But you can’t understand why because you are usually such a healthy eater?
Let me tell you about a hungry little organism whose name is Candida Albicans. Candida is a yeast (it is classed as a dimorphic fungus as it grows as a yeast and filamentous cells) that lives naturally in your body. It is classed as “commensal” which means that it lives continuously on, or in our bodies without harming the host. It likes to live in a warm, moist environment, so is generally found in the mouth, armpit, stomach, gut, groin, between the fingers and the vagina. It is part of our natural microflora, it aids with nutrient absorption and digestion when you have it in the correct balance.
It’s so beneficial that our mothers pass it to us via natural childbirth. But also be aware that if your Mother had a Candida overgrowth, then she would have passed it on to you. Typically, the healthy bacteria such as Lactobacillus in your body keep Candida levels under control.
Here are a few of the known factors that can allow Candida to take over:
Taking antibiotics
Eating a diet high in sugar and refined carbs
High alcohol intake
A weakened immune system
Taking oral contraceptives
Diabetes
High stress levels
Symptoms of Candida overgrowth are :
Tiredness and Fatigue
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Oral Thrush (shows as white, bumpy patches on their tongue, inner cheeks, gums, tonsils or throat, or redness and pain in the mouth and throat causing difficulty in swallowing)
Re-occurring genital infection (redness, swelling, itching, painful intercourse, and a thick, white discharge from the vagina.) Also possible in men as well as women.
Urinary tract infection (burning feeling when you urinate, a frequent urge to urinate, cloudy, dark or strange-smelling urine and pain or pressure in your lower abdomen.) This can also be a sign of an E. Coli overgrowth
Digestive issues such as nausea, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, cramps and bloating.
Sinus infections (if they last longer than a month then Candida could be to blame).
Skin and nail fungal infections (athlete’s foot, ringworm, and toenail fungus)
Joint pain. If Candida infection enters your blood stream it can infect the joints and cause arthritis. Hips and knees are most affected.
How can we hope to get rid of Candida? We need to bring the overgrowth down. Here are some steps to start with:
Reduce refined sugars and carbohydrates. This will be tough as you will probably be craving foods in this category.
High Lactose dairy products encourage Candida to grow, so need to be removed from the diet whilst treating Candida
There is also a lot of research showing that excess iron feeds Candida and our Gut microflora.
How do we remove excess Iron from our body?
Iron is important to the body as:
It transports oxygen around our body into the cells via the blood and removes carbon dioxide, oxygen is used to produce energy to move our bodies
It helps to produce red blood cells in the bone marrow
Our body recycles about 99% of the bio-available iron we have in our bodies. So we should only need a small amount of iron in our diet.
Because our bodies need iron, it has become very proficient at storing iron for when it needs it, but it will continue to store iron in the tissues of the liver, skin, muscles and organs if we continue to provide it. When our body puts the iron into storage it needs vital components to release it from storage, just like ice needs heat to melt. So if we are not able to release the iron we end up with excess in our bodies.
Some symptoms of excess Iron:
Raised Oestrogen
Heavy periods
PMS
Night sweats (also thought to be a symptom of Menopause)
Raised Cholesterol
Breast Cancer
Aging
Increased Anxiety
Overgrowth of Candida
Do you spot the return to our original discussion about “Candida”?
We can bring Candida Albicans back to its normal range. This list continues where I left of above:
Reducing excess iron from the diet. It’s high in processed foods. If your food is fortified with Iron, then it’s time to ditch it. It’s also hidden in foods. (Not in the ingredients list, but might show in the nutritional facts)
Candida thrives on sugar, so you need to remove refined sugars and carbohydrates (the body converts these to Sugar) Even the trusty potato and sweet potato are as they are high in starch. Grains, bread, cakes, biscuits etc are also off the menu. Fruit and vegetables are okay to eat.
High lactose foods such a milk, cheese, yoghurt help Candid to grow, as lactose is a sugar.
Sweating is a great way to remove toxins from the skin and the lungs, go for a brisk walk, do some exercise.
Have a sauna, even an infrared sauna with help remove iron.
Having a bath or foot bath with Epsom salts draws the iron out.
Reduce your stress levels. Did you know there are 4 varieties of stress (Physical, Emotional, Metabolic & Environmental), so even though your mind isn’t stressed, your metabolism might be.
Meditate, relax, do yoga, learn to breathe…, get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Give blood, it helps to get iron moving out of your tissues.
Take Apple Cider Vinegar in Water every day.
Add Golden Paste Turmeric to hot milk, turmeric is thought to draw toxins out.
Implement fermented foods like Kombucha, Kefir, Sauerkraut into your diet, these can help to balance your gut bacteria.
Reduce your alcohol intake, these are sugars.
Don’t forget you aren’t the only one out there who may have a Candida overgrowth. Trust your gut instinct and talk to someone that can help you. This isn’t a quick fix, there isn’t one. It takes time to get this little critter under control again. Be patient and explore all options. Take it slowly and learn to listen, your body will give you signs if you understand them. But be aware that something you ate yesterday could be the reaction rather than what you put in your mouth 10 minutes ago.
This article isn’t written to replace medical advice but can be used alongside it. Please consult your medical practitioner. If you require medication, speak to your healthcare provider. Please note this is my opinion based on the research I have done on this for a client. We have just started on this journey together. Each person reacts differently to a Candida overgrowth, some actions may cause reactions and some may not. I would also advise that you listen to your body and keep a journal of your journey through this, it really does help. Good Luck!
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