New recipe from Meal Makeover Mom's cookbook

I got the Meal Makeover Mom's cookbook and was ready to try a bunch of recipes.  I figured if I'm going to reintroduce foods back into her diet, I want them to at least be the healthy variety.  The first recipe we tried was the homemade mac and cheese.  I'm not much on homemade mac and cheese.  Sadly, I enjoy the box/powdered version.  Alas, we are turning over a new leaf.  We had baked beans and hot dogs as well.  Jeannette said she liked the mac and cheese...sort of.  My son didn't like it at all.  Then again, they didn't like the baked beans either.  They both did eat a hot dog!! Well whoop-de-do!!!

We also made homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Broccoli Tortellini al pesto, and Fudgy Black Bean Brownies.  I will post these recipes as they were all decent.  I had to tweek all of them to accommodate for Jeannette, but they still turned out fine.

Back to dairy and yeast

Now that we're back to our routine, I've packed a few different things for snacks and lunches.  I'm still giving her the multi-vitamin followed by water with the u-tract and iodine mixed in.  I just have to suck it up on the multi-vitmain and give her these supplements how and where I can.

For lunches, she's now having soy nut butter and jelly sandwiches on the smart white bread.  For snacks, I pack cheerios and mini club crackers.  These two items are on the lower end of the carbohydrate spectrum, although they do contain yeast and minimal amounts of sugar.  I haven't found much that doesn't have yeast or sugar, so I'm trying to stay under a certain level.  For carbs, I try to stay under 20g of carbs.  For sugar, I try to stay under 10g, but that's extremely difficult.  If I reach 15g, I'm not going to go crazy, but I just limit the amount of sugar throughout the day.  I've gotten more lenient on the yeast, and dairy.  I still try  to be cautious of the sugar and gluten products.  I definitely don't want her getting back into the old habit of sugar, sugar, sugar, but I'm 50/50 on the gluten free products.

The past couple of days, Jeannette has had an upset stomach.  I'm wondering if it's from the dairy.  She's been putting milk back in her cereal and I have to wonder if it's from that.  I expressed to her my concern and that we needed to pay close attention to that.

Tonight for dinner, I was in the process of making Jeannette her shake when I spilled the whole dang thing on the counter.  I had just finished putting all the supplements in and that's when I knocked it over all over the counter.  I was so upset with myself.  It's like a $20 shake that I just wasted with all those supplements spewed out on the counter.  There was no salvaging it either.  I had to mop it all up and start all over.  Ugh!!!  I was trying to hurry and look where it got me.  

Taco recipe

I don't know if I posted this before, but if not, this is a great recipe for tacos that Jeannette can eat.  You can substitute the beef for turkey if you want to be even more health conscious.

Taco's
1 lb. ground beef (grass fed)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 8oz can organic tomato sauce
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder

Brown beef and drain excess fat.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover & simmer for 10 mins.

Serves: 10 tacos

Instead of taco shells, we use Archer Farms organic tostidos chips from Target.

Memorial Weekend Travels

For the second weekend in a row we traveled.  I had a trial run on the first weekend, so this wasn't so bad figuring out what to pack.  Jeannette ate her brown rice cereal with milk for breakfast and today she had brown rice with non-dairy butter, raspberries and chocolate coconut milk for lunch.  On the car ride, she had some popcorn for a snack.  I brought alone one single serving size bag of M&M's for her to eat.  Won't kill her..right?  She gets bored easily and when that happens, she eats.  I always have to be prepared for her hungry cravings.

When we got there, we went out to dinner at a local Greek/Italian restaurant.  I wasn't sure what she was going to have.  I ended up ordering a grilled chicken sandwich and splitting that with her.  I took half and cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.  She seemed to be okay with that, but was still hungry.  I allowed her to have 2 bites of Jarod's pasta (that happened to be saturated in butter. I hate that.  Half the time I have to drain the bowl onto a plate b/c there is so much melted butter).

For breakfasts I brought her brown rice cereal, so she had that.  While she was eating that, my friend walked in the kitchen with a bag of fresh bagels.  Jeannette just gave me that "look".  It was the pitiful puppy dog, lower lip sticking out, look.  I said that she could have a small bit.  She had 1/4 of 1/2 of a bagel with a little cream cheese.  I explained again that she can't have too much of it because we wouldn't know how her body would react.  She said she understood.

For lunch she had her standard rice cakes with soy nut butter and carob chips.  I also gave her a chocolate brownie (her special brownies that we made at home).  For dinner Jeannette had her special spaghetti sauce with brown rice pasta.  After reviewing the day, there was a lot of brown rice foods going into that girls stomach.

On Sunday I made Jeannette pancakes.  Again, like last weekend I didn't bring syrup, so I used their Log Cabin.  It's interesting to find that a lot of homes prefer the processed, fake syrup over the pure maple syrup.  I know I did for the longest time.  The one thing I don't understand is why she can have pure maple syrup.  The carb and sugar count are sky high.  I read that it could be reintroduced in the 3rd phase, but I don't understand why and I still haven't found that answer.

Tonight for dinner, our friends ordered crab legs.  I know that she's only supposed to eat crab on an average of once a month, but these were "special" occasions.  It's not like we eat crab all the time at home.  It just seems like we do because of the past couple of months.  She ate a few crabs, but didn't overdo it.  I melted some of her non-dairy butter to use.

We headed home on Monday and I wasn't really sure what we were going to do about Jeannette for lunch.  We ended up stopping at a Chick fil-A.  I knew McDonald's was out as well as Wendy's and Burger King (we never eat there anyway).  I ordered her one chicken strip meal which came with fries and lemonade to drink.  I didn't want her to have their chocolate milk and she doesn't drink soda.  I could have done water, but I didn't.  I don't know why I didn't.  I knew that this meal was bad enough, but I just let it happen.  I took the chicken and picked the breading off as best as I could.  Prior to her eating the chicken, I made her eat a rice cake with soy nut butter first as I preferred her to fill up on that then the chicken.  When we got home, after we unpacked, it was time for dinner.  She ended up eating brown rice pasta with butter.  I gave her some coconut ice cream for dessert.

All-in-all it wasn't a horrible weekend.  Again, traveling can be tough and I thought we did pretty well considering.  It was hard to also keep our supplements and food contained, but we did the best we could without intruding.

Introduction back to bread

(May 26, 2011)

Today Jeannette ate pancakes again for breakfast.  I was back into giving her the liquid multi-vitamin.  She hadn't had it in 10 days because of the antibiotic.  That multi-vitamin has so many restrictions that I just didn't want to deal with trying to figure out how and when she'd be able to take it.  Based on the directions, I would have to show up at school everyday to administer the stuff.  Because it had been awhile, I forgot that she was supposed to take that first, then drink a whole glass of water BEFORE she had breakfast.  She corrects me and says that I did it wrong.  She was supposed to have the multi-vitamin first.  Gesh! My 7 year old knows her medications better than I do.

For lunch today, I packed her a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, raspberries, and chocolate coconut milk. Today was the first day that she has had regular bread since this whole transition.  I was a little nervous about giving it to her, but I thought it was worth a try.  This bread that I found is called Smart Right Wonder Bread.  Yes, it still has sugar, and it does have yeast, but it also has 5g of fiber per 2 slices.  Even most wheat breads I find are only 1-2g fiber per two slices.  Even Hungry Girl (a web-site I visit to get great low-fat, better eating ideas....http://www.hungry-girl.com/ ) promotes this bread.  I heard that although it's "white bread" now, they are coming out with a wheat version.   I also gave her jelly today.  A double whammy!  It probably wasn't the best idea, but I also wanted to see if I could re-introduce jelly.  It's homemade elderberry jelly.  I'm hoping because it's homemade that the sugar content is not through the roof as in store bought jelly! I could be wrong.

Antibiotics and Probitics

Since Jeannette has been on antibiotics, I've been trying to pump her with probiotics.  I'm still trying to get her to drink this one probiotic.  She turns her face up at it every time I pull it out! I keep telling her that once this is gone, we'll go back to the powder in the yogurt.  I just know how important it is to be taking probiotics while on an antibiotic.  The one thing that I've learned is that our primary care physicians should know that antibiotics, not only kill of bad bacteria, but good ones as well.  Why wouldn't they recommend a probiotic?  It doesn't hurt anything.  It can only help!  Now I know! Definitely have a probiotic along with the antibiotic and make sure the probiotic is taken at least 3x's a day.

Do you sometimes have breakfast for dinner?  Because I can't get my daughter to get ready for school fast enough, I don't have time to make her eggs for breakfast, so I try to get her to eat them at other times.  And those times happen to be at dinner.  I also do that when I just can't think of anything else to serve.  There is this one restaurant that we go to and I've asked them in the past if they could make Jeannette scrambled eggs.  I've explained her food restrictions and they were more than accommodating.  So I was making her eggs one night and she says to me, "mommy, I like the eggs at that restaurant.  They make the BEST scrambled eggs!  No offense mom, but they're better than yours!"  I just had to laugh!

For breakfast, one day this week, I served her pancakes. I think she was just excited to not have to eat brown rice cereal again.  I had made them over the weekend and froze the rest.  I wanted to have another option during the school week besides just brown rice cereal.  I'm getting tired of serving it as much as she's getting tired of eating it.

