Candida recurrence

Candida has gotten the best of me again. It's been one year since my first all-out assault on candida. Here I am doing the same protocol as before: taking the anti-fungals, experiencing the die-off, existing on lean protein and vegetables.

Where did I go wrong? Was it the foot infection that lead to having to take antibiotics and a weakened immune system? Was it my trip to Hawaii where I decided papayas were my food of choice? Did I fail to reduce candida to normal levels the first time?

There is so much discrepancy in the diet advice out there for treating candida. It's easy to stray
and add things that exacerbate the problem. For instance, one diet says brown rice and berries are okay in small quantities during the initial phase. Another says no way. Stick with protein and veggies. Some say tofu and miso are okay. Other's say no because they are fermented foods.

More than likely I have leaky gut syndrome which is common among those who have had candida for lengthy periods of time. My practitioner and I never addressed this problem as part of my previous treatment.

Candida cause leaky gut or intestinal permeability by attaching to the walls of small intestine where they bore holes in the intestinal wall. This means that the damage to the walls is allowing candida, bacteria, food, pollen, environmental pollutants, and other material to enter the bloodstream. Once the candida have an open door to the rest of your body, they can wreck havoc. L-glutamine is supposed to assist in healing the "leaky" intestinal lining.

One thing I can say about the second time around is I'm not really craving carbs. That could possibly be because I don't really have much appetite but I do enjoy Chili Chicken.


Chili Chicken ( serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breasts, rinsed and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. 1/4 tsp. sea salt
3. 1 T. sesame oil
4. Optional items if not on strict candida diet: 1 T. arrowroot powder + 1/2 cup water, Bragg's amino acids
5. 2 T. canola oil
6. 1/4-1 tsp. crushed red pepper (adjust to your taste)
7. 1 T. gingerroot, minced
8. 2 cloves garlic, minced
9. Chopped veggies: 4 medium zucchini in half moons, 1/2 head Napa cabbage, 2 red bell peppers (optional: 1/4 cup onion)

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, season chicken with salt, sesame oil and optional arrowroot.
2. In a large skillet on high heat, heat canola oil.
3. Add the crushed red pepper and heat for a minute.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and optional onion, and saute until translucent.
5. Toss in the chicken and cook until golden brown.
6. Add the water and Bragg's amino acids at this point if you are following the option for those not on a strict candida diet.
7. Place the chicken in a bowl and aside.
8. Heat some additional oil in the skillet and stir-fry your veggies.
9. Plate this up with veggies on the bottom and chili chicken on top. Or do your own thing and mix them both together before serving.