How to Take your Basal Body Temperature Accurately

The basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature event within a given 24 hour period. This gradual dip begins in the evening, reaching a low point in the small hours of the morning. Most people take their basal body temperature just before rising; between 5 and 7.30 am.

The average human body temperature is 37°C but will vary throughout the day, the time of the month and from person to person.

Metabolism and Body Heat

Digital Thermometer for Taking Body Temperature

Keeping a record of your basal body temperature is essential if monitoring a thyroid condition or hormonal imbalance. Readings in excess of 37°C in the small hours could indicate an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyrodism), fever or other metabolic malfunction. A reading that dips beneath 36.5°C could indicate an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), adrenal exhaustion, estrogen dominance, hypothermia or an unhealthy diet promoting candida.

Take Your Temperature

In order to keep track of a condition or illness, it is vital to take your body temperature correctly. Consistency and accuracy are the aim.

Highly sensitive digital thermometers are designed only to measure temperatures that fall between 25°C and 45°C. Inexpensive, they can easily be found in the local chemist and are easy to use.

The Digital Thermometer

My thermometer has a digital display and a metallic tip that is placed under the tongue. In fact, the body temperature can be taken in three ways: rectally (the most accurate) orally (almost accurate) or beneath the armpit (the least accurate). Always have separate thermometers for oral and rectal readings. I take my temperature orally, and if done correctly, can be highly accurate.

False Body Temperature Readings

Before taking your temperature, ensure there are no external factors that could affect the reading. Don’t for instance take a reading soon after eating or drinking, as the temperature of the food will affect the result. The reading will be affected if there is a cool draught in the room or if the electric blanket is on. Keep the mouth closed for at least ten minutes before taking the reading so that the enclosure will match the core body temperature.

I am mindful that the thermometer is not in a cold place, as some digital thermometers take only a few seconds before it bleeps and the reading is done. This minimises the chances of the reading being lower than it should.

Here is how I take my basal body temperature.

1 Place the thermometer on a bedside table within easy reach. Have a notebook and pen handy in order to jot down the reading.

2 Plan to take the reading anytime between 5am and 7am before rising. Set the alarm if necessary.

3 Avoid moving too much before taking your temperature. For instance, don’t sit up, talk or shift about, for this will affect the reading. Keep quite still and relaxed.

4 I warm the tip of my thermometer for half a minute or so beneath the armpit for the metallic tip gets quite cold.

5 Once warmed, activate the thermometer until it is reset. Mine shows the symbol Lo.c. Yours might display a different symbol.

6 Remember to keep your mouth closed for a few minutes before popping the metal tip beneath the tongue.

7 Keep still and wait for the beep. Try not to move the tongue around, for this could generate false heat.

8 Wait until the bleep sounds. Most digital thermometers take around ten seconds to complete the reading.

9 I will sometimes take a second reading beneath the opposite side of the tongue. If the two readings differ, I trust the higher reading.

10 Try to take readings on the same time every day in the same way and to keep a record.

Keep the tip clean with mild soapy water after each reading. Don’t immerse in water or expose to extreme temperatures. I keep mine in a plastic container in a shaded position.

I am monitoring suspected estrogen dominance and diet experiment.

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Candida and Hypothyroidism Connection Day 50 of My Diet Experiment: Low Basal Body Temperature

I have kept to a low carbohydrate diet for 50 in the hope of  candida, a yeast fungus that lives in the gut. Debilitating symptoms have plagued most of my adult life. In the belief my problem might be an overgrowth of candida albicans due to stress and a sugary diet, I gave the candida diet a try. I cut out carbs, took probiotics and antifungals.

Hair Loss and Adrenal Exhaustion

New Hair Growth

My hair had been falling out in patches, I had a coated tongue, itchy skin, fatigue, migraines, PMS, dry, puffy eyes and snuffly nose. All of these symptoms would point to an overgrowth of candida in the gut.

The results so far?

Fifty days later, I am noticing some improvement to my heath: my hair is growing back and it is a little thicker than before, my skin is clearer and I have lost weight. I do look a little better than before.

But something is missing.

At times, the coated tongue returns despite taking oregano oil daily, cutting carbs and taking probiotics. My skin continues to itch at night and unless I apply a little coconut oil to my scalp after washing my hair, my scalp would be dry. My hair is also rather on the coarse side.

