Yeast Infection - Los Angeles, CA

Yeast infections (candida) are the result of your body's PH being out of whack (too acidic). ELIMINATE all processed sugars from your diet, take a probiotic supplement (i like Solaray's Multidophilus), and drink a mixture of 2 Tbs of raw unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with 1/2 tbs baking soda with a little warm water and a dash of pure apple juice 3 times a day. This concoction is very alkaline forming, and also antifungal (candida is a fungus). If this doesn't work in a week, I would start researching about incorporating more alkalinizing foods into my diet and go to the health food store and buy Solaray's Yeast-Cleanse (contains Caprylic Acid, Pau Darco. Tea Tree Oil, garlic and grapfruit along with other vitamins) to bring your bodily pH back to the correct range where candida cannot flourish (6.5 to 7.5).

this website is a great source for natural cures (including candida): www.earthclinic.com

this is a good list of alkaline and alkalinizing foods: http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/foodchart.htm

good luck!

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I know how that it. I used to get yest infections all the time. I went the natural way to treat it after nothing else helped. You douche with Red Rasberry tea and put on aloevera for the itching. Yes I know it sound weird but it does work I have only had one in the past 8 years. I used to get them ALL the time. Try it. It really does work. Oh, don't use just rasberry it has to be RED rasberry. Good luck

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I had the same problem after having my son. I had about 3 yeast infections while being pregnant and I'd never had them before in my life. My OB said it could have been from hormones during the pregnancy making my good bacteria levels low. Then after he was born I kept getting them for about a year and a half. I gave up on Monistat on those creams because it'd just come back. I went to Whole Foods and got these little pills, I can't remember the name exactly. They come in a little white bottle and it says Candida Yeast Relief in green letters. You chew them (they taste kind of like vanilla) I think 3 times a day for a month. I never had one after that. They're all natural so they're safe if your breastfeeding or just hate chemicals like me.

You may just need to make sure they're ok because you're diabetic, but I don't think it'd be a problem. It was around $11 for the bottle. I think they also have other pills called Candida Cleanse and stuff there too where it just clears your body of yeast and you take them like a regular pill. I've heard good things about those too.

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Yes! Yogurt! Your body needs a healthy balance of good, welcome flora in your intestines, and also your yoni! Use the Monistat to get rid of a yeast infection quickly, and then recolonize your body by eating yogurt. And...even better...dip a tampon into plain, unsweetened, live cultured, organic yogurt like Stonyfield, or Strauss, and insert to recolonize that way. (With persistence this method can also rid you of a yeast infection in a few days, and the yogurt is very soothing!)

The flora present in yogurt feed on the yeast in your body. Many more common brands of yogurt don't have adequate amounts of live culture, and are mostly sugar and gelatin. Go to a health food store and buy the real thing.

Antibiotics, and in some people high yeast diets (lots of leavened bread) contribute to yeast infections.

Good Luck!

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Stay away from beer and bread, and other yeasty foods. It also might be coming from your husband. I read an article in the L.A. Times or Daily Breeze, about 10 years ago, about yeast being present on men, which doesn't bother them in any way and then being transfered to their partners. It's not a disease, so not everyone, including doctor's, think of it getting transfered this way. Or will even believe you. I had recurrent infections and as soon as my husband and I read this article, he stopped drinking beer and they went away.

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I found "Cystex" to be a must! It works so well. A little red tablet over the counter. Take it and it helps take the sting away. That may be from a bladder infection rather than a yeast infection though. I guess I haven't had a yeast infection like you describe?
I just know that when I was a young pre-teen I used to get bladder infections caused by too much yeast, as I remember it. My urinary track would get so painful that it would pinch and cause me great pain. Cystex took it away within the hour.
I wish you well. I hate these little uncomfortable womanly ailments. *sigh* (hugs)

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I recommend drinking danactive probiotic yogurt drink. My whole family drinks it and we are hardly ever sick, and the probiotic bacteria help keep the overgrowth of yeast in check. Yeast infections occur when the balance of flora in the vagina is upset by some reason (can be hormones, sex, antibiotics, etc.) Good luck

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Sometimes the "old-fashioned" cures are the best. I used to suffer with recurrent yeast infections, too. I began using only white,unscented toilet paper, wear only white, cotton panties, no tub baths. Eating yogurt once a day and/or douching with plain yogurt will probably take care of it. Whenever I have to take a round of antibiotics I try to eat yogurt once a day and usually don't have any problems.

I hope this helps!
C. M.

