Here is what really happened... I was contemplating purchasing size 22 pants when a beloved family member said, "You know diabetes runs in our family. A bunch of your relatives have lost toes and feet." I thought about how much losing a foot would impact my spouse's life. Just 4 years ago, when we got married, he promised to love me in sickness and in health, but didn't I have a responsibility to try to stay healthy to care for him? Yes. Especially, if I was facing something I could prevent.
The threat of diabetes terrified me - increased mobility is necessary for shoe shopping. Who cares if you only have to buy one fabulous shoe if it's going next to a stump! Especially if it's a stump with a bad story! If you only get to wear one Louboutin because of a shark attack - awesome. If it is due to a snack attack - lame. So, I moved more, ate less and lost 60 pounds.
Shortly after that, I was selected to participate in a weight loss contest where I was given access to a trainer and a nutritionist. I lost another 20 pounds.
After the contest I joined a roller derby team and dropped another 15 pounds. Then I got injured and gained it back. I stayed at 185 pounds for a long time. It seemed my weight-loss waves had ebbed.
In December 2011 I saw a nutritionist, she ordered a complete blood panel. My results concluded that I was healthy. Just one issue, my level of inflammation- it was off the charts. Since none of my other levels indicated disease or cancer, the nutritionist suggested a Candida diet for 6 months- http://www.thecandidadiet.com/.
Candida is a condition caused by too much yeast in the body. In cases of people with a compromised immune system, it can present as oral thrush or yeast infections in the body and on the skin. I did not suffer any of those symptoms (read: my vagina was/is just fine). However, I did have terrible sinuses and was easily tired. Please note: there is no conclusive test for Candida. My GP told me I was crazy to try this diet.
Sugar feeds yeast. In order to reduce the amount of yeast in your body, you must stop taking in new yeast and starve the yeast already in your system. The diet is very limiting, it excludes all yeast, starchy vegetables, fermented foods, sugar, wheat, corn, oats, alcohol, cheese and most fruits. As of July 23rd, I will have been following this diet for 6 months. I have not been very strict. I do eat fruit. I do have some fermented foods. I do eat dark chocolate (lots and lots of dark chocolate). After 5 1/2 months of not eating baked goods, processed foods (because the most of them contain flour, sugar, corn or all of the above) or dairy, I do feel better. Not cured, but better. My quality of sleep is better, I haven't been sick and I have more energy. I will continue with most aspects of this diet, mainly because eating too much sugar or corn or potatoes makes me feel really sick. I full intend to slowly add back oats, dried fruit and alcohol.
I am sharing this with you, because, despite my previous attempts at weight loss, this has been the only course of action that has gotten my weight down this far and almost to a "normal" range. Currently, I am considered overweight for someone my height, but only by 3 pounds. So far my total weight loss since 2008 is 103 pounds. Thirty of those pounds have been lost in the past 6 months. I don't attribute this weight loss to beating Candida. I attribute it to the absence of processed foods, dairy products and a reduction in sugar intake.
I still have about 7- 12 pounds to go, but I am doing the best I can.
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