The power of natural healing

November is a celebration of sorts for myself. This past year has been one big roller coaster ride. Last October, I cleansed myself of a negative relationship, bad thoughts, and my chronic, incurable illness, Interstitial Cystitis. Little did I know, it would completely change my life (for the better!). I've transformed my mind, body, and soul, and feel like I am finally on a positive healing path, taking more steps every day.

The raw food diet has provided me with so much relief this past year. I am so happy to see how far I've come. I used to be in pain, 24/7, depressed, miserable, and alone. I used to be scared of food, not wanting to eat anything. I avoided social interactions due to pain, depression, or difficulty of explaining my situation to others. I've come a long way since then. When I switched to raw foods, my pain decreased dramatically. So I stuck with it. I added green smoothies to my morning routine and big salads for lunch. Dinner was sometimes raw. The changes didn't happen all at once, I gradually adjusted to this new way of eating. My detox symptoms were not as extreme this way. Over time, I noticed more and more positive health changes. My weight was evening out (I was sickly skinny before because of my condition). I wake up energized, I have more energy and it lasts through the whole day. My mind is clearer. I'm more sensitive and aware of my environment. My skin is clearer and softer and it glows. My constant pain is gone. I get excited about foods now! Making a tasty, vibrate, fresh, organic, whole food meal is lots of fun. And I know I can eat lots of it and not feel sick after. My acid reflux has subsided. My digestion is becoming more regular. No more allergies. No more headaches. I don't remember the last time I got sick with a cold or something of the sort. I feel healthier and stronger every day.

Now, I know I'm not cured. I still struggle with my health issues. As I said, it's been a crazy roller coaster ride. I've gone long periods of time where I felt no IC symptoms, but I've also had times where it's still there. It's definitely never as bad as it used to be though. Through this past year, I've learned so much about health, nutrition, and my body, that I feel much more equipped with the knowledge I need to heal myself. And I definitely have come a long way in this past year. I would consider my quality of life to be through the roof compared to where I was one year ago. But I still have more to go. I'm still in this healing journey, just like we all are. Will I ever be completely cured? I don't know. But I know I feel a lot healthier than ever and I can't wait to see what comes next. How good can I feel?

I still struggle with candida overgrowth issues. While I've been doing really well, I do cheat sometimes, with some alcohol or sweets or a cooked dish here or there. If I cheat too much on the wrong things, I can definitely feel it. I've experienced a few yeast infections the past few months and have felt my IC symptoms coming back to haunt me. I have read a lot about candida overgrowth and how it can cause or mimic symptoms of IC. I know that candida is one of the parts to my IC puzzle. Currently, I am on a strict anti-candida diet. This means no sugar, yeast, alcohol, and a whole list of other things that feed candida. It's been a struggle to come up with delicious dishes without any fruit, but it's pushed me to get creative in the kitchen! And no matter how much I struggle with my health, I still manage to keep a smile on my face. I can't help it...eating living things makes me feel ALIVE. I am so grateful to be in this moment, despite how difficult things may be at times. I'm making it through the best way I know how and it will all work out in the end. "I trust, I accept, and I let go, knowing that when I do, everything always works out perfectly for me."

I'm also eating candida fighting foods, like garlic, ginger, and onions, and trying to work them into my recipes. I work with stevia as a sweetener to carb those sugar cravings. I'm also taking probiotics, grapefruit seed extract, aloe vera, kelp. Drinking lots of Kombucha and eating Kimchi. Covering all my stops.

I believe I still have issues with leaky gut syndrome, so I will be continuing to research this topic to see how I can improve upon this.

The future looks exciting... I have plans for recipe books and look out for some vlogs soon. If you have any questions about what I'm doing or how to heal candida, IC, or anything else, don't hesitate to contact me.

And come check out our support group on Facebook, Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally. We're always welcoming new faces! :)

When I was told that IC was incurable and I would have it for the rest of my life, I was devastated. But I discovered that nothing is permanent and your body will heal. Your body has the natural ability to heal itself. Just like when you fall and scrap your knee, your skin naturally heals itself. The same happens with your insides! But it needs the right environment and tools for the job. And it all takes time, hard work, and a little bit of faith.

Let's take this journey together.


love & light.
melissaintheraw.

Zucchini Pasta (with Hemp Pesto or Tomato Basil)

Simple, light, yummy & raw. Some of my favorite things!

Regular pasta is a heavy dish that is acidic to the body. Using zucchini instead of pasta noodles is a great way to get the same hearty flavor with much added health benefits!

First, peel & grate a zucchini. Then pick a sauce, whip it up & enjoy! The sauce ideas are endless. Here are two of my favs!

Vegan Hemp Pesto

Hemp seed oil is sooo tasty and good for you! It has a high amount of beneficial essential fatty acids, up to 80%, the highest amount of any other plant. The 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is important in preventing heart disease, promoting heart health, and alleviating acne, psoriasis and ezcema. It is also good for building strong hair, nails, and skin, as well as helping your body to fight and ward off degenerative diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, hemp is the only plant containing Vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption. This is especially helpful to those on a vegan diet.

Hemp seed oil is also a good source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which makes the oil a rival to flax seed oil and Evening Primrose Oil.

Hemp seed oil also contains ingredients that give it unique anti-inflammatory properties that are not often found in other oils. This, added to its antioxidant properties, allows hemp oil to detoxify and clean your skin, as well as evening out your skin tone.

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups basil
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup hemp seed oil
4 medium cloves of garlic
Pink Himalayan sea salt to taste

Put all ingredients in food processor & blend!

I added a few tomatoes on top for flavor. :D


Basic Tomato & Basil Sauce

Ingredients:
4-6 tomatoes
1/2 cup basil
Add onion, garlic, and salt to taste

Put into food processor and blend until desired consistency.

Flackers & Guacamole

Sometimes you crave something salty & crunchy and it's hard to find a raw treat that meets those requirements. I made this recipe for a potluck and everyone loved them! I love it when I can prove to others that eating raw food doesn't mean that you won't be eating tasty treats.


Flackers

Ingredients:
2 cups of flax seeds
2 cups of water
Pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tbsp of minced herbs (optional)

What to do:
1. Cover the flax seeds with water and soak for at least 1.5 hours. You want the mixture to be gooey, but not runny and not too thick.
2. Stir in herbs/salt if you choose.
3. Spread the mixture about 1/8 inch thick on parchment paper in the dehydrator.
4. Dehydrate at 110 degrees F for about 4-6 hours.

Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 whole avocado
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Pink Himalayan sea salt as desired
1/4 cup onions (optional)
1/4 cup tomatoes (optional)

What to do:

Pop everything into a food processor and whiz it up! If the mix is a little too thick, just add a little bit more olive oil to the processor to loosen the mixture. You can also do it by hand if you don't have a processor.


I put a tomato on top to garnish, but you can use anything you want!


A note for those with IC...
I have always been afraid of tomatoes, thinking they are not IC friendly, but I decided to give them a try. The ICN Diet List has homegrown tomatoes on the "Try it" section. The tomatoes I used I got from the farmers market, so I know they are organic and local, which is considered to be homegrown. I know that store-bought tomatoes are more acidic than homegrown ones, I think it has something to do with the time they are picked, if they are ripe when picked or not. Either way, I tried them, and I'm glad I did, because they were delicious and not painful! It's a good recipe without them, too, so don't push yourself if you don't think you can tolerate them.

Cabbage Veggie Wraps with Coconut Garlic Nut Pate

There are so many great recipes out there for veggie wraps! Some use collard greens, cabbage, or rainbow chard as the wrap, then just throw in a variety of veggies, and pick a delicious sauce and you have yourself a great, raw wrap. The sauce ideas are endless, but here's one of my favs.

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (meat & water)
2 cups of soaked almonds
4 cloves of garlic
4-5 pitted dates
Small piece of ginger
A couple shakes of dill

What you do: Put all ingredients inside of a food processor and blend until smooth. That's it!

Put some sauce on a piece of cabbage, add your choice of veggies and it's a wrap! Or just use it as a veggie dip or salad dressing.

MMMMMMMMM good.

Banana Nut Rawies

This can be a granola bar, raw cookie (rawie!), or cereal, depending on how long you dehydrate it and how you shape them! So good, so raw.

Ingredients:
4 bananas
1 1/4 cup pitted dates
1.5 cups soaked (& dried) almonds, roughly chopped
1.5 cups dried, shaved coconut meat
1/8 cup flax meal

What to do:
1. Blend bananas, dates, and flax meal in food processor until smooth.
2. Stir in nuts and coconut.
3. Evenly spread mixture on dehydrator tray lined with teflex sheets, wax or parchment paper. Make it into the size and shape you prefer.
4. Dehydrate at 105 degrees. After 6 hours, they become warm, chewy granola bars! You can leave them in for longer (up to 20 hours) to make them crispier is you prefer.
5. Store in fridge or freezer for up to 4 months.

