Hope someone here knows something about the Healthscope Analysis

[pippin07]

I asked this question on the Raw Community Support site a couple weeks ago and have been surprised to receive no response.

I attended an Expo last month and sat in on a seminar by Brenda Cobb, the founder of The Living Foods Institute. I was very excited to learn about what is stated to be cutting edge state of the art technology which scans skin and hair and then generates comprehensive report. It is said to check all organs, check for heavy medals, vitamin/mineral, candida, deficiencies, ect., ect. The part that intrigued me the most was it is suppose to tell you which foods are the most or least compatible for good heath and wellness.

I got my report and was shocked to see the very foods which I eat the most of on raw, are among the foods I should avoid. So after a bit of denial I started to eliminate my *supposed* taboo foods; oranges, avocado, beets, cucumber, apples, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, apricots, peaches, dates, plums, coconut. YIKES!!!! There were other obvious no no's; like meat, wheat, ect..food which I do not eat anyway. So long story short, I have not had any IBS pain or loose "you know what" since eliminating these foods. However, I did have to start taking a fiber supplement :-( But no pain!!!

The thing is I had been on high fruit raw and have now digressed to mostly cooked. :-( It is very frustrating trying to figure out what the heck to eat anymore. I have not even been eating the healthiest vegan diet.

But back to my question...... does anybody here have any knowledge of this Healthscope Analysis? Does anyone know if it is even legit? Has anyone had it done and applied what they learned from it?

This test cost me $175. If I want it interpreted by Brenda Cobb it is going to cost me another $150, on top of the cost of nutritional supporters, which by the way I would not mind so much if I knew it was truly on the up and up. Not to say in anyway that I think she is a fraud....I don't get that impression at all. I liked her a lot.

Thanks so much in advance for any feed back!

[MysticTree]

if you try to follow every bit of advice about eating and food you can't succeed because so much of it conflicts. Do what feels right for you and your body. If you listen to what pleases your body, you won't have to spend such sums of money on reports and analyses.

I the last 7 days there have been items in the papers that say that coffee is bad for you and that coffee is positively good for you. I don't drink coffee. I don't like the taste! I didn't even buy the papers I read them online :)

Just remember there are a lot of people making a lot of money from people who are scared about their health or who are in pain from conditions and will do and pay just about anything to relieve those symptoms.

Good luck

eta ... I know nothing of HealthScope by the way

[OrchidRaven]

if you try to follow every bit of advice about eating and food you can't succeed because so much of it conflicts. Do what feels right for you and your body. If you listen to what pleases your body, you won't have to spend such sums of money on reports and analyses.




This has been my problem too, very confusing...


I don't know anything about the HealthScope, personally sounds like they just want your money

[sport]

You will see from my webpage that I am involved in a vegan/raw destination hotel and spa and we offer this service there.
I have not had it done as it is a new service that Laura has replaced her previous test with. I did have the previous test done and had to give up a few things as a result such as sesame and quinoa but nothing that I miss.
http://www.mintywellness.com/spa/naturopathic-doctor
Laura is a wonderful naturopath and a wonderful person and I know that she believes in this system. I plan to undergo it the next time I am at Minty.

[sport]

My next post is to tell you that I think that you are making a mistake which I made as well earlier this year.
I went to a doctor who told me that I had candida and that I had to cut down drastically on bananas and melons. These 2 foods are the mainstay of my diet so I panicked and could not think how I would get enough to eat without them so I had some steamed vegies for dinner that day. This led me to have cooked food on a lot of days over the following 2 weeks until I decided that I was going to ignore her advice and go back to my bananas and melons.
I think that you should not let anything that anybody says to you lead you down the slippery slope that leads to cooked food.

[T-Bird]

Interesting sport.

One thing your post made me think of, is that if you go to a doctor and they say something like - no melons: does that doctor understand how eating melons works in a raw diet as opposed to a regular one?

I'd say most don't - perhaps it isn't possible to know because there isn't the needed research in this.