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Hi S.,
Welcome to California! It looks like you got a lot of good responses; my advice would be to see a doctor (just to be sure there's nothing seriously wrong), then start eating yogurt daily. If you'd like to try a probiotic, Shaklee offers one of the best available called Optiflora. Sometimes it's easier to just take the probiotic pill rather than remembering to eat yogurt everyday! You can browse the nutrition products on www.shaklee.net/mclemore
Good luck!
C.

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Eat a lot of yogurt and go to the health food store and get Acidophilus pills. They are kept in the refrigerated section in the vitamin area. that will help your body regulate itself and hopefully not need any more medication. Hope this helps!

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Hi S.,

I had problems with this for years and have been clear for 6+ years now. Here is what I learned:

1.Diet that doesn't feed the yeast (No coffee, sugars, low carb, alcohol.
2.Resist the urge to take antibiotics unless it is serious. I started telling my doctors that I was trying to stay away from antibiotics and they usually told me the "emergency" signs to look for and instead gave me home remedies to try first. So be persistent in getting your doctors to work with the whole body, not just the immediate problem.
3. The garlic clove in the vagina someone else suggested DOES work. I used sterile gauze, semi-crushed a large clove, and made a sort of tampon with dental floss for string and used a new one every day for a week. I know it sounds weird, but if you get desperate enough like I was?!... and it worked!
4. Diflucan does work, but I think it is a temporary fix and that our bodies build resistance to it. It is not fixing the problem at the source.
5. drink more water- this is STILL something I have to work on!
6. Don't use the pill for birth control- it aggravates the problem for many.
7. Probiotics.
8. Sunshine where the sun don't shine :)- don't ask me where you are going to find space for that in LA!

I know it sounds rather daunting, but now that I have been healthy for year, I can say it was worth the trouble.
Be well!
S.

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I am currently using Monistat to try and cure my yeast infection. I got the 3 day. This will be the last night. I read the book that came in the package and it said that it would increase itching or burning when you use the treatment. IT DOES! I could barely sleep last night. It was so uncomfortable! I decided to take care of it myself and I am praying that was the right decision. I was a little scared because I'm not 100% sure that I am not pregnant. Did you have to go to your OB even after using Monistat?

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It sounds gross but I have had success with Kefir, and I don't mean drinking it.
My Mom had really bad yeast infections when she was pregnant and none of the meds were helping her so her doctor used tincture of violet. It's a really old time method but she said it worked like a charm. It's safe because it's what they use to treat a yeast infection on nipples and in baby's mouths. I got some by ordering it at a local pharmacy.

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I have 2 wonderful cures that are inexpensive and natural. I had a chronic yeast infection when I was young and discovered this; String white cotten thread with a needle through a large clove of peeled garlic (remove the needle of course) and insert as you would a tampon, using the thread to remove it. Leave the garlic in for 24 hours and refresh if necessary. I found that 2 days was all I ever needed. Also, you can use the monostat applicator to insert plain white yogurt, put a minipad on and after 2-3 applications your cured!!!

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Oh YES I certainly do know what you're experiencing! To get off that yeast infection roller coaster is hard but totally doable. It's called candida and there are plenty of "diets" out there to keep it at bay. I say keep it at bay because you'll always have good and bad bacteria in your gut; it's just that the bad have been allowed to run rampant for a long time. And you probably have looser stools too? Anyway, it basically consists of getting off the big foods that yeast LOVES (we do too unfortunately) like wheat and SUGAR. It's hard but if you just decide to do it for a month and then slowly allow foods back in on occasional basis you'll be victorious! I had it when my first was born too. Both of my daughters take a daily 1/4 teaspoon of acidopholus powder in their juice to keep their gut healthy. Anyway, if you can and are interested in alternative medicine a good homeopath or naturopath will get you through it. You need the elimination diet WITH a good probiotic (acidopholus and the like). There are many resources like Dr. Crook (the "father" of The Yeast Connection) at www.yeastconnection.com where there's also a quiz under resources to see if you have it. I had yeast infections for YEARS and since finding all this stuff am FREE. Good luck.

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The only thing that ever works for me is to have the doctor prescribe Diflucan. I usually have them give me 2 doses. It will cure it right away. The over the counter stuff has always been useless to me. I get a yeast infection any time I even look at a antibiotic. Hope that will work for you. I know they can be miserable!

