so, if you know me, or if you read my blog (at the right time) you know that i have the hugest girl crush on Brandi Carlile.
HUGE-EST!!

last time she was in town, she came for THREE nights in a row!
THREE!!
the first two were impromptu.
i went to 2 of the 3.

she is so amazing.

anyway, i met lots of super cool people in those two days as i sat in line waiting for the doors to open. one person had told me about brandi's performance in seattle with the seattle symphony.
she said that if you are a brandi fan, this performance is not to be missed.

i have never been to seattle, but i already know that i love it. serious.
already love it.
so, a couple weeks ago, being the brandi ho that i am, i decided i was going to see her in seattle.
i may go alone, i may invite someone. who knows.
either way, im going to go see her.

now the money.

i was determined. this would happen and the funds would make them selves known. (does your money hide from you as often as mine does?)

i was given what i needed.
we were refinancing our house at the time, and as luck would have it, between the payment we skip with the refi, the taxes we paid for 2010 that we get back and the money that we got back at closing (which we werent planning on)- there is more than enough to go on my trip.

su-weet!

so, then i decide that i will invite a friend.
it took a few days, but she was in.

perfect!

then, on tuesday night, my friend asked if we should get our tickets.
i didnt think so. brandi is doing two nights. the first sold out, but i didnt think the second one would.
i went online on wednesday to get tickets.................SOLD THE EFF OUT!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, well, not totally sold out.
there was still ONE ticket left at $71.00
ONE!

i called my friend in a panic.
then we decided there has to be ones for sale.
ebay, craigslist, other ticket vendors (aka...scalpers)

so, we found 2 tickets for $87 each. we knew that we were paying more than face value. prally 200% more. but we were fine with that.
my friend ordered them. they were to be delivered to her house.

she text me today to let me know that they tickets showed up.....and they have their face value printed on them.

come to find out that we would have saved some money IF paid a 200% increase.
we would have saved money if it was a 300% increase.
and....we would have even saved money if it was a 400% increase.....
we paid a 450% increase on the face value of our tickets.
they were $19.00 tickets!!!
yup, i said $19.00!!!

i decided its all good. i would be WAY more disappointed if i didnt get to go.

road trip from salt lake to seattle and back in 3 1/2 days.
and i get to hear brandi sing.

i. am. so. excited.

lets hope we do better with the hotel rates. :}


alisa

Candi....what?

**Warning, this is a LONG post. If you want to know about what MAY be ailing you...continue.**

Candida-

Ever heard of it? You probably have. However, I have not. Well, until yesterday.

I was talking to my mom about Nutri-biotic for this little sickness I have been dealing with for the last couple of days. (Made me miss going to San Diego....jerk)

Anyway, my mom was rambling off the ailments that Nutri-biotic helps with. Then she mentioned yeast infection or candida. She then says "Oh, I need to tell your sister about that part.."

She has had digestion issues as well as other issues that she has been trying to figure out.

At one point she thought that Candida might be the culprit. She was swayed from it. But she came back to thinking that this was the issue. So she did alot of research and she is pretty sure she has found what ailes her.

For those of you who, like me, havent heard or known of candida let me tell you what it is.

Candida is the over growth of yeast in your body.

All of us have yeast in our body. Naturally the body knows what to do with it and there isnt an issue. However, there are a lot of those who have yeast over growth, dont know it, and then have issues that they arent sure what to rack it up to.

This is about yeast over growth in the digestive system. It makes it hard for your body to process your food. And, if you dont know that you are dealing with it, you are probably making it worse with the foods you consume.

My sister decided she would do the candida spit test.

Great name huh? Well, its pretty self explainitory.

In the morning, you put some distilled water at room temperature in a clear glass. Then, before you put ANYTHING in your mouth, you get a good amount of spit in your mouth and you spit in the glass. You can leave there for up to an hour to see what your spit does.

IF it gets stringy and kind of separates as it goes towards the bottom, YOU my friend are dealing with candida. IF it separates like small spotty pieces, YOU my friend, are dealing with Candida. If it floats on top of the water, YOU my friend, are NOT dealing with Candida.

Ok, so, what are the symptoms of Candida?

