Acidophilus to Prevent Recurrent Yeast Infections

I am prone to yeast infections.  Not just a yeast infection every now and then, but recurrent yeast infections.  Things like stress and eating too much sugar seems to cause them... and sometimes they just happen for no reason at all. 

For many years now I've been taking acidophilus* to prevent them. I take acidophilus every day, and it only takes a few days of missing it before I can feel the early symptoms of yeast coming on.

The thing about acidophilus is that it won't cure a yeast infection that's already pretty bad.  I've had some success with acidophilus stopping the beginning of a yeast infection, but acidophilus works best for me as a preventive.

* The acidophilus I usually take is Natural Factors, Acidophilus & Bifidus, 10 Billion Active Cells,  which I buy it Super Supplements where they keep it in the refrigerator.

* When I travel, I take Healthy Origins Probiotic, 30 Billion CFUs, which doesn't require refrigeration.

I don't know if it's the acidophilus or bifidus that does more for me. There are so many kinds of probiotics and perhaps if I experimented with more brands, I might find one that even works better... But it's costly to do that. So what I did was try to find the one with the most active cells.  

An extra benefit to acidophilus is that it helps me to not be constipated.... I seem to have a tendency to be constipated.  The acidophilus keeps me regular.

Some acidophilus says "take with food" and some says "take away from food."  I generally take mine every night regardless of whether I've eaten or not.  I think it might cause a bit more gas if I take it on an empty stomach, though.  I can't tell which way is more effective.

Magnesium for Menstrual Cramps

I usually have to take ibuprofen for menstrual cramps.  The ibuprofen is supposed to work for an entire 4 hours, but does it really last that long?  No.... Of course it always wears off at 3 hours.

I've found that if I also take magnesium it really helps with my cramps.  I buy this kind: Country Life Chelated Magnesium 250mg and I take one pill once or twice a day.  Yes, the magnesium has the side effect of making me sleepy... but at least I'm not in pain.  No other side effects from the magnesium though. It actually has a pretty calming effect on my mood, and I also occasionally take it for insomnia or for the kind of mood (sometimes a PMS one) where I'm very tearful.  It just seems to help clear up the tears!

Here's a link to someone else who found magnesium helpful for cramps.  My internet searching mostly turns up stuff about magnesium deficiency linked to menstrual cramps, and I don't know if that has anything to do with the efficacy of magnesium..... I think it might have to do with magnesium causing muscle relaxation.

More Fat or More Salt? Plus new Crockpot Chicken Soup Recipe!

Have you noticed that "low fat" products often have more salt than than their regular counterparts. Next time you are in the cracker or soup aisle, compare the low fat products to the regular products, and you'll see what I mean.

Do you want French Onion soup with fewer calories and more salt, or with more calories and less salt?

It's a trade-off I see far too often.  I bought some Progresso French Onion Soup (which has less calories, less fat, but more salt than another brand) and I've been using it as the broth in beef stew and chicken soup lately. It's yummy!

Here's my new chicken soup recipe -

Easy Crockpot Chicken Soup
1 pound Chicken Thighs (frozen)
1 can Corn, drained
1 can French Onion Soup + 1 Can of Water
Carrots, chopped
Broccoli, chopped
Spices - Ginger, Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper (dash), Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tablespoons Dried Onion

Cook in crockpot on high for about 6 hours.
Then use fork to stir up the soup, all of the chicken falls apart.
Remove bay leaves.
Cook some whole wheat pasta separately, and then add to crockpot.

If you like, add cheese to taste.

Pretty simple, but comes out pretty well. The trick is to not use too much broccoli, I think. Plus the French Onion Soup base really does a good job!  I'm sure you could throw in some Italian seasonings, use fresh onion instead of dried, frozen or fresh corn instead of canned, etc.  This recipe is mine, and it works well because it uses ingredients that I often have on hand!  Celery is another possible ingredient to add.  Do your own thing.

Lithium Orotate and Alcoholism - Curbing the Desire to Drink

Lithium Orotate may help some people with drinking problems.  Anecdotal stories indicate that it may help decrease the desire to drink.  There is a small study from 1986 which concluded that lithium orotate was useful for the treatment of alcoholism. 

Lithium usually has a calming effect. The fact that it can help with mood problems may also be why it helps with drinking issues.  Some people drink alcohol as a means to self-medicate. 

I take Lithium Orotate for bipolar disorder. I don't have a drinking problem, but I still find this topic interesting. Lithium is really helpful in reducing extreme moods and I can relate to many of these people's experiences about how lithium has helped them.

Photo Credit

All of these quotes are from the My Way Out forums about alcoholism and drinking problems.