Back Home

This weeks menu is no different than any other week....Dang it!!! One night she had soy noodles.  I hadn't given them to her in awhile.  They have this slimy texture to them.  She doesn't love them, but it's a way around the "pasta" issue.  They are called Tofu Shirataki noodles.  They come in spaghetti size and fettucine size.  She likes the spaghetti size better.  You have to drain all the liquid and rinse the noodles thoroughly.  After that, you can microwave them or boil them.  The important thing to remember to do is to try to dry them as completely as possible.  This helps eliminate the slime factor.  When smothered with marinara sauce, it's a little more edible.  When it's only served with butter, it's a little tougher to eat.  She's gagged once or twice.  Bless her though for eating them.  I honestly don't know how she does it.  I just know myself, and there is no way in hell I'd be eating half the stuff she's eating.  I just couldn't do it.  I know I'm the one that has control over her eating.  I just don't have control over myself.  Yes, I'm the one that controls the food I buy and the food I eat, but I just don't have it in me to police myself.  Maybe I have a yeast problem too.  Maybe that's why I can't stop eating sugary foods!  If I had to, could I detox myself?

One night when I made her shake, we had a little incident.  I think she was coming to the end of her rope with these shakes.  Sometimes when I make the shake, I put in the chlorella.  I don't always put it in because it turns the shake a funky brownish/green color.  It's very unappealing.  Well, she complained that she couldn't drink it because of the color.  I'm not sure if it even tasted different.  Honestly, I haven't even tried these shakes.  I'm too chicken to try them.  I'm afraid I might throw up!  Anyway, while she was supposedly drinking this shake, I ran upstairs to do a chore.  When I left the kitchen she had drunken 1/4 of the shake.  While upstairs I heard the water running in the kitchen, which is unusual.  I knew right then and there what Jeannette was doing.  She was dumping that shake down the kitchen sink.  When I got back downstairs, the shake was almost gone.  Now I was only gone for 5 minutes.  In all the days and weeks that that girl has drunken these shakes, she has NEVER finished it in 5 minutes.  If she expected me to think she drank that thing, she was sorely mistaken.  When I asked her about it she said, "I don't know what you're talking about."  When I asked her again and told her I heard the water running, she just stared down into her remaining shake.  She wouldn't even look at me.  I asked her to finish her shake and then go to her room.  Can I prove it? No.  Is mother's intuition usually right? Yes!  But you know what? I would have done the same thing if I had to drink those horrible things.

Same ole' - Same ole'

Not much has changed in what Jeannette is eating.  It's the same thing day in and day out.  I still try to introduce different things, but nothing seems to have stuck.  I still go back to the question of how long is this supposed to take for her to change her palate?  Months, years?  I just don't see it happening.  I still struggle with the fact that she can't eat certain fruits that she used to like to eat: bananas and oranges for example.  Because they are so high in sugar, she shouldn't eat them.  I also keep arguing back in forth in my mind about these fruits.  She's not getting enough nutrients from anything else, so why can't I feed her a banana?  Is she never going to be able to eat a banana or orange again in her life?  Will we have to be tiptoeing around everyday about food?

Changing Your Diet

I've finished reading the book, The Candida Cure.  This book is such a wealth of information.  I am being educated on so many levels.  At this point the information I'm giving is not current to where we are in Jeannette's diet.  There is a slight time lapse, but I feel like people need to know this information.  The more knowledgeable we are on this subject, the healthier we will all be.  So that is why I continue to quote excerpts from her book.

When on the Candida diet,  you will need to eliminate all sugars, dairy products, and refined carbohydrates.  What's left? Not much!  In addition, for the first one to three months, you will need to eliminate all yeast and wheat products.   Even though these items don't feed the yeast, there can be some sensitivity to them.  If you have a mild case of Candida, which I just found out is the case with Jeannette, you can expect to feel better in 30 day and hopefully fantastic in ninety days.  I have to say that Jeannette is feeling better.  She says she feels better, she has more energy and friends of mine are noticing the changes.  When a 7 year old can express how she feels, that speaks volumes to me!  I can't even imagine how she must have felt before.

The other important thing to remember, is that diet alone will not eliminate the Candida.  The antifungal medications need to work consecutively with the diet.  I'm not going to post anything about the antifungals because there are a few and that's something that should be discussed with a physician.  Jeannette was put on the Diflucan.

We head home from the beach

For breakfast Jeannette had pancakes and bacon again.  I again had to use the Log Cabin syrup.  Because the kids were up so early, by the time 9am came, Jeannette was ready for her second breakfast.  She now had 3 slices of cinnamon/truvia toast.

We didn't have grand plans today.  We ended up going to play putt putt indoors.  After our game, the kids were complaining about how hungry they were.  We talked about where we could stop to grab something to eat.  I didn't want to be the sour puss in the group, but trying to find something for Jeannette to eat when we're out, on the fly, is nearly impossible.  I just couldn't think of one place that we could stop where I would be able to find something for her to eat.  Nothing!  All the fast food places are not Candida friendly.  Go figure.  We just went back home so that I could fix her something there.  For the second day in a row, she had a soy nut butter rice cake with carob chips on top along with her chocolate coconut milk.

Last night, my friend made his special brownies.  Because they were sitting out visible, Jeannette was eyeing them and I could tell she wanted one badly.  She got so upset that she started crying.  I felt so bad for her.  I told her that if she finished all her lunch, then I would give her a tiny sliver of a brownie.  It was a very tiny piece, but satisfied her craving.  After lunch, Jeannette was complaining of her tummy hurting, so we just stayed at home while the other kids went out for another adventure.  Was her tummy hurting because of the crab last night, or the hush puppy, or the brownie that she just had.

It was now close to 4pm and we hadn't left for home yet.  Jeannette was getting hungry, so I gave her some brown rice cereal and without thinking about it, I poured the hemp milk on it.  She knew immediately that she didn't like it.  She said, "mommy, I don't like it, but I'll eat it anyway."  What 7 year old kid says that?  I threw it out and gave her a fresh bowl which she ate plain, with no "milk."  A little while later, I made her supplement shake.  That was a pain.  When I'm at home, it's easier because I have everything laid out on the counter and I can just grab and mix.  Here I had to fish around for everything in the bag.  I couldn't just dump all my paraphernalia out on the counter and leave it there for three days.

We ate dinner with my friends before we drove home.  She made corn on the cob, crab cakes, tomatoes, squash and rolls.  When we sat down to eat I wasn't sure what my kids were going to do.  My son totally shocked me and ate two whole ears of corn.  He did try the crab cake and had a few bites and was done.  Jeannette isn't supposed to eat corn, but she wanted to try it again, so I let her.  She had one bite and didn't want anymore.  She did try the crab cake and had a few bites.  After we ate, we got on the road.

We stopped once for a break.  For some reason when we stop at a convenience place, we always end up walking out of there with candy or a slurpee.  In this case, we couldn't do the slurpees.  I told my son he could pick something else out.  Jeannette and I looked all over the store trying to find something for her.  Nothing! I decided to buy a mini bag of M&M's and I told her she could have a couple handfuls of them.  She seemed to be okay with that.  So as we're driving along, I give her a 7 year old handful of M&M's.  That accounts to about 6 M&M's.  She has tiny hands.   I tried to stretch out the handfuls to make them last longer for her.  She only had one more handful.

All in all, it could have been a worse weekend food wise.  I felt like we did alright.  It was a challenge at some points, but instead of blowing her diet completely, I was able to manage the indulgences throughout the weekend.  It certainly is a challenge to travel with a child who has so many food restrictions.  It's not easy to just run to the grocery store either when traveling.  I have no idea what stores will be around or if they will even carry what I need.  It takes major preparation ahead of time and constant vigilance throughout the trip.

The Beach

This morning I made Jeannette pancakes.  I brought the gluten free box mix and made them with hemp milk.  I didn't have pure maple syrup, so I had to use Log Cabin.  I didn't really want to use that, but there were no other options.  I also had packed some of her bacon and she had that with the pancakes.  We planned on going to the beach, so I had to pack a bunch of different things for her to eat at the beach.

We spent a majority of the day at the beach.  When the kids got hungry, we broke for lunch.  I made Jeannette 2 soy nut rice cakes and then sprinkled carob chips on top.  She was only able to eat one and saved the other for later.  The hardest thing about the beach is all the delicious, horrible, fatting, greasy foods that are readily available.   My favorites are Thrasher's fries, funnel cakes and ice cream.  The benefit of Jeannette being on this diet is that I wasn't able to go out and eat all that junk.  For that, I am thankful.

For dinner, we went out for crabs.  We went to our favorite crab place in Delmarva, called The Old Mill.  It has all you can eat crabs along with other fried foods: fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried clams, corn on the cob and hush puppies sprinkled in powdered sugar.  That's what the three of us got.  The last time we got crabs, they ate 2-3 clusters each.  I thought I would have gotten my monies worth.  Unfortunately, I didn't.  I knew the kids wouldn't eat the corn, clams, and shrimp.  The only thing Jeannette wanted to eat was the hush puppies.  She says to me, "I wish I could eat one.  I know I can't, but I wish I could."  I decided to let her try one and she had a few bites.  I didn't pay attention and before I knew it, she had eaten the whole hush puppy.  If that was the worse thing she ate all day, then I was not going to beat myself up for that.

