HealingThruFood

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry # 11 – Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls

April 13, 2012, Day 13: I ran over 5 miles today. I deserve a treat, don’t I? I recently found a recipe for cinnamon rolls made with buckwheat flour and since buckwheat and I are now best friends, I figured I would attempt to make them. Note: I am not an excellent baker. They did however, satisfy bread and sweet cravings all in one shot and my boyfriend liked them (like, for real…not even just pretending to be nice), so that’s good enough for me. These days, on this diet, you kinda have to take what you can get in the “sweet” department. These cinnamon rolls probably wouldn’t impress someone eating SAD (standard American diet) or someone with a true sweet tooth, but they work for those of us who want something just sweet enough and who care about our health and respect our bodies.

I butchered the heck out of the original recipe, so I guess that means I get to call this my original recipe? Are you ready for them? Note: There are a few different parts, what with the dry ingredients, wet ingredients, filling and icing.

Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups raw buckwheat flour (grind up buckwheat in “dry” container of your Vitamix and watch them magically turn to flour!)

1 cup tapioca (arrowroot) flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup canned organic pure pumpkin (make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling–using just pumpkin here)

1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce (this is the only ingredient that may not be 100% kosher on the Candida diet…according to most resources, apples are okay, but they say to consume green)

1/3 cup melted virgin unrefined coconut oil

1 tsp raw vanilla powder

Filling:

1/4 to 1/2 cup softened virgin, unrefined coconut oil

5 drops liquid stevia, optional

2 to 4 tablespoons (or more) Saigon cinnamon

Frosting:

3/4 cup pure pumpkin

1-2 drops liquid stevia, optional

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons vanilla powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Blend all ingredients until creamy

Cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use arrowroot powder to flour a cupcake pan.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Place all of the wet ingredients into your Vitamix or high powered blender and blend until very smooth and creamy (btw, this by itself was insane!). Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and whisk together. Once it becomes too thick to whisk, you can get down and dirty and use your hands to finish mixing it together.

Use your arrowroot powder to flour a surface where you can roll out your dough and roll into a rectangle shape. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour if it is too sticky. Try not to use too much flour otherwise you run the risk of the rolls being too dense.

Spread softened coconut oil over the top of the dough. It’s better if the oil is softened vs. melted because it could leak out of the sides when you roll it and make it hard to roll and hold its shape. Sprinkle with cinnamon and add a few drops of liquid stevia if desired.

Begin to roll from the long end down towards you. If your dough seems stuck, use a thin spatula coated with flour. Once the dough has been rolled out, slice it with a serrated knife, and place the rolls into your floured pan. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Pour the frosting on top of the cinnamon rolls as they come out of the oven. Enjoy!

For more recipes or information on Nutrition Coaching, contact me!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #10 – Experiencing Die-Off

April 12, 2012, Day 12: My body is definitely going through a bit of a healing crisis, so to speak. The Candida are dying off and I am experiencing the typical symptoms you can find if you do a search for what to expect; fatigue, stomach discomfort, body itching and feeling super cold (in MIAMI). All morning, I felt like I was moving in slow motion and I did not know how I would make through the rest of the day. I especially didn’t know how I would have energy to teach my cooking class today. I read that water and vitamin C were recommended (among other things). I took 1,000 mg of vitamin C on my lunch break and it seemed to give me the boost of energy I needed to go be with children today. I was so glad! I also read that dry skin brushing helps rid the body of toxins, so I bought a pretty new brush. This should probably help a lot considering our skin is our largest organ and next to the colon, it is also an important waste management system. Dry skin brushing basically removes a layer of gunk so you can essentially sweat out more toxins. I’m excited to add this in as a bathroom ritual. A plus for dry skin brushing is that it also helps get rid of cellulite and what woman doesn’t like the sound of that?!?

I don’t know if I mentioned that I was (am) a big gum chewer. I know, I know. But I have just always liked gum and since I started this diet, gum was pretty much out unless I could find gum with xylitol (sans a bunch of artificial crap), and today I did! I found Spry! So, here are my new 2 favorite things I got today! Random, I know…but both make me really happy!