YUM!

Avocado & Cucumber Soup

Delicious & creamy raw soup.

1 avocado
1 cucumber, sliced & seeded
1 garlic clove
Dash of dill
Pinch of Pink Himalayan sea salt
Lime juice

Put all ingredients into food processor & enjoy! Sweet & simple.
If you're craving a hot soup, you can boil 1/4 cup water than add that to the mix.

Raw Chocolate Truffles

OMG, you guys. This is my favorite raw food desert I've made (so far)! It's so yummy, all raw, and so totally good for you.


Ingredients:

1 cup raw cacao powder
2 cups raw shredded coconut
8 large dates (pitted)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil
1/3 cup filtered water
1 tsp cinnamon
A touch of vanilla extract
A dash of pink Himalayan sea salt

Topping ideas (to roll the truffles in):

raw cacao powder
raw cacao nibs
vegan chocolate chips
pistachio bits
goji berries
shredded coconut

What to do...

1. Mix the dates & water in food processor until it forms a paste.
2. Mix in cacao powder.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the shredded coconut with the coconut oil.
4. Add the two pastes together in the bowl, then add cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix ingredients until it forms a thick batter.
5. Form into small balls and roll in the toppings. Toppings are not necessary, but just add a fun touch and great flavor.
6. Place on wax paper in fridge for 15 min. Enjoy!

If you want more of a sweetener than dates, you could add honey, agave nectar, or stevia.

I couldn't believe how much these tasted like pure dark chocolate treats. Everyone loved them and were very surprised to hear the ingredients & that they were raw and healthy!

Raw cacao is different than it's sad, processed brother, cocoa. Cacao is a superfood because it is extremely high in antioxidants and flavonoids. It turns out that all the bad things commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and others fillers added to the chocolate. Health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, nibs and/or the powder include; weight loss (because of its high chromium and coumarin content), prevention of cavities (theobromine actually kills streptococci mutans one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay) and regulation of blood sugar which is beneficial for diabetes (chromium can naturally regulate blood sugar). Also, raw cacao benefits the heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole.

Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. Magnesium relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system. The dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries, which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular system.

And I love that this recipe uses coconut oil! Out of all the oils out there, coconut is one of the healthiest. The health benefits of coconut oil are immense and it adds great flavor to desserts!

Definitely going to make this one again for the holidays. :)

Fruit Salad

This is fast & easy. Chop up whatever fruits you have on hand, add some rasins, goji berries, walnuts, honey, cinnamon, etc. and you have a fantastic, healthy RAW desert right there. Get creative and make it your own. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon GRAWnola

This is awesome because it satisfies that crunchy, sweet craving, but is still completely RAW and healthy for you!

Binding ingredients:
1 cored apple, chopped 1 ½ cups date paste (dates soaked in water for 1-2 hours, then pureed with ¼ cup of water until smooth)
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sea salt

Raw seeds/nuts/fruits:
½-1 cup sunflower seeds
2 ½ cups pecans
2 cups walnuts
2 cups almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup chia seeds
½ cup flax meal
1 cup raisins
½-1 cup organic dried unsweetened coconut

These ingredients are just suggestions. You can add or subtract whatever you want, just make sure to have something sticky (ie date paste) in the binding ingredient list you use.

What to do...
1. Grind the binding ingredients and ¼ cup of the sunflower seeds in a food processor until smooth. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Put the nuts and seeds into a food processor (you’ll probably need to do it in 2 batches). Chop coarsely, using a few quick pulses. Place this mixture into the large bowl with the apple/date (binding) mixture, add the dried fruit, and mix the rest by hand.
3. Spread granola on a Teflex sheet (parchment paper will work too).
4. Dehydrate at 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 hours or until the granola is crunchy.

Serve with fresh fruit and almond milk or coconut milk. YUM! Or just eat it on it's own.
Store in an airtight place and keep refrigerated for freshness.

Purple & Green Dream Juice

I just threw this together from what I had in the fridge and it turned out great!

Ingredients
3 leaves of kale
4 leaves of purple cabbage
3 stalks of celery
1 cucumber
1 orange
~30 concord grapes

Put through juicer and enjoy!

Remember: Try to eat (or drink!) all the colors of the rainbow, EVERY DAY!


peace, love, & light.
melissaintheraw.

IC Green Smoothie!

The green smoothie changed my life. There are tons of different great recipes out there! This is the one I started out with when I first started my IC healing journey. With IC, our bladders and bodies are more sensitive, so our food choices are pretty limited. This was my daily breakfast when I started my raw food plan!

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (use water & meat)
1 pear (or apple if you can tolerate it)
1 banana
3 stalks of celery
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp flax meal
1 tbsp spirulina powder
ice if desired

Instructions:
1. Put all ingredients inside blender and blend! May need to add in some water if there is problems blending.

Suggestions:

If you find you can't tolerate the apple and/or banana, leave them out. You can use stevia as a sweetener if desired.

Coconut: It's hard to always have a fresh coconut, and even harder to open them! Don't be intimidated. These tasty treats have electrolytes and alkalizing properties, as well as many other health benefits. So it's worth it! I've made friends with the produce guy at Whole Foods and he always opens them for me, then wraps it back up. The downside to this is I have to use it soon, but that's usually not a problem, since I have smoothies every day. You can also search Youtube for how to open a coconut. Sometimes when coconuts are too expensive or I am too busy, I use coconut water or make my own almond milk. Be careful when buying things in cartons because they are not raw and have added ingredients that can hurt IC.

Seeds: I use flax for the Omegas and fiber, but feel free to get creative and try other ideas!

Spirulina is a great superfood that helps alkalize your body! It also is a good source of protein and vitamin B12. It's also been proven to help IC. But if you don't want to use it, find another green super food powder that you want to try.

Healthy breakfast: This is a great, healthy way to start your day! Ever since I started drinking 1 green smoothie a day, I've experienced many positive health benefits, including extreme IC pain reduction. :)

Liquid Feasting

I don't write many diary-like entries, so I thought I'd change it up a bit! I'd like to update you on what's going on in my life.

Today I started a liquid feast! There's tons of terms out there to describe this type of detoxification program...juice fast/feast, liquid fast/feast, etc. They're all pretty similar, but the names vary depending on what exactly you are consuming. Fasting is defined as abstinence from all food and drink except water for a specific period of time, usually for a therapeutic or religious purpose. It is often used as a detoxification method, as it is one of the quickest ways to increase elimination of wastes and enhance the healing processes of the body.* Living on liquids is much easier for your body to digest and assimilate than chewing and swallowing whole foods. Drinking nutrient dense, high alkaline liquids creates an atmosphere in which an advanced level of cleansing and healing can take place, as you are allowing your body to be flooded with immediate usable nutrition, without taxing your digestive system.

I'm calling my chosen program a liquid feast because I am not limiting my diet to just juices. I am drinking juices, as well as other liquids, such as water, smoothies, coconut water, and kombucha. And it's a FEAST because I am not counting calories here. :)

I decided to do this for a few reasons. (1) I have never done any kind of fast before and I wanted to try it out! (2) I am feeling a bit lethargic lately, since I've been cheating on my raw food diet recently with naughty things like alcohol and sugars. I don't feel as healthy and energetic as I did when I first started out on raw foods and I can just tell that my digestive system is not happy. (3) I have a sprained ankle that is taking FOREVER to heal and I am hoping that this will help it. I twisted it over 1 month ago while hiking in Flagstaff and I did not give it enough time to heal, which turned it into a very severe sprain. I was in extreme pain (it still hurts but is manageable now) and could not walk on it. I have been in a walking boot (a big strap on cast) for 3 weeks now and I'm still unable to walk without it! This is getting a bit frustrating, since I'm unable to work with the boot and I'm getting a bit stir crazy from sitting in bed all day every day. But I have hope and my liquid feasting to keep me busy!

So today is DAY 1 of the liquid feast. So far, I've had 1 green smoothie, 1 watermelon/ginger/lime shake (YUM), 1 green juice, 1 coconut water and 1 GT trilogy kombucha. And I feel GREAT! I am so surprised at how much energy I've had today. I'm wide awake right now and it's almost 10pm! Every time I get hungry, I just grab (or prepare!) a liquid and take my time drinking it. I feel pretty satisfied and happy today. No negative feelings...yet. I think I can do this! My goal is to go 5 days. Let's see what happens!

I don't know how I'm going to fall asleep tonight!

