom of the glass, you most likely have an overgrowth issue. See the picture below. Do this test several days in a row for accuracy.
(photo provided by http://www.holistichelp.net/candida.html)
*Again, it is best to seek the care of a health care professional if you have concerns about your health.
Since this post has gone on for days already, I'm going to stop here. I will discuss the protocol I am using to restore balance to my system at a later time.
On the sidebar I will add websites that have been helpful for me, if you want to read more about this topic.
March 15, 2015
And so it begins...
The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences on my way to becoming a healthier person.
The first part of my health I want to address is Candida overgrowth.
I am not going to go into a lot of detail about what Candida is and how to know if it's a problem tonight. I will write a little about it tomorrow. Because tomorrow I am starting a candida cleanse.
I spent a lot of time searching online for real person experiences with a candida cleanse and didn't come up with a lot. I am writing all this here so that maybe someone won't have to do as much searching as I have.
(That being said, I am not a medical professional. Please seek the advice of your doctor if you are experiencing health problems. The things I write on this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only.)
Tomorrow I will share the why and how this all started and the protocol I am following. This will include recipes, supplements, reactions and more. Hopefully you aren't squeamish about bodily functions. I'm sure it is going to come up.
Until tomorrow....when the "fun" begins.
The first part of my health I want to address is Candida overgrowth.
I am not going to go into a lot of detail about what Candida is and how to know if it's a problem tonight. I will write a little about it tomorrow. Because tomorrow I am starting a candida cleanse.
I spent a lot of time searching online for real person experiences with a candida cleanse and didn't come up with a lot. I am writing all this here so that maybe someone won't have to do as much searching as I have.
(That being said, I am not a medical professional. Please seek the advice of your doctor if you are experiencing health problems. The things I write on this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only.)
Tomorrow I will share the why and how this all started and the protocol I am following. This will include recipes, supplements, reactions and more. Hopefully you aren't squeamish about bodily functions. I'm sure it is going to come up.
Until tomorrow....when the "fun" begins.
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