Started diet now my stomach is getting bigger.

[choirs]

Hi there,

I was just wondering why (I had a large stomach before because of the bloating / candida) but when I started the diet it went away for a couple of days and now it is back large again. Also I have had a mild headache for the past 2 days. Does anyone know why this is please? This can't be 'die off' symptoms can it?

[Starina]

yes, it can be 'die-off'. Which diet are you following? can you tell us what you ate these last few days?
The symptoms could very well be die-off, or induction flu, or perhaps something you ate is causing a reaction.

[choirs]

Hi Starina,

I ate egg and gluten free toast, steamed cauliflower, broccoli, salmon in the frying pan although not really fried just cooked, rice dream and puffed rice and miso soup, raw celery, raw carrots, cashew nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds. Should my stomach theoretically be reducing in size now I am on this diet?

Also I just bought some coconut oil and took a tablespoon of it and my tummy felt a bit ill also I have been taking psyllium husk (fibre) to cleanse my colon for the past 2 weeks but for some reason it is not shifting and I am a bit constipated too - maybe this has something to do with the candida?

[meryjune]

How about having a fennel seeds infusion? It always worked with me, having one every night and it's naturally sweet so no need to add anything.
Though be advised it has action on bloated stomach only, it is NOT a laxative.

[choirs]

Yes, I have also started drinking stacks of fennel tea!

[shelbyla]

How do you make fennel tea/infusions? Sounds interesting...

[Starina]

I'm not an expert, just speaking from my experience, and that of people I know. No grains at all, the fact that it's gluten free does not make it safe. So.. no rice, no toast. No products. Whole food. Raw carrots and celery; carrots are all sugar and celery is just plain irritating. Cashews are high in sugars, and all that roughage is too much. Stop cleansing, your intestinal lining as already 'torn up', it needs to heal.
Recommendations: at the beginning, be gentle with your digestive tract. Eat chicken(no breading!), eggs, well cooked not starchy veggies(and not too much), meat. A very healing addition is slippery elm. It is a powdered herb that you make into a gruel(sort of like thick tea). It coats, soothes and heals your intestinal lining, and your bowels will move naturally. This is a very simple way to heal your digestive system as well as starve out the candida.

[choirs]

Thanks Starina sounds good, did you mean no raw carrots and celery I thought they were ok to eat. I will definately buy some slippery elm. This is all terribly confusing. Are there any real guidelines out there.

I just looked at healingnaturallybee which seems very good and you are right NO CARROT AND RICE. Boy, I am just going to be eating veggies, eggs, coconut oil and omega 3,6,9 I am going to go to mad. I can't have my rice dream cereal with it's hidden sugar now what am I going to do, I want to cry!!!! :) But hey if it's going to shift this beer belly gut then I will do anything at all.

Just bought some probiotic bacteria with lots of strains and very high numbers so will start taking them today. What about any treats what is IVO

[girlbug2]

I know carrots are very glycemic, that's why they're not allowed for most LCers during weight loss. Add them back in slowly when you reach maintenance. I have no idea why no celery, but it is high in sodium??? May cause water retention.

They way the LC WOE works for me is, I eat something very close to paleo, i.e., no processed foods, sugars or grains, and almost no dairy. I have come to understand that the grains I used to eat, especially the high fiber wheat bran products, were causing bowel movements by both bulking up the stools and irritating the lining of my intestines; the natural response of the digestive tract was to eject it ASAP. Since I also used to do low fat with my high fiber, there was little natural lubricant in my food to ease it on through. All that extra fiber was the only way I could ensure regular BMs.

Now on the LC WOE my movements are smaller and fewer but I am not constipated. My intestines have had a chance to heal up from all those years of scraping and scratching with the bran, instead I help my food ease through with higher fat content. The coconut oil does help me a lot with that. I do get fiber from salads, but it doesn't have the irritating effect that bran did. Everything working smoothly and regularly now :).

Oh geez I hope that's not TMI!! LOL

[choirs]

Hi girlbug2, what the hell is WOE? Do you take slippery elm?

[capmikee]

WOE=Way Of Eating

I'm guessing celery has too much fiber.

Are you not a fan of poultry and red meat, choirs? They don't feed the candida and saturated fat actually helps fight it - that's why coconut oil is so good too.