I also received my E3 Live Renew Me, which is a “blend of nutritional plant-derived MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane), spirulina, E3AFA™, certified organic cayenne pepper, wild-crafted South American camu-camu, E3 AFAMend™, E3 Phenalmin™, tocotrienol & tocopherol (Vitamin E complex), and crystalloid electrolyte sea minerals. These exceptional foods have been shown to boost the immune system and help your body eliminate toxins.” It’s in powder form, so I will just add it to my smoothie along with the 500 other things I drink! Here is the E3 Live Renew Me and I cannot wait to start taking this tomorrow! It’s supposed to really help with Candida! I have very high hopes!

I had that raw buckwheat cereal for breakfast again today. I absolutely love it and it’s so filling! For snack, I had a smoothie: almond milk, blueberries, Amazing Grass, chia seeds, diatomaceous earth and liquid stevia.

Lunch was this awesome kelp noodle salad with cucumber, red pepper, purple cabbage, green onion, avocado and raw sesame seeds with my favorite sesame dressing.

Dinner was AWESOME! I was actually kinda impressed with myself as it was getting late and I am a little less creative lately. I do admit, it takes a bit longer to get into my “groove” preparing meals. Let’s just say, never underestimate the power of SOUP. I threw together this super tasty black bean and quinoa soup with celery, onions, carrots (I haven’t been consuming many carrots), garlic, tomato, and it was seasoned with paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, sea salt and pepper and then topped with fresh cilantro. Man oh man, was it a winner! I will definitely be making that again. Sorry no pic.

So, with regards to the die-off, I think the symptoms are way worse in the morning. I have been taking my super high-grade probiotic right before bed (guarantees an empty stomach) and then again right when I wake up, so perhaps that is why. I have read though that the probiotics are not as intense as the antifungals, so I am not sure exactly what it is. All I know is, I think it’s working!

I can’t believe how quickly the time is going by as well. I am already 12 days into this thing and I can easily see myself not having much of a problem finding things to eat and lasting as long as I need to until I see changes and feel better. I just have to tell myself that it is okay to miss certain foods (like chocolate, honey and nutritional yeast) and that maybe one day I can enjoy them again. But right now, they are not serving me and I respect my body enough to do what serves it best; no matter how challenging that may seem!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #9 – More Fun Things to Eat

April 10, 2012, Day 10: I gotta quote Ice Cube and say “today was a good day”. I ate frozen blueberries today because everyone told me I could! Nee ner nee ner nee ner. They were DELICIOUS! :p

As I have mentioned previously, there is a TON of conflicting info out there, so I am just trying to put my faith in a few trusted sources and friends. Otherwise, it gets way too complicated. So I think I am kinda getting the hang of this; you kinda have to learn fast. Ha.

This morning did not start off so great. My tummy was kinda pissed at me and the friend who recommended the Dr. Ohhira’s pro-biotic warned me it might take a day or so to get used to and it just means that they are working. I felt much better towards the middle of the day and have had much more energy all around.

I was really excited to go to Whole Foods this afternoon because I wanted stock up on buckwheat (pictured below). Buckwheat is a gluten free grain that is safe to eat on the Candida diet (yay!). I really like buckwheat (or groats, or kasha) and I used to consume more of it so I am looking forward to reincorporating them into my diet. These can be consumed raw, if you soak them. So as we speak, they are taking a bath and I am looking forward to a delicious breakfast tomorrow morning. They taste amazing blended with berries and I will add a teeny bit of stevia.

I also made Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding using unsweetened chocolate almond milk, chia seeds (pictured), a pinch of raw vanilla powder and cinnamon (it’s SO yum!!!). Chia is AMAZING, if you don’t already know! Those teensy cute little seeds pack a powerful punch and are filled with awesome omega-3s, complete protein and fiber! If you would like to read more, you can check out a previous post I devoted all to the infamous chia seed here.

I am making this dessert thing work for me, friends! And it’s amazing how my taste buds have changed. I find myself sucking on lemons and limes because they have become “sweet” to me, lol. I feel like I have just eaten “magic fruit”…you know, the one that makes sweet things sour and sour things sweet?!? Anyone ever tried that? It’s wild!

I think overall, this is going to be an uphill battle that I plan to win. It is hard and it’s funny because as a vegan, I thought I was already lovingly over-thinking my food choices, and now it’s like 100x’s more complicated! I am finding tasty foods though and in the end, this is going to be a really good thing. I choose to no longer be a slave to sugar and am appalled when I think back to how much I would consume throughout the course of an average day. Hey, agave and honey do count and I used it all religiously.