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Get a good probiotic from a health food store with at least 3 or more good bacteria strains...it balances your good bacteria with the bad bacteria that exists in your gut. works wonders for candida (yeast)...(it won't cure but will get your insides in shape to fight the yeast). did you have an antibiotic during delivery? because all antibiotics flush out both good and bad bacteria so you need to balance your body's flora. are you nursing and experiencing thrush in baby's mouth and/or on your nipples? if so, get your flora balanced right away or else you'll endure more problems in the future...i know because i went through it...hope it helps.
p.s. a probiotic is good to take on a regular basis, by the way.

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Hi!
Of course, you should go see your doctor, or a nutritionist first, but most all yeast problems are food-related.
I happen to have extensive experience with yeast. This is what worked for me: I cut out ALL (I MEAN ALL!) the sugar in my diet for 6 weeks. If you are serious about this, and you want to be rid of it for good - this is your diet:

Breakfast:
3 oz. Egg whites and spinach (cooked without sugar)
(Or 3 oz. chicken, fish, or turkey with 1 serving of greens)

3 hours later:
3 oz. lean protein (above) and 1 serving greens
(cooked without sugar)

Lunch:
3 oz. lean protein and 1 serving greens
(cooked without sugar)

3 hours later:
3 oz. lean protein and 1 serving greens
(cooked without sugar)

Dinner:
3 oz. lean protein and 1 serving greens
(cooked without sugar)

That's it! It takes a couple hours (you can do it after you put the kiddies down) but it is SO worth your time. It will level out your blood sugar tremendously! Just look at it as medicine. For me, it changed my life, because it required me to tend to my OWN needs, and on many levels, it helped me with my moods, and with my relationship to my SELF. It's like the oxygen theory -- get your own FIRST -- then you can assist everyone else!

I know it sounds strict, and it is! But if you are serious about getting rid of this yeast thing FOR GOOD, then I encourage you to do this.

Go to an office supply store and buy a little scale, and get some little plastic containers to pre-measure and store your servings. It costs time and energy, but is there a price tag on your health?

There is a book, called "The Yeast Connection", which is also helpful. The author's name escapes me, but you may want to pick up a copy! It took your body a LONG time to develop this tendency, so it will take a while for it to get rid of it.
Good Luck!

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Hi S.:

Welcome to Southern California. Something to consider may be whether your recurring yeast infections might be caused by an allergy. Since allergies can now be cured, and in a non-invasive way, with out having to put any chemicals in your body, I thought you might like to look into it. You can visit naet.com for more information and to locate an naet certified physician. I love mine and have been cleared of many allergen blockages, and I am absolutely amazed at the breadth of things the body considers allergens, and the unique ways it responds to them.

Best wishes,

M.

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Try Tree Tea Oil, you get it at health food stores, mix it with water, you will need some kind of a turkey baster to squirt it in there, it works for vaginitas and for other infections as well, our family uses it. J. L.

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EASY, seriously.

Decrease foods that will cause the candida to grow out of control....dairy and sugar, as well as grapes, raisins, mushrooms, bread, wine and beer.

Take PB8 daily. There are days I take none, but if I have pizza, I'll take 4 or 5 that night before bed. If I have wine, I might take 1 or 2. If my diet was relatively free of those foods, perhaps I'll take none. http://www.nutritionnow.com/PB8.htm Not all probiotics are created equal.

Have your husband or partner take 2-3 PB8 each night for 2 weeks, as I have found that partners will pass it back and forth...but the women get the majority of the symptoms. Men tend to get symptoms in their sinuses, usually misdiagnosed as a sinus infection or allergies, when it's actually candida many times.

Lastly, for immediate relief of symptoms:
Go get a hot water bottle - you know pink latex thing with a screw-in plug? Well, this one should have an enema and douche attachment. You can get this at any drugstore all in one box. Looks like this: http://www.shopinprivate.com/endoucwatbot.html

Fill it 3/4 with warm distilled water (warmed on the stove - not nuked) YOU WILL BURN YOURSELF IF IT IS HOT.
Fill it 1/4 with Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar

Put the screw plug in that is attached to the hose. Add the hose clamp and add the attachment that looks like a tampon. Hang the bottle in the shower and then use it in there. Unclamp the hose after inserting the "tampon" part. Do this every day until symptoms are gone and maybe for another few days, to make certain that the vaginal canal is acidified and back in balance.

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S.,
Are you nursing? If not you should take oil of oregano internally for 2 weeks and follow with probiotics. Your body has an overgrowth of yeast and oregano will kill it. If you are nursing you can't take it though. I would see your GYN and try something other than Monistat and then go on a fungus elimination diet. No yeast, mushrooms, fermented foods, cut way back on sugars, hard cheeses. There's a book called the Fungus Link by Doug Kaufman. Look him up and read more about the diet.

