Notes From 'The Yeast Connection By Crook' (long)

[Guest guest]

When I read this book, I took some notes that I thought I would share.

Notes:

• First I filled out the questionnaire of 70 questions and found my

score to be 230. Anything over 140 for a male and yeast is definitely

a part of your health problems. I actually scored high enough to

qualify if I was female.

• The most important method to diagnose this illness is from your

Medical History. Things to look for are:

o Taken antibiotics for acne

o Prolonged or repeated courses of antibiotics

o Taken birth control pills

o Have been pregnant

o Taken cortisone, prednisone, or other corticosteroids

o You are aggravated by tobacco smoke, perfumes, diesel fumes, and

other chemical odors.

o You feel tired, lethargic, drained, or depressed

o You have poor memory

o You have feelings of unreality

o You are irritable

o You have headaches

o You have difficulty concentrating

o Are inappropriately drowsy

o Have numbness, tingling, or weakness

o Are clumsy

o Have recurrent vaginal yeast infections or disorders involving the

sex organs or the urinary system

o Have jock itch, athletes foot, rashes, or other fungal infections of

the skin or nails

o Have persistent digestive systems like, heartburn, indigestion,

bloating, abdominal pain, gas, constipation, or diarrhea.

o Have pain or swelling of your joints

o Have nasal congestion, recurrent sore throat, or cough

o Have pain or tightness in your chest, vision problems, or fluid in

your ears.

o Feel worse on damp days or in moldy places.

o Feel worse after eating foods that promote yeast growth.

o Crave sweets and sugar.

• If I am given a necessary antibiotic for an infection, I should also

be on an antifungal to prevent yeast overgrowth. Nystatin, Diflucan,

Ketoconazole, and Nizoral are Antifungal medications.

• Many people who have this illness are affected by mold in their

environment. I felt bad when I would go into the basement in Toledo.

Another source is in the heating ducts.

• Another key to this illness is to have Allergy Testing done. Many

patients with this illness have developed food and mold allergies.

Once discovered, you can be treated with extracts to lessen your

sensitivity to these substances. This will in turn, lessen your

symptoms – the things that make you miserable.

• Low carbohydrate diets restrict the `food' the yeast love. I have

found there are many different diets out there, and each person has to

find out what is right for them. For me, I have found that many

different foods make me feel miserable. This is why I felt miserable

all of the time. Every time I would eat throughout the day, there was

something, or many things in each meal that caused symptoms. This was

difficult to understand until I really looked at what I was eating,

and what can cause problems for people with this illness.

• For the first eight weeks of the program Dr Crook found patients

would improve more rapidly if they ate only; vegetables, eggs, meat,

poultry, seafood, butter, oil, and small servings of rice and millet.

• My diet should include liberal amounts of nutritious foods from many

sources. I should avoid breads, cheeses, foods with vinegar, wine,

beer, and vitamins that use yeast in there preparation. I did not

know even vitamins could have things in them that would make me feel

sick. Particularly, vitamin B6 can contain yeast.

• I should avoid margarine and all junk food. Foods which are

refined, overly processed, refined, and loaded with sugar, salt, food

coloring, additives, and hardened vegetable oil – also known as

hydrogenated oil.

• Of the three diets in Dr. Crooks book, the Low Carb Diet, seems to

be the right one for me.

• Avoid foods labeled enriched. They may contain yeasts.

• I should avoid leftover food that is not frozen; mold grows quickly

on these in the fridge.

• If I want to eat cereal, low sugar brands include; Cheerios, Puffed

Rice, Wheat Chex, Puffed Wheat, Product 19, Shredded Wheat, and Special K.

• Nuts are loaded with good nutrients, especially trace minerals. Buy

the unprocessed nuts, and avoid peanuts, as they are contaminated with

mold. I like fresh almonds and black walnuts.

• Eating food with yeast does not make more yeast grow. Yeast does

not feed on yeast. If I have symptoms from eating something with

yeast, it is due to my allergy to yeast.

• I should eat unprocessed meats. Lunch meats and breaded meats are

not desired.

• I can eat breads made with baking powder or baking soda as the

leavening agent as long as they are made with whole wheat flour or

stone ground cornmeal. In the beginning, these type of carbohydrates

should be limited.

