I have been trying to be 100% raw since January. I have been more successful than in the past. I've been 75-90% raw for twelve years. In spite of this, I have not overcome Candida that I've been aware of having for 14 years,and in fact, I have developed so many allergies that I can hardly eat anything at all. In addition I have serious signs of deficiency. Candida has been eating away at my teeth/gums causing visibly receding gums. This is one of the reasons for my lack of success with raw. As it has not worked,and my symptoms scare me (I can See my gums receding after being covered in thrush), I am convinced that I need something more, especially as I read in many places that gum recession and dental and bone deficiency is not uncommon for the raw foodist. But ultimately, I have faith in raw foods like I have in nothing else, so I keep trying, thinking I amjust not doing it well enough.

Currently, having reached the end of my rope once again with worsening Candida symptoms rather than improving, I have vowed to juice fast for at least 40 days. I have only made it two weeks in the past --that was the most beneficial thing for Candida ever tried, however, I couldn't go more time than that and I was so disappointed that it didn't completely eradicate the problem that I have not been able to even fast that long again since (what's the point if it doesn't work and I can't do it for longer?). This was a little over a year ago. I've fasted a lot since then and I've since January been trying to be raw, as stated above. I usually last about a week and then eat something cooked (like yoghurt or cheese -- thinking i need the bacteria and calcium etc.-- fear, receding gums etc.). Anyway, in spite of this, almost inexplicably, my symptoms have gotten much worse all of a sudden. I almost don't know what I've eaten wrong, because I was going along fine and all of a sudden I was just having majorly serious symptoms such as I haven't had in eleven years, when my condition was at its worst.

So, in deep despair, I've determined I must fast 40+ days and succeed this time. I am in desperate need of support and encouragement. It would be very encouraging if anyone has successfully overcome Candida with raw foods and fasting. I've been looking all over the internet and have found no such thing. I hear reports of all sorts of ailments being conquered by raw foods and fasting, but not this one. Anyone done this??? Actually, I did talk to someone who apparetnly had Candida and overcame it with raw foods, but she apparently didn't have it nearly to the extent I do. She was able to eat fruit, no problem, and quickly saw her symptoms disappear. In fact, I tried this,just going raw and eating fruit again (I'd stayed away from fruit for far too many years). I suspect it is part of why I have gotten much worse all of a sudden, but only part of it. As long as I was ALL raw, in the beginning after my fast, fruit was really no problem. In fact, it seems to only be a problem when I also eat cooked foods. But all of this aside, I was all raw and it wasn't causing a problem, and suddenly I couldn't tolerate it, or hardly anything else, raw or not, at all.

Any support or insight would be greatly appreciated.

I read the book 80-10-10 Diet. The author wrote that candida is really problem on a high fat diet. Many raw-foodist eats very high fat diet because they use nuts and avocado a lot. Once if the fat intake lowered (10% permanently or even less for the first couple weeks) the candida can go away within weeks.
Now, I just got into this so I don`t have much experience. There are people on this forum, who has more knowledge, or you can visit the vegsource.com site click on raw & sport/Dr.Graham forum. Those people practicing 80-10-10 have some experience with candida.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2008 02:47AM by Lejla.

I believe I did heal my candida with raw foods. I was self-diagnosed after not ever hearing the word candida until after my first 40 day juice fast. My tongue was still coated white and I was told by a nutrionist friend it could've been the culprit. I did the spit test and sure enough I seemed to have some of the symptoms. I healed my candida by water fasting, juice fasting, eating/drinking plenty of greens and remaining 100% raw. It took a full year of dedication to completely wipe it out. No two bodies are alike, but this is what worked for me. I completely eliminated raw treats and stuck to grapefruit and oranges for sweet fruits. My body simply wanted greens for at least 2-3 months. One day I woke up and my tongue was bright pink. I now have no problem eating fruits of any kind. I think it's possible to heal it, but you have to dedicate yourself to 100% raw vegan for it work. Eating cheese and yogurt is not going to cut it. Know what I mean?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2008 03:25AM by rawangel.

