Candida Recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

Just click on the question number to go directly to the answer below.

And NO, I cannot refer you to anyone in your area! I don't know anyone but my own doctors!

And NO, I'm not still on the diet! I did the program in the summer of 1995 and have never looked back.

Section I
Question about the Diet

2. Why is caffeine not allowed?
3. Is soy allowed?
5. Will I have to stay on the diet forever?
6. How come your diet says dairy/potatoes/tomatoes are allowed when all other candida diets say they are not allowed?
7. What kind of bread should I buy?
8. Can I use Splenda?
10. I've been on the program for xxx days and I see no results. What am I doing wrong?
11. Why is aspartame allowed when I've read so much controversy about it?
36. What can you eat on a limitation of 50 gm of carbs a day???
39. I see you are advertising Sweetvia. Is this to help you financially subsidize your site?
42.  What did you eat for Snacks?  Breakfast?
48.  I've just been diagnosed with candida. I'm so confused!!  Everything I read is controversial and it seems like there is just nothing to eat!

Section II
Questions about me

1. How long were you on the diet?
4. Do you eat anything you want now, even sweets?
12. What other things did you try before going on this program?
15. Have you had any recurrences of candida?
19. Do you have any trouble keeping your weight down?
22. When you say the yeast "came pouring out of you", what do you mean? What did it look like?
24. Did you experience any side effects?
40.  I thought you were sincere about the candida illness and instead all you want to do is solicit business by advertising for SF722.
41.  I feel you are giving people a false sense of hope because you say we can eat foods that are forbidden on the candida diet in all other documentation.  While you say you "did not cheat one bit" you also say toast is allowed, and melted cheese.  Did you eat it or not?
44.  How did you know you were yeast-free after 40 days?
46.  What were your symptoms?

Section III
Questions about the products

9. Where can I buy the Formula 722?
18. Do you make any profit on selling Formula 722?
21. How much does the Formula 722 cost?
25. I received my Formula 722 and it doesn't tell me the dosage and how to take it.
26. I read on the Modern Herbalist website that I can increase the dosage up to 5 per meal. Do you recommend I do this?
27. What is in the Formula 722?
49.  How do I choose a probiotic?

Section IV
Questions about Dr. Piller

14. Can I just phone Dr. Piller and order the products or do I have to see him in person?
17. How can I contact your doctor?
32. I tried calling Dr. Piller's office all day and got no answer. Can you help?
38. Can your doctor recommend someone in my area?

Section V
Questions about the Program

13. Is this a hoax? Are you really just trying to sell something?
16. What can I do about the vaginal itching?
20. What else should I take besides Formula 722?
23. I've tried numerous programs and nothing has worked so far. Why should I try yours?
28. Is there a test for candida?
29. How come my doctor says there's no such thing as candida?
30. How can I be sure I have candida?
31. If I don't have candida and I follow the program, will I experience any negative side effects?
33. What makes Dr. Piller's program different from the Wellness Center or Whole Approach?
34. How will I know when I'm better?
35. Is there a book you recommend?
37. What kind of acidophilus should I buy?
39. I see you are advertising Sweetvia. Is this to help you financially subsidize your site?
40.  I thought you were sincere about the candida illness and instead all you want to do is solicit business by advertising for SF722.
43.  Have you heard of Threelac?
45.  Do you have a cookbook so that I don't have to print out all the recipes?
47.  Can you recommend any online support groups or websites?

1. How long were you on the diet?

After thirty days I still had vaginal yeast, and I called Dr. Piller and cried on the phone about it. He said to stay on the diet for ten more days, and take the Peanut Butter Test. If you eat a teaspoon of peanut butter and become instantly bloated, you know you still have yeast. I chose to stay on the diet for another month because I was really into it by then, and I was paranoid about getting it back, and I was enjoying the weight loss. In the end I stayed on it from May to mid-August because I chose to. My yeast was cleared up after 40 days.  Return to Top.

