Let’s Gut To The Point With Candida
By Janine Fifi eld, Certifi ed Integrative Nutrition Health Coach ’ll be honest, before my journey into becoming a practicing
I
Integrative Health Coach, I had no idea what the heck was going on with my body. I was feeling mighty awful. I had constant
headaches, joint pain and stiffness, struggled with acid refl ux and other unpleasant digestive disorders, not to mention my mood was in the toilet (pun intended). I knew that I needed to fi nd solutions to help bring about the relief that my body was desperately seek- ing. It wasn’t until I researched “Candida” years ago that the wheels in my foggy brain began to turn.
Candida or “Candida albicans” is quite simply an opportun-
ist yeast, that is considered a pathogen. It’s a common member of the human gut fl ora and actually has benefi cial purposes inside the digestive tract, when it is within a healthy contained environment. It’s main purpose in life? Well, I don’t mean to sound morbid, but it’s a decomposing agent within our body that’s responsible for returning our body to the earth at the end of our journey. However, in the gut at healthy levels it can aid in digestion of our food. Unfortunately, sometimes this normally cooperative fungus surges completely out of control, traveling into the small intestine, blood and organs, where it digests ALL of our nutrients for its own survival, leaving the host fi lled with toxic waste, exhausted and susceptible to many ailments.
A few factors that can lead to Candida overgrowth are: • Taking antibiotics • Eating a diet high in sugar and refi ned carbs • High alcohol intake • A weakened immune system • Taking oral contraceptives • Diabetes • High stress levels
The most common ailments are: • Chronic fatigue • Diffi culty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus and/or brain fog
• Digestive issues including constipation, diarrhea, nausea, gas, cramps and bloating
12 ELM™ Maine - January/February 2018
• Recurring vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching • Chronic sinus and allergy issues • Food allergies/intolerances
• Fungal infections on the skin and nails
• Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives and rashes • Irritability, mood swings, anxiety or depression • Strong sugar and refi ned carbohydrate cravings • Oral thrush • Joint pain
• Loss of sex drive I have affectionately referred to candida as the “yeast beasties”
as they thrive mostly on sugar and the frustration of keeping them under control can be maddening. As someone that experienced this, trust me I know fi rst-hand. So, what can we do to promote our healthy gut microbiome and keep these crazy jail birds from breaking out into our body causing “dysbiosis” or microbial imbal- ance? Well for starters, we need to weaken the yeast by not feeding it sugar, starches and excess carbs. We also need to strengthen our body by eating seasonally and locally. These are all habits I have adapted as a way to honor and heal my body so that it can continue to be a temple of wellness for many years to come.
The following is a list of tips that have helped me through my combating Candida journey:
1. Avoid sugars - breads, cakes, pastas and even some fruit. Stick- ing to a gluten free lifestyle has been what really made a differ- ence for me.
2. Avoid chlorinated water as much as possible.
3. Recolonize your gut bacteria with a good solid probiotic and introduce fermented foods, once your bacteria levels are under control. Kefi r, kimchi and sauerkraut are good choices.
4. Use garlic in everything you cook (
well...not everything, but most things). It’s an antifungal, so it keeps the yeast tamed! In
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