So here I am four months into an unrelenting itchy foot infection and general inflammation.
Desperation led me to visit a naturopathic doctor’s office last week after seven regular MD’s proved to be absolutely useless in solving any of my problems.
The good news: I think we’re making some progress now against my deadly jungle munger! The bad news: I am as itchy as ever at the moment!
Perhaps most of you have no experience with relentless itchiness, but I told my husband last night (when I couldn’t sleep for the misery!) that what I am feeling is the perfect torture to make a prisoner break and spill their secrets. Last night I would have admitted to anything to stop the misery, especially if they had threatened to increase my discomfort level!!!
I’m now trying a homeopathic cure for Candida albicans, a fungal infection which takes over the skin, blood stream, vagina, mouth or intestines, anywhere where there is a warm, moist environment. It can be caused by prolonged antacid or antibiotic use, too much dietary sugar, alcohol or dairy products, hormonal imbalances, intestinal lining damage, liver dysfunction or allergies. It requires some initial attempt at killing off the offending fungal overgrowth followed by major changes in diet to make certain you are not feeding a future overgrowth.
I am now cutting out all sugar, fructose and most artificial sweeteners out of my diet, plus gluten, dairy products except live bacteria yogurt, fruits and fruit juices, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
See how easy it is to make major changes when you’re completely desperate? It really does take a trauma or crisis to change behavior quickly!
Some fun facts I learned from a dietician yesterday:
Stevia and xylitol (natural sweeteners available at health food stores) are effective in an anti-candida diet because they fool the bacteria into thinking they are sugars and then destroy them…I love that image!
Certain fats keep blood sugar stable by keeping your carbohydrates from being absorbed too quickly, thus creating a feeling of fullness which makes you stop eating sooner. The healthy sources of fat are: extra virgin olive, coconut and sesame oils, butter, certain meats, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Coconut contains medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that provide powerful anti-microbial properties. Once eaten, the body transforms the MCFAs into anti-microbial agents capable of defending the body against bad microorganisms. The most abundant and potent MCFA is lauric acid which comprises nearly 50% of coconut fat’s content. Lab tests have shown that the MCFAs found in coconut oil are effective in destroying a wide range of infectious agents including yeast overgrowth such as Candida and thrush.
Green tea reinoculates the bowel with helpful flora because it inhibits the growth of harmful organisms and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria.
And finally, fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) provides immune support by regulating the production of inflammatory compounds secreted by white blood cells.
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Interesting bit of reading. Thanks. I had no idea about coconut, being so valuable.
By the way, I have often found that alternative therapies provided a solution, when mainstream methods didn’t come up with an answer.
Thanks for your encouragement! I’m still waiting to see if any of these alternative methods are going to kill the infections and itch! LLC
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