By Christy Lee

"Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. What people call intelligence boils down to curiosity."
—Aaron Swartz

Over the past 25 years, I’ve learned a lot about my health—what works well for me and what absolutely doesn’t. If there’s one thing I’ve come to rely on, it’s this: things will change. The more I’ve learned to embrace those changes with curiosity instead of frustration, the better I’ve been able to respond and grow.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with extremely dry skin. Growing up in Arizona, I assumed it was just part of the deal. I kept lotion on hand at all times, but I never thought there was much else I could do. I also had a dry, itchy scalp, and in high school, I started breaking out in dry rashes on my face—sometimes spreading down my neck. I didn’t want to rely on steroid creams forever, so I got curious. What was actually causing this?

I started noticing a pattern: when I ate bread or other wheat products, the flare-ups got worse. I wondered if I had a wheat allergy. Cutting wheat from my diet felt overwhelming at first, but I dove into research and eventually figured out how to eat gluten-free. The rashes improved—but they didn’t disappear completely.

I prayed for direction and felt prompted to try a new doctor who specialized in allergies. I found one in Tucson, and she helped me get to the root of the issue. After some additional testing, she explained that I wasn’t dealing with a food allergy—I had Candida, an overgrowth of yeast caused by an imbalance in my gut flora. It wasn’t just affecting my skin—it was contributing to my brain fog, my low energy, and other symptoms I hadn’t even connected.

She gave me a clear protocol to follow to kill off the Candida and rebuild my gut health. It took about six months, but knowing the cause made the process so much easier. I had a vision in mind—being able to wear my hair up without someone asking what happened to my neck. That hope gave me the motivation to stick with it. I followed the eating plan, took the supplements she recommended, and slowly, I began to feel better. I stayed committed for the full six months to make sure the Candida was truly gone.

Managing Candida has been a years-long journey. Over the past five years, I made a decision: refined sugar just isn’t worth it for me. I also avoid bread unless it’s properly fermented sourdough—and most of the time, I make it myself. I steer clear of corn almost completely, and I’m always on the lookout for high-quality probiotics. They’ve helped not just with Candida, but with other areas of my health too.

Honestly, I don’t miss the sugar at all anymore. I truly eat what I love—and I love the sustainable energy that comes from nourishing my body with foods that love me back.

So, you’d think that with all this intentionality—cutting out Candida-feeding foods, sticking to supplements, probiotics, and lifestyle changes—I wouldn’t have to think about Candida anymore. And in a way, that’s true. I don’t worry about it—because I understand it. But I’m still learning. I’m still curious.

Just recently, I had to have one of my wisdom teeth removed—at 47 years old. The trauma of the extraction, plus a week of ibuprofen, threw my gut flora off again. I had a flare-up I hadn’t seen in years.

So no—it’s not completely gone. And maybe it never will be. But there’s still more to learn, and I’m okay with that. I’m deeply grateful for the knowledge, guidance, and inspiration the Lord has blessed me with on this journey. My health is so much better than it used to be, and I know that as long as I stay curious and keep moving forward, I’ll keep receiving the next steps—one at a time.

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