Trying McCombs Plan for Candida

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paucek.sheldon1

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I am posting my experience on the caveman diet (McCombs Plan).Hypothesis (Why)The theory behind this treatment plan is that Candida exists in my intenstine caused by an antibiotic. I do remember that my twitching started around the time being treated flu symptoms by an antibioticDay 1 (8/25/2010)Breakfast: whole grain rice cake (Jewel Brand)Snack: Coffee, TeaLunch: SkippedDinner: Two broiled chicken breasts in a little soy sauce with ginger root and rehydrated datesDrinks: Water, water. lots of waterSweating: Did not go to the saunaSupplements: No suppplementsExercise: Walked for 45 minutes (collecting tennis balls)Symptoms: Vibration day. By end of the day twitching more than normalNotes: Soy sauce not a approved item on the plan. Will leave it out next timeDay 2 (8/26/2010)Breakfast: whole grain rice cake (Jewel Brand)Snack: Herbal TeaLunch: whole grain rice cake with salt. McDonald's southwestern chicken salad w/o dressing or chipsDinner: Broiled checken breast with ginger root. Corn on the cob.Drinks: Did not measure waterSweating: 20 min at a wet saunaSupplements: No supplementsExercise: Lifted weightsWeight: 222 lbsSymptoms Twitching day. No vibrationsNotes McDonalds southwestern chicken salad has some sort of dressing on the chicken. And has cheese. Not a good item to eat again.Day 3 (8/27/2010)Breakfast: pear, grapesSnack: Whole grain rice cakesLunch: Chicken breast and cornDinner: Salmon and cornDrinks: Water, not measuredSweating: 15 minutesSupplements: NoneExercise: Went joggingWeight: 221.5 lbsSymptoms: TwitchingNotes:Day 4 (8/28/2010)Breakfast: whole grain rice cakesSnack: Lunch: CornDinner: Tilapia and brown riceDrinks: Water, 4.5 quartsSweating: 20 minutesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: Weight liftingWeight: 219 lbsSymptoms: TwitchingNotes: I seem to be loosing weight. If it is correct that toxins are stored in the fat, the loss of weight may increase my twiching. Though, to bad because I want to lose a few pounds.Day 5 (8/29/2010)Breakfast: SkippedSnack: BananaLunch: 6 egg omelet cooked in olive oil. With a few tomatoes and red peppersDinner: Bananas and rice cakesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: Did not doSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 218 lbsSymptoms: Twitching, VibrationsNotes: I took communion today (a little bit of bread and grape juice). Not part of my diet, but I guess I am not willing to compromise on that.Day 6 (8/30/2010)Breakfast: BananaSnack: Lunch: Rice cakes and banannasDinner: Two tillapia, bananna, whole grain riceDrinks: Water, 4.5 quartsSweating: 15 minutesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: Weight liftingWeight: 218 lbsSymptoms: No changeNotes: I am a little discouraged that I have not hand any change in my symptoms. I guess in all fairness, it is day 3... No weight change. I don't feel like I ate much yesterday. That is interesting...Day 7 (8/31/2010)Breakfast: BananaSnack: Herbal teaLunch: Rice cakes and bananasDinner: Sliced beef, whole grain rice, pearsDrinks: Water, 4.5 quartsSweating: 15 minutesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: SwimmingWeight: 216.5 lbsSymptoms: Bad vibrations and twitching todayNotes: Weight went down significantly today. Weight can vary based on timing of bowel movementsDay 8 (9/1/2010)Breakfast: 4 eggsSnack: herbal teaLunch: tillapiaDinner: samon and potatoesDrinks: Water, 4.5 quartsSweating: 15 minutesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: Weight liftingWeight: 217Symptoms: Just twitching today. No vibrations.Notes:Day 9 (9/2/2010)Breakfast: appleSnack: nectarine, peach slicesLunch: skippedDinner: chickenDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: NoSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 216Symptoms: Vibrations.Notes:Day 10 (9/3/2010)Breakfast: skippedSnack: appleLunch: 4 egg omelet with vegetablesDinner: Two beef patties, raw onionsDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: 30 min olipticalWeight: 214.5Symptoms: TwitchesNotes:Day 11 (9/4/2010)Breakfast: BananaSnack: Lunch: BananaDinner: Two salmon fillets and two red potatoes. Bananna and black seedless grapesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 214.5Symptoms: VibrationsNotes: No weight loss. Got a reply back on my message to Dr. McCombs. That was fun and should energize me to continue for a while longer.Day 12 (9/5/2010)Breakfast: banannaSnack: Lunch: 4 egg omelet with tomatoesDinner: Two beef patties, cornDrinks: Water, 4.0 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 214Symptoms: Vibrations, twitchingNotes: Had a multiple strange bowel movements yesterday, not sure if it is because I have been feeling ill, my body rejecting the supplements, or (gasp) the riddance of excess toxins or candida from my body. Also, my rapid weight loss seems to have slowed