Candidiasis is one of the most annoying yet, underrated types of fungal infections. It occurs due to a yeast species called Candida Albicans.
Our bodies are home to a number of naturally occurring organisms and fungi, candida is one of the better-known yeasts (a type of fungi) that resides on the skin and inside the body. Candidiasis is one of the most annoying yet, underrated types of fungal infections. It occurs due to a yeast species called Candida Albicans.
Now, don’t go thinking that the species is a harmful species; there is absolutely no need to grab a pitchfork and start rioting. As hard as it is to believe, Candida is beneficial to the body. In fact, it is among the plethora of gut bacteria that play a huge role in the digestion process. So, what is it that makes the bacteria go mad and start attacking the body? Well, when the yeast’s population starts to increase, to an extent where the food it gets isn’t enough, it starts attacking our body for food.
Needless to say, the overpopulation results in fungal infections in some areas like the throat, the mouth, and other areas with a high concentration of the fungus. This is why it is important to watch out for any signals that your body gives off; they may be your body trying to tell you that there is an increase in the population of Candida. After that, you obviously need to respond by decreasing that population to avoid Candidiasis. Keep in mind that bringing down the population is not easy; however, it is very much possible if you utilize the correct strategies.
The following is a list of ways to help you get rid of Candida fast enough and without any hassle.
1. Starve it
The simplest and most direct way to get rid of any type of bacteria is to deprive it of its source of nutrition. Starvation would lead to an immediate decline in their reproduction rate, as well as, activity rate. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you will be starving yourself too.
Each type of bacteria feeds on certain nutrients that enter the body. For Candida, it is mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; three elements that happen to be the main building blocks of carbohydrates. The yeast organisms find it a lot easier to just eat up glucose because it is a simple type of carbohydrates; which means that there won’t be a need to spend a lot of time breaking down molecules.
Now, what you want to do is to stay away from glucose. Unfortunately, this does not only mean to stop consuming sugar. You also need to remember that glucose is the main ingredient when it comes to any type of processed food. As demented as it may sound, until you bring down the amount of Candida to an acceptable level, you are going to have to stay away from desserts, baked goods made of white flour, rice, and other foods that cause an instant insulin spike.
Instead, you can take that time to try getting used to brown bread, brown rice, and other complex carbohydrates. They take a lot of time and effort to digest; the yeast usually finds the ratio of work done to the reward gained too insignificant for it to actually put in the effort to breakdown the molecules. One last thing you have to keep in mind is that not all fruits and vegetables are made of complex carbs.
This is not you trying to lose weight so, cutting down on desserts doesn’t mean you can binge on fruits and veggies; at least not starchy veggies. Are you thinking, “this is going to be hard?” Do you feel like you need a drink? Well, it’s not really going to help on the long term since, alcohol is basically sugar but, you can’t quit everything so, cheers mates!
2. Chill Out
This may sound odd but, read on. It will make sense in a bit. It is scientifically proven that feeling stressed produces the same chemical reactions in the body as being attacked by a very angry dinosaur. In other words, stress is perceived by the brain as a signal for it to release adrenaline.
What adrenaline does is that it puts the body in a state of physical readiness known as, fight or flight. It is basically the body trying to ensure its own survival. This means that the blood stream goes towards skeletal muscles, and limbs rather than other systems; like, the digestive tract.
Granted, the hindering of digestive processes may lead to food being digested so poorly, that the molecules would reach the gut in a state of increased complexity, which would starve the yeast. On the other hand, the yeast won’t really die as it will simply attack the gut wall and feed off of it. Of course, your body won’t be able to defend itself because of the fact that a stressed body’s immune system is almost always in a terribly vulnerable state. So, if you are always stressed then, congratulations, you just got yourself an irritated bowl; in addition to the very pleasant Candida-related infections.
The main point is that you should make sure that you provide your immunity system with whatever it needs, in order for it to be strong enough to deal with any fungal infections. You can do that through reducing your levels of stress, or practicing yoga, or any other activities that promote the release of stress.
Some consider painting, pottery, taking long walks, or even watching the sunset every now and then. We also recommend that you try to dig deep, and deal with your emotions and thoughts in a way that puts them, and you, to rest. Therapists often suggest that one way to get rid of stress is to create boundaries.
You could set aside a part of your day where you don’t do, or think, about anything related to whatever stresses you out; be it your job, or even your education. Another technique is to leave your stressors out of your house. The technique is based on the no work talk at the dinner table rule. Worry about work from 9 to 5, other than that, when you’re in the house, just do your own thing. Roam free.
