I could have sworn I posted this earlier, but it seems to have disappeared.

The first time I followed the elemental diet for seven weeks and did the oregano oil protocol, I did not have success (I had a couple of consultations with you at the time, if you remember). Throughout that period, I had a very, very thick and sticky white coating on my tongue. My physician, who is also trained in Chinese Medicine, was concerned that the shakes were exacerbating a potential candida problem. I wanted a second opinion, so I had a consultation with Dr. Dean and she echoed the same concern. She told me the elemental diet probably wasn't the right thing for me. (Note: I was mixing up my own shakes with no fructose and 100% maltodextrin).

Fast forward to one week ago. After much research, I identified a carbohydrate source that is much lower on the glycemic index than maltodextrin. I hoped this would enable me to do the elemental diet without aggravating the candida (if that is indeed what is happening). However, after a short five day trial of shakes with these ingredients, the exact same thing is happening. I have a thick, sticky white coating on my tongue and very foul breath.

At this point I'm definitely wondering if this is a normal reaction to the diet or an indication that my physician and Dr. Dean are indeed correct that it is not the right thing for me. Has anyone else experienced this while on the diet?

Perhaps I need to do the wild oregano oil along with an anti-candida diet instead?

Thanks,
Chris

Chris, you are a very intelligent, analytical person. You tend to live and operate from your head a lot - lots of research, dissemination, analysis, etc.

So I would like to suggest you find a method that allows you to connect with your body for wisdom / ideas on this one (not your head/intelligence). Use techniques suggested in LTYG, or come up with your own 'meditative' method.

Of course it is possible that your body does not like elemental food, or that it triggers Candida for you. But let's see what your body has to say....

take care,
Jini

Jini,

Actually, I'm a very intuitive and emotional person by nature. However, when I'm under a lot of stress my defense mechanism is to go into my head. This is what is happening for me now, and I appreciate your reminder to return my attention to the body.

Lately I've had a lot of trouble finding a way to "listen to my gut". There's so much pain, discomfort and activity there (both literally and metaphorically) that I am finding it difficult to access my intuitive wisdom. When I check in I hear a lot of thoughts, ideas and theories about what's going on in my body and what I should do about it (the analytical mind you've picked up on) rather than a clear message from my body.

That said, the last clear message I got from my body was to find a way to do the elemental diet without feeding the yeast. This is where all the research began. I can sense my body loves the bowel rest aspect and nutrient/weight gain of the diet, but has a pretty strong aversion to the sweetness of the shakes. But at this point I just don't know if it's possible to do what my body is asking for (i.e. do the ED without feeding the yeast), or if it is possible, how.

It would probably be beneficial for me to find someone who can help support me in staying connected to my body and intuition through this very stressful time. One of the main reasons I was attracted to your books and your program is that I completely agree with you on the importance of the intuitive/emotional aspect of the healing process. I have lost touch with that and it disturbs me.

Thanks again for the reminder, Jini.

Hey Chris,

I'm not sure if it's possible to do an elemental diet without affecting candida. Don't forget that candida exists throughout the body (and can even be present in the bloodstream), not just in the gut. So even a carb that's absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream may still cause an effect.

Also, let's not villify candida albicans and try to remember that it is a normal resident of our bodies and only becomes a problem when it gets out of balance.

So, if you feel led to utilise an elemental diet, then a good approach (to my mind) would be to do the Wild Oregano Oil Protocol simultaneously. I would think that 10 drops, 5x/day would certainly keep candida from escalating too much, no matter how much carbs you're ingesting. Then, when you're finished the Diet, keep on the Wild Oregano, Olive Leaf and anti-Candida diet to eliminate the overgrowth completely.

An important perspective to keep when pursuing natural healing is that you can't always heal everything at once. So sometimes you need to address your more serious symptoms first and let the less serious ones ride. Try to do this in freedom and in an easygoing manner - rather than worrying and being anxious about what you're "not" addressing. Just focus on what you "are" taking care of, and celebrate that. Feel good about it, and allow that positivity to flood your body as much as possible.

all the best,
Jini