Candida. What is it? How do you know if you have it? What do you do about it if you do have it? These are all great questions! Questions that we are asked very often here on Young and Raw. In this article I am going to do my best to explain candida to you, as I feel it is often over simplified or made out to be overly complex.I want to give you tools for balancing your body in general, so that you can naturally balance out your candida levels.
What is Candida?
Candida albicans is a yeast that inhabits the mouths and intestinal tracts of all humans. That’s right! Everyone has candida. When you are healthy, the candida in your body lives in a symbiotic relationship with you.
t will help to detect and destroy other harmful bacteria from harming your body, as well as helping to clean up any excess sugar that may be floating around in your bloodstream that your cells are not able to absorb. This is where candida can become a problem.
When there is an imbalance in blood sugar levels, candida will be given the opportunity to grow to a level that is not optimal for the human body.
Every time you eat, there will be a small candida “bloom” as the candida feeds on the sugars that are in your blood stream waiting to be ushered into the cell with the help of insulin to be used for energy. Then, once that sugar has been processed, the candida will reduce in number back down to their normal levels.
What Causes Candida To Grow Out Of Control?
There are several things that support a Candida overgrowth and thus lead to an imbalance. Some of them include:
Blood sugar imbalances – Poor insulin receptivity of the cell or other reasons that keep sugars in your bloodstream too long.
Bacterial imbalance.
Over use of antibiotics without replacing lost beneficial bacteria.
A nutrient poor diet that is rich in refined carbohydrates.
Having an over abundance of factors that support the candida, such as prolonged stress and lack of sleep. These two things in particular will compromise your good bacteria balance, as well as your blood sugar balance.
A compromised immune system
Heavy metals in the body.
Inadequate stomach acid levels and other digestive enzymes
As you can see the causes for an imbalance can be, and most likely will be, multi factorial. The body is very wise and it has many systems in place to protect you from things becoming out of whack.
It is when the body becomes overloaded with influences that are counter intuitive to health and balance that issues like candida arise. We cannot point to a single causative factor because that is generally an over simplification.
How Do I Know If I Have A Candida Overgrowth?
Just like there is no single cause for candida, there is no one symptom that will tell you that you have an overgrowth. Candida flourishes in dark, damp sugar rich environments, and so outbreaks are most common in the mouth, vagina, groin area and the intestinal tract.
Candida do have a pointy tail that when growing out of control can perforate the intestinal wall and get into the blood stream. This is what is known as “systemic candida” in which case the candida can grown in places like the lungs, joints muscles and other areas of the body.
If you do have a candida overgrowth, you will most likely have more than one of the following symptoms. Most people will identify with a few of them, but that does not mean you have a candida imbalance. Bacterial imbalances, regular yeast infections, poor digestive function and imbalanced hormones will share many of the same symptoms as candida.
Think critically about the list of symptoms provided here and if several of them apply to you, it is possible that you have an over growth of candida.
Common candida symptoms include:
Thrush – in the mouth or other areas of the body
Athletes foot
Poor Digestion (gas and bloating)
Headaches
Loss of appetite
Extreme sugar cravings
Rectal itching
excessive fatigue
Brain fog – lack of ability to focus the mind
Diarrhea
Constipation
Mood Swings
Itching
Acne
Rashes
Depression
Anxiety
Soar throat
Low sex drive
Muscle weakness
Chronic pain
As I mentioned, many people can identify with some of the aforementioned symptoms. Other imbalances in the body can cause similar symptoms as well, and I feel that lately candida imbalance has been over diagnosed. It is becoming somewhat of a catch-all, similar to IBS.
I feel it is important to rule out other issues like gluten or dairy sensitivity, adrenal burn out, blood sugar imbalance issues and even general fatigue before diagnosing yourself with candida overgrowth.
The treatment for candida in many ways will be very similar to the treatments that would cause other issues that may manifest like candida. A basic protocol for bringing the body back into balance can heal an assortment of issues.
If you have several of the symptoms for a candida imbalance following some simple steps for re-balancing your body should help move you in a healing direction whether or not the root issue is a candida imbalance, or if the candida imbalance is a symptom of another issue.
**If you feel that you may have a severe case of imbalanced candida, your treatment plan may need to be a little more intense than would be used for a mild to moderate imbalance. If you feel that your imbalance is really bad, we highly encourage you to seek medical advice from a Naturopathic Doctor.
If you are experiencing many of the symptoms mentioned above, you may also want to go see a Naturopath just to be sure that there is not a deeper imbalance going on that needs professional attention. Never feel bad about seeking help. **
How Do I Treat A Candida (or a Candida-like) Imbalance?
Treating a candida imbalance or any other mild imbalance that could be causing the symptoms mentioned above can be quite simple. A few dietary and lifestyle changes can go a long way to bringing your body back into the balance it naturally wants to be in.
Remember that your body is designed for health. It wants to be and fights to be in balance. Choosing dietary and lifestyle habits that support your bodies natural balance will help lead your body back to balance.
Simple tips to bring the body back into balance:
Reduce or eliminate processed and refined sugars
– These foods cause blood sugar imbalances by spiking blood sugar levels, causing the body to have to produce lots of insulin, which will lead to a blood sugar crash. Whole food sources of carbohydrates like fruits and veggies will not have this same effect and will support health blood sugar and insulin levels.
** If you are suffering with a severe case of candida, it may be wise to cut down on high sugar fruits like bananas and mangoes, and replace them with lower sugar fruits like berries, green apples, pears and cherries. You can even cut fruit out for a period of time, but remember that is no a long term solution, just a short term tool.
Drink fresh, clean water, or water with lemon
– Proper hydration is so important for a body in balance. Every single cell in your body needs hydration to function at its optimal level. Adequate water intake can also help to flush out unwanted pathogens and bacteria, helping to balance your body. Skip all drinks with added sugars like store bought fruit juices, sodas, coffee drinks and the like. Water, herbal teas and green based juices and smoothies are your best bet here.
** Here again, there are some people who recommend that you skip out on raw greens and raw green juices when dealing with sever candida overgrowth. Use your judgement and notice how these items feel in your body. If they make you feel better, keep drinking them, if you notice they make you feel worse, you can skip them until you feel more balanced.**