Toughintexas wrote:
"I feel so much more in control, or just to have that moment to really think about it."

Espoir wrote:
"I have been taking it for two weeks, and have no desire to drink."

xtexan wrote:
"There is a definite, but subtle difference for me. It keeps my temper and emotional response to stressors in check to a noticable degree. It also seems to shave the peaks and valleys off my moods as well. "

sKenall wrote:
"Since I started l.o. in February I feel very balanced. I still get cravings, but my brain allows me to think of consequences, rather than finding a quick fix."

Where to buy Lithium Orotate
I recommend iHerb.com for reasonable prices and fast shipping.  You can also get $5 off your first order by entering coupon code LIN282 at checkout, or following one of these links:
Nutrient Carriers Advanced Research - Lithium Orotate
Doctor's Best - Lithium Orotate (I take this brand.)

More Reviews
Although this product page is old, the 180 product reviews are still available.

More Information
What I know about Lithium Orotate (my writing on dosage, research, etc)
Research and Questions answered by Dr.  Ray Sahelian

Curcumin Not Just for Flu Aches and Pain

Curcumin is an extract from the Indian spice Turmeric.  I've been buying it for about a year now.  The reviews sold me on it. They say things like: Better than pain medicine, works for my dog, etc.

I have to admit that it doesn't cure pain as magically as I had hoped.  However, the one kind of pain that I did notice a difference in was the general body aches often associated with influenza.  It really makes a difference.

My understanding is that it helps with inflammation, and inflammation is the cause of most pain. But apparently there's more to it than that.  Curcumin may be helpful in preventing or treating cancer. Here's links to some scientific studies:

Curcumin stops the growth of breast cancer cells:
Turmeric component curcumin inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation

Curcumin may help prevent tumors caused by radiation:
Potent preventive action of curcumin on radiation-induced initiation of mammary tumorigensis in rats

Curcumin may help prevent skin and muscle damage caused by radiation poisoning:
Curcumin protects against radiation-induced acute and chronic cutaneous toxicity in mice and decreases mRNA expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic cytokines.

 
Doctor's Best, Best Curcumin C3 Complex - Special Discount Price.  First time iHerb.com customers will get $5 off their order.  Coupon applied at checkout.

Related Product: Zyflamend Supplement - A supplement for treating inflammation that contains Curcumin as well as other natural ingredients.

Acidophilus for Lactose Intolerance

A few years ago, I didn't know that Acidophilus could work for lactose intolerance. My husband got a terrible stomach ache from milk, ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products. We went to the drug store and bought Lactase Enzyme and it was expensive. I don't remember if it was the brand name Lactaid or some generic, but it was costly and cumbersome because he had to take it with every meal that had dairy in it. 

Then we learned that acidophilus can also be used to treat lactose intolerance.  Now, he takes a probiotic pill every day that contains acidophilus.  The pill lasts a whole 24 hours (and possibly longer), so it's a lot easier to just take it with other supplements and forget about it.  Now he can eat whatever he wants. 

I don't know if this works for everyone who has lactose intolerance, but it's certainly worth a try.  I take a probiotic supplements every day for a different reason: to prevent yeast infections. It also has other benefits....  having to do with "being regular."

He takes Healthy Origins Probiotic but there are many brands and formulas to choose from.

Free St. Dalfour Jam with my iHerb.com Order!!

I've ordered from iHerb twice this month. Both times my order had a surprise in it. It's not unusual for iHerb to include free samples of supplements, but this time it was a small sample of jam!

The jam was St. Dalfour Red Raspberry & Pomegranate 100% fruit spread. It was absolutely delicious. It is imported from France.  It doesn't have sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but rather it uses grape juice for the sweetener. 

I was sure it was going to be expensive, but we looked it up online and a 10oz jar is only $3.44, so now we're going to be buying a jar with our next order!  That price is lower than what many of the special jams sell for in our local grocery store. Plus no tax online, and free shipping if you spend over $40.. I probably wouldn't spend $40 on just jam, but I can easily spend $40 on supplements plus jam! :)  (Maybe I should be renaming this blog "Jam and Supplements!")

The little sample jar had just enough for two pieces of toast!  Here's a picture of the empty trial size jars next to some of the supplements I bought.  The little glass jar is just as special as the jam... I'm saving them and thinking about turning them into pill boxes!  Maybe I'll glue some felt inside of them.

By the way, the Mushroom Immune Defense is the cheapest mushroom supplements that I've found that actually work.  I've been fighting off one of those nasty "common colds" this week and I'm sure it's helping.