2. Why is caffeine not allowed?

Caffeine lowers the immune system and the candida thrive on this. Return to Top.

Soy is allowed as long as it is not sweetened or fermented (as in soya sauce). Return to Top.

Yes! I eat a normal, healthy diet. I watch my starches to keep my weight down. Return to Top.

I didn't... once the candida is gone... why should you? Return to Top.

I didn't write this diet, I just followed it. That is a question for the Naturopathic Center, although I think he will tell you that the Formula 722 pills serve to keep the candida under control and there is more acid or protein in tomatoes and dairy that it outweighs the sugar content. I did not eat a lot of potatoes, but I ate red-skinned ones when I did, because they are less starchy (I think, you can refer to Donna Gates' book The Body Ecology Diet about that).. Return to Top.

All bread has yeast and the idea is that you TOAST it WELL. This kills the yeast. I would avoid sourdough and fruity breads but the others are fine. Return to Top.

No. It's still sweet and the candida will thrive on its sweetness. Splenda is made from sugar. Yes, I know it's been used successfully for diabetics for years, that it is ok for hypoglycemic patients, that it doesn't affect blood glucose levels, etc.  Yes, this is true. But remember that this is a diet for CANDIDA sufferers, and if you feed the candida something that TASTES SWEET, you are encouraging the yeast proliferation.  Aspartame, while it has its own list of reasons to NOT use it, is "permitted" on this program because it does not encourage yeast growth.  You decide.  And in the meantime, learn about STEVIA!!!!   Return to Top.

Go to my program link.  You should have been there before now. Return to Top.

The difference between you and me is that I saw Dr. Piller in person and he was able to recommend a bunch of different things for my overall health, as diagnosed through kineseology and biomagnetic balancing. I had a sluggish gall bladder, bad night vision, cravings for chocolate, a weak ovary, lack of calcium. So everything that I took for my overall health contributed to my recovery. If your parathyroid gland (right side of neck) is shut down, then you will not get enough stomach acids and you will be providing a perfect environment for yeast to grow, in spite of the program and the pills. So if you are going to try to cure yourself without the benefit of a doctor like I had, you can't expect the same miraculous results. Return to Top.

I know aspartame is a killer, but it's the "lesser of two evils" when you are on a sugar-free diet. It is a sweetener, and taking it for one month or two is not going to kill you. Continuing to eat sugar and yeast, on the other hand, that will kill you. Return to Top.

A lot of you ask if I ever took Nystatin and Diflucan and stuff like that. No, I did not. Not because I wasn't willing but because I had the misfortune of getting doctor after doctor after doctor who did not believe in candida in the first place. I did try Lamisil, which is an antifungal, but I was part way through my prescription when I saw Dr. Piller and he told me to throw it away. So I never continued with it. For the record, hundreds of people have written to me telling me they've been on these drugs for long periods of time, and as soon as they get off them, the yeast comes back with a vengeance. I believe the drugs can work, but you would need to be on a strict version of the diet for maximum effectiveness. Return to Top.

Only two of the thousands of people who visited my site ever doubted my credibility. But to answer, no, it's not a hoax. I suffered for years and years and YEARS with candida and when I finally made a swift and speedy recovery, I wanted the whole world to know about it. I never thought it would become this big a project. Return to Top.

14. Can I just phone Dr. Piller's office and order the products or do I have to see him in person?

Update:  Dr. Piller passed away in 2015.  His partners still operate the business. As far as ordering stuff, sure, just phone. But don't expect to speak to someone and get a diagnosis. It is completely unreasonable to expect someoneeto diagnose people without seeing them in person. Their methods are totally "hands-on" and non-invasive. They use kineseology and biomagnetic balancing, iridology, chiropractic, hypnosis, physio, etc. and all these require you to be there in person. Return to Top.

