Day 8- 1 week down ~ 3 to go!

Whew, we made it through one week and I must say, it hasn't been all that bad! Last night I had a dream that I was stuffing my face full of some yummy, creamy pie-type thing..not sure what, but all I know is that it was GOOD. And I was hiding while doing it. Do you think that's a bad thing? My biggest fear is that when the cleanse is done that I will go into overeating mode and gain back all my Pre-P90X weight (I'm now down 20 pounds). "It's just a fear", is how Daniel coached me this morning, "as long as you don't act on it, it's ok..and you won't". I can't tell you how solid I feel to have someone there to be accountable to and to talk me down off the ledge!

So, as I opened our cupboard this morning, that stupid Box of Protein bars that are sitting up there waiting to be eaten one day leered out at me, and I thought, "I really want one of those and what would happen if I cheated on the cleanse" and then I realized that I would not only be letting myself down, but I'd be letting Daniel down too. That made me not want the protein bar anymore...well, maybe i wanted it still a little!

Anyway, I am feeling great!! No headaches and the yeast die-off isn't half as bad this time as the last time I did the cleanse. Usually the yeast die-off causes bloat, severe spaciness, irritability, and so much more. I've had some of those symptons, but overall I feel great and clear. It feels so nice to not have a "vice" anymore and to need some caffeine-fueled beverage to pull me out of bed. Now it's the GREEN ELIXIR that gets us going. Here's the recipe (but I suggest you make your own concoction up since you may not be cleansing)

1 scoop Greens Powder (Macro Greens are good, or Vitality Greens by Donna Gates)
1 scoop Pure Vitamin C Powder (From a natural food source)
10 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (powerful for killing bacteria, viruses, great for immunity)
1 TBL Olive Leaf Extract (great anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-yeast)
1 TBL Chlorophyll (for the blood)

Fill glass with water and a dash of Pomegranate juice. If you're not cleansing, I highly recommend using Coconut Water! I can't wait to have coconut water again!! YUM!!

Optional additions:
4 drops Oregano Oil (this stuff is super powerful and doesn't taste so great, so chug it back quick)

So now I have a new vice..a really good one. The Green Elixir of Life! I know that I am getting through the day without any fake boost, aka caffeine. My adrenal glands are loving me right now. Did you know that Caffeine releases Cortisol in the blood which is what happens when your body goes in to "fight or flight" or protection mode?? That means your body is working super hard all day and trying to protect you for no good reason other than from phantom source (caffeine) that puts it into a tail spin! Also, the constant secretion of cortisol makes it hard for you to lose weight. If you will notice, a lot of people under stress hold weight around the middle. This is due to Cortisol release into the blood.

Anyway, yesterday I came up against a wall after I ate my lunch. I was working at Mr Horton's house and I brought my homemade Red Potato Salad over that I was going to eat with a large bunch of Greens. Well, I got so busy, I never got around to getting the greens, so I noshed on the potato salad. (side note: red potatoes are the lowest in sugar of any potato and are ok on this cleanse as they do not give you the same insulin spike as other potatoes). Well, even though they are ok on this cleanse, eating them alone with no other protein source resulted in me hitting the WALL! I was in a major 3pm slump. It was the first time I've experienced that on this cleanse other than general lethargy from my body releasing toxins 24/7. It was hard for me to push through, but I made some hot herbal tea and felt better. At that moment I realized how powerful food is and how what we put in our mouths on a daily basis is so important. How we can go through tremendous highs and lows throughout the day just by what we are eating and drinking. How our mood can be affected. How we can be irritated or angry..and all of this comes from these highs and lows that processed, refined foods and caffeine cause. It's utterly mind-blowing!

So, as you read this, I hope you will think about what you are putting into your mouth. We all metabolize food differently and if you are really interested in knowing how your body metabolizes food, I highly recommend reading "The Metabolic Typing Diet" and taking the test in the book. You can find it at Amazon.com. It's really the only book I have ever found that makes sense about how you eat according to how you metabolize and what your blood type is.

Today I am going to make some soup, but before I do that, I promised a recipe for my Creamy Cauliflower & Carrot soup with Dill. So here it is:

2 TBS Coconut Oil
2 heads of Cauliflower, cut into florets
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large yellow onion or maui onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 cups water or Veggie Broth
1 tsp. tumeric
Fresh Dill to taste
1 TBS Sea Salt (only if not using broth)

Heat Coconut Oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and celery and saute until soft. Add cauliflower and carrots and stir together to combine. Add water or broth, tumeric & sea salt if using. Stir together, turn up heat and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and turn down heat to low and let soup simmer until vegetables are tender. Once done, stir in fresh dill. Using a blender or blender stick, puree soup until creamy. Top with freshly ground black pepper. ENJOY!!

