Re: Zoebess -- A Million Thanks

You are welcome...ggg...

There is life as you remember it, waiting for
you down the road. A candida overgrowth is not
the end of life as you know it. I drink wine,
and eat ice cream and enjoy mushrooms. I just
have more awareness now of keeping balance and
working to achieve optimal function. I needed
to be strict with myself just as I would be
strict with my child whose life depended on
my choices for her. My inner child had taken
over and I allowed myself to make choices which
I actually did not realize were not the best for
me. Now, with MUCH more education and awareness,
I CAN and do make choices which say YES to me.

As you shed old habits which no longer serve you,
you will gain new habits which say YES to you
and which improve the quality of your life.
You will find you have the energy and the peace
of mind to make these choices too.

A good example of how I have balanced the desire
to eat sweets and ice cream is that once in a
blue moon, I eat ice cream, usually with others.
When I am by myself, I have baked goods, for
example, one recipe I love is for coconut bread
which uses 1/3rd cup of raw Sugar for two loaves
of bread. It takes a little more time to make for
myself but I know that if I eat something I find
on a shelf in the store, I am getting a lot more
chemicals and additives which may destroy all the
hard work I have done to bring myself back into
balance. I enjoy dried fruit much more now. Even
a piece of raw coconut can be soooo tasty.

I can recommend educating yourself on the benefits
of coconut oil. You need to go slow as it
does help with a yeast overgrowth and so die-off
can be an issue, but one other thing I had realized
in my educating myself was that I had so bought into
the LOWFAT or NOfat myth that I had deprived myself
of essential oils. I use coconut, hemp and olive
oil primarily with sunflower and sesame. Sesame for
oil-pulling, which if you have not investigated, is
another grand way to improve your health.
Here is a short list of the best info from the
coconut forum which I highly recommend you reading~~

//www.curezone.org/forums/s.asp?f=299&ob=d&c=2

And yeah, it can be overwhelming and seem confusing
since there is a lot of information and more than
one way to approach a health issue and yet, that is
the beauty of it. You have options, and many are
forgiving...you feel like you are detoxing too quickly,
back off a little. Herbal methods are more like eating
foods and so your body is sometimes more or less
hungry for herbs. Just like a dog knows to go eat
grass when they need it, you do not see them munching
grass every day. They are better at reading their
bodies than we are. We need to become more in tune
with what we need and how we react to different
methods and detoxing. You will get really good at
juggling and when you arrive there, I hope you smile
and realize that you have passed a point of no return
where feeling good/better is worth so much more than
the temporary taste sensation and brain buzz of that
Twinkie or bag of potato chips. Now, when I crave
something salty and oily, I will cut up some potatoes,
mix with some coconut oil and herbamare spice and
bake them in the oven for a taste treat. Again all
my body craves without any of the chemicals of the
store bought version. My brain is also just as happy
with a spoon of coconut oil. I was amazed to find
that a spoon of oil really does stop cravings and that
it was the oil I *needed* and once I fed myself it,
my appestat and cravings shut off. So, I am still
learning too and very grateful for it.

I found there were non-alcoholic beers and wines
that are satisfying for special occasions while doing
your candida diet. Better yet, I became an expert at
making teas seem special to me. I like serving them
cold in a wine glass, with 5-7 drops of stevia, or
hot with a spoon of raw organic honey. Very often it
is the habit of rewarding ourselves which we really
"hunger" for. Replacing those habits with other habits
which are also healthier choices can make a huge difference.
Even my friends are content to drink a goblet of tea
with me which is huge since you would think you miss
the alcohol but its more the bonding of sharing the
ritual of drinking something together. My friends that
do drink offer me water now with the same enthusiasm
they used to offer me wine and beer, so progress and
sweet feelings continue...

Some days it may feel too like two steps forward and
one back. That is still progress and so keep forging
ahead. Look at it as the trip that begins with a single
step and enjoy yourself.

One last little story...ggg...since I struggled with
eating from boredom, a nibbler who would go into the
kitchen for another single bite of leftovers or a
handful of potato chips. So, I made the choice to
"close" my kitchen at 7 in the evening. I actually
put chairs across the doorway. HA~! I ran into those
chairs so many times it was hilarious since I was not
even aware I was headed to the kitchen until I had
actually stumbled into the chairs. This trick did the
trick and I persevered long enough with that tactic to
finally understand how I was sabotaging myself using
food to numb emotions I did not wish to deal with.

Be developing a list of coping skills, I took my focus
of "using" food for the wrong reasons and shifted
it into ways of comforting and healing myself which
were easier, cheaper, and more fulfilling. For example,
a walk and a hot bath really do make you feel better
than that last piece of pizza at 9 oclock at night...ggg.

Best wishes for your healing adventure~!

be happy, be well,
Zoe

-_-



Quick Coconut Bread

4 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour from health food store)
1/3 cup Sugar (I use raw)
2 teaspoons baking powder (non-aluminum kind)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup canned or fresh coconut milk or plain milk
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated unsweetened coconut (find at health food store)
1 cup currants or raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Blend in egg, milk, butter and vanilla. Mix in the grated coconut and the raisins.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead slightly. Shape into two leaves and pat into 2 buttered medium loaf pans.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.