Candida is a yeast and yeasts are parasitic organisms that take nutrients from us and elimiate toxic waste. They have been found to produce over 70 known toxins. When the candida changes from its yeast form into a fungal form, it then becomes poisonous to the body and creates a long list of symptoms.
If you have been given the diagnosis of candidiasis, which is the overgrowth of candida, then you might wonder if there is anything you can do yourself to aid in your recovery. The following seven suggestions should be of some help.
l. Eliminate, or at least minimize, taking any antibiotics, immune suppressing drugs, steroids and oral contraceptives. Naturally, you would only do this after you had discussed it with your doctor;
2. It is necessary to re-establish the good bacteria in your body with acidophilus and bifidus supplementation;
3. Fibre helps absorb and sweep away the candida toxins. The daily requirement for fibre is 30 – 40 grams. However, most North Americans are only getting between 10 – 20 grams in their daily diet. One excellent source of fibre is flax seeds;
4. The growth of candida is actually encouraged by many of the foods and drinks that are in our daily diet. The yeast just feeds on them. We have to eliminate certain things from our diet while we are trying to get rid of the overgrowth of the candida. It is necessary to stay away from sugars and sweeteners, including fresh fruit, fruit juices, dairy products and carbohydrates. Other things to stay away from are fermented and moldy foods as well as soy sauce, alcohol, vinegar, mushrooms and peanuts. Try to get as much fresh vegetables and lean protein into your diet as possible;
5. It can be very helpful to stimulate the immune function. One of the very best ways to do it is by jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline;
6. We all know the benefits of drinking pure water and it also plays an important role in the treatment of candida. Drink at least 7 – 8 glasses a day and for maximum benefit, spread this throughout the day;
7. Make taking the probiotics and fibre supplements a part of your daily maintenance. Candida can come back with a vengeance if you are not diligent about your treatment plan.
It takes quite a lot of perseverance to be successful in combating candidiasis but you will be amazed at how much better you will feel by following these suggestions. Often the family physician is challenged when confronted with a patient who has numerous symptoms and various tests come back negative. One of the main problems is that we all have a certain amount of candida in our systems. It is not easy to diagnose when the candida has changed from its yeast form into the fungal form. It is my recommendation that if you are convinced that you have an overgrowth of candida, that you go ahead and follow these seven suggestions for at least a month, to see if you notice an improvement.