Ever heard of candida before? What about yeast? Candida is actually the scientific name for the yeast fungus. We all have yeast bacteria in our bodies, and is most commonly found in our mouth, intestines or on our skin. Then why are we talking about it if it is normal? If the bacteria is at normal levels in the body it is not a bad thing. However, when it starts overgrowing in the body then it becomes a problem and you will notice effects from it and eventually can lead to a fungal infection. Candida is actually the most common fungal infection in humans.
What are Common Causes of Candida Overgrowth?
- excessive alcohol consumption
- chronic stress
- high diet of refined carbohydrates
- medications: oral contraceptives, antibiotics or immunosuppressants
- high sugar diet
- diabetes
- high diet of fermented foods (even though they are good for you an excess amount can feed the overgrowth)
What are Common Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth?
- tiredness or fatigue
- digestive issues: bloating, diarrhea or constipation
- brain fog/poor memory
- fungal infections: athletes foot or ringworm
- vaginal infections
- severe seasonal allergies
- sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
- mood swings, anxiety or depression
- autoimmune disease: colitis, thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis
- skin issues: psoriasis or eczema
Candida and the Leaky Gut Connection
I touched on the symptoms and causes, but what happens to the gut when the candida takes over for a period of time? Think of your gut lining as a cheesecloth. As candida overgrows, it penetrates the lining causing the tight knit holes of the cheesecloth to begin to open further creating larger holes in your gut lining. As your lining starts to get more and more larger tears in it, you begin to leak more undigested food, toxins and bacteria into your bloodstream, which in turn causes an inflammatory response in the body. These things that are leaking are seen as foreign invaders since they are not meant to be outside of your gut lining and ultimately sends your body into fight mode. Your body will be in constant fight mode leading you to experience more and more of the symptoms I listed above, until we do something about it. From my personal experience, as someone who has struggled with this, it usually starts out with cravings, goes to achy joints/muscles, turns into fatigue and then sends me into an all out autoimmune flare because the bacteria has taken over in my gut and is now I have let it get to a point where things are leaking in my body. I use to be quick to jump to medications to treat the fungal infections I have had or steroids to calm the inflammatory response. Now I have found that these will help in the short term but we need to address it at a root level. So what can we do naturally to get this bacteria back in check?
How do I Know if I Have Candida Overgrowth?
If you are unsure if you have candida overgrowth and you would like a test to confirm or deny your suspicions here are a couple options for you. IgA, IgG and IgM Blood Test – if you go with this route you want to make sure you ask your doctor to look at the total IgA, IgG & IgM levels because sometimes when our immune system is weakened it can produce a negative result even though we do in fact have high levels of candida. This is due to the fact that our body sometimes cannot produce a response. Comprehensive Stool Test – this is going to be your most accurate test option. However, make sure the doctor orders the comprehensive stool test and not just the standard stool test. The comprehensive test will be able to check the colon and lower intestines for Candida and will be able to determine which yeast species is present in the body that way we are choosing an effective treatment.
How to Beat Candida Overgrowth Naturally
We’ve talked about what candida is, some common causes and test options. Now lets focus on how we can get this bacteria back to normal levels naturally.
The first thing you want to do is starve the candida of the food it feeds off of…SUGAR & CARBS!!! A fabulous start would be to remove of all the processed sugars and refined carbohydrates (you do not have to get rid of the complex carbs) that you can from your diet and also limit alcohol consumption. This does not mean you can never have these things again (even though it is better for you to avoid these long term) but you need to take a break and try to limit these as much as possible, if not all together, until you get the candida overgrowth under control.
The second thing is to add in all the green grasses and vegetables that you can. These are the enemy of candida and while you will be nourishing yourself and bringing your gut microbiome back to balance, you will starve these nasty bacteria. It’s a win win! Kill the bad, feed the good! An important part of this process is the detox pathways: lymph, digestive tract, liver & skin. These are important because we need these functioning at top level as well so that as the candida is dying off in the body we need to be flushing this out and not create a detox reaction in the body because we have this candida die off lingering in our body and then it becoming toxic because it’s stuck in our body. Greens and vegetables will help support the detox pathways and feed the healthy bacteria in the body. We also need to make sure we are keeping ourselves hydrated so the bacteria can be released out through our stools & urine. So drink up!!! Lots and lots of water!
There is evidence that following foods have been shown to help fight candida infections:
- coconut oil
- garlic
- aloe vera
- curcumin
- pomegranate
- kombucha
I personally used the candida reduction pack to help me accomplish getting things in check. It has an organic green drink with so many wonderful grasses that we need but cannot obtain in the supermarket. It also comes with an organic coconut oil, an algae blend and prebiotic and probiotic blend. This really has become my favorite avenue to getting my candida in check because not only does it give you the tools to flush the candida out but it nourishes the body at a cellular level as well.
Lastly, you want to make sure that you are repopulating the good bacteria in your body. Taking a probiotic is important always but especially if you are fighting off a yeast infection. I really like this probiotic as it does not have to be refrigerated. Make sure to take this with your vegetables and greens. You cannot take a probiotic and then not feed the troops you just sent in. These foods feed the good bacteria and will allow them to thrive in the body and help them stay plentiful. For anyone reading this that takes a probiotic daily, remember to feed your troops!
Hope this was helpful and if you are dealing with this, know that you can work on this naturally and now you are aware that medications are not your only treatment method. Just know that if you decide to take medications to treat your fungal infection, that is 100% okay but remember to still put in the work nutritionally and change your dietary habits! If you do not focus on making any changes when it comes to your diet, odds are you will end up with reoccurring infections. And let’s be real no one wants to deal with that!
XOXO ~ Brooke
*Disclaimer: Always consult with a professional medical practitioner before taking any dietary supplements or recommendations listed, especially if pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medications or under a doctor’s medical care.
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