• Whole grains are harder to digest. Whole wheat, brown rice, and

other whole grains are digested slowly and do not appear to be broken

down to the point where yeasts can ferment (eat) them.

• Good things to eat are peas, beans, and other legumes. They do not

contain a large percentage of carbs that yeast can use. It is the

short chain carbs found in sugar, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, and

fruits which cause trouble.

• Many patients do well unless they cheat on their diet. It seems

this is something that stays with you for awhile. Many patients have

depression like symptoms.

• Dr Crook recommends Tracking Down Hidden Food Allergies, as these

allergies can cause the patient to have a host of bad symptoms.

• Diet rotation may be important. This means to not eat the same

foods everyday. Eat chicken on Monday, Beef on Tuesday, ect.

Rotation helps to lessen your chances of food reactions. It also

helps to determine which foods cause problems. From what I have read,

having the same food all day on one day is the best. (Chicken burrito

for lunch and grilled chicken for dinner)

• A book on diet rotation is `If this is Tuesday, it must be chicken'

by Golos – available from Dickey Enterprises, 635

Road, Fort , CO 80524.

• One patient improved when she started taking Nystatin, a mild

anti-fungal. She improved even more when she avoided all junk foods

and began taking yeast free vitamins and minerals. She felt even

better when she eliminated contact with colognes and perfumes,

insecticides, bathroom chemicals, and other chemical pollutants from

her home.

• I can increase my chance of good health by obtaining proteins from a

wide variety of sources. This will broaden the intake of the 22 amino

acids.

• T-Cells are an important part of the immune system and studies show

they are depressed in patients with sensitivity to chemicals.

• Many patients' food and chemical sensitivities improve when they

modify their diet, take an antifungal, and stay on a comprehensive

program of management. Yet others, especially those with inhalant

allergies, require allergy testing, and the use of allergy extracts to

improve.

• Exercise – Absolutely essential for proper function of your body,

including your bones, muscles, heart, lungs, brain, and immune system.

I have done this is the past, but feel I was missing the other

important components for treatment. I knew there was some main

component, or several main and sub components that were not being

addressed.

• Love and affection is important to healing. I must feel accepted,

loved, respected and valued for who I am. Without this, I may

recover, but will not thrive.

• The causes of illness resemble a spider's web. They are all in

interlinked and tied together, forming your health state. To regain

health, they all must be addressed to some degree. The larger issues

will have a bearing on the other issues, and soon the web of illness

will no longer be able to hold together, and will collapse.

• Dr Crook recommends learning as much about chemicals and how to

avoid them if you suffer from a yeast related illness. Many patients

reported have bad reactions to diesel fumes, colognes, perfumes,

formaldehyde fumes, insecticides, laundry detergents, polyester

clothing and other chemicals.

• I found it interesting that some people where bothered by knotty

pine interior scent.

• Materials `outgas', and may cause the yeast related ill person to

have a negative response. This is the tendency of a material to

discharge molecules into the air. As a rule, hard materials outgas

less than soft materials. Marble and stone are the least outgassing

substances. Of the man made materials, ceramic tile releases the

least amount of molecules.

• Soft plastics and polyurethane foam rank among the strongest

outgassing substances. If your treatment plan is not going as well as

you would like, a good idea may be to look around your home or work

environment for these type of substances, or other's that are high in

outgassing.

• Gasoline and diesel odors cause problems in many people. A house

with a detached garage would be a good idea. It is really bad if the

doors on the garage are kept closed or the garage is under home.

• There are books available about chemical sensitivity. One place

that has them is Dickey Enterprises 635 Road, Fort , CO

80524.

• Ann, one of Dr Crook's patients' struggled for a long time to

find the right treatment. After starting on an anti-candida treatment

program, including Nystatin, her nervousness, grouchiness, and

irritability that she believed was `just her' went away.

• A doctor that had numerous health issues related to Candida and

chemical sensitivity stated `I had to live like a hermit. I moved to

a rural area, ate organically grown foods, drank spring water and

avoided all petrochemicals and synthetic products, including those

found in housing and clothing. This type of lifestyle allowed him to

feel better, but, any break in routine would cause him to feel poorly.

