Understanding Candida: Finding A Healthy Balance

 

Today I'd like to address Candida, a topic I see bandied about on many raw food blogs and forums. But first, a story. So grab yourself a green smoothie, get comfortable, and gather 'round.

Once Upon a Time...

It was pretty much always assumed in my family that I would enter into medicine. From the time I was a wee one, anytime I was asked, "What are you going to be when you grow up?" my response was always: A cowgirl and a healer. (Although sometimes I would say, An archeologist.)

After completing my undergrad, I went to work for a large health care system. And rather quickly became disenchanted with allopathic medicine. Surprise.

Enter Hanna Kroeger. Hanna was a 74-year-old spitfire with sparkly eyes and a German accent. She was a master herbalist and a healer, in every sense of the word. Someone had brought her into town and I attended her all-day workshop. She would become my teacher as I traveled back and forth to her Peaceful Meadow Retreat in Boulder, Colorado for further study.

Hanna believed and taught that we are ultimately responsible for our own health and that we each have the ability to heal ourselves given the right tools. I still refer to a number of her books regularly — God Helps Those Who Help Themselves, Ageless Remedies From Mother's Kitchen, Instant Herbal Locator, Heal Your Life With Home Remedies & Herbs. Each one a treasure, if you can get your hands on a copy.

Meeting Hanna was the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead me to study traditional healing methods with indigenous elders on four different continents over a period of twelve years.

Quite an unconventional life path. I guess you could say I grew up to become a cowgirl, an archeologist and a healer. *wink*

So Let's Talk Candida

Candida albicans is a fungus and it's present in everybody. In small amounts it's harmless, but when its growth increases drastically it can be devastating. The imbalance of excess candida is called candidaisis and it's an epidemic in our very SAD (Standard American Diet) culture. Sadly, it often goes unrecognized and untreated.

Candidaisis may be one of the primary causes of ill health and obesity today. It creates a rapidly downward health spiral as it becomes prevalent in the body.

The candida fungus releases wastes into the bloodstream that have a profound effect on  both the nervous system and immune system. Common symptoms and complaints include:

• cravings for sweets, alcoholic beverages, carbohydrates
• excessive allergies
• skin rashes
• chronic acne
• vaginal infections
• depression
• food sensitivities
• exhaustion
• headaches
• irritability
• memory loss
• obesity or excessive weight loss
• gas and bloating
• diarrhea or constipation
• tender, swollen breasts
• earaches
• numbness
• multiple chemical sensitivities
• PMS
• leaky gut syndrome

Balancing Act

In a healthy body, the friendly bacteria in the intestines compete against fungi to maintain a healthy balance. Antibiotics, birth control pills, cortisone and foods containing antibiotics – factory farmed meat, poultry, dairy – kill the bacteria population, upsetting the balance and allowing the candida to grow unopposed.

Unfortunately, the typical medical approach to alleviating many of the complaints listed above usually begins with administering more antibiotics, which just makes matters worse.

If any of those symptoms I listed are jumping out at you, you feel addicted to sugar, crave breads or other carbohydrates, chances are you're being affected by candida and it would behoove you to modify your diet.

Sorry to say, candida and fungi thrive on sugar, carbs and fermented foods. So, while trying to cleanse the body, it's best to avoid:

• Sugars
• Beer and wine
• Vinegar
• Pickles
• Cheese
• Mushrooms
• Bread
• Coffee
• Dairy products (contain lactose, a milk sugar)
• Acid-forming foods (fungi thrive in an acidic environment)

This change in diet is not simple. Cravings for sugar and carbs are extremely strong in someone with candida overgrowth, and may overpower any controlled approach to eating. This is why when folks write me to say that they "are addicted to cooked foods" and "keep falling off the raw wagon," I tell them that you have to eliminate the refined and processed foods from your diet first.

You're probably thinking, "So what can I eat?" Foods to include are:

• Fresh vegetables (raw or lightly steamed)
• Leafy greens
• Sea vegetables
• Unprocessed, cold-pressed oils
• Coconut water
• Raw almonds

For you omnivores:

• Wild-caught fish
• Eggs, lean meats and poultry (free of antibiotics and growth hormones)

After a few weeks or so, you may slowly add fresh fruits to your diet. Fruits must be eaten alone and on an empty stomach. You can also add in whole grains like brown rice, millet, amaranth, and yeast-free breads.

To have a successful candida cleanse, it's important to cleanse first and then rebuild healthy flora. Trying to rid the body of fungus and rebuild flora at the same time is counter productive because the bacteria do not stand a chance in the acidic environment the fungi create and the fungi just feed off the bacteria.

It's best to reintroduce and build healthy flora immediately after cleansing. There should be no gap between cleansing and rebuilding, otherwise the candida is likely to come back. One of the best ways you can rebuild healthy bacteria is by eating raw cultured vegetables – and lots of them. I talk about their benefits and how to make them here.