down.Day 13 (9/6/2010)Breakfast: banannaSnack: Lunch: chicken breast and beef pattieDinner: rasberries and blueberriesDrinks: Water, 4.0 quartsSweating: NoSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 215Symptoms: Had a pretty good day with limited noticeable symptomsNotes: Gained .5 lbsDay 14 (9/7/2010)Breakfast: banana, cornSnack: Lunch: sweet potatoDinner: tillapiaDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 214Symptoms: VibrationsNotes: The worst part of trying a new 'solution' is the disillusionment when you do not see any change in your symptoms. You end up being more perceptive of your symptoms without any change in them. It is a major bummer. I hate it. Slept well last night. Did not get up in the middle of the night. Boy was I tired. I am glad to finally get a good nights sleep. I watched my right calf for 60 seconds without a twitch. Did the same thing with my left leg and it was twitching like crazy. Not sure this means anything.Day 15 (9/8/2010)Breakfast: bananaSnack: herbal teaLunch: potatoDinner: chicken drumsticks, apple, watermelonDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: 20 minSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: Weight liftingWeight: 212.5Symptoms: Vibrations. For sixty seconds I watched both of my calves and did not see a twitch. This is comforting. Though this has occurred before I started the plan. Still it puts me in a better mood.Notes: Big decrease in weight today. It seems that if I exercise I lose weight, but if I do not, I do not lose weight.Day 16 (9/9/2010)Breakfast: strawberriesSnack: Lunch: red potatoesDinner: tillapia, salmon, watermellonDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: ElipticalWeight: 212.5Symptoms: TwitchingNotes:Day 17 (9/10/2010)Breakfast: Snack: Lunch: sweet potatoeDinner: tillapia and salmonDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 210.5Symptoms: Notes:Day 18 (9/11/2010)Breakfast: few grapesSnack: Lunch: Gala appleDinner: tillapia, sweet potatoeDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: NoSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 210.5Symptoms: vibrationsNotes: Did my 60 second sampling of my calves. Did not see any twitches. But did see light tremors. Which 10 years ago I would never have even noticed because I was not listening to my body. Day 19 (9/12/2010)Breakfast: bananna, cornSnack: Lunch: sweet potatoeDinner: tillapiaDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 210.5Symptoms: Notes:Day 20 (9/13/2010)Day 21 (9/14/2010)Day 22 (9/15/2010)Breakfast: bananaSnack: Lunch: sweet potatoeDinner: beef, sweet potato, strawberriesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: Weight liftingWeight: 209Symptoms: TwitchingNotes: I need to go down on my military press from 60 lbs to 55 lbs. Sometimes weight loss causes muscle loss because the body wants to burn up muscle before fat. That is a bit annoying. I want now wear size 38 pants and want to get to a 36 pant. I read that it is the fat around the waste that is the most dangerous. Size 36 is what I wore in college and is probably a natural size for me.Day 23 (9/16/2010)Day 24 (9/17/2010)Breakfast: bananaSnack: Lunch: appleDinner: beef, grapesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 208Symptoms: TwitchingNotes: Did not notice any vibrations today. But my ankle was killing me. I continue to wonder if there is something wrong with my ankle, or a pinched nerve in my ankle.Day 25 (9/18/2010)Day 26 (9/19/2010)Day 27 (9/20/2010)Day 28 (9/21/2010)Breakfast: appleSnack: Lunch: appleDinner: beef, pears, strawberriesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 207Symptoms: TwitchingNotes: Did not notice any vibrations today. Watched my right calf for 60 seconds without a twitch. Didn't have the courage to check my left calf. Down another lb. Hope I am losing belly fat. I would like to wear a size 36 pant again.Day 29 (9/22/2010)Breakfast: appleSnack: Lunch: eggs with onionDinner: fish, peachesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 206Symptoms: TwitchingNotes: My weight loss was a rapid 2 lbs in the last two days. I read about people who had lost weight had increased toxicity in their bodies. Wonder if that is accurate in my case.Day 30 (9/23/2010)Breakfast: banana, appleSnack: green teaLunch: skipDinner: two beef patties, peaches, grapesDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 205Symptoms: Vibration dayNotes: My weight loss continued and I want to slow the drop. I guess I would like to stabilize at 200 lbs. Or size 36 pants. Had a vibration day. Did do a 30 second check of my left calf without any noticeable twitches.Day 31 (9/24/2010)Day 32 (9/25/2010)Day 33 (9/23/2010)Breakfast: bananaSnack: Lunch: saladDinner: eggs with peas, grapes, banannaDrinks: Water, 3.5 quartsSweating: YesSupplements: Detox, Candida ForceExercise: NoneWeight: 203.5Symptoms: Pretty bad twitch and vibration day today. Worse than normal. Not sure what caused the flair up.Notes:
 