The Complexities of Naturally Healing a Chronic Disease

"Just because "they" say there is no cure;
it does not mean that you can't get better.
It only means that "they" haven't figured it out yet.
That's all it means.
It does not mean that you can't get better."
- Catherine Simone

So I have a lot of things going on in my mind right now and I just want to get them off my chest. So sorry if it sounds a little rocky. I just want to stress a few things that are important to understand about natural healing.

So often we are told that Interstitial Cystitis is an incurable, chronic disease. When I was diagnosed, I believed this. I was in pain, suffering, and hopeless, taking pills and not getting anywhere. I did this for a year without really changing any of my other habits, besides for a slight IC Diet modification. After a while, I decided I had enough of all this devastation. I had let IC take over my life and it had crushed my hopes, dreams, and spirit. I had passed the responsibility of my own health onto these strangers who had no idea what causes IC or how to treat it. So, I decided to take my health back into my own hands. I decided to mindlessly stop paying the big pharmaceutical companies because they weren't doing me any good and start finding my own way to heal my body naturally. I decided to search for the cause and the cure to my problems. I did not want to live or "manage" a life with IC anymore.

(Please note that I am not degrading modern medicine, for it does have great uses in lots of different scenarios. However, I believe that it is not helpful for many chronic conditions.)

There is a growing number of individuals out there who are refusing to accept that IC is incurable and have managed to heal themselves of IC. I am one of them. It is possible. But it's not going to be easy.

You've got to remember that there is no quick-fix with IC. It took your body a lot time to build up all those toxins and get sick, so it's going to take a long time to get the toxins out and regain your health. With Western medicine, we are used to these easy-outs, a quick pill that solves all our problems with little effort. But with a chronic condition like IC, this method is not going to cure anything, it is simply covering up the symptom of a much bigger problem. Natural healing focuses on restoring health by detoxifying and regenerating the whole body, and this takes time and effort. But the results of long-lasting health and definitely worth it.

I just want to stress the fact that everyone's healing path is going to be different. So what worked for me, or someone else, may or may not work for you. That's why it is important to look at all your options. Do loads of research in your spare time! Read articles and books, watch documentaries, etc. about IC, diet, and natural healing methods. See what other people have done, learn about the body, and most importantly, learn to listen to your body. Read the signs your body gives you! If your stomach/bladder hurts after you eat something, then what did you eat that caused that? If you have constipation, what do you think caused it? Try to interpret what your body is telling you and make adjustments in your life to attempt to counteract the issue. I advocate the things that I do because they worked for me and I want to spread the message. But my way is not the only way! It may or may not help you. That's why it is important to know all your options and make decisions based on your own situation. I firmly believe that IC has many different causes, so therefore, there will be many different ways to heal it. That is why it is important for you to research, listen to your body, and try to figure out what causes your specific case of IC (and other related conditions). Then you will get a better idea of how to treat it. Once you know the cause, you can try to remedy it.

The fact that there are many different ways to heal brings me to my next point. Healing your IC is about whole body health! A healthy diet is only one part to the whole. Same goes for things like herbs, supplements, physical therapy, yoga, exercise , meditation, getting sun, etc. When using all these different aspects of healing, you will experience much more results than just using one or two.

So really, it's all about lifestyle change. Somehow, our current lifestyle has caused us to get sick with IC and maybe other related conditions too (I had GERD, allergies, lactose intolerance, and eosinophilic esophagitis, others have IBS, fibromyalgia, etc...) It's time to take charge of our health and change the lifestyle that created our health problems. The time is now.

“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it."
-Albert Einstein

Conventional Meat Contains Antibiotics

*What the USDA Doesn't Want You to Know About Antibiotics and Factory Farms: This is a great article that explains the dangers of antibiotics that are found inside most of the conventional meat supply today.

"Altogether, the US meat industry uses 29 million pounds of antibiotics every year. To put that number in perspective, consider that we humans in the United States—in all of our prescription fill-ups and hospital stays combined—use just over 7 million pounds per year. Thus the vast bulk of antibiotics consumed in this country, some 80 percent, goes to factory animal farms."*

Therefore, it is safe to say that if you are eating conventional meat, you are indirectly consuming antibiotics. What does this mean? Well, first of all, it is creating antibiotic resistant bacteria inside of you, which is very dangerous. "A single antibiotic-resistant pathogen, MRSA—just one of many now circulating among Americans—now claims more lives each year than AIDS."*

But second of all, eating meat may be making your health worse. Remember when I mentioned IC and the yeast connection? (If you don't know what this means, please go read my last post!) An overgrowth of yeast candida is caused by use of antibiotics, birth control pills and/or improper diet. This can cause a variety of different health problems, including IC. From the Yeast Connection:

"Chronic health conditions are quite a mystery. Every book you read, every physician you visit says something different. You collect clues but rarely find clear-cut answers on one basic cause that experts agree on of what is influencing your body and making you feel bad.

The role candida plays in chronic pain and disease is no exception. Yeast overgrowth disturbs your intestinal tract lining, allowing allergens and toxins into your circulation while your immune system becomes to weak to handle the influx. This combination is one of many variables that play a role in a diverse group of seemingly unrelated health problems – not just vaginal yeast infections. These range from PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis, just to name a few."

Unfortunately, eating conventional meat contributes to the amount of antibiotics you ingest, leading to an imbalance in your body. This is one of the many reasons I choose to be a raw vegan. (Abstaining from meat while doing a healing or detox program is also a good idea.) If you do choose to eat meat, make sure it's organic and free-range to assure you do not eat any antibiotics. I would also suggest taking some good probiotics to help supply you with good bacteria to balance yourself back out!

Cause & Effect: Candida, Alkaline Foods, & the IC Connection

Through my experience, research, and interaction with others, I've come across two possible theories as to what causes Interstitial Cystitis. Both are diet related.

*Please keep in mind that I believe there are multiple different causes for IC and it may be a combination of a lot of different things. What caused IC in one person may be completely different than someone else. I think these are the possible causes for my IC, but there could be more, and these don't necessarily apply to you. I just wanted to share them because I found them interesting and helpful. Also, keep in mind IC is sort of an umbrella term for a lot of different symptoms and could possibly be misdiagnosed.

I like to theorize what causes IC because it gets you thinking of ways to heal it. Once you find the source of the IC, you can stop it from happening, and finally heal.

1. The Yeast Connection

Yeasts are single cell fungi living organisms that live on the surfaces of all living things, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and your body. They're a part of the "microflora" which contribute in various ways to the health of their host. Yeast itself is nutritious and small amounts of yeast give bread its light taste.

One family of yeasts, Candida albicans, normally lives on the warm inner creases of the digestive tract, vagina and skin. Healthy women have a natural community of Candida albicans organisms in all three locations. When your immune system is healthy, "friendly" intestinal bacteria like Bifidobacteria bifidum and Lactobaccillus acidophilus create a symbiotic system with the yeast that keeps everything in balance.

But when this system gets out of balance – through use of antibiotics, birth control pills or improper diet (too much sugar, yeast, acidic foods) – candida cells develop rapidly, overwhelm the friendly bacteria, and create potentially serious results. Imbalance of intestinal flora can cause vaginitis, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, migraines, asthma, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and interstitial cystitis.

Please check out the website for more information to see if an overgrowth of candida could be causing your chronic health problems. There is even a yeast fighting program provided free of charge.

2. The Acid-Alkaline Diet

There are two general types of food - acid and alkaline. If you eat too many acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, your body can become overly acidic. Chronic acidosis in the body leads to chronic health problems. There are many benefits to eating an alkaline diet. Over-acidity in the body can result in chronic health issues, while an alkaline diet can help to prevent these same problems. Some of the symptoms of an over-acid diet include fatigue, gum and teeth problems, a tendency towards getting sick frequently, pain and inflammation, and premature aging. Pain and inflammation sounds a lot like IC symptoms!

So the key to healing IC in this case is to reverse acidosis by eating lots of alkaline foods and avoiding acidic foods. Generally, animal foods – meat, eggs, dairy – processed and refined foods, yeast products, fermented foods, grains, artificial-sweeteners, fruit, and sugars are acidifying, as are alcohol, coffee, chocolate, black tea, and sodas.

Vegetables, on the other hand, are alkalizing. That includes a few that are technically fruits: avocado, tomato, and bell peppers. A few non sweet citrus fruits are also basic in the body, as are sprouted seeds, nuts, and grains. Grains are acidifying, though a few (millet, buckwheat, and spelt) are only very mildly so. Raw foods are more alkalizing, while cooked food is more acidifying.

Food charts like this one are helpful in determining what to eat, but note that there are a lot of different websites with this information and it may vary slightly.

Sources:

Alkaline Diet Benefits

How's your pH? Acid or Alkaline?

