Days 12-24

Days 21 to 24 (today) on the Candida Cleanse [28 Jul 2005|01:24pm]
[ mood | sleepy (a tad) but good ]
[ music | The Breeze 103.1 ]

I have been feeling great! Still no cravings, which is nice. My legs are really sore and a bit stiff today after standing most of the day yesterday, while volunteering for the North American Solar Challenge.

I am so pleased that my brain has adjusted to this way of eating so completely. I knew that yesterday all the volunteers would get two burgers at the BBQ at the finish line celebration, but I don't eat the bun. So, in the morning before we left home, I cut up some lettuce and tomato, and some onion and put into a plastic container. AT 3:30 pm, when I was finally able to take a break, I wandered over to the BBQ area and they gave me two hamburgers. I dumped the patties into my container and threw out the buns, cut the patties into bite size pieces and sat and munched on my lunch, really enjoying every mouthful!

Today my Dept. Manager wanted to take me for coffee, and I already had a litte rubbermaid container handy with my soy milk (made with just the soybeans and filtered water, no sugar or sugar substitutes)which I grabbed from my desk and carried with me to the coffee place.

I have ascertained that if I really want a latte, this coffee place (Ploughboy) will take my soy milk and steam it for me, as will Starbuck's. Yeah!!! Cuz, once in a while I really would like a latte.

I packed my salmon and veggies for my lunch today, but forgot to pack a potato, so I am still a bit nibbly. I am eating a few almonds, but may have to go find something that I can have, perhaps a V8 juice, to fill the little void, till I can get home to make dinner.

Other than the sore legs from yesterday I am still feeling really good. My eyes haven't been 'cloudy' or itchy for a couple of weeks now, for which I am very grateful, and I do believe that this is due to the Candida Cleanse! Yeah!!!

all for now, more later
~Leslie

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Days 17-20 on the Candida Cleanse [24 Jul 2005|09:13am]
[ mood | mellow and content ]
[ music | the sound of the rain falling outside ]

Well, Thursday, Day 17, ended up being somewhat of a down day for me. After getting up at 5:00 am for my 1 hour deep water workout, I came home, and ended up crawling back onto the bed for a nap. I actually slept till around 11:00 am and then was still not too energetic. This was a bit disappointing since I have had lots of energy on this cleanse up till now. I guess it is all part of the cleanse though. It was altogether a quiet and uneventful day, still finding it really easy to follow the program. I am happy about that. Ted and I went to Earls for dinner later, and I had a hamburger, hold the mayo and pickle, and when it arrived I removed the bun. It also came with choice of sides, and I chose a mixed greens salad, hold the dressing. I just put some salt and pepper on the salad and it was really tasty! I am impressed with how good real food tastes. Or should I say, real, plain and simple food, food that is good for me tastes.

Friday, Day 18, was also interesting. Again, after my morning workout, I came home and layed down to read my book, and ended up drifing off to sleep. I was awake just before 11:00 and was good to go for the day, although again with not a lot of energy. We saw a movie in the afternoon with Beth and one of her friends, and then all went to a pub for a late lunch. We had popcorn at the theatre, and I ordered salt and pepper wings at the pub, since I could eat those. I still feel better eating foods that are cooked in a more healthy way - interesting, cuz I have always enjoyed wings.......no more, I think, or at least not very often!

Saturday, Day 19, was fun, and interesting for me. I got up at 8:30 and cooked a couple of scrambled eggs for myself for breakfast. Then I dashed off to work to print some stuff off the net. I took my coffee mug with me, with some of my soy milk inside, and added coffee from Ploughboy in the ICT Building. After leaving campus, my next stop was to get gas in the car at the nearest Coop, at which time I also refilled my coffee mug, adding my own soy from a little bottle in my purse. Then it was off to grocery shopping with Mom. I told her a couple of weeks ago that I will only be eating salads for lunches on Saturdays from now on, but had to tell her this day that I didn't have time to have lunch with her.

Ted and I were volunteering for the University down at Eau Claire Market, to promote our UofC Solar Car that is currently part of the American Solar Challenge 2005. We packed sparkly water, several apples, and some V-8 juice to take with us.

While down there, on my break, I found a little place in the food fair called Gramma's Kitchen, and they gave me a plate with sliced turkey, tomato, lettuce and onion, for only $1.87. So nice!!! I drank lots of water during the afternoon, and when we got home, I made a good dinner with baked potato, steak and butter lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes and chopped green onions. We had some fresh strawberries for dessert.

Today, Sunday, Day 20 on the cleanse.

It is only 9:30, and I am going to go have a hot soaky bath right now. I may take some pumpkin seeds in to nibble on while I soak, and some sparkly water, but won't eat breakfast yet. I am going to have the cleansing bath, to make my body feel really good! It is raining outside, and, thank heaven, our Solar Car volunteering today is inside at Market Mall, in the Centre Court!