The whites of my eyes are never really white. They look bloodshot or bleary. In fact, I often look knackered even after a full night’s sleep. I have cold hands and feet and remain tired. My eyes continue to be terribly dry in the evenings. My left eye is drier than the right and the vision is often blurred, even with reading glasses. Add to this, intermittent tiredness, especially in the mornings.

Body Temperature and Candida

Checking Basal Body Temperature

Not happy about the results so far, I read about a connection between candida and low basal body temperature (hypothyroid-like symptoms). If the body temperature is a little lower than normal, the candida flourishes. It doesn’t matter how healthy you eat, the friendly gut flora cannot thrive because it prefers 37 degrees centigrade. Even a few tenths of a degree below that will affect every cell in the body. The digestive enzyme cannot work properly, everything slows down, and the liver is put under stress.

Having a chilly body temperature does not necessarily means the thyroid is underperforming. I have had several blood tests for thyroid function in my life, and the results have always come back normal.

Causes of Low Body Temperature

So what causes low body temperature if the thyroid is functioning properly?

Estrogen dominance is a sneaky little culprit of low body temperature in women. Another cause is adrenal exhaustion.

Firstly, let’s first look at Estrogen dominance. This hormonal imbalance is caused by a junky, sugary diet, estrogen-producing foods, chemicals and stress. Read more about estrogen dominance in my other post.

Adrenal exhaustion is caused mostly by stress (producing the stress hormone, cortisol), which over time puts the adrenals under tremendous pressure. A cascade effect upon the other hormones is inevitable as well as fatigue. Adrenal exhaustion and estrogen dominance are quite entwined, as progesterone (the heat-producing hormone produced during the latter part of the menstrual cycle) is used up during the production of cortisol. The result is a body that is too estrogen dominant and progesterone deficient.

A low basal body temperature is the biggest indicator of either adrenal exhaustion, estrogen dominance or both.

Low Basal Body Temperature

I brought myself a digital thermometer to check out my basal body temperature.

It must be borne in mind, the female body temperature would be a little lower than normal after menstruation leading up to ovulation (the follicular phase), but should fall no lower than 36.6°C first thing in the morning. At this point, I have just finished menstruating (I am on about day 5) so I wasn’t expecting high readings anyway.

I took several readings during the night as I couldn’t sleep.

I took readings from beneath the tongue (keeping the mouth closed) until the bleep went off. My body temperature fell to 36.1°C at 1.30 am, rising to 36.3°C at 4 am. I couldn’t believe these low readings, so I took second readings. My basal body temperature remained in the low 36°C region.

At around 7 am before rising, it rose to 36.6°C. Care must be taken not to move too much or this will affect the reading.

Bodytemperature must be 37°C for around 10 hours per day. Before breakfast (I was moving around at this stage) was 36.8 – 9°C. After breakfast (I took the reading 20 minutes after food, so the food temperature would not interfere) it rose to 37°C. But on sitting and writing this, it fell to 36.7 C. In room temperature, my nose, hands and especially feet feel felt cold. This is nothing new to me as I have suffered with cold extremities all my life.

I kept taking readings and it rarely touched 37°C.

To recap:

At 1.30 am it was 36.1°C

4 am it was 36.3°C

7 am it was 36.6°C

9 am (before breakfast) 36.8°C

10.30 am (after breakfast) 37°C (whoopee!)

But soon (at around 11 am) it fell to 36.7°C

12 noon it was 36.9°C

2.35pm it was 36.8°C

3.30pm it was 36.8-9°C

6pm it was 36.7°C

9pm it was 36.6°C

At midnight, it fell to 36.3°C

By this time, my eyes felt very dry and my headache intensified.

So overall, not good.

Estrogen Dominance in Follicular Phase

Day 50 is not a good day. I had a very mucous throat which kept me awake last night with a cough. The oral thrush has returned along with a snuffly nose. My eyes look bloodshot and puffy, I feel tired and I have had a vague headache all day. This would all indicate to a lower than normal basal body temperature. This is what candida likes.

Later in the day, I had giddy spells and I felt tired. In fact, for the first time since I began this diet, I had to take painkillers for a migraine that threatened to strike. Thankfully, it didn't bite too much, (not like the days when the pain was excruciating. Was this due to a build up of candida courtesy of a high sugar diet?)

