Thus It IS Time........

To get serious about the food I am taking in. I have gained back almost 5lbs of my precious 15lb loss. I feel better after just two days of watching not completely but a bit my food intake. I have 10 more lbs I need to lose for optimal weight range, diabetes minimization, and lung functioning. After some more research I am pretty positive I have candiasis. The green smoothies I have been drinking HAVE been wonderful. Oh yeah and that diabetes thing? Last week my fasting blood sugar random check was 122 YIKES I was freaked out about that and this week it is 158 I did eat junk while laying in bed after not making time for an appropriate dinner. I dont normally see 158 during the day so this is bad bad BAD. Time to get serious.

Updates to follow.

Oh and after a lab snafu last week I should be going to get my lab tests for candiasis this week, I have tried not to change much so they would still hold true but I have been drinking the green smoothies for a couple weeks which really get digestive/elimination system working sooooo not sure how that will pan out on the fecal test.

Candida-spit test-lab test-doctor opinion

Ok so an update. I did the spit test below and mine looked exactly like the picture below. Then because I am a scientist and skeptic at heart I had hubby do it and his spit immediately spread out across the surface of the water and then dissolved into the water within 10 minutes or so. Thus hubby was my negative control. I did not get mucous in the cup but I do reckognize that a CF'ers spit could be different perhaps because of CF and not candida. I made an appointment with my doctor and went yesterday, our discussion is below.

Here's a simple test you can do at home to determine whether you have Candida. (ok I have no idea how valid this is I am just reposting from here:http://www.thecandidadiet.com/testingforcandida.htm)


1. When you get up in the morning, and before you brush your teeth, eat or drink anything, fill a glass with bottled water at room temperature.
2. Spit some saliva gently into the glass.
3. Come back every 20 minutes for the next hour and check for some of these tell-tale signs of Candida:

- 'Strings' coming down through the water from the saliva at the top
- Cloudy saliva sitting at the bottom of the glass
- Opaque specks of saliva suspended in the water

My family doctor is a nurse practicioner who also practices in wholistic medicine I am unsure on her background but she always wears a turbans on her head. She was interested in what I had to say and admitted it is HIGHLY plausible I may have to battle candida because of extensive antibiotic and steroid use, throw in my fertility treatments and GERD and you have yourself a perfect recipe for candidiasis. Not saying i hvae it just that I have alot risk factors.

She said we could just try the treatment and see if it made a difference in how I felt or go through the expense of testing, I chose testing. She warned me NOT to change my diet before testing so FYI. She said about 6 years ago the 'fad' was that everyone had candiasis and now the gluten fad is in and just starting up is the histamine sensitivity fad. She talked about some DO's we have in our area she was disapointed with because they seem to follow the fads and 'everyone' will have this, that or the other. This is part of the reason I like her because she seems well balanced between Eastern and Western medicine.

She warned me that the problem with diagnosing alot of inflammation related items among others (think ABPA diagnosis) is that there is a wide range. So essentially if my numbers are sky high (which I think they will be) you can be pretty sure of candida, if they are super low you can pretty much rule it out, anywhere in the middle and its hard to say. One other thing she mentioned is if my numbers for IGg,b,a were previously checked by my CF doctor we could get a good feel for if they had dramatically escalated over time but were still within a high normal range that may be indicative.

SO tomorrow I will get the following tests done: (I added in the mays)

Blood Test

An Anti-Candida Antibodies test. There are 3 antibodies that should be tested to measure your immune system's response to Candida - IgG, IgA, and IgM. High levels of these antibodies MAY indicate that an overgrowth of Candida is present.

Stool Analysis
Your stool is directly analysed for levels of yeast, pathogenic bacteria and friendly bacteria.

Urine Tartaric Acid Test
This test detects tartaric acid - a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth. An elevated test MAY mean an overgrowth of Candida.

A number of years ago a friend of mine was having alot stomach problems. She cultured H.pylori and despite antibiotics was continuing to have alot of problems. They analyzed her stool and found high levels of yeast and only 2/3 main 'good' bacteria and high acid. They also found she was allergic to sugar and milk. She has been doing a MELY rotational diet for years and does really well.

