If You Don't Have Candida, But Still Suspect Food Might Trigger Your Symptoms, Can The Diet Help?

On another message board, someone asked if anyone has had candida tests come back negative and what they did: did they get a second opinion, try the diet anyway, or just skip it all together. This was my reply. I think it's worth a blog entry:

"I have never been diagnosed. In all the years I have followed this diet, it's worked to alleviate symptoms. Has candida ever been my soul problem? I don't think so. IBS and inflammation, with leaky gut are my main things. These compromise the system and allow for Candida Albicans to grow and spread.

I think it all comes down to toxins, intolerances and things that cause inflammation (for me). The diet addresses all of these needs though, so I follow it even when my main Candida symptoms lessen/disappear. It's the only diet that works for me. You could almost say I believe more in the positive aspects of the diet than the ongoing condition, if that makes any sense. It's the only thing that has ever addressed everything that's wrong with me.

The more I research, the more the symptoms overlap for different conditions. Fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, IBS, Chronic Fatigue, Abnormal Bowel (leaky Gut)...with the odd symptom that differs, they all come back to the gut. They all come back to inflammation. They all come back to needing a balance of flora and ridding the body of toxins. And if you read the proposed diets for each condition, they are all very very similar with a few variations. They often suggest treatments that are the same (supporting other organs along with the gut, getting rid of refined foods, eliminating foods that cause trigger symptoms).

So if I were to get tested today, and told that my yeast levels were fine, I would still follow the diet."

The diet is the only thing that worked for me. Doctors - even the ones who really tried to help - have never been able to do ANYTHING for my symptoms. The diet has.

I still suspect there is something key that I am missing in all of this. Or perhaps that is just my wishful thinking...hoping that it's as simple as "Oh, you just have X wrong with you. Do this and you will be all better". I think the digestive system is too complex for that. I think too much damage has been done to my body in the past for it to be so simple. But it would be nice, wouldn't it?