[choirs]

Hi there capmikee, I LOVE poultry and meat but I thought for years I shouldn't eat them as I would get a large heart attack or cancer and keel over but now.... well I am just so glad that I can actually eat something which is going to taste like food rather than grass - a nice big t bone steak with lots of fat! And roast chicken with lots of garlic and rosemary and loads of fish with ..erm.. garlic and ...lemon! Wow!

I also read on bee's site to eat LARD which I have always thought was the worst thing in the world.

[capmikee]

Yes, lard has had quite a rollercoaster ride in the past decades!

Some lard found in supermarkets may deserve the bad press - it is sometimes hydrogenated and has BHT added, a petroleum-based preservative which has been linked to cancer, if I remember correctly. But if you render it yourself or get it at the farmer's market, you're good to go.

[choirs]

Hi, Yep I am going to make my own then. What just drain off the fat from roast / cooked meat and put it in a cup with a cover? By the way do you know if I can eat red, yellow, green peppers or do they to have too much sugar in also what do you eat for breakfast? I just open the cupboard and have to shut it again as there is nothing I can EAT.

[capmikee]

Sure, save all your fat. But for the best quality lard, get pork fat (ask the butcher for trim) and render it very slowly at low temperature - I use a crock pot on a low setting. Burned fat isn't good for you, just like rancid vegetable oil. You can even add a little water to keep the fat from burning at the begining; just make sure all the water boils off before you're done or it won't keep. Even better would be pasture-fed lard - you might even get some Vitamin D from that!

I think peppers are ok, as long as you don't have a problem with nightshades.

I'm afraid I don't eat breakfast at all! But if I did, I would have fried eggs and bacon. I also make a fresh breakfast sausage with ground pork, bacon fat, kimchi juice, lots of salt & pepper, and a little sage, chili flakes and ground cloves. I never found that breakfast boring, but if you do, try different meats - steak, hamburger, chicken, whatever you've got! I've also made gravlax recently - that would make a nice breakfast item. Old-fashioned breakfasts often involved soup.

[choirs]

Gosh Capmikee, sounds like you have got yourself sorted in the recipes department. Thank you for the lard tip - I will definately give it a whirl.

[Starina]

Choirs, I'm sorry I didn't get back here yesterday, I sort of hung you out to dry after a quick reply. Work got in the way, lol, but it sounds like you got some good help.
First; breakfast. Aside from eggs, leftovers from dinner make terrific breakfast. I had to stop thinking of certain foods for certain times of day. It made it a lot easier, and saved time in the morning. Yes, steak and poultry and burgers and roast beef(not the stuff from the deli injected with chemicals!) and fish and seafood and... so much good and yummy stuff. You can eat so many great foods now, and get healthy.
The reason for no carrots and celery; carrots are full of sugar, but mostly because if you have candida, your intestines are probably pretty fragile. Raw veggies are pretty rough on them, and they really need to heal. As an aside, unless the celery is organic, it is also one of the most chemical laden crops that are grown, and not so good for us.
Probiotics are an excellent addition. Good! Great idea. Can you get extra virgin coconut oil? This is very good for you also, and delicious. You can use it to fry foods, I put a little on top of whatever I'm warming up for breakfast so it doesn't dry out, and it really tastes good too.
You are going to do just great on this way of eating(woe), and yes, your belly will shrink away.

[camaromom]

Thanks Starina sounds good, did you mean no raw carrots and celery I thought they were ok to eat. I will definately buy some slippery elm. This is all terribly confusing. Are there any real guidelines out there.



You don't list a plan in your information. On Atkins carrots are not allowed as they are too carby. I would suggest you investigate some of the lc plans and pick one to work with, Atkins, South Beach, Protein Power etc. There is a link here on the site that compares plans. If you don't want to lay out money for a book, then you could probably check them out at your local library.

[Starina]

:) Camaromom(fun name),
The information I gave Choirs is for a Candida control way of eating. It isn't a 'diet' really, it is just the way those of us that have serious issues with Candida need to eat.
Once we get the overgrowth under control, then we can figure out 'diets'.
I usually suggest buying DANDR as a first step to just about everyone, but this is a special situation. :)

[choirs]

Thank you people for your advice. I do have more of a clue now of what I can and can't eat. I must say since starting this diet about 4 days ago, I am now getting pretty severe stomach cramps for some reason. I have trouble sleeping at night. I have to try to relax. Is this part of the 'die off' symptoms because it is quite unbearable!

