Happy Friday everyone!

I have something interesting to write about today. Something kind of embarrassing. BUT I did say at the beginning of all of this that I would talk about anything that I did  regarding progression and recovery. So. Shoot me – here I go.

Okay so last time I wrote, we talked about my best friend Candida yeast. Screw that guy. Seriously. So anyway. I have been in Candida killing mode for about 2 weeks now with a new supplement by Xymogen called Candicidal. I did not experience a Herx reaction, although I did feel very thirsty initially for the first week or so. I have also introduced something called IG 26 DF – Hyperimmune Egg. It is a powder that I scoop into my raspberries and coconut yogurt everyday. After doing research, this stuff is pretty damn cool! Long story short, a hen is immunized, which is then transferred to her eggs. There is a drying process that takes place which turns the egg into powder and…well there you go. Sort of LOL. You get the jist. (You can read a credible source here.) It works alongside your immune system and also helps fight off pathogens, like E. coli and other strains of BS that you don’t want invading your body. I have also included Kimchi, which is a fermentable, living food with probiotic properties, which should help my gut biodome create a nice friendly bacteria neighborhood sufficient for sustaining life!

Well, regardless of my new regimen, my inability to go to the bathroom has worsened 10 fold. Not even Cascara Sagrada is helping. I need to take like 3-4 a day for it to work, and that’s in 2 days time. Needless to say, it is taking a toll on my body. This past week, I have been watery, achy, and tired. Eff right?
RIGHT. BUT – something else very, very interesting has happened.

I have consumed food with traces of dairy in it and also some grains (although not gluten) – no pain, or discomfort. No bloating. No cement gut. NOTHING.

Just constipation everyday. So maybe I am killing off the Candida colonies that remain, and the Hyperimmune Egg is maybe teaming with my immune system and helping heal my leaky gut. I have also started up with l-glutamine again in my coffee every morning to help aid the repair of my intestines as well. And just maybe I am finally seeing success with the re-population of gut flora, not only with the 5-6 strains I am currently taking, but by promoting an ideal environment by including fermentable foods like Kimchi.

Other than when I am unable to potty, my energy is outstanding! I mean, I am smack dab in the middle of contest prep, down to about 1600 calories, and performing pretty intense cardio during the week and yet, my lifts are fantastic. I haven’t missed 1 day of training, and I can count maybe 1 or 2 work outs that were sluggish and that’s only because I had my period. I mean, this girl is getting up at 5 AM to do cardio just so that I can focus on lifting after work and get home sooner. & I am like 100% ready to go all day no problem. For those of you that know me, getting up at 5 AM, let alone go to the gym, is earth shaking! Not only that, but I have hit PRs for deadlifts and squats over the past month. This is HUGE.

But I still can’t go to the effing bathroom without the help of 1,000 laxatives – maybe. So. I am trying something new tomorrow. And it probably should have been done awhile ago, but better late then never. I am trying colon hydrotherapy.

Here is my theory:
I have been killing bacteria, yeasts, and parasites, and now with the egg, god knows what else. All since June 2015 – 8 months. And although all that stuff might be dead, who is to say that it isn’t still in my large intestine just chilling? They say that several sessions of hydrotherapy can clear the large intestine of all toxins and anything that is adhered to the lining. This exact reason could be why my constipation is so bad. My peristalsis has slowed down due to all of this “junk”, which means my colon may not be performing the way it should be, moving all of the waste along each day. Which could be why my T3 hormones are all out of wack, which could also be just a part of this vicious cycle. Hypothyroidism is related to the gut and constipation is a symptom! Hypothyroidism can cause a whole slew of issues with our guts and vice versa. Chris Kresser talks about this connection here. In my case, we don’t know which came first, gut or thyroid, but regardless, I think I am in a great position in my recovery to go for hydrotherapy.

So alas, I am trying this. I have located certified therapists that I will visit tomorrow for my first appointment. I am very hopeful that this will not only work, but will help me continue the healing process. I am really excited to see how I make out with all of this, and to see that if once all of the legit crap is flushed out of my body, how much better I will be able to recover from all of this. Maybe I am closer to recovery than I think!

I will write again next week and let you know how things go! As always, thanks for reading 🙂 <3