The basal body temperature normally rises during the second half of the menstrual cycle (the luteal phase) as the progesterone kicks in. I would expect the symptoms to ease off. It would be interesting to see what my basal body temperature will be after ovulation.

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Yeast overgrowth and low body temperature

Why I began the candida diet

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5 Foods that Cause Estrogen Dominance Which Must Be Avoided

Estrogen dominance is a hidden plague of women in Western society. Consider unexplained weight gain, hair loss, premature wrinkles, PMS, water retention and cancer in later years. I myself have discovered I have estrogen dominance, not only due to some of the symptoms described, but also by my basal body temperature which is lower than usual.

Estrogen and Body Temperature

The basal body temperature can be determined around 6 or 7 am before rising when the body temperature is at its lowest. A digital thermometer is placed beneath the tongue or armpit. Read more about how to raise the basal body temperature and the menstrual cycle on my other post.

When estrogen is too dominant in the menstrual cycle, the basal body temperature is a little lower than it should, averaging around 35.5 or 36 degrees C. I know when my metabolism is not what it should be when my hands and feet feel cold within an environment at room temperature. I have also suffered patchy hair loss, water retention, fatigue, PMS and many other health peeves.

It would seem modern living would promote the production of too much estrogen in the body. Estrogen in the right amounts is needed for proper hormonal function, such a fertility, female development and sperm health, but in high amounts is toxic. Certain foods and chemicals are often the root cause of estrogen dominance.

Here is a list of foods that must be avoided if hormonal balance is to be achieved.

1 Sugar

Foods that Cause Estrogen Dominance

Sugar is found everywhere: tinned beans, soups, relishes, pickles, bread and low-fat products such as yogurts, milkshakes, cereal bars and fizzy drinks. Not forgetting the obvious: sweets, chocolates, cakes, sugary cereals, biscuits and others. A high sugar diet promotes the overgrowth of yeast fungus known as candida albicans, which produces toxins and byproducts, one of which is estrogen. In fact, studies have shown an unmistakable link between candida and estrogen dominance.

In order to redress the estrogen balance in the body, it is time to cut as much sugar from the diet as possible. This will starve the candida albicans, restore gut health and lighten the load for the poor liver, the chief organ that removes estrogen and toxins. A liver that is overloaded cannot remove estrogen efficiently causing it to circulate around the body.

2 Grains

Glutinous grains such as wheat, rye, rice and corn when processed and stripped of natural goodness contains high carbohydrates and low fibre as well as a potential irritant of the gut lining. To promote hormonal balance, cut bread, boxed cereals, biscuits, pasta, cakes, pancakes and other grain-based foods. Porridge, quinoa and buckwheat are the best of the bunch (although buckwheat is not a grain, but a seed). I myself have cut all grains except for a little porridge for breakfast. The whole oat is high in fibre, nutrients and low in gluten.

3 Soy products.

This includes soya milk, cream, beans, powder and tofu. Soya can also be found in unexpected places, such as chocolates, processed foods and fillers for health foods. Mass produced soy beans contain xenostrogens, which behaves like estrogen in the body.

4 Non organic meat products and dairy.

Non organic protein are sourced from mass-produced and force-grown animals to meet commercial demand. For this reason, traces of growth hormones steroids and other hormones including estrogen will often be found and ingested with the protein. To avoid estrogen dominance, go for organic meats and dairy products from grass-fed herds. Vegetarian proteins such as quorn might be a better choice.

5 Booze

Cut all (or most) alcohol from your diet. Again, the liver is at the frontline of detoxification, especially during inebriation. If it is overloaded with toxins, it cannot remove excess estrogen from the body. Alcohol contains sugars and yeast that will exacerbate the candida problem (point 1). I have just one or two glasses of red wine with a meal once or twice a month. Never drink on an empty stomach.

Chemicals that Cause Estrogen Dominance

Apart from the foods listed above, chemicals are also culprit for estrogen dominance. Contraceptives are one of the worst offenders as well as preservatives and additives found in junk foods. Cheap plastic or tins contain PBA, a chemical that causes high estrogen levels in the body as it contaminates the food. Avoid leaving plastic container in the sun, where the plastic warms up, releasing the PBA.

Cortisol and progesterone

And lastly, de-stress. When under long term stress, cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands. Over a long period, adrenal exhaustion will inevitably result, causing the other hormones to underperform. Hypothyroidism-like symptoms will occur. Worse, progesterone is used up during the production of cortisol, causing low progesterone levels in the body. Progesterone is the ‘heat’ hormone, the opposing hormone to estrogen in the menstrual cycle and which kicks in during the latter half leading up to menstruation (and during pregnancy).