Good Luck and Congrats on your new baby!
D.

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Hello S.,
I see you have been bombarded by responses but I guarantee this one. Yes, you can follow all the hygenic tips, acidollpolis tips, and sugar free diet. But the diabetic issue is larger than that. I have the same problem. I discovered a natural herbal liquid called "candidate" sold online by "Native Remedies". I think the company is in Florida. You can call them at: 1 + 877-289-1235. or Google the company and order if from their website.
I use 15 drops two or three times a day in water or juice for active infections, only twice a day for maintenance. These are natural anti-yeast herbs. I can feel them work within the hour. I have been on this stuff for one year and only have a problem when I run out! This stuff is the only fast, natural, cheap, (about $30 per bottle) method I have found for systemic yeast.
Best of luck!
Big Hug,
P.

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I had chronic yeast infections and this is what I did. First, get a book called The Yeast Connection by William Crook, M.D., and read it. In the meantime, take large daily doses of high quality acidophilus, like Bio K (available refrigerated at Whole Foods, expensive but it works.) Also, a doctor told me once to just sit in the bathtub (open legs) and use the water and your "pushing" muscles to wash it out. This provides some temporary immediate relief. Since you are diabetic, I imagine you do not eat sugar, but also avoid all wheat flour products and white carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes). Use alternative grains like kamut or ezekiel bread (Whole Foods/Trader Joes). Try that for a month and then you can gradually add some whole grains back and have white carbs occaisionally. Also you can take a few drops of extract of grapefruit seed in a glass of water (nasty, but it's a natural anti-yeast and bacterial)once a day. Yeast is systemic so it takes some time and few dietary changes to take care of it. Hope this helps!

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After I had my son I seemed to have this problem and then I found AZO Yeast pills at CVS pharmacy. You take two or three a day when you have the yeast infection and then one a day to keep them away once it is gone. I haven't had one since and that was about 8 months ago. Try it! Good luck!

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Probiotics are definitely the way to go. You can take them orally (I like Probiotic Pearls for convenience and quality) and even use it vaginally (Bio-K). Quality is extremely important with probiotics, so make sure to choose a brand that insures it has been refrigerated from production to sale. (Except for the Pearls which do not require refrigeration). Sometimes Monistat can provide quick relief, which is fine, but be sure to ALSO do probiotics to restore the body's natural bacterial flora.

Also, it is very important that you eliminate any dairy, soy, sugar or simple carbs (bread, pasta) during an infection. Caffeine and alcohol should be limited.

With practice you will probably be able to prevent infection by eliminating these foods and starting probiotics at the slightest hint of discomfort. If this does not work for you, I'd recommend seeking help from an acupuncturist, naturopath, or homeopath who can address the underlying imbalances in your body.

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Intra-vaginal garlic! It sounds strange but is such a powerful remedy for a lot of things. Stick it in overnight and see if it clears up. It has been known to clear up in just one night. You can put a string through a clove of garlic, so it's easier to take out. Or if you really feel up to it, cut it up and stick in a cheese cloth, then put it in. It burns for a few minutes, but will stop shortly.

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A great homeopathic remedy is highly concentrated acidophilus, Jarro-dophilus +fos, is a powder form that is taken orally, mix with water or juice. Works in a few days. You can get it at a healthfood store, Whole Foods I think is in LA or Jimbos.
Good Luck
K. Mom and RN

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S., have you tried probiotics? Natren is the best but most expensive on the market. It is great at leveling off your ph and fungal growth internally. They have a regimen that you take every day and they have a regimen that is called Gynotren that you take internally and flush the affected area. I hope this helps, it helped me.

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I am the queen of yeast infections and I have it all down. First you have to change your diet. No dairy, cheese, sugar, cut the starches down, eat fresh fruits and raw veggies and lean clean meats. Take a product called Ambrotose. It's shown a 95% kill of Candida Albicans in a triple blind placebo study. Take it 3 times a day. You can email me for where to get it. Next, call your OB/GYN and get a solution of Boric Acid. ( 4.2% solution in 960ml) Get a medium syringe and fill it with 6ml of the solution. Insert a tampon and then the syringe and push the solution onto the tampon inside you so that it is soaked in the tampon and you sleep all night with that in there. This puts the Ph balance back where it should be and the good bacteria that lives in your vaginal will then start to take over and kill the bad guys. Do this every-night. It is very safe and effective. After your infection is gone just do it once a week to keep it in check. This works like a charm and you can get back your life. Mine were so bad I just couldn't take it anymore. After I started doing this, I haven't had an infection now for over 10 years. Good luck and if you want you can email me for more info on this. I've got this one down! That and asthma. That's gone now too!