Liver and Gallbladder

Lastly in regards to body functions is the gallbladder and liver.  These guys must effectively excrete chemicals and toxins from the body and with the Candida cleanse, years of toxins will be stimulated to release from your body.  I didn't know this, but the bile, stored in the gallbladder, helps break down fats.  Over time this can become thick and muddy after eating lots of cheese, trans fats and sugar.  - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch.

Just the thought of this and picturing this in my body wants to make me do the cleanse.  I know people do these cleanses all the time, so maybe I should give it a try too.

Breakfast was the usual brown rice cereal and with organic 2% milk.  What's interesting is that a week ago I bought regular oatmeal.  I usually bought the dinosaur oatmeal from Quaker, but made the decision that it had too much sugar in it and I didn't want my son to eat it anymore.  Jeannette would be able to eat this kind of oatmeal I bought, and it would be better for all of us.  Well, this morning I made my son the regular oatmeal.  I did put in some brown sugar to sweeten it a bit, but I'm sure it was much less than the dinosaur oatmeal.  Well, he decides this morning that he doesn't want it anymore.  I guess the more healthier kind is just too bland for him.  This is my 10 year old, bland eater boy I'm talking about.  Oatmeal couldn't be more bland.  Oh well, strike that off the list for him now.

We were heading out of town so I had to pack the kids their dinner.  I knew that eating on the road, especially with Jeannette's diet, was going to be hard.  I made some pasta last night, so I put the pasta in a heated thermos.  I buttered it already and all she had to add was the parmesan cheese.  After awhile, the kids got hungry, so they had some popcorn which I popped earlier.  I knew they'd be hungry in the car.

Getting ready to go out of town is really a challenge.  I had to make sure I had all her supplements packed as well as the magic bullet I use to make her shakes.  Then I have to make sure I have all her snacks, soy nut butter, bread, butter, hemp milk, etc.  I had 2 whole grocery bags full of extra food.  It's not easy having to pack for someone with special dietary needs.

Skin

The best way to detoxify your lymph and skin is exercise.  Exercise, water and proper nutrition are also important for constipation.  Jeannette has no problem with exercise.  She gets plenty of that. It's the water and the nutrition that are the issues.

This morning, guess what Jeannette had for breakfast? Yep! Brown rice cereal and water.  Whoopie!!! Are we predictable or what?  For lunch I packed her cinnamon/truvia toast, raspberries, chocolate coconut milk and one of those vegan chocolate chip cookies.  For dinner tonight, we had leftover chicken.  The kids baulked about it and said they were tired of chicken.  I was eating raw broccoli with ranch dressing, so I had the kids try that.  They didn't like it.  Jeannette finished her chicken, drank her shake and had 2 black bean brownies for dessert.  Again, she's not loving them, but wants to eat them.  Tonight in Jeannette's supplement shake, I added two more supplements.  They're called juice plus.  The doctor recommended that I give these to her along with everything else.  The other day when we met, I expressed my concern about her not eating the things she should, and not by lack of trying.  I was concerned of her weight dropping and her not getting the proper nutrition.  He said that the juice plus should help.  Juice plus provides nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains.  It helps deliver key phytonutrients, supports healthy immune systems, protects DNA, and more.  I liked the idea of fruits and veggies in the form of a pill.  I'm going to start taking them as well.  I know it's not to be substituted for the real thing, but for my 7 year old and for me, it's a good supplement.

Lungs and Breathing

Did you know that 75% of the toxins you eliminate will leave your body through your respiration?   That's why deep breathing exercises are so important.  -The Candida Cure

We all should stop and do this 2-3 times a day.  It also brings us more aware of where we are and what we're doing and it also allows us to slow down.  I know I don't do this enough, and certainly my 7 year old doesn't.  How do I get her to slow down enough to do that?  It's just another thing to add to the regimen.

After last night's fiasco, I didn't want her to eat too much today.  She had her standard rice cereal and water.  For lunch I gave her brown rice and water.  This meal sounds like something that would be served in prison.  Bland and boring.   I thought the rice would help sooth the tummy.  For snacks, she had popcorn, tollhouse crackers, raspberries and her supplement shake.  I wasn't sure about the popcorn, but I thought the crackers might help her tummy too.

Today I had a follow up appointment with Jeannette's alternative medical doctor.  He's still concerned as to why she's still getting the UTI's.  He's quite stumped, as am I.  He said to go back on the U-tract/Mannose supplement.  He said that it's not a harmful supplement to be on long term.  I'm not comfortable with her being on anything long term, so I have my doubts, but she was off the U-tract for a week and then gets another UTI?  But what about from Jan-Mar?  She wasn't taking the U-tract then and didn't have an infection, so what the heck?  Again, I'm stumped.  So back on the U-tract she goes.

For dinner tonight, she had leftover chicken with ketchup and parmesan cheese.  She also had another brownie.  Again, she wasn't loving them, but ate them anyway.

Tonight I was reading the cookbook from the Meal Makeover Mom's and there was one sentence that stuck out at me.  Janice said that she goes by the 90/10 rule.  If her children are eating healthy 90% of the time, then she's not going to sweat the other 10%.  That is so true.  If I can get to that comfort level, I think I'll be fine.  We're definitely moving in that direction.

Keep Things Moving

Did you know that having a bowel movement 2-3 times a day is normal?  Well, not my daughter.  She's lucky if she has one once a day.   It's important to stay hydrated and even if you are consuming enough fiber through fruits and vegetables, it's recommended to add a fiber supplement in the form of organic ground flaxseed.  Flaxseed helps you eliminate each day, but it also removes the toxins that have built up in your colon walls. -The Candida Cure

I just listened to a podcast by the Meal makeover moms and they did a whole segment on flaxseed and wheat germ.  They had some good recipes that I want to try.  I've also started grinding my own flaxseed and freezing it to keep it fresh.  I'll grind up about a cup at a time, then freeze it.  When I'm ready to use it, I take it out and add it to smoothies, muffins, cookies, baked goods and it can also be used for breaded chicken.  Anyway I can get more fiber and good omega's into my kids bodies, the better.

This morning, Jeannette had her standard brown rice cereal for breakfast.  For lunch she had 2 rice cakes, soy nut butter, carob chips sprinkled on top, raspberries and chocolate coconut milk.   For snack she had popcorn, Nut Thin almond crackers and she tried some mozzarella cheese.  The nut thins are gluten free! yeah!! She tried them and liked them alright.  I also figured I could start to reintroduce organic dairy.  She tried the cheese and said she liked it, but wanted me to buy the mozzarella cheese sticks that you can peel away at.

For dinner, I made spaghetti squash.  We baked it for an hour in the oven.  My husband and I had a different kind of sauce, while she had her special sauce.  Our sauce had meatballs in them, and she wanted to try one, so I let her.  She said she liked them a lot, so I let her eat one and then a half of another.  I don't know if she was extremely hungry or not, but she scarfed down dinner and wanted seconds.   I shouldn't have given her seconds.  She also had her supplement shake.  Well, while she was sleeping, she vomited.  What a mess that was to clean up.  There was chocolate and red sauce all over her bed, the floor and herself.  I have no idea what her body reacted to.  My daughter NEVER gets sick like that and I can count on one hand the amount of times that she's vomited.  I was stumped.  Could it have been the cheese from earlier, the meatballs because she doesn't normally eat meat, or a combination of everything and eating too much?  I just don't know.

Cleansing the Body

One way to cleanse the body is to drink red clover tea.  This herb helps move the detoxification process along more quickly.  Do not drink this if you have a grass allergy.  It doesn't contain caffeine.

During the detox process and while you're drinking the tea, you could potentially feel worse.  You might have fatigue and headaches.  This means the toxins are coming out into the bloodstream.  Usually the symptoms pass within a couple days to a week. - The Candida Cure

This morning while at my parents house, Jeannette had bacon and pancakes for breakfast.  Again, it's the gluten free pancake mix used with hemp milk.  For lunch she had cinnamon/truvia toast.  When I went to get the kids, and while on the way home, she kept complaining that she was starving.  When we got home, I gave her 2 of the pancakes leftover from breakfast.

For dinner we had chicken and salad.  I picked fresh lettuce from our garden and made sure the kids tried it again.   Jeannette ate her chicken without complaint.  It helped that she was able to dip it in ketchup and parmesan cheese.   She tried the lettuce and didn't like it.  Well at least she tried it.  For dessert, I gave her one of the brownies I made yesterday.  I asked her if she liked them.  She said she liked them okay.  She said they were worse then the other brownies, but she would still eat them.  Huh? Is that desperation for dessert or what?  I do agree, the brownies weren't all that fantastic, but when made the correct way with semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular sugar, I bet they would be fine.  I'll try to make them again when we've moved past phase 3.

Tonight I started to catch up on the Jamie Oliver show.  I watched it last year when he was in Huntington, WV and now he's in LA.  He's catching a lot of grief and he's really struggling there.  I like the show because he really doesn't beat around the bush as to what our children are being served in public schools today and it's really disturbing.  I've joined his campaign and I hope he really does make a difference.    I had my kids watch it with me.  Jamie Oliver also showed how different parts of meat are processed.  That was really disturbing.  I found out how ground beef is made and that grossed me out.  I was explaining to my son what Jamie Oliver was doing and how the ground beef is made.  It's like what he did last year and showed everyone how chicken nuggets are made.  I haven't bought a McDonald's chicken nugget since. He totally turned me off them, and for that, I'm truly grateful.  I wondered how much it registered with my kids.  Well, apparently not much because after the show was over, my son turned to me and said, "So when are you going to bring in McDonald's for me?" Uh! Never?!!