Helpful Herbs

Hanna Kroeger began working on candida in the early seventies, before anyone else acknowledged the issue. Her approach, as with all of her work, stemmed from hands-on experience with many thousands of people.

Realizing that fungi thrive in an acidic environment, Hanna's herbal formulations employ the use of bitter herbs to stimulate the production of bile and neutralize the acidity of the digestive system. She also liked to use blood purifying herbs to help clear the blood of toxins from fungi and candida. Hanna felt that it was important to supplement probiotics after cleansing to rebuild flora in the intestines to rebalance the body.

 

The Kroeger Herb® Candida Kit contains two bottles of Candida Formula #1™ (condurango bark, red clover, yellow dock), two bottles of Candida Formula #2™ (tansy, clay, milkweed, cramp bark, goldenseal leaf, blessed thistle), and one bottle of Taurin Dolphilus™ (acidolphilus, taurine). The Candida Kit addresses candida overgrowth by first cleansing the candida for four weeks to create an environment suitable to rebuilding the friendly bacteria, which keeps candida under control.

A Giveaway!

The lovely folks at Kroeger Herb® have graciously offered to send a Candida Kit to one TWO lucky readers of In The Raw.

So, here's the scoop:

You have until Midnight Sunday (EST), February 28th, to enter. I'll employ Mr. Random Number Generator to choose two winners and I'll announce those fortuitous folks here on Monday.

All you have to do is:

1. Visit Hanna's Herb Shop, browse through the many articles listed until you find a topic of interest. Leave a comment on this post, telling me something you've learned. Simple. (Note: if you receive In The Raw by email, please do not respond to me via email. You must leave a comment on this post or your entry will not be counted.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to increase your chances of winning, please leave a separate comment for each extra entry. (If you do not leave a separate comment for each entry, Mr. Random Number Generator will not count you. He's funny that way.)

2. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet the giveaway with a link to this post (please include your Twitter ID in the comment). You may tweet once each day from now until midnight Sunday, so that's actually 5 additional entries! You may snag these tweets if you like:

• Craving Sugar & Carbs? You May Have Candida - http://twurl.nl/pyvfjk - Win a Kroeger Herb Candida Kit from @rawliving

• Understanding Candida: Finding a Healthy Balance - http://twurl.nl/pyvfjk - Win a Kroeger Herb Candida Kit

• Woot! @HannasHerbShop & @rawliving are teaming up to fight Candida ➤ Win a Kroeger Herb Candida Kit:http://twurl.nl/pyvfjk

3. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post (please leave the link to your blog post in the comment).

Thanks for entering and good luck! 

UPDATED 3-1-10: This giveaway is now closed.

It's Fat Tuesday! Pass The Pączki Please

 

Down in New Orleans, parades, parties and shiny beads mark the final day of Mardi Gras – French, for "Fat Tuesday" – the period between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. But to those of Eastern European descent (raises hand), today is Donut Day.

Traditionally, the reason for making donuts was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs, and dairy in the house as these were forbidden to be consumed during the Lenten fasting season.

If you're Polish, these fried donuts are called pączki (poonch-kee). Hungarian like me? Then you know them as fánk (phawnk). Although they look like jelly donuts, they're made from especially rich dough containing flour, eggs, butter, sugar and milk. They feature a variety of fruit and creme fillings and are usually covered with granulated or powdered sugar.

My dad's mom died six months before I was born, but my three older brothers all have vivid memories of going to Grandma's house after church and seeing the beds covered in towels with dozens and dozens of fánk layed out, waiting for the dough to rise. When Grandma said it was time, my brothers got to take turns, standing on a kitchen chair at the stove and help her fry the dough in a vat of lard.

Poor Grandma's probably rolling in her grave today, but I think my raw vegan version is just as good. I hope you enjoy them too.

Raspberry-Filled Jelly Donuts

Dough:
2 C almond meal
1 C flax meal
1-2 very ripe bananas
2 Tbsp raw coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt

Filling:
1/2 C thawed, frozen raspberries
1/4 C organic agave nectar

Covering:
1/4 C coconut flakes
1/4 C lucuma powder
1 tsp cinnamon

To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, blend banana until pureed. I used a large fork and it worked quite nicely. Add almond and flax meal a little bit at a time, folding in with the bananas. You'll see it forms a dough-like mixture rather quickly. Add in remaining ingredients and mix together well.

Shape dough into small donuts (no holes!) using your hands, and place on a dehydrator tray lined with a ParaFlexx sheet.

Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 4 hours. Climate, temperature and humidity all affect dehydrating time. The donuts should still be moist inside.

To make the filling: Blend together raspberries and agave to make a jam. I had to get creative here, since I do not own a pastry bag or injector. Enter the trusty turkey baster! Poking a small hole in the side of the donut, fill the center of each with jelly as it comes out of the dehydrator.

