Linked to all that is hormone imbalance, adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism and osteopenia. Sure, I look great, but on paper I'm practically dead. Well, maybe just over 40. It happens if we're lucky! I'm just saying all this in case the same thing is happening to you or someone you love. Prozac will not fix this situation.
So, I went down this crazy road of adjusting diet and exercise lots of blood tests. A nurse practitioner and a friend of mine once suggested that I do a total elimination diet and slowly add things back in to see if that would help. A friend of mine is convinced that she was able to tackle her hyperthyroidism by eliminating wheat/gluten. Well, that sort of helped but not really.
Finally, this winter Michael got some tests done and found out he really CAN'T have wheat/barley/rye or any grain containing gliadin. Since going pretty paleo, he's health has really improved.
I went in for a test too. I made sure that I was consuming wheat and dairy and all the no-no's before hand just to make sure they were tested. The good news is that I have no reaction to gluten/gliadin. Hooray!!! However, I apparently have a "leaky gut" due to a systemic candida situation. Ouch. So, I'm presently on a candida diet. I'm on day 4. Let me tell you, it's not pretty. NO SUGAR. Period. No fruit, no bread/carbs/dairy/kefir/kombucha/fermented products/alcohol, etc.
Here's a picture of the candida albicans that makes nice little roots into the intestines, breaking the walls, creating leaky gut and causing people like me to be unable to absorb calcium (leading to osteopenia).
I thought I'd been pretty healthy eating lots of veggies, meats, fats, kefir, kombucha, lacto fermented foods and eggs. I was feeling pretty good ... but not always. Well, turns out I have to eliminate a lot of these items for at least three weeks while I cleanse. And on Day 3 I experienced what's known as the Herxheimer reaction. I quickly added a bowl of amaranth for breakfast (no sugar). That seemed to do wonders. I guess I can't kill all those beasties at once without taking a toll on myself.
Anyhow, due to the leaky gut issue, I have developed a reaction to the following: peanuts, sesame, halibut, strawberries, coconut, pears, oranges, millet, green pepper, egg whites and yellow squash. So, I now have to eliminate those from my diet for 3 to 6 months. Wow.
Well, necessity being the mother of invention, I created some muffins that I could eat. Apparently I can have one fruit on occasion if it is a berry. So, behold, my recipe for CANDIDA ALBICANS MUFFINS (yes, I should probably give them a more appealing name! And, yes, I realize there are egg whites in these. I'm not a saint).
2 1/2 cups almond flour
3 eggs (separated)
3/4 tsp liquid stevia
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup plain organic yogurt
4 tbsp melted butter
1 cup organic blue berries
Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl. Separate eggs and melt butter. Place egg whites, yogurt and stevia in a bowl and mix to blend with a fork. Slowly add cooled, melted butter to egg yolks then blend with whites/yogurt. Add liquid to dry ingredients and combine until just blended. Fold in 1 cup blueberries and scoop into well buttered standard muffin tins.
Bake 30 mins at 300F degrees.
Slather with real butter and feel almost satiated.
See, all that gluten free baking practice paid off. I can make muffins! Well, I should really say that I use that term loosely. Someday when I kick this fungus perhaps I can enjoy a REAL muffin ... spelt and buttermilk and honey and all that's good.
Bon Appetite!
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