A lack of research is a big problem it the raw food area, I only hope as more people go raw - cure themselves, that the scientific community will wake up and try to do some basic research to enlighten us.

Mostly - I think a lot of people don't want to know because it challenges their eating habits and they don't want to explore anything that might make their lifestyle "wrong"....

It's ok to find that ADDING fruits and veg is healthy, but they don't want to know that only fruits and veg is healthy, lol!

I do know that some research has been done, but not nearly enough.

[MysticTree]

and I think it goes further than that even ... very many people want to be given a pill that removes any responsibility for their own well-being.

[T-Bird]

There's money to be made in pills!

Basically - I immediately distrust anyone who is recommending something that they're going to make money off of it I buy it.....

[MysticTree]

me too.

I have even stopped charging people for foraging trips where I show them what they can eat from the wild ... mad outcome is that people don't wanna go on them if they don't pay!

[Revvell]

There's money to be made in pills!

Basically - I immediately distrust anyone who is recommending something that they're going to make money off of it I buy it.....

Then, I guess you'll never buy a car or groceries, or anything from stores, shops, farmers' markets, Amazon, or even Alissa's books, etc?

[MysticTree]

Then, I guess you'll never buy a car or groceries, or anything from stores, shops, farmers' markets, Amazon, or even Alissa's books, etc?

There is a happy place where you research what is being offered for sale and a carrot for 20p is a lot different from a jar of some not immediately identifiable powder @ £30.00 for 100g for example.

[T-Bird]

I most certainly distrust anyone selling a car, that's for sure!

As mystic says, you become a wary consumer. You research what you need/want to buy, investigate alternatives, other vendors, etc.....

to do otherwise is madness....imho

[mcster]

The part that intrigued me the most was it is suppose to tell you which foods are the most or least compatible for good heath and wellness.

I got my report and was shocked to see the very foods which I eat the most of on raw, are among the foods I should avoid. So after a bit of denial I started to eliminate my *supposed* taboo foods; oranges, avocado, beets, cucumber, apples, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, apricots, peaches, dates, plums, coconut. YIKES!!!! There were other obvious no no's; like meat, wheat, ect..food which I do not eat anyway. So long story short, I have not had any IBS pain or loose "you know what" since eliminating these foods. However, I did have to start taking a fiber supplement :-( But no pain!!!


if you try to follow every bit of advice about eating and food you can't succeed because so much of it conflicts. Do what feels right for you and your body. If you listen to what pleases your body, you won't have to spend such sums of money on reports and analyses.


My next post is to tell you that I think that you are making a mistake which I made as well earlier this year.
I went to a doctor who told me that I had candida and that I had to cut down drastically on bananas and melons. These 2 foods are the mainstay of my diet so I panicked and could not think how I would get enough to eat without them so I had some steamed vegies for dinner that day. This led me to have cooked food on a lot of days over the following 2 weeks until I decided that I was going to ignore her advice and go back to my bananas and melons.
I think that you should not let anything that anybody says to you lead you down the slippery slope that leads to cooked food.


A lack of research is a big problem it the raw food area, I only hope as more people go raw - cure themselves, that the scientific community will wake up and try to do some basic research to enlighten us.

Mostly - I think a lot of people don't want to know because it challenges their eating habits and they don't want to explore anything that might make their lifestyle "wrong"....

pippin07: please Google: "candida and IBS". I believe the reason your symptoms subsided is because most of the foods you eliminated are fruits.

I've always had a hard time with the theory that different body types require different diets. Based on my research and observation, my view is that environment ALWAYS trumps genetics and that any sensitivity we may have toward certain food is more often the result of an imbalance that we've developed from poor eating habits and not from genetic sensitivity.

I have furthermore recently learned that candida is a HUGE systemic problem affecting the overwhelming majority of the population with very subtle sub-symptoms (which is why it goes mostly undetected) and that it is in fact candida (developed through SAD) that leads to most major western diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis etc.

