Ok, so I'm not going to start all this with my entire back story-mainly because I don't remember everything- but will give a couple details to get the ball rolling. First off, this is going to be my log for my progress during my candida diet. I've done a lot of research and unlike some other threads I've read, I'm going to do everything in the order it's supposed to be done in for the amount of time it's supposed to be done for. I honestly believe that's a big part of why people struggle so much. Either they don't follow the directions exactly or they give up too early.

So what got me to this point...well unlike a lot of people I was actually really lucky in high school when it came to my skin. I never had any issues until I was 19, almost 20, and my battle has been very off and on since that point. I do believe my struggles are somewhat hormonal, but like a lot of gals my blood tests have always come back "normal." Whatever that means! 😉 So after reading a lot of posts on acne.org I have decided to do a candida cleanse. I've been on antibiotics and birth control on and off for the past 3 1/2 years and I really just believe my body will benefit from getting a fresh start. Ultimately I want to get to a point where any issues I do have, be they hormonal or not, can be maintained naturally. So my plan of action is as follows:

Monday June 27th- start cleanse

My cleanse will be for 7 days. Two or three times a day I will drink a detox drink that consists of water, psyllium husk powder and bentonite clay. Each night before bed I'll drink a liver flush that consists of water, extra virgin olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Between detox drinks for the first couple days I'm only going to eat raw salads and steamed veggies, but for the last 4 or 5 days (depending on how I feel) I'm going to try to just drink fresh veggie juice that I juice myself or a veggie broth that I make myself. I'm going to listen to my body though and not starve myself if I'm craving actual food (ie salads or steamed veggies)

Monday July 4th- Start Step 1: Detox

The detox stage will last me two weeks. During this phase I will only eat veggies, protein, certain nuts and seeds, certain grains, herbs and oils during cooking, and I will only drink water and certain herbal teas. Food I will be avoiding: starchy vegs like carrots and potatoes. Smoked, canned, or processed meats. Peanuts and pistachios. ALL fruits. Alcohol. Coffee and most tea. Glutenous foods like wheat, rye, oats and barley, spelt products. Sugars. Condiments. Mushrooms. Nuts high in mold. Certain oils like canola and peanut.

Monday July 18th- Start Step 2: Elimination

This stage will last me 4 weeks. I'll reintroduce certain foods that have been banned during the previous 3 weeks. I'll monitor myself for any negative reactions to foods as I reintroduce them. I will also start an anti-fungal regimen to further help with the candida.

Monday August 15th- Start Step 3: Repopulation

This last stage is ongoing. During this time you can reintroduce most foods to your diet but you should still avoid sugars, processed foods and drinks, bad fats, etc. The idea is to continue with the healthy diet for the rest of your life.

This is going to be a lengthy process and there will be trial and error I'm sure, but hopefully I will get good results out of my efforts. I'll also be taking supplements and probiotics. I recently had my vitamin levels checked (D, B vitamins, Zinc, etc) and all my levels were ok. B6 was a little high but not to be alarmed. I'm still going to take my multivitamin during this process, but towards the end will consider eliminating it since I should get most of my nutrients from what I eat.

This is a very basic overview of what I'm going to do, but I will certainly post more specifics as I journey with each stage. I have done a considerable amount of research but I don't want to post everything because that would make this outrageously long and nobody likes to read forever : ) So if there are ever any questions about anything I'll be happy to answer them!

Lots of love!