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It hit me like a TON OF BRICKS...as I was nursing my son the other day, I realized my supply has gone way too low over the course of these 17 days.  I said originally that if this affected my milk supply then I would have to "opt out" of this and unfortunately it has came to that :( It makes me sad, because honestly I didn't find this internal restoration to be hard for me. But what makes me even more sad is the thought that this could jepordize the ability for me to give my son the best nourishment possible for as long as I am able.

 It felt "normal" to eat without sugar, grains, dairy, fruit (that was probably the hardest).  I will be re-joining this commitment to myself once I am not nursing anymore.  I am certainly not going "hog wild" and eating junk food now.  For dinner tonight, I sauteed asparagus, red bell pepper, red onion and had 1/2 cup of wild and brown rice.  I am going to continue to post recipes and blog on health and nutrition so stay tuned if you feel inclined. :)  Thanks for understanding!  

Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple days.... Grass Fed Beef, tomatoes, zucchini, fresh basil

 Dairy Free, Grain Free, Sugar Free Brownies!

 Creamy Vegetable Soup!  This recipe was featured on our February Newsletter.

Comment below if you are interested in any of the recipes. :) 

Blessings,

Mindy 

WOW! Day 10 already? Seems pretty crazy!  A LOT has transpired in the last couple of days for me.  I have sought the advice of 4 different nutritionists about my journey.  A few days back, I noticed my milk supply had decreased,  I had lost 6 pounds since the start, and my energy was low. :(  So, I decided I needed to seek the advice of other health professionals.  Here's what I found:

After doing a questionnaire similar to this one http://www.yeastconnection.com/pdf/yeastfullsurv.pdf about whether I had a Candida overgrowth problem or not the conclusion was that I may have a mild case.  I was also told that now may not be the best timing for a strict candida diet because of the restrictions of the diet and calorie consumption.  Little E will take what he needs from me for food but then that leaves me completely depleted and could land me in a worse spot down the road.  BUT, and that is a big but, I will continue to stick to my 90 days of NO SUGAR, NO FRUIT (except berries & tomatoes), NO GRAINS, NO DAIRY!! I will continue with my supplement protocol and work on eliminating any overgrowth of Candida slowly and once I am done nursing I will dive in to the rest of the restrictions.  One thing that is important to understand and that I have been recently reminded of is that Candida is NOT the culprit.  It is normal to have it in our gut.  But there has to be a balance inside the intestines and if the Candida is in an overgrowth state, there is a balance issue that needs to be resolved.  

I'm excited about this.  To be perfectly honest with you, when I initially thought about doing this 90 day challenge, I never intended it to be a candida diet.  However, when I processed it in my mind I equivocated NO SUGAR to "then it must be a candida diet".  I am not aware of why I did this as I knew it was false.  It is actually a great thing for EVERYONE to eliminate the processed sugar, grains, flours out of their diet no matter what.  

On my 90 days I will be recording what foods agree with me and which ones do not.  Which foods give me energy, make me gassy, bloated, drowsy, alert? This is a great learning experience for me.  Even though I am a healthy eater, by most people's standards, there are different levels to health and understanding the foods that we put into our mouth and what they do to our bodies.  

Bring on Day 11! :))  Please leave comments or questions below if you are following me on my journey :) 

Blessings,

Mindy 

Let's focus on Internal Restoration!!

This has been my point off the start! Bring the body back to balance using a holistic approach and changing my diet.  It's a Eat to Live mentality rather than a Live to Eat.  The last week has been an eye-opener for me.  It's been fabulous! I feel Great when I supply my body with the whole foods it desires and deserves!

Here are a couple of my meals that I made the last few days.  Comment below and I will get you the recipe. :))

The Zuchinni "noodles" :)

 The finished product! It was DELISH!

 Cabbage, Kale, Onions & Chicken :)

 Homemade Almond Butter. This keeps me sane! It is so creamy and delicious and so good for you!

Cheers to week 2!

Blessings,

Mindy 

My Purpose...

I have to admit, I'm going a little crazy.  As I type this I am starring at books and websites loaded with information about Candida!  They all seem to have a little different spin on the diet and how to rid the overgrowth of Candida which is making me looney! I remember I had this very issue the last time I did a Candida diet.... Well, this website says I can have berries.....But this website says NO berries.....This book says to eliminate legumes.....but this site says legumes are okay to eat!!!! AHHH!! It's driving me bonkers, mostly because I am a Black and White kinda girl! Give me the facts. Don't be wishy washy, ya know what I mean?

Many have asked me the reason I even chose to do a Candida diet anyway.  Well the answer is very simple.  I think it's a great idea to cleanse at least 4 times a year.  After the birth of our son, we had the pleasure of friends bringing us meals and meals - which was a God send!  However, it took me on a long road of eating foods I wouldn't normally eat and the sugar indulgences began!  Oh, how sugar loves me. I must admit I do have a sweet tooth so it's important for me to keep it at bay.  Candida is natural to have in your intestines, but when you eat unhealthily, crave sugar to get you by...let's just say I felt it was necessary to do the diet.  So here I am, and a bit lethargic I might add,just to be completely honest.  The last couple of days has been a little rough with keeping up my calories.  The most important reason why I need to keep my calories high, is that I am still nursing our sweet baby.  His ability to have my breast milk far outweighs the ability for me to do this cleanse.  If I feel like the cleanse is negatively affecting my ability to make great milk for my baby, I will have to put aside the cleansing until after I am done nursing. 

So, in the next couple of days and throughout the weekend, I will be researching more in depth the foods I am allowed to have or what I am allowing myself to eat!  It's a fine balance and one that is individual.  What might be good for me, may not be so great for so and so.

It's time for this mama to go to bed.  Sweet dreams!

Blessings,

Mindy 

Day 2

Not going to lie, this morning was rough! I woke up at 5 am with lots of sweating, heart a pounding and chills.  After about an hour, I was fine again!  I gave my body lots of good food today! It was surprisingly easy!  Lunch consisted of red onion and green and red bell peppers sliced thinly.  I added some oregano and chicken to it! Yummy! :) Dinner consisted of a roma tomato chopped up, fresh basil, zucchini and chicken.  I also steamed some broccoli. :)  Of course I snacked throughout the day every couple of hours and had a total of 4 shakes for protein and added nutrients.  Leave a comment below to let me know you are following. I also can share recipes if you are interested, just ask. :)  

 Blessings,

Mindy