For a couple years I was a person that ate a lot of organic fruit everyday (apples, oranges, bananas, raisins). That was fine until I developed a mysterious chronic aching pain on my lower right abdominal side that would not go away. At first I thought that I might had pulled a muscle or strained something from lifting. But eventually the pain spread to my lower right back, and then worsened onto my right groin. All this took many months to years to develop and the pain was steady and chronic. My energy also was dwindling during this time and the situation was leading me to a caffeinated drink like tea in order to keep me awake past 7:00 pm. It was February 2007 when I decided to try a candida cleanse kit and try to rid myself of it, if indeed it was the problem. I had only occasionally read some articles about Candida and couldn’t believe that I could have something like that. I did a lot of researching to learn about how to kill it off and avoid having it return. It took me nearly 2 years to come to a healing point where I could say I was recovered. Now in 2012 I am happy to say that my health is great with energy that is strong.

 

Q: What is Candida?

A:  Candida (Albicans) is an opportunistic yeast that loves to live on simple sugars in the digestive system, placing itself especially in the colon (large intestines), but it can also pose problems for the entire digestive system including the mouth. Everyone has at least a little of it in their intestinal system and this isn’t harmful. In fact, the human intestines is full of friendly/helpful bacteria known as probiotics. Problems occur when medications or antibiotics are taken, or with a diet high in sugars. In these conditions the yeast is allowed to run rampant and reproduce it’s size. Women particularly tend to be susceptible to develop yeast infections from Candida. Fremented products like alcohol and cheese can fuel a Candida overgrowth. Antibiotic treatments offer a temporary eradication of Candida but unless you reestablish the good probiotics and keep away from the initial causes of the problem, the Candida will return again.

 

Q: What is Leaky Gut?

A:  Candida, if left long enough can burrow down into the colon wall with root-like tentacles and create hyper-permeability wall tissue or ‘Leaky Gut’. The intestinal walls are a special membrane that is aimed at allowing certain items like nutrients and water through. But a leaky gut is just that, LEAKY, and can’t keep the bad particles out and lets them slip by. As more of the bad particles like undigested food and germs get through that’s when problems begin. With foreign material being allowed into the bloodstream, this sets the body up to now have to work overtime to try and clean it up. Lymph nodes and filtering organs like the kidneys have to rush to fix the problem. Inflammation is a common result that the body is signaling a problem. For me this is where my abdominal/back/groin pain started from. Different people have different symptoms such as headaches, chronic fatigue, joint pain, etc.

 

Q: How do you get rid of Candida?

A: Basically you have to go off of all sugars, alcohol, and fungal carrying foods (like black tea, mushrooms, yeast risen breads). There are commercially made formulations that can be taken to help defeat the Candida. There are also doctor prescribed medications. Again, one needs to have a good idea of how the Candida problem first developed and make the needed adjustment their lifestyle habits.

 

The 3 part Anti-Candida formulation:

  This remedy uses Caprylic Acid, Bentonite Clay, and Psyllium Husk/Seed Powder supplementation. Please do some more research on your own to find the recommended percentages and dose that you can take. The Psyllium fiber creates bulk in the stool, this makes pressure to drive the caprylic acid against the walls of the intestine and effectively kill off the Candida. The bentonite clay is a great adsorbant that collects and retains the deadened toxic effects* of the Candida. A dedicated use of this treatment is recommended.

 

*Note about Die-Off or Herxheimer Reaction:

When you kill off the Candida in a swift and fast manner it can temporarily make you feel much more worse than you started. This is because your body still has the load of all the bad junk in your gut/system and now has to deal with dying Candida on top of it. When Candida dies it actually lets out its toxins, and if you have leaky gut this is a big issue. It’s not considered life threatening, but just a bad experience to work through. But things do improve! Hang in there.

 

Other Products to fight Candida

  1. Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE):

  2. Oil of Oregano:

  3. Kyolic Garlic supplents:

  All these are great anti-fungal items to help fight off Candida once you are cleared out and keep it in check. I like the Kyolic garlic formulation 102 how it is designed for digestion because of added enzymes. Enzymes have many benefits to help your body digest food. With better digestion comes an easier ability to absorb nutrients.

 

Things to remember after healing.

    Basically, pay very close attention to everything you are eating. Reading food labels can actually an enjoyable hobby and it’s surprising to know that a lot of energy or “Health” bars out there on the market contain a whole lot of sugar (fructose corn syrups or real sugar). I have experienced that after being away from sugars, those types of foods now seem overly sweet and not as appetizing anymore. Sugar can be addictive and Candida can actually make you crave the exact foods that you need to avoid.

  

I wish you the best in your path to healing!