The Surprising Effects of Candida
By Cara StatzCandida, or yeast, is commonly associated with skin irritation and itchiness, particularly in the nether-regions. But candida affects 60 per cent of ‘healthy’ people. Symptoms of candida vary in severity, but some of the most common – and surprising – effects include:
- Abdominal gas and bloating
- Headaches, migraines
- Inability to focus or concentrate, poor memory, irritability
- Craving sweets and alcohol
- Diarrhea, constipation, itching, acne, eczema, dizziness, muscle weakness
- Recurring: thrush, athlete’s foot, vaginitis
- Stress, refined sugars and processed foods, chronic antibiotic use, birth control, chlorine and fluoride, mercury dental fillings, heavy metal toxicity and iron deficiency anemia can all result in the yeast overgrowth that causes these symptoms.
Candida symptoms can usually be alleviated with simple diet and lifestyle modifications. Affected individuals must remove the fuel that Candida thrives on. Key ingredients and foods to avoid are sugar (including honey and high fructose corn syrup), white flour products, potatoes, milk, cheese, peanuts, pistachios, soy, white vinegar, alcohol, yeast, and processed and canned goods.
Maintaining a diet high in fish, organic, farm-raised meats, olive oil and flaxseed oil for salads, coconut oil, grape seed oil for cooking, butter, apple cider vinegar, spices – and of course, probiotics, which help repopulate the flora balance of the gut – will keep candida at bay.
Many candida diets and cleanses exist: all have the premise of elimination of anything the yeast feeds on. But here’s the kicker; even giving in to a tiny craving now and then can set you back weeks of careful eating.