The problem with candida overgrowth is that most cleanses/diets to bring it in balance require extremely restrictive diets that last for months. Conventional thought regarding candida cleansing is that one must eliminate fruit from the diet and that's clearly very tough for raw vegans.

Looking deeper, I've found that it's not fruit that should be eliminated but fruit OR fat. Candida doesn't feed on fruit but if we consume a combination of fruit and fat, fat slows the digestion of fruit and leads to fermentation which then creates a feeding ground for candida so we must eliminate one or the other temporarily to address candida.

I have successfully killed candida in the past on a strict fruit juice diet so I know this from personal experience. I also recently went one week cutting out all fat from my diet and my candida symptoms subsided. However, I have no intention of restricting my diet for several months so I kept digging deeper and found a way to kill candida in three days flat. I just did the detox and I'm writing this on day four. I won't write about it quite yet until I have a few more days to assess its effectiveness but so far my expectations have been exceeded. I believe I've been able to address what I now understand to have been systemic candidiasis for the past 30 years of my life in three days flat. :)

In summary, I believe the theory that we should "eat for our body types" and that some people are sensitive to some foods while others are not is oversimplified and that at the core, food sensitivities develop as a result of candida overgrowth. I am also in the process of proving (to myself anyway) that candida can be addressed quite simply (well, in a short time frame anyway...the detox was brutal!) and that doing so is a way to address a number of health issues that are difficult to address trough a raw vegan diet alone.

[MysticTree]

I am assuming I would know if I have ever had a candida infection. It sounds like something I would know about. I am only allergic to Quorn as far as I know.

I have no idea if my sister has ever suffered with candida and I can't imagine ever asking her ... she does suffer with stress from over-working - she is monumentally allergic to grapefruit. Not oranges or lemons but very specifically grapefruit.

Her son is very sensitive to all citrus fruits but he's not had candida infections.

I think it always makes sense to take each person as an individual case rather than applying a blanket assumption about A causing B.

edited to add: I have often had a very high fat, high sugar diet. I do believe my immune system has on the whole been very strong though.

[mcster]

I am assuming I would know if I have ever had a candida infection. It sounds like something I would know about. I am only allergic to Quorn as far as I know.

How would you know? I've had minor systemic issues for finite periods of time over the past 30 years. I've experienced things like acne and chronic throat clearing. I had athlete's foot for a few years when I was in my teens. Every single one of these issues was diagnosed and treated for what they are. The reality as I know it now is that all of these issues arouse out of a candida imbalance as the root cause. It took me 30 years to understand that. You call it an infection. That, in it of itself, tells me you would benefit from doing more homework on it before you comment further.


I think it always makes sense to take each person as an individual case rather than applying a blanket assumption about A causing B.

This is a forum. Forums are for people to share ideas and knowledge. You are welcome to believe and take what you want and leave what you don't. I'm sharing my knowledge and experience for the benefit of other forum members. And likewise, I think it always makes sense to do your homework before you make blanket assumptions about something that requires you to do more homework before you can form an informed opinion.

[MysticTree]

I'm just lucky I've never had an outbreak (in noticeable symptoms at any rate) of something that is part of our natural flora.

I'm not sure why you are so defensive. I didn't say you were wrong, I just added some stuff from my life that seemed to relate.

I grant the word infection was incorrect but I see no need for you to dismiss what I say out of hand in the fashion you incorrectly accuse me of.

Chill. Enjoy the exchange of info.

[Arky]

.

...my sister...is monumentally allergic to grapefruit. Not oranges or lemons but very specifically grapefruit.


No blanket assumptions intended but I'd put money on something very specific here:

Grapefruit (very specifically grapefruit! ;) ) contains a substance called 'Naringenin'. This substance has a particular property of inhibiting phase 1 liver detoxification - Naringenin inhibits cytochrome P450 (As an aside, oranges contain limonene, which induces phase 1 (and phase 2) liver detoxification, a characteristic which clearly distinguishes it from grapefruit). This is one reason, generally-speaking, why it's not healthy to consume too much grapefruit or grapefruit juice. It's not unhealthy per se, just that it needs to be consumed only in moderation, even by those who are not overtly sensitive to it.


