CANDIDA, COULD IT BE THE ROOT OF MY TROUBLES?

Today I will talk about a perfect theme for halloween, because I'm kind of terrified of it haha! Normally it is not well understood, generates conflicting opinions, in the field of conventional medicine is sometimes not recognized as a real disease, and has been attributed million symptoms but "supposedly" there is no hard evidence that they are truly linked to it, except for many testimonies of people who have improved treating it, I'm talkin about candida. Normally when I heard the word candida I used to think of a vaginal infection, that you got cured with cream, but apparently I was very wrong.

Let me explain a bit better!

In our body, there's tons of  "good" and "bad" microorganisms who are responsible for keeping our intestinal flora in balance. These essential friendly bacteria, perform important functions in our body and assist in digestion, protect the intestinal mucosa, help white blood cells fight disease, provide important nutrients to the blood, prevent constipation and diarrhea by regulating out bowel movements. They also manufacture vitamins among other things.

Unfortunately when our immunity is compromised by our acidic diet, high sugar intake, processed carbohydrates, stress, pesticides and chemicals in our food and water, and the use of medications, especially hormones and antibiotics; this delicate balance can be lost. The body goes into this state of weakness and the bad bacteria can multiply rapidly.

Candida is a fungus that is always found in our body either in the digestive tract or vagina coexisting with good bacteria without a problem. While our immune system remains strong and we are healthy, this is kept under control. It's favorite food is sugar (including fruit sugar), and a diet low in minerals that contribute to acid pH. Candida is very opportunistic, and as soon as it finds a weakness in our body, it begins to reproduce rapidly generating a wide variety of symptoms. Not only that, but it could pass the gut and expand to the tongue and mucous membranes, skin, organs and in severe cases to the blood (in immunosuppressed people usually), this is then called a systemic infection.

Many times you must have had an earache, headache, itching, pain, fever, upset stomach, among other things, pop some pills and the symptoms go away and don't come back. Now if you go to the doctor with any of these and don't find an apparent cause, we could be talking about the little yeasties.

Candida also expels it's own waste that makes us feel crappy, these are called acetaldehyde, gliotoxins and mannan. Acetaldehyde produce the feeling of being "hungover". These toxins poison our tissues and is not easy to remove, accumulates in your brain, spine and muscles. That explains the mental fog, muscle weakness and even joint pain.

The gliotoxins generate free radicals, which are highly toxic to the immune system and destroys white blood cells that help fight infection. So people with some acute cases of candidiasis suffer from constant infections, which makes it more difficult to address.

Remember what I explained about our pH in the past post acid/alkaline? understanding how to re-balance and alcalinize our bodies is key to healing. Viruses, cancer cells, parasites and fungi love and thrive on acidity.

Candida symptoms are difficult to recognize because they are nuisances that often we get used to have, thinking they are due to age or other circumstances. There are several quizzes that can help you determine if you could have candida (I put a link below), but even if it seems like you do, don't stress, there are several lab tests that an alternative doctor can perform (blood, feces), even if these are not necessarily 100% accurate if your case is not that bad, they can definitely guide you towards treatment. Another method you can try and that can be very effective is to do a candida diet, where basically you eliminate all foods where the yeast gets it's nutrition, so they slowly begin to die off. Now if your doctor suspects that the case is very severe it's likely that you will get a prescription for an oral antifungal. 

Candida Related Symptoms 

(If you have it, is not guaranteed that is caused by candidiasis):

 

- PMS
- Constant Allergies
- Digestive Problems (gas, bloating, cronic constipation)
- Headaches
- Chemical sensitivities, fragrances or cigarette smoke
- Memory Loss
- Asthma
- Mental fog and trouble concentrating
- Loss of sexual drive
- Rashes and constant hives
- Constant vaginal and urinary infections
- Mucus and sinusitis
- Itching of ears
- Toe, nail and skin fungus
- Food sensitivities
- Cronic body pain
- Strong sugar and bread cravings
- Cronic Fatigue
- Thrush (white coating in tongue), mainly noticed when you wake up

My opinion is that if your intuition tells you that candidiasis could be a problem for you, and you don't have access to an alternative doctor, try the diet (works best if it is for a minimum of three months), and you start monitoring your symptoms, if they go away, then there's your answer.

I read a book called "The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates, where all this is explained on a deeper level and it gives you tools in how to handle it, through a diet that helps kill the yeast (can last from three months to three years depending on the severity of the case). Not gonna lie, it's easy not easy to do and to hang on for such a long time because of all the restrictions, but it's definitely worthwhile.

Foods to avoid as "The Body Ecology Diet":

• Sugars: including honey, palm sugar, brown or white, dextrose, agave, maple syrup, etc. Only stevia is allowed.

• Alcohol: dehydrates, is acidic and high in sugars.

• Fats and oils (peanut, corn, canola, soybean, etc), lot's of them are contaminated with fungi. I recommend cooking with coconut oil as it has caprylic acid (anti-bacterial properties) or if not, with olive oil. You can also use flaxseed oil for salads (not for cooking).

• Bread, flour, pasta and grains (millet, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat and amaranth are the only ones allowed). The others contain gluten that can cause autoimmune reactions in sensitive people, their natural sugars can also feed the candida.

