weight issues, candida, hypo, help!!

[Ariadne]

Hey guys,
So Ive been 'on and off' the bandwagon of RAW for a month or more now. I basically eat raw all day and have been having a cooked meal about 3-4 nights per week. Ive just started a new job and moved house so its all a bit chaotic, when routine comes around again itll be better.
So Ive been vegan for 5 years, and moderately excercise (about 30-45 mins per day!not great I know).
The thing is, Im hugely fat. Im being tested for hypo and think I may have candida overgrowth. I eat SFA really, fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, no snacks, heaps of water...
Im at the end of my tether. I tried on a top yesterday and it wouldnt button around my middle. Its a size above my usual size.. which as far as Im concerned is still too big.
I went to the gym obsessively for about a year and did yoga every day. This made barely ANY difference, and when no weight came off I basically gave up.
I guess what I want to know is if any of you have struggled like this, and I guess I need a boost!
Any and all suggestions welcomed and I will defiantely try anythign at this point.....
:confused: :(

[Frugal Raw]

I have been through this as well. A few years ago, I found out that I have a wheat intolerance and had a bad candidia overgrowth that was hammering my liver and other major organs, as well as heavy metal toxins, and an almost dead thyroid. I was vegan and working out every day just like you, and was gaining weight. I found this out through a holistic doc when I went to see why I felt like my body was shutting down.

[Frugal Raw]

He began my treatment by cutting out all sugars (I was only allowed stevia or agave nectar), cutting out caffiene (except for green tea) and added lots of probiotics (Bio-K has a vegan version, which I took a whole carton of each day), and added the 10,000 steps per day program (outside for negative ions and throughout the day), yoga, and meditation to my life. He also had me jounalling everyday to work out any physchological issues that may have cropped up at any time, and to track my feelings in my new lifestyle.

[Frugal Raw]

We also worked through issues that were constant stressors in my life, and by greatly reducing the impact stress has on my body, I released about 50 lbs. in only 3 months. He was a chirovedic doc, so my appointments would also include chiropractic adjustments. He also had me do cleanses for the heavy metals, and for my liver based on how my body felt to him on examination.

[Frugal Raw]

The only thing I didn't like with him was that he had me also include non-vegan things in my routine, like kefir in smoothies, and it was hell looking for vegan digestive enzymes (but I finally did find them!). Seaweed is also a life-saver for your thyroid - but if it's too expensive for you to include in your diet daily, look for Liqui-Kelp at healthfood stores - add about five drops to your morning water. It will give your thyroid what it needs - iodine - without harming your kidneys with salt.

[Frugal Raw]

Another thing he had me doing was drinking a glass of distilled water when I first woke up, then a cup of lemon-ginger tea with fennel seeds added to it before I had anything else. It was to prime my digestive system for the day. Fruits need to be low-sugar, and preferably local fare, not exotic imports at first. Begin and end each day with yoga stretches and meditation, and be in bed by 10 p.m.

[Frugal Raw]

All that said, the raw diet will do much for you as is. Check out www.thegardendiet.com and read Jinjee's story. She too suffered from candidia, and she treats them with green smoothies at night. Also, check out Angela Stokes - she was on thyroid meds from her early teens and got off of them after going raw and losing the weight. She weighed almost 300 lbs when she went raw. I weighed almost 290 when I first visited my chirovedic doc. I weighed 232 when I had to stop treatments with him.

[Frugal Raw]

I zoomed back up to 267.5 due to a very abusive, stressful work situation. I got away from it, moved out to the country, and have dropped 28.5 lbs since 6/5/07 - 16 lbs. of that since going 95% - 100% raw on 8/1/07. I hope I have helped you in sharing my experiences and knowledge -

Brightest Blessings~

[Ariadne]

Hi there, and thanks.... I would love a recipe for green smoothies at night I can take to help with candida....
Im in Ireland and I must say its hard to find an alt. doctor. But have booked in to see a naturopath next week....:D

[Frugal Raw]

Green smoothies are 60% ripe, organic fruits, and 40% organic dark green leafies (spinach, kale, collards...that sort of thing). Check out "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko, and her website: http://www.rawfamily.com/

Here's a variety of Green Smoothie blends from Victoria's newsletter:

2 large mangos, 1 bunch parsley, water

6 peaches, 2 handfuls spinach leaves, water

2 mangos, 1 handful wild weeds (e.g. lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane), water

1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, water

4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, 4-5 leaves kale, water

4 very ripe kiwis, 1 ripe banana, 3 stalks celery, water

4 ripe pears, 4-5 leaves kale, 1/2 bunch mint, water

10 finger-bananas, 2 handfuls of spinach leaves, water

3 bosch pears, 1 handful raspberries, 4-5 leaves kale, water

1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1-inch fresh ginger

Raw Family's favorite Green Smoothie:
1/2 pound fresh lamb's quarters, or 1/2 bunch fresh dinosaur kale, 2 ripe mangoes, 2 very ripe bananas, 1 quart water. Blend thoroughly in a Vita-Mix blender. Yields 1/2 a gallon of delicious smoothie. Will keep for 24 hours in the fridge or cooler, stored in a glass container.

[justinesmith]

Hi! I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents about our favorite green smoothie.

1 cup water
1 large bunch greens (we use spinach, kale, cactus, parsley, wheatgrass - pretty much anything that's green in the kitchen)
2 frozen bananas
dates, honey or agave to sweeten (I like mine REALLY sweet so sweeten to your tastes)
If we have other fruit laying around, we throw that in too. Strawberries (tops on, of course), blueberries etc....
Take care girl, you're in the right place....

[Frugal Raw]

I'm having one now that's quite spicy! tomatoes, collards, lime juice, a 1/4 of a jalapeno pepper (seeded) and a peeled 1 inch cube of ginger with salt, pepper, and water. YUM!! It's almost like drinking salsa! (I'm originally from Texas - I believe I was weaned on Tabasco!) LOL!!

[Frugal Raw]

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/greenforlife.html

This link will lead you to a page where if you scroll to the bottom, you can get a free 1 week minicourse on greens! I just signed up.

Enjoy:)

[sport]

Hi Ariadne. Welcome to the board.
Where in Ireland are you.

[Ariadne]

Im in Dublin ;)
My bloods came back ok for hypo, so I guess I must have candida... I cant explain the weight otherwise (btw, I prob am not overweight, but could stand to lose 15 pounds or so, and cant seem to despite, as my friends say, 'eating like a bird'!)

[sport]

Do you know how to check for candida.
Put a glass of water by your bed and first thing in the morning just spit in to it.
Leave it while you shower and then look at it from the side. If you have candida there will be little threadlike bits coming down from your spit.

[tvillemom]

I just found this thread. I have not been tested for any of these things, BUT I am thinking my thyroid is sllllllooowww, (at least) and I have done some candida tests online and out of books and it looks like I have that. This thread has helped me realize that all the things I TALK about doing (staying away from fruits, adding seawead, etc.) I should be doing. Even raw, I need to heal what is going on so I can drop excess weight, and feel better!!!
Thank you, Amberstorm, for posting your experience.

Wendi

PS. I like SAVORY green smoothies, no fruit, I use tomatoes, cukes, avo, basil, chili powder, kelp granules, spinach or other green, garlic, sea salt....I add just about any veggie that looks appealing at the time. Taste when it's about done..it's thick like a soup...YUUMMMM!!