Reading Update

Reading:
Bondage Breaker & Study Guide
Lamb
Power Praying Wife
Green For Life
Smoothie Revolution
The Greatest Words Ever Spoken

Next Up:
Purpose Driven Life - Warren
Guerrilla Marketing in 3o Days
Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army form the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender

Read:
Hiding Place -Corrie Ten Boom
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to.....

Harriete Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad
Taming the Nueces Strip - Durham
The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause-Ambrose
5 Love Languages - Gray
Power Praying Wife - Omartin
Dare to Discipline - Dobson
123 Magic
When Bad Things happen to Good People - Kuhner
Scientist in the Crib--Science meets how babies brains work--this just interests me
Happiest Toddler on the Block
Millionaire Next Door - Stanley
Love Dare
Home Safe Home (alternatives to toxic laden household products)

'One of these Days'
Skinny Bitch in the Kitchen (wholistic eating)
Omnivore's Dilemma
Power Spoken Word
Power Spoken Tongue
Sacred Marriage
Butekyo Breathing Shut your Mouth
The surrendered Wife-Neumans
"Better' - Atu Guande
Woman Power - Schlessinger
Priceless - Ramsey
Proper Care and Feeding Marriage - Schlessinger
QBQ - Miller
Raising Girls - Dobson
DNA of relationships-

Gene action could be key to diabetes prevention, cure

Gene action could be key to diabetes prevention, cure


By Liz Jones Comment
Forward


PFKFB3, a gene often studied by cancer researchers, has been linked to the metabolic inflammation that leads to diabetes. And understanding how it works means scientists could find ways to prevent or cure diabetes, according to a study by Texas AgriLife Research appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Dr. Chaodong Wu, AgriLife Research nutrition and food scientist at Texas A&M, worked with a team of researchers to identify the gene as a regulator for metabolism, which plays a vital role in the development of diabetes. Wu, who co-authored the study with the University of Minnesota's Dr. Yuqing Hou, says this information will help the team collaborate with nutritionists to identify what changes or supplements in a diet will activate the gene to prevent or stop the progression of diabetes.

Wu noted that while it is a major health concern in the U.S., obesity does not necessarily cause diabetes to develop. Rather, metabolic inflammation causes or exacerbates the disease, prompting the team to take a look at PFKFB3 to determine how the inflammation begins. "First we will need to identify what effective compounds will trigger the gene to regulate metabolism," Wu said. "Then we need to determine what combinations within foods are more effective."

Full Article: http://www.jbc.org/content/early/2009/11/30/jbc.M109.058446.full.pdf

Epigenetics: We are what our mother's eat?

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/14/AR2009121402894.html

Two mice. One weighs 20 grams and has brown fur. The other is a hefty 60 grams with yellow fur and is prone to diabetes and cancer. They're identical twins, with identical DNA.


What is epigenetics? So what accounts for the differences?

It turns out that their varying traits are controlled by a mediator between nature and nurture known as epigenetics. A group of molecules that sit atop our DNA, the epigenome (which means "above the genome") tells genes when to turn on and off. Duke University's Randy Jirtle made one of the mice brown and one yellow by altering their epigenetics in utero through diet. The mother of the brown, thin mouse was given a dietary supplement of folic acid, vitamin B12 and other nutrients while pregnant, and the mother of the obese mouse was not. (Though the mice had different mothers, they're genetically identical as a result of inbreeding.) The supplement "turned off" the agouti gene, which gives mice yellow coats and insatiable appetites.

Candida

So I'm racking my brain trying to figure out why the sudden increse in inflammation lately for me. I'm not one to just take 'oh you are getting worse' lying down. I am a scientist at heart and am always looking for the 'big why'. I enjoy testing hypothesis and doing research so I'm the perfect person to have CF I suppose. Someone suggested candida overgrowth as a possible suspect.

Here is a good site I found: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/index.htm

My general doctor is a FNP with other certifications in homeopathic medicine so I have no doubt she will do the testing for me. I have a CF appt on thursday and an ENT appointment on friday. Hopefully I can get in to her the following week since next week is so full with work stuff and appointments.

