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What is Candida Albicans?
Candida is a fungus (which is a form of yeast). There are hundreds of different types of yeast, but the most common form of yeast infection is known as Candida albicans when it’s in balance with the good bacteria in your microbiome (clusters of bacteria), the body is in harmony and runs smoothly.
However, if there is too much Candida in relation to your body’s good bacteria, it can overpower the bacteria, which can lead to
- Mood swings, anxiety, depression: 95 percent of serotonin is made in gut. With a yeast overgrowth, the yeast effectively forms a layer over the gut and spreads out in sheets, suppressing your body’s ability to make serotonin (and suppressing your immune system).
- Fatigue and/or fibromyalgia
- Autoimmune diseases connected to leaky gut, e.g. psoriasis
- Digestive issues—gas, bloating, constipation
- Skin issues, including eczema, hives, rosacea, rashes
- Seasonal allergies/chronic sinus infections
- Dandruff (is yeast)
- Skin and nail fungal infections (ringworm, athlete’s foot, tinea versicolor—when you get white spots in the sun): An external fungus can be an isolated issue, but is often a sign that the rest of the body is imbalanced
- Vaginal infections, UTIs
- Sugar cravings: Sugar is food for yeast.
Candida and Leaky Gut
When the body overproduces Candida, it breaks down the wall of the intestine, causing leaky gut and releasing toxic by products into your body. Leaky gut disrupts your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients (causing nutrition deficiencies), and can lead to health issues beyond digestive concerns, including autoimmunity and thyroid dysfunction.
What causes Candida to overgrow?
- Refined carbohydrates, processed foods and sugar
- Alcohol high in yeast and sugar
- Low in beneficial probiotics
- Stress
- Antibiotics
- Contraceptive Pill
- Corticosteroid medication
How to stop fuelling the yeast and start to heal
- Starve the yeast though diet changes. Eliminate foods that have yeast in them and foods that yeast likes to eat. (see diet changes)
- Replenish good bacteria with a high quality probiotic
- Anti fungals – please discuss with your nutritional therapist/doctor
Dietary Changes
Take out:
- sugar, mushrooms, alcohol, starchy vegetables,
- Condiments eg ketchup, vinegar
- Grains – wheat, barley, rye,
- Caffeine
- Sugary fruit – banana, mango, dried fruits
- sulphates/nitrates(cured meat and fish, wine)
- Dairy,
- High mold nuts etc walnuts, pine nuts cashews
Eat
- Low starchy vegetables and low sugar fruit
- Buckwheat, quinoa, millet
- Good quality protein, chicken, turkey, fish eggs
- Low mould seeds and nuts, eg almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds
- Herbal tea
- Healthy fats, e,g avocado, olive oil
- Spices and herbs, e,g black,pepper, turmeric, thyme, rosemary, ginger, oregano, cloves, paprika
These foods may help fight the candida try to include
- Coconut Oil (contains Caprylic acid may inhibit the growth of candida)
- garlic (powerful anti fugal agent)
- onion (anti fungal),
- seaweed
- ginger, (anti fungal)
- Olive Oil
- lemon & lime juice
- pumpkin seeds
- cayenne Pepper
- algae,
- cinnamon (anti fungal) & turmeric (anti fungal),
- bone broth (good for leaky gut)
Five Candida Friendly Swaps
Almond/nut/coconut milk/yoghurt for dairy milk. yoghurt. (Make sure the nut milks are uns
If you need a caffeine hit, try matcha instead of coffee. But keep going with the herbal teas as well.
Try stevia instead of sugar. It won’t feed the candida
Courgette noodles/Spaghetti Squash (see method, https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/)
Cruciferous & Non-Starchy Veggies (rocket, bok choy. broccoli. brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radish over starchy ones.
For lots of recipe ideas and for further reading these are very good websites:
Sources
The Candida Diet at www.candidadiet.com (accessed 10th August 2020)
Dr Amy Myers at www.amymyersmd.com (accessed 10th August 2020)