Does this sound familiar?
You have abdominal pain with gas and bloating, but your doctor can't find a reason for it. You're so tired you struggle to get up in the morning and when you finally make it out of bed, your joints hurt most of the day. You find yourself walking around in a mental fog, confused and depressed. If you’re consistently experiencing these symptoms and more, you could be suffering with an overgrowth of Candida albicans.
Every one has Candida. It’s a normal part of the gut flora, meaning the normal microorganisms that naturally live in the mouth and intestines. The problem is that the Candida population can get out of control. When that happens the intestinal wall weakens, and the fungus can easily enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the entire body. The result is your immune system suffers from the toxic byproducts.
If you suspect you have an overgrowth of Candida, the good news is there is a way to treat it naturally. The first things you need to look at are the risk factors. Overuse of antibiotics, a high sugar and carbohydrate diet, alcohol, and stress can knock your normal gut flora out of balance. By eliminating these risk factors you’re taking the first step to getting your Candida problem under control.
Then you need to look at the foods you're eating and most likely make some changes. These changes won't necessarily be permanent but it IS necessary to steer clear of these foods until your natural flora is restored. The following is a list of food you need to avoid:
All fruit in all forms, aged cheese, additives and preservatives, alcohol, coffee, tea, wheat, oats, white bread, pasta, rye, barley, molded nuts, mushrooms, condiments, sugars, vinegars, and common fats and oils.
Wow, that’s a lot of “no-nos.”
So what can you have? Most vegetables are fine except for the starchy ones such as carrots and potatoes. You can have meat, chicken, fish, and eggs to take care of your protein requirements. You also need to eat plain yogurt or one that has a high probiotic content. Concentrate on non-glutinous grains such as buckwheat, millet, and wild and brown rice.
Most herbs and spices are useful in fighting against Candida, especially black pepper, Cayenne pepper, basil, cilantro, curry, cinnamon, and dill. You can use olive oil, sesame oil, flax oil, coconut oil, and organic butter. Now is a good time to enjoy herbal teas as most of them contain ant-fungal properties.
Many people taking these steps have reported a life-changing experience. And many of the issues they deal with daily . . . joint pain, various infections, dry itchy skin, chronic fatigue, insomnia . . . seem to vanish.
If you think you're suffering with Candida the easiest way to make sure is to have a saliva test. Your doctor can tell you more about it or he or she may recommend a blood test to see exactly how much Candida is in your system.