Alkaline vs Acidic


After using a combination of the yeast fighting program, exercise (yoga), and an alkaline, plant-based diet, I experienced such extreme symptom relief I feel like I no longer have IC (or any of my other countless health issues, for that matter). Therefore, I think these two things very much contributed to my IC problems. When you know the cause, you can combat the problem. So I urge you to find the cause of your IC. Is it one of these two reasons? Both? What else could be causing it? Get to the root of the issue and then you will find healing.

What Do You Eat?!

When I tell someone that I am a raw vegan, they usually proclaim, "But...what do you eat?!" And my response? A lot of really delicious foods!

I can understand why an outsider would assume that anyone on a raw vegan diet is absolutely starving. But that is actually quite the opposite! The best part about eating a natural, plant-based diet is that you feel healthy. I feel clean and pure when I eat clean and pure produce. It's as simple as that! I have a healthy weight, I have a ton of energy, my skin looks clear, I feel like I think more clearly, my digestion system feels regulated now (no heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc.)...basically I look healthy and happy! One interesting thing is that my taste buds have changed...so now instead of craving foods like bread, sugar, and grains, I crave fresh fruits and vegetables. And they taste so good! The best thing about eating natural, plant-based foods is that you generally do not have to count calories. You can eat fruits and veggies until you are full (and it's okay because they are nutritious and great for you!). Plus, fruits & veggies have more fiber than a large burger and fries, so you actually feel full faster.

Here's a great list of natural, raw foods!
(The foods with a * are most likely too acidic for someone with IC to eat. Start out with the other foods, then only add these into your diet when you think you are ready.)

Fruits – cleanse ~ purify ~ energize

Apples
Apricots*
Bananas
Blackberries*
Blueberries
Boysenberries*
Cherries*
Dates
Grapefruit*
Grapes*
Kiwi*
Lemons*
Limes*
Mango*
Nectarines*
Oranges*
Pears
Pineapple*
Plums*
Raspberries*
Strawberries*
Young Thai Coconut
(Any other seasonal fruit in your area)

Leafy Greens – strengthen ~ mineralize ~ alkalize ~ heal

Arugula/Rocket
Baby Lettuce Mixes
Butter or Bibb Lettuce
Collard Greens
Dandelion
Kale
Mixed Greens
Mustard Greens
Romaine
Sorrell
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Watercress
Wild Edible Greens (lambsquarters, purslane, etc.)

Fresh Herbs/Spices - heal ~ balance ~ alkalize

Basil
Cilantro
Cumin
Dill
Garlic
Ginger
Lavender
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric

Vegetables & Non-Sweet Fruits

Avocados
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli/Broccoli Rabe
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chili Peppers*
Cucumber
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Jicama
Onions*
Mushrooms
Peas/Shoots
Radish
Ramps/Wild leeks
Scallions
Shallots
Sprouts
Summer Squash
Tomato*
Turnips
Zucchini (Courgette)

Sea Vegetables

Arame
Dulse
Kelp
Nori
Wakame

Nuts/ Seeds/Bulk Dry Items

Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Chia Seeds
Coconut (Dry/Shredded)
Dates
Dried Cranberries*
Goji Berries*
Flax seeds
Hemp Seeds
Macadamia Nuts
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Pistachio
Pumpkin Seeds
Salba Seeds (White Chia)
Sesame Seeds (white & black)
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts

Grains/Legumes/Seeds – preferably sprouting

Alfalfa
Barley
Broccoli
Buckwheat
Fenugreek
Lentils
Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
Mung bean
Oat groats (gluten free)
Quinoa
Radish
Sunflower Seeds
Wheat berries
Wild Rice

Condiments

Apple Cider Vinegar*
Coconut Secret Products
Miso* (Unpasteurized)
Mustard* (Stone ground or Dijon)
Nama Shoyu*
Nut Butters (Raw)
Nutritional Yeast
Sea Salt (Himalayan is preferred)
Sesame Tahini
Vanilla Powder or alcohol free extract

Oils

Coconut Butter/Oil
Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flax Oil
Hemp Oil
Cold Pressed Sesame Oil
Walnut Oil

Sweeteners

Agave Nectar (raw)
Coconut Nectar
Honey (raw & local whenever possible)
Lucuma Powder
Maple Syrup
Stevia (powder or liquids)
Yacon Root Powder or Syrup

Superfoods

Bee Pollen
Blue Green Algae/Green Powders
Carob Powder
Cacao Nibs
Cacao Powder
Chia Seeds
Goji Berries*
Maca*
Mesquite Powder
Spirulina

How to Start a Raw Food Diet

I've been getting quite a few questions from IC patients wanting to try a raw food diet healing approach but not knowing how to start. So in this post I will cover how I started healing myself with raw foods and tips on how you can start your own healing path. (I don't like the term "raw food diet" because I feel like it has the wrong type of stereotype, so I will be using the term "natural/plant-based diet" from now on.)

The best thing about healing with a plant-based diet is that you can do as much or as little as you want, moving as quickly or slowly as it suites you. There is no one right way to do it. Most people like to gradually ease into it and this is the way I did it. I found it was more practical for my lifestyle, my money limitations, and it was the best for my body at the time. You must be aware that when transitioning to a plant-based diet, you will experience detox systems. The symptoms vary with each individual and the speed of detoxification they are doing. My detox symptoms were like common cold symptoms, ie stuffy nose, tired, mood swings, etc. They are never too severe and it is completely normal! Your body accumulates toxins from unhealthy foods, chemicals, preservatives, artificial ingredients, chemical-filled products and environmental pollution. Your body is flushing out all of the toxins you have built up over the years, so of course it's going to feel bad for a little bit! The part to remember is that you will feel 10 times better once it's all gone. Detox times vary from person to person depending on how toxic their body is.

I started the transition into a plant-based diet with green smoothies and salads. These are simple meals that anyone can make and you don't need any special kitchen equipment (besides a blender, which most people have already, or you can get a standard one for pretty cheap at any store). The main idea of the natural, plant-based diet is to eat primarily fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds, grains, sea vegetables, and other organic/natural foods that have not been processed. Focus on eating natural, living foods and eliminate (or severely limit) processed foods like meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, etc. You can do this all at once, or gradually shift your diet, but eventually, you will want your diet to be as raw and natural as possible. You will only heal as much as you work! For example, if you slowly start adding things like veggies into your diet and you decrease your meat consumption to every other day, you will heal far less quickly than someone who goes on a veggie juice fast for a week. You will still heal, but the results will take much longer and will be less noticeable.

Cutting out meat & dairy
I highly recommend eliminating meat, dairy, and sugar from your diet while you attempt to detox. These food products are acidic and will get in the way of your healing! You can add these things back into your diet once you are feeling better. If you feel like you can't do it, that's ok, just try to limit them.

Why Buy Organic

When buying produce, you should always try to buy organic when possible! Organic produce and conventionally grown produce are different. Organic is superior to conventional because the soil is handled properly. It hasn't been overworked, the crops are rotated which makes for more mineralized soil, which in turn produces a more nutrient rich fruit or vegetable. Also organic produce hasn't been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, larvicides, fungicides, nor have they been treated with other harmful chemicals or inorganic fertilizers. In addition, buying organic guarentees that you are not consuming Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO's. Your body deserves the very best you can afford, so please buy organic and local whenever possible. :)

Here are some recipe ideas to get you started on a plant-based diet. I usually have a smoothie or veggie/fruit juice in the morning. Then a nice big salad for lunch. Then I try to have something fun and different for dinner. This is where I get creative and research recipes to try online!

Breakfast

IC Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Thai coconut (use water & meat)
1 pear (or apple if you can tolerate it)
1 banana
3 stalks of celery
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp spirulina powder

It's hard to always have a fresh coconut, so sometimes I use IC friendly coconut water. If you can't find this, coconut milk or almond milk from a carton will do. Be careful with these though because they are not raw, they are pasteurized, so they will not be as nutritious. Also, make sure you get the unsweetened kind because most other flavors have added sugar, which contributes to candida growth, weight gain, acidosis, and disease! I find that a fresh, natural coconut is always the best to use. Or just use water!

I know our fruit selection is limited with IC, so this is a good starter smoothie. But I encourage you to get creative with this recipe! The focus here is to keep the smoothie alkalizing. That means more greens than fruit (which has sugar and is acidic)! Change up the fruits, add in green powder, protein powder, seeds, probiotics, bee pollen, etc. But only do so when your body is ready to take that step.

Lunch

Alkalizing Salad!

This salad is one of my favorites. Spinach, cucumber, celery, carrots, avocado, and sunflower seeds!