Well, there are many. Hell, breathing could be a symptom. Yep, its one of THOSE things where anything that you feel could be related. But, just for fun, I will list the symptoms.

Here goes.....

• abdominal gas and bloating


• headaches


• migraines


• excessive fatigue


• cravings for alcohol


• anxiety


• vaginitis ( cant we thing of a better name...??)


• rectal itching


• cravings for sweets


• inability to think clearly or concentrate


• hyperactivity


• mood swings


• diarrhea


• constipation


• hyperactivity


• itching


• acne


• eczema


• depression


• sinus inflammation


• pre-menstrual syndrome


• dizziness


• poor memory


• persistent cough


• earaches


• low sex drive


• muscle weakness


• irritability


• learning difficulties


• sensitivity to fragrances and/or other chemicals


• cognitive impairment


• thrush


• athlete's foot


• sore throat


• indigestion


• acid reflux


• chronic pain

Some may look at this and say "k, so....whats the big deal?" Well, maybe not a BIG deal if it is mild and you dont have a reason to even think that anything may be wrong. However, it can reck havoc on the following:

• digestive


• nervous


• cardiovascular


• respiratory


• reproductive


• urinary


• endocrine


• lymphatic


• musculoskeletal

So yeah, yeast issues arent just for *down there*. See what I mean? ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is a symptom. However, for my sister, her issues that lead her to this conclusion was bloating, sugar craving (abnormal amounts), anxiety, as well as hormonal issues.

When she was talking about all of this, I thought "Hmmmmm.....I wonder if there is something to this for me.."

My issues, Keeping the weight off, sinus issues, headaches, gas and bloating and digestion issues. Ya know, my stomach never feels good.

So, I did the spit test. Sure enough, it didn't take long for my spit to separate, get stringy and sink.

So, what can be done about this?

Well, there are some supplements out there that say they can combat the candida with out much change in diet.

There may be some truth to that. However, I tend to believe that the majority has to be done with diet.

So, what does the Candida diet consist of? I asked this to my sister and PRAYED and crossed my fingers that it wasnt like eating when on HCG.

Well, it kind of is. But not the same.

The "DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT EATING!!" Foods-

SUGAR!! Avoid it like the plague. Did you even know how many kinds of sugars there are? Well take a looky loo:

-Beet Sugar
-Maple Sugar
-Date Sugar
-Organic Cane Syrup
-Organic Cane Juice
-Organic Cane Sugar
-Dextrose
-Maltose
-Lactose
-Maltodextrin
-Fructose
-High Fructose Corn Syrup
-Brown Sugar
-Powdered Sugar
-Honey
-Molasses
-Alcohol is the most refined form of sugar you can consume.

Anything ending in "lose"....yeah, stay away from that.

-No alcohol
-No wheat
-No yeast
-No caffeine (Caffeine prompts the liver to dump large doses of sugar into the blood stream)
-No preservatives and additives
-No refined and processed foods
-No moldy foods
-No dairy (except yogurt and butter on occasion)
Cheese and milk contain lactose (milk sugar) which the yeast will feed on.
(some people can do small amounts of cottage cheese)
-Low in Carbohydrates

-No processed meats like lunch meat, spam, bacon, sausage etc.

Um...ok, so what CAN I eat?

-Lean Meat and Fish
-Eggs
-High in Protein and Vegetables
-Low in Fruit and Nuts

The basic and most successful anti Candida diet should consist of nothing but lean meat, eggs, and low carbohydrate vegetables. A small amount of whole fruit, nuts and seeds may be acceptable if they don't flare symptoms.

Meats to Include

-buffalo (is lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken or turkey)
-chicken
-beef
-turkey
-lamb
-ostrich
-pheasant
-venison
-fish.( its good to be wise about the fish you eat. some are high in mercury and *most* farmed fish are full of pollutants. I also read that Atlantic Salmon is higher in mercury than pacific salmon)

I always think that Organic is best. I mean, if you are trying to get rid of the yeast overload in your body, it makes no sense to eat meat that is pumped full of antibiotics. (one of the things yeast feeds on)

Low Carb Vegetables to Include

-cabbage
-kale
-lettuce
-cucumbers
-zucchinis
-cauliflower
-green beans
-spinach
-any green leafy vegetable is low in carbohydrates
-onions
-garlic
-green peppers
-avocados (are excellent because they are also very good for stabilizing -blood sugar)
-tomatoes are low carb but high in acid and often aggravate yeast, you'll need to monitor your symptoms to determine whether you should include them in your diet.