But let's dig a little deeper...

Grapefruit also contains tryptophan. Does your sister have trouble with foods such as spirulina, soybean, pumpkin seeds, dairy, chicken, seaweed etc.?

Maybe, maybe not, but for the sake of interest, I'll keep rolling with the tryptophan side of things for a while longer:


Some people's livers do not have properly-functioning MonoAmine Oxidase (MAO) pathways. In such circumstances, foods rich in tryptophan can sometimes cause problems.


What can inhibit phase-1 and/or phase-2 detoxification pathways? Well, many enzymes are required for detoxification processes in the liver. These enzymes are themselves dependent on various trace elements in order for their processes to be catalyzed correctly. If something insidious were to displace these essential trace elements then derangement of numerous liver detoxification pathways might occur, since the enzymatic processes would be unable to operate correctly with the wrong metal in situ.

One thing in particular is notorious for having this unpleasant capability.

Mercury.


Tryptophan metabolism is one aspect of physiological functioning which may be negatively affected in the body of a person with mercury intoxication. Given that grapefruit contains an existing phase-1 inhibitor (Naringenin), and that the presence of mercury in the liver may further exacerbate detoxification difficulties as a whole, one may reasonably raise suspicions about someone who is severely intolerant of grapefruit - it may simply be that they are, plain and simple, sensitive to grapefruit (perhaps congenitally), or it just might possibly hint at a deeper underlying issue - possibly related to heavy metal issues (or perhaps more simple parasitic or physical congestion of the liver, as with biliary sludge - see discussion in Andreas Moritz's book). Only a few possibilities, but perhaps worth further investigation. Worth noting, though, that the specificity of the grapefruit issue perhaps points more towards a specific pathway than to a more generalised 'congestion' of the liver.

Of course, if she is on prescription MAO inhibitors then that would cast a different complexion on the situation, but it's interesting that you say her son suffers from grapefruit (and other citrus) sensitivity. Perhaps genetic, perhaps something entirely unconsidered here, or perhaps mercury is a culprit and may have crossed the placenta to her son? I don't know. Just brainstorming here, that's all.


The stress aspect could mean nothing or there might be some association with adrenal exhaustion - and you know, MysticTree, from reading other recent posts, that mercury can derange and/or suppress endocrine function, a component of the endocrine system being, of course, the adrenal glands, to say nothing of the thyroid, which also plays a huge role in people's energy levels etc.

Food for thought... ;)


BTW, good luck with those rescue chickens of yours!


...speaking of which, some more discussion which you may find relevant, mcster, can be found in this thread: http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?p=661325#post661325 (Incidentally, I do hope you and MysticTree haven't fallen out with each other, this is a very friendly board. I know text-based communication lacks the subtlety of facial expression and vocal inflection, so intentions can occasionally get misconstrued).


@ pippin07: I've never heard of the Healthscope Analysis but, to be frank, it sounds a little 'too good to be true' for my liking. That's an awful lot of different measurements it's alleging to take into account. I bet the professional clinical laboratories must be quaking in their boots if it really is that good... and I don't know that Brenda Cob is as qualified to take measurements of such markers as highly-trained lab technicians are. I'm on the fence but leaning rather towards skeptical ;)


.

[MysticTree]

thank you for the long reply ...

I am unaware of my sister being in any way sensitive to any of those foods that you mentioned. Indeed she has always been a huge consumer of dairy - notably milk.

My nephew also has a bad reaction to eggs and milk (but goat/sheep is ok).

Whether there is a heavy metal issue in the mix I have no idea but I would strongly suggest that work-based stress has a HUGE impact on my sister's health.