[www.fredericpatenaude.com]

I think its a little more complicated than he explains here... but the raw food diet will heal your candida affliction over time. There is much detox to do.

oh yeah... and yes I did over come candida. However I am sure if I go SAD again it will come right back.

I've talked with someone who went raw and it took a whole year on 100% raw, i think. i'm not sure exactly what she did but i know it took her a whole year and she got very thin.

she gained her weight back though I am sure... probably had to detox alot

Thanks everyone! Rawangel, this is so very encouraging, and then again, not so much. I mean, I went a year not being able to even do a two week fast again, because it wasn't good enough and yet it was as long as I could do it, long as I had enough discipline and willpower for. But knowing what I have gone through, I know it is something just like this that I must do. I always have known. It's just been upsetting and I have again, been unable to do it. Fortunately however, I have ever been moving closer, and now I think I can do it. I have enough determination, and it so helps to know what it takes. I mean, no two bodies are the same, but that is what I meant in noting that honestly, I've tried lots of things that others have succeeded with,and nothing has worked for me (except fasting). So, yes, I figure I just have it deeply ingrained enough to need to do this for a long time. Now, i will not expect to be able to overcome it in less than a year, and so if it happens in less time, that will be a bonus.

Rawangel, your first 40 day juice fast, was it all green? I think an all green juice fast is unusual, but certainly what I did on my two week fast, and yes, by the end of two weeks, I was sooo sick of green juice. Thanks again for sharing what you did. Something similar is what I have felt the need to do. Doing it is another story. I am only on day 5 of a juice fast, detoxing like mad, and know enough to not know how long I will continue...

gwenqi

I don't mean to go against the flow here. I mean I am just as big a believer as anyone else in raw eating but the only thing I have found to heal my candida was yogurt.

When I was breastfeeding my daughter I noticed that her tongue was completely white and I was in tramendous pain. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to go to a doctor because I knew that S/he would just put us on poisonous drugs. But yet I was desperate. I finally just decided to give her a few spoonfuls of organic yogurt several times a day. She was very small at this time so she didn't know what to do with it. She ended up spitting most of it out but it was in there long enough to coat her mouth. It wasn't long before it cleared up and it never came back.

However, I have a problem with candida. When I had my tubes tied I got what I thought was a terrible infection in the incision. It was bright red and swollen. I also had an enflamed patch under my arm. I attributed it to gaulding because I got so fat during my pregnancy. So I went to the doctor and she said they were both candida. She advised me to go home and put monistat on it which I did. It didn't work. I finally turned to natural cures and started using garlic juice and tea tree oil on it. I also started taking the pill form of the yogurt culture. It eased up alot and finally went away.

But then here recently my armpit started flaring up again. I gotta tell you... I am just about fed up with this candida bull. I have no idea why it won't just go away. You always read about staying away from sweets and pasta to get rid of it but since going raw I have had no pasta, bread or sweets and I still am fighting it. Not nearly to the extent that I was though.

Have you tried a candida cleanse? I don't know what that is exactly but I have heard it recommended by several people.

gwenqi,

Many rawfoodists end up eating too much fat in their diet (nuts, seeds, avocados, etc) and end up getting sugar related problems like candida. Try entering your typical daily menu into a nutritional calculator like fitday, nutritiondata, nutridiary, or Cron-o-Meter to see what your fat intake is. And please share with us your fat intake when you do this.

If you find your fat intake in excess of 20% fat, trying lowering it to 5% fat intake until your symptoms disappear, and after that increase your fat intake just under the point the symptoms appear.

Fat intake should be measured as a percentage of calories consumed, not as a percentage of weight or volume.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2008 02:34PM by Bryan.

Thats pretty much what patenaude suggests... but bryan I also believe that a few more things may be needed to overcome Candida if necessary. First all food must leave the body within 24 hours. This stops it from going putrid in the bowels. Foods that take longer to digest cause greater problems.