[Starina]

Good morning Choirs. I'm sorry you are having cramps. It may very well be die off, could you tell us what you have been eating? How long have you been eating 'clean'?

[choirs]

Hi Starina, I have been eating 'clean', this is the 4th day now. I have been eating a boiled egg for breakfast usually with gluten free toast (i know I have to cut that out), then cauliflower, broccoli and salmon for dinner or squash, quinoa, onion and garlic all of these with olive oil and salt, celery, avocado, rice puffs with rice dream very small bowl with only a little rice dream first 2 days then realised rice dream has loads of sugar and puffed rice is also bad. I have been drinking fennel tea or yogi tea all sugar free.

These cramps are really bad I tell you, almost unbearable. Strangely enough though my skin looks fantastic, my eyes are sparkling and my fatigue I usually have in the morning has lessened a little. My friend even commented I look really well. I am also quite constipated although I am managing to go 1 x a day, I have ordered some slippery elm so hopefully that will sort that out. How long is this (the cramping) going to last for?

[Starina]

:cry: Well, you are not really eating clean if you are eating toast. I'm sorry to tell you this, but it is true. I fell like the food nazi, sigh, but as long as you're eating grains, you haven't really got going on this, because... you are still feeding the yeast. Sorry :cry: . Also the quinoa, onion, rice puffs, rice dream...
If you are 'going' daily, you are not truly constipated. Your body needs time to adjust. What is your fat consumption like? Can you up that? Coconut oil is yummy and very good for candida. Are you taking any supplements? Anti-fungals?
Again, I feel like I'm coming off as a b*tch, but, this takes a bit of time to see any sort of result, not a quick fix silver bullet situation. :bhug:

[choirs]

Hiya,
Ok I will cut out quinoa (although I thought that was all protein!) and rice dream, rice puffs - I was trying to cling onto them in desperation! Onion? I thought that was good.

I forgot to say I have started to take coconut oil 3 teaspoons a day so I will up that. I just bought some chicken, fish and steak today so that will be upping my fat won't it?

About the antifungals, I thought I'd leave them for a couple of weeks till I get rid of the 'die off' symptoms. I am also taking a strong probiotic but to be honest I have spent a lot of money lately on vitamins and supplements as Bee's website recommends so I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment. The plan was to do the diet for a while then do the antifungals or Gastropax (I posted about this fast cure) and then get some threelac. What do you think. Thanks very much for the advice I really do appreciate it.

Actually to be honest I am feeling a bit confused because Bee and you guys say one thing and then this Doctor in Harley street, Dr Gaier thinks quite differently and he is a homeopathic, naturopathic etc. etc. quak who has prescribed this diet. Which bizarrely includes fruit. I just thought I will give it a while on this diet but if I become ill then I will have to introduce some sort of sugar. Check this out this is his diet protocol http://www.drgaier.com/advice.html
The gut fermentation diet. I wrote him an email to ask how much he charges and yes it's a LOT of money - £90 per half hour £180 for an hour. I thought I might be cheeky and ask him why he has sugars in his diet. In fact I am going to do that now. Lets see if we can get an answer.

It seems as if everyone is starving themselves on here, spending lots of money and not actually curing themselves. I don't mind living in Ethiopia for a while but if I don't shift this and my large gut then it is a waste of time!

[Starina]

:wave: Quinoa is a grain. Onion is sugary, and can cause gastric distress in a lot of people. Coconut oil is good, up very slowly, maybe even cut back if you think you upped it too quickly. It can upset stomach if jumped into too fast, I don't know how long you have been taking it, so just speculating. Usually start with one teaspoon, and up slowly after you're sure it agrees. Can cause cramping if too much too fast. :)
I'm not suggesting that you take more stuff, honestly, lol. :p :agree: Just wanting to see what you are taking. Which pro biotic? what supps, etc... just trying to get a clear picture.Yay for adding the chicken steak fish. Good going there. :agree:
Don't add any pills, etc.. just eat a clean diet for now, and can you post a link to this 'bee' site? It will help me understand what you are taking a bit better.
:nono: Ummm, sugars feed candida. Period. No if and or but about it. Gastropax will kill off your beneficial gut flora. I would not recommend this diet to anyone, never mind someone with candida. No way! :bash:
You will not become ill without sugar, just healthy. Honest!