Back to the grapefruit ... she has never liked it but shortly after our father died (stressful event) she developed this reaction. Recently on a trip to the States she was hospitalised overnight because at a networking event she was handed a drink which had a little grapefruit in. She realised before she swallowed any and spat it out!!! But she was violently ill and in hospital under obs much to the bafflement of many including the insurance company who refused to believe that grapefruit could cause such a reaction.

I love grapefruit. I must say I have eaten less of it since my sister has developed the problems she has with it but I ate 2 for breakfast the other day with no trouble at all.

It interferes with statins I understand ...?? That is what my mother tells me anyway.

[Arky]

thank you for the long reply ...

I am unaware of my sister being in any way sensitive to any of those foods that you mentioned. Indeed she has always been a huge consumer of dairy - notably milk.

My nephew also has a bad reaction to eggs and milk (but goat/sheep is ok).

Whether there is a heavy metal issue in the mix I have no idea but I would strongly suggest that work-based stress has a HUGE impact on my sister's health.

Back to the grapefruit ... she has never liked it but shortly after our father died (stressful event) she developed this reaction. Recently on a trip to the States she was hospitalised overnight because at a networking event she was handed a drink which had a little grapefruit in. She realised before she swallowed any and spat it out!!! But she was violently ill and in hospital under obs much to the bafflement of many including the insurance company who refused to believe that grapefruit could cause such a reaction.

I love grapefruit. I must say I have eaten less of it since my sister has developed the problems she has with it but I ate 2 for breakfast the other day with no trouble at all.

It interferes with statins I understand ...?? That is what my mother tells me anyway.


Very intriguing! - yes, that does appear not to run congruent with my suggestions, but no harm in chatting about possibilities! :)

I must say what you just described is...bewildering. Although, of course, it would be unethical and possibly even dangerous, I'm nonetheless curious, on a purely hypothetical level, to ponder whether she might have had the same reaction if she had not recognised that grapefruit was present in that drink she spat out. I don't doubt you've pondered the same thing.

As far as grapefruit and statins - yes, you're absolutely right - if you pick up a patient information leaflet from, for example, Simvastatin, you'll immediately see it recommends patients not to consume grapefruit. I'm not clear on the precise mechanisms but, broadly-speaking, I understand statins lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzymatic process ordinarily responsible for 'synthesizing' cholesterol in the liver. Presumably, adding a further enzyme-inhibiting agent to the mix, in the form of naringenin, compounds the inhibition of enzymatic pathways and is thus dangerous. Personally, I don't believe the 'cholesterol hypothesis' one iota and would never consume statins but that's a whole can of worms and not relevant to the present discussion, here.

[MysticTree]

yes I have wondered but it seems a real reaction. Maybe Grapefruit is the new nut allergy ... at least for her. I am only half joking.

I do find it odd but we all have our oddities.

I think, if you take out the stress element which I am loathe to do, that I would hark toward a liver issue but not by and of itself alone.

We are so complicated a chain of chemical interactions that finding the root cause can be like finding where the water that comes through the ceiling is actually originating from.

Incidentally she always responded well as a child to homeopathic remedies but I doubt she has followed that path recently.

I have never tried homeopathy.

[MysticTree]

there is some interesting stuff being bandied about on lycopene at the moment and how it could replace the use of statins ... and it is found in (among many other things) grapefruit though not in high concentrations I believe.

[mcster]

I'm just lucky I've never had an outbreak (in noticeable symptoms at any rate) of something that is part of our natural flora.

I'm not sure why you are so defensive. I didn't say you were wrong, I just added some stuff from my life that seemed to relate.

I grant the word infection was incorrect but I see no need for you to dismiss what I say out of hand in the fashion you incorrectly accuse me of.

Chill. Enjoy the exchange of info.

The point of my post was that candida overgrowth manifests in many subtle and indirect ways from fatigue, to skin problems, to digestive problems that few people ever link back to candida.

When you make a suggestion that you "would know if you had a candida infection" it points to the fact that you don't quite know what you're taking about and yet you suggested that I'm making "blanket assumptions" (I'm not quite sure what part of my post led you to arrive at that conclusion).

