Doing a lot better!

Hi just a quick update to say that I am feeling miles better.  I really believe that the acupuncture is working.  Somehow its ‘balancing’ me out and making me feel more like my normal self.  I’m not 100% but I can see an improvement.  For example my head is a lot clearer and I feel stronger and calmer.  I am dealing with the problems in my life more constructively which how I used to be.  For the first time in absolutely ages I feel like my old self.  Probably the first time in years!  I can tell the hormones are balancing out more.  The candida isnt so quick to return if I eat something that I shouldn’t.  For example if I ate sugar then I would normally get burpy and a bloated stomach the same day but now I can tolerate small amounts.  I even ate some chips the other day which really cheered me up! But I am still sticking to the candida diet 90% of the time as I can tell that the candida is lurking.  I get a bit frustrated as its all taking so long but I remind myself that its great to be heading in the right direction at long last.  I havent done any meditation but I have been trying to relax using different methods and its helping a lot.  By the way if anyone is tempted to try acupuncture one word of warning - I find it quite painful for a second or two while the needles go in.  I try to be brave but I cant help shouting ‘ow!’ each time one goes in.  I don’t do brave! lol!  Everyone said it wouldnt hurt but apparently it depends on where they stick the needles so dont go cursing me if you give it a go!  On the plus side I am improving in leaps and bounds after every session so its worth it!

Goodnight and God bless, Katie x

Struggling along…

Well I have had 2 acupuncture sessions and so far I think its helping.  I’ve also started meditation classes again and had healing. I can recommend all 3!  But my stress levels have risen as changes in work have been announced which will make my work life more stressful when its already really stressful so I am trying not to panic.  I’ve applied for loads of jobs over the past few years but got nowhere.  I’ve had a few interviews which are good experience. I’ve been told by a psychic person that I am not meant to leave my job yet but thats incredibly frustrating! So I am continuing my job hunt anyway and looking into self employment options. Sorry thats nothing to do with candida but just wanted to explain my stress! Its hard to get better when you are under stress.  I hope that my hormone levels are starting to balance out.  My period was a lot easier and my head feels clearer though I’m not 100% my normal self yet.  I havent returned to my naturopath yet as I’m spending a lot on the other treatments and I dont feel there’s sufficient change yet.  If anyone has any ideas on how to cope with a stress in the workplace then I would be grateful! I know it affects the adrenal glands and there are herbs which can strengthen the glands but I dont know if they are safe to take.  I’ll ask my acupuncture lady.  I think she knows her stuff because I went to see her on the weekend and I had a really sharp pain in my ribs just below my chest.  It was the day after I had heard about the changes in work and I was really frustrated and annoyed.  I mentioned the pain to the acupuncturist and she quickly identified the exact spot and found another spot on the other side of my body which was also sore but I hadnt noticed.  She asked if anyone had really upset or annoyed me and when I said ‘yes’, she explained that in Chinese medicine this can affect the liver and spleen which causes the rib pain.  She used needles to soothe the problem and the pain went away!  Strange but true! 

love and light, Katie x

ps here is a photo of sunflowers which always cheer me up - I hope you like it too!

Stress and Candida

Things have been quite tough recently with work and other problems.  I know we all are get hard times but I seem to be my own worst enemy as I find it really hard to eat the right foods and get enough sleep when I am so stressed out.  A lot of my problems are to do with work and living quite far away from family and friends.  I am going to dig out some mediation CDs and see if that helps my mind to switch off.  I was considering having a psychic reading to get some insight into what I am supposed to be doing with my life but I’m too scared! I am worried that I am vulnerable at the moment and anything the psychic says will really stick in my head.  For example if he/she says “you wont get a new job til next year” then I will be panicking wondering how I am going to last until then!  I am in the tricky situation of being really unhappy with my circumstances but knowing that they could be a lot worse which means that if I change anything… I could end up even more unhappy especially if I moved to a worse office.  Hope that makes sense! I’m sure my hormones are still unbalanced and affecting my thinking too.  Sorry this post is a bit down tonight.  Hopefully things will seem better soon love Katie x