I hope that for those of you who are reading, you will be able to feel that you can conquer Candida too and even do it as a vegan! It all boils down to priorities and self love. I know I am the only person who is 100% in control of me, so if I want to feel good, I have to be the one to do the work.

May you all be blessed with the strength and power to take your health into your own hands. That ability resides within you, I promise; just search for it and it will appear if you want to feel good badly enough! You will know when it’s time. I’m here to help guide you if you should need.

Remember: “If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking”. ~Buddhist Saying

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #8 – I Kinda Messed Up

April 9, 2012, Day 9: The cravings have been getting worse. They happen mostly at night, but I just try to ignore them. Funny thing is though, I don’t even know really what I would want to eat if I could eat anything. I just want SUGAR. It’s intense, man.

So, I kinda may have sorta messed. Okay, so even though people told me brown rice was not a good idea, I “cheated” and had it anyway. It’s frustrating for me to think about having only quinoa. I was eating brown rice cakes and even had a few crackers. I think these are going to have to be a no-no, just like my friend Nicole (and a few others) had told me they would be. Also last night, we went out with friends, and I tried to eat as “clean” as I possibly could and I had some sauteed broccoli and black bean soup, but that was a no-no as well. I believe the food may have been cross contaminated because even though this particular restaurant serves many vegan dishes, they also serve non-vegan ones as well. Going out to eat will most definitely have to be put on hold for a long while.

Now, I know some of you reading are probably shaking your heads thinking, “Well, shouldn’t she know all this?” but the truth is, I am learning as I go and I have made an agreement with myself to love myself through this entire process. This diet takes a lot of time to get used to and it’s flippin’ HARD. I may not be perfect off the bat. I think the main lesson I have learned is to keep it as simple as possible, no matter how boring, lol.

On a higher note, my Dr. Ohhira’s probiotics arrived today so I look forward to starting them! I am also getting my E3 Live this week as well from my co-worker, so I know that all that stuff will help.

I am going to start incorporating some buckwheat for breakfast. I have a really yummy recipe for buckwheat groats blended with strawberries, but I will probably sub with another berry such as blueberries. Everything I read says berries are okay. I am a little “iffy”, and honestly probably won’t consume them too often, but maybe in a smoothie or with the groats once in a while. My friend some of you know as Baking Fairy turned me on to a pretty tasty looking website called choosingraw.com and I want to make these delicious looking buckwheat and quinoa pancakes with pumpkin cream (drool)!!

I must also share this video that my new Facebook friend James posted on my wall today for an awesome 70′s song by Tony Orlando called none other than “Candida!!” Check it out and here have a laugh. It’s pretty rad! Thanks, James!

I will keep you posted on my adventures with quinoa and buckwheat as well as the probiotics! If you’d like more info on what I am taking or what might be best for you, you can always contact me!

Thanks as always, for reading!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #7 – Carob Will Have to Do

April 8, 2012, Day 8: Just have to share, this is my 100th blog post!!! Kinda cool, no? Okay, so you did not want to be around me last night. I felt like I was going to hit something or cry if I didn’t have a piece of chocolate. The cravings were so bad, I immediately messaged a friend of mine who has done the Candida diet. She recommended I drink some unsweetened chocolate almond milk with stevia and cinnamon. Mind you, it was 10:39pm and Whole Foods closes at 11pm. Thankfully, we live 5 blocks away, so off we went and I nabbed a container of the milk as well as some carob. I had been online researching any type of desserts that might be suitable for me, and carob plays a starring role. I have never really been a super fan of carob, but if it satisfies my cravings, I can learn to love just about anything. So, here it is:

They only had this one giant tub of it, so I guess I am stuck with it now. I made a recipe I found online for something called Carob Sweeties. Here is the recipe, which I borrowed from a Candida resource website:

Carob Sweeties:

1 heaping tbsp smooth natural almond butter

1 heaping tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

2 level tsp carob powder

pinch sea salt

2 tsp finely ground chia seeds

2-3 drops liquid stevia

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional–I used this awesome pure, raw vanilla powder I have from Love Street Living Foods)