Ok....so what can I eat, but just not much of or not often?

High Carb Foods to Avoid or Eat Sparingly

-potatoes (DAMN!)
-carrots (Meh..)
-sweet potatoes (DAMN!!)
-yams (DAMN DAMN DAMN!)
-corn (meh...)
-beans (damn-ish)
-winter squash (SH&T, DAMN, HELL!!!)

K...FINE! WHAT ELSE CANT I HAVE???

Grains

Grains should be avoided completely or reserved for special occasions on the Candida diet. Not only are they are highly allergenic and high in carbohydrates, but the human body does not digest them properly. They disrupt the gastrointestinal tract.

-rice (meh...)
-wheat (Meh...)
-oats (meh...)
-barley (meh..)
-spelt (meh...)
-rye (meh...)
-corn (meh....)

There are ALTERNATE grains that can be used though:

-Kamut (huh?)
-Quinoa (YUMMY!!)
-Amaranth (Ama...what?)

So.....I guess this isnt really much different than how normally eat....except for the the stuff that I am swearing about. BUT...Eggs and Yogurt are allowed...to an extent.

Yogurt is okay on occasion because it contains healthy bacteria. (GREEK YOGURT!!)
-Cheese or cottage cheese should be restricted for special occasions. (meh..)
-Eggs are a good protein and contain no carbs. (YAY for Fresh Eggs from our chickens!!)

Lets talk about nuts-

Some people can include nuts, while other's can't. Nuts are very good for you, so if you can include them in your diet, you should. However in the beginning phase of the Candida diet they are best avoided or reduced.

Nuts are moldy. Some of them are also high carbohydrate.

Cashews are high in carbohydrates.

Macadamia, Almond, Walnut Hazelnut are lower in carbohydrates. Peanuts should be avoided, they are actually a legume, not a nut.

Ok, so whatev....I mean, I would be sad if I couldn't eat Almonds, but they are Ok-ish. Sweet!

This ones going to hurt. Alot......Fruits..... grrrr....ok, here is goes-

Most people need to cut down on fruit intake drastically while following the Candida diet. This is because fruit is high in natural sugar. Some fruits are higher in sugar than others.

Some people can eat fruit freely and other people can't eat it at all. On the other hand, some people can only eat fruit that is lower in sugar.


Fruit High in Sugar
-Oranges (very moldy as well)
-Bananas
-Dates
-Raisins (At one point these wrinkly fellas were Grapes.......damn! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Grapes. But, I did stop eating them as much because I noticed that I was bloated the more I ate them. And I could eat a pound a day. No lie... So this is making sense)

Fruit Medium level of sugar
-Apples
-Apricots
-Peaches
-Melons (also very moldy)


Fruit Low in sugar
-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Raspberries
-Blackberries
-Pears

Oh, and this. NO VINEGAR!!!! WHAT???? I guess scientifically, it makes sense. I think I can handle it. However, Apple Cider Vinegar is fine. But I LOVE Balsamic Vinegar. Hmph.

So, in a nut shell (depending on the nut)

No Starches

that is to include grains and root veggies.

So, no bread.

No pasta

Minimal (if ANY) fruit

No dairy (sucks that I LOVE blue cheese....ya know....moldy cheese....perfect feeding ground for a yeast extravaganza)

Very picky with nuts and what is actually a nut.

"They" say that for every month you have had candida, you should adopt the diet. But who knows how long they have had candida. I mean, by the time the symptoms make you go "hmmmm" its already a problem. So, I will do it as long I feel I need to. Then when I am ready, I will introduce some of the no-nos into my diet and pay close attention to the results.

LOTS of people D.R.O.P. weight like a hot plate when they get going on this. Not knowing that this was a main reason as to why it has been so frustrating getting the weight off.

So- here goes nuthin. I would like to say that I will blog about results in the way I feel and look and that I will also blog about what I eat, but really....who am I kidding?

If I do, consider it a good day for me....and you. :)

Alisa- The Candida Hunter