Don’t confuse unhealthy forms of estrogen with phytoestrogen, for these are isoflavins found in plants and will in fact help regulate the estrogen levels in the body. Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs contain phytoestrogens as well as essential vitamins and minerals which are needed for optimum health. Coconut oil is essential for ridding of candida, as it contains lauric acid anti-pathogen as well as a metabolic booster.

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Raise Basal Body Temperature Naturally with Diet: Progesterone and Candida Connection

I suffer with cold hands and feet, brittle hair, constipation, dry eyes and mouth and fatigue. Tests for hyperthyroidism always came back negative. However, I have learned that these symptoms point to low body temperature.

A chilly Body temperature is common in women and gets in the way of losing weight, getting pregnant, looking good and simply having the energy to do the things in everyday life.

How to Find your Basal Body Temperature

How the Basal Body Temperature Fluctuates Throughout the Month

The woman’s body temperature fluctuates slightly over the month (see image) but the basal body temperature should never fall below 35.5 degrees centigrade. Your basal body temperature is determined by taking a reading first thing in the morning before rising (around 6-7 am). This will give the lowest body temperature over a 24 hour period. I use a digital thermometer from Boots, the sort that is placed beneath the tongue. The average body temperature for humans is 37 degrees centigrade.

Metabolism Increase and Decrease

It should be noted here that in healthy women, a slight dip in basal body temperature will occur around ovulation (roughly day 14 or 15 of the menstrual cycle) and it will also fall around the time of menstruation.

You see, the body temperature will rise along with levels of progesterone. Progesterone is the heat-giving hormone that is dominant after ovulation (and during pregnancy). Progesterone will gradually keep on increasing during the second half of the female cycle until blood flow.

Progesterone and Pregnancy

Interestingly, I had noticed that my symptoms would ease after ovulation. They disappeared altogether when I was pregnant. My eyes were never dry, my hair was thick and sleek and I had a lot of energy. You might have guessed that progesterone increases throughout pregnancy and keeps the body toasty warm. You could say that my symptoms were kept at bay through a progesterone-dominant nine months.

Soon after pregnancy, the symptoms returned and stuck around for many years. My hair thinned and became brittle, my eyes got dry and I got tired. Why was this happening?

Estrogen Dominance

This brings me to the issue of estrogen dominance, a sneaky curse that afflicts many women suffering from seemingly unrelated health gripes. Estrogen is needed in the body for fertility and also for sperm health. It is the dominant hormone between menstruation and ovulation when progesterone is low.

However, an unhealthy diet, stress and chemicals promote the production of more estrogen in the body. This causes estrogen levels to get too high.

Increase your Body Temperature with Progesterone

When the body is stressed, cortisol is produced at the cost of progesterone. Progesterone levels fall lower than it should, bringing low basal body temperature. All of this is due to adrenal fatigue. The basal body temperature is the best indicator of how functional your hormones are.

A diet high in sugar and carbs also promotes the overgrowth of candida albicans, a yeast that lives in the gut. In advanced stages, candida can cause leaky gut syndrome, where the gut lining gets so inflamed, foreign particles from food leak into the blood stream, causing autoimmune disorders. This causes further fatigue during toxic overload that has to be dealt with by liver, kidneys and pancreas.

Estrogen dominance has been found to have a link with candida overgrowth. Infact one of the by products of candida is estrogen. Low basal body temperature would indicate an overgrowth of candida albicans.

As I am sitting here writing this, I know without checking that my body temperature is not what it should be. My hands and feet are cold despite sitting in a room of around 20 degrees. My aim is to get my extremities feeling toasty like they used to when young.

I have been on the candida diet for around forty-five days now, and although my health has shown some improvement, my eyes remain dry in the evenings, I suffer mild constipation and my hair would look dry without the application of a little coconut oil to keep it looking sleek.

In a bid to raise my body temperature, I have started taking kelp supplements with coconut oil (both found to help raise body temperature). I also am including sea vegetables, which contain iodine and complex minerals, needed to support the thyroid. Wild yam cream contains progesterone, thought to top up progesterone levels in body via the skin.

Should you Cut Carbs from your Diet?

