askcassyfirst
01-27-2005, 09:55 AM
I am writing in response to a topic that RawTruth brought up in the meet and greet section. I figured it was an interesting topic, and I thought others might be interested in discussing it. RawTruth brought up Dr. Grahams articles and some other studies which implicate fats as being the cause of candidiasis, not sugars. I figured I would start the discussion by posting my experience, and perhaps others have had experience with a low fat raw diet and candida.
There is actually a direct link between high fat diets and pancreatic activity which does affect blood sugars. Note: There are many diabetics who are in thier situation from eating not only refined sugars, but a HIGH FAT especially cooked fat diet. Personnally I have PCOS which is a disorder affecting the pancreas and other hormone producing glands. Sugars AND certain fats are implicated, which is why I do have to watch my fat intake. However, certain oils like omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help tremendously, which is why I still consume a good dose of them in my diet. Omega threes & 6s from nuts and seeds differ greatly from those in a cooked fat SAD diet, and they are essential, we don't produce them in our body and so we have to get them from our diet.
I for one am always interested in reading about the difference between cooked and raw fats, and their difference in the body.
However, there are things other than fat and sugar involved with Candida, specifically the ecosystem of your digestive tract, mucosal integrity, immune system, etc. The problem with focusing on just one cofacter is that you are neglecting that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Indeed: one can be eating only vegetables that are low in starch, or juicing, but have a mess in thier bowels, and the candida will be escaping thru the compromised intestinal wall and floating about systemically.
You have to target the body in whole: Eating a diet that doesn't feed pathogens, (and sugar is what the yeast eat-they ferment it) will starve them, allowing the populations to decrease such that your immune system can take over. Eating cultured foods high in friendly bacteria (who make up part of the human immune system) will further benefit someone in this state. YOu must also consume the needed nutrients to rebuild the mucosa. That includes essential fatty acids needed for cellular structure & elasticity, and amino acids such as l-glutamine (highly available from cabbage.) Lastly, supplementing with herbs and other anti parasitic & anti bacterial foods such as coconut is important in order to kill off and decrease the pathogenic populations.
This practice is well documented, and there are many books and articles which show its viability. I agree that fats are probably a great factor, but coconut oil is a phenomenal anti fungal, and I fear that on a low fat diet people would be discarding its benefits. I have tried Doug Grahams approach, but based on my lifestyle, I do better with about a 15-20 percent fat consumption on the low end. But that is just me....I find that using coconut oil is a great way to fight the candida that "could" grow due to my fruit eating habits!
Cassy.:)
There is actually a direct link between high fat diets and pancreatic activity which does affect blood sugars. Note: There are many diabetics who are in thier situation from eating not only refined sugars, but a HIGH FAT especially cooked fat diet. Personnally I have PCOS which is a disorder affecting the pancreas and other hormone producing glands. Sugars AND certain fats are implicated, which is why I do have to watch my fat intake. However, certain oils like omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help tremendously, which is why I still consume a good dose of them in my diet. Omega threes & 6s from nuts and seeds differ greatly from those in a cooked fat SAD diet, and they are essential, we don't produce them in our body and so we have to get them from our diet.
I for one am always interested in reading about the difference between cooked and raw fats, and their difference in the body.
However, there are things other than fat and sugar involved with Candida, specifically the ecosystem of your digestive tract, mucosal integrity, immune system, etc. The problem with focusing on just one cofacter is that you are neglecting that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Indeed: one can be eating only vegetables that are low in starch, or juicing, but have a mess in thier bowels, and the candida will be escaping thru the compromised intestinal wall and floating about systemically.
You have to target the body in whole: Eating a diet that doesn't feed pathogens, (and sugar is what the yeast eat-they ferment it) will starve them, allowing the populations to decrease such that your immune system can take over. Eating cultured foods high in friendly bacteria (who make up part of the human immune system) will further benefit someone in this state. YOu must also consume the needed nutrients to rebuild the mucosa. That includes essential fatty acids needed for cellular structure & elasticity, and amino acids such as l-glutamine (highly available from cabbage.) Lastly, supplementing with herbs and other anti parasitic & anti bacterial foods such as coconut is important in order to kill off and decrease the pathogenic populations.
This practice is well documented, and there are many books and articles which show its viability. I agree that fats are probably a great factor, but coconut oil is a phenomenal anti fungal, and I fear that on a low fat diet people would be discarding its benefits. I have tried Doug Grahams approach, but based on my lifestyle, I do better with about a 15-20 percent fat consumption on the low end. But that is just me....I find that using coconut oil is a great way to fight the candida that "could" grow due to my fruit eating habits!
Cassy.:)