This post is a guest blog written by Clara Hill, a client at Whole Woman Health. We have included her name with her permission.
Like most people my wellness journey has MANY layers that have been unfolding for years. In the last six months it has taken me places I thought I would never go and the journey has been incredible to say the least! Have you ever resisted a cleanse or diet change?
When I first saw Lisa in August of 2016, she talked about a Paleo diet – my first reaction was “that is way to restrictive for me!” A few years prior I had eliminated artificial sugars and some processed foods from my diet, but I still didn’t think that I would ever make such drastic long-term changes to my diet.
In my 30’s I had heard about yeast overgrowth and suspected that might be an issue for me. I knew there were some cleanse options out there, but I really didn’t know where to start, and I wasn’t really committed to following a Candida diet. I didn’t specifically have yeast infections, and through the years I didn’t give it any more thought.
Then prior to a visit with Lisa last April I came across information about yeast overgrowth several times. Specifically, the connection between yeast overgrowth and sinus and bladder infections. In a typical year I would have one or two sinus and or bladder infections. I also had some random unexplained skin rashes. Not something that seemed terribly chronic, but I was ready to see if a yeast cleanse would eliminate those regular infections for me. Thankfully I was connected to a good holistic health care professional and knew that Lisa would be able to give me some guidance.
I had never done a cleanse before – leave it to me to start with a big one. In the beginning I was overwhelmed with the thought of being dairy, gluten and sugar free for six to eight weeks. (Especially sugar!) I decided to wait a couple days and start the cleanse on a Monday. I confess this gave me a couple days to indulge in some pizza and sweets. But more than that, during that time I came into the right spiritual and mental mindset. I started the cleanse committed, ready, and determined to successfully complete the protocol. Still I was not ready to commit to anything beyond that.
In the first few weeks of the cleanse I found that there is much conflicting information out there about what is acceptable on a Candida diet. Initially I was pretty frustrated, but I realized that everyone is different and I relaxed into following the diet that was working for me.
The improvements were almost instant! They became greater with each passing day and week. My primary goal in starting this journey was completely about improved health, yet I was hopeful I would also lose a few pounds along the way. The benefits I experienced were far greater than I ever imagined!
By the end of the first week my chronic post nasal drip had cleared, and by the end of the second week my chronically blood shot eyes were clear. (Who knew?) I was steadily losing two or more pounds per week. By the time I finished the eight-week cleanse I had less brain fog, more energy, less joint pain, clearer skin, and I had lost 18 pounds! The combination of bringing the yeast into balance and diet changes really worked for me.
My “We’ll see” attitude had shifted, there was no going back. I also knew that I needed a little bit of balance if I was going to sustain the diet changes long term. Now I eat dairy, gluten, refined sugar free 80-90% of the time. Most of the time I eat pretty clean because I just feel better when I do. It’s been 6 months and I have maintained all the initial improvements, I remain healthy, I am absorbing nutrients better, I’ve lost 40 pounds and I feel great! I cannot imagine going back to my previous lifestyle!