The choices are endless here. Most vegetables are IC friendly, so eat as much of them as you can! The hard part is finding a salad dressing. I usually just went without one (having toppings like avocado & sea salt made it bearable). You could use a little bit of olive oil or make your own fresh, natural dressing with things you can tolerate. You can get more creative with the salad dressings once you are feeling better. :)

Dinner

This meal is hard for people to remain raw. There's tons of great recipe ideas out there! I would recommend trying to stay as raw as you can while you start the initial detox period. But of course, you can have something cooked every now and then! Listen to your body. (Of course, you will be craving things you shouldn't have like sugar or junk food, and you should try to fight those urges, but don't make yourself suffer uncomfortably). Just make sure your meals involves lots of LIVING food - veggies & fruits!

For a raw dinner, I like to make something fun, like veggies and a dip (hummus, pesto, guacamole), veggie wraps, zucchini pasta, raw veggie soup, etc.

There's tons of great recipe ideas out there. Do some research and see what you can find!

Also, don't forget to use youtube for recipe videos. Here's my favorite: Dan the Man's youtube page.

Snacks

In between meals, I snack on veggies, fruit, homemade granola (nuts, seeds, dried fruits), or something fun like an apple slathered in almond butter with raisins and honey on top. Yum. Be creative with your meals! Throw stuff together. Enjoy it.

Beverages

The most important thing to drink is water! Make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz a day. I also drink coconut water (delicious & promotes alkalinity) and teas with no caffeine. IC safe fruit & veggie juices are great and you should always try to get them freshly pressed. Fruits & veggies start to loose nutrients as soon as they are juiced, so you should always try to drink it right away. Also, if you buy processed juices they most likely have IC-unsafe additives and are pasteurized so they are not as nutritious. Try to avoid acidic drinks like soda, alcohol, coffee, etc. during this detox time!!!



I followed this plan for a couple months. I was pretty strict in the beginning because I was desperate to heal (plus my bladder couldn't really tolerate much). Almost immediately, my pain levels dropped from about a daily pain level 7-9 to level 1-3. Eventually, they disappeared completely. Same with all my other IC symptoms, as well as my digestive issues. Once I started feeling better and like my body could handle it, I started adding things back into my diet. I still remain a raw vegan and my diet is about 80-95% raw foods. But now I can have things like acidic fruits, tomatoes, some alcohol, cacao (raw chocolate), painless sex, etc.! It's worth it but you have to do the work.

A year later, I feel like I have learned a lot during this healing journey. I recommend you do a lot of research! Google & Youtube should be your best friends. Knowledge is power. Try to learn how to listen to your body and read symptoms, then think back at what could have caused them. Healing is holistic and you need to do much more than simply change your diet! Add in exercise, meditation, yoga, herbs, supplements, dry brushing, massages, acupuncture, etc. Whatever you feel will help you. Try things and see if they work. Talk to others with IC and see what they are doing and how it is helping. This is the time to transition into a life of health. 70% of diseases are caused by lifestyle choices. So now's the time to change your lifestyle. See what happens. Eat LIVING foods and feel ALIVE. Your body has the natural ability to heal itself. When you treat your body right, it begins to heal itself. There's no "one way" to heal. There is no magic pill. It's a process. It takes a lot of work. But you can get there.

Please check out my post, "Great resources", for good sources of info to help you get started in this journey.

My yoga teacher quoted this from a book, sorry I do not have the original source:

"If you want to analyze the past, look to your present condition. If you want to see the future, look to your present actions."


Aa always, I'm here if you have questions.

Good luck. Get rawkin.

IC Healing with Raw Food Testimonials

Don't just take my word for it!

Since I had such great success with healing my IC through a raw food diet, I decided to start a Facebook group called "Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally". We're always accepting new members if you'd like to join! It is a private group, so no one will see what we talk about there unless I have approved them as a member. Through this group, I've met quite a few people who have healed their IC with a natural, plant-based diet, and holistic approach as well. Some had already started the healing before joining the group and others had success after trying methods we suggested. I asked them to share their stories.

Are you healing from IC with natural methods? Please contact me so I can add your story to this wonderfully inspiring collection!

(This page will be periodically updated...)

My IC Story
The Rev'd. Jan Olandese, M.Div., B.C.C.

I'm sharing my story in response to Melissa's request for experience of people who have found alkaline diet healing in terms of their IC symptoms. I can only speak for myself but changes I made really, really helped in a matter of months. I hope you have good results, too!

Let's back up. I was not diagnosed until 2003. Prior to that I recall having, at times, frequent and really uncomfortable UTI's and bladder infections. I had several in 1999-2000, living in England as a student at Oxford. I used National Health....which uses the less expensive drug first...so I would get an herbal remedy that did nothing, and then go back to the clinic and get Cipro....and recover.

I saw a urologist a lot when I was working in San Francisco in 2001-2 as an Episcopal parish priest. I worked under very stressful circumstances...my boss was hostile to those in her employ....so it ran up my blood pressure and probably set off the UTI's...also, I had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and treated with surgery and radiation in 2001....that could have been a factor, too.....I had UTI's (lots of them) in December of 2002 I began my residency in clinical training to be a Board Certified Chaplain at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a fine medical school and research center....with a urology department that knew IC. I had my usual UTI's and they decided to do the surgical procedure to determine whether I had it. I did. Their ideas for treatment, such as self-catheterisation, didn't make sense to me, seemed barbaric and a danger in terms of infection, and exacerbated my symptoms. I couldn't tolerate Elmiron, Elavil, or other drugs (other than hydroxyzine) prescribed for IC.

For the most part, I got better. I loved my work and the rigourous but wonderful clinical residency program. I proceeded to hospital work as a professional and again, loved it and did well. I had meanwhile become a published academic writer and started teaching continuing education online....both were fulfilling. My UTI's were not so frequent but still happened every few months.

In 2010 I remarried (after a long time being single), stopped work, focused on writing and teaching and also caregiving for my 90 year old mother. Life was good til August.

In August I had what I thought was a UTI. I did all the usual stuff, got the tests, got the Cipro...and no dice. It didn't go away and very uncomfortable, painful symptoms set it. I realised after a couple of months and reading on the internet that I had what must be my first IC flare. Having clinical training was very helpful both in assessing the problem and in observing what worked and what didn't to heal myself.

At the time I was seeing an endocrinologist to regulate my hypothyroid condition ... something new with aging ....so....I want to point out that one thing I observed was, when I switched to a doctor who is extremely expert about thyroid and got on the right dose, other medical issues cleared up......so I see a connection between thyroid irregularities and IC. If you have IC, do have your thyroid levels checked *(by someone who knows a lot about thyroid, the standard test may show you to be normal to an average doc who is not expert in this area....and I had better luck with my internal medicine primary care doc than I did with the endocrinologist....so it depends on the person's experience).

In November, I developed a yeast overgrowth. This was mouth candida, not a vaginal yeast infection. I had never had this before. It was stubborn and I was on diflucan, a yeast medication, for about 6 weeks. My symptoms cleared up! I tried to continue on it but the urologist said while sometimes yeast can affect the bladder, it was not the right treatment for IC. I did get a urologist to prescribe some antibiotics including diflucan to see whether they would help. They helped a little.

I looked at my diet and changed from regular coffee to cold-brewed (look up Toddy coffee makers) which is acid free. I quit drinking sodas. I cut out obviously acid foods such as tomatoes, tomato sauces, orange juice, etc. I think Melissa was the first to steer me towards alkaline diet on one of our Facebook groups. I also liked the raw foods idea. I don't eat a totally raw diet but have added raw foods such as fresh fruits, carrots, etc .. in studying the material on the internet, I read a post by an Australian physician who reported that a patient told her about spirulina, a seaweed, which is very alkalising, as it turns out. I had some on the shelf so I thought, what the heck? I reordered a greens supplement I took which included spirulina as a main ingredient and daily I drank a glass of water with baking soda and spirulina mixed in. This is what I clinically observed to have made the biggest difference for me. I'm not kidding. It worked. That and adding raw foods, avoiding acidy foods....wow. Now, once my thyroid got regulated I think that was a major player, too. At first I had to drink the baking soda and water frequently...now, once or maybe twice a day (on a bad day!) does it.

Benefits:
Almost no IC symptoms, ever! And when I get them, much milder!
My blood pressure is now low, and for the first time in many years I don't take any medication for it....I don't need it!
No stomach issues, no more Prilosec!
Got rid of several other medications I took and now down to very few
I feel better overall.

I clinically observed that regulating my thyroid correctly, and the alkalising effect of baking soda and water and spirulina made a big change for me, so I looked at more raw foods and alkaline foods. As a result, I went from a state of suffering earlier this year to being virtually healed now - in a few months!! I do keep a medication on hand 'in case' I have a stubborn flare which doesn't respond to baking soda/spirulina....(with my doctor's approval). For me, cyclobenzaprine, a mild muscle relaxant, stops my IC symptoms immediately. I read that it can be effective for IC because of the way it works on the nerves. I don't do pyridium any more. And I don't use pain medications at all.

