antibiotics/leaky gut

[ldubois7]

I saw this in a article:

As beneficial bacteria lining the gut wall are eliminated, yeasts like Candida albicans have the opportunity to overgrow and become dominant by attaching to the gut wall. Once attached to the gut wall, yeast has the ability to create lesions in the cell membranes. This can lead to the syndrome referred to as “leaky gut”, which increases the likelihood of foreign proteins entering the bloodstream resulting in inflammation, food intolerances, a myriad of digestive problems, autoimmune disease, and other associated imbalances.

This is the entire article:

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... tibiotics/

It made me wonder... My physical issues escalated a few years ago, when we stayed in a home for, 8 months, that had mold. I got very sick with a flu that lasted more than a month. Being an elementary teacher, I thought I had a great immune system, and I did....I only got a cold once a year....but during the stay in this home, I became so ill that my ear drum ruptured! I finally relented and took a very strong antibiotic (haven't taken one since I was a teenager) as I was told I was close to pneumonia. After that, I started having severe yeast infections...never had one before in my 50 years of life! A few months after we moved, I was very drained and tired for the whole summer...which isn't like me....then in the fall, I started with the symptoms of MC....and the rest is history.
I keep trying to understand why I have so MANY food intolerances...can only eat about 6 foods, and could this be a possible explanation?
I miss my veggies like crazy...and I tried a small portion this past week with poor results.

How do I heal this leaky gut....by continuing on my path, and keeping to a very simple diet...it's been difficult to stay away from all grains as I can't eat nuts....heck...I can't eat much of anything!

Anyone have thoughts on this subject?

Thank you!

[tex]

Hi Linda,

We all have a leaky gut while we are reacting, and it usually has nothing to do with C. albicans. Research shows that everyone who has one or more food sensitivities has a leaky gut (page 212 in the book). So increased intestinal permeability is a typical marker of MC (and all other IBDs).

Based on your experience with the mold though, it's very clear that your immune system developed a serious allergy to mold during that period of your life. That suggests to me that you are likely to be very vulnerable to histamine/mast cell issues not only in your food, but also to cross-reactivity problems triggered by mold virtually anywhere in your environment.

Our leaky gut heals on its own, as we bring our MC symptoms under control. Do you crave sugar? Candida is a very unique parasite, and it has a characteristic found in no other parasite that I'm aware of — the ability to modify both our mood and our cravings. Unless you find yourself with an insatiable craving for sugar (anytime you try to limit the amount of sugar in your diet), it's unlikely that you have a Candida overgrowth, because when Candida takes over our gut, it also takes over our brain, and coerces it into ensuring that our diet contains an adequate amount of sugar to allow the yeast to thrive. IOW, it persuades our brain to act in the yeast's best interest, without us even realizing it. And if we don't respond appropriately to those cravings, we will tend to feel the unpleasant effects of withdrawal (in synchrony with the needs of the Candida).

Tex

[ldubois7]

Thank you, Tex!

I have always craved sugar, but I have virtually eliminated it from my life now. I use a small amount of honey or maple syrup for sweetener if I need to, but that's it.
I have not had any yeast problems since that time period 2 years ago. I read that the betaine hcl helps with that as well, and I am still doing well on the supplement.

So, you don't recommend a grain free diet to help heal the leaky gut...just eating the right foods for me for now?

:)

[tex]

Well, if you didn't have about a zillion food sensitivities, it would be much easier to follow a grain-free diet. But as limited as your diet is already, I'm not sure that it would be beneficial to impose that additional restriction.

I'm pretty sure that a steady, excessive, life-long diet of sugar predisposed me to MC, via a leaky gut, and all it took to finally clinch the deal was a megadose of chronic stress associated with several years of trying to grow a business under unusually difficult conditions. Sugar is claimed to be the second most-common cause of leaky gut (if my memory is correct). The leading cause is excessive use of alcohol.