And would you believe, another way to raise body temperature is to ingest more carbs – the very thing that the candida diet gurus advise you not to do. Well after cutting a lot of my carbs from my diet, and finding my hands and feet remain cold, have decided to include healthy sources of complex carbohydrates in my diet: porridge, rye bread and wholegrain rice.

The body needs energy to burn fuel. But not from white, refined flour, sugary cereals or carby snacks. My journey into finding health has become somewhat a winding road. It has begun with cutting carbs, taking antifungals and probiotics. Now the road has twisted to ways of increasing my body temperature. Introducing carbs back into my diet and taking iodine supplements.

References:

X Zhang, et al. Estrogen effects on Candida albicans: a Potential Virulence-Regulating Mechanism. (2000)

S White, et al. Candida Albicans Morphogenesis is Influenced by Estrogen. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. (1997)

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Estrogen Dominance Cure: How Candida Causes Female Hormonal Imbalance in the Body

Estrogen dominance is little known yet is a widespread curse and the cause of seemingly unrelated health problems. Consider resistance to weight loss, problematic PMS, cancer, heart disease, fibroids, hairloss, premature wrinkles, fatigue and lower than average basal body temperature.

A little estrogen is needed in the body for proper female reproduction and the creation of bone mass. In males, a little estrogen is needed for sperm health.

But today’s lifestyle promotes too much estrogen in the body. Too much estrogen is simply bad for you.

Too much Estrogen in the First Half of the Menstrual Cycle

The culprits of Estrogen Dominance.

1 Poor diet causing poor estrogen metabolization. A diet high in grains creates estrogen. Inorganic meats that have received hormone and antibiotic injections can also be carried through the food chain.

2 Being fat. Fat tissue produces an enzyme called aramotase that creates estrogen from testosterone.

3 Deficiency in essential minerals, including zinc, selenium, magnesium and vitamin D and C.

4 Too much alcohol.

5 Taking contraceptives.

6 Exposure to chemicals in household products such as plastics, food tins and beauty products. Look out for parabens, phthalates and BPA. These contain xenoestrogens that will elevate the estrogen levels in the body.

7 Long term stress levels, causing high levels of cortisol – a fight-or-flight hormone similar to adrenaline. Progesterone is needed to produce cortisol. With an overproduction of cortisol, progesterone levels fall, contributing further to estrogen dominance.

Diet and Estrogen

Cold Extremeties

But one of the biggest contributors to estrogen dominance is poor diet. Too much sugar, grains and junk food promotes an overgrowth of candida albicans, a yeast that lives within the intestines. The problem arises when the yeast overwhelms the digestive tract, causing inflammation of the gut lining and eventually, leaky gut syndrome. Allergies and an exhausted immune system are the result.

Furthermore, insufficient fibre in the diet does not permit the conveyance of toxins and excess estrogen from the body. This causes a build up of estrogen.

The terrible thing about candida is that it is insidious. It loves sugar and it impedes nutrient absorption, causing fatigue, cravings, mood swings, thrush, eczema and hairloss. I have experienced these symptoms for myself.

Sadly, the treatment is often for the isolated symptoms rather than the underlying cause. Examples are antidepressants for depression, HRT for hormone imbalances and antibiotics for thrush.

Candida can wreak havoc upon the endocrine system, producing its own false type of estrogen. Too much estrogen in the body in fact promotes more yeast overgrowth, weight gain and a vicious cycle.

In short, healthy adrenals, thyroid and colon are key to rebalancing the hormones in the body.

My Own Experience of Estrogen Dominance

I have noticed that the first half of the menstrual cycle leading up to ovulation is accompanied by a cluster of symptoms which I have always suspected have been connected. In three words too estrogen dominant.

In my own experience, the symptoms are as follows: cold hands and feet, dry eyes and mouth (especially at night), itchy skin, hair loss, fatigue, puffy eyes, water retention, constipation and a yellowish pallor to the skin. Migraines and depression may come prior to or after menstruation. From my research, low blood pressure and temperature dips are indicative of estrogen dominance. Progesterone is the ‘heat producing’ hormone.

Having cold hands and feet as well as low blood pressure might indicate that I do not have enough progesterone.

However, when the progesterone cycle kicks in during the second half of the menstrual cycle (after ovulation), these symptoms ease off. But not for long enough, for soon the cycle starts all over again.