15. Have you had any recurrences of candida?

As a matter of fact, I did. In April 1999 I had a small bout with candida and I went on the program for ONE MONTH only. I was fine after that. I did NOT get candida because of what I was eating. I got it because I was under stress and my darn parathyroid gland shut down and this created the perfect environment for candida to grow. I now take Parathyroid supplements on a regular basis. Return to Top.

16. What can I do about the vaginal itching?

Now that's where I can definitely say I tried everything. I am now intolerant of every single yeast medication cream that there is. Dr. Piller suggested I use Nutribiotic concentrate, 10-15 drops in a douche bag of water. It does offer relief. I did that only a few times and it really seemed to help.

And a comment from my friend Val on this subject:

Quote: Years ago after innumerable tubes of antibiotic ointments for vaginal yeast at $35 a pop, I asked my Doc if there was anything else. I was tired of the mess and the money and especially of getting it right back as soon as I quit using the darned stuff. He said to get some empty capsules and fill them with boric acid and insert vaginally. The relief was immediate and I haven't been bothered for years. Note, a very thin pad might be advisable since some liquid is generated. Unquote.

You can also try douching with a crushed garlic clove. It has an odor, so beware, but garlic is an anti-fungal and lots of people wrote to tell me they got relief from this.

You can also try douching with plain yogurt. I never tried this but I heard from a few people that it worked for them.

Also, you can insert an acidophilus tablet - not an enteric coated kind like you should be taking orally on a daily basis, but a tablet which will dissolve.

Return to Top.

17. How can I contact your doctor?

http://www.candidarecovery.com/resources/thanks.htm

18. Do you make any profit on selling the Formula SF-722?

Nope. Nothing in it for me so I couldn't care less where you get your product from. (I recently added a link to Amazon, which generates a very small commission for me ... not enough to buy printer ink.)  Return to Top.

19. Do you have any trouble keeping your weight down?

Not really. When it starts creeping up, I just cut back on the carbs. Return to Top.

20. What else should I take besides Formula 722?

Just acidophilus. Get a good potent kind. Primadophilus is excellent because it's enteric coated and won't break down until it gets to the intestines, where it does the most good. Take two between meals for best effect. I also took one caprylic acid with every meal but I did that of my own volition, not because the Doctor told me to. I think it may have helped to speed my recovery. It sure didn't hurt, anyway. Return to Top.

21. How much does the Formula 722 cost?

The most I've seen is $22 a bottle for a 40-day supply (2 per meal, 3 meals a day). Return to Top.

22. When you say the yeast "came pouring out of you", what do you mean? What did it look like?

I could sit on the toilet and watch it drip from my vagina. Just a white creamy discharge. It was also coming out with my stools. The toilet water was covered in white, slimy stuff. Return to Top.

23. I've tried numerous programs and nothing has worked so far. Why should I try yours?

I can't tell you what to try. It is CHEAP and it's EASY because there are tons of foods you can eat on this diet, including breads and mushrooms and vinegar-containing foods, grains, dairy, cheese, tomatoes, etc. Make sure you eat them under the right conditions, however (i.e. toasted, or melted or well heated or whatever). Return to Top.

24. Did you experience any side effects?

Like what? The worst thing I had was 4 or 5 days when the die off happened with my bowel movements. I was going 4, 5, 6 times a day. It was like having Montezuma's Revenge! I couldn't be far from a toilet. And I was getting nauseous and dehydrated, but that was my own fault. I didn't know it was going to be like that for a few days or I would have replenished my liquids. I am renowned for not drinking enough liquids. Return to Top.

25. I received my Formula 722 and it doesn't tell me the dosage and how to take it.

Take two per meal. I was "measured" or "balanced" or whatever by Dr. Piller and I only needed two per meal. My friends with fibromyalgia were only prescribed two per meal as well. So there's no point in increasing it. Increasing the dosage will not necessarily speed up your recovery.  Remember that it doesn't kill the candida ... it just keeps it from eating what you  ingest.  Save your money. Return to Top.

26. I read on the internet that I can increase the dosage up to 5 per meal. Do you recommend I do this?

I am aware that certain websites and doctors says you can increase it. I never did. See Question 25. Return to Top.