1/4 cup unsweetened, dried shredded coconut

1 tbsp hemp seeds

In a food processor (I use my Mini-Prep; any small processor is recommended for this recipe), blend the almond butter, tahini, carob powder, salt and chia until you have a smooth paste. Add the stevia and vanilla, if using, and whir again to blend. Add the coconut and hemp seeds and pulse until evenly distributed. Scoop the mixture by teaspoonfuls and roll into balls. Refrigerate (or freeze) 20 minutes or more to allow the mixture to firm up a bit. (If you can’t wait to dig in, they’re still delicious right away, but they will be fairly soft). Makes 4-5 balls.

These seemed to satisfy my cravings and they have all kinds of healthy protein, fat, and omega 3 sources in them! They will never replace my Bunnie’s Cakes, but until the day Bunnie and I meet again (lord knows when…), these will suffice.

I have pretty much traded in my brown rice for quinoa, which I dig since it’s a complete protein anyway. I do have brown rice cakes (not often), but when I want something crunchy, I do have one with almond or sunflower seed butter. I have been snacking a bunch as well on home made hummus and cucumber slices. I kinda miss carrots, to be honest. They were such an easy snack!

For lunch today, I made a kale salad with a simple tahini dressing. I was craving it actually and was kicking myself for not making more, but I can easily whip up another batch. Here is my Tahini Kale Salad with the recipe to follow:

1/4 bunch kale (any variety)

1/4 cup garbanzo beans

2 heaping tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

1/4 lemon, squeezed

1 garlic clove, minced

just under 1/4 cup water

Wash, rinse and chop kale into chunks. Let dry, then place in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and water (water amount may vary on how thick/thin you like your dressing). Pour sauce over kale and massage (with hands) into kale. This helps break it down and lets the dressing really get absorbed into the leaves. Finally, add your garbanzos on top. Enjoy!

Look, I am sure I am not doing this thing “perfect”, but I have definitely omitted sugar, gluten and corn, which was a huge goal for me. I never thought it would be possible, but I am living proof it is! It does take extra work and planning to come up with nutritious foods that are filling enough, but I will be a pro in no time and I love being able to share this experience with all of you readers. Thank you for all your feedback here and on Facebook. It feels really good to have the support!

If you haven’t yet picked up the book The Candida Cure, you should think about it! It has a very extensive questionnaire to help you determine if you most likely have a Candida overgrowth.

As always, I am here to help if you need guidance or support!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #6

April 7, 2012, Day 7: So sorry I could not post yesterday. The Passover holiday took precedence. I was a little nervous about Passover this year since I was a misfit again and had to find somewhere to go for seder. I did not want to invite myself to someone’s house I barely knew and then not eat anything. It would appear so rude (especially to a Jewish cook, lol)! We were invited to my friend Paul’s house (or rather, I invited us, ha!) and Paul is sort of like the closest thing I have to family out here in FLA. We have been friends for 4 yrs now and he and his boyfriend are both veggies, so at least we were “kind of” in the same boat with the food thing. I asked if it would be okay for me to bring a couple things we could all eat and that was fine. It was a very non-traditional seder (surprisingly less formal than my own family’s back in Cali, which I thought was unheard of!). The non-Jews outnumbered the Jews and there was so much food! Since it was non-traditional, and I am not super strict on practicing, I brought a lentil salad (traditionally, Ashkenazi Jews do not consume lentils on Passover) and my version of an Israeli salad. Paul’s boyfriend made 2 different hummus recipes and they were fabulous! One had sun-dried tomatoes and the other had sesame oil, cilantro and parsley (I think). I ate them with a little matzah. Matzah is yeast-free and as I mentioned on my Facebook page yesterday, Passover seems like it’s the perfect anti-Candida holiday since it’s totally about omitting chametz, or leavened foods (things with yeast!).

Here is my Alternative Israeli Salad:

Here is the recipe:

1 cucumber, chopped

1 carton plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4-1/2 red onion, chopped

1 large handful of parsley, chopped

2-3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Chop up all ingredients and put into a large bowl. Add apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt. Coat veggies well. Let stand in fridge for about an hour to let flavors mesh.

This salad is refreshing, simple and light! Enjoy anytime, really!