I am able to have a cup of my almost acid-free cold brewed coffee in the morning....I am able to have a glass of wine occasionally. I'm living a normal life and not running to the bathroom all day. (I can tell the difference between a flare and a UTI because of my symptoms). I'm having fewer UTI's.. My toilet paper bill went down! Life is good!!

I know that for each person, different things are helpful, or not...."all IC patients are different" is the mantra we hear all the time. (and is used as an excuse for not really stepping up to bat for us! A doctor friend told me once "Unfortunately, many doctors don't like you IC patients. You frustrate them because they can't heal you and there's no easy fix.") I suspect, based upon my clinical observations, that alkalinity in the system can heal IC symptoms .... many people other than I have benefitted! That's evidence!

I hope by sharing my experience I can save some of you the aggro I went through. I joined a local IC group but they all seemed to have much different/worse cases than me and were doing interventions I'd refused. And frankly it was depressing. I read about and tried many herbal remedies. Most of them were not especially effective for me, but it's an expensive process trying all these things which are touted as cures. If I were to select the ones I think may have been helpful for me, I'd say Quercetin and Serrapeptase....possibly. Aloe made no difference....neither did D-mannose...neither did all those bottles. The expensive calcium didn't help....I just use the regular kind now....Frankly....nothing worked for me as effectively as water + baking soda + spirulina. I also started taking glucosamine chondraitin which my urologist said was helpful for some people, and I think it may be a contributing factor. Again, easy to obtain on your drugstore shelf. I stopped taking multivitamins as I read that they could be a culprit...I do take calcium + vitamin D, magnesium, fish oil, and glucosamine chondraitin. I take a 'greens' supplement with algae, spirulina, and other beneficial alkalising contents.

I'm 62. I was diagnosed late and I read that one 'expert' in IC thinks that people like me ("old!") who don't get on Elmiron just go downhill and can't ever get back. I beg to differ. If Elmiron or other drugs work for you, great. For me....the natural way is less expensive, far more effective and has improved my overall health. After months of pain and discomfort and all the IC stuff....it was surprising to me as well as happy news to see the best results from such simple remedies.

Thanks to Melissa, Sunny and other advocates of raw foods and alkaline diet whose words inspired and guided me. And I hope my experience is helpful and encouraging for those of you who may be feeling hopeless .... I wish someone had shared this stuff with me earlier. I'm fortunate to have found such good guidance via IC groups on Facebook, and a lot of consultations with my favourite specialist, Dr. Google.


Missy Dufourq

The year was 2005. I had just turned 18 and returned from a family trip overseas. I had started to get lower back pain. After a trip to the doctors, I was told it was simply muscular and to start doing some back exercises at home. Nothing really touched the pain though which by this stage, had begun to wax and wane. It would be present for a week and then disappear, only to come back the next. Eventually, I started to notice burning during urination. Heading back to the doctors, they diagnosed me with the typical UTI. I never bothered to question or ask what bacteria was causing the infection. I just accepted that fact that, "Hey, I have a bladder infection."

I was prescribed antibiotics, obviously. And they worked. That was only to start with though. By this stage, I was getting a UTI every other week. It was prescription after prescription of antibiotics. This went on for nearly two years. I had a kidney infection in there too, somewhere. At one stage, I was put on preventative, long-term antibiotics but the problem only persisted. Until something odd happened. My cultures started coming back negative. Sound familiar? All the symptoms of a very severe UTI but no bacteria present! The doctors were confused. And when that happens, the specialists are usually called in. By this stage, I was having some gynaelogical issues as well, which confused the doctors as to where the pain and problems were coming from. So, this happened to side-track my progress to a definitive diagnosis. I went in for a laparoscopy which found nothing. By this time, my pelvic pain was constant. Every single moment of every single day, I was in pain. And I'm talking over 7 on the 10/10 scale. Pain in my pelvis; pain in my back.

After the lap, the doctors had no idea what to do with me. Because I was also getting more severe bladder symptoms by this stage (bleeding, pressure, urgency), they decided it might be time to see a urologist. This was the one of the worst times in my life. I remember that at this stage, I just couldn't sleep. I was up around 8 times or more a night to void. I couldn’t fall asleep as I’d always have a full sensation in my bladder and would make multiple trips to the bathroom before I even dozed off. And the frequency lasted all through the day. I had a constant sensation of burning - not just in my bladder, but through my whole body. I had to quit my job because my symptoms were constantly causing me grief. I would often get this weird increase in symptoms where I would get waves of nausea, heat through my back and searing pain in my bladder. I couldn't walk and felt like I was going to pass out. I learnt later that these were 'flares'.
So there I was, in the uro’s office. So young; so naive. I had no idea what was going on with my body and assumed that this very expensive doctor would. He mumbled a few technical words and explained I'll need a cystoscopy to confirm the diagnosis of what I learned later would be Interstitial Cystitis. Into theatre I went, not too many weeks later. And I tell you, it was a nightmare. I believe I was actually traumatized from the pain that I experienced during this time. Just writing about it now brings me to tears. My heart rate accelerated during the op, when they filled my bladder. Obviously, I bled a lot from the pin-point bleeding on my bladder walls. When I woke and tried to void for the first time, I passed out from the searing, shocking, excruciating pain. I'm sure you know the type of pain I'm talking about here. The traumatic kind that is forever etched in your memory. When I was stable enough to speak, the uro explained I had Interstitial Cystitis. A rare, incurable disease that in his words was, "Horrible to live with, especially for someone so young." And that's what I was left with. He rambled that I should avoid coffee and tomatoes. And that's the extent of the nutritional advice that I got.

I returned to see him in four weeks, nervously armed with a few things I wanted to try for this seemingly strange condition. I had by this stage discovered the large amount of resources for IC on the web. I had taken note of some non-invasive treatments I'd discovered. To my shock and horror though, the only treatment he deemed as worth trying for IC was instillations of general anaesthetic. It sounded barbaric to me but I was desperate. Absolutely desperate to escape the pain. I lived on prescription pain-killers just to pull me through the day. I wasn't sleeping because I lived in the bathroom. It was hell and I wanted out. So I did the instills. And what happened? They made me worse … and I didn't even think that was possible!

Giving up on the instillations (and the uro with the bad bedside manner), I started becoming what you might be right now. An IC researcher, collecting every morsel of information on current and future treatments. I also started following the IC Diet to a tee. And then began the long process of trial and error for different medications. I won't bore you with the details, or all the doctors I saw to help me achieve all this, but here is a breakdown of what I tried, over the course of three, painful, depressing years. Mind you, this is what I can actually remember, because they either had some positive effects or very negative effects. There are more, but memory fails me right now:

> Marcaine instillations (a horrible, traumatic experience)
> Endep, or Elavil as it's known in the states (helped with the pain, but left me with awful retaining issues)
> Tofrainl (helped me sleep a little better at night; did nothing for the pain)
> Elmiron (made me bruise extensively all over my body; did nothing for my symptoms)
> Vesicare (made my frequency worse)
> Anti-histamines (didn't do a thing)
> Prescription pain-killers (helped take the edge off my pain, but left me numb)
> Lyrica (worst medication I've ever tried; I felt like I was out of my head every time I took it)

Lyrica was the last drug I tried and had disastrous effects on my body. I was so discouraged and sick by this point. This was about a year ago now. I had pinned my hope on this drug giving me my life back. I had also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia the year before that and I hoped it would help there too. My body was literally falling apart. I felt sick all over, not just in my bladder anymore. My gut had also started to play up and I was now having gastric reflux/heartburn, something I'd never had in my life! It was absurd. And somehow, something clicked in me. Something was no longer making sense. If my bladder was sick, why was I feeling sick all over? Why was my body falling apart?

At this stage, I had lost almost all my faith in doctors and the medical community with providing me with answers. It was just disappoint after disappoint, every time I left their office. I couldn’t stand the lack of compassion either anymore. Or, having to explain what IC was, for that matter. In my understanding, if I had to tell the doctor how to spell the condition, chances are, he won’t know how to treat it!

I started to do more research myself. And it took me down an interesting path. I started to read a lot on the bacteria theory of IC. I became fascinated with the concept of there being something that causes IC! I just couldn't handle that there was no known cause. And as long as there was no cause, there could be no cure, in my eyes. If you've ever heard of United Medical Laboratories in Virgina, US, you would know that they do a special broth culture, urine test for bacteria in IC patients. They then can recommend what antibiotics will work against the bacteria. This is based on the theory that there is a bacteria present in the bladder that isn't being detected in standard testing.