It's undecenoic acid, derived from the castor bean plant. You can read about it at this website:  http://www.alternativehealth.co.nz/cancer/undecylenic.htm
or here:  http://www.modernherbalist.com/products/sf-722.html

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28. Is there a test for candida?

I've heard of everything from the spit test in a glass of water, to sending stool samples to the Mayo Clinic. Most people who have candida have come to the conclusion by reading everything they can about it. There are several online candida questionnaires.  If you get Donna Gates' book, The Body Ecology Diet, there is one in there.  Try this link to get you started:  http://cassia.org/candida.htm

July 2001:  Someone sent me this link:  http://www.antibodyassay.com/candida2.htm

BUT! The easiest way to check for it is through applied or behavioural kineseology, also known as Muscle Testing. Read all you can about it, practise, practise, practise. Don't even THINK about sending me stuff on it being quackery. I've read enough of that stuff too.

If you want to read about some of my personal experiences with muscle testing, click here.

Return to Top. 

I wish I knew. I've heard doctors make fun of naturopaths because naturopaths diagnose everyone with candida. This is not true, of course. The medical system just doesn't recognize it and I don't know why. My pelvic exam results came back from the lab and it said right on my file "candida albicans" and yet when I asked this doctor if she would help me get rid of it, she said things like "you're looking for an excuse" (excuse for what???) and "I'm not going to read anything that a patient gives me" and "You're just one of those unlucky women".

I wish I had had enough nerve to take picture of the toilet water when all that garbage came out of my system just to prove to all the dozens of doctors I had that candida is REAL. Return to Top.

Try this candida checklist I found online:
http://cassia.org/candida.htm.  Or do muscle testing. See Question #28. Return to Top.

Now that's a question for the Naturopathic Center. I followed the program including taking the pills in October of 1998 "just to be sure" because I was experiencing a little vaginal discomfort and because I was getting ready to go on holidays. I didn't experience any side effects at all. Return to Top.

32. I tried calling Dr. Piller's office all day and got no answer. Can you help?

The office is closed Wednesdays and weekends. They close the office for lunch from 1-2 pm Pacific time. They don't start until later in the morning, I don't think, like around 10 am. It's long distance for me too so I'm not going to spot check for you. But if it rings busy, keep trying. It's a very busy office. Return to Top.

33. What makes Dr. Piller's program different from the Wellness Center or Whole Approach?

If you go to the Naturopathic Center in person, they can tell you exactly what your body needs for a complete recovery, usually in a 30-day program.

It's fast, it's cheap and there's LOTS of stuff to eat. Return to Top.

34. How will I know when I'm better?

I remember asking Dr. Piller on my first visit, "when do you want me to come back?" and he said, "you don't need to come back." I said, "how will I know I'm better?" and he just said, "You'll know."

I knew.

Return to Top.

Donna Gates' book The Body Ecology Diet. But keep in mind hers is very strict and doesn't use any Formula 722 pills. The book itself is excellent reading and the recipes are quite delicious.  Return to Top.

First of all, when I was on the program in1995, the diet had no such restriction. It has only come to my attention recently that there is a 50 gm carb restriction and I don't know if this is for everyone who has candida, or more for those who also have it in the muscles (who have been diagnosed by their doctors as having Fibromyalgia). In either case, I kept a food diary for a few weeks while eating as if on the candida program, just to see where my carb count was going. I never had trouble keeping it under 50 gm a day. And trust me, I was never hungry. What did I eat? I ate LOADS AND LOADS of NON-STARCHY vegetables, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner was accompanied by meat/fowl/fish (which counts zero), and a helping of cornbread or chocolate cream pie (my recipes, no sugar, no milk, etc.). The dessert was where the biggest carb count was, i.e. one slice of my pie (chocolate pudding on an almond crust) was about 20 or more gm. But everything else was next to nothing. I'd have a walloping big caesar salad (check my creamy garlicky dressing recipe) on a huge bowl of home-grown romaine. That hardly counts for anything! Or for breakfast I'd have a huge bowl of yellow beans with a pesto sauce made from basil & parsley from my garden, a clove of garlic, a Tbsp of pine nuts, and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Notice there are not a lot of carbs in these foods. THIS IS WHAT I EAT. I DO NOT - repeat - DO NOT eat breads, cereals, potatoes, rice and things like that. I DO eat LOTS of what I am allowed to eat. I eat until I am full! I eat more than most people do. I easily maintain my weight or LOSE eating this way. This is a whole new way of living - I do not eat "traditional" breakfasts which consist of grains, grains, grains. Remember: carbohydrates convert to SUGAR and sugar feeds the candida. Avoid them! Return to top.