The other salad (the sacrilegious one) I didn’t get a photo of, but here is the recipe:

Lentil Salad

1 cup lentils (cooked and cooled)

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 large handful parsley, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

Apple cider vinegar

Olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Chop onions and place in a large bowl. Cover with apple cider vinegar and let sit for a bit to soak. Chop up the yellow pepper and parsley and add that to the onion. Add a splash of olive oil and mix everything together. Finally, add the cooked lentils. You can add more oil if needed. Salt to taste.

To my surprise, both salads were completely gone by the end of the night and people kept complimenting me on them! I honestly didn’t think anyone would touch them except for us veggies, but it felt good to contribute something healthy to the mostly not healthy traditional Passover meal.

Paul’s boyfriend also made some roasted asparagus and Brussel’s sprouts (yay!), so I honestly had so much to eat. I hadn’t felt “full” in while, and it felt nice since that is how you are supposed to feel on Passover. You are supposed to feel so full that you have to lean to one side of your chair.

Coincidentally, a woman I met at the seder had just been told by a friend that day that she should do the Candida cleanse! This woman had never even heard about Candida up until then and then meets ME?!? Talk about divine intervention!

I have been trying to do my smoothie that I was used to having every morning, but I have to be honest; without banana, it’s just not the same. I am typically blending up the following currently:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop almond or sunflower seed butter (unsweetened, of course)
1 scoop Amazing Grass powder (this is naturally sugar free as well)
1 tsp hemp seeds
1 tsp chia seeds
1 oz. raw nuts such as almonds or pecans (I really miss cashews)
1 scoop diatomaceous earth
1-2 drops liquid stevia
Vietnamese cinnamon
4-5 ice cubes

That seems to be palatable, but it’s nothing I am dying over. At least it’s got a ton of nutrients in it!

I went for an awesome 5 mi run today and afterwards, I was craving quinoa, so I whipped this up:

This is rainbow chard, kale, red pepper and yellow pepper sauteed in coconut oil, coconut aminos and garlic. I served it over my quinoa and topped it with raw sesame seeds.

So all in all, I am finding more ways to “spice up” my meals. It does take a bit of patience and creativity. I feel good though! Are any of you feeling inspired to do this with me yet?? Just say the word! If you aren’t ready for quite this much challenge, just remember little changes add up to big ones, so we can start small. I’m here to help and am honored to answer the call! My philosophy has always been to meet my clients where they are holding and to never push my personal beliefs about food on anyone. So, don’t be intimidated! We can work as a team and I can meet you where ever you are comfortable! I’m ready when you are!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #5

April 5, 2012, Day 5: I kept saying to people that the best way to describe how I felt today was “I feel good and bad at the same time.” When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had the best sleep I have had in a long while. I had also felt like I got hit by a Mack truck. My head was clogged and my sinuses felt all congested. I also um, had to go to the bathroom a lot (TMI?). My body is definitely detoxing, I can tell you that much.

I was at work and my awesome friend came in and brought me a sample of E3 Live and some food grade diatomaceous earth. You can read all about E3 if you click the link, as I wrote about it a while back. I took the E3 at work right away and I think it actually made a huge difference because I felt much better all day long.

I am anxious to try the “D.E.” (diatomaceous earth)!! It sounds AMAZING! It is said to be beneficial because it is made up of mostly silica. It’s really good for removing bacteria, fungi, viruses, pesticides, etc. from the gut. It can also dramatically help with skin issues, lower blood pressure, help make you regular (no problems there), stimulates metabolism and keeps hair and nails lookin’ good! My friend suggested I put it in my tea or a smoothie.

I feel like I had cabbage all day today! At lunch I had this tasty cabbage and hijiki (seaweed) salad with green onions, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds. I made a sesame dressing (which used to be my favorite) of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 drop liquid stevia and red pepper flakes.

I had an AWESOME dinner (sorry, no pic)! I created a “peanut sauce” out of 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 drop liquid stevia, 1/4 cup water and cayenne pepper. I then sauteed some kale, red pepper and purple cabbage (told ya!) in coconut oil (also had a teaspoon of coconut oil this morning raw–it’s an amazing anti-fungal) with shallots and garlic. I threw the sunbutter sauce on the veggies and had it over 1/4 cup brown rice. Joey (my bf) and I both really liked it! I think I am going to have to stock up on that sunflower seed butter and those coconut aminos since I see a ton of them in my future.