In a nutshell 8 years ago I had allergy test done and I was allergic to like 6 things I had it repeated 3 years ago by the SAME doctor and it was 51/51. I took allergy shots at maintenance dose for 1.5 years and suddenly last year reacted to my allergy shots badly 3 times and now cant take a normal dose. I now have sinus headaches since the summer time all the TIME despite more use on nasal sprays, sinus rinses, dehumidifers, humidifiers, air purifiers, you name it. Hence the ENT appointment to rule polyps or something out but I get a pretty easy rinse so we shall see. I also see huge changes when I do elimination diets with processed foods. I have alot of intestinal issues despite being PS I get very gassy too. I am getting headaches and migraines all the TIME lately despite not being stressed, migraines in addition to the sinus headaches. I am also so so so tired in the mornings I have such a hard time getting up and around. I have invested in a tongue scraper my tongue is always coated white. I have been having a really hard time with my hormones since having my daughter and an even harder time with my hormones and emotions since doing fertility treatments again this year.

All of these things were before I knew anything about candida and then I read about it based on a recommendation from dramama aka Mandy and whammo it hits me like a load of bricks. This happens the same week a frined of mine goes to the BORN clinic. I look up info on BORN and again whammo like a load of bricks so many things make sense!

On to look at some of the info on candida.

Now lets see common things it can cause or that will worse (bold ones I have):

•Allergies and allergy symptoms, chemical sensitivities.



•Anxiety, Hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder.


•Avoiding food helps to alleviate symptoms.

•Chronic inflammation and irritation of the eye and conjunctivae.

•Diarrhea, chronic gas, and abdominal cramps alleviated by bowel movements, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.


•Extreme lethargy.

•Eye fatigue.

•Facial rash.

•Frequent urination.


•Frequent yeast infections in women.


•High sugar or mold foods drastically increase symptoms.


•Hives.

•Inflammation of the hair follicles (candidiasis folliculitis) of various parts of the body (feet, legs, arms).


•Lactose intolerance.

•Muscle weakness and bone pain.

•Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

•Panic attacks.


•Psoriasis/seborrheic dermatitis/dandruff, dry, itchy skin.

•Rectal itching.

•Sinus problems.

•Swollen lips/face.

•Symptoms worse after waking.


•White tongue and a white coating.
 
Abdominal pain - sometimes confused with IBS

Fatigue - you struggle to get up in the mornings

Joint pain - sometimes confused with arthritis

Weight gain - very resistant to dieting

Fungus - on your fingernails, or athlete's foot


Hmmm and I took a little quiz thing about your risk factors and got 18/20 I didnt say yes to #3 though part of the reason I am looking at all of this is something just feels 'off' about my body for the past year or so something is not right and it started back 2 years ago when I left my original CF clinic over changes in my health.


1. Have you taken repeated or prolonged courses of antibacterial drugs?


2. Have you been bothered by recurrent vaginal, prostate or urinary infections? 3

3. Do you feel "sick all over," yet the cause hasn't been found? 2

4. Are you bothered by hormone disturbances, including PMS, menstrual irregularities, sexual dysfunction, sugar craving, low body temperature or fatigue? 2

5. Are you unusually sensitive to tobacco smoke, perfumes, colognes and other chemical odors? 2

6. Are you bothered by memory or concentration problems? Do you sometimes feel "spaced out"? 2

7. Have you taken prolonged courses of prednisone or other steroids; or have you taken "the pill" for more than 3 years? 2

8. Do some foods disagree with you or trigger your symptoms? 1

9. Do you suffer with constipation, diarrhea, bloating or abdominal pain? 1

10. Does your skin itch, tingle or burn; or is it unusually dry; or are you bothered by rashes? 1

BORN Clinic

I had been thinking about going to the BORN clinic for hormonal reasons but when I found out the extent of what they do I was very interested. They basically combine western and eastern medicine and to a preventative holistic care program. They do a hormone/vitamin/allergy/inflammation testing thing I am VERY interested in. Problem today I found out they dont take insurance--hopefully I can submit claims for reimbursement we shall see.

I will be calling them today if I get a chance to break away from work to find out more details. Anyway while looking over their site I found the 1st testimony below and it kind of 'sealed the deal' at least on calling. Also the fact that my friend that just had the testing was told that she has scary low vitamin D levels (sound familiar anyone) that she has candida in her stomach which is causing allergies and inflammation---hmmmmm. She will be put on a rotational diet and yeast elimination program in addition to more diflucan which by itself has never worked. So, are you reading this Mandy.....sounds like you are one smart cookie with your hypothesis for me!

http://www.bornclinic.com/Home/tabid/935/Default.aspx

November 10, 2009


I am 74 years old and have had COPD for over 30 years as well as allergies. I was told there was no cure—that it was a progressive disease that they would try to slow the progression and treat the symptoms.