3. Alkaline is more than fine
Research proves that people suffering from the Candida infection usually have a couple of things in common. One of those things is the pH of their gut. First of all, for those who never really paid any attention to Mr. John Doe during biology, pH stands for the power of hydrogen.
It is a scale used for assessing whether the nature of a certain substance or atmosphere is acidic or alkaline. The scale ranges from 0 to 14; zero being the most acidic. When it comes to the pH of the human body, a normal, healthy body should place a tad under 7.5; meaning neutral yet, slightly alkaline.
Having problems with Candida population is, without a doubt, an abnormality which is somehow related to pH. Candida thrives in acidic environments which, thanks to our modern eating habits, is the case with the average person’s gut. Fortunately, it is very easy to change the pH balance of your intestines; by making it more alkaline, you would be providing unsuitable circumstances for the yeast. A more alkalized gut would definitely cause a huge drop in the speed with which the yeast reproduces, or functions in general.
As the case with most health problems, the solution, at least part of it, lies within our diet. The road to making your gut more alkaline is an easy one. You only have to focus on two things; consuming foods that are alkaline in nature and avoiding the acidic foods.
As we mentioned earlier in the article, it is better if you put some distance between you and rice, as well as, flour-based products. Don’t shoot the messengers but, this means pasta too. It is also preferable if you stay away from red meat, too.
On the bright side, you can go ahead and break out the ol’ guacamole recipe because, guess what, avocado is one of the vegetables known for its alkaline nature; no chips, though. In addition, it would really help if you manage to eat more broccoli, celery, and other leafy veggies.
If you can’t stomach those vegetables, you can try eating your vegetables raw, as opposed to them being cooked. Some dieticians believe that cooking destroys cell membranes which alters their pH. Eating raw vegetables, however, preserves the alkaline-ness of those vegetables. After all, no one should quit drinking and start eating broccoli on the same week. It would be a great achievement, though. Especially, if you manage to eat around 7 servings of alkaline vegetables.
4. Eat yeast the least
The very clever title heading is quite clear. You need to cut down on yeast to get rid of yeast. Candida is sort of a predatory type of yeast; meaning, it feeds on on other yeasts. Technically, you can put this point in the same category as the first point; they both include starving Candida. What is different is the type of nutrition being withheld from the yeast.
Foods rich in yeast, or any sort of fungus for that matter, are a huge no-no when you’re trying to get rid of Candida. Blue cheese, among other aged cheeses, are on that list too. In fact, just to be thorough, we need to go over some sneaky items on that list; since, it is easy for yeasty foods to go on by unnoticed.
- Bread: At least the types which are suspected to have active yeast as a main ingredient should be avoided. Contrarily, there are some breads which happen to be made using different methods; these are completely fine to eat. Just be careful.
- Mushrooms: Although it is a lot easier to just avoid mushrooms altogether, if you really love mushrooms, do your best to stay away from button mushrooms.
- Aged cheeses
Now is the time for a plot twist. While you may think that fermented foods; like, sauerkraut, fermented cabbage, and yogurt, should obviously be avoided, there is a bit of conflict. It is true that Candida feeds on yeast but, not all types. Some yeast strands actually manage to overpower it.
These strands happen to be found within yogurt, and Asian ferments like kimchi. They also happen to do a very successful job at directly attacking Candida. A helpful tip is to opt for yogurt with live bacteria; the live bacteria help in the production of a compound called hydrogen peroxide; it is pretty much poison to Candida.
Another way harmful yeast can sneak into your gut is through fruits, vegetables, or food that’s on the verge of going bad. In most cases, the mold is too small to notice so, if you want to guarantee that your food is mold free, either thoroughly washes your produce, or just peel off the skin.
Moreover, make sure that you keep all your food refrigerated or frozen. The longer the food stays outside, the more it is prone to develop mold. Especially, if you live in a tropical area. Heat makes it easier for fungi colonies to grow since it provides a suitable environment where the microorganisms’ activity reaches a peak.
Final Thoughts
Taking all of the above into consideration, now you definitely have a clearer idea on how to target Candida. All that you need to do is to provide an unfriendly environment where candida would have to constantly fight for food and oxygen. You also can’t go wrong with providing a more alkaline atmosphere. Honestly, it seems like a difficult thing to do because it involves quitting or significantly laying off of a lot of foods that, these days, are considered to be dietary essentials.
There is no need to stress about it, though. Avoiding stress is actually the second point on our list of ways to beat Candida. It promotes the release of adrenaline which, in turn, throws both, the immunity system, and the digestive system off balance. Before we let you go on with your life, remember that you’re only going to be doing this for a short while, until your Candida population returns to normal again. Stay strong.