More from Food Matters on 9 Symptoms you shouldn’t ignore:
One likely signal: Itchy ears, throat or mucus membranes
Background: The average American downs nearly 150 pounds of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. And if you’re eating anywhere near that much sugar, you may have more than just a sweet tooth — your body may be hosting an unhealthy overgrowth of Candida albicans. A small amount of this common, yeast like fungus living in the gut is OK when its numbers are kept in check by healthy flora. But when an intestinal imbalance allows it to run amok, it acts like kudzu, colonizing everything in its path. Among its favorite environs are the body’s warm, dark nooks and crannies, such as between the toes, under the breasts and, yes, in the ears. As it infiltrates, it irritates and inflames the skin, leading to the telltale signs of itching and redness.
Other signals: Mood swings, fatigue, weak immune system, weight gain, frequent yeast infections
How to respond: If you think you have candida overgrowth, the quickest fix is to starve them. Candida flourish in the presence of both refined and unrefined sugar, such as fresh fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice. Cutting off their food supply can bring their numbers back to a healthy level. They also love refined flour products and anything fermented, such as alcohol and soy, so if you have a serious overgrowth, you may need to cut out all of the above for a number of consecutive weeks.
Candida and gut ecology is something many of Nutritionhelp’s clients may already know about. The idea of simply starving the Candida is not usually all that is needed. Erica White found over her many years of clinical practice that the protocol to best re-establish healthy gut ecology consisted of four main factors – diet, supplements to boost the immune system, a supplement to encourage friendly bacteria and a supplement to deal with the yeast. Erica found that if one of these factors was missing correct gut ecology was difficult to either achieve or maintain. If you think Candida (yeast) may be an issue, complete a Nutritionhelp questionnaire to get tailor-made advice and recommendations.
