For those of you that are not familiar with Candida, this is what it is and it may be what’s bothering you.
Candida albicans is a natural inhabitant, yeast that lives in your colon. It is a small group of parasites that that co-exists with other microbes and friendly bacteria. It thrives in that toxic putrid, damp waste land. For a normally functioning colon candida is not a problem but if you are chronically constipated and backed up or if your immune system is compromised due to bad diet or over use of antibiotics, then Candida can become over abundant and change into its fungal form that can then escape through the intestinal wall and wreak absolute havoc in other parts of your body and you can experience a whole host of symptoms. It is especially insidious because it can change its form to survive much like certain bacteria can change form and become resistant to antibiotics, Candida can be resistant to antifungal. When Candida begins to proliferate it grows like a weed and sprouts long tendrils that burrow deep into the intestinal walls. This is the beginning of infection and disease. If for some reason Candida gets into your blood stream then the spores get carried along and deposited in another warm moist organ where it takes on a fungal shape and resumes its attack on the host. It can be a formidable enemy that can make your life miserable and it makes it all the more miserable when your doctor has taken a whole battery of tests and tells you there is nothing wrong with you. But you know better! You know how you feel and it is not normal!
If you have candida, you may experience some or all of these symptoms depending on the severity of this parasitic invasion:
-constant fatigue
-sinus problems and lots of mucus
-interrupted sleep
-flu like symptoms
-aches and pains in the joints
-especially tight neck and shoulder and increased headaches
-dental problems
-dark circles under the eyes
-low grade fever
-constipation and or diarrhea
-gas and abdominal bloating
-mouth and your eyes feel dry
-unexplained rashes
-dry brittle hair and nails
-feeling foggy
-restless leg syndrome
-irregular heart beat
-numbness or tingling in the extremities
-feeling faint or light headed
-lack of concentration and short term memory loss
-shortness of breath
-sexual dysfunction
-sugar cravings
-white coating on the tongue
-intolerance to smells such as perfume, chemicals and insecticides
-digestive disorders
-depression
-irritable or easily angered
-intolerance to alcohol or gluten
-asthma
-hay fever
-ear infections
These are the most common symptoms reported but there may be others. These symptoms can be moderate to severe. To find out if you have candida you can do a simple home test that has been fairly reliable to determine if candida is a problem for you.
In the morning when you wake up, before you do anything else, work up some saliva in your mouth and then spit it into a glass of clean water. Wait for about 30 minutes then check the water. One of four things may happen. If there are strings coming down from the spit floating in the water or if the water is cloudy or speckled then you may have Candida. If you don’t have candida the saliva should just float on top and the water should stay clear.
There are several reasons why candida can become such a problem. One is over use of antibiotics. This kills the friendly flora and allows the rapid growth of candida as does Steroid abuse.
Another major factor is our environment and the changes in the food industry. Exposure to a toxic environment weakens our immune system. Living on the golf course is all nice and pretty but the reality is that you get exposed to the constant spraying of chemicals that you cannot escape from. The industry smoke stacks are built high up but you would be a fool to think it does not affect you. Cars and trucks have been a huge source of pollution for the last 60 to 70 years and we have been lulled to a non thinkingness about it. We just don’t have a thought about it when we walk down the street and get bombarded with toxic petro.
It is the same with the food industry. We used to eat wholesome meat, fruit, vegetables and grains that were not tampered with. Now, the major players are finding ways to make food last longer with preservatives, dyes and chemical sprays. Processed food should be a no no for anyone who wants to stay healthy let alone someone who has candida or other related health problems.
What should you do to treat candida?
-Stop eating processed foods. Other than non perishables, just go to the meat and produce department for all your food. Unless you are stocking up for a hurricane or some emergency, I don’t suggest you eat anything that is not in its natural form. Organic, raw fruits and vegetables are best but, be careful not to eat too many fruits; they contain a lot of sugar. The fruits that are very high in fiber are blueberries, plums, raspberries and strawberries. ½ cup of theses fruits have more fiber than several bran muffins.
-Stay away from meat that has been fed hormones. If you are going to partake of dairy foods, also get it hormone free.
-SUGAR! Yeast thrives on sugar. It loves sugar and will grow more prolific with sugar products. You will not get rid of candida unless you stop eating those cookies, desserts and chocolates. We rarely ate sugar 80 to 100 years ago, we don’t need them now.
-Drink a lot of water. This ensures that toxic material can get removed from the body. Just like a toilet will not be able to remove fecal matter without water, so is it also with the human body. Drink lots of pure water.
-Exercise on a regular basis. This also helps to keep the intestines working correctly, not to mention all the other benefits you get by working out.
-You can jump start your treatments by doing a coffee enema daily for a week possibly two and then once a month for maintenance. Full caffeine organic coffee works best and you should only use filtered water. Coffee enemas help remove impacted fecal matter fairly quickly and may remove the yeast and parasites. There are two herbs that you can add to the coffee solution that make it more effective. Aloe Vera and slippery elm. You can purchase these herbs in capsule form. Take two of each, break open the capsules and pour them into the coffee. They are soothing and help with inflammation.
-Psyllium seed and Bentonite are also good natural sources for cleaning out the colon. Psyllium seed is used as a laxative but make sure that you drink a full glass of water or it can have the opposite effect and constipate you. Bentonite is a volcanic ash that draws toxins to it. The bentonite does not get absorbed into the system so it will be disposed of along with what ever toxins it has attached to it. The problem with these herbs is that although they do work, it can take a long time before it is effective with Candida. It can take up to a year before it is completely handled.
-There is a new product that works much faster and is very effective for a lot of people. This is the Threelac system. Threelac products are very effective based on testimonials and has shown relief in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. There is also Threelac for children. If your child has thrush or diaper rash that does not go away, it is a yeast problem. Results vary from person to person and the degree of severity will also make a difference in how long it takes for recovery. Your body needs the friendly flora to maintain its normal ph balance. Threelacs advanced formulas work to restore your ph balance to help your body recover naturally and quickly.
-Remember, Candida feeds off sugar! Americans eat enormous amounts of sugar and is the biggest single factor in Candida over growth. Candida’s appetite for sugar is insatiable. You can reduce (but not completely handle) Candida by cutting out sugar in your diet. Natural fruit and vegetable sugars should be all your body needs.
I hope this helps!