Fudgy Brownie and Grab-and-Go Granola Bars

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 large eggs

3 T canola oil

3/4 C granulated sugar (used xylitol substitute)

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t peppermint extract, optional

1/2 t baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I used carob chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil or coat an 8x8 in. baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa, powder, vanilla, peppermint extract as desired, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth.  Add 1/4 cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.

Grab-and-Go Granola Bars

1 C quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

1 C spoon-size shredded wheat cereal

1 C walnuts

1 1/2 C dried fruit (choose one or more: raisins, cherries, apricots, cranberries, prunes)

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

2 large eggs

1/4 C honey (used Raw honey)

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (used carob chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil or coat an 8x8 in baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped (the fruit should be the size of a dried pea or lentil).

3. Whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add the oat mixture and chocolate chips and stir to continue.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan, and flatten gently with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.

5. Bake about 18 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.  Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into twelve 2x2 1/2 inch bars.

Week 5 - Day 7

(May 14, 2011)

This morning, my husband made Jeannette scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.  She had an activity today, so she needed the extra protein to keep her going.  The kids were going over to my parents house tonight, and my dad suggested making pizza for them.  So I went out to the store and bought an Amy's  gluten free, dairy free pizza for Jeannette so she could eat with them.  For lunch, Jeannette had 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter and some carob chips sprinkled on top.  I tried to get her to drink her water, but she didn't.  I just can't seem to get her to drink enough water.  It's still such a challenge.

While I was at the store buying her the pizza, I stumbled upon a liquid probiotic that I thought would be good for her to take.  Seeing as she's supposed to be increasing her intake of the probiotic and it's hard to do that in powder form, I thought she would be able to take this easily.  It was strawberry flavored and it looked decent.  I also bought her some red clover tea to try.  Based on this book, it says to drink the tea a couple times a day.  It says it's safe for kids, so I thought I would try it.  Lastly, I found some vegan chocolate chip cookies.  They're supposed to be dairy and gluten free.  They looked like something she would be able to eat.

Before the kids headed to my parents, I made a few recipes from a cookbook I bought; No Whine with Dinner from the Meal Makeover Mom's.  I made the grab and go granola bars, and fudgy brownies (recipes below).  The grab and go granola bars called for cranberries.  She's not really supposed to eat the cranberries b/c of the sugar content, but they add a bit of sweetness.  Instead of chocolate chips, I used unsweetened carob chips. This was one recipe that I felt I could adapt for Jeannette.  The fudgy brownies I also made, I adapted.  These brownies called for black beans.  It also called for unsweetened cocoa, so I thought that would be okay.  Instead of sugar, I used the xylitol as a sugar substitute.  The brownies came out just as the kids were leaving to go to my folks, so she didn't get to try them.

On the way to my parents, I made Jeannette drink her supplement shake so my parents wouldn't have to worry about it.  My dad made her the pizza and he said that she didn't really care for it.  She ate the first piece without a problem, but the second piece she had a tougher time getting down.  She did eat some raspberries though.  It's the first time she's had raspberries in 5 weeks.  I was glad they gave them to her. For dessert, she had some of her special fudge.

Week 5 - Day 6

(May 13, 2011)

I've been reading more of The Candida Cure and I'm at the section of the two-pronged strategy.  So I'm finally at a part where I'm going to get the skinny on how to go about curing Jeannette.  So the goal of treating candidiasis is to kill fungus and eradicate excess yeast.  I got the answer to my biggest question.  Will she ever get rid of the Candida? The answer was "NO!"  The body never fully rids itself of yeast, but the answer is how to get the levels balanced.  The first strategy is to take a antifungal supplement to kill the yeast overgrowth.  The second is to modify the diet to starve off the excess yeast.

Today Jeannette had an appointment to get another urine culture done.  This one was to be done through the alternative medical doctor.  She had brown rice cereal for breakfast.  I didn't give her the multi-vitamin today because of the urine culture being done.  I didn't want it to be tainted.  I don't remember what I had packed her for lunch today.  But when she got home from school, she had a yogurt with her probiotic.

I got a call later and was told that Jeannette indeed did have a urinary tract infection and she was going to be put on another antibiotic.  Great! Another antibiotic.  I don't get it.  I'm completely perplexed.  I feel like I've been doing all I can with this diet and eliminating certain foods and her exposure to the water and she gets a UTI?  Now, this is the longest she's been, but still?  So now I have no clue what to do or how to move forward or how to handle this?

Thankfully, she can take this antibiotic along with the diflucan.  But because of that, she needs to increase the amount of probiotics that she's currently taking.  Instead of once a day, she needs to take it 2-3 times a day.  For dinner, I made her the brown rice pasta with her special marinara sauce.  She hasn't had the pasta in awhile and because it's high in carbs, I try not to give it to her too often.  For dessert, she had a piece of her special fudge.

Week 5 - Day 5

(May 12, 2011)

Today was going to be somewhat challenging as my daughters class went to the zoo.  We started out today with brown rice cereal for breakfast.  I was able to get her the multi-vitamin and a few other supplements before school.  For lunch I packed her 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter and a chocolate coconut milk.  For snack I packed her some popcorn and dehydrated apple slices.

We got to the zoo and we weren't even there for an hour when Jeannette said she was starving.  She woofed down the popcorn and complained that she was still hungry.  I knew I didn't have a bunch of food, and I couldn't buy food, so I had to drag out the food I had for her.  It was only 10:30am and she wanted lunch.  I tried to distract her by going to a few different exhibits.  At 11:45am, I couldn't hold her off any longer.  We found a place to sit and had lunch.  She seemed to be content.  We were to meet back at the buses at 12:45pm and I made sure she had a snack before she got on the bus.  All she had left was the apples, so she ate some of that.

When we got back to school, she had an after school activity and I completely forgot to pack a snack for her.  When I picked her up afterwards, I asked her what they had for snack.  She said they had watermelon, but she didn't have any.  She doesn't like watermelon.

For dinner, the kids had leftover waffles that I had frozen from last weekend, along with some uncured bacon.  I was able to get Jeannette to eat at least a yogurt with the probiotic in it.  I ended up giving her the supplemental shake later as she was full from dinner.  The shake was her dessert.

Week 5 - Day 4

(May 11, 2011)

I woke up this morning still trying to get a handle on the situation with Jeannette's recent infection.  I was so upset and frustrated last night and after a good night's sleep I still believe whole heartily that we are moving in the right direction of a healthy lifestyle.  I can't let one infection get the better of me or Jeannette.  I have to look at it that she hasn't had an infection since February.  This is probably the longest that she's gone in 3 years without having an infection.  That has to be encouraging.  Right?

For breakfast this morning, Jeannette had brown rice cereal. Again!  For lunch I packed her cinnamon/stevia toast, strawberries and chocolate coconut milk.  This is getting really boring and extremely annoying.  We're now into week 5 and she's still eating the same things every day.  For snack, she had popcorn and a rice cake.  Again, she should have had soy nut or almond butter on it, but didn't.  Today I put Miralax in her water bottle for while she's at school.

Today was dance class after school, so I had to get a snack for the road.  I grabbed her a bag of organic cheerios and dehydrated apples.  She likes them and they are low in sugar, so I can't see the problem with them, but I'm sure they are not considered appropriate for this diet.

For dinner tonight, Jeannette had her chicken from last night.  I gave her some ketchup and parmesan cheese to dip it in.  She had her supplemental shake and tonight I put in the chlorella which turned the shake a funky brown.  She wasn't happy, but she drank it anyway.  I tried to get her to eat a yogurt, but she wouldn't.  She did have her vitamin C and digestive enzyme, but missed her second dose of the mult-vitamin.  She did have her antibiotic of diflucan though.  these supplements are just a nightmare.  It's so hard trying to get her to take them and to figure out how to give them to her in what and when.  It's no wonder why I created a spreadsheet to keep tract of it all.

Week 5 - Day 3

(May 10, 2011)

Every organ and system in our bodies is interlinked.  If one organ becomes compromised, another organ will take over and try to compensate.  If you have leaky gut, that compromises your bloodstream with toxins.  The toxins compromise the immune system and that leads to other chronic ailments.  The key is to keep the toxins moving out faster than they accumulate so the body stays balanced and healthy. -The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch

Jeannette was slow moving this morning.  She was complaining of a tummy ache.  She never complains of tummy aches.  That concerned me.  She had brown rice cereal for breakfast.  I never did give her the multi-vitamin as her tummy was hurting.  For lunch I packed her 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter and some strawberries and water.