Consequently, I'm sure that I had a Candida overgrowth during the height of my reactive period, and prior to my recovery. I can recall seeing the thrush on my tongue, every time I looked at it in the mirror, and I even had the anal itch at the other end, to verify the "diagnosis".

I did avoid corn and sorghum during my recovery (because I seemed to react to them), but rice was a regular part of my diet, and I ate potatoes virtually every day. Fortunately, the only sugar I could tolerate was maple, so that prompted me to minimize sugar in my diet. Otherwise, I would probably have never gotten rid of the Candida, because I didn't know anything about treating it back in those days (heck, I didn't even realize that it could be a problem).

Anyway, the point is, a restricted diet (that included rice and potatoes) brought me to remission, and the Candida symptoms disappeared (without any special treatment).

Tex

[ldubois7]

The only grain I eat daily is a Teff flour waffle in the morning. It's 1/2 Teff and 1/2 arrowroot (to cut down on the fiber in the Teff) and a little cream of buckwheat cereal (the' cream of' buckwheat has almost no fiber). I don't use syrup either.

So the only sweet that I have is a macaroon made with just drops of honey, or a few mini Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

Like you I had a sweet tooth my entire life. I also had the thrush tongue etc. I have felt so much better without sugar in my life...well, except at the holidays!

So, I will continue with my extremely restricted diet, because I am better this month than last, and although the improvements are SLOW AS MOLASSES, I am not sliding backwards in my recovery either.

Did you say that you had a veggie about 3X per week, when you were recovering...or should I continue to leave them out indefinitely? I think it's the fiber, and just the fact that it's roughage that has kept me reacting to cooked veggies.

Thanks for chatting!

[dfpowell]

Linda,

Could you post your recipes for the waffles and macaroons?

Thanks,

[tex]

Linda,

I had all the potatoes I could eat, in one form or another, virtually every day, and I had a small portion of over-cooked squash, or broccoli, probably about 3 or 4 times a week. Occasionally, I would eat some turnip greens, or spinach, instead. You have to remember though, that I didn't really know what I was doing back in those days (as if I do now ), so a lot of the time I was guessing and experimenting. But these foods were the ones that survived my trials, and emerged as apparent safe choices for my own particular diet.

Back in those days, I wasn't cognizant of just how harmful for recovery fiber can be for us, either. And I didn't realize that with some forms of fiber, dosage could be an issue. I just knew that certain foods were poor choices.

Tex

[UkuleleLady]

So, I will continue with my extremely restricted diet, because I am better this month than last, and although the improvements are SLOW AS MOLASSES, I am not sliding backwards in my recovery either.

How wonderful that you are seeing improvements! Keep up the good work!

[ldubois7]

Hi Donna,

Please remember that I have about a zillion food intolerances (as Tex, so eloquently put it, I just call myself a freak! haha!), so there are only a few ingredients I can use.


http://www.elanaspantry.com/egg-free-paleo-macaroons/

I do not put 1/4 c. honey in this, I only put about a tablespoon...it's the binder in the recipe.
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

http://www.thedailydietribe.com/2011/11 ... cakes.html

I have morphed this recipe into:

1/2 cup Teff, and 1/2 cup arrowroot starch, and 1/4 cup cream of buckwheat cereal
I can't use baking powder, so I use 1/2 tsp. baking soda
I do not use sugar (sometimes I add a tablespoon of maple syrup...it takes out the baking soda bitterness I was tasting occasionally), and only put 1/8 cup applesauce in it
I use homemade coconut milk for the liquid.

Good luck!

[Gloria]

Well, if you didn't have about a zillion food sensitivities, it would be much easier to follow a grain-free diet. But as limited as your diet is already, I'm not sure that it would be beneficial to impose that additional restriction.

If I eliminated corn flour, I'd be starving.

Gloria

[Jeanemcl]

I am learning.....big fat radishes at the farmers market. I could not keep my hands off them. Stomach ache to beat the band.