Hi Everyone,

Some of you may have read that I have candida and am on a strict diet -- no sugar or carbs, which means no fruit or starchy vegetables, either.

Baronster and her followers have made a connection between candida and KP, and sure enough, when I took the spit test, I tested positive for candida. I wasn't surprised, because I had many of the symptoms and already suspected it.

In my reading today, I came across this article which explains how sugar (and the carbs that break down into sugar) impair the immune system. If you wonder why you get colds a lot, or any other ailment that a healthy immune system would prevent, please read this article and check out the chart on page 2. It could mean the difference between a healthier winter or a winter with a lot of colds.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.org.uk/healthy-diet.html

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.org.uk/healthy-diet-2.html

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.org.uk/healthy-diet-3.html

kebod

Wow kebod.. thanks for taking the time to put that together for us! I'm taking a break from studying, so I think I'll check them out.. I'm sure they'll help me try to avoid the two or three colds I tend to get every winter

Hi everyone,

Well an update: I've been oil-pulling for 23 days now (with coconut oil), and it has definitely made a difference with the size of the bumps, and the texture of my arms. The bumps have gotten smaller, and my arms feel considerably smoother.

However, my bumps are very red, and it hasn't done anything for the redness. So still not able to wear t-shirts, etc.

I know I said I would do this a full month before starting any other kind of treatment, but three weeks will have to do because I started the candida diet today (I will still continue to do oil-pulling). Yesterday I met with my np and got the results back from my stool sample. It turns out I do NOT have candida albicans, but I do have another kind of yeast called geotrichum klebahanii. My np told me it's possible I have a mild-moderate case of LGS. Also, the levels of beneficial flora in my gut are low, while the dysbiotic ( = bad ) flora are high. So in addition to starting the anti-yeast diet, I have also been given some natural-source supplements to 1) kill the yeast and the bad bacteria (caprylic acid); 2) replenish the good bacteria (hmf); and 3) heal my intestinal wall (dgl). These are all naturopathic "meds", which I should be on for about 3 weeks.

Anyhoo, that's all the info for the moment. I'll definitely keep you posted with updates.

DtoB

DtoB,

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear you had some success with OP, and that you will continue with it. Molly's husband had the redness also. She said his bumps went away, but it took a long time for the redness. I'll check with her on this and let you know if he was ultimately successful with all the redness. Are there any other benefits you have noticed -- softer skin over-all, whiter teeth, etc.?

I'm on month 5 of the candida diet, so I can relate to you there. Good luck with your program. It sounds like you have a good doctor who knows what to prescibe, so you should do well. Caprylic acid is in coconut oil. Adding it to your diet by cooking with it will increase your caprylic acid intake. I ingest about 4-6 TB of coconut oil a day to help get rid of candida.

As your ND has probably told you, there are three cornerstones to being rid of candida: proper diet without carbs or sugars, killing off candida, and replacing bad bacteria with good ones.

Please let me know again how you are doing with OP and with candida.

kebod

How long will it take to see results and is peanut oil ok to use?

IRF,

Everyone is different, so I can't say how long it will take you to see results. For me, it took 3 weeks. Give oil pulling at least 30 days to see if it helps your skin, but you most likely will see other benefits before then.

No, don't use peanut oil. Peanuts are susceptible to mold contamination during growth and storage. Good oils to start with are sunflower or untoasted sesame. Look for them in a natural food store. The best oils are cold-pressed or expeller-pressed and organic.

I hope oil pulling helps you.

kebod

What is the latest assessment re oil pulling ? Has it really worked ? What of the demodex mite theory ?
I have severe KP rubra on my arms and legs which started only about a year ago but got bad rather quickly.

Ickybod,

Mostly, oil pulling helps diminish bumps but doesn't do much for the redness, though some here have reported less redness after oil pulling. After oil pulling for three weeks, my bumps lessened by 90-95%. My son reported about the same. Molly's husband (another poster here) said her husband's bumps were gone, and some, but not all, of the redness.

Basically, because some remedies work for some people but not for everybody, you will have to try it for yourself to see if it helps. Oil pulling helps with other areas also -- oral health, skin softness, menstrual comfort, and clear sinuses, to name a few.

I'm sorry I can't help you with your question about demodex, but why don't you go to the discussion where they are talking about it and ask there?

I hope you find something that works for you.

kebod

Hi Kebod,

It's hard to tell if there have been other benefits to the oil-pulling: I already had really good oral hygiene, and quite white teeth, so I haven't noticed any differences in that department. I have always had a problem, though, with the skin on my feet: it is rough, despite constant moisturizing, and peels a lot! Pretty embarrassing, and means I hardly ever wear sandals or flip flops. Since I started OP, it really seems like the skin peels aroung my toes, etc. is much less severe. That's the only other thing I can think of.

