I'm on a journey to find health and happiness through a more holistic and green lifestyle.

I find the world to be abrasive. =) That is to say, I feel the need to armor myself, physically and emotionally, in order to face life. Don't we all? Maybe. For whatever reason, it has become a priority in my life to rid my immediate environment of irritating things. And I'm sensitive! So there is much work to be done. But. I have thought for a long time that the things I come in contact with every day, and the stuff used to clean and maintain these things, need to be gentle and non-toxic. I have had eczema my entire life. For a long time I just dealt with it, and accepted that sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's not, and that it will fluctuate a lot. Gradually over time I have come to find that certain things, fabrics, cleansers, materials, are more irritating to my skin than others. Stress can exacerbate it. In more recent times, I have realized that every aspect of my life improves when I improve conditions for my skin. Hah! What a concept! Thus my (long time) interest in going green, and my more recent desire to live a more holistic lifestyle. (I think I've felt a desire for a long time to live in a harmonious way with myself, my surroundings, and nature, but didn't have a name for it.) Anyhow, this blog is a journal of my trials and errors, and basic crooked path to find a balanced and peaceful existence for myself and my family. Thanks for your interest! I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Candida Diet vs. GAPS diet

I have made the decision to switch from the anti-candida diet to the GAPS (Guts and Psychology Syndrome) diet.

I have been following the anti-candida diet for about 1.5 months to date, and have noticed the following changes in myself: My constant sinus issues disappeared. That happened pretty much right away. My bloated belly issues also disappeared right away. My "cycle" changed a little, in that it starts, stops for a couple of days, then starts again. (related? I don't know) I get cold. Every day, while at home, I get cold. If not my entire self, my hands. Very strange. This may have to do with drinking coffee somehow. I dunno. Another thing is that my appetite for coffee has increased (I though with the removal of sweeteners it might decrease...) I am sure this has do to with appetite suppression. The only other change that I am acutely aware of is that I'm hungry all the time. Part of that is I'm simply not good at feeding myself well. I am not a cook, so I tend to grab what's easy, such as nuts and sunflower seeds, and occasionally eat something more filling, such as a salad or an egg. I have been lucky to have wonderful, filling dinners a la hubby. But I'm hungry all the time. I also went through a brief period where I felt quite anxious, and one night I had a glass of wine. The result was that the anxiety in my body went away, and the anxiety in my mind lessened. So I started to have a glass every night. Not lots of wine, just enough to bring that sense of calm. I also have continued to drink coffee every morning since beginning the diet, only removing the sweetener. I continue to add half and half or creamer. Coffee, coffee lighteners, and alcohol are taboo on the anti-candida diet, so I haven't been strict. But other than these things, I have followed the diet very closely, having no additional sugars, no carbs from wheat (I have eaten rice, which is ok), no dairy other than feta cheese, and so on.

Yesterday after re-reading (for the millionth time) the anti-candida "ok" and "not ok" food lists, I decided to check back on the GAPS diet to see if that would make sense for me at this point. If the additional things I'm eating aren't upsetting my system, and if it allows some foods that will help me to feel full and expand my diet a bit, I'm all for it. So.....

In the next few weeks I will be adding back to my diet: fruit! cheese! and other wonderful things. I will be paying close attention to my sinuses (dairy??) and my belly, of course.

It's funny how freeing the GAPS diet seems from this perspective. When I tried the GAPS diet in the past (last summer) it was too restrictive, and I couldn't stick with it! The anti-candida diet is much more restrictive and I've managed to stick with that ok. (other than my vices....) So I'm excited and looking forward to the changes. Here's hoping the changes are all good!