His cure came when he started taking nystatin and followed a low carb

diet, plus nutritional supplements including garlic. More recently he

also started using other anti-candida therapies that have helped,

including inhaling amphotericin B powder and using the herb tea from

the South American LaPacho tree. It has been a long struggle, but he

is now able to travel, eat out, and feels great.

• When the immune system is adversely affected, symptoms involving

every part of the body often develop, especially the endocrine,

digestive, and nervous system.

• Other items that help from Dr Crook's experience are: vitamins,

minerals, garlic, linseed and primrose oils, and sugar-free yogurt.

• Meeting the minerals needs of your body is important, since your

body can not make minerals.

• Doses of vitamins can vary greatly based on the individual. Some

individuals require much more vitamin B6 and Vitamin C than others.

Dr Crook found that larger doses of vitamin C were beneficial to those

with Yeast Related Illness. Dr Crook would use Vitamin C at doses of

2,000-3,000 milligrams a day, using the consistency of the stool to

gauge is the amount was too high.

• A fascinating story of Norman Cousins, the former editor of the

Saturday Review of Literature, and author of Anatomy of an Illness.

He developed a severe, crippling, and supposedly incurable illness.

Yet he got well. We attributed his recovery to large doses of vitamin

C, plus measures to make him laugh, along with a positive attitude and

an intense desire to get well.

• Dr. Glasser, author of The Body is the Hero, believes that a

positive attitude toward recovery can make a huge difference. He

believes we can will our bodies to get well and fight infection.

• Dr Glasser states : The task of the physician today is what it has

always been, to help the body do what it has learned so well to do on

its own….. to heal itself.

• Doctors are now finding that many diseases are interrelated and

result from environmental, nutritional, biochemical, and other

influences that affect the immune system.

• If you suffer from Yeast Related Illness, you will usually show

symptoms involving your brain, gastrointestinal tract, and your

reproductive organs.

• Since Candida toxins affect the immune system, endocrine system, and

the brain, Yeast Related Illness can cause an entire host of different

symptoms.

• Barbara states – `Candida related health problems made me tired,

gave me headaches, irritability, menstrual problems and cystitis.'

• Anne states – `I was clumsy, uncoordinated and spaced out. My

memory was terrible, worse than my 80 year old Grandmother's. At

times, my hands would be numb and would tingle.'

• Health problems of women are often yeast related.

• Dr Brodsky, a land internist, successfully treated two patients

with `restless leg syndrome' with an anti-candida therapy.

• If you are a male, you can suspect Yeast Related Illness if:

o You are troubled by food and inhalant allergies (you may not even

know that you are, but will feel bad and not know the cause)

o You have persistent rashes; jock itch, athletes foot, or fungous

infections of the toe nails.

o If you have taken repeated courses of antibiotics.

o If you consume large amounts of beer, breads, or sweets.

o If you crave alcohol.

o If your wife or children are bothered by Yeast Related Illness.

o If you feel bad on damp days.

o If you feel bad when exposed to chemicals or tobacco.

o If you have a low sex drive, or loss of sexual feeling

o If you are troubled by fatigue, depression, or other nervous system

issues.

o If you are bothered by recurrent digestive problems including;

constipation, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

• Tom, a patient states, `If I cheat on my diet or don't take my

medicine, I can feel my symptoms returning'

• Bob, a patient commented, `I can play golf now. All my symptoms are

gone except for a little numbness and weakness in my left hand. I'm

fine unless I cheat on my diet. Even one bite of sugar-containing

food will immediately trigger my symptoms. "

• One woman states, `I couldn't hear alarm clocks, so my husband would

literally have to drag me out of bed. I feel tired and dazed, like a

rag doll or a wet wash rag…. I think I could sleep 24 hours a day and

still feel tired and sleepy.

• Another patient describes her spiraling health – `In the

meantime, my ability to concentrate decreased, my memory become worse,

and I got up every morning tired. My depression became a real problem

and I cried so easily for seemingly no reason, and my premenstrual

tension became worse. I hate to admit it now, but some days the

thought of death was pleasant.'

