Illness and the desire for wellness set me on a unique journey.

It was in my mid-teens (in the funky ’80s) that I started to realize that what I ate (among many other things) actually affected the outcome of my health. I was enlightened by what I think was a Sesame Street memory—“You are what you Eat”— but also by my summer job experience as a cook at a natural foods café and by the book Food and Healing by Annemarie Colbin.

Asthma and chronic bronchial issues were taking over my life. By the age of 14, I was on roughly five medications, including prednisone (a steroid) to help me breathe. By the age of 17, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Now, the ’80s were not the age of the Internet so I needed to look far and wide for what I wanted and needed—a doctor who could offer me more than just drugs. Today, integrative physicians (doctors who combine conventional Western medicine with alternative or complementary treatments) are much easier to come by. Back in the day of disco balls, they were not! But I found my dancing partner in Dr. Sherry Rogers.

Now, remember that I was:

-In my teens
-Not well
-Tired of not being well
-Willing to do anything
-Armed with culinary knowledge and skills due to my summer job experience

Dr. Rogers did what every conventional medical doctor would do: take blood tests and prescribe meds particularly for my asthma. But she also considered that there could be other factors in my life that were making me sick such as the medications I was taking to supposedly make me well, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone imbalances, my environment (from allergies to stress), and the foods I was eating.

She took my blood and tested me for allergies (skin tests). One very vivid memory was that she insisted that I collect a 24-hour urine sample in these really large, brown graduated jugs that needed refrigeration. I was living with my parents at the time so I carefully labeled the jugs “STEF’S URINE, DO NOT DRINK.” Unfortunately my father (quite a character, mind you) did not look as he reached for the “apple juice” in the fridge. He poured himself a hearty glass of my urine, and upon realizing it was NOT apple juice, he drove immediately to the local doctor. He was met with laughter rather than sympathy. To this day, I crack up every time I think of this.

But back to the matter at hand—Dr. Rogers also put me on a special diet for candida overgrowth. Because I was on so many antibiotics over the years, she was concerned that all of the good bacteria in my body had been destroyed (that is, after all, what antibiotics do)—leaving my body defenseless against a harmful yeast, candida, that lives in our bodies and grows unchecked when we lack sufficient amounts of “good” bacteria. The only real way to replenish the good bacteria was to do adopt a yeast-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and ferment-free diet. To learn more, go to www.yeastconnection.com.

So, with my medications (weaning off would be a process), an allergy shot schedule to help manage my environmental allergies, vitamin and mineral supplements to manage my newly-discovered deficiencies and help rebuild my immune system, and a stack of papers telling me what I needed to do with my diet, I set out on the journey to get well. There was a light at the end of this suffocating tunnel.

I followed the plan, and within three months I was off every medication. It wasn’t just one thing that made the difference; all the components of my healing plan helped open my airways. My system was overloaded and needed nurturing to rebuild. By following my doctor’s orders for three months, it did just that. Once well, I modified the plan to better fit my lifestyle: I was going back to college in the fall and didn’t want to follow a candida diet, as I found the extremes challenging. The golden question is:

What did I modify?

-I went off the meal plan and moved into a suite with a kitchen so I could cook for myself. I wanted to be in better control of what went into my body.
-I avoided my known environmental allergens (dust, pollen, cats, down) as best I could.
-I went back on one inhaler (rather than the five medications I was taking previously).
-I continued with the supplements and the allergy shots (every few months rather than every week).

The end to that story was the beginning of another. Remember, since I worked in a health food café, I had quite a knowledge base and skill set that came in handy as I started following my “nutrition prescription.” But since the majority of people who are told to make dietary changes to support health do not have this experience, I sat with recurring questions for many years on my personal escapade: What do people without this knowledge and skill set do? How to they take the nutrition prescription to the living kitchen? After years of culinary and nutrition training, I am eager to provide guidance for those now in the same place I was in years ago.

To those working with a practitioner who provides a nutrition prescription, please don’t let one of the most critical components of your wellness (the food you eat) get lost in translation.

Don’t toss that stack of papers aside. Instead:

-Take the time to thoroughly read through handouts from your practitioner.
-Write down any and all questions to review with your practitioner (and don’t be shy to do so. You have the right to ask whatever you would like).
-If you are told to be on a specific “diet,” ask your practitioner about recommended books.
-Pick up The Whole Foods Companion by Dianne Onstad to empower yourself with knowledge about unfamiliar foods.
-Pick up some basic whole foods cookbooks as well as diet-specific cookbooks (I find it best to go to a local bookstore and explore what they have to offer).
- Go to Whole Foods Market (if you have one local) or a combination of your local supermarket and health food store (if you have one) and buy a bunch of ingredients.
-Turn your kitchen into the “arts and crafts kitchen” and play away!

If none of the above is feasible, then ask your practitioner if they can refer you to someone to guide you through the transition. It can surely be overwhelming. But I can promise, from personal experience, that diet supports health. All of the challenges associated with making food and lifestyle changes are well worth it in the end.

Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN

About a year ago, I’d been following a healthy whole-foods diet and was feeling pretty pleased with myself. The holidays were upon us and I thought, “What could it hurt to have just one ‘regular’ dessert?” Of course, one led to two, which led to sweets on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

You know the story about the frog in boiling water? Supposedly, a frog placed in cool water which is then slowly heated to boiling can’t detect the subtle changes and will, eventually, cook to death. Well, I was that frog. It wasn’t until a red, flaming patch of itchy skin appeared on my chest that I finally realized I’d also overlooked other symptoms that had begun to appear over the previous months: fuzzy thinking and trouble concentrating; dull memory; a digestive system that was entirely out of whack. In addition, my mood seemed to swing between infuriation and teary-eyed melancholy.