So, I'm sorry if you felt my response was defensive. It wasn't. I merely clarified my position in response to yours. And furthermore, I made no accusations whatsoever. Frankly, it sounds as though you took my response waaaaay too personally. Maybe look within?

[pippin07]

The point of my post was that candida overgrowth manifests in many subtle and indirect ways from fatigue, to skin problems, to digestive problems that few people ever link back to candida.


mcster:

These are precisely some of the issues that lead me to raw in in the first place. Mainly the digestive problems; now days the fatigue I experience is worse than ever. I went raw in Jan of 08. I noticed a profound improvement initially. I have been up and down and off and on the raw wagon ever since. I've tried the listen to your body eat what ever raw you want philosophy and tried the 8/10/10 route. No matter how I do raw the digestive issues continue. So the only conclusion I can come to is that it is something I am eating, even though healthy, that's aggravating the condition.

How is candida diagnosed?

This has me intrigued now. I hear a a lot of folks talk about candida, but had not even entertained the idea this may be my problem. The report from my analysis is marked to indicate candida issue.

[mcster]

mcster:

These are precisely some of the issues that lead me to raw in in the first place. Mainly the digestive problems; now days the fatigue I experience is worse than ever. I went raw in Jan of 08. I noticed a profound improvement initially. I have been up and down and off and on the raw wagon ever since. I've tried the listen to your body eat what ever raw you want philosophy and tried the 8/10/10 route. No matter how I do raw the digestive issues continue. So the only conclusion I can come to is that it is something I am eating, even though healthy, that's aggravating the condition.

How is candida diagnosed?

This has me intrigued now. I hear a a lot of folks talk about candida, but had not even entertained the idea this may be my problem. The report from my analysis is marked to indicate candida issue.

I'm not sure if there are allopathic tests available. There are tests within the natural medicine community but I'm not sure how effective they are. I never got tested.

I would suggest you start where I suggested in my first post. Google "candida and IBD". I would then google "candida" and learn more about it. I've done extensive research on the subject over the past few weeks and found a 3-day cleanse that seems to have killed it completely (I just finished it yesterday). If you want more details on the cleanse after you research the subject further, let me know and I'll be happy to help you. From everything you've said, it sounds as though you very likely have a candida issue that is at the core of all of your symptoms as it was for me.

[MysticTree]

(I'm not quite sure what part of my post led you to arrive at that conclusion).




this bit mostly, since you ask.

yet you suggested that I'm making "blanket assumptions" (my view is that environment ALWAYS trumps genetics

I am 40 years old. I have, to the best of my knowledge never have any issues with candida. I know it exists within my body but I don't believe it has ever got out of balance. That is my belief.

I also believe that candida outbreaks are part of a much bigger picture. It makes no sense to have to cut either sugar or fat from your diet in order to control it. The body, with a healthy immune system should keep it under control and in balance with all the other flora of the body.

My feeling is that there is a deeper cause and when that cause is addressed then the body will be able to do its job properly. That deeper cause may well be slightly different from person to person or it may always be the same. I don't know but I would expect there to be a variety of reasons.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

I asked this question on the Raw Community Support site a couple weeks ago and have been surprised to receive no response.

I attended an Expo last month and sat in on a seminar by Brenda Cobb, the founder of The Living Foods Institute. I was very excited to learn about what is stated to be cutting edge state of the art technology which scans skin and hair and then generates comprehensive report. It is said to check all organs, check for heavy medals, vitamin/mineral, candida, deficiencies, ect., ect. The part that intrigued me the most was it is suppose to tell you which foods are the most or least compatible for good heath and wellness.

I got my report and was shocked to see the very foods which I eat the most of on raw, are among the foods I should avoid. So after a bit of denial I started to eliminate my *supposed* taboo foods; oranges, avocado, beets, cucumber, apples, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, apricots, peaches, dates, plums, coconut. YIKES!!!! There were other obvious no no's; like meat, wheat, ect..food which I do not eat anyway. So long story short, I have not had any IBS pain or loose "you know what" since eliminating these foods. However, I did have to start taking a fiber supplement :-( But no pain!!!