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Hi S.,
First research Hibiscus Flower on the Internet and see if drinking Hibiscus Tea or Jamaica will work for you. As you know please check out any new RX, herbal supplement, tea with your primary care giver. With that said my oldest sister has type 1 diabetes as well and she chose not to have a baby, even though I offered to have her baby for her and her husband. Hence, your "Request" caught my eye and I responded. My youngest daughter discovered Hibiscus/sweet/sour plum tea at a TenRen teahouse in SF's Chinatown about 3 months ago. She did not care for the taste so of course being the thrifty person that I am, I drank it and loved it. At the time I was premenstral and noticed that I did not develop my normal PMS (e.g., pimples, bloating...hope you can recall PMS even though you are a new mom...I know you don't miss it:) In addition, I notice that when I did actually have my period that I no longer have blood clots (I'm 45 years old mother of 2 adult males and one HS senior female). So Jamacia is a natural blood thinner. I've noticed that I have more energy just because I feel better (i.e., I've lost weight, lowered my BP and my recent physical indicates I'm on the right track to being my "old self"). Since I walk my dog daily, do yoga once a week, and simply add exercise whenever I can...I have maintained a 30-lbs weight loss since 2005 (i.e., right before we adopted our beloved pug Toby whom gets two walks daily). I cut out fast food which saves me money and that feeling of guilt when, in the past I ate more unhealthy. However, I do buy Mc D's Asian salad which is quite good considering I'm Asian American. So, how does this apply to you? Well, I've haven't had a yeast infection for years and I still need to lose an additional 30-lbs to be within my ideal weight for my height. In short, I simply feel healthier and have much more energy. As a result, I have a positive attitude which bodes well for me as I am a marriage therapist intern working with teenagers daily. Hence, please ask your doctor if drinking Jamaica (which can be found in any Mexican Market, dried...red flower leaves that you brew with hot water and can sweeten with Splenda or any artifical sweetner that you like). I brew my daily and drink my Jamaica chilled with fresh ginger root(ie., the ginger root is brewed along with the dried flowers) too (i.e., if my stomack is too acidic, the ginger tea alone helped my sister's acid reflux). If your doctor says that you can try drinking hibiscus/Jamaica tea, simply test your blood more often to see if your need for insulin has changed. Congradulation on your baby and welcome to the California. I was born in LA and grew up in Gardena (hence my love of Chicano studies and culture). I live in the OC (please don't hold that against me, I'm so not what you see on the tv or how the media portrays OC).I work in Anaheim where the social economic status make-up is similar to Gardena, thus I feel at home with a diverse population. I hope Jamaica will be beneficial to you and your. With regards, TTFN, T.

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Do you know anything about candida overgrowth and how it relates to sugar intake? This is something that we have had many talks about in my house because my mom is a health nut who strongly believes that every disease is somehow linked to what we eat. It's kind of a lot to talk about in this little space but basically I would suggest eating tons of plain yogurt. The good bacteria in the yogurt kills the bad bacteria (yeast) in your system. My mom has a friend who has this same problem and does these two things: she stabs holes in a clove of garlic and manually inserts it into her vagins. She also uses plain yogurt as a suppository by dipping a clean tampon in it and inserting it. As for the garlic, I myself have done this and can say first, you will smell like garlic so you may want to stay home the day you do this because I didn't and people kept asking my mom if she was making garlic bread ( I was at her house!! very embarrassing) also if you go this route with the garlic it is fairly simple to remove but you will have to squat and get very intimate with your own body. My moms friend always uses the garlic and says sometimes it comes out GREEN from all the bacteria it is absorbing. If you have been on antibiotics a lot or a strong dose you should know they cause yeast infections as well, so during a course of antibiotics I suggest at least 8 ounces of PLAIN yogurt a day, 2 hours after each dose, the drink "Yukult" can be substituted for yogurt but again the yogurt should be plain because all the flavored stuff has sugar in it which will onlt make matters worse. I'm sure I will get some negative responses for this post cause the advice seems to go outside of the typical western doctor's treatments but these things do work. By the way, one last note is that if you do just stick to the over the counter yeast infection treatments make sure to use a 7 day treatment instead of a 1 or 3 day treatment. Good Luck!!

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gUDGAz...

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/cand...

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