Candida Albicans is a yeast that inhabits us all. It, normally, lives symbiotically and is even helpful in a number of ways. But, in many people, Candida gets out of control and can wreak havoc over our entire body. The problem with Candida is that it usually goes undetected. Many Western doctors don't acknowledge just how nasty this little bugger is and it is, more often than not, written off as some other ailment.
Candida is a highly controversial diagnosis in a world where prescription medication is doled out like candy. Another reason why it is often overlooked is because the symptoms cover such a broad range. But, it is, slowly, starting to be acknowledged (in the last 20 years) as an actual problem. The symptoms are so expansive because Candida can affect any part of your body once it penetrates your blood stream. But the main indicators of Candida overgrowth are perpetual headaches, foggy thought processing, anxiety, thrush, IBS, and vaginal yeast infections. Candida has also been linked to Crohn's Disease, Autism, Asthma, hayfever, chronic cough, chronic fatigue and depression.
The list of ailments connected to Candida are endless but the causes are always the same. Oral contraceptives, steroids, antacids and antibiotics all create an environment wherein the bacteria we need to keep the yeast in check is thrown out of whack or killed. With the "good" bacteria dwindling the yeast begins to form its own little army of darkness and then it's off to the races. Add stress to that equation and the immune system is in a very compromised state for the yeast takeover. And, unless you're living in a Buddhist colony (or the South of Italy with independent wealth), you suffer from some degree of stress. But, what really seals the deal is a high-carbohydrate diet. Every carbohydrate breaks down into some form of sugar.
And, that is what the yeasty beasties eat. So, they're in pretty good fighting shape for an all out takeover by the time you even start to feel a little off. If the Candida excess starts in the digestive system, the victim / host / (that's you) starts experiencing digestion difficulties and the Candida grows even more fervently. What's even worse is that when there's a healthy yeast overgrowth, heavy metals start to cling to the Candida'd sections of the intestines and you have a whole other world of hurt on your hands that you can't eliminate. Getting rid of it is the real bitch though. In order to kill the Candida, you have to cut off its food supply. That's right. You have to eliminate all sugar or anything that breaks down into sugar. It's a diet that largely resembles Atkins in Hell. It takes about a month to starve them before you can begin adding natural sugar back into your diet. You can take herbal remedies such as Threelac, but if you're still feeding them, it's not going to do much good. And, acidophilis is a must. But, there's too much sugar in even Greek Yogurt so you have to take it by supplement for the Massacre Month (my name for the month I did the diet because I wasn't sure who was dying: the yeast or me). The diet is such a long walk off a short pier that it almost doesn't seem worth it. Plus, most experience "die-off," where the symptoms become worse for the first couple of weeks because when the Candida bites the big one it releases toxins into your body. I didn't think I was going to make it through the month because it was so hard. I was grinding my teeth at night (big die-off symptom), restless, I had some serious adult acne and I was really tired for about 10 days. But, after that, I felt great. I sleep like a baby, I don't have the distended belly look I was becoming so accustomed to and the dreaded yeast infection that I thought was just a fact of life has continued to allude me since I went off the diet. It doesn't seem worth it, but it really really is.
If you have recurrent yeast infections, asthma, anxiety and a serious craving for sweets or alcohol -- numerous studies have linked Candida overgrowth to alcoholism -- you may suffer from Candida. The quickest way to test at home is to gather saliva in your mouth first thing in the morning and spit into a clear glass of water (sexy, I know). Wait 15 minutes. If there are streams that look like strings hanging down from the cloud at the top, you, my friend, have some visitors that are outwearing their welcome. And, if that's the case, try the diet or talk to your doctor about alternative methods for getting the yeast back under control. It's not easy to get Candida under control, but I promise you will feel like a new person once you do.