When I came to Born Clinic, I was designated end-stage COPD and was taking prednisone, which was losing its effect and would have to be increased. I was receiving palliative care that would transfer to hospice as my condition worsened.

Since treatment at the Born Clinic, I am no longer considered end-stage. Where I only could walk slowly, I now can go at a fast pace. I have lots of energy. My exhalation has improved and the lung inflammation has immensely improved.

NOTE: I have only been coming to the Born Clinic since September 6, 2009—just over two months!

Are you taking a shower with MAC & Others?

We are in process of getting a new hot water heater, ours is very old so these caught my eye. Hubby has been lobbying for a tankless water heater and I think these just pushed me over the edge! The tankless ones are more energy efficient since they are not continually heating water, they are more powerful so they heat it as it is needed.

So the below articles bring to mind a question of how hot can we heat our water with a tankless unit and since its just the water going through the pipes and not sitting in a tank how hot is ideal?

More research to come on that but here is a good article to start:.

http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/tankless_hwh_6.htm

The three variables that have to be considered in sizing and selecting the unit include:


•The volume of water the unit is required to heat, measured as flow rate (GPM).

•The temperature of the cold water entering the unit (this varies by where in country you are)

•The desired temperature of the hot water exiting the unit.
 
 
A tankless water heater is sized by rating its temperature rise at a given GPM.
 
 
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/50fe20a5a5376631bbad2024f89b02c0.html

50 showerheads from nine cities in seven states that included New York City, Chicago and Denver. They concluded about 30 percent of the devices harbored significant levels of Mycobacterium avium,

During the early stages of the study, the CU team tested showerheads from smaller towns and cities, many of which were using well water rather than municipal water. "We were starting to conclude that pathogen levels we detected in the showerheads were pretty boring," said Feazel, first author on the study. "Then we worked up the New York data and saw a lot of M. avium. It completely reinvigorated the study."


In Denver, one showerhead in the study with high loads of the pathogen Mycobacterium gordonae was cleaned with a bleach solution in an attempt to eradicate it, said Pace. Tests on the showerhead several months later showed the bleach treatment ironically caused a three-fold increase in M. gordonae, indicating a general resistance of mycobacteria species to chlorine.


http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37933/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__The_Case_for_Very_Hot_Water


What DOE and other energy-conservation sites don’t point out is that 140 ºF will kill a number of potentially lethal waterborne organisms, like the ones responsible for Legionnaire’s disease and NTM, short for nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. In contrast, 120º provides a nurturing environment for such toxic microbes

What the microbiologist found: The DNA fingerprint of the bacteria responsible the woman’s lung disease “is the same as the mycobacterium in her hot water, cold water and her showerhead.”

The same essentially also occurs in home plumbing. Once piping or water heaters become infected, residual populations of germs take up permanent residence — usually in biofilms. Later, when the flow of water through plumbing is high, such as during a long shower, bits of biofilm can break loose from surfaces, seeding the water with germs. Some cells will readhere to the inside of piping — or your showerhead. Others will just fly out the faucet.

The question now: Will the risks from contaminated plumbing systems diminish if we raise water-heater temperatures back up into the 140 °F range. No test of that has yet been conducted, although Falkinham is itching to start one.



 

I think dairy is out

just a quick note to say I will have to expand on this later but I think dairy is out or very minimal in my diet from here out. I did the only fruit/veggie/grain thing and then this week have added back in dairy. I have never been able to 'like' milk but do love yogurt cheese etc. So this week I added it back in an abundance to see if it woudl have an effect what it woudl be.......

more productive cough, from almost non productive to a thicker, always in back of your throat cough, like post nasal drainage but hard to explain. I *believe* I even feel more tight but I am also tapering from steroids.

I have always had an aversion to milk and I believe that was my body 'knowing'. We shall see I dont want to jump to conclusions but Ihonestly had 10% belief there would be any difference let alone this significant, now I will start taking it back out to test my theory.

I still have not added back in meat, rpocessed sugars etc so I can keep the effects separate.