I had forgotten that Jeannette had her annual physical today.  I ended up picking her up at school and she had to eat her lunch in the car.  They weighed her and she was down a pound.  That concerned me.  I had a feeling that once she started this diet that she would loose weight.  She's so tiny as it is.  I remember the nutritionist saying that a high protein diet should increase her weight.  I'm not finding that to be the case, but then again, look at what she's eating.  She's not getting a significant amount of protein that she should be.  They also did a urine culture and determined that she had an urinary tract infection.  Huh?  I was upset and bothered by that.  We've been working on this low carb, now no yeast, no sugar diet and she still gets a UTI?  I don't get it.  The one thing that she did stop taking was the U-tract/mannose.  She was off that for about 5 days.  I figured she had been symptom free for awhile and that she didn't need that anymore.  I guess I was wrong.  She was put on another antibiotic to treat the infection.  Round and round I go....again!  Now she needs to up her probiotic to 2-3 times a day while on the antibiotic, yet she's still taking the diflucan.  I was told by the doctors office that the two could be taken at the same time.

What was also somewhat bothersome was that her pediatrician wasn't aware of this Candida diet.  She wasn't surprised that yeast was found by this other doctor, but she wanted to hear more about the Candida diet.  She was concerned about Jeannette's caloric intake with her being on this diet.  She asked if she was eating pasta and I told her that because pasta is so high in carbs, that I'd rather her eat a bowl of strawberries than pasta.  She didn't really seem to be on the same page as me in regards to that.  I truly believe that this diet or change of eating is going to be beneficial for the entire family.  Lastly, I explained to her that she is still constipated and that I've been using a more natural supplement instead of the Miralax.  I explained that although the tru fiber is supposed to be gentler on the body, I'm not finding it nearly as effective as the Miralax.  When the doctor examined Jeannette, she didn't feel any blockage in the stomach, so she wasn't sure where the tummy ache would be coming from.

I left the doctor's office feeling frustrated and perplexed.  How can all this, that we've been doing, still not be helping her?  How is it that she got another UTI?  I was feeling so encouraged and had such high hopes that we were going down the right path.  Now this.  I just don't know what to make of it.  I'm so confused.  Jeannette was still complaining of a tummy ache when we left the office and she didn't want to go back to school, so I just took her home.

After finally getting in touch with the alternative medical doctor, I was told to put her back on the U-tract.  I decided to now go back to using the Miralax instead of the tru fiber.  I obviously don't want to just throw it away, so I'll probably alternate the two every other day.

After school, my son and his grandmother made chocolate chip cookies.  My son loves my mother-in-laws cookies and asked to bake them with her.  How could she refuse?  Well, Jeannette got really upset by that because she knew that she wasn't going to be able to eat any of them.  She said it herself.  "That's not fair."  It wasn't fair, but it wasn't fair to not allow Jarod to do this activity with his grandmother.  Jeannette gave Mimi the cold shoulder, but after a little while, she got over it.  I did feel bad.  I'm constantly searching for the right dessert for her.  I want her to be able to have something every once in awhile.

For dinner, we went out to dinner at Not Your Average Joe's.  My in laws wanted to treat us to dinner on their last night visiting with us.  This place caters to families and has a gluten free menu.  I ordered Jeannette grilled chicken with green beans.  This restaurant also serves the best bread with garlic/olive oil dipping sauce.  Jeannette was begging to have a piece of it.  At this point, I was still reeling from today's doctors appointment and just said, "fine! Go ahead!" What difference does it make?  She's going to get another infection, this obviously isn't working, so eat whatever you want.

Week 5 - Day 2 Elimination

(May 9, 2011)

Did you know that daily elimination is essential, and two to three movements a day are even better? I've always wondered how long it takes to digest food.  The optimal transit time from mouth to elimination is 24 hours.  This nation is suffering from an epidemic of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and colitis.  The main cause is inadequate water and fiber intake.  When grains are refined, both minerals and fiber are stripped away, robbing the body of nourishment and the assistance the fiber provides in cleaning the colon walls.  If your bowels are backed up, the GI tract must focus more on getting rid of waste than absorbing nutrients, which sets the stage for malnutrition.  The other thing is that elimination problems also cause autotoxicity.  Constipation can also make the pH level in the large intestine more alkaline, creating a breeding environment in which yeast, parasites, bacteria, and viruses thrive. - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch.

I believe this is what has happened to my daughter.  Today I don't have much to report about her.  She had cinnamon rolls with her non-dairy butter and 1 slice of bacon.  I think I have hit the end of the cinnamon roll ride.  She commented today that she didn't like the brown part towards the center of the roll.  For lunch she had brown rice and strawberries.  For dinner she had leftover crab, her supplemental shake and coconut ice cream for dessert.  Her snacks were dried apples and apple yogurt with her probiotic.  I tried to make her some oatmeal, but it came out mealy and it wasn't mushed together.  I tried to add some maple syrup to sweeten it a bit, but that didn't seem to help.  She didn't like it.

Happy Mother's Day - May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day to me!!!!

We're moving into week 5.  We've gotten through one month.  I never thought we'd get this far.  It's been a challenging month with many ups and downs.  I've gotten more cognizant while at the grocery store as to what I'm buying.  Now I read the labels on everything, whereas before I didn't care.  I just bought it.  I still buy things every once in a while that I shouldn't, but cut me some slack.  A girl has to have a chip every now an then.  Those dang O's chips!

For breakfast today, my husband made waffles and bacon.  Thanks to my mother-in-law, she found a waffle/pancake mix that is gluten free and appears to be okay for her.  It's called Maple Grove Farms.  I got it at Target.  I was totally psyched! I was also told that syrup would be okay for her in small doses.  I couldn't believe that because it's extremely high in sugar.  But if you buy pure maple syrup, it would be okay.  Again, in small doses.   The mix for Jeannette had a fruity smell to it.  They looked about just as good as our regular/processed waffles that we all had.  She was in heaven.  She ate 3 small waffles, 3 slices of uncured, nitrate free, organic bacon and some strawberries.  This was the breakfast of champions for her!

To celebrate Mother's Day, we had a fantastic meal.  We had flank steak, parmesan potatoes, asparagus, baked green beans, and salad with lettuce from our garden.  Because the kids don't eat steak, we got them some snow crab legs.  I was reading, after-the-fact, in The Candida Cure, that crabs and shrimp should be avoided.  Because they are bottom feeders, they are particularly high in contaminants.  They absorb higher concentrations of chemicals and mercury.  She says that once a month would be okay.  They loved the crab.  For dessert my father made her something special.  He had made an apple pie for the rest of us, so to go along with that theme, he took a granny smith apple, peeled it, and cored it.  He sprinkled cinnamon/truvia down the core and all around it and baked it until it started to bubble.  It looked yummy.  Alas, she tried it and didn't like it.  I tried it and thought it was pretty tasty.  I saved it anyway for her to try again.

Week 4 - Day 7 Malabsorption and Dysbiosis the unwelcome inhabitants

(May 7, 2011)

The main causes of malabsorption are maldigestion and microbial overgrowth.  Common symptoms are fatigue, thinning hair, dry skin, depression, susceptibility to bruising, unexplainable weight loss, constipation or diarrhea.  My daughter fits into this category.  She's got dry skin, she's chronically constipated, and she's lethargic.  I never would have put the two together.

Dysbiosis is caused by poor diet and a few other things such as the overuse of antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and heavy metal toxins, and more.  When these unhealthy microorganism take over the gut, the immune system is put under constant stress to defend the body from these infections.  What I didn't know is that intestinal dysbiosis is a contributing cause in rheumatoid arthritis, MS, vitamin B deficiency, chronic fatigue, cystic acne, the early stages of colon and breast cancers, eczema, food allergies, irritable bowl syndrome, and the list goes on.  - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch

This makes sense to a certain extent with my daughter.  She's had over use of antibiotics, she has a vitamin B deficiency, a zinc deficiency and constipation.  Her preliminary heavy metal toxic screen showed elevated levels of certain things.  This was also another contributing factor.  One doesn't think that all these heavy metals could be in your system.  We just don't think about it, but they're there; hiding.

Today I headed back to Wegman's to buy some more items to experiment with.  I spent another $150! Ouch!  This sure is a costly venture.

Week 4 - Day 6

(May 6, 2011)

Today it's about Enzyme's.  Enzyme deficiencies are a major contributor to maldigestion. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts to ignite chemical reactions in the body.  Although the body makes enzymes, it must use those enzymes in food for optimal health.  Most enzymes are destroyed in foods that are processed, refined, or cooked at very high temperatures.  Raw or lightly steamed foods are rich in enzymes.
When enzymes are lacking, the pancreas takes on a greater responsibility.  The pancreas produces insulin, the hormone that maintains blood sugar levels.  So diets loaded with refined carbs, sugar and processed foods, overwork the pancreas and weaken its performance, thus making us more susceptible to yeast overgrowth, hypoglycemia and diabetes.

That's why in the gluten free aisle of the grocery store I'm noticing raw foods.  I had no idea what raw foods were.  I've seen raw honey and raw butter (I think).  I actually bought raw honey for a couple of the recipes that I've made.

I have to say that I'm so proud of Jeannette and how she is handling all of this.  I keep looking at some of these foods and just can't believe how hard it must be for her.  Again, she's still not eating as many green foods as she should.  That's my problem.  I don't even know how to prepare half these things to make them interesting and fun.  That's one reason why she's not getting them.  I must admit, I'm intimidated by vegetables.  Can you believe that?  A vegetable is intimidating me.  Now I love fruits.  I have no problem with the fruit family.  I just wish she could eat more fruits besides berries.  Although certain fruits contain high amounts of natural sugar, they still provide phytonutrients and lots of vitamins and minerals.