43RichyThe43rd,I am glad you are giving the McCombs Plan a try and I think its a great idea to post a journal of your experience and progress. I did have one thought on your first day's diet that may or may not explain why your twitching was worse than normal. I noticed that you drank coffee and tea while skipping lunch. Although Dr. McCombs says that coffee and tea are allowed in his diet, he also makes the disclaimer to listen to your body and avoid things that you may be sensitive to. In my particular case, I found that caffeine was an irritant and caused me to twitch. You didn't specify if you drank caffeinated coffee or tea, but if you did it could be an explanation for your symptoms being worse than normal, especially since you skipped lunch. I just wanted to propose a possible explanation for your symptoms being worse on day one. I wouldn't expect them to go away on day one, but they certainly shouldn't be getting worse. I'll be following your journal with interest. Best of luck.
 
No cheese? UGH. Me like cheese.Poor cheeseless Cavepeople.43RichyThe43rd - That's not a theory - it's more like the beginning of hypothesis development. Theories have data and working results for backing. You think you may have a fungal overgrowth from one treatment of antibiotics? Was it extensive and large doses? From what I've read, you would first have had some obvious symptoms before candida would spread to other parts of the body and if this were the case why not take an anti-fungal? I have seen thrush in an infant (friend's kid) and it is pretty unmistakable (and gross) but babies get this because they have no immunity or balance of good symbiotic organisms developed yet. Is it possible to have a hidden candida infection without obvious symptoms? I mean scientifically possible, not blog-o-sphere legend possible. Maybe the docs here would like to chime in?BUT changing your diet for the better and drinking more water is always good. Chances are McCombs' patients would improve from the 'diet' alone if they had poor diets to start and were borderline dehydrated. It is good you are posting as this candida idea pops up here from time to time and you can be a trial version - if we can just keep you out of Mickey D's! I have some trees that need trimming in my yard, where you can experience both physical activity and a sauna (Florida in August=large natural sauna). This is the second time this week I've put that idea out there - you can tell I'm really tired of yard work. It's the AllGoodHere homeopathic sauna method for flushing systemic impurities (look for it on bookshelves soon!).
 
SAM - Oh, I wasn't doubting that candida overgrowth is a real concern in some instances. I was just saying that what 43RichyThe43rd said was his theory wasn't a theory - it is a guess because he didn't say he had any evidence of a candida overgrowth or infection in his system. We guess at causes for our bfs because we don't have set answers from our docs. Even though a good diet and hydration is an excellent tactic which I have myself employed - it won't cure an infection that I don't have. Believe me - many of us here have tried lots of supplements and diets with varying results and I've probably gone a bit overboard with it at times. Even though I feel that many of these things helped, they did not 'cure' me of bcfs. Like you said though, it won't hurt to give it a spin. I have seen for myself many times how small adjustments can make a person well rather than ill. Unfortunately, not too many practitioners have time or experience in this approach. An example, my daughter had an allergy to red food dye when she was little - we found it with an exclusion diet but I doubt many docs (we were lucky) would have seen her headaches as this - some had already hinted that she was 'emotional' or 'unready'. It was a 'miraculous' recovery - no red dye, no headaches, no longer 'unready'. A child who could have ended up in 'special' classes ended up at the top of the class. So yeah, I get your drift.
 
