– Erica White, Dip.ION, Member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists
One in three people in the Western world is thought to be suffering from yeast infection. For some, it causes chronic, incapacitating illness; for others it triggers just nuisance symptoms, but they can be both physical and mental.
In our intestines there live about five hundred different types of microbe, weighing up to five pounds. There are more microbes in the digestive tract than cells in the whole of the body! For us to be healthy, they should be in two camps, roughly 80% friendly bacteria (good guys) and 20% potential bad guys – which cause no problems provided they stay behind their boundary line. The most prolific bad guy is a yeast called Candida albicans, and various things are happening in this day and age to encourage candida to overgrow – hence, yeast infection.
Many suffererers see candida as an enemy, a dark invader who threatens to overwhelm them and against whom they must engage in long and determined warfare. The only certain way to victory is to understand the enemys tactics and take the offensive with all guns blazing. This enemy will lose no opportunity to regain lost ground, so the battle must be unrelenting until it is fully won.
Thriving candida becomes a fungus, and the work of a fungus is to recycle organic material. To candida, the human body is just a pile of organic material so, given half a chance, it will start to recycle us! Though possibly not a fight to the death, it is certainly a battle for quality of life. Candida travels throughout the body and releases seventy-nine known toxins, causing bowel problems, allergies, hormonal upsets, skin complaints, joint and muscle pain, thrush, infections, fatigue, depression and anxiety – to name but a few! If you feel ill all over, its probably candida.
The situation is largely man-made. Yeast loves sugar, and the average person today eats his own body-weight in sugar every year because its in almost everything we buy. In addition, antibiotics destroy friendly bacteria in the intestines, steroids (creams, inhalers and hormonal products such as the Pill and HRT) suppress immunity, and bottle-fed babies start life with the wrong gut flora. Theres no doubt that we give candida every encouragement. The first stage in fighting back is therefore to take personal responsibility for our health.
If you suspect you might have candida, try an anti-candida diet. If you feel worse, you are on the right track! This is because dead candida releases even more toxins than when its alive, so you experience a worsening of old symptoms or you ache all over and have a fuzzy head. This is known as die-off reaction. Take heart, because after a month you might well be saying say that you feel better than you have for years. Die-off is a last-ditch deception by the enemy because it means that candida is being wiped out and victory is on the way. However, the battle has only just begun.
So what sort of diet? You must avoid all sugars, including natural ones (fructose in fruit, lactose in milk) and refined grains (which add to the bodys sugar-load – eat only whole-grain flour, rice, pasta, etc.). Avoid yeast (in bread, gravy mixes), fermented products (alcohol, vinegar), mould (cheese, mushrooms) and stimulants (tea, coffee, cola). Believe it or not, meal-times can still be fun! Read the Beat Candida Cookbook which has over 300 suitable recipes and many ideas, from simple snacks to dinner-party menus.
But diet alone is not enough; a full four-point plan is needed:
- Follow the anti-candida diet (see the Beat Candida Cookbook.)
- Take vitamins and minerals to boost immunity, preferably a programme tailor-made by a trained practitioner but at least a good multivitamin/mineral complex with some extra Vitamin C though obviously a programme specifically formulated to meet your personal requirements will be more effective.
- Take natural antifungals, one of the most useful being caprylic acid from coconut oil, but there are others. Start with a low level and increase gradually, to minimise die-off symptoms.
- Take probiotic supplements including acidophilus to boost your friendly bacteria. (Yoghurt is fine but wont reach the colon so supplements are necessary).
- At the same time, start taking two acidophilus supplements every day.
All four points are essential in the candida battle; compromise will lead to failure.
But be warned! Anyone entering this battle-field will possibly find themselves in a minefield of confusion and depression caused by die-off toxins, so support from a caring practitioner is extremely helpful. Yeast infection is often misunderstood by family, friends and doctors so loneliness and despair add to the suffering created by the enemy within.
It takes courage, determination and perseverance to win the candida war – but it can be done. I know because I did it! For over fifty years I fought an unidentified foe. Once the enemy had been unmasked, the four-point plan brought victory over life-long sickness.
FOR ACTION
- Re-stock your kitchen with yeast-free, sugar-free healthy foods and look for suitable recipes.
- Decide on a day to start, then do it.
- Take your vitamins regularly.
- A month after starting the diet and vitamins, introduce antifungals provided you feel ready. Start with a low level and increase gradually.
- At the same time, start taking two acidophilus supplements every day.
- Give away your house-plants – you are inhaling air-borne mould spores from the soil!
- Drink lots of water and increase Vitamin C if necessary to off-load die-off toxins.
- If problems persist, or progress seems slow, you really need advice from a nutritional or naturopathic practitioner. You might have unsuspected food allergies, or your liver might need help to cope with die-off toxins. These and other situations can all be helped.
Recognise that each bout of die-off brings you another step closer to healing and health!