The answer seems to be to rebalance the estrogen levels in the body and to promote progesterone.

From my research vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin B6 and magnesium will promote progesterone production naturally. Wild yam cream, containing progesterone is thought to be absorbed through the skin.

Healthy adrenal glands are also a must. Exhausted adrenals will often point to an overproduction of cortisol which in turns leads to low progesterone. Another cure for estrogen dominance is to de-stress.

Easier said than done but will keep in mind the underproduction of progesterone during the menstrual cycle and amend my diet accordingly.

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Candida Diary Day Forty: How Yeast causes Estrogen Dominance and Wrinkles

Since beginning my trial to see if the candida diet works, I have gone through two menstrual periods. Both were straightforward: abdominal cramping followed by blood loss. There has been no migraines no fatigue and my PMS feels reduced.

However, the period before I began my diet was excruciatingly painful. I had terrible depression, vice-like migraine and nausea. I looked yellow and generally ill. But this was nothing new to me. In fact, for most of my adult life, I have been plagued with horrible periods that stopped me from living life to the full.

Yeast Overgrowth and the Menstrual Cycle

Since beginning my low carbohydrate anti-candida diet, I have noticed my candida symptoms flare up before and around a period. Prior to my previous period, the white coating on my tongue increased a little. Once the period was over, my eyes became dry and my skin became itchy. However, the oral thrush cleared. It seems that a woman goes through a ‘cleansing’ cycle every month, where spots, bloating, fatigue, migraine and feeling generally lousy would indicate the body is going through a cleansing crisis. Such a cleansing crisis is known as Herxheimer reaction. This describes the body overwhelmed by pathogens during the healing process.

Candida and Menstruation

Could it be that the Herxheimer reaction has been happening every month? It would seem to explain why sometimes I could get away with gorging on chocolates and overdoing the wine without any symptoms. Yet on another occasion, my body would rebel against this indulgence with a vengeance.

Herxheimer Reaction and Menstruation

Estrogen Dominance in the Menstrual Cycle

I wondered if the symptoms of troublesome menstruation could be an indicator of the yeast overgrowth in the gut due to bad diet and stress over the previous month. Could it be that during the month, the candida gradually builds up without causing any symptoms until the cleansing stage arrives. The liver is key to getting rid of excess estrogen (not to mention candida-related toxins). Going through the Herxheimer crisis is hardly ideal for a fulfilling life!

Could it be that the liver become gradually overwhelmed over the month, rather like a bank balance due for payout? A month of unhealthy eating, stress (and taking the birth control pill) could lead to a liver overwhelmed with candida die off. Hence the cleansing crisis: migraines, bloating, fatigue, PMS and feeling like death.

What is Estrogen Dominance?

The terrible thing is that a bad diet, lifestyle and drugs (antidepressants, antibiotics and birth control pills) causes the candida to dominate the gut. In turn, it promotes estrogen dominance. One supports the other. It is a vicious cycle.

But what is estrogen dominance?

Throughout the menstrual cycle, the woman’s body temperature fluctuates slightly. During ovulation, it dips. During the second stage of the cycle, the body becomes progesterone dominant as the lining of the womb thickens, ready for a possible pregnancy. This is accompanied by a slight rise in body temperature until menstruation. Once menstruation begins, both the progesterone and the body temperature drops abruptly. I can sense this drop in body temperature when having cold hands and feet, dry eyes, skin, constipation and depression. This shift in body temperature must also cause an interruption in the gut.

The first half of the menstrual cycle commences with a gradual rise in estrogen until ovulation occurs again. Progesterone then dominates.

But when candida overgrowth is added to the equation, the body becomes estrogen dominant. There is a higher level of estrogen in the body than there should be.

Research has shown that too much estrogen can cause ovarian cysts, bloating, hair loss, premature wrinkles, weight gain, migraines, infertility and cancer. Worse, estrogen supports the growth of candida. And candida likes estrogen.

It becomes a vicious cycle.

On day forty of my experiment, I have noticed that my periods have become more ‘straightforward.’ I haven’t had any migraines, but bloating, dry eyes and itching is still a problem. Before a period, the coating on my tongue would increase slightly, and then disappear once menstruation is done.

I am hoping as I continue with the diet, that each period will become less troublesome, the oral thrush will continue to decrease as each month passes. Perhaps these will be indicators of a body becoming less estrogen dominant.

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