The thing is I had been on high fruit raw and have now digressed to mostly cooked. :-( It is very frustrating trying to figure out what the heck to eat anymore. I have not even been eating the healthiest vegan diet.

But back to my question...... does anybody here have any knowledge of this Healthscope Analysis? Does anyone know if it is even legit? Has anyone had it done and applied what they learned from it?

This test cost me $175. If I want it interpreted by Brenda Cobb it is going to cost me another $150, on top of the cost of nutritional supporters, which by the way I would not mind so much if I knew it was truly on the up and up. Not to say in anyway that I think she is a fraud....I don't get that impression at all. I liked her a lot.

Thanks so much in advance for any feed back!

l know nothing about these people, but l smell a rat. Not feeling a good vibe about this at all.

Lots of folks like to make health sound complicated so they scare people, control them and get their money. Be careful.

[sport]

I have successfully killed candida in the past on a strict fruit juice diet so I know this from personal experience. I also recently went one week cutting out all fat from my diet and my candida symptoms subsided. However, I have no intention of restricting my diet for several months so I kept digging deeper and found a way to kill candida in three days flat. I just did the detox and I'm writing this on day four. I won't write about it quite yet until I have a few more days to assess its effectiveness but so far my expectations have been exceeded. I believe I've been able to address what I now understand to have been systemic candidiasis for the past 30 years of my life in three days flat. :)

Maybe there is a book in this for you.
I do not consume any overt fats other than the very odd lara bar in an emergency. None at all. I do not feel that this is a restriction. The opposite. It frees me up to eat what I want and what my body is asking me for.

[laughalways]

mcster:

These are precisely some of the issues that lead me to raw in in the first place. Mainly the digestive problems; now days the fatigue I experience is worse than ever. I went raw in Jan of 08. I noticed a profound improvement initially. I have been up and down and off and on the raw wagon ever since. I've tried the listen to your body eat what ever raw you want philosophy and tried the 8/10/10 route. No matter how I do raw the digestive issues continue. So the only conclusion I can come to is that it is something I am eating, even though healthy, that's aggravating the condition.

How is candida diagnosed?

This has me intrigued now. I hear a a lot of folks talk about candida, but had not even entertained the idea this may be my problem. The report from my analysis is marked to indicate candida issue.
Here is how to perform a test I've been told about. I've not tried it but it can't hurt:

Free Candida Test
The source of this test is unknown but it has been around a long time and is quite reliable in the diagnosis of Candida albicans overgrowth.

It is known as the Candida saliva test or the Candida spit test.

Fill a clear glass with water and place it by your bed at night. When you wake in the morning, work up a bit of saliva and spit into the glass of water. It is important that nothing enters your mouth or touches your lips before you do this. Do not drink any water, do not brush your teeth and do not kiss your partner. I'm sure they will understand just this one time!

Immediately make note of how the saliva looks. Check again 2 or 3 minutes later. Check the glass every 15 minutes until you leave for the day.

Healthy saliva will be clear, it will float on top and it will slowly dissolve into the water without any cloudiness and without sinking. There are normally some bubbles or foam present.

Candida saliva will have one or more characteristics that point to a Candida albicans overgrowth:

* Strings traveling down to the bottom of the glass
* Cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass
* Cloudy specks suspended in the water

The more strings and cloudiness there are, and the faster it develops, the greater the Candida albicans overgrowth.

[mcster]

this bit mostly, since you ask.


I am 40 years old. I have, to the best of my knowledge never have any issues with candida. I know it exists within my body but I don't believe it has ever got out of balance. That is my belief.

I also believe that candida outbreaks are part of a much bigger picture. It makes no sense to have to cut either sugar or fat from your diet in order to control it. The body, with a healthy immune system should keep it under control and in balance with all the other flora of the body.