Humans are creatures of habit.  We are pushed against the wall when it comes to change, and this is whole way of eating is a huge change.  I also haven't found a fantastic web-site that gives me a lot of information on recipes.  I know there has to be one out there somewhere.  This book, The Candida Cure, has really helped me understand the body and understand how foods help and hurt your body.  I've learned so much in reading this book the past few days.  I'd have to say, after reading this, that 3/4 of the food on today's market is total and utter crap.  The amount of processed foods out there is appalling.

Tonight I was talking to my husband about how we all need to be participating better.  We've done pretty good, but we could do better.  For example; this protein shake that Jeannette has to take.  I told my husband that we all should be drinking this.  But you know what? I'm afraid to try it.  It's so completely hypocritical of me to sit there and tell my daughter that she HAS to drink this, when I can't even stomach the smell and looks of it.  How wrong is that?  I keep going back to what Michael, the nutritionist said to me.  He said that kids can change their palates and adapt at a young age.  By the time they're 18 years old, it's too late.  Now is the time to start them on healthy eating.  There are only 10% of people that can really make this change when they're adults.  Now I see why it's such a low percentage.  Can I become one of the 10% that changes my ways?

Week 4 - Day 5

(May 5, 2011)

This morning I was rereading some notes that the nutritionist gave me.  It said that rice cakes were acceptable, but because it's a simple carb it shouldn't be eaten plain.  It should be eaten with nut butter, cheese or butter.  I've been giving her these rice cakes like crazy because it was one thing she would eat.  I didn't now about the simple carbs.  See, that's what you have to be careful about.  You might find something that appears to be acceptable, but when you delve into this deeper and deeper, those acceptable items turn into the unacceptable.   Thank goodness, by accident, I occasionally put some soy nut butter (non gmo) on the rice cakes.  I'm still getting conflicting information on cheese.  Some books say yes, and some say no.

For breakfast this morning, Jeannette had 4 cinnamon rolls and a slice of turkey bacon.  I didn't give her the mulit-vitamin this morning because of the diflucan she's now taking.  The label specifically states that no medication should be taken within 2 hours of taking the multi-vitamin.  Ugh!! It's so hard to keep up with all the rules.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before because it's hard to keep track on a daily basis, but I've had to create a spreadsheet for us to follow.  We list the supplement, then the days of the week.  Each day has 3 tabs to indicate breakfast, after school, and dinner.  When she takes the supplement, we make sure to put a check mark next to the time of day, so that if one of us isn't around, then they'll know what's left to give her.  It's worked out so far.

For todays lunch, she had brown rice pasta, parmesan cheese, strawberries, and chocolate coconut milk.  For snack at school she had popcorn and a rice cake.  After school Jeannette had her yogurt with the probiotic.  Today after school, my son had a birthday party to go to.  When we went to pick him up, they were in the middle of eating birthday cake.  She was upset about it because she knew that she couldn't eat the cake.  She sat on my lap and almost cried.  It broke my heart.  When we came home, my son went down the street to play with this birthday boy.  After dinner, they were going to be making smores and Jarod asked if it was okay if he went.  I allowed it, but that stirred up some jealousy from Jeannette.  She was upset that she couldn't have smores.  So to compensate, I told her we would make up our own version here.  After dinner, which was leftover chinese food.  I made sure she tried everything again.  She ate a few pieces of chicken, tried the broccoli and still didn't like it, brown rice and the supplement shake.

I also have to get over the mentality that my kids will starve.  They won't starve.  I just have to control myself as well to not buy the chips and crackers and junk.  Chips are my downfall along with chocolate. Jarod likes chips as much as I do, and the best chips are those that end in o's: cheetos, doritos, tostitos, fritos.  Yumm-o!  I know all these changes are for the best.  I know it's not going to happen overnight, and it makes it harder for me because I'm so impatient.  I like instantaneous results.

The other problem is that we still have all this other food in the house.  I have a hard time just throwing it away, so I've been eating it. Yuck!!  So what did I do?  I sent all the foods that Jeannette can't eat anymore to my adopted family in Mississippi.  I sent them mac n cheese, soups, crackers, cookies, graham crackers, chocolate bars, m&m's, and more.  This mom has a family of 5 to feed and I'd rather them get it then it go into a landfill.  It's kind of a double standard though.  If these foods aren't good enough for us, why would they be good enough for them?  Well, Jeannette can't eat any of the ingredients listed on any of these foods.  It's like treating this as if she has a food allergy.  The adopted family doesn't have any allergies.

To end the evening, while my son was down at the neighbors house, I put together a scoop of coconut milk ice cream (non-dairy), crushed up the sugar free/low carb chocolate bar (Doctor's carbRite Diet SugarFree Bar) and sprinkled that on top of the ice cream.  That was our version of a smore.  Her face just beamed when she ate it.  She was happy.

Week 4 - Day 4

(May 4, 2011)

Did you know that when food goes undigested, the particles create toxic byproducts that irritate the intestinal wall?  The toxins can then cross the mucosal lining, where they enter into the bloodstream.  In addition, the undigested food particles produce fermentation, which fuels fungal overgrowth and the proliferation of bacteria and parasites. - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch

I never really thought about digestion before.  I really take the human body for granted.  It's this machine with all these intricate parts that rely on one another to keep you healthy.  I just ate what I wanted, did care what it was and let my body do the rest.  Little did I realize, the food that goes into my body, makes a HUGE difference.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting back and eating hamburgers, steaks and pasta all the time.  I do put some healthy fruits and vegetables into my system.  I do it because I know those are good for me.  But I'm so much more aware of why those fruits and vegetables are so good for my body.  When I read about how the body digests the food and what those foods do to the body, really puts things into perspective for me.  It makes me want my family to eat better and start taking better care of ourselves.

Breakfast was brown rice cereal.  She's taking this liquid multi-vitamin and she's supposed to drink 8 oz of water afterwards.  It's so hard to get her to drink the water.  She's so pokey in the morning as it is, this just adds to it.  She's still taking the vitamin C tablets, but I'm now finding them in random places.  I'll hand them to her to take and she'll lay them down on the coffee table, on her car seat in the car, in the bathroom lying on the sink.  I gather she isn't liking these to much.  Maybe she's getting tired of the flavor.

For lunch today I packed 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter, some carob chips in case she wanted to sprinkle them on top, strawberries, and chocolate coconut milk.  For snack she had dried apples and another rice cake.  I'm just excited that I can add strawberries back into her diet.  While she was at school, I made another batch of the Chebe cinnamon rolls.  I also made another batch of the homemade crackers but this time I used cinnamon and truvia instead of the salt.  When she got home, she tried the crackers.  She said she liked them alright, but didn't want anymore than the one she ate. Hmmm!  She instead had a yogurt with her probiotic in it.

Tonight for dinner I made a recipe from Sheryl Crow's new cookbook.  It's Pecan-crusted trout with edamame succotash (recipe below).  I didn't have trout, so I used tilapia and it worked just fine.  I also switched the all-purpose flour and used brown rice flour.  Instead of the milk, I used soy milk.  Instead of canola oil, I used olive oil.  We made a salad with lettuce picked from our garden.  I love fresh lettuce. It's so much better than store bought.  The kids tried the salad, but again, they didn't like it.  Both kids tried the fish too.  My son said he didn't like it and politely excused himself from the table.  Jeannette tried it and was sort of wishy washy about it.  She said the fish was good, but she only liked the pieces that had all the breading on it.

I still had brownies that I made from awhile ago and told her that I was going to throw them away.  I told her that I would make her a new batch.  She said she wanted to try one more before I threw them away.  I said that she had to finish her fish if she wanted the brownie.  She said that she would eat 7 bites because that's how old she is.  Sounded fair to me.  While she was finishing her 5th bite, I asked if she liked it.  She gave me a thumbs up and said she like it.  I was so excited I could hardly stand it.  Then I asked her again, do you really like it, or are you just saying that."  She said, "I don't really like it.  I jsut said I liked it so I could eat my brownie."  Well at least she's honest.  It couldn't have been all that bad if she ate all those pieces.  She did get her brownie which made her happy.  I still threw the rest away.  She finished up by having her supplement shake.

Pecan-crusted trout with edamame succotash - Sheryl Crow

For the trout:
1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour (used brown rice flour)
1/2 t garlic powder
1 large egg
1 1/2 T milk (used soy milk)
1 C chopped pecans
4  4-5oz. skin-on trout fillets
2 T canola oil, preferably expeller-pressed

For the edamame succotash:
2 t canola oil, preferably expeller-pressed
1/4 C diced red bell pepper
1/4 C diced red onion
2 t chopped garlic
1 C roasted corn
1 C frozen shelled edamame
2 T cooked, chopped nitrate-free smart bacon or organic bacon
1/4 C dry white wine
1/4 C seeded and diced fresh Roma tomatoes
1 T soy butter or unsalted butter (used non-dairy butter - Earth's balance)
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 F

For the trout:
In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, seasoning, and garlic powder.  In a second dish, whisk together the egg and milk.  Put the pecans in a third dish or plate.

