Diets

[Lizzie]

Is anyone here on a yeast-free, sugar-free, low carb diet? Just wondering. I have been on this diet since March of this year and I feel pretty great! I lost my weight right away and now they are introducing me to new foods every four weeks or so. Sometimes I do cheat on my diet but then my body knows it and I feel awful, so it really isn't worth it. Is there anyone else out there on this kind of a diet? I am new here, but it sure looks like a wonderful board! I will be checking out the menus and if anyone has a suggestion on some good books on Low-Carb diets let me know, okay? :wave:

[Natrushka]

Welcome to the board, Lizzie and congrats on reaching goal :) You must feel great. Hope to hear all about your journey and of course all of your tips and suggestions. If you're looking for some great LC reading material I would suggest Protein power by the Eades and Protein Power Lifeplan (http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/protein-power.html) , both great reads that answer the 'how' and 'why' of LC.

Cheers,
Nat

[Natrushka]

From http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-028.shtml


Another, more controversial perspective is that which was popularized by Crook in The Yeast Connection. Dr. Crook used the term candidiasis to mean something different from what conventional medicine has described. What Crook and others refer to is a syndrome in which the predominant features are fatigue, a generalized malaise, gastrointestinal complaints, recurrent chronic infections, allergies, skin problems, decreased concentration, depression, irritability, and craving for sweets or carbohydrates. The mechanism is purported to be an overabundance of yeast in the bowel and perhaps elsewhere. While this has not been investigated and subjected to the rigors of peer review scrutiny, there is certainly substantial clinical and anecdotal evidence that this syndrome exists and appears to be connected with the overuse of antibiotics. Many patients who have been diagnosed with yeast syndrome do get better when they follow a diet essentially devoid of sugar, yeast-containing substances, and wheat.

The importance of the removal of sugar from the diet cannot be overemphasized. For reasons that are not entirely clear, many patients suffering from this problem have serious sugar and carbohydrate cravings that are of an addictive nature. There is no magic bullet. Failure to change the diet will result in failure to recover from the problem. Anyone who tells you that you can merely take an antifungal drug to cure the problem is mistaken! If ELISA-ACT testing reveals food allergies, those foods need to be avoided during the recovery period.

Some authorities suggest that decreasing honey and fruit juice during the period of recovery is sufficient. Many physicians feel that people may need to eliminate these foods entirely during the recovery period and reintroduce them slowly following recovery. The same may be said for dairy products. Yeast-containing products are a definite no. The reader is referred to Dr. Crook's book for an exhaustive description of the proper diet. In addition, as mentioned, consideration should be given to supplemental hydrochloric acid and pancreatic enzymes if indicated.

Not sure why I thought it was Atkins, other than I've seen people doing a modified atkins with no yeast because of chronic yeast infections.....

Nat

[doreen T]

In New Diet Revolution (1999 edition), Atkins devotes a whole chapter to Candida Yeast overgrowth. Chapter 13, pp 154 to 162.

from page 160-161: There is a very pragmatic reason why a yeast problem should be identified. If you have it, there must be dietary restrictions beyond those involving carbohydrates. If you don't do that, you'll wonder why everybody else got better on the Atkins diet, and you didn't.

One out of three of you will find that it's necessary to avoid "yeasty" foods, some of which you might otherwise be eating on an Atkins diet. These include cheeses, vinegar and other fermented condiments and pickles, mayonnaise made with vinegar, mushrooms, yeast-containing vitamins, wine and beer. Breads and baked-goods which may be consumed at Maintenance levels ... would be totally disallowed. In general, most people with Candida are allergic to yeasts and get symptomatic when fermented food items are consumed.Candida Yeast problems in the gut may be a reason for some people's stalling if they are consuming offending foods on a regular basis, even though they are low-carb.

Doreen

[Lizzie]

Thanks for the responses and the warm welcome! I did have yeast testing back in March and it was after completing Dr. Crook's questionare concerning yeast. My blood tests came back with an astounding 1,420 yeast count which was way off of the charts! The normal is approximately 160! My count is now down to 400 something which is good but still not as good as it can get. I still find that I have such cravings for carbs like potato chips and I still like sweets but not as much as carbs! So I am looking for some good cookbooks for me and my family so that I can try different things (we are sick of the same old foods). We eat meats and alot of veggies for dinners. I have a good diet but I still would like to find something different because when I get bored then I eat too many wrong foods. This past weekend I ate some bread when we ate out, and then bread again the next day, and then on Sunday I ate a whole cinnamon megamuffin. Now I feel so yucky these past couple of days, and I almost immediately get a vaginal itch when I eat the wrong foods but I still do it anyway once in awhile and then I suffer. I am having food allergy testing this Friday, which isn't covered by my health insurance. It is testing to one thing at a time (like wheat, and then corn another day,etc.) and the nurse told me that it would take a good two hours to complete it. I am almost certain that I am allergic to wheat and corn and definately lactose intolerant every since I was very young but we will see what the testing shows. Does anyone else out there have any of these problems? How do you stop your cravings? Talk to you later! :)