[choirs]

Hi,

Here is this Bee's site http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro2.php
I have written to that Dr Gaier chap but I am not expecting too much, he is not that friendly but I will post on here when I get an answer.

[Starina]

Ok, thanks Choirs. It looks pretty good. I would stay clear of Dr. Gaier from reading his site. You can certainly do this yourself.
Can you tell me what you are taking for supplements and pro bio please? Trying to get clear idea.

[choirs]

Hi,

I am taking Biocare 24 billion bio-acidophilus forte - lactobacillius acidophillus and bifobacterium bifidum 1 capsule a day.

Then I am taking half teaspoon crushed egg shells, vitamin b complex tablet, magnesium tablet, cod liver oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, milk thistle that's it.

Why are you dismissing Dr Gaier, he is a doctor, it's pretty clear to me that people are just abating their symptoms on this site not actually eliminating them. Why do you dismiss Gastropax? Have you yourself had any experience with it? It may be really effective for all we know. I will probably be going down that route sooner or later. My candida is mild to moderate - I don't have any thrush or athletes foot, I just have a very large stomach, fatigue and cold hands feet. I don't want to be on this diet for the rest of my life and if it means trying some other method then so be it.

[Starina]

:) Well, I'm not dismissing Dr. Gaier, just his protocol. The fact that he is a doctor does not make him infallible, just a doctor. His diet is quite high in processed foods, artificial sweeteners, sugars, and grains. I know that this will continue feeding the candida fungus, as well as causing additional irritation to the digestive system. An overgrowth of candida is most often accompanied by 'abraded' intestinal lining.
I am concerned that Gastropax may destroy all of the very necessary intestinal flora, because intestinal flora is anaerobic. Also, he keeps talking about bacteria, candida is a fungal overgrowth. If you have candida, and you 'cure' it, and then go back to eating the way you ate before the 'cure', you will have the same problems as pre-'cure'. Maybe not immediately, but as soon as something stresses your system sufficiently.
Eating foods that don't feed candida will eliminate all the symptoms of candida, you don't have to be as strict forever, as at the beginning of the 'diet'. You do need to be careful though. :)
If you want to try other methods, please, do so. :agree: I was trying to be helpful. I have had a lot of experience in dealing with candida, and have been free of symptoms for many years. I have also assisted others in clearing candida. This is not a disorder with a 'silver bullet' magical cure. Again, I was trying to be of help, not forceful. Everyone needs to find their own way to do things. I wish you well, and if you would like any additional information, I'm happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. :) :wave:

[choirs]

Hi,

Ok. Well, it does seem a good idea to get rid of everything with something like gastropax and then build it up with probiotic e.g threelac. I can't see the point in using antifungals when they will be clearing all the good bacteria too. You might as well clear the whole area and start afresh. I know that sounds a bit simplistic but if he is getting good results i.e full recovery in such a short time then that maybe is the way to go. I certainly don't want to be on this diet for months on end before I notice any change. I know you are trying to help but if you have cleared your candida why are you still participating in this forum? I'm not being rude I just have read a few threads and it seems people are not clearing up their problem.

[capmikee]

The reason people here call it a "plan" or a "way of eating" instead of a "diet" is because the standard diet most people are used to makes us sick. We have to find a new way of eating and stick with it. That's the bad news. The good news is, once you find a way of eating that works for you, you will feel better and you'll enjoy your food too.

Now, you don't have to give up hope completely of ever having carbs. For example, on Atkins you can add carbs back to your diet slowly until you can't maintain your weight anymore. Also, if you do cure the candida, you will be able to tolerate a moderate amount of carbs without it going wild. But it will probably still be a lot less than you were eating before.

One thing I've observed is that people in maintenance can often consume a lot of carbs as long as they stick to certain foods. All grains contain toxic substances in the bran, for example -- my wife and I actually do better with white rice and white sugar than we do with brown rice and molasses. Some people have problems with fructose, but glucose doesn't do them any harm. You might want to check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet if you want to continue eating some fruits and sugars.

I think the confusion about quinoa is that it has more protein than other grains. But that's a comparison with very high-carb, low-protein foods. Put it next to a good steak and it might as well be white sugar.

You mentioned that you're spending a lot of money on cures. One thing you can do that's very cheap is make your own probiotics. Sauerkraut, coconut milk yogurt, pickles - whatever appeals to you.

Don't worry. The pain will end. It shouldn't take more than a week or two. Die-off and sugar withdrawal are temporary problems.