Coat the side of a fillet without the skin with the flour and then with the egg wash.  Press it gently into the pecans to coat thoroughly.  Repeat with the remaining trout fillets, so that all 4 are coated on the side without skin.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat and when hot, sear the trout, skin side up, for 2 minutes.  Turn the fish fillets gently with a spatula and sear the skin side for 2 minutes onger.  Transfer the fillets to a lightly oiled baking sheet or shallow pan and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.

For the edamame succotash:

In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, saute the bell pepper, onion, and garlic until softened, 3-4 minutes.  stir in the corn, edamame, and bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Pour the wine into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to loosen any sticking vegetables.  Add the tomatoes and cook until warmed through.  Add the butter and let it melt.  Stir in the parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4


Expeller pressed canola oil is oil that has been pressed mechanically. According to amazingfoodcompany.com, expeller pressed oil is pressed from the seed using a combination of heat and friction. This is an ideal alternative to using chemical solvents to extract oil. It allows for a healthier result with no solvent remaining in the finished product.

Week 4 - Day 3

(May 3, 2011)

Based on Ann Boroch's book, The Candida Cure, she says that the digestive system is the most overlooked  system in the body.  Did you know that 75% of the immune systems's cells are produced in the digestive tract? I did not.  And that "an imbalance in the system - comprised of the mouth, salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and small and large intestines - is responsible for the onset of the majority of health condiyions and chronic progressive diseases plaguing Americans?" I did not.  It goes on to say that "scientists tell us that there are ten times more bacterial cells living inside the gastrointestinal tract, the stomach, and intestines than there are human cells in the entire body."

"A balanced ecosystem in the GI tract has a ratio of 85% healthy microorganisms to 15% unhealthy ones." Diets based on non nutritional foods filled with chemicals and preservatives upset this ratio and can "create maldigestion, malabsorption, intestinal dysbiosis, and elimination problems."  What's more bothersome is that they also affect other systems of the body, including the immune system.  No wonder why my daughter is always getting sick.  Her immune system is completely compromised.  It's that vicious cycle.

I'm not even going to type what I made for my daughter for food today. It's just the same old thing.  It's getting so old. I'm so over it!!!  Does she seem to care? No.  The repetitiveness of the food doesn't seem to bother her as much as it bothers me.  Tonight for dinner I picked up some Chinese Food.  My son seems to love egg drop soup lately.  I got chicken and broccoli and egg drop soup.  I made her try everything.  She liked the soup okay.  She didn't like the chicken or the broccoli, but ate 2 small pieces of the chicken.  Whop de do.  She was still hungry, so I just have her some more of the leftover meatloaf from the other night.  We ran out of the homemade ketchup, so I reverted back to the original.  Although it doesn't have the high fructose corn syrup, it still has sugar.  I just made sure that she didn't have too much of it.  As usual, she had her supplemental shake.  I don't know how she can drink that.

Week 4 - Day 2

(May 2, 2011)

I've been reading The Candida Cure book and really getting a wealth of information from it.  It's so fascinating yet educational at the same time.  One thing that struck me today when reading was how naive the medical community is in regards to intestinal and systemic candidiasis as a health condition.  That's a broad statement, but it took me 5 doctors to finally find one that even did a urine yeast culture.  When I went to the pediatricians office for Jeannette's physical, the doctor said she wasn't surprised considering the amount of antibiotics she'd been on.  Well, if she wasn't surprised, then why didn't she take that into consideration a long time ago and save my family a lot of heartache?  I'm not saying that the Candida is the end all diagnosis to my daughters problems, but it sure would have been nice to have found out awhile ago.

I also came upon the section of the book where it provides a list of questions to determine if it's a possibility that I could have Candida.  I'm afraid to answer the questions as I'm quite sure I know the outcome.  Some weird symptoms that I've had would lead me to believe that I could have it too.  Now this questionnaire won't provide and automatic yes or no.  "This questionnaire, developed by William G. Crook, M.D, lists factors in our medical history that promote the growth of Candida albicans as well as symptoms commonly found in individuals with yeast-connected illness."

This morning Jeannette's breakfast consisted of brown rice cereal and the leftover smoothie from yesterday.  For lunch I packed her cinnamon toast/truvia, strawberries, and chocolate coconut milk.  For snack she had 2 rice cakes.  Are we seeing a pattern here? The same thing after 4 weeks.  This is so ridiculous.  I need help!!!!! When Jeannette came home today, I decided to give her the yogurt with the probiotic in it then.  I thought this would be another way to get in another dose of her probiotic.  The second dose I can put in her shake.  The nutritionist said that she should be taking the probiotic at least twice daily while she's on the Diflucan.  Again, the yogurt is not the first choice, but I'm working with what I can do right now.

For dinner, she had leftover meatloaf, leftover strawberries from lunch which she never finished and her shake.  Tonight I put in chlorella, tru fiber, probiotic, and all the rest of the supplements she's taking.  The color was a disgusting brownish color because of the chlorella, but she still drank it.  The chlorella is supposed to detoxify your body, boost your immune system and increase your energy.  The tru fiber is an alternative to the miralax and is supposed to help with her constipation.  We'll see.

Tonight something funny happened to Jeannette.  Prior to dinner my husband was doing a tick check of her head.  Now that it's getting nice outside and the kids are out playing more, and the fact that Loudoun County ranks the highest for lyme's disease, I didn't want to take any chances.  Anyway, her scalp was pink in several spots.  It wasn't in one spot, but there were random dots of pink throughout her scalp.  I kept thinking that this could be an allergic reaction to one of the supplements that we're giving her.  I was starting to freak out a bit.  I kept thinking that we're going to have to take her off of the supplements and then reintroduce them to her one at a time to see if he body reacts.  I wasn't going to be surprised of this if it was the case considering all that she is taking.  Well, she showered and sure enough the pink spots were gone.  We asked her about it prior to her showering and she just clammed up and didn't say anything, so we had nothing to go on.  We finally got the true story.  Her and a friend were upstairs playing in her mother's bathroom when they found a can of colored hair spray.  They decided to take it upon themselves to spray paint their hair pink.  When the father found out what they had done, they tried to wash it out themselves.  Jeannette missed a few spots.  I got a big laugh out of it once I found out the true story, but here I was panicking because I thought it was all these medications.  You just never know!

Week 4 - Day 1

(May 1, 2011)

What are mycotoxins?  "Mycotoxins are neurotoxins that destroy and decompose tissues and organs."  They are so powerful that they damage and destroy neurons, are carcinogenic, and more.  These yeast toxins confuse body systems.  "One of the major toxins produced from Candida is acetaldehyde, which is transformed by the liver into ethanol, creating feelings of intoxication, brain fog, vertigo, and a loss of equilibrium." - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch

This morning, Jeannette had brown rice cereal and turkey bacon.  I'd never made turkey bacon before, but read that it's supposed to be healthier.  It doesn't cook up as much as regular bacon and it's a little tougher to eat.  It's a little chewier too.  She didn't seem to mind though.

I attempted to make a lemon cake today.  I found this recipe on-line.  It was called delectable lemon cake.  It was not so delectable.  It was really lemony and it tasted like cardboard.  I ended up throwing the whole thing away.  Why does everything that is yeast free have to taste so bland?  I had high hopes for this cake.  I really wanted something that she could enjoy that would satisfy the sweet tooth. I just don't think that exists on this diet.  The mommy guilt was kicking in because I feel like I'm depriving her.  I have to get past that mentality.  She is fine, she's doing fine, and she will be fine.  This is all for the better.  I have to keep telling myself that.

For lunch, we made scrambled eggs and omelets.  I was told that eggs should be eaten every 3 - 4 days.  She also had some turkey bacon from this morning.  I also made her a strawberry smoothie.  I wanted to reintroduce strawberries back into her diet.  She's been on this for 3 full weeks now, going into our 4th week.  I've read different things.  Some books say fruit can be introduced after 2 weeks and other books say after 4 weeks.  So I went in between.  So in the smoothie I put strawberries, kale, tru fiber powder, hemp milk, and greek strawberry yogurt.  When she started to drink it she said, "what are those green things in there?"  I just smiled and asked her to try it.  She said, "I'm not going to try it until you tell me what those green things are."  I said, "I'm not going to tell you until you try it."  She took a sip and I told her that it was kale.  She was skeptical at first, but after a few sips she said she liked it.  She then says to me, "Are the green things the secret?"  I said yes.  She had seen me put it into one of my son's smoothies.  I'm trying every way I can to get in some "green" foods that are high on the nutrient density chart.  And if this is one way to sneak it in, then so be it.

Tonight I made quinoa meatloaf.  It was another recipe I found on-line.  I also made mashed cauliflower,  a salad, and sliced cucumbers.  She tried everything and didn't like any of it.  She made a mess of the meatloaf by pushing around the pieces into her homemade ketchup.  Dinner was a complete failure.  I thought the meatloaf was edible, but a little too heavy on the herbs.  I'll have to try a different recipe.

Week 3 - Day 7

(Apr. 30, 2011)

It only takes one dose of antibiotics to raise your yeast and create imbalance in your body.  This is where the vicious cycle occurs.  

Infection - antibiotic - wipes out good and bad bacteria - candida multiplies - yeast mycotoxins take over the body as yeast multiplies - weakens the immune system - back to Infection.

Even though antibiotics to save thousands of lives, the fact is, Americans use too many antibiotics.  We have overprescribed medications and now the overuse has created "super germs" that are resistant to common antibiotics, so germs that could once be killed off have now become life threatening.
    "The Candida Cure" - by Ann Boroch

This is what has happened over and over again with my daughter.  It's a vicious cycle that her body is have a hard time breaking.