To make the covering: Fill a paper bag with coconut flakes, lucuma powder and cinnamon. While still warm, place the donuts into the bag and shake, baby, shake.

Do you have any family traditions of revelry or feasting on Fat Tuesday?

Winner Winner Valentine's Dinner!

 

Looks as if I'm not the only one who enjoys a good romantic movie. We have our winners of the Valentine's Giveaway. Who knew you were so smart (and quick!).

Matching the film with the corresponding quotation, here are the correct answers:

1. The English Patient

    •    d) The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched, but are felt in the heart.

2.   Gone With the Wind

    •    j) You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.

3.   The Notebook

    •    f) The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds and that's what you've given me.

4.   Moulin Rouge

    •    h) Love? Above all things I believe in love! Love is like oxygen! Love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love.

5.   Don Juan DeMarco

    •    i) There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made of?  What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.

6.   Titanic

    •    b) Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless.

7.   Love Story

    •    c) What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach, the Beatles, and me?

8.   When Harry Met Sally

    •    e) I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

9.   City of Angels

    •    a) I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.

10. Casablanca

    •    g) Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.

The first person to answer all 10 correctly was Lauren from Ginger Is The New Pink:

So fun!  I already have Mathew's book, so I am hoping for 2nd or 3rd!
a. 9 City of Angels
b. 6 Titanic
c. 7 Love Story
d. 1 The English Patient
e. 8 When Harry Met Sally
f. 3 The Notebook (my fav)
g. 10 Casablance
h. 4 Moulan Rouge
i. 5 Don Juan Demarco
j. 2 Gone with the wind

The first place prize is a copy of Matthew Kenney's Entertaining In The Raw, but since Lauren already owns this delicious book of recipes and stated that she was hoping to win one of the magazines, we'll do a switcheroo. So Lauren, you have won the March issue of Yoga Journal.

That means that the next person to match all correctly is the lucky winner of Entertaining In The Raw, and that lucky lady is Nancy Broderick:

Hi,

First off, I would like to say I love your newsletters/blog. Keep up the good work - they are very real.

Here are my answers to your quiz.

1. The English Patient = D
2. Gone With the Wind = J
3. The Notebook = F
4. Moulin Rouge = H
5. Don Juan DeMarco = I
6. Titanic = B
7. Love Story = C
8. When Harry Met Sally = E
9. City of Angels = A
10. Casablanca = G

Finally, the third person who knows her movie quotations, Kenzie of A Healthy Purpose gets the current issue of Natural Home magazine:

Hope I'm not too late! Touching post too.

1. D
2. J
3. F
4. H
5. I
6. B
7. C
8. E
9. A
10. G

Thank you to all who entered. I hope you had fun playing, and I'd like to wish every one of my readers a Happy Valentine's Day, from my heart to yours. Je T'Adore!

I made some raw chocolate love just for you. What's V-Day without Chocolate Covered Strawberries? Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C raw cacao powder

1 C organic agave nectar

1/4 C raw coconut oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 pound fresh strawberries** 

1. While you're washing your strawberries and prepping your work area, place the jar of coconut oil in a bowl of warm water to liquify.

2. Line a large tray with parchment.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the cacao powder, agave, melted coconut oil and salt. Combine well until smooth.

4. Holding the strawberries by the stem, dip each into the chocolate sauce, placing them on the tray as you go. Place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving.

**Be a smart shopper: always buy organic strawberries, due to the high levels of pesticides on conventionally grown.

What's on your Valentine's Day agenda?

Je T'Adore Valentine's Giveaway

 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

A b'zillion ways times seven! 

I can't count that high. So, let me just say that I love love love love love my blog buddies. A lot.

You're such faithful readers. You leave the best comments. You tweet me. You email. You're quick to sing my praises, that's for sure. You inspire me. And, I am richly blessed.

Besides all of YOU, here's three more things that I L♥VE...

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know how crazy I am about my boyfriend culinary genius Matthew Kenney. Wanna see him in action as he channels a new recipe onto the page? Just click on that link.

I own three of his books. His most recent, Entertaining In The Raw (March 2009), takes raw living food to a whole new level. I wouldn't even classify it as gourmet. Work-of-art is more like it.

 

I'm always so happy when my Yoga Journal arrives in the mail. It's a wonderful magazine that inspires and relaxes at the same time. There are articles on poses, with clear photos, succinct instructions, and explanations on how to modify them if you need to. There are pieces on healthy eating, meditation, forgiveness, fashion, books, back pain, mindfulness. There are stories from real people, talking about how even minor changes in their lifestyle brought about significant results, while others share their journey of healing from a life-threatening illness. 

Whether you're a newbie or someone with a long-established practice, this is a valuable resource for information about physical and spiritual well-being through the practice of yoga.