I am however, a little frustrated because there is so much conflicting info about killing Candida. Books, websites and friends all tell you different things about what you should and shouldn’t eat, what supplements to buy and how you can expect to feel. I have to admit, I was never “diagnosed” with having Candida. I am just listening to my body and for a really long time, I have known that sugar (and gluten) were not serving me. This is the best way to weed them out and although it is challenging, I sense the results will be worth every cupcake I have to turn away and every drop of agave I had to replace with liquid stevia.

I am ordering the E3 Live because I believe in its benefits and I also ordered a very high grade pro-biotic another friend swears by called Dr. Ohhira’s as this is vegan and it resonates with me. I will let you know how all that supplement stuff goes.

For now, I am looking for anyone who has gone on an elimination / Candida diet before and who has done so as a vegan. I’d love to hear about your experiences, what you ate, how quickly you got rid of the Candida, etc. Please leave your comments below and again, thanks so much for reading!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #4

April 4, 2012, Day 4: Today I felt a little tired. I think the Candida is getting pretty pissed off at me and may be getting a little hungry. I am not giving in and am taking no mercy on their little fungus-y souls.

I keep eating variations of the same foods I am limited to. Lots of veggies, minimal complex carbs, nuts and seeds. Tonight I decided to make elbow shaped quinoa pasta with sauteed broccoli and rainbow chard (see me nibbling on it in pic) in garlic and olive oil. Being the awesome girlfriend that I am, I still made my boyfriend (vegan) mac ‘n’ cheese. Sigh. I just wanted one bite! But no. I must stay strong! You can’t even give in a little bit when it comes to Candida. Anything sugar related or that turns into sugar will feed Candida and cause it to reproduce and take over.

I have been reading through The Candida Cure and it is truly enlightening. If you think you may have Candida, this is an excellent book to pic up as there are questionnaires to help you demystify Candida and figure out if symptoms you are experiencing are related. 20 bucks says they are. Mostly everything can be traced back to Candida. It’s SO annoying!!

Still on the hunt for the *perfect* anti-fungal as the one I mentioned my ND recommended is unfortunately not vegan. Good thing I have plenty of friends who have gone through this before and who can make suggestions about what to purchase. I am leaning towards getting E3 Live or Dr. Ohhira’s pro-biotic. Perhaps both? I am currently only taking grapefruit seed extract (YUCK!!!) and milk thistle as this helps to cleanse the liver. Oh, and of course, I use coconut oil religiously as well! We all know this is the ultimate anti-fungal and one of my favorite things to talk about.

All in all, I do feel pretty good. Besides feeling a bit tired, I feel like I have a clearer head, a smaller belly and I am in a much better mood. I am really anxious to see (and feel) how this all turns out! Thanks again for stickin’ with me and please feel free to email me at healingthrufood@gmail.com with any questions you may have about my current diet or if you want guidance with yours!

Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #3

April 3, 2012, Day 3: First off, I have to share that today was a very exciting day at work because my co-worker who is a very feisty (yet extremely lovable) Colombian woman with diabetes who admits to having to lose 70lbs started a JUICE CLEANSE!!! This is not a person who you would EVER expect to be on board with solo el jugo if you know what I mean, but she is trying. Fingers crossed for her and wishing her tons of success!

So, what did I eat today, you ask? I wanted so badly to make this amazing kale/avocado smoothie I love (with bananas and apple juice) and um, let’s just say it didn’t taste quite the same missing the banana and apple juice. I blended up avo, kale, psyllium husk, flaxmeal, spirulina, stevia…and water. Bleh. Okay, okay, it was drinkable. But barely. I’m not complaining though. I’m trying to kill Candida here. No one said it was going to be pretty!

I grazed the rest of the day on garbanzos, cucumbers, celery and sunflower seed butter, had 1/4 cup brown rice with broccoli and my coconut aminos for lunch and then as a snack I had these awesome seaweed snacks!

For dinner, I made a gigantic salad and had a small amount of squash. I added tons of seeds (hemp and pumpkin) to my salad in order to get some protein. I made a very simple dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, liquid stevia and water. The boyfriend even liked that! Score! I cooked up some hijiki (seaweed) as well, but am going to use it for a salad tomorrow! Can’t wait!

