Candidiasis, A Serious Health Issue
by Brenda Cobb
Candidiasis is serious even though it is generally overlooked by the mainstream medical establishment. According to Alternative Medicine compiled by the Burton Goldberg Group its symptoms closely mimic other conditions oftentimes making it difficult to diagnose. The symptoms can vary depending on the age, sex, immune system, and environment of the individual. They can include but not be limited to:
Chronic fatigue (especially after eating)
Depression
Gastrointestinal problems such as: bloating, gas, intestinal cramps, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and/or heartburn
Rectal Itching
Allergies (both food and airborne)
Severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Impotence
Memory loss
Severe Mood Swings
Feeling mentally "disturbed"
Recurrent fungal infections like "jock itch," athlete’s foot, or ringworm
Extreme sensitivity to chemicals, perfumes, smoke, or other odors
Recurrent vaginal or urinary infections
Prostatitis
Feeling lightheaded or drunk after minimal wine, beer, or certain foods
Symptoms can worsen in moldy places (basements) or in damp climates, and /or after eating or drinking or foods containing yeast and/or sugar.
Everyone has candida, a form of yeast (Candida albicans) normally in the lower bowels, vagina, and skin. In healthy individuals with strong immune systems the candida is kept in check by "good" bacteria (bifidobacteria and acidophilus). When the intestinal environment is altered by a compromised immune system or other factors then candida becomes pathogenic, transforming from a simple yeast into an aggressive fungus becoming Candidiasis.
Leon Chaitow, N.D., D.O., of London, England, describes the likely candidate for candida overgrowth as someone whose medical history includes: steroid hormone medication (cortisone or corticosteroids), often prescribed for skin conditions such as rashes, eczema, or psoriasis, antibiotics, ulcer medications (like Tagamet and Zantac), and oral contraceptives.
Some illnesses like diabetes, cancer and AIDS can also increase susceptibility to candida overgrowth. Dr. Chaitow points out that when the immune system is completely suppressed (as in AIDS), yeast proliferates freely and colonizes the body and bloodstream, leading to septicemia (blood poisoning).
In less drastic but more prevalent cases, the immune system is temporarily suppressed and T-helper cells (lymphocytes which pass into the bloodstream to help fight infection) are destroyed. Immune suppression can be due to any number of factors, such as poor diet, alcohol use, chemotherapy, radiation, exposure to environmental toxins, antibiotics, and stress.
Any of these can create conditions for opportunistic infections like yeast to grow. David Wolfe author of The Sunfood Diet Success System recommends that those with canidiasis get more direct sunlight on the skin. Candida is a yeast and then a fungus when its rhizoids (long roots) penetrate the tissue mucosa and bridge the boundary between the internal body and digestive tract.
Yeasts and fungi are destroyed by direct Sunlight! Diet must be addressed when dealing with Candidiasis. Cooked starches such as bread, baked potatoes, cakes, cookies, pasta or hybridized (seedless) fruit sugars feed candida. When cooked starch and refined or hybridized fruit sugars are removed from the diet, candida loses the basis for its existence.
An accumulation of cooked starch waste backs up in the colon and causes toxicity all the way into the liver. Colon hydrotherapy (colonic) is a must to facilitate the release of this waste from the colon wall. A diet of raw organic vegetables (mostly greens – no potatoes, beets, or carrots), green juices, occasional soaked nuts and seeds, young coconut, and low-sugar fruits can be of benefit to those suffering from Candiaisis.
One can benefit from eating no sweet fruit for several weeks or months, but in the long term, when the desire for sugar appears it must be addressed with sweet fruit and not cooked starch. Some sweet fruit must be eaten eventually or the body will get off balance. One to three pieces of non-hybridized fruit each day should be fine.
When sweet fruits are eaten, they should be "masked (blended or mixed) with cold-pressed oil (olive, flax, etc.) and/or green-leafy vegetables (lettuce or tender young greens are excellent) - fermentation of the fruit from too many combinations must be avoided.
If cooked foods are eaten, they should be non-starchy vegetables (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.) Excellent low-sugar fruits include: Avocado (fatty fruit, excellent), Bell Pepper (not green; green peppers are harsh and unripe), Breadfruit (raw), Cranberry, Cucumber (very healing), Grapefruit, Jalapeno Pepper (red, not green), Lemon & Lime (may irritate the candida sufferer), Okra (very healing), Olives (not from a can, but sun-dried), Pumpkin, Serrano Pepper (red, not green), Squash, Tomatillo, Tomato, and Zucchini.
Wolfe explains that hose suffering from candida typically have had a long history of antibiotic use. This eliminates much of the good intestinal bacteria and allows candida to proliferate. Healthy intestinal flora is required to overcome candida.
A good cleansing and intestinal rebuilding program is needed, and during the healing process, raw organic vegetables in an easy-to-digest form such as Ann Wigmore’s recipe for Energy Soup will help the body to detoxify and rebuild.
Candidiasis can be remedied by lots of sunshine on the skin, colon cleansing, a rebuilding program, the elimination of cooked starch and antibiotics, and important dietary changes to a Living Foods Diet. Also, if you suffer from candida keep a clean house. Musty homes are bad for the candida sufferer.
Recovery from chronic candidiasis seldom takes less than three to six months, but it can take longer to recover completely. Medical studies show that until bowel candida is under control, local manifestations will continue to appear (such as vaginal thrush). Local treatment alone (for thrush or other symptoms) is not enough.
Once the toxicity and deficiency in the body has been addressed the body will restore itself to its state of total and perfect health. Brenda Cobb is the Director of the Living Foods Institute. She teaches classes about a healthy lifestyle including how to prepare delicious, uncooked Living Foods in your kitchen to restore and maintain optimum health. Private consultations are also available.
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