after the birth of my 2nd child 17 years ago, i noticed the rate of my hair loss increasing...and knew that hair loss after pregnancy is normal. after my 3rd child, it might have increased somewhat, but i don't remember noticing so much. however, about 10 years ago i defintely began to notice a significant increase in my hair loss-especially during/after washing. i have always had extremely thick and curly hair, and for years it wasn't noticeable. only in the last year or 2 have i noticed that it is thinning.... my ponytail isn't nearly as thick as it used to be and i think i'm getting abit of of a widow's peak... hairline receding abit. over a year ago i worried abit about it and had a physical and thyroid tests, etc and all came out normal.... i'm assuming it's genetic/hormonal. my hair is by no means very thin, but it is much thinner than it was..........

I think the jury is still out on these "anti-fungal" diets. I think diets high in refined carbohydrates can have all kinds of health side effects, (weight gain, high cholesterol, and as mentioned, diabetes or pre-diabetes, allergies, etc.) and one would be wise to limit them, if not cut them out all together. However, I don't recommend going without grains all together, since I personally need the fiber. Lack of fiber, IMHO, is another thing that causes health problems in people who eat high sugar/refined carb diets. I personally don't believe it is just "yeast" that is the culprit. There are approximately 6 billion little bacteria that live on you and in you. You are an ecosystem, and you can get out of whack. Good stewardship of one's body can help. No cure all, but neither are all the creams and pills, which often do not cure at all either. I followed a no-gluten diet for months to curb menstrual cramps, and it had no effect. Exercise on the other hand, goes a long way for me in helping that problem. However, following a diet high in fiber and with a good balance of carbs and protein helps with a whole lot of systemic health problems. Good fuel keeps the body running well, and that in turn helps the immune system fight off yeast infections. Also may help good bacteria establish themselves in your gut and also on your skin. That's a whole other aspect to the story. Modern vinegar is a far cry from the original fermented product. We're using all kinds of weird bacteria and doing all kinds of things that cause bacteria to mutate, not just "yeast." People are getting mutated e-coli establishing itself in their guts too. I have persistent urinary tract infections that are hard as heck to control too, and I've tried all the suggestions of conventional and alternative medicines, and spent THOUSANDS on tests that showed NOTHING. Here's is a recipe Web site that I like. I am no purist when it comes to anti-yeast dieting, but I think the recipes here are very good and very healthy. Oh, and then there's the issue of all the pesticides and hormonal mimics, and food grown on unnatural fertilizers, etc. It is no wonder that many of us are feeling unwell. We're stressing the earth's immune system and then wondering why our own immune systems are having a tough time. Trying to find good wholesome food, fresh air and pure water and time to de-stress and exercise are quite the luxuries nowdays. I have to balance the cost of healthy food vs the benefits, which is hard to do. I also recommend coconut oil, it is a great food. Not a panacea, but worth including in one's diet. Don't know about yeast issues, but oatmeal is a godsend for helping me with my IBS. But not the instant stuff, that's very refined, the old style rolled oats or oat groats. Modern yogurt, dairy and cheese is a far cry from the old style stuff with natural bacteria in it. One of the worst substances for health is this ultra pasteurized milk that is on the market too. They even sell "organic" versions but ultra-pasteurizing things is not a good idea as a substitute for good hygiene in the processing of food. Here is a link that might be useful: Candida diet recipes

Sal, I hope your family members are improving! Good news about the Provincetown Covid outbreak (after a superspreader event): 833 infections, 7 hospitalizations, 0 deaths. 74% of the positives tests were in people who were fully vaccinated. The hospitalizations were in people with underlying conditions. Vaccines work! This shows that despite the very communicable variant, Delta, very few people became seriously ill. (data published by the CDC) https://news.yahoo.com/eight-hundred-cases-seven-hospitalizations-and-no-deaths-the-provincetown-outbreak-shows-vaccines-work-125324207.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

"I’ve had a lot of experience with my DH going into the hospital through the ER, both by ambulance and walking in. I’ve never seen the ER stacked up the way it was tonight. People were out in the hallway waiting to get in. Inside there were people on beds in the hallways. I feel so bad for the health care providers. I can’t imagine working like this for well over a year." Like NHBaskets I was in an ER this week and had the exact same experience/reaction. My father broke his hip Tuesday, evidently trying to get up and probably relieve himself at the ALF where he is in memory care. He was taken to the closest emergency room at an excellent hospital nearby. I've been there many times with my MIL who also has dementia and also is in memory care-at the same ALF(!) and who used to fall regularly. Because of his mental state I was allowed to go in. The entrances were closed, instead the only way in was through a giant tent set up with airlocks and which had a huge temporary waiting room inside, filled with what must have been a couple of hundred people sitting waiting for treatment-all with masks, some lying down, mostly young to middle aged. My dad stayed on a gurney in the hallway; there were no cubicles open. I sat with him in the hall for almost 8 hours, which happened to be near the ambulance bay. No exaggeration, literally every 2-3 minutes along came a pair of EMTs wheeling patients into the ER. People unconscious, people gasping for breath, people with those bag valve breathing masks, mostly young with a few middle agers and only a couple of elderly folks. It was like being in the modern version of those woodcuts of plague wards. My dad was there 24 hours before we could get him moved to an inpatient hospice care facility. The doctor told me 70 people were waiting for a bed so my father never got out of that hallway, with morphine IV going and COVID victims streaming by.