• Citric acid found in many foods and in tea, because it's derived from yeast. Try to avoid additives or preservatives, eating as natural as possible.

• Legumes, beans (including soy and its derivatives) are difficult to digest and high in carbohydrates that can't be consumed in the early stages of the diet. After a while reintroduce them, eating sporadically and soaking it overnight before cooking.

• Fungi, some of them produce inflammation if you have candida. Reishi and maitake are permitted because of their properties to support the immune system.

• Nut butters are difficult to digest and have processed sugar. If you prepare it at home with almonds and no sugars, for me it's okay.

• Almond milk, supposedly it generates mucus in the intestinal tract and it is better to avoid them for a while.

• Fruits, their high sugar content even when natural, feeds candida. Lemon and cranberries are permitted in the first stage of the diet, after a few months you can gradually re-introduce grapefruit, kiwi, green apples and berries.

• Vegetables such as russet potatoes, peas, beets, carrots, parsnips, yams and sweet potatoes (only red skin potatoes are permitted sporadically). These have many nutrients, but must be overlooked until the candida is under control.

• Dairy: cheese, milk, cream or whey protein drinks. Probiotic yogurts (unsweetened) or kefir is allowed. Also ghee.

• Coffee, black or green tea, sodas: Caffeine raises blood sugar. They are also acidic.

• Chocolate (nooooooooo!): Unfortunately is high in fat and sugar. You can make your own if you get unsweetened raw cacao (but not recommended in the first stage of the diet because it's a stimulant).

• Cashews, peanuts and pistachios sometimes have hidden fungi, which can create inflammation and slow down the cleaning process. Almonds are the only nuts allowed on the BED, soaked overnight.

• Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, salad dressings and store bought sauces have large amounts of sugar.

• Any vinegar except raw apple cider which is encouraged (unfiltered without the mother). It's made from fermented yeast which can cause intestinal inflammation.

Basics of the Diet

• The base of all your foods will be vegetables. So your plate should contain 80% veggies and 20% of starchy vegetables (red potato, pumpkin), grains (rice, millet, quinoa, etc), animal protein or nuts.

• Use stevia when you feel like craving sweets, it does not help for everything I know (ex. for cooking, because it's somewhat bitter) but let's keep it positive. :)

• Only use organic, unrefined high quality oils.

• Take into account that all your meals should balance your pH eating more alkaline foods and acidic in smaller amounts. (Check the post acid vs alkaline if in doubt).

• Exercise.

• Drink lots of water.

• Eat 5 small meals a day.

• Try to keep stress levels low, meditate, do breathing exercises and yoga. This will allow your body to begin the healing process.

•  Correct your digestion and allows 3 hours between meals.

• Try to combine your foods properly so that digestion is easier and the food doesn't ferment in your digestive tract. I've recently applied it and it helps, I don't feel heavy and helps with bloating.

• Do not eat until you're incredibly full, try to stop eating when you're slightly satisfied to optimize digestion.

• Fermented vegetables is recommended (kimchi, sauerkrout, coconut kefir). Kombucha apparently not, according to some articles I've read.

• The book doesn't recommend juicing when you're starting, but I 'm not going to quit them, so make sure that if you are not going to either, to only use veggies (remember that does not include carrots, beets or fruit of any kind).

You'll go through detoxification and cleansing, accept that it will be uncomfortable but keep in mind that after you pass the episodes you'll feel better than before (depending on the level of toxicity you could go through discomfort at different times during diet not only at in beginning).

Home Remedies

Buy a good probiotic and take it daily, this will help the good bacteria to populate your gut. Other people recommend oil of oregano, also swallowing a whole clove of garlic everyday or cooking with coconut oil. Particularly I drink Pau D' Arco tea, apple cider vinegar diluted in water, caprylic acid tablets (has antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial) and I just bought some digestive enzymes (Enzymedica brand ) called Candidase that I haven't tested, I'm going to start them with the diet.When your body begins to clean, you may experience symptoms such as sore throat, headache, flu, rashes, depression, fatigue, vaginal itching and more. That means that your body is eliminating toxins. The biggest the candida die off, the worse the symptoms. The healing period is different for everyone so have patience.

After all this theory, I want to give you my personal opinion. My mom and I did this diet for three weeks and felt great, she even lost weight (which is not the purpose of this, but if needed, it's definitely a plus). I did had some pretty bad flu like symptoms, headaches and fatigue as soon as I quit sugar. In the long run it was difficult to maintain for me especially because I missed fruit so much, (not so much the other forms of sugar since I eat with stevia on a regular basis). But to be honest I still have some mild symptoms that I don't think I should be experiencing due to the alkaline and natural plant diet that I do, so I want to start it again and see what happens.

Do you want to start it with me? I think that would be a great way to encourage each other in remaining constant, we can share experiences, recipes, tips and opinions. I start today, so if you want to join post in the comments. You can also follow me on instagram and tag #fitforthejourney in your photos related to the challenge.

I also recommend to buy "The Body Ecology Diet" (I only recommend it because it is the one that I read, if you know a better one get it), it's available digitally (I bought mine for my iPad). It will give you more information and detail that could come in handy.

Links:

Candida Quiz  

With Love,

Romina