So, I had the test done. Not a cheap endeavor, taking into consideration I live in Australia! It cost hundreds of dollars to accomplish this. But then again, I was desperate. My results came back inclusive. It was suggested that it could have been heat damaged during transit which skewed the results. I was gutted; I couldn’t afford to do this again. I'd had a plan about this, too. Find the bug and treat it! But it didn't work out that way. By this stage though, I was heavily involved in researching and talking with others about the bacteria theory. It made the most sense to me than anything I'd ever read before. People I spoke to about it, across the globe, recommended following a yeast-free diet when following a long-term antibiotic treatment, such as what I would have done if my results had come back conclusive. But they hadn't. That didn't stop me though, from deciding to give the anti-yeast diet a try!

To explain what happened next, I'll add a little snippet from my current blog:

"I wanted to share my theory of how I believe my IC was caused. I started getting sick in August, 2005 with repeated UTIs. These carried on for some time. I would get one, go on antibiotics and feel great for the two weeks that I was on them. Then as soon as the course stopped, my symptoms would come back and I'd be diagnosed as having another infection. I was on so many antibiotics. At one stage, I was put on long-term antibiotics for three months as a preventative measure. But the same situation would always occur. I'd get better for a few weeks and as soon as I was off the antibiotics, the infection would come back. Eventually, I even developed a kidney infection. This was treated as usual with antibiotics. I was listening to the doctors and taking my cranberry juice all the time (never realizing just how much damage this could be causing).

The symptoms I would have with the infections were: back pain, flank pain, pelvic pain, urgency, frequency and burning. Pretty much IC, right? Sometimes, I would get fevers and nausea -- these are symptoms that reappear in a flare today. Now I might add that during the whole time I was sick with infections -- potentially 1-2 years, on and off, I never changed my eating habits. Expect, of course, to add the good ol' cranberry juice and tablets! And I might add that I had a 'not-so-good' diet of energy drinks, soft drinks, chocolate and take-away. I was only about 18 when I started getting sick and I was working full-time -- my health wasn't exactly a priority, sad huh? It was just something I took for granted. At the time, I'll admit that I was a highly-stressed individual. I had a lot of personal/emotional problems I was working through.

So for me, I believe my IC was caused by a 'chain-reaction' that panned out something like this ... like I mentioned, at the time I got sick, I was very stressed out. Then I started to get the bad UTIs that wouldn't go away. Then I had a kidney infection. Then I was pumped with antibiotics. I believe my body became overwhelmed with a yeast problem (from a high-sugar diet and antibiotics causing an imbalance in the body) and that my acid/alkaline balance was also thrown out. The stress and these other factors left me open to repeated infections. Then add a very bad diet of processed foods that weren't doing anything good for my system and I had a recipe for IC! So I think it is a bunch of things, really. I strongly believe in there still being an overwhelming bacterial presence in my bladder right now (that doesn't show up in conventional urine tests) but I feel the reason bacteria is an issue is because my body is in a perfect state for infection to thrive. Once I get my body into an alkaline, yeast-free state, no disease can survive!"

So there you have it; I'd discovered why my whole body was out of balance, not just my bladder. So I started on the anti-yeast diet. First things first, let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I had to cut out fresh, gorgeous smelling bread. But lo and behold, I started to feel a little better. My pain eased off, even though my frequency was still bad. I did research and discovered a great probiotics, made in the US to help support my gut to rebalance and get the good stuff back, after years of antibiotics. Adding these was a winning move because my health continued to improve. I don't know how but somewhere in all of this, I remembered a book an IC patient wrote that discussed how IC is like a puzzle and is not just one specific problem to solve. She focused on how we can support the body to heal, through food and behaviors. When I first got diagnosed and was searching for material to read, I thought she was crazy to think that food could affect how I was feeling. So instead I skipped past her book on Amazon and bought the "Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide." Now, I look back and wish I’d bought hers instead!
Through recently rediscovering her book, I was introduced to what is known as the acid/alkaline balance. I got my hands on a non-IC book that discussed it also, by Christopher Vasey. Of all the books I have read so far, this one helped me the most to understand what was happening to my body. And it never mentioned IC, although the bladder and the urinary tract systems came up often. I began to understand that food DOES affect how I feel. I now included the acid/alkaline approach to my anti-yeast diet. It seemed to me that my food choices were becoming more and more limited and my goodness, I was scared to try another way of eating. But I kept on reading success stories of so many people who had followed this protocol and had success.
At first, my meals were limited and very boring. But, having already been on the IC Diet, I was used to this. I understood that what I had to do was restore the alkaline balance in my body, by limiting or avoiding acidic foods. And to help my gut, I need to avoid yeast. I also had come to realize, that I was sensitive to dairy products. In fact, I found that more and more, I was eating less and less types of food as my bladder was getting angrier and angrier. Here is another snippet of my blog that will better explain what happened next (you're doing well if you're still reading; I promise you, it's worth it!):

“IC is one tricky nut to crack. One moment you think you've got it figured out and then all of a sudden, it doesn't make any sense again.

Well, lucky for me, today is one of those days where it is making sense so I thought I'd write down my thoughts before they got away from me.

I've been reading The Acid-Alkaline Balance by Christopher Vasey and although it has no direct content on IC, this books has made the most sense to me, more than a lot of IC books have in the past. It's helping me to understand why diet is so crucial with IC -- and I don't just mean for symptom prevention, I mean for HEALING.

There are three main food groups. Your biggest are the ACID food group and the ALKALINE food group. They have affects that are simply either acidifying or alkalizing, respectively. The third group is more complicated and it is known as the WEAK-ACID group. The Acid food group contains such things as meat, grains, pasta, sugar and coffee. The Alkalizing food group contains those things as green vegetables, coloured vegetables, almonds, milk and dried fruits. The Weak-Acid food group contains such foods as whey, yogurt, unripe fruits, citrus fruits, tomatoes and honey. So how do these groups affect IC?

When we have a predominantly acid diet -- let's say for example, a refined cereal for breakfast, refined pasta or white bread with meat for lunch, a pastry for a light snack and white rice for dinner -- the body consumes too much acid and it throws out the acid/alkaline balance in the body. The diet above is often very typical of an ICer as all these foods are considered safe. However, the body can rid itself of only so much strong acids in the one day. The Acid group (or strong acid group) is the hardest of acids to expel and refined cereals and grains are such acid-forming foods. These acids are expelled from the body through the kidneys and the skin. The Weak Acid group of acids are expelled through the respiratory system and there is no limit as to how much can be expelled in the one day. However, problems occur in the body when there are too many strong acidic foods being ingested without counter-balancing alkaline foods added to the mix. Problems can also arise when Weak Acid foods are ingested repeatedly without a break to allow the previous food to be properly digested. Weak Acid foods are actually almost alkaline (they have a low acid content and therefore their alkaline content is high) and in some people, will have such an affect. However, for us ICers, I believe we have a difficulty metabolizing weak-acids, that's why we aren't able to tolerate foods such as tomatoes, yogurt and most fruits. The good news is that these weak-acid foods aren't completely unavoidable. They just must be ingested with a whole bunch of alkalizing foods and eaten every few days, rather than back to back.

When we have a primarily acid diet, the body tries desperately to re-establish the correct pH balance in the body. In doing so, the body will draw alkaline minerals from deep tissues to counter-balance and neutralize the effect of the acid content on the body. If it happens repeatedly, this is when it becomes dangerous. These tissue-stores, if repeatedly raided for the purpose of lowering the acid-levels in the body, can become severely compromised. They become weak and vulnerable and easily susceptible to infection.
To explain further about the acid/alkaline balance, I am going to add some quotes from Vasey's book:

"To maintain good health the body is constantly seeking to get rid of the excess acids that irritate the tissues and deplete them of minerals. One of the principle exits it uses for this purpose is the renal system (kidneys) ... "

"Problems occur, however, when the tissues are forced to relinquish their alkaline elements on a regular basis, every day or even several times a day. In this case the body's alkaline reserves inevitably gradually diminish. However, these minerals are components of the tissues themselves and fulfill a very precise role in that regard."

"Repeated withdrawls, therefore create a shortage of alkaline minerals in these organic tissues. The critical mineral loss becomes even more pronounced when the plundering is intense and prolonged. Modern lifestyle and diet encourage such exploitation of the body's buffer system."

"In people with this metabolic weakness, foods that would normally contribute a high quota of alkaline substances instead have the effect of acidifying the internal environment. The same food can have an entirely different affect depending on the body of the person who ingests it ... People afflicted with this metabolic debility must take additional precaution with their diets. It is essential that they carefully regulate the amount of foods they eat that are rich in weak acids."

-- now these following excerpts sounds very familiar to me and draw the connection between the acid/alkaline balance and how it effects our body's, presenting in symptoms of IC.