Not sure about progesterone cream…

This post is for us girls! Last month I took the supplement I was recommended to take to balance my hormones plus I used natural progesterone cream for the latter half of my cycle (as recommended).  I had bad cramps on off for days before my period started late.  It was weird.  I did some homework on the internet and learnt that the cream can delay the start of menstruation so I stopped the cream and my period started within a day or so. I dont know if the cream was delaying things.  But this period was probably my worst ever in my whole life. I’ve been quite ill and awake for several nights which cramps.  On the pill my periods were fine and when I had a break a few years ago I was totally fine. I feel like I am trying too hard to balance my hormones and perhaps I need to let my body correct itself. So I’ve stopped the supplement and the cream and we will see what happens. Has anyone else gone through this? I have no idea what is normal!

love and light, Katie x

Reducing Oestrogen Levels

Morning! I am doing some research into foods and herbs which can increase oestrogen levels.  I am already shocked to discover that milk thistle is one to avoid. I have been taking milk thistle for about a year on-off to try to support my liver while I fight the candida.  Several books have recommended it for candida sufferers so I thought I would let people know.

I’ve also learnt that exercise will help reduce oestrogen levels which is interesting. I know that fat deposits can increase oestrogen in the body but after doing the candida diet for quite a while I have lost weight so that is not a factor for me.  However I dont take any exercise so that is going to change! I am way too unfit to even attempt an exercise class or the gym so I’ve dug out my old yoga and exercise DVDs! Worth a try!

If anyone has any tips for reducing oestrogen (estrogen) levels then please let me know!

love Katie x

DIY Skincare and Hormone Updates

Hi just thought I’d share some more info that I have found.  Thanks to everyone who has left comments!  I learning about making my own skincare products at the moment.  I have bought some of the natural stuff and everything seems fine enough but a little bland.  For example I like Tesco’s Bnatural range but its quite plain.  Some of the paraben-free stuff costs a fortune too. I was intrigued by an article that I read about Jo Fairley who wrote the Beauty Bible which I love.  She has now written a book packed with recipes which sound really interesting. Here is the article that I found

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/the-diy-beauty-brand-1315569.html

Unfortunately the writer doesnt say what she thought of the stuff that she made. But I am really intrigued!  Has anyone else tried this approach? Any tips? 

On the candida side of things I thought I ought to explan further that my naturopath uses a combination of homeopathy, kineseology, acupunture and reflexology.  The first two are used to diagnose the cause of problems.  Its very impressive! But he also has medical knowledge which is essential.  My candida is now ‘low’ and the tests confirmed this but he stressed that the conditions within my body would mean that if I eat anything which will need the candida then it will immediately flourish.  He is right!  I have eaten tiny quantities of ‘bad’ food and straight away my symptoms are back (wind, bloating etc).  So I am sticking to the diet while trying to balance my hormones.  Interestingly Dr Mercola believes that to balance estrogen and progesterone you need to first balance the adrenal glands.  This can be done by reducing stress and having early nights. Whoops! I think he is right as I went for a whole year (on the pill) yet Candida-free and I ate anything I wanted.  But I was very relaxed, went to meditation classes and I was in bed by 10pm each night so I think that all helped.  I am trying to do the same again (failed miserably this week though).  Still its 9.45pm so I’m off to bed!

Good night, Katie x

Faking the healthy look!

I forgot to add to my last post that although I am a bit fed up at having to carry on with the candida diet there’s a bit of good news - my new fake tan is brilliant!  I am looking quite brown!  Its by Lavera and it is natural and organic.  It does contain DHA which I am not sure is natural but everything is fine and no parabens! It was only about £10 for a quite a big tube so I am quite pleased! It smells ok too.  Unfortunately I now smell of nuts at bed time instead of fake tan due to the natural progesterone cream which contains nut oil!! Still its a small price to pay if I get better!