Everyone: So just nearing the end of my first week of the candida diet. Still doing OP for 20 minutes every morning. I was doing so great the first days - eating mostly fruits and veggies, some whole grains (no wheat), and fish. Then last night at a dinner party I had two glasses of wine, bread and cheese, and dessert wine.

Oh well, no point in beating myself up about it. I fell off the wagon for one evening, but I'm back on it again, taking all my various supplements that I described in my above post.

Kebod, I have a couple of questions for you. You said your candida was 90-95% gone just from OPing. Is the candida diet to get rid of the other 5%, or just for better overall health? Also, you've been on it for five months now, I imagine most of your candida has cleared - have you noticed a difference with your skin? Do you now have completely perfect, smooth, dream skin? What other effects have you noticed from five months on the diet? I'd love to know.

Thanks,
DtoB

DtoB,

You have candida on the brain (so do I, it seems to control everything I eat and drink and all my supplements). I said oil pulling cleared my KP by 90-95%.

The candida diet is to get rid of a candida overgrowth, something Baronster has linked to KP. It possibly is a cause of KP. Whether I had KP or not, candida overgrowth is a terrible thing to live with, affecting many bodily functions, and I want to get rid of it. If that means the end of my last remaining bumps, that will be icing on the cake.

Even though I've been on the candida diet for 5 months, I feel like I have a long way to go. It took me about 2-3 months to get really serious about the diet, meaning zero carbs. So really, I guess I shouldn't start counting the months until the diet got serious. I cheat a little several times a week. I just had one brown rice cracker. On the Bee Wilder diet, that is cheating.

No, I don't have completely smooth skin. I still have that remaining 5%. A lot of my candida symptoms have decreased, but I still have them in some form. Many web sites says it takes a month for every year you had candida to get rid of it. I think I have had candida for seven years, so I have prepared myself for seven months of this diet, longer if need be. I've surprised myself with my discipline (well, as long as you don't count the occasional rice cake). My husband is eating brownies, tortilla chips, guacamole, cheese, toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, cereal, milk, soy milk, bananas, and on and on, and I just ignore it all. When I "cheat", it's with something that isn't really that bad, like 2 tablespoons of walnut or a rice cake.

I hope someday to be able to tell you I don't have candida anymore and I don't have any bumps.

kebod

kebod, i have been oil pulling for about 5-6 days now and i already see a difference in my skin and breath i even feel that it takes away that grogy kind of feeling in the morning. and i have had no gagging experience at all. i have a couple of questions to ask you

1. Is is nessacary to rinse with salt water? does it help improve the process? or does it just cleanse the mouth?

2. I want to make sure my technique is right. Im basically using it as a mouth wash and swishing it between my teeth and around my cheeks, is that the way to do it?

Thank You.

NYKPhelp,

I'm so glad OP is helping you. I feel a lot more alert in the mornings, also. I was finally able to quit coffee and feel better for it.

1. No, it isn't necessary to rinse with sal****er, but it is recommended to make sure all mouth bacteria is rinsed out of your mouth. If you do a good mouth cleaning afterward, but don't have time for the sal****er rinse, I wouldn't worry about it. If you do rinse with sal****er, do a couple of gargles at the end. This will help keep winter colds away.

2. Yup, your technique is right. As long as you keep the oil moving slowly, that's all there is to it.

Please post again and let us know if you continue to have clearer skin.

kebod

Hello!

Has anyone had experience oil pulling with Hemp oil (good or bad)??

I wanted to try switching oils but would love to hear if anyone had feedback...

Thanks!!!

:-)

Always,

I've never tried hemp oil, but Molly uses it. She says it is very powerful and not for beginners. If you try it, please let us know what you think of it.

kebod

Hi everyone,

I just posted in the 'natural cure' thread, but just wanted to quickly update here to say that I have completed three weeks on the candida diet, and six weeks of OPing (I am still doing it for 20 minutes every morning). Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon three times (about once a week) on the diet. I plan to adhere to it very strictly between now and Christmas (a full month), give myself one day off at Christmas (I just know I won't have the willpower to resist my family's annual extravagant Christmas meal!), and then jump right back on the wagon on Boxer Day (the 26th).

The bumps have gotten a tiny bit smaller, I think, but there have been no major changes.

In any event, I will definitely keep you all posted on my progress. I am tempted to try the SeaBuckthorn oil soaps and body oils, but I want to do the candida diet first for several months to see how it affects me.

Well, that's it for now!

Cheers,
DtoB