" ... the body becomes ill ... due to the harsh, corrosive nature of acids present in excess amounts within the tissues. Before they are neutralised by alkaline substances, the acid irritates the organ with which they come in contact. Inflammation, sometimes quite painful, results, as well as lesions or hardening of the tissues. This primarily affects the organs charged with the elimination of strong acids, such as the skin and kidneys. When the urine is overloaded with acid, urination is painful and the urinary tract 'burns', becoming inflamed and infection."

"The fragile state of the tissues resulting from the invasive presence of acid makes them vulnerable to microbial or viral infection as well. Lesions of the mucous membranes allow easier penetration by and multiplication of microbes in the tissues. This is aggravated by the fact that the immune system's effectiveness can also be impacted by acid activity, which lowers the production and strength of the white blood cells responsible for attacking microbes."

"Urine becomes acidic when the body's internal environment becomes acidic."

Pretty compelling stuff, huh? So now, to summarise and wrap this up.

I've been following this protocol of eating for just over six months. And I can say with complete honesty that NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, has ever brought me this much relief. I am pain-free most days now; there is an odd day here and there where it's a little tricky but I always understand why I have symptoms. I am still improving through adding a more raw-food edge into my eating plans. More on that later though. Another success is that most nights, I either sleep through or wake once at the most. I'm sleeping again! Actually sleeping. It is a miracle! The last time I had a pain-killer was the first month I was doing this. Now, they're gathering dust in my cupboard. The first 3 months were the hardest as my foods were so limited to choice from and I became frustrate and angry quickly. But, the reward is this; now that my body is stronger, I can eat berries, bananas, apples, kiwi-fruit, mango and .... wait for it. I can now tolerate small amounts of tomatoes, curries, oranges and chocolate! Yes, it is truly remarkable. And writing this makes me realise just how far I've come. I'll also make note that I saw a pelvic floor therapist, on a one-off. She taught me exercises to do at home to help retrain my bladder to increase capacity and reduce frequency. I deem this as an equally important step to recovery.

Now 6 months on, I would say I am around 70% healed. I would say that I am fully recovered when I am able to return to full-time work. Right now, I am capable only of casual. I believe the longer we have IC, the longer it takes us to heal. Having IC for 5 years, I can't believe that in only 6 months, I almost have my life back. I thank God that I found the light and each day, I am ever more grateful that I discovered the path for my body to heal. And I have never looked back. For an idea, my diet consists of no processed foods and no take-away. I prepare most of my meals myself, where humanly possible. I drink vegetable and fruit juices for breakfast and I believe this step was crucial in my initial healing. I have lots of alkalizing almond milk smoothies. Salads form a big part of my meals. I eat mostly a plant-based diet. I have now also added in green smoothies as the second stage to my healing process.

You will find much more information on what I have done to heal on my blog: IC What's Going On Here. I wish you well on your healing journey. Remember, we are all different and we must take our own path. Remain open minded and take the information that sits well with you. Most of all, listen to your body. Keep a journal of your symptoms. If you watch how your body reacts and responds, you are already on your way to true health.

Best wishes,
Missy


Barbara from Rawfully Tempting
http://www.rawfullytempting.com/

Barbara is the creative force behind Rawfully Tempting and her Raw Vegan Recipe Blog. In her blog, newsletters, articles, classes, upcoming books and videos, Barbara strives to take the fear out of trying something new and bring simplicity to the surface. Barbara is a self-taught chef that has a knack for creating and writing recipes in an easy to follow format, complimented by mouth-watering photos that give her readers confidence that they can begin to create their own raw delights with ease. Diagnosed with an "incurable" disease (Interstitial Cystitis) over a decade ago, along with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and difficulty losing weight, Barbara is on a journey to restore health and vitality. She openly and honestly writes about the everyday hurdles she encounters, along with her successes, and invites you to join her on this path.

Barbara says...
"I'm still working through healing the IC and FMS and CFS...I DID get into remission for 3 years by eating totally vegan several years ago..but fell off the wagon and lots of stress brought it back..now still under so much stress I'm working against myself..but..eating raw has begun to heal many things for me.

Used to have acid reflux...GONE. Allergies and chronic sinusitis ..GONE...bloating/digestive problems...gone...

I did try juicing and for me that caused more problems..taxed my system..too quickly and ended up with fibro and chronic fatigue..so now working on those too...

I don't often have the burning any more like I used to..but still have pressure most of the time...frequency..not so much, but can happen in a flare up.....but I believe I'm on the road to healing..and I know my body feels better eating raw........my boyfriend started eating what I do and he does not have health problems..but we noticed his skin cleared up BIG TIME and he lost 25 pounds..without trying. I also lost weight..but that has come to a halt..and I need to lose much more."

Rawfully Tempting also has an amazing line of nutrient dense, raw, gluten free cuisine that explodes with flavor. These treats are "decadent, nutritious and delicious." Many of these treats are also IC-Friendly. Barbara still strives to follow a raw, vegan diet to help heal her health issues. She's experienced the benefits once before and is working hard to keep them coming.


Sunny M.

Sunny has healed her IC through a raw food diet and speaks about it in her videos on YouTube.

Sunny's Bio in her blog

Great resources

This list is being constantly updated...

VIDEOS

Forks Over Knives: FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow "reality patients" who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments – while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed. (GREAT FILM!)

Food Matters: This is a great documentary that features many leading experts in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kinds of foods, supplements, and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses ranging from allergies & heartburn to as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer. This is a great film for those who still remain a bit skeptical as it contains loads of information backed up by scientists. It's definitely worth checking out! (Available to watch instantly on Netflix, too!)

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead: A documentary of an overweight man who is sick with an incurable disease and taking multiple prescription medications. He goes on a 2 month juice fast, looses weight, and cures himself. The movie chronicles what he goes through and how he inspires others along the way. Kinda corny with the cartoons, but overall good message with good information.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days: Great film that follows a group of people going on a raw food diet to reverse diabetes. If it works for diabetes, why not for IC?

Sunny's YouTube videos: When I first got into the whole raw food thing, I was a bit overwhelmed. But once I simply started eating mainly fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and started feeling better, I was hooked! This woman, Sunny, guided me through it all. While she does get a bit too spiritual for me at times, she has provided me with a lot of knowledge and inspiration through her videos. She is the only person who has healed herself from IC with a raw food diet that has made YouTube videos (so far!).

Dan the Man's YouTube videos: This guy was another major source of knowledge and inspiration. He does not have IC, yet he strongly promotes living healthy and a raw food diet as a way of healing. Just listening to this guy puts a smile on my face. He is a little crazy at times, but he has such a high energy and love for life, it's hard not to listen to him! :)

BOOKS

The Detox Miracle Sourcebook: This book seems like it is written for me (and everyone who has a chronic "incurable" disease looking to heal!). This book is written by Dr. Robert Morse and contains valuable information on health, nutrition, and everything you need to know about detoxification. Dr. Morse knows his stuff - out of 100 people who come to him with various types of cancer, approximately 70% cure themselves, 20% can't do the program, and 10% are too advanced or do not want to live. His program focuses on raw foods and detoxification. If it works for cancer patients, why wouldn't it work for IC patients?!

Catherine Simon: The author suffered with severe IC for many, many years and cured herself through natural methods. She shares her story, along with great information and inspiration, in her books.

Solving the Interstitial Cystitis Puzzle: A Guide to Natural Healing: I have not read this book yet, but it was highly recommended to me by a good friend who is also healing her IC naturally. The author has cured IC in many others before and writes about her techniques in this book. The main idea is alkalizing the body. Multiple sources say that many diseases are formed in the body when it is in a state of acidosis. To reverse those diseases, one must alkalize (and one of the ways to do this is to eat alkalizing raw foods!) Just read the comments on Amazon and see what others have to say about it!

ARTICLES

The Benefits of Juicing

How to Eat Healthy


Is Sugar Toxic? Great article that discusses how sugar contributes to disease.

A Health Report that speaks about Spirulina and how it can help those with IC.

To Reduce Pain (and alter your brain) Try Meditation.



WEBSITES

The Yeast Connection: "The role candida plays in chronic pain and disease is no exception. Yeast overgrowth disturbs your intestinal tract lining, allowing allergens and toxins into your circulation while your immune system becomes to weak to handle the influx. This combination is one of many variables that play a role in a diverse group of seemingly unrelated health problems – not just vaginal yeast infections. These range from PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis, just to name a few. The Yeast Connection and Women's Health includes a more in-depth discussion of yeast's possible role in these serious and uncomfortable conditions and makes treatment recommendations."

Sunny's blog

IC Success Stories

Natural Healing for IC



If you have other great resource suggestions, please let me know and I will add them!