God made the human gastrointestinal (GI) system with the perfect balance of beneficial microorganisms. However, when a person consumes the standard American diet that contains dyes, chemicals, excess sugar, and the residue of pesticides and herbicides, it disrupts the gut equilibrium. The primary offender of this imbalance is antibiotics. They kill the good microbes and thereby, cause a bad guy—Candida—to overgrow. Candida makes a person crave sugar, alcohol, wheat, and processed foods because that is what it eats. In this article we will explore how you:
- get a candida infection of the gut
- determine if you have one
- cure it.
Understanding Candida
When Candida spreads out of control, it acts like a parasite sucking the life and energy out of you. It is like a monster growing inside of you, craving sugar, and it is hard to fight its never-ending appetite.
Candida and a food addiction can cause a person to overeat refined carbohydrates. Therefore, if you crave sugar, alcohol, and processed foods, you might have an imbalance in the flora of your gut. An imbalance means the beneficial microorganisms (probiotics) have been killed off by antibiotics, steroids, unhealthy processed foods, and chemicals in foods. The destruction of these beneficial microbes allows the harmful microbe Candida to multiply quickly, taking over your digestive tract.
Candida Albicans, a type of yeast common in the gut, can grow roots into the lining of your gastrointestinal (GI) system. The fungal overgrowth can create openings in the bowel walls, which is known as a leaky gut. These holes allow harmful microorganisms to enter the bloodstream. Our bodies don’t recognize these particles, so our immune system creates antibodies which cause food allergies and autoimmune diseases to develop.1 An overgrowth of Candida also causes your abdomen to become distended.
When Candida spreads out of control, it acts like a parasite sucking the life and energy out of you. It is like a monster growing inside of you, craving sugar, and it is hard to fight its never-ending appetite. I had an overgrowth of Candida, so I know how hard it is to fight this culprit.
My Candida Infection
When I turned fifty I had an abscessed tooth that caused ten medical diagnoses and two surgeries. During this period of declined health, I felt utterly drained and sick all the time.
Candidiasis is like a parasite growing inside of you, and you don’t even know it.
My doctors were unable to do much for me except recommend vitamin D, iron supplements, adrenal vitamins, and progesterone cream. So I began alternative health-care therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and colonic irrigation.
Through a colonic irrigation, the therapist found a candida infection in my colon. I had never heard of this type of infection before despite being an RN since candidiasis (candida infection from a Candida fungus) of the gut is not taught in mainstream medicine. Even my internal medicine doctor didn’t know how to rid this yeast infection from my intestine.
Women are prone to getting yeast infections when they take antibiotics because the drug kills off beneficial flora in a person’s body. Well, I had just consumed antibiotics and a steroid due to an abscessed tooth. Candidiasis is like a parasite growing inside of you, and you don’t even know it. Stopping this parasite’s cravings and killing the Candida is tough, but I did and you can too!
To kill the overgrowth of yeast, I stopped eating sugar, fruit, wheat, and rice for eight months. I had to limit my alcohol consumption to vodka because it is distilled not fermented, therefore, it does not contain a grain like wheat. Most, if not all, alcoholics have candidiasis.
During the eight months of my strict anti-Candida diet, I also took large doses of probiotics (up to 100 billion units/day). Today, I still take probiotics but not such a large dose. I recommend taking a probiotic that contains at least ten billion active cultures from at least ten different strains. I posted photos of different types of probiotics that I have taken in my Healthy Living Series Facebook page. I change the brand of my probiotic every time I purchase a new one, so I can get a wide-range of beneficial microorganisms.
I was successful in killing the yeast in my colon, but I still cannot eat foods with high sugar content or the Candida starts to grow again. I can tell it is growing when I start to crave carbohydrates and feel tired, so I limit my consumption of sugar to less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.
Diagnosing Candida
There are several ways to determine if you have a candida infection. You could be radical and have a colonic irrigation, like I did. However, I suggest two simpler methods of diagnosis. First, take a look at the list of symptoms below. These signs might arise from an overgrowth of Candida. The more symptoms you experience, the more likely you are to have a candida infection.
_____ Fatigue
_____ Anxiety
_____ Insomnia
_____ Irritability
_____ Depression
_____ Mood swings
_____ Poor memory
_____ Food allergies
_____ Foggy brained
_____ Decreased sex drive
_____ Hormonal imbalance
_____ Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia
_____ Craving sweets and refined carbohydrates or alcohol
_____ Digestive issues (bloating, constipation, diarrhea) or disorders
_____ Skin and nail infections such as toenail fungus, athlete’s foot, and ringworm
Candida will take over your life if left untreated. If you exhibit many of these symptoms, you need to restore the balance of microorganisms in your gastrointestinal system. The more times in your life that you have taken antibiotics, without replenishing your gut with probiotics that contain greater than ten strains of microorganisms for several weeks, the more likely you have candidiasis.
The second way to diagnose Candidiasis is a simple spit test. First thing in the morning, before you drink anything or brush your teeth, spit into a glass of water. In one to three minutes, check the cup to see if any strings hang from the spit—strings are a positive sign of Candida. The spit will resemble a jellyfish. If the water becomes cloudy or the saliva sinks to the bottom, this is also a positive sign. Healthy saliva floats on the top of the water with no strings hanging down.
For a detailed explanation of the spit test go to ChristianYoga.com/resources.
How to Kill Candida
Now let’s kill the bug in your gut—Candida. Take an anti-Candida cleanse that you purchased from a health food store. Read the instructions on the cleanse package for how to administer it. Initially, I recommend taking the cleanse every other day for the first week to minimize lethargy and headaches. You will feel awful if the dead Candida is not quickly expelled from your colon. To avoid becoming constipated, drink plenty of water and increase the fiber in your diet.
You are just about to get the life back Jesus wants you to experience—one that is abundant and full.
The first three days you are on the cleanse, you may not feel well, but after a week you will begin to feel better than you have in a long time. You are just about to get the life back Jesus wants you to experience—one that is abundant and full.
If you would like more specific instructions about getting rid of Candida get your free copy of 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates, so you can start your journey to optimal health. This is a special promotion offered only to One Christian Voice readers.
Notes
“Candida Yeast Infection, Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel and Food Allergies,” National Candida Center, https://www.nationalcandidacenter.com/Leaky-Gut-and-Candida-Yeast-Infection-s/1823.htm.
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