I am really impressed with how easy it really is to stay on this program. I still have not experienced any cravings and am, each day, becoming more and more aware of the things my body is telling me. I have noticed that I do not eat as much as I used to. The good food that I am eating now requires that I spend more time chewing it (it doesn't just slither down, like Mac n' Cheese), and so I must spend time chewing it (Masticating it) properly, and I find that the helpings of food that used to seem normal, I can usually not finish, specially when some of the food is potato. I find them very filling. This is also a good thing.

The next thing I am going to work on, now that i seem to have the hang of choosing and eating good for me foods, is to cut down on the amount of butter I use. I know that it is allowed on this cleanse, and I am very glad it is, but I will gradually cut down on how much I use on my veggies, such as potato, and how much I put on my popcorn. I find that I am making a bowl of popcorn almost every day, and I can use a fair amount of butter for it.

So, that is my next goal.

~more later.

~Leslie

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end of Day 16. [20 Jul 2005|11:22pm]
[ mood | sleepy cuz it's bedtime! :-) ]
[ music | watching Law and Order ]

I have not told most of my family about my Candida Cleanse, just quietly do my own thing. Twice now I have been out for lunch with my mom, and she has not noticed that I order my salads without any dressing, but pull a little container from my purse and add my own, homemade and compatible, dressing to the salads.

I have had coffee with my sister twice and she has not noticed that I add my own soy milk, also from a small container in my purse, to my coffee, rather than having a latte and topping it up with cream.

It is so simple to follow this program, and still be able to eat out and enjoy it and stay on the cleanse.

I cooked dinner tonight for Ted and daughter Bethany and they both really enjoyed the healthy food. Ted knows I am on this cleanse, but Beth just knows I am not eating sugar and dairy products. Cool.

I am still so amazed at how good I continue to feel each day and how I have absolutely no desire for sweets. I know I may sound obsessive about this, but for most of my life I have had such a strong sweet tooth, and those cravings seem to have taken over my thoughts for sooooo long, that this is heaven!

Yesterday while hanging out with my sister, sketching down by the river, she suggested that we go to Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat when we were done. It was so easy to just say that I am trying to stay away from sugar these days. She accepted that, and I didn't even feel a little pang, or experience any wishful thinking or anything.. it was so easy to say no thankyou.

YEAH!! I love this!!!!

~more tomorrow...
Leslie

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Day 16 of Candida Cleanse and going strong!~! [20 Jul 2005|10:21am]
[ mood | relaxed and happy! ]
[ music | just talking with Ted ]

Good morning!
I only have a minute to update here, but I am sooooo happy that I began this yeast cleanse!

I have lost another 4 lbs, so down 14lbs in two weeks. Happy about that.
I noticed in my swim workout this morning how much stronger I feel these days, and when sitting in the steam room after, I noticed that I am not having much in the way of sinus problems these days. All, due to the change in my diet and the cleanse.

Yippee!!
all for now, back later!

~Leslie

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Sunday, Day 13 of Candida Cleanse [17 Jul 2005|05:38pm]
[ mood | jubilant and soooo happy! ]
[ music | Salsa ]

Oh Happy day! I am able to play the guitar again for more than just 2 or 3 fumbly songs.

I played for an hour today, and although my fingertips are sore because I have no callouses built up yet, I am very happy and very excited!

I can look at and be around 'junk food' and nibbly foods (none of which are good for me, and are definitely not part of this cleanse) and shrug my shoulders and think "hmmmm", and pass right by without so much as a twinge of wanting them or craving them. That in itself is not only exciting to me, but amazing to me.

It seems as though for most of my life, from the time I was a teenager, I have been controlled by cravings, mostly for sweet things like chocolate and candy, but also for munchie things like chips and pretzels, etc.

In just 13 days on this Candida Cleanse, I am no longer controlled by cravings, I feel like I am truly in control, and I plan my meals and eat only those foods which are on this plan, and enjoy them. I am usually not hungry between meals, and if I am, it is because I haven't eaten all my lunch....then I can reheat it and finish it in the mid-afternoon.

In the evening I usually make popcorn for a snack, and occasionally a couple of rice cakes with almond butter.
It depends on if I am having a hungrier day or a regular day. I am very happy. My head is becoming clear, I don't have this constantly foggy brain, and I believe that my eyes are not so 'foggy' anymore either. Time will tell on that one. I just am amazed that the difference in how I feel with each new day. It is a subtle, gradual changing, and is terrific.

I am happy, and believe that the real me, the true me, the me that has been buried for so long, is emerging again. I feel like a flower that is opening up to the sunlight, or like I am finally awakening from a deep coma after years. That is how best I can describe it. I have been in a carb-induced coma for most of my adult life and I am waking up to a whole new life. My body is feeling different, lighter, better, younger, and I believe that the changes in my body will begin to be apparent to others in the not too distant future.

Life is so good, and just keeps getting better!

~Love,
Leslie