Q. Hi Cynthia, I was diagnosed with Candida, low blood sugar-hypoglycaemia or is it hypo-dairy intolerant and recently gluten intolerant. The former were diagnosed over 20yrs ago. I haven’t had a test to determine if I am caeliac as the specialist advised unless I went fully back on gluten for 6mths it would be inconclusive if negative results. I have looked at the acid/alkaline diet, I have been sent a brand new diet by Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst who has a system of ridding the body of parasites-very interesting. Or the anti-candida diet I have kind of done here and there when I have got really unwell. I am tossing up between threelac-though not so much now as I would more than likely be severe candida, and the idea Dr. Suzanne is selling. Help ~Samantha
A. Hi Samantha,
Yes, I understand it can be very confusing when all the diets coming down the pike are touted as the best diet on the planet, since common sense tells us that all of them can’t possibly be the definitive answer. Fortunately, there is an easy way to sift through all the noise and get to the truth of the matter of which diet is best for you. Basically, all we need to do is go back to the wisdom of nature and look at what our ancestors ate.
Research of our evolutionary history tells us that the human being functions most optimally on a diet that resembles our caveman ancestors, called the Paleolithic diet, also known as the Caveman diet or the Hunter-Gatherer diet. That means we should be eating lots of unprocessed meat and low-starch vegetables, eggs and a small amount of nuts, seeds and fruit. Food should be in their whole and natural state as much as possible. Nothing more.
Unlike all other diets, the Paleolithic diet is not a passing “in vogue” fad and was not created by someone trying to make money. It is based on simple scientific facts gathered from extensive research on the types of foods our caveman ancestors consumed. This is the diet that we are genetically designed to eat through the process of evolution and natural selection. Prior to the introduction of grains, potatoes, beans, and other agriculture based foods, our society was not plagued with degenerative health conditions.
The diet that most of society consumes today is destructive to our physical, emotional and spiritual health because it deviates from the diet that Mother Nature intended us to eat. The Agriculture Revolution brought many foods into our diet that should not be there, simply because it was discovered that more people could be fed more affordably and conveniently with grains, potatoes, beans etc. These foods destroy the gastrointestinal tract, disrupt neurotransmitters in the brain, overstimulate the sympathetic nervous system, create nutritional deficiencies, disrupt blood sugar and insulin levels and trigger autoimmune responses, all of which lead to deterioration in health.
On a side note, before we get into the diet in more depth, I do not recommend Threelac. Please read these pages I have on Threelac.
Is Threelac Safe and Effective
Also keep in mind, no matter what antifungal you take, the diet must be changed or long-term progress cannot be made. I know that Threelac claims you don’t have to follow any special diet, but that simply is not true. This is true of any health condition. The diet is always the foundation of all healing plans.
If you look at what your body is telling you by the symptoms you say you are experiencing, you will see that it is guiding you to the diet that it needs. Lets’s look at a few examples:
- You are gluten intolerant. Your body is telling you that you shouldn’t eat grains.
- You have hypoglycemia. Your body is telling you that you shouldn’t be eating foods that cause a rise in blood sugar and insulin, which means you should be avoiding all grains, potatoes, beans, peas, winter squash and all high starch foods.
- You are dairy intolerant. Your body is telling you that you shouldn’t eat dairy.
- You have Candida. Your body is telling you that you shouldn’t be eating high starch foods that break down into sugar in the body, which again includes all grains, potatoes, beans and high starch foods.
- Each of these conditions indicates that your diet should include more meat and fat, because it is animal protein and fat that will keep your blood sugar stable, be kind to your digestive tract, won’t disrupt insulin and blood sugar levels and won’t feed Candida.
When we look over the messages that your body is giving you, we can clearly see that it is telling you that what I say is true. Fortunately the diet that is needed to correct all your problems is the same. It should be rich in animal protein, contain a sufficient level of fat, be grain and dairy free and low in carbohydrates. All the components needed to address each of your health issues are inherent in the Paleolithic diet. It naturally discourages Candida overgrowth, balances blood sugar, is good for the gastrointestinal tract and is free of the substances that are incompatible with your chemistry.
Now with all that being said, does that mean that all other diets out there are useless? No, it doesn’t. It means that we first need to be aware of the facts on what our body truly needs and then be able to analyze the data effectively from the other diets and pull out the pieces that can be beneficial and merged without violating our basic foundation.
It is my opinion that Paleolithic principles should be at the foundation of your diet plan, but then some fine tuning to fit your particular biochemical needs may be needed. We can combine wisdom from a variety of different diets with our caveman principles.
For example, the acid/alkaline diet teaches a variety of valuable principles we should be aware of as well. It is absolutely true that our diet should not be too acidic or too alkaline. Most people in our society are too acidic, and this contributes to many health conditions like Candida. However, when one follows the Paleolithic diet, proper acid/alkaline balance is just built into it naturally, not too much tweaking needs to be made. The primary foods that cause too much acidity are starchy carbohydrates like sugar, potatoes, whole grains, refined foods, etc.
Although I am not familiar with Dr.Gudakunst’s parasite diet, I’m sure it contains some valuable wisdom as well that can be incorporated into the Paleolithic diet. Parasites are another very common condition in our society that many people are not aware of, so eating foods that discourage their presence can be nothing but beneficial as long as they are not grains, beans or other high starch foods.
The glycemic index diet is another diet that teaches us a variety of very important principles we should incorporate into our life. All food in our diet should be low on the glycemic index. Foods that are high on the glycemic index should be avoided or greatly restricted. Again, the foods that are part of the Paleolithic diet are just naturally low on the glycemic index. However, some fruits are high on the index and should be restricted.
A whole foods diet is also packed with many principles that are in line perfectly with the values of our Caveman diet. Our diet should consist of real and whole food at all times. Refined and processed food should be avoided, because it is lacking in nutritional value and loaded with substances that are harmful to our health.
Even within the Paleolithic diet, there is not a one-size fits all diet. Some people need more meat than others, some people can eat more fruit than others, some people may not do well on nuts and seeds. There may be undiagnosed food sensitivities, which can make a perfectly health food like chicken, tomatoes, onions, eggs, beef etc. a toxin for the vulnerable person. So the individual may need something like the ALCAT to identify sensitivities. Diet needs may vary from person to person depending on what type of health conditions they face.
The diet that is best for you should be designed to meet your unique biochemical needs.
I encourage you to learn more about the following:
The Paleolithic Diet
Good Carbs Bad Carbs
Insulin Resistance Symptoms
Healthy Diet Plan
Last but not least, I also want to note that perfection is not necessary. We want to live by our Paleolithic principles as much as possible. However, an occasional indulgence in some foods outside these guidelines, like whole grains, potatoes or beans, is not going to be too detrimental, as long as we are within reason. It is the frequent consumption that is of more concern. But, your level of health will be a major determining factor in how often you can or should stray.
All the best.
Cynthia