I've been a faithful reader of Natural Home since its premiere in 1999. Looking for information and inspiration on sustainable home design, earth-friendly décor and natural lifestyles? This is the resource to check out! Whether you're looking for tips on how to green your kitchen or plan an eco-wedding, installing solar panels or planting an organic garden, you'll likely find it within these pages.

If you're health-conscious and environmentally concerned — and I gotta believe you are — you're sure to enjoy this magazine as much as I do.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Wanna know what else I love? A good movie. And, admittedly, I'm a sucker for romance. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a romantic movie?

So here's the scoop...

Below are 10 romantic films, followed by 10 quotations. Match the quotes to the love story they came from. First person who does, wins Mr. Kenney Entertaining In The Raw. Second person who matches all 10 correctly, wins the March issue of Yoga Journal. Third person who answers correctly, gets the latest issue of Natural Home magazine.

And just to keep things fair and everyone guessing, I'll keep your responses hidden from view.

Capice?

Fun fun! And while I would loooooove to hear from all my readers around the globe, I must limit the winners to folks who live in the United States. I'll announce the correct answers and the winners tomorrow on V-Day.

Okay. Ready. Set. Go.

For Cupid's Sake, Match These Movies To The Quotations

1.   The English Patient
2.   Gone With the Wind
3.   The Notebook
4.   Moulin Rouge
5.   Don Juan DeMarco
6.   Titanic
7.   Love Story
8.   When Harry Met Sally
9.   City of Angels
10. Casablanca


a)   "I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it."

b)   "Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless."

c)   "What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach, the Beatles, and me?"

d)   "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched, but are felt in the heart."

e)   "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

f)   "The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds and that's what you've given me."

g)   "Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time."

h)   "Love? Above all things I believe in love! Love is like oxygen! Love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love!"

i)   "There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made of?  What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."

j)   "You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."

Je t'adore!

UPDATE 2-14-10: This Giveaway Is Now Closed

How To Enjoy A Purely Delicious Blizzard

 

Can I just say for the record: I am SO over winter. Done. Had enough, thank you very much.

I know you folks in the mid-Atlantic states have been getting hammered these past few days. And I feel for you, really I do. But geeze Louise, welcome to my world...um, like since early November.

Well, at least the postman brought a little ray of sunshine into my life the other day when he delivered my Purely Delicious magazine. I poured myself a mug of Nature's Prozac hot cocoa, threw another log on the fire, and curled up with the Winter 2010 issue.

If you're not familiar with this quarterly gem that celebrates living foods and an eco-friendly lifestyle, allow me to introduce you to what I feel is a must-have raw food resource.

Each issue is packed with recipes, beautiful photos, articles on nutrition, healing, detox, seasonal eating, fitness, organics, gardening, eco-travel and more.

There's a RAW 101 section that's specifically for folks just starting to explore the lifestyle  – to explain the nuts and bolts in simple and friendly terms. Hmmm, have a friend or family member who's been a bit resistant to a raw, vegan or vegetarian message? A gift subscription** would be a great way to reach out and encourage them to explore and celebrate each small step they take towards better health and nutrition.

Ask the Experts is a regular Q&A feature with raw food educators and authors Matt and Angela Stokes-Monarch.  Matt's been on a 100% living foods diet for over 10 years now, and Angela lost 160 pounds by adopting a raw lifestyle.

From the Fall 2009 Issue

Chef Omid Jaffari is a regular contributor. It's best to put on a bib before viewing his stunning culinary creations and photos. You'll drool. Trust me.

This issue includes articles on eating green, yoga, raw chocolate (hello!), Graves’ Disease, dude food (yeah, I'm talking to you, guys), fermented foods, sprouting, recycling, reinventing self and so much more!

Good for body, soul and planet.

Can you say that about snow?

Bring some sunshine into your own life. Subscribe to Purely Delicious** today.

**If you do subscribe, mention In The Raw and you'll receive a free gift with your first issue.

A Feast For The Eyes: Holy Cannoli

Sometimes, looking is enough.

And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.

Friday Food Porn

There's few things from my past life of unhealthy eating that I miss. But after 18 months, I still get that glassy-eyed stare when I hear the word cannoli. I'm immediately transported to Corbo's Bakery in Little Italy, where I've been known to polish off those sweet creme-filled, crispy-shelled pastries two at a time.

Hey, if you've ever had one, can you blame me? There's even a famous scene from The Godfather where, after whacking Paulie in the car, Don Corleone's loyal lieutenant says, "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

My sentiments exactly.

So when I spotted this sexy raw vegan rendition from VeganLisa, aka the Vegan Cookbook Critic, my inner voyeur broke out in a cold sweat. Delicious decadence sans flour, sugar or oil. Bellissimo!

Live a little. It's the weekend.