This is explained further and clearer here

[www.scdiet.org]

I dont believe in the scdiet as being optimal, but I do believe what they talk about there is accurate. Many people with candida, are also celiacs. This can be checked by looking at your finger prints. If there are many lines or creases going through your finger prints... chances are very great of being a celiac.

Candida is not something to be fought... candida is doing its job. Just like it does in nature, it breaks down dead material. So what it is doing is cleaning out the bowels, and other areas of the body. As long as the environment that candida flourishes in exists, it will continue to do its job. And no amount of probiotics will change that. When the bowels are clean, and ready for new bacteria... then the probiotics will be able to flourish.

Yes, I had been advised about too much fat being the real problem. This was the reasoning behind my supposedly being able to eat fruit again. It sounded reasonable and i went for it. It seemed good. And thus, i was able to eat fruit for a little while, while doing raw foods only and not too much fruit. Now I have gotten so sick that I am afraid to try that again any time soon. I will again after I transition from my current green juice fast. Most likely, it was eating cooked foods that messed this up. And stress. Or, honestly, i don't know. It could also be a severe healing reaction. The Candida symptoms got really bad after I'd had a Colonic. I'd been having them for a year and usually felt better afterwards. The colon hydrotherapist said it could be that something that was there for a long time got dislodged and is wreaking havoc. But for now, liquid greens only.

Yoghurt always helped (made it go away) only for a little while before the yeast adjusted and took over. The only thing I've found to really work is this green juice diet, but it's hard to stick with for a long time, and then too, I kept getting these fears of malnourishment and my teeth falling out etc. (I still have these fears, but I'm choosing to believe these issues will get better if I truly get rid of the Candida which is causing the problem.

And yes, I've also been told that the problem could be Celiac. I've not checked it because I mostly eat a gluten free diet anyway, meaning, the raw foods diet addresses this anyway. Not a lot of raw grains we can eat.

Has anyone tried 3 lac or 5lac? that is supposed to be the best out there.

Raw garlic in a raw soup seems to help for me -- it kicks it!

Fermented foods really help me.

I tried 3Lac, and it made me much worse!!! Very bad stuff. i was suspicious to be sure as it consists of sugar largely (with probiotics). I am always suspicious of anything that claims to get rid of it without the person having to change their basic dietary habits (of eating sugar and refined foods etc.). But i tried it. Then, you know, they had this money back guarantee that they didn't honor! I got no response for my requests for my money back. What a hoax! It s still sitting inmy cupboard... anyone want to try it?

Raw soup with garlic? Sounds great! Recipes?

The same thing happened to me. I didn't find it helped that much - and I never got my money back, even though I sent in the canisters to them - lost $150 - that was 3 years ago. Oh well. Regardless, I'm doing better now - I just think of it as part of my life's tuition (paid $150 to start learning that there are no quick, miraculous fixes. )

I was just reading an article on the benefits of virgin coconut oil. Evidently, coconut oil is a cure of candida.

You might try doing a google search on coconut oil and candida.

Your statement:

Many people with candida, are also celiacs. This can be checked by looking at your finger prints. If there are many lines or creases going through your finger prints... chances are very great of being a celiac.

is so interesting! I've got lots of creases on my tips and seem not to tolerate wheat well. Would you mind telling me where you learned this?

NJ

Your statement:

Many people with candida, are also celiacs. This can be checked by looking at your finger prints. If there are many lines or creases going through your finger prints... chances are very great of being a celiac.

is so interesting! I've got lots of creases on my fingers and seem not to tolerate wheat well. Would you mind telling me where you learned this?

NJ

The GenoType Diet book... most of the book was crap IMO, but that was one little gem in there.

I guess that link has been around since the early seventies, which kinda pisses me off when it comes to the medical system. Because doctors checking up on kids and adults could have used this simple test to prevent alot of health problems.

Coconut oil is good. I've tried all the small remedies like that: coconut oil, oregano oil, garlic, probiotics,etc. However, they don't get rid of it completely. For me, they have just been about maintenance.

And the Celiac thing I found interesting as well. I have creases on my fingers that I have found strange in the past. So, I'm checking it out with a test for Celiac tomorrow.