[choirs]

Hiya,
Thank you for your comments. Yes, it is the pain that is bugging me at the moment, just when I go to bed it starts up and becomes unbearable. I did some research as I have pale coloured stools at the moment (sorry I had to tell you that!) which is worrrying me a bit as I think the colour changed when I started doing a colon cleanse, fasting for 5 days then I started this diet. So I am getting a bit worried as I read things about pancreatic cancer, but then I think I would be totally suffering in the day too. Who knows, if there is no colour change then I will have to see the quak. See I don't even know if I have candida - I don't exhibit any thrush symptoms but I am fatigued, cold hands feet, big tummy and lack of concentration etc.

I'll see how it goes, my friend said I look really well and I do feel like I have a little more energy.

[choirs]

Hi,

I just ate a cup full of this cabbage rejuvelac I made and honestly my stomach has gone right down - massively reduced for some reason. Why is that?

[capmikee]

I don't know, but I can't argue with results. Congratulations! What's the recipe?

If you're worried that you have colon cancer, a traditional internal or family practice doctor is the best person to see. Modern medicine is the world's best tool for diagnosing and treating serious diseases like cancer. Once they rule out the things they know how to handle, you are the most competent person to deal with the things they don't understand, like candida.

[slimjane11]

:wave: Quinoa is a grain. Onion is sugary, and can cause gastric distress in a lot of people. Coconut oil is good, up very slowly, maybe even cut back if you think you upped it too quickly. It can upset stomach if jumped into too fast, I don't know how long you have been taking it, so just speculating. Usually start with one teaspoon, and up slowly after you're sure it agrees. Can cause cramping if too much too fast. :)
I'm not suggesting that you take more stuff, honestly, lol. :p :agree: Just wanting to see what you are taking. Which pro biotic? what supps, etc... just trying to get a clear picture.Yay for adding the chicken steak fish. Good going there. :agree:
Don't add any pills, etc.. just eat a clean diet for now, and can you post a link to this 'bee' site? It will help me understand what you are taking a bit better.
:nono: Ummm, sugars feed candida. Period. No if and or but about it. Gastropax will kill off your beneficial gut flora. I would not recommend this diet to anyone, never mind someone with candida. No way! :bash:
You will not become ill without sugar, just healthy. Honest!
onion...really? i've always heard it's one of the best anti-fungals out there?!?!

[capmikee]

onion...really? i've always heard it's one of the best anti-fungals out there?!?!
Onion does have a lot of carbs, but you're right that it also has some anti-fungal properties too. I use garlic instead, though - more antifungals for less. Onions give me bad breath, but garlic doesn't have quite as much of an effect in that area, even if I eat it raw.

I do use a lot of onions when I make stock. I don't know how many carbs come out of them, but using them seems to make the stock keep better.

[choirs]

Hiya Slimjane! The recipe is here, it's just shredded cabbage with filtered water kept in a jar for 3 days.http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro2.php#s36

I'm going to bed now people. I'll update on how my stools are doing etc. I suppose this is a work in progress. Who knows what is wrong with me, if you capmikee think it'll take a couple of weeks well that is good news as I thought I wouldn't see a result for a few months. I am in this for the long haul. I will go to the doctor in the week to see if I have cancer.

[Starina]

Choirs, I participate in this forum because my family and I eat LC to stay in good health. It isn't a diet, it is a way of life for us. I believe that with knowledge, there is a responsibility to help others. We all share here, people take what they need, and leave the rest. It is the way a forum like this works.
I'm glad the cabbage helped because the rejuvelac is a probiotic. :agree: Great for you!
Slimjane and Capmikee, some people don't do well with onion, it can cause gas/cramping. I was trying to eliminate potential problem foods with the cramping Choirs was experiencing.
I hope you feel better tomorrow. Good luck to you. :)

[choirs]

Hiya Starina,

Guess what? I went to bed then woke up this morning my stomach has really gone down a lot. I think it' definately the probiotics so I also ate some cabbage with brekkie as well. I am quite hopeful now. My stomach cramps have gone as well. If I can stick with this diet and keep eating the probiotics I might really make a big change. Thank you for your help Starina, it is great to know there are people out there who are willing to help others.

[Starina]

I'm so glad you fell better and the cramps stopped. It is terrible to hurt and not know what to do, or what the cause is.
Good for you, and cabbage is cheap, lol!