Dr. Piller recommended I get Nature's Way Primadophilus because it is enteric coated, which means it won't break down until it gets into your intestines, where it will do the most good. It's more expensive but it's well worth it... I tried all the cheaper brands but I recovered much more quickly when I switched to this brand. Return to top.

I have asked Dr. Piller this question a few times and heard others ask him as well. His response was always that he meets lots of people at conferences and seminars, etc., but he actually has no way of knowing how they practise their profession. Return to top.

39. I see you are advertising Sweetvia. Is this to help you financially subsidize your site?

No.

First off, Geocities sponsored this website for free back in the 90s. I upgraded my plan in November 2007 because Geocities shut it down when the bandwidth is exceeded.  I pay for this myself.  The reason I mention Sweetvia is because their product is truly comparable to what I can get in Canada. The stuff I get is extremely concentrated, costs $630 per kilo - that's about $5 per tablespoon. It's not even kept on the shelves... you have to ask for it. The stuff I have seen and tried on the shelves in the U.S. are not nearly as concentrated. You would need far more of it to equate to the brand I use (and the more you use, the more of an aftertaste there is). I tried Sweetvia and I was impressed with it so I had no difficulty in adding a link to their website. 

May 5, 2008 - Because many people have asked me to WRITE A BOOK, I have decided to compile this website into a printable document, which is over 80 pages long.  For this I would like a return on my investment in time. It will help to cover the fees that I now have to pay for the website, and in some small way will help to cover the many, many hours I spend each and every day answering your emails.  Return to Top

40.  I thought you were sincere about the candida illness and instead all you want to do is solicit business by advertising for SF722.

I do not get ANYTHING from having a website where I mention the SF722.  In the beginning I would not even name the product but I had so many emails every day that I figured it was ridiculous not to let people know what I took.  If you don't believe that I get NOTHING from any link or company that is mentioned on my website, then call them up and ask them!  I couldn't care less if or where you get the product.  It's what I took and it worked for me.  The sources listed on my "program" link are benefiting from my website, but I am not benefiting from them.  If your doctor, apothecary, chiropractor, naturopath, drug store, health food store or any other place where you can get the product WISHES to be linked to this website to help make the product available to candida sufferers, THEY CAN CONTACT ME.    I will NEVER ask anyone any longer to be linked to my website because I take GREAT OFFENSE that anyone should think I am doing this for any other reason than to help people recover.          Return to Top

41. I feel you are giving people a false sense of hope because you say we can eat foods that are forbidden on the candida diet in all other documentation.  While you say you "did not cheat one bit" you also say toast is allowed, and melted cheese.  Did you eat it or not?

The long answer is here. 

42**.  What did you eat for Snacks?  Breakfast?

The long answer is here.

43.  Have you heard of Threelac?

I've heard of it and I've even tried it.

This is my opinion of course, but you can continue to research it and draw your own conclusions.

First of all, it didn't take me long to notice that the only people touting the benefits of Threelac were people who were selling it.  That made me suspicious.  Nonetheless, I tried it because they claim you don't have to change your diet either .... sounds too good to be true, and you know what they say about that!  Those of us who are initially diagnosed with candida do everything in our power to get rid of it without changing our diet.