I'm off for today, so have an amazing day and remember You Are What You Eat!!!

If you want more information on Candida and cleansing, please feel free to email me at missy@karmachow.com

Day 3 - Candida Cleanse Chronicles

Well it's day 3 of the cleanse and honestly, I am feeling like doo -doo on a stick, as Daniel would say. First off, I am so proud of him for taking this journey with me and staying the course. I think the caffeine has been a bit harder for him since he was drinking multiple red bulls, rock stars, pit bulls..whatever these energy drinks are called, to keep himself going. I am blown away by his dedication to want to be & feel healthier and to support me through all of this!! We recently read in a the Quantum Wellness book that these CRAZY energy drinks thicken the blood and can cause STROKES in young men. I think that really hit home for Daniel. It's amazing how many packaged, processed, chemical ridden products are out there that are so bad for us. Just think of how many people drink Diet Soda and think they are cutting calories, but in turn tricking their bodies only to crave more sugar! UGH!!!



After being off caffeine for 6 days, I realize that the yerba mate' that I was drinking in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon was a serious vice for me too. I used it to wake up with and to get me through my afternoon slump. Now there is nothing to get me up or through the slump but ME! And that's a good feeling, although a tiring one right now. I know that "this too shall pass" as does all else, but today is a tough one. Thank goodness that I had a free day to just putz around and nap at will. I am not much of a napper, but today I needed it. Among all the neighbor frenzy that goes on outside I managed to slip in a few zzzz's here and there. Yes, we live in LA and it is a city, even though we are close to the beach...so the screaming kids and mariachi music out the window is sometimes a bit much!

Another thing that happened is I just started crying..I was feeling so out of control and like I was in jail. This deprivation thing is hard for me since I have suffered from an eating disorder most of my life. It literally feels like I am in a prison, my very own self-made one, but prison nonetheless! Once I cried, and Daniel talked me through it all, I felt so much better. I know I have said this before, but if you are going to do a cleanse or anything else that requires serious willpower, find someone to do it with. The SUPPORT is profound and necessary!!!



All the meals I cooked were a success and I am ready to hit the kitchen for another round. The creamy cauliflower carrot soup with fresh dill is awesome. I throw a little cooked millet into it and Daniel and I have been having it for breakfast. Soup for breakfast is awesome! Have you ever tried it?? Today I made some scrambled eggs with zucchini, red onion, asparagus and dairy free/nut free pesto! The eggs were delicious, but I am still craving my damn Greens + Chocolate Peanut Butter High Protein bar...ugh. Just to bite into the gooey richness would take me to a happy place. BUT, I know that this kind of set back will not help me heal, so off I go back into the land of chocolate free. I also made some suprisingly tasty herb & veggie burgers which I have been enjoying immensly. I am allowed to use a little Amaranth flour to hold them together and boy it feels like I am cheating. Amaranth is a seed that is high in protein. Most people think it's a grain, but it's actually a seed, so it's allowed on this cleanse. The only grains we are allowed to eat are Quinoa, Buckwheat, Amaranth & Millet. All of which are very good by the way and loaded with protein!



Ok, well Daniel and I are off to get our Colonics. Did I really say that? Yes, we are getting colonics. I know..too much information. And I had to do a lot of co-ercing to my other half. He just felt that it was all wrong, but has now seen the light. And this is about the good, the bad and the ugly and who says we need to be so darn politically correct anyway? I am a health practioner and a chef and my mission is to teach people how to be healthy through whole foods eating and having a stellar digestive system. That's where it all starts. If you don't have a healthy digestive system, you will most likely end up with a lot of ailments and disease.



So, on that note, I must run but in case any of you are interested in jumping on board this cleanse or doing one in the future, I am happy to help. Donna Gates' book, The Body Ecology Diet is amazing and she will teach you all about the ins and outs of killing yeast. Oh no, is that coffee I smell wafting through the window again..someone help me!!!


I am here to teach the world to eat healthier, be healthier and feel better, so if any of you are interested in learning more please email me at missy@karmachow.com



Truly yours,

the Ambivalent Cleanser