We started out with breakfast with cinnamon rolls.  Jeannette was going over to a girlfriends house after an activity so I had to get her lunch and snacks ready.  Actually, I was asked by the mom if she could take the girls to McDonald's for lunch after their game and I had to tell her that Jeannette is on a very restrictive diet and that she won't be able to eat McDonald's.   I explained to her that Jeannette has this yeast overgrowth, possibly due to the amount of antibiotics that she's been exposed to for the past 3 years.  She said she totally understood and that she herself has certain food limitations and has to be very careful with what she eats.  She was very familiar with the Candida diet.  She followed it for awhile and is not following a gluten-free diet.  She said that on the rare occasion that she does have something very sugary, she doesn't feel very well 24-48 hours afterwards.

I was surprised and relieved at the same time to find someone who completely understands where I'm coming from.  It's amazing what you'll learn if you just talk to people about it.  I gained a great bit of information from this woman today.  She gave me great snack ideas and she even created a new way to eat Jeannette's rice cakes to make it more fun.  I get so caught up in all of this, that I loose sight of fun.  What is that? Because this diet certainly hasn't been fun.

So while Jeannette was at her friends house, I packed her some rice cakes, soy nut butter, chocolate coconut milk, popcorn and carob chips.  To make her rice cakes more fun, she spread the soy nut butter on the cake and then she sprinkled the carob chips on top of it.  Jeannette loved it!

For dinner the kids had brown rice pasta with non-dairy butter and parmesan cheese.  She also had a yogurt with the probiotic.  They made popcorn later.  My son, who really has been very supportive, helped make her popcorn and used her non-dairy butter.

Week 3 - Day 6

(Apr. 29, 2011)

Today the world watched The Royal Wedding.  It was such a momentous occasion.

This morning for breakfast, I wish I could have done something British like scones or something, but alas, I could not. So we did our standard breakfast of cinnamon rolls.  For lunch I made her cinnamon toast with truvia, 1 slice of bacon, and chocolate coconut milk.  I was telling Jeannette this morning before she left for school that soon we'll be able to reintroduce fruit back into her diet.  I told her that she'll be able to eat strawberries and raspberries again.  She said, "no thank you."  I looked at her and asked, "why not thank you? Don't you want to eat those again?  You liked them before and that will allow you more variety."  She said, "No. I don't want them."  I said, "why, because you like what you're eating now?"  She said, "Yes!"  Wow! That shocked me.  I couldn't believe it.  Here I was getting excited about having more variety in her diet and being able to have more options, and she doesn't even really care.  I guess I have to take that as a good thing.

Today on the way home from work, I was listening to another one of my favorite podcasts, The Meal Makeover Mom's.  They take unhealthy meals and make them family friendly, yet healthy.  Since I've been on this new road of healthy eating, I find their blog and podcasts to be extremely helpful.  They are both registered dietitians with two kids and really have some yummy meal ideas that I can't wait to try.  Today's podcast they were interviewing a woman who has dedicated her life to helping kids eat healthier.  She has a web-site called Super Kids Nutrition.  There are activities on the site that are educational and teach you and your kids about nutritious eating and making nutrition fun.  The subject of today's podcast was "Eating the Rainbow."  How does one do that?  It's simple.  You try eating a variety of colors that provide healthy foods to your kids.  The importance of eating a colorful diet comes from all the different phytochemicals that provide additional benefits outside of your antioxidants and we all need those different colors because they act in different ways.  These phytochemicals can help "fight" off viruses and bacterias.  They help keep us at a healthy weight.

Another fun thing on her web-site are the super crew kids.  They are cartoon characters kids who help motivate kids to eat a colorful diet.  For example; Penny gets her power from purple foods.  When she eats these foods she can run at super speeds.  Abigail gets her super powers when she eats all sorts of colors from fruits and vegetables.  When she eats carrots, she can see around corners.  Blueberries can make her super smart.  The educational tools on the site are also very helpful.  They teach kids math and science and even teachers can incorporate these tools into their daily curriculum while teaching kids proper nutrition.  It really is a great web-site for kids of all ages.  I highly recommend it to be checked out.

I forgot, along with all the other supplements that Jeannette is taking, she started taking a liquid multi-vitamin today.  What's complicated about this one is that there are so many instructions on how to take it.    I has to be taken twice a day.  It has to be before breakfast, 1/2 capful, and then afterwards it has to be followed 8 oz. of non-chlorinated, spring water.  After it's taken, no OTC medicines can be taken within 2 hours of taking this.  Then in the evening, it needs to be taken before 6pm.  How in the heck am I supposed to administer this with everything else she is taking?  The one advantage to this multi-vitamin is that it doesn't have all those artificial flavorings.  It's better for her than the generic multi-vitmain from Target or even the Flinstone vitamins for that matter.  It's called IntraKid.  The second thing I started her on was Chlorella.  Chlorella is another way to help with the detoxification process.  It helps boost immunity, energy, focus, and improves digestion, relieves constipation, etc.  I would like to think this could help with her constipation as well as help eliminate the mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium that is found in her system.  Chlorella was also recommended because the nutritionist felt it was a more natural solution instead of the miralax I was using before.  The only way I could think of incorporating it into her diet was to include it in her shake.  So tonight, I put it in the shake.  Boy! It turned the shake a horrible brownish color.  It looked disgusting.  I give her a lot of credit to even drink something like that. She didn't even say a word.  She took a sip and asked if there was more chocolate in it and I lied and said yes.  I figured that would explain the more brownish color?  She said, "it's good.  Better than the one daddy made last night." Phew!!!

Week 3 - Day 5

(Apr. 28, 2011)

We had HUGE rains today.  Our community was completely flooded.  I know this doesn't have anything to do with my daughters diet, but water in my community is a really big issue.

This morning, she had brown rice cereal; plain.  For lunch I packed her brown rice and chocolate coconut milk.  It's a pathetic lunch, but that's all I got.  For her snack she had a rice cake and those dehydrated apples.  I feel so bad for her.  I know in m mind that this is the best thing for her, but it's so hard.  The thing is, is it really that bad?  No, because her lunches before would consist of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread, pretzels or chips and jell-o or pudding and some cookies.  It's the typical 'brown bag' lunch in American schools these days.

Speaking of brown bag lunches, I was listening to this blog the other day, the manic mommies (which I LOVE. If you're a mom, you must start listening).  They got onto the topic of school lunches and what the typical lunch consists of.  The Chicago Little Village Academy banned lunches brought from home.  I guess they were noticing that the foods that were actually being sent from home were worse than those that the schools actually served.  It has caused quite a controversy.

Anyway, now Jeannette's eating brown rice and rice cakes with soy nut butter (Non GMO).  When we grow up on the American diet for so long, it becomes the norm.  It's hard to change the mindset of healthy eating and knowing what truly is good for us.  Humans are creatures of habit, and it takes awhile to change those habits and in this case, for the better.

Today, one of my neighbors and I got to talking.  She is also making some serious changes to her families eating habits.  We both agree that these changes that we're making are going to be for the better in the long term.  We could potentially be extending the lives of our families just a little longer.  We have really learned a lot and have educated ourselves and have made a lifestyle difference for ourselves and our families for healthy and better living.

Week 3 - Day 4

(Apr. 27, 2011)

What causes an overgrowth of Candida?  The major causes are antibiotics, steroids, birth control, poor diet, heavy metals, alcohol overuse, recreational drugs, stress and several others.  I could think of 3 of these that fit her profile: overuse of antibiotics, poor diet and heavy metals.  She's had so many urinary tract infections in the past 3 years that she's been on so many antibiotics.  Her poor diet hasn't helped and because of the environment that we live in, it's no surprise there are heavy metals.  We live on a golf course, next to a buffalo and diary farm, and also next to a medical facility where their effluent is dispersed into one of our streams.

"Yeast overgrowth thrives in the presence of diets high in refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, diary products, alcohol, processed foods... The fungus doesn't care whether the increased sugar in your body is due to eating a candy bar or having an episode of extreme stress; it will use the sugar as fuel to reproduce itself." - The Candida Cure book

Boy, breakfast is getting pretty predictable.  She had cinnamon rolls again.  For lunch she had brown rice w/ non-dairy butter, and a mini container of soy nut butter with her probiotic mixed in.  Yesterday she had plain soy nut butter, so why not give it to her with the probiotic mixed in.   Considering she's supposed to be getting the probiotic 2-3 times a day while on the diflucan, I have to find any way I can.  Unfortunately, she didn't eat it, so that was a waste.  For snack I packed popcorn and a rice cake.  Boring, once again.  Today after school, Jeannette came home with her water bottle full.  I've had this discussion with her multiple times as to how important it is to drink her water.  I would even love it if she would fill it up 2 times while at school.  Part of her constipation is due to lack of hydration.  So I bribed her.  I asked her what she wanted the most as an incentive to get her to drink the water and bring me home an empty water bottle.  She said, "100 cents.  No $100 dollars."  I said, I couldn't do the $100, but I could manage the $1.  It was a deal.

For dinner tonight, Jeannette had the leftover homemade pizza, a yogurt with the probiotic, and her supplemental shake.