I couldn’t deny it any longer: my old nemesis, candida yeast, had reared its ugly spores once again. First diagnosed with systemic candidiasis (also called candida related complex, or CRC) about a decade earlier, I’d been able to clear it up with the help of a holistic MD. I knew what I had to do: the next day, after a quick trip to my naturopath’s office, I was once again on the path to recovery.

Even though candida albicans (a fungal organism) occurs naturally in our skin and digestive tracts, it’s usually kept in check by “friendly” bacteria, digestive enzymes, and other organisms that reside there.

When something upsets the balance, however—this “something” can be antibiotics, stress, or other events that tax the immune system (such as pregnancy, birth control pills, or overwork)—the opportunistic yeast swoop in to take up positions recently vacated. And once they invade, they breed, crowding out the good guys and wreaking havoc with your innards.

In addition to messing with proper digestion, candida also produces toxic by-products that can infiltrate the bloodstream. These toxins will then be identified as foreign invaders by the body’s immune system, taxing it over time. With yeast overgrowth in my system, then, it’s no wonder I was feeling like a soggy heap of used coffee grounds.

Could You Have Candida Syndrome?

For the most part, allopathic (conventional) physicians still don’t formally recognize Candida as a bona fide condition. In alternative circles, however, candida is often pinpointed as the culprit in a host of physical and emotional problems. As Jeanne Marie Martin and Zoltan Rona, authors of the Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook, put it, yeast overgrowth is a “hidden epidemic” in North America.

Some of the major symptoms Martin and Rona enumerate are anxiety, allergies, bloating, cystitis (urinary tract infections), cramps, constipation, chronic fatigue, fuzzy thinking, food (especially sugar) cravings, memory problems, sore muscles, lethargy, PMS, psoriasis, skin rashes, sinus problems, or repeated fungal infections (such as vaginal yeast infections or athlete’s foot)—though the full list is much longer. To review a full list of symptoms and take a self-diagnostic online questionnaire, see wholeapproach.com, a great candida resource.

How can you treat Candidiasis?

It’s impossible to eliminate all yeast from our bodies. Instead, the goal is to kill off as many of the critters as necessary to restore a healthy balance between the “good” bacteria and candida.

Following an anti-candida diet is imperative to clear up a serious case of yeast overgrowth. Candida flourish on sugar. Consequently, the anti-candida diet (ACD) removes all sugars, refined or otherwise; sweeteners and any other foods that might encourage yeast to grow (vinegar, alcohol, moldy cheeses, mushrooms or nuts that harbor molds); and refined foods, which convert easily to sugar. It also bans glutenous grains and common allergens such as dairy products and citrus fruits.

Despite the restrictions, you can still enjoy a healthful and varied menu on the ACD. Permitted are all types of vegetables, some fruits (for mild cases), the herbal sweetener stevia, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, legumes and beans, and some animal proteins. You can even savor a few ACD-friendly desserts so you won’t feel deprived (see recipe, below).

Once the yeast are under control, healthy bacteria are then replaced, usually through the use of a probiotic supplement such as acidophilus.

You should always consult a healthcare practitioner, holistic or otherwise, if you think you’ve got candidiasis.

Maintaining a Balance

Now, about 5 months into the anti-candida regimen, about 90% of my symptoms have disappeared and I’m feeling much more like my old self. Still, I know I’m not quite there yet, and I must remain vigilant to prevent a future recurrence, as yeast is one of those conditions that are likely to reappear if you’re not careful.

I’ve learned that, as in most areas of life, moderation is key. Post-candida maintenance doesn’t mean denying oneself desserts for life; it just means choosing healthful foods the majority of the time, and indulging in true sweets only occasionally. For me, this translates to non-fruit dessert no more than once a week, and alcohol no more than twice a month. And chocolate? Well, all I can say is: thank goodness for 70% cacao.

Carob-Coconut Sweeties

Here’s an ACD-friendly dessert you can feel good about eating, whether or not candida is a problem. The flavor of these delectable treats reminds me of a favorite childhood candy called Neilsen’s Macaroons, like a chocolate rosette with toasted coconut. I’ve deliberately made a small batch to satisfy my own chocolate cravings, but you can easily double the recipe.

1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) smooth natural almond butter

1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) tahini (sesame paste)

2 level tsp (10 ml) carob powder (sift if lumpy)

pinch salt

2 tsp (10 ml) finely ground chia seeds (use 1 Tbsp/15 ml for the agave/maple syrup option, as they will be too soft otherwise)

8-10 drops stevia liquid (if on the ACD), or about 1 Tbsp (15 ml) agave or maple syrup

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract (be sure it’s alcohol-free if on the ACD)

heaping 1/4 cup (65-70 ml) unsweetened, dried shredded coconut

1 Tbsp (15 ml) hemp seeds (or hemp nuts), optional

In a food processor (a mini is fine),blend the almond butter, tahini, carob powder, salt and chia until you have a smooth paste. Add the stevia and vanilla, if using, and whir again to blend. Add the coconut and hemp seeds and pulse until evenly distributed. Scoop the mixture by teaspoonfuls and roll into balls. Refrigerate (or freeze) 20 minutes or more to allow the mixture to firm up a bit. (If you can’t wait to dig in, they’re still delicious right away, but they will be fairly soft). Makes 4-5 balls.

Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN, is a holistic nutritionist, whole foods baker and author of the recently published Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar. After being diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and candida, she radically altered her diet to include only those foods that would help improve her condition. Still on the path to complete recovery, she credits an organic, whole foods diet for her 35 pound weight loss and vastly improved health. Ricki now writes about healthy foods on her blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs, as well as for newspapers and magazines such as Clean Eating.