The thing is, I've had my website online since 1995, and I've received tens of thousands of emails on this subject, and I'm not exaggerating.  Of all those emails, NOT ONE single person has EVER written to tell me of a positive experience with Threelac. NOT ONE.

In fact, everyone who HAS tried it has written because it didn't do anything for them, and sometimes they find my website as a "last resort" when they feel they've tried everything else.

Unfortunately I can't endorse it.  I did write to a doctor's office once and ask what they think of it, and the response I got was that it's nothing more than acidophilus. Threelac claims to be 3 different pro-biotics, but that's all it is.  And it is a known fact that taking probiotics doesn't cure candida.  It helps with the maintenance and replenishing of the "friendly flora" in the intestines.  But the bad bacteria - the candida yeast - will only be killed if they are starved to death.  Hence the importance of the DIET.

That's my take on it, but honestly, if you want to try it, go ahead and try it.  Document your experience, keep a journal starting with Day 1 on the top of a page, and write down everything you eat, including supplements, how you feel, if & when you have bowel movements and what they're like, etc.  If in the end, you have a success story to share with the world, I will be happy to include you as a link on my website, or to have you sign my guestbook to let others know. 

Update, December 30, 2008

I received this link from a reader and when I read this, I felt like finally I could substantiate what I was saying about Threelac.

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro2.php - run a Find command on this page (Ctrl F) and search for Threelac, and almost at the end you will find the following text:

• Quick Fix - Take this product and you do not have to follow a candida diet! The company that makes ThreeLac makes just such a wild claim. Many candida sufferers can attest to the fact that this totally untrue. Here are four very good reasons not to take ThreeLac:
  • They claim you can take ThreeLac without doing the diet, which is totally false and misleading. This promises a "quick fix" just like the medicos and drug companies do, which has been the major cause of candida in the first place. It also gives people totally false hopes. For that reason alone it is not recommend it, but there are other reasons.
  • It is expensive, probably because it is very highly marketed.
  • It is processed and contains several ingredients, making it a complex product, so a person would not know what they are reacting to if they experience adverse affects from it.
  • One of ThreeLac's questionable ingredients is refined yeast powder.

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44.  How did you know you were yeast-free after 40 days? 

Because one of the major symptoms that I suffered from was chronic itching vaginal yeast infections.  So it was pretty easy to know when there was no more yeast in the vagina.  And of course, in general I felt better than I had in my entire adult life.   Return to Top.

45.  Do you have a cookbook so that I don't have to print out all the recipes?  

No, you don't really need a book ... you need to learn to cook differently and to see your current recipes with a different view.  You cannot have any form of sugar, not even fruit, not booze, honey, molasses, fructose, glucose, splenda, etc. Foods "best avoided" but tolerated if WELL COOKED/HEATED/TOASTED include whole grains, yeast, fermented products, mold (cheese, leftovers).  Tomatoes and avocados are allowed in small quantities.

So when you're looking through your cookbook, skip the dessert section.  You can refer to my website for those recipes.  But look through all the other sections of your book and read through the ingredients. If you see a recipe, say, for chili ... and it calls for 2 teaspoons of sugar ... ask yourself, "if I leave out the sugar, will it change the flavor of the dish?" and if it won't, then just leave out the sugar, period.

This is a diet of substitution, not deprivation - so if you find a recipe that calls for apples ... ask yourself if you can substitute zuccini.

If you see white flour ... can you use whole grain flour instead?  If you see margarine ... use butter instead.If you see sour cream or buttermilk ... use plain yogurt instead.  If you see store-bought ketchup ... can you make your own?  Can you substitute tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes?  If you see mustard... can you make your own using hot dry mustard and adding a little water?  If you see cheese ... can you heat/melt the cheese first and use it within an hour? Is it cooked in the recipe, as in lasagne?  If you see bisquick ... can you make your own without sugar? See my recipes.  If you see sugar ... can you use stevia instead? If you see cocoa... can you use carob powder?  I found myself spending hours and hours going through recipes and looking for ideas.  And I learned that you don't need a new cookbook with nothing but candida-safe recipes - because other than desserts, almost all recipes can be made candida safe. Remember that yeast, whole grains, mold, fermentation ... if these are WELL COOKED/HEATED/TOASTED AND EATEN HOT, then they are allowed in small quantities and in moderation.I hope this helps.   Return to Top.