Goodnight, Katie x

Balancing my hormones

Once again I have had the candida ‘all clear’ from my naturopath as a result of following the candida diet and using anti fungals.  But my oestrogen levels are still sky high and to be honest I dont feel 100% candida-free.  We discussed the situation and agreed that my hormone levels mean that the candida will flare up again if I started eating food which will feed it.  So I am continuing with the diet and I am now using a natural organic progesterone cream to try to balance the oestrogen.  I am also taking a recommended supplement.  I am praying that this helps to balance my hormones enough to be able to start eating properly.  Has anyone else had to do this? Did it work? I have been warned it could take a few months but I hope it will be within one month. I have been using the cream for about 4 days so far. So fingers crossed!

love and light

Katie x

So far…nothing!

Hi just thought I’d post a quick update. So far I have managed to give up soya milk 95% of the time and have stopped the nasty old Pill for about 2 weeks and I’m still sticking the candida diet and the improvement has been exactly zilch! No improvement at all!  In fact I know that I only get hayfever when I have candida and my hayfever has kicked in recently so I’m not impressed. I am supposed to finish the 8 weeks of the candida diet this week (Thursday) but I dont feel better. However I realised that years of taking the Pill have probably messed up my poor hormones and so it could take several months to sort this out. 

In the meantime I have been talking to friends and discovered that environmental factors can also play havoc with our hormones.  I already knew that fabric conditioner is a nightmare and I stopped using it about a year ago.  I’ve learnt that chemicals in cleaning products and skincare can also affect our hormones and actually its been really interested. I’m currently testing new cleaning products from Ecover which is readily available here in the UK in the major supermarkets.  My research led to the fantastic Environmental Working Group website which has tested masses of many products.  You need to click on ‘For Parents’ (surely a strange choice of menu name!) and then ‘Tools’.  For example I found out about the dangers of using parabens on your skin and I was mortified when I checked the ingredients in my normal skincare range.  At this time of the year I cant manage without my fake tan but my usual brand contains FOUR different parabens.  I am ashamed to say that I have been using it for years and I actually slap it all over and sleep in it.  Anyway I have ordered a non-paraben version (called Lavera Self Tan Lotion) which still contains DHA but it is at least contains 100% pure and natural plant derived active ingredients. Actually I found it on the EWG website last week but I’ve tried to double check their rating for this post and realised that its no longer listed which is deeply concerning. I’ve also ordered Lavera’s sun block which is well rated.  I’m still learning a lot about this topic so I will keep you posted if I learn anything which might be useful for others.  If anyone has any tips I’d be really interested!

love & light, Katie x

Candida and Hormones

I have been doing more investigations into candida and with the help of my naturopath have realised that hormones are playing a large part in encouraging the candida. I have been the contraceptive pill for medical reasons for about 20 years and I am lactose intolerant so I have been drinking soya milk for about 10 years.  Last year my GP decided to change my Pill to Cilest. Goodness knows why now as I can practically pinpoint the date as my candida came back instantly and it has been difficult to shake off.   I was unaware that oestrogen (spelt estrogen in the US) and progesterone can promote candida growth.  Soya (spelt soy in the US) milk is also a complete no-no for candida sufferers apparently though this is new news to me.  I’m really shocked. I’ve been trying so hard to stick to the diet, destress, vary my anti-candida supplements and generally take stock of my whole life to see where I am going ‘wrong’ and it turns out its the soya milk and Pill!

So I am now considering a return to dairy milk (yuck!) but I’ll have to take lactase or the lacto-free version.  And I have to come off Cilest as soon as I can.  

I have found this interesting article from the National Candida Society concerning candida and hormones http://www.candida-society.org/ncs/digestv1i3.htm  It reminded me that Mandy Smith (then Bill Wyman’s wife) was the first UK public person reported in the press to be suffering from candida, which was attributed to her continuous use of the contraceptive pill from puberty.  I remember reading about her and I was shocked at how thin and ill she became.  Now I’m in the same situation and its quite shocking.  Anyway this page from the NCS has an important section called ‘Steps to Recovery’ which I recommend.

I’ll let you all know how I get on!