43RichyThe43rd - Yeah, but be strong! You know, this diet is not much different from an exclusion diet used by allergists to see what is causing sensitivities and allergies without all those tests. You are basically doing the same thing - not eating any of the foods known to give humans allergies and drinking more water to help them eliminate faster. So when you do go off it, try to slowly reintroduce foods and food groups each day so you can tell if any of them is affecting you negatively and how. At least then you will be more in tuned to how and what foods effect you, whether diet works for your bfs or not. It really shouldn't take months to get results, I don't understand that part of it, as the allergist said it was 10 days (but of being very good and not cheating on anything) to clear. But then again I didn't read all the caveman diet stuff having gotten bored after the first page or two - maybe this reintroduction process was suggested there also? Keep up your good work even if you have to go out in the yard while they eat their Chinese take-out. You can do it.
 
The temptation will always be there 43RichyThe43rd, but it does get easier. Whenever you find yourself tempted by something you miss, start thinking of something you can have. Get creative and seek out new recipes. Modify them if you have to. I've discovered several new dishes that are new favorites of mine. I'd still kill for a beer and a pizza, but I have decided that those will just have to be the foods I eat at my victory party when I'm finally better.
 
Good you posted the link - I see he does have an 'add back in' strategy. This seems very much like the exclusion diet Dx'd by an allergist for my daughter 20 years ago......before the "test your way to health" style of medicine became so fashionable. We found she had a problem with red food dye and removing it made her symptoms (headache, inattentiveness, lethargy) go completely away. Very hard though to keep a kindergardener on rice cakes and meat with vegies for long - at least it was summer and possible and it was only 10-14 days rather than months. Bet doc McCombs read about this somewhere and adopted it. So far, so good, huh 43RichyThe43rd?
 
I have a suggestion for your daily updates. When you list your symptoms for each day, like twitching and/or buzzing, can you assign a rank or severity scale with it? This will help you track which days were better than others. When you go back, you might be able to determine a pattern in what foods you ate that day and the severity of the symptoms. For example on the day you said your twitching got worse, you had rice at two meals vs. just one. If you rule rice out, a severity scale will help you figure out which other foods you might have in common on the bad days. Anyway, keep up the good fight. We're pullin for ya!
 
The cravings will go away if this works for you. After being gluten free for a year, now you couldn't PAY me to eat a slice of pizza or have some beer. Or a slice of cake. I sort of relate it to the time I got food poisoning from crab cakes and could never eat them again. My body sees the pizza and beer and my brain knows how sick it made me and protects me from it. And you are better off without that chinese food! Especially if it has MSG, which is the mother-lode of nervous system yuck.
 
Showing how 'mainstream' alternative medicine has become, I read this article on MSNBC.The program is very similar to the McCombs Plan.1. Eat mostly organic food, especially foods that support detoxification, including cruciferous vegetables, garlic and onions. A healthy, balanced diet is a key to efficient detoxification. The lighter the toxic load on your body, the better it can handle those toxins that get through your defenses.2. Engage in regular vigorous exercise. Increased respiration, circulation, and perspiration all support healthy detoxification.3. Hop in the sauna frequently. Perspiring is one of your body's best ways of releasing toxins.4. Drink at least 64 ounces of fresh, pure water each day. The combination of good hydration and frequent perspiration helps to flush your system of toxins.5. Stay regular. Elimination once or twice a day helps to decrease absorption of toxins. Consistent exercise, hydration, and fiber will help to keep you regular.6. If you are trying to lose weight, make sure to engage in the detox practices described above. As you shed fat, toxins held in fat cells are released. It is essential to cleanse those toxins from your body, rather than reabsorb them, which can cause illness.Also, another interesting article showing how hair testing may indicate periods when you have had stress (also from msnbc.com)'Alternative' healers also use this methodology.Now I am very, very skeptical about both alternative and traditional medicine. But this is interesting food for thought.
 