• For , Dr Crook recommended:

o Laxative as needed to keep her colon cleaned out and get rid of some

of the Candida.

o Enemas containing ½ to 1 teaspoon of nystatin to ½ pint of water,

since Candida colonization can be great in the colon.

o A prescription for Amphotericin B

o Food vaccines for her allergies

o Linseed oil, evening primrose oil, and other nutritional supplements.

o A limited Candida diet

• Taking your temperature in the morning can indicate if you may have

a Thyroid problem. Temps of 96.5 to 97 degrees are suspect.

• Strengthening the immune system, which is at the root of helping the

body fight Candida overgrowth, may occasionally be quick and easy.

More often, it takes time, patience, persistence and careful

management of the multiple contributing factors.

Summary of Other Measures That May Help in Recovery

1. Low carb diet

2. Check for Hidden Food Allergies with testing from an allergist

3. Rotation Diet. Don't eat the same foods each day.

4. Take vitamins and minerals free of yeast, sugar, and colors.

5. Extra Vitamin C – 2,000 to 20,000 mgs a day, monitored by the bowel

tolerance test, has helped patients with immune system problems.

Vitamin C powder is available containing one part ascorbic acid and

one part calcium ascorbate at 4,000 mgs per teaspoon and mixed in a

glass of water.

6. Calcium and magnesium supplements – recommended dose of 1000-1500

milligrams calcium and 400 to 600 milligrams magnesium.

7. Essential fatty acids – Primrose oil in capsules – 1-2 capsules 3-4

times a day. Linseed oil – 1-2 tablespoons a day. This can be

combined with fresh lemon juice and sea salt for a salad dressing.

8. Intravaginal nystatin

9. Sniffing or inhaling nystatin `smoke' – 3-4 times a day along with

oral dose.

10. Nystatin enemas – empty your colon using a cleansing enema or a

laxative first.

11. Eat garlic, onions, or cabbage. If you feel worse when eating or

taking any anti-fungal, remember, these may be die off reactions that

will subside after a few days. Stay the course.

12. Control mold in your home

13. Lessen your exposure to chemicals

14. Try the herbal remedy, taheebo tea, also known as Ipe Roxo Herbal

Tea, and Pau D'Arco Tea from the inner bark of the Lapacho Colorado

and the Lapacho Marado. The trees and their leaves have anti-fungal

properties and have been used for centuries for the medicinal properties.

15. Eat sugar free yogurt containing the friendly germ, Lactobacillus

Acidophilus, which competes and controls Candida in the intestinal tract.

16. Have you hormones checked. Many patients with Yeast Related

Illness also suffer from endocrine (hormone) dysfunction.

17. Check you morning temp. If under 97.8 to 98.2 consistently, a

thyroid issue may be present.

18. Be checked for allergies to inhalants and foods. Allergists

belonging too the Society for Clinical Ecology, The American Academy

of Otolaryngic Allergy, and the Pan American Allergy Society typically

use intradermal testing with injections of serial dilutions of allergy

extracts into the forearm. This type of testing results in the

optimal dose of the allergy extract, as opposed to the higher `build

up' dose used by allergists using the scratch, prick, or RAST testing

methods.

19. Use an air ionizer in your home or work

20. Eat raw garlic, onions, kale, turnips, cabbage, horseradish, and

broccoli. These inhibit the growth of Candida.

21. If you are eating fruit and not doing well, avoid them while

continuing your other treatment and see if you improve. Bananas,

oranges, grapes, apples, pears, and other fruit may contribute to

Candida growth.

22. Have your vitamin A level checked. Many patients with chronic

health problems, especially those involving the gastrointestinal

tract, may not absorb the vitamins and minerals they do eat. If this

level is found low, Dr Crook would prescribe 25,000 IU daily for a

month and then recheck the vitamin A blood level.

23. Do not burn wood in your home. Firewood nearly always contains

Fungi, especially wood from dead trees that is cut for firewood.

24. Take digestive enzymes. Pancreatine has helped many patients and

is available at most pharmacies without prescription. It is taken

after each meal and before bedtime.

25. Use faith, hope, prayer, and caring, loving support.

• The Price-Pottenger Foundation, P.O. Box 2614, La Mesa, CA 92041

keeps a roster of physicians interested and knowledgeable in treating

Yeast Related Illness.

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