46.  What were your symptoms? 

Mostly I suffered from chronic vaginal itching and yeast infections. If it were not for that, I would not have read everything I could have on yeast.  Not everyone suffers from vaginal or rectal itching, though.  Men get candida, too.  The symptoms vary from individual to individual.  They range from headaches to hemorrhoids, and you can research symptoms online.  Mostly I tell people that if you believe you have candida, then you probably do... because to get to that point of suspicion, you have obviously done some research and some self-evaluation.  Return to Top.

47.  Can you recommend any online support groups or websites? 

I really do not have any time to pursue what is online nowadays. Back in the years before my recovery, I was quite disgusted with the "support" groups because all everyone did was complain about their condition and no-one was doing anything pro-active or giving any support or advice or positive ideas.  I am living a candida-free life and it is not in my interest to be involved in this except to support the website I created.  However, I have found the following links which you can peruse and judge for yourself: 

1) www.renewlife.ca
2) www.florahealth.com
3) www.alive.com
4) www.yeastconnection.com
5) www.candidasupport.org
6) www.candidafree.net
7) www.worldwidehealthcenter.net

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48**.  I've just been diagnosed with candida. I'm so confused!!  Everything I read is controversial and it seems like there is just nothing to eat! 

I just wrote a pretty generic response that would answer dozens of emails that I get on this subject, so I decided to put it on my website to save myself having to write it all out every time.

Click here for the long answer.      Return to Top.

49.  What kind of probiotics should I take?

*** New *** Thanks to Ashley Carter, who emailed me in June of 2013, there is an online reference guide to choosing probiotics.  It is called "How to Choose a Probiotic. The link is: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/choosing-a-probiotic.htm]

Questions 42 & 48 – Addressing the Contradictions

You're right that I should add that 30-days is "not typical" - although the Naturopathic Center's program usually is successful in 6 weeks or so... Dr. Piller and his partner agreed that my recovery was quicker than usual.  But please remember that I saw this doctor in person and he was able to diagnose everything that needed help in my body, and candida was not my only problem, so getting on all the other things that my body needed definitely helped in my recovery.

Now as far as the "contradictions" go, I can see why you would question me.

The Naturopathic Center's program says that cheese is allowed if well melted & eaten hot, breads are allowed well toasted, nuts are allowed, vinegar-containing foods are allowed if well heated, grains are allowed if well heated & eaten hot, etc.

Ok, their program allows these foods, but I DID NOT NECESSARILY EAT THEM. I did more or less what most people do... home-grown preservative-free veggies and lots of meats (organic or not, but no ham or bacon, nothing with nitrites like deli meats).  I only had toast in the third month (I stayed on the program for 3.5 months to be sure, although I am fairly sure I was completely candida free in 40 days - judging by my vagina condition, which was my major symptom). 

But in the first couple of months I was VERY STRICT with myself, I did not take any chances.  For example, I know the vinegar-containing products could be eaten if well heated, but I always wondered... "how hot is hot enough?" so I never took a chance.  I do not like toast, I even hate the smell of it.  So when he told me bread had to be "well toasted", forget it. I hate toast. But by the third month tomatoes were in full season in my garden and I was ready to try them... and I did, on an open-faced toasted piece of bread with some homegrown basil & homemade mayo.  It was a treat. 