I am anxious to thumb through this cookbook I ordered online (pictured above) called The Candida Albicans Yeast-Free Cookbook. It’s not specifically a vegan cookbook so I will have to modify and focus on mostly the veggie recipes. To be honest with you, there are not a ton of vegan friendly, yeast free, Candida cookbooks out there. Perhaps I should write one?

Thanks all for your support and for following along. The days are just flying by and I swear I don’t even miss bananas, tomatoes, sprouts, carrots, Bunnie’s cakes… Not. One. Bit. Again, not complaining. Truthfully, it’s not that bad and I like the feeling that I am doing something pro-active and good for myself. Sugar (and products that turn into sugar) can cause some serious problems. I don’t want any of them! So, I will march on, kale in one hand and cabbage in the other! Anyone want to join my army? I’m here to help if you need! Contact (323)905-4HTF for help NOW! Candida Busters are standing by to take your call.

Coconut Aminos – Candida Cleanse Journal Entry #2

April 2, 2012, Day 2: I have a new favorite product (see above)! Coconut Aminos, where have you been all my life?!?! I was a huge fan of Bragg’s but this knocks Bragg’s socks off! This is totally safe (and actually recommended on the Candida diet) and taste like as if teriyaki and tamari sauce fell in love.

Coconut amino acids come from the “sap” of the coconut tree. This “sap” is low GI and rich in minerals, nutrients, amino acids, vitamin C, B-vitamins and it has a neutral pH. Oh, and it’s 14x’s more abundant than soy-based amino acid products.

We need amino acids because they are the building blocks of protein! We need protein to live. This stuff is SO awesome and it tastes so good. It will easily be replacing my soy sauce/tamari! It’s raw and another cool thing about it is that it contains unrefined, dried with the suns love, mineral abundant sea salt from the tropical island of Mindanao. It’s vegan, sugar free (yay!), gluten free, dairy free and kosher! It contains 17 amino acids that all serve different functions in the body, but are all equally important.

Okay, so enough of my sales pitch…I’m sure you want to know what I made with this stuff. Well, see the pic below of my “Southwest Scramble” which was inspired by my fellow vegan foodie Noel (Veganist Light). I ate this for breakfast, but I had to omit some ingredients for my restricted diet (which I made mention of), but it was super tasty none the less. Along with this, today I ate salad greens with fresh squeezed lemon, celery sticks with sunflower seed butter, cucumber slices, avocado and chickpea mash and for dinner I am having some broccoli and a teensy bit of brown rice flavored with my coconut aminos and raw sesame seeds. I have to admit, I am not doing the diet 100% by the book, as I am supposed to stick to a raw diet and 2 detox drinks as recommended for the first phase, or “cleansing phase”. I am kinda doing it “my way” and doing what I feel is best for me. I am eating 90% raw at this point (other than some occasional steamed or sauteed veggies), and feel good. I have omitted nearly every source of sugar and feel pretty darn good about that too. I will continue to keep you posted, but for now here is the recipe I mentioned and a photo, if you care to try it (I sure hope you do!).

SOUTHWEST SCRAMBLE

2 cups walnuts, soaked and dried (I didn’t use this much since it seemed like a lot. I probably used about 1/4 cup)

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked (I used probably about 1/4 cup as well)

1 large tomato, chopped (sadly, I cannot have tomatoes on this diet and I already miss them)

1/2 bell pepper (any color-I used 1/4 red pepper chopped)

2 small green onions

1 tbsp. turmeric

1 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. tamari (I used the coconut amino acids since I cannot have tamari or soy right now)

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I didn’t have any and was sad but bought some today!!)

splash raw apple cider vinegar

squeeze of lemon, to taste

cracked pepper, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

1 avocado, chopped (I also didn’t have it with avocado since I was going to be having avo for lunch, but I am sure it’s amazing with this!)

Blend walnuts and sunflower seeds in the food processor until they’re nicely minced. Using a spatula, pour contents into a bowl. Add in everything else except the vegetables, and mix well.

Finally, fold in the tomato, green onions, and bellpepper. Garnish with avocado.

I ate this at work, so please excuse the photo not being super fancy.