Fibromyalgia

Last week I talked to you about the beginning of my healing journey – how it started with a Fibromyalgia diagnosis and how and why I chose to be treated the holistic way.
I had quite a big response to my last post and thank you so much for that. I’m opening up the comments on this post and the next and want to be as supportive as possible so fire away and I’ll answer. I want you to keep in mind that this is my journey. I can tell you what worked for me and what I believe and my own theories and ideas. I will stress over and over again –

Create a connection to your body in order to really know what works for you – your healing journey is unique.

♥ So, what happened next?

I explained to you that I was being treated at The London Fibromyalgia Clinic and had chosen a holistic route. This involved me having appointments with my doctor and a Nutritionist.
October 2002 – They tested my blood for everything. My Magnesium was way under (it feeds the muscular system so go figure) along with B12, Iron, Selinium – in fact my bloods came up a little like someone who was suffering from malnutrition. I would recommend you ask for tests at the very least on your Magnesium, Iron and Vitamin D.
For about a year I had Myers Cocktail treatments.  A Myers Cocktail (sounds cooler than it is) is a mix of Vitamin C, Magnesium, Minerals and B vitamins and is traditionally given intravenously. I had my first one via the drip,  Magnesium dilates the blood vessels so if you can imagine a feeling like fire being sent into your body via your veins then that’s a bit what it felt like. I switched to having the injections,  still an equally painful process but no fire burn! – My verdict? honestly it is hard to tell but I do feel that they gave me a boost – and along with the diet were part of my recovery.

♥ My Nutritionist  and the diet I was recommended.

It is thought that Systemic Candida / Leaky Gut is something that is behind Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and many other conditions (more on that below) and I was advised to go on a strict Anti Candida Diet. My nutritionist* advised me to follow the Anti Candida programme designed by Erica White and had her ‘Beat Candida Cook Book‘.

* I am not a nutritionist and would advise you seek diet advice first via a health professional.

However – If you are facing challenges, whether it be mind or body, then tuning in and eating for your symptoms won’t be a bad think and it might just be the best thing you ever do.

♥ What is Candida?

At this point (we are still in 2002) I had never heard of Candida and so this was my introduction and I’ll give you a brief one –
Candida is an organism living in your gut that can change from a yeast to a fungal form, it can penetrate the intestinal wall, I like to think of it as growing little hands and stretching outside the gut and into your system. It then is releasing metabolic toxins, and incompletely digested proteins into the blood stream. In an ideal world we have a balance in our gut and feel healthy and wonderful.

♥ Do I have it? and How can I test for a Candida overgrowth?

How might I know if I have Candida?

• If you’ve ever taken antibiotics more than a few times then it’s very likely. If you’ve been on long term antibiotics then I’d say it’s a sure thing. (Antibiotics sweep in and kill all the bacteria in the gut, including the good so you then get an imbalance). The last time I took an antibiotic (about 7 years ago) I was extremely ill after one tablet – all candida symptoms.
• If you’ve ever taken the contraceptive pill.
• If you’ve ever taken steroids in any form.
• If you have a poor diet, low nutrients and an abundance of sugar.

Symptoms of  Candida 

• On a small scale – digestive disturbances, skin conditions, yeast infections and sugar cravings.
• On a larger scale once it hits the blood stream – brain fog, lack of concentration, depression, aches and pains, sensitivity to smells and pollutants and many more.

How can I test for Candida?

• You can do an online questionnaire such as this one.
• Via a spit test – Put a fresh glass of water next to your bed at night and upon waking ‘spit’ into the glass. Leave the saliva to settle. If you have candida it will grow little strings down towards the bottom of the glass.
• Listen to your body – look at your symptoms.

♥ The Diet

If you search for this type of diet you will find many many variations and in different arrays of strictness. You are advised to follow the diet from between 4-8 weeks. I recommend 8 weeks for a really good cleanse. Think of it as an amazing detox for your entire system. It will also serve as an exclusion diet as after the cleanse you are then advised to slowly bring back in foods – when you reintroduce them back in your body will tell you what is ok and not.
The diet is created to starve the bad bacteria in your system to death. This involves removing all foods that feed it – primarily yeast and sugar. So think of this candida as something you are no longer going to ‘feed’.
On my diet I had to remove everything that was fermented and mold related, yeast, all sugars or sugar substitutes and all fruits (except apples, pears and kiwi), all stimulants (coffee, tea, alcohol), all processed foods, cows milk, cheese (I could still have probiotic yogurt and eggs), anything that grew ‘fluff’ so all nuts also, then mushrooms, vinegar etc. On my diet plan I was allowed to eat gluten (though not processed) which I did to start with but then cut out as It didn’t really agree with me. I believe my programme was a very strict one.
The cold hard truth
The diet has to be strict to work – you are killing off the bad bacteria so it can’t be a half hearted effort or there is no point doing it. So it doesn’t work if you have sugar once a week or decide you fancy a jar of marmite and then go back to the diet. It is all or nothing – for that cleansing period, and it is so worth it.