My feeling is that there is a deeper cause and when that cause is addressed then the body will be able to do its job properly. That deeper cause may well be slightly different from person to person or it may always be the same. I don't know but I would expect there to be a variety of reasons.

What exactly did I ask again? I think I made a suggestion...

"the best of my knowledge", "believe", "belief". Great! The point is, do you know? Judging by what your replies, it's quite clear you don't. I think that if you spent a few days, even a few hours doing research on candida, your understanding of my post would greatly expand. As an example, you say "it makes no sense to have to cut sugar or fat to control it"
it points to the fact that you're either not understanding what has been written and you're rushing to reply or you really need to increase your understanding about candida before you comment on it. Candida feeds on sugar and it has to be eliminated in order to bring candida overgrowth back into balance. I've already discussed why fat or fruit needs to be cut to achieve the same goal.

You're welcome to your opinions. The point of my post is that the majority of systemic health issues from small, seemingly insignificant issues like headaches, weight issues, skin issues like acne to the most serious of illnesses like cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc. are caused, AT THE ROOT, first and foremost by processed food though in some cases, by antibiotic intake unrelated to health issues such as when taken to prevent surgical infection related to an accident or through exposure to toxins in the environment. It's process food that creates an imbalance in internal flora that can trigger candida overgrowth and thereafter candida overgrowth results in a myriad of health issues. Again, you're welcome to your own seemingly unsubstantiated theories and beliefs.

[mcster]

Maybe there is a book in this for you.
I do not consume any overt fats other than the very odd lara bar in an emergency. None at all. I do not feel that this is a restriction. The opposite. It frees me up to eat what I want and what my body is asking me for.

Haha. Well, for now I'm just happy to share what I've learned. I'm not in the health field. I'm just a guy with a keen interest in health who knows how to research. But I do feel that I've stumbled into something huge that is still quite novel. The great thing is that it's substantiated by at least one MD who is successfully reversing cancer by treating candida.

My diet has gone through quite a few changes in the past four months since going raw. I have done two weeks with zero fat consumption and feel great. I do plan to resume fat intake (it's just part of my own experiment) but I don't think I will place so much weight on fat consumption when I resume my normal diet.

[MysticTree]

the funny thing is that you seem unable to allow that I might actually know about my own health better than you do!

My biggest interest is what causes some people to have such issues with this particular complaint. But to be honest I don't want to discuss it with you because you don't discuss you just accuse people of being ignorant and ill-read etc.

I don't need that vibe.

[mcster]

pippin: regarding the candida test above, I did it a few weeks ago and I failed it. I then did more research on the test itself and found a lot of controversy about it with many saying it's not accurate. I did the test again after my detox and I passed with flying colors. I still don't know if it is or isn't accurate. This is purely anecdotal but worth the try. Alternatively, you can just simply do more research on candida and your particular symptoms as I suggested and if becomes clear to you that there is a strong probability that you have candida overgrowth, just do the detox. The one I did only takes three days. It's incredibly intense but it's short. It's called the Coconut Oil Detox. Google it. Hope that helps!

[mcster]

the funny thing is that you seem unable to allow that I might actually know about my own health better than you do!

My biggest interest is what causes some people to have such issues with this particular complaint. But to be honest I don't want to discuss it with you because you don't discuss you just accuse people of being ignorant and ill-read etc.

I don't need that vibe.

The funny thing is that some people are so set in their ways that they are unable to open their minds to new information. I'm very sure you know more about your health than I do. I'm also very sure that unless you are in the overwhelming minority of people who, after 40 years, has never consumed a SAD diet and has never been exposed to toxins in the environment (not to mention taken antibiotics) you may or may have had a candida imbalance at some point that has manifested in a manner that wouldn't be obvious to you or your doctor as candida being the cause.

That's great that we're finally moving on. I don't need people who like to argue without knowledge and then accuse the other people of accusing them of being ignorant when they point out that they consistently display a lack of knowledge on the subject. Martyrdom sucks and I don't need that vibe. Over.