As far as dairy, Dr. Piller's program allows it, in moderation and in small quantities.  Personally I do not condone the human consumption of dairy. I am allergic to dairy, never mind not liking the taste of it.  I do not consume it.  So if a recipe says you can have a cheese sauce or whatever, you can - but I didn't eat everything that is on my recipes page. In fact I ate hardly anything that is on my recipes page because I didn't find those recipes until years after my own recovery.  It was summer when I was on the diet, and I ate nothing but veggies from my garden, and meats.  Oh - and I did eat nuts too, a little, but not peanuts or pistachios. I might have had cashews or almonds, but nuts are not my favorite foods. I found that I could experiment with cooking with them, like have cashews with my chicken stir fry, or crushed almonds in my cake, but in general I'm not a nut lover. 

I did make an unusually speedy recovery and it's probably because I was very strict with myself, mostly due to paranoia.  I was feeling great immediately after giving up sugar - it was the FIRST time in my life I had ever had sugar-free days. It was THE single best investment in my health I had ever made. 

I did NOT go back to eating "normally" when I recovered.  At that point, sugar was out of my system and I did not crave it.  The taste of sugar made me ill - and paranoid too.  It was a long while before I ate regular sweets again, but I did eventually go back to them.  But "normal" took on a whole new meaning. I never eat chocolate poptarts and hot chocolate for breakfast anymore - I think nothing of eating a stir fry for breakfast, or a salad or soup or reheated leftovers.  I STILL do that, and it's been many years since my recovery.  I have an entirely different set of eating habits than I had back then.

So if I seem contradictory, I apologize, and maybe I should make my site a little more clear. But it's been there since 1995 or '96 or so and you're only the second or third person to find it contradictory.  Usually I explain the situation, as I have done with you, and people get it.  Maybe my website isn't clear.  I don't know.  But it has helped a lot of people and given them hope. I had been suicidal when I first met Dr. Piller, so I know full well how people feel when they are reaching rock-bottom and they get some HOPE from my site.

IT IS NOT INTENDED TO GIVE FALSE HOPE, in fact if I felt I was giving false hope, I would not have a site in the first place. Do not forget that this is MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and no one can take that away from me. It's a spoken-from-the-heart true story and I have nothing - and I mean nothing - to gain by sharing this with the world. I get over 10,000 emails a year, questions, comments, thank-you's, etc., which I take very seriously and answer conscientiously.  I do not take kindly to those who bad-mouth or criticize me because this is just MY experience and like I said, no one can deny me that.  I feel very bad that you feel I'm giving a false sense of hope, but there are hundreds of people who have benefited from finding my site and contacting Dr. Piller in person, and getting on the road to recovery (some of whom who have signed my guestbook).  I always always always tell people there is no substitute for finding a qualified & reputable naturopath, and encourage them to follow the program under the guidance of a good doctor or naturopath rather than trying to do it on their own. 

The "typical day of eating" page I have not looked at in so long that I forget what is there, but in general I did not eat toast, but I put that page there so that those who are 'addicted' to bread/toast can know that it is allowed on this program, if eaten under the proper conditions.  Me, I gave up bread altogether and have had but a few slices between 1995 and now.  You can't possibly know how many thousands of people out there who have candida cannot BEAR the thought of "giving up" bread.  So if you let them have one slice of toast a couple of times a week, at least they feel they can do the program and it makes it do-able.

My recommendation is to do the diet as strict as you can stand it, and to use toast or melted cheese or heated this or that... as a TREAT.    Without Dr. Piller's program and encouragement, I would NEVER have done the diet in a million years and I would have committed suicide long before now due to the depression and frustration of living with yeast.  His program is do-able and that makes it possible for people like me.

If you can do nothing but organic meat and veggies for several months at a time, more power to you.

But I needed more than that.

And by the way, this is not MY program and I should not have to justify it to ANYONE.  It's Dr. Piller's program and he has a 95% success rate with it. I am but ONE of his many recovered patients.

You don't have to believe a word I say, and you can argue about the program all you want, but the Naturopathic Center is highly reputed and their office is really who you should discuss it with. 

My website is just MY experience.