43RichyThe43rd - If you keep losing weight I'm going to have to join you on this diet (I have a stubborn 5lbs that I put on during my last stress-i-sode year of working two jobs and countless deadlines). Have you ever noticed how often, people in stressful jobs consistently put on weight? It seems that the job groups who have high stress and less time to pursue quality of life activities (exercise, etc) tend more this way. Nursing comes to mind. Some think it's the build up of cortisol, and biased opinions rule. Well, it's an aside. Except for the dairy, and a little bread & alcohol, I am already on your 'diet'. Maybe after the holiday weekend...... One thing I wanted to warn you about is balancing out the high protein with vegies and fruits - lots of meat can build up acids in your system that can have all sorts of nasty side-effects. Probably something you'd have to worry about only if you stay on it a long time. I really don't understand why more research isn't done on diet and metabolism in this country. So many people struggle with it and are so overweight and tired; it just makes sense that dietary activities should be more a part of health treatment (mainstream that is) and analysis. There is so much we still don't know. You suppose it's the 'gorilla in the room' thing?
 
Dr. McCombs replied to my question about BFS and antibiotic use.I didn't get any definite answers, but I appreciate him taking the time to respond.I am now on week 2 of the plan. So far no change in my symptoms.Anyone who wants to see a history of my diet, it is on the first msg of this thread.Also changed to the word Hypothesis, for my friend AllGoodHere :)
 
43RichyThe43rd,Many (but not all) of your vibration days you eat bananas. Maybe try avoiding bananas for a few days to see what happens. Or you could do an expriement and load up on bananas and see if your symptoms get worse. Anyway, just a correlation I noticed.
 
Holy cow, you've lost 20lbs in a month. WAY TO GO! :D) That's got to feel super good, eh? You seem focused on your bfs, but I think you should forget about them for the time being. Why are you watching your calves every night? No wonder they twitch. ;) Obviously the diet has been great for your over all health, and losing weight, so long as you are healthy, which you are, is always a good thing. I'm sure your wife appreciates the change, as well. :D) I personally don't believe that bfs is related to diet, or at least that diet can be used to ameliorate the symptoms. I do believe that a change in diet might precipitate the bfs, which has been lying under the surface, but once it explodes, putting the twitches back in the bottle is not so much a process of elimination, but a process of what one might include as part of a new trajectory. Perhaps a diet such as you are following is such an inclusion, because it could be part of a strategy for over all success.OK, time for me to lose some weight. You've inspired me.Basso
 
My wife tells me that I am too skinny! :eek: Maybe she likes a man with more meat on his bones.I now need a belt with size 38. I want to get to 36 though. I am 6'5" so size 36 waist, 200 lbs is probably about right for me.Actually I think my wife is a little jealous. But I am not telling her that. Night are getting colder now in Chicago and being on the couch would make them even colder.The hypothesis on the McCombs plan is not so much diet. It is to try to fix the autoimmune system which is highly influenced by the digestive system. If something was wrong with my intestines that might be causing the autoimmune problems causing BFS. Or way of looking at it is, if something was wrong with my intestines, maybe that is causing my body not to properly digest vitamins and minerals, which is accounting for my symptoms.Now this is very theoredical. But I am giving it a try. If nothing else I am losing some weight, learning to eat better, and have a cleaner colon. And what is not to like about having a clean colon?
 
6'5", no wonder I look up to you. I'd say 200lbs is a fighting weight for you, so long as you aren't fighting with the wifey-poo. :LOL: Yes, the couch would be torture. Good for naps, not so hot for an all-nighter.Cool Colon. Cool capable colon. Cool capable capacious colon, conspicuously clean.Yes, what is not to like about a good, solid, healthy, colon. A colon goes into a bar and says "give me a beer, and not the shyt you gave me last time." :mad: Basso
 
I am just loving how much bowel movements/elimination and clean colon chat there is on this strand.....I feel like we are on a DR show on TV!! :D) Anyway, 43RichyThe43rd, I try really hard to buy REAL food...not processed...which means I go to the local farmer's market a lot here to get our food and I even only buy local dairy farm milk that has no antibiotics in it. I bring ALL that up because of your comment about being in the grocery store and seeing the lists on food.....a wonderful book that helped me and is a super easy, one hour read is by Michael Pollan called Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. He wrote the book An Omnivore's Dillema and is very good at making this all VERY EASY. We complicate things and then get all freaked out about it. I am glad you have had such great results with your weight loss. Good for you! :D) Blessings!Carrie
 

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