♥ Die off reaction

When the bad bacteria is dying there is a chance that you could get what they call a ‘die off’ reaction. I never really noticed this but it is essentially a reaction like what you may experience with any detox – or coming off a drug, a worsening of symptoms. If I had a pound for every time I had heard someone tell me that they ‘had to’ start eating sugar or having coffee again because they felt ill after a few days/weeks off it, I’d be rolling in cash. Sugar and Caffeine are drugs, so it’s highly likely, especially if you’ve been having a lot of them, that you notice the effects of not – and that is normal.
I will chat cravings with you in my next post – but I found the physical craving for sugar was gone after about 4 weeks max – the mental cravings however are what you need to work with!

♥ Supplements

Often with an anti-candida diet you are advised to do the cleanse (4 – 8weeks) and then take an anti fungal medication.  I was but wouldn’t take any meds and I found a natural anti-fungal called Candigest. I believe this also really helped me. This natural version apparently also lessens the ‘die off’ symptoms that I mentioned above. Years later I still sometimes take it to balance out my gut. I also hear good things about Prescript Assist.
Alongside the diet I took –

• Oregano tablets – a natural anti fungal
• Garlic tablets – a natural anti fungal
• Selinium tablets
• Chromium tablets – they help sugar cravings
• Iron
• Then I was having my Myers cocktails – when I finished I had Magnesium, B12, A multi vitamin, Vit C in tablets.

So, this is why I feel so strongly about my holistic choice and a belief that food is one of your biggest healers.
When I started this diet it was October 2002 and I was a broken girl, walking was a struggle and I was in so much pain. If you are new to this post then you will see part one here. People often ask me how I managed to stick to this diet and it was simple. I was desperate and literally down on my knees – I would have done anything.

Within a month on this diet I was 75% better.

My brain fog was the first to clear, like someone had vacuumed the inside of my forehead and I could think again. Everything was easier. No I wasn’t fully recovered but I was a completely different person.

This diet changed my life so much that I stayed on it, in it’s strictest form, for four years!

I now very sincerely believe that candida it can be a major contributor to everything from a headache to anxiety, from chronic pain to depression, from cystitis to fatigue. I would recommend anyone to do an anti candida cleanse and be very surprised if you don’t feel relief from some of your symptoms.

♥ How do I eat now?

Ok, so basically I was overjoyed with how food had healed me and so I just stayed on the diet and twelve years on I still stay very close to that original diet. I still don’t have yeast or anything fermented, gluten, cheese, coffee, anything processed, any additives. My diet is very clean and simple. In 2006 I reintroduced sugar and vodka (yes those were the two I picked – lol). There was a part of me that desperately needed to be ‘normal’ for a while and it was reflected in me diving into my career as a fashion designer and trying to drink and eat a little like ‘everyone else’.
It’s very clear to me that my health issues have been so I could help others and in late 2006 in popped my Autoimmune Thyroid Disorder waving hello to encourage me to keep on track with my healthy habits. In my present day I now eat to heal and nourish my thyroid (and yes I do take thyroxine – I hope one day to not have to – it’s a work in progress). Oh and of course what is one of the main foods you should avoid if you have an Autoimmune condition? yep you guessed it – Sugar.
As a sneak peek to my day to day right now – I can tell you, which I find very insightful and I will elaborate on next time (which I promise will be in a day or two) – is that if I eat too much sugar, in any of it’s forms (including any sweeteners – even the ones deemed ‘safe’ and even if I have too much fruit) – I get all those 2002 symptoms creeping back in with scary intent. If that doesn’t speak loud and clear to me then I don’t know what does. I am mindful, I do have sugar now, sometimes, but not all the time – I also don’t crave it.

♥ Should I do this diet?

First, go and see a holistic nutritionist. (If you are in London I can recommend Josie Beevers) Please also never come off any medications without support from your specialist. Know that even if you are on medications and that works for you, then combining holistic healing into your regime may give you added support. I have many clients that merge the two with great results. It’s all about what works for you and what feels right. Love your body.
My advice? – If you have Fibromyaglia or Chronic pain then looking at your diet could change everything, so why not? The same way I believe if you have any anxiety disorder then quitting sugar and stimulants is an absolute no brainer. Change is a challenge for many of us but It’s worth a shot – and there is so much help out there for you. Including me!

♥ “I can’t do it, it’s too hard”

I will go deeper into how of course you can you super human! next time, but one thought –
Do you know exactly what is truly hard and massively inconvenient for you? – being chronically ill! – It can be hard but it’s with a great intention and that can be your driving force.
The best thing – changing your diet is free. I genuinely do not think I would be sitting here as the person I am right now without having given it a shot.
The other great news is – 2014 is pretty much the greatest time in the history of EVER to be helping your symptoms via food! You will maybe have noticed that learning about and quitting Sugar is a big ‘thing’ right now and I’m so excited because it means that more of you can move ahead on your healing journey.
When I started my diet 12 years ago it was just me, myself and I and a very basic candida internet forum. I have to say in the past I felt really lonely and abnormal with my diet change. It made me feel like the biggest un fun loser on the planet and I didn’t have really any support systems aside from my family and my own stubborn will – which was however a power combo to get me by! Now it’s such a different story and I know so many awesome babes who are right here with me.
Which leads me to say that the support system that is out there for you is crazy amazing! The (literally zillions) wellness blogs that you have at your finger tips now – and oh boy, you have Sarah Wilson – who is an ever expanding source of inspiration