Candida Isn’t Just a Song

October 30, 2002

Candida Albicans is, politely put, an epidemic of an intestinally based yeast infection. Before you men skip to the next article, first be aware that it affects 30% of the male population and is often sexually transmitted. Unfortunately, the numbers are a staggering 70% for females.

I got educated about Candida the hard way…I had it for 18 years before I found out how to identify it. In that time medical doctors called me a drama queen, and accused me of being a liar. My symptoms didn’t seem to add up. As a published author I’ve had other women contact me and tell me horror stories of emotional grief and failure that disappeared after using my cookbook. Good grief! This is one powerful naturally occurring body yeast.

After going through a cure with a homeopathic physician I wrote my cookbook, Candida-Free Cuisine: “?Cause I Can’t Find Anything To Eat. Frankly I had to write it because the few books I could find in health food stores were filled with ingredients I had no idea where to find and were frightfully expensive at the time! My recipes were natural kitchen ingredients.

By the way, you should know that medical doctors have candida in their textbooks, but rarely diagnose it of their patients because there is no test to put this overgrowth of intestinal yeast under a microscope. Let’s see if you’re a “seventy percenter.”

How does Candida manifest in the body?

Well that’s always individual but there are many common denominators.

1. Have you used birth control pills, been pregnant or used multiple doses of antibiotics over time
2. Yes, I know many of us fit into this category, but these are the most common triggers to start the problem. Each of these aggravates the intestinal track and makes balance harder to achieve. Remember how you’ve been told to have yoghurt when on antibiotics? It works on the intestine.
3. Do you suffer cravings? Usually breads, sweets, alcohol or illegal drugs.
4. I know a lot of us want to say, “Who doesn’t :but I remember my childhood self VERY uninterested in chocolate, ice cream or candy. Now, a green pepper THAT got my attention! Kids! Go figure!
5. Do you ever feel you are “not part of the world around you?
6. I don’t mean, “I’m not included in this party”: rather I’m not connected to what’s going on:spaced out so to speak.
7. Do you suffer from aching joints or muscles? This is usually without injuries.
8. Inexplicable pains and aches that aren’t associated with age, working out too much or short term bursts of excess muscle. Just wake up and hurt.
9. Do you have earaches without medical disease or injury found?
10. This is often an annoying ache or even tinnitus (ringing in the ears.)
11. Have you been emotionally down or even clinically depressed?
12. We aren’t discussing loss of a loved one or loss of a job. We’re discussing life is fine in general but you’re still feeling bummed. It is also not associated with a gloomy winter.
13. Have you been on any cortisone-based drugs?
14. This can be one shot but it’s often longer use.
15. Do chemicals make your symptoms worse?
16. When I walk down the aisle in the grocery store to get my laundry soap I get watery eyes and it makes me want to do a dash and grab.
17. Have you had recurring vaginal infections? (Obviously ladies here)
18. Let’s put it this way, itching, feeling uncomfortable, a discharge.
19. Does tobacco smoke bother you?
20. I am asthmatic so this is often a toss up on reasons, but I do find I get more cravings after being around smokers.

The cookbook was my own way to deal with candida. It helped me to go to the refrigerator without saying, “Oh NO!!! What CAN I eat?” (When you see the list of “don’t eats” you’ll understand why I got upset.)

The No-No Foods in brief:

Bleached flour products, alcohol, caffeine, MSG, Artificial colours and preservatives, sugars, yeasts, fruits and fungus based foods (cheeses, peanuts and mushrooms) inclusive.
Okay:now find something you can eat in the fridge!

First, if you do have Candida symptoms, I recommend you try the diet for a week (If you want to purchase my cookbook -contact me via The Voice (voice@ausu.org) and I’ll be in touch). Take careful note about your body during that week and how you feel. Whatever you do, don’t try to think back over a week and remember how you’ve felt:that doesn’t give you a clear picture.

Second, I recommend a good homeopathic remedy. I also recommend that if you want to get cured quickly and spend as little time as you have to on this diet find a good homeopathic doctor who can adjust your candida drops strength if you are not responding. OTC (over the counter) products are available in health food stores but usually come in limited doses and I don’t know how “fresh” they are.

Stick to the diet and drops for a month. If you find you’re improving then VERY carefully re-introduce ONE allergen at a time. Example: have one mild fruit with a meal. If you get any symptoms, get thy butt to the homeopath and get extra assistance. Sometimes you need some extra help with some natural pills or a prescription of Nystatin from a helpful MD. This is a prescription that can assist you in fighting off the dreaded Candida.

Oh by the way, if you have SERIOUS troubles with keeping weight ON that’s also a side effect! Now don’t you go off and be a New York model with this diet, dearie!!

I don’t like to hear about readers choosing to continue to suffer so I hope if you have this you’ll act to get rid of it. I did.

For more information on Nystatin try this website:

http://www.invent.org/book/book-text/54.html

Laura Seymour first published herself, at age 8. She has since gone on to publish a cookbook for the medical condition of Candida. She is working toward her B.A. (Psyc).