Candida 101

[Pat Robinson]

• Candida Alternatives
• Probiotic Selection
• The Beet Test
• 14 Steps for Healthy Guts
• Healthy Poop 101
• Where do I begin...?
  
  

Candida (Yeast) is a late sign of impaired gut health.

Candida is associated with craving simple carbs (white foods--pasta, bread, rice, and all sugars) which feed the yeast. Candida develops for many reasons. Basically, it is a 'helper' attempting to create balance in the gut, generally due to antibiotics, preservatives, heavy metal toxins and sterile foods.

We can make candida infections obsolete and unnecessary by rebalancing gut microbials. Antibiotics for mother or baby during pregnancy and birth are the most common sources of microbial imbalance leading to candida in children (and mother). The mother's exposures to mercury through (silver) amalgam fillings and vaccinations herself, and HER mother's mercury toxin exposures are other variables leading to candida overgrowth.

Our foods have "preservatives", which means chemicals that retard microbial and bacterial growth in the food product. Live foods have enzymes and microbials and spoil. If a food doesn't spoil at room temperature within a week, it has preservatives, essentially.

Our gut, which is 70-80% of our immune system has 500-1000 different types of microbials. Preservatives and sterile "pasteurized" foods provide anti-microbials and offer no microbials to recolonize the gut's supply. Without balanced gut microbials the immune system is impaired.

So, that all sounds scary. But, there are many easy and delicious ways to rebalance the gut microbials and add beneficial bacteria and yeasts in our foods. We'll talk a lot about whole food probiotics and various ways to offer them to our family. The absolute easiest and most beneficial is water kefir, in my experience.

Water kefir is a colony of beneficial microbials which help to resupply and recolonize the gut microbials. Water kefir is as easy to make as lemonade and tastes similar. Sorta like lemon cider. You only need 1 teaspoon to receive HUGE microbial benefits. I just add it to juice of any type and it is not noticeable in flavor. It can be added to any smoothie or other drink, or salad dressings also. Heat kills the probiotics.

Here are instructions for making water kefir, including photos and YouTube video:
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/group/sharingstartercultures/forum/topics/water-kef\
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"Cultures for Health" sells the water kefir grains for about $15 for a lifetime supply. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/splash.php

They reproduce easily and we just share them with friends all the time. You can ask on our Sharing Cultures forum on Heal Thyself. There are many mamas willing to share probiotic starters. If you live near someone with kefir grains, you could get the starter locally. That was how I originally received my kefir grains.
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/group/sharingstartercultures/forum/topics/water-kef\
ir-quest

Preservatives in foods, pasteurized foods and antimicrobial products are three other huge issues!

Oh, and antibiotics...

 

The more you 'kill off' the more 'die-off' toxins which must be excreted. The skin (mucus membranes) are a detox pathway.

Basically, our detox system is like a funnel. You can dump a lot of toxins into the blood stream with cleanses/detox, but there is a maximum bandwidth with which it can exit. Nutrient deficiencies can make detoxification less effective.

So, the yeast just returns. Often yeast exists to sequester excess heavy metals, such as mercury out of blood circulation. Do you have/had any mercury (silver amalgams) in your mouth?

 

I'd focus on gut healing: http://heal-thyself.ning.c om/profiles/blogs/overwhel med-where-to-...

 

More about Candida and cautions about "Cleanses":
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/candida-101
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/forum/topic...s/need-help-with-candida
http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/cleanses-1

I believe we can excrete the toxins safely and gradually by supporting our natural detoxification pathways with whole food nutrients and rebalancing the gut microbials. Avoiding toxins and immune assaults helps to make candida obsolete naturally so it doesn't keep returning again and again and again...

~for topical relief, consider coconut oil, kefir, yogurt, ACV, baking soda, Epsom salt baths, lavender essential oil. (each separately)

These are not curative, just suppressive of the symptoms (manifestation of gut imbalance).

Add bone broths, vit A, Vit D, vit C; stop any "cleanses" currently. Increase Omega 3, decrease Omega 6 fatty acids significantly. Avoid alcohol. Decrease stress.

• Need Help With Candida
• Non-Dairy Kefir and the candida diet. 
• Kombucha- Candida- Mercury Issues
•  
• "Yeast" Intolerance
• Water Kefir vs. Kombucha
• Whole Foods Heal
• REAL kefir grains vs. kefir starter 
• "Cleanses" - Heal Thyself!
• Whole Food Probiotics 101
•  
• Where do I begin..?
• 14 Steps for Healthy Guts
•  
• Need some advice on detox after filling removal.
• Amalgam Removal Risks and Protocols.
• Basic Liver Detox
• Healing Leaky Gut with Food??

 

Pat Robinson, Wellness Educator

P.S. Susun Weed is a very respected herbalist who actually recommends a natural rebalancing approach to yeast problems. From her website here is her advice to people "fighting" yeast.
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/Weed_letter_Mar-02.htm#q2

 

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P.S. Favorite Posts:

     •  14 Steps For Healthy Guts

     •  The Beet Test (stomach acid?) 

     •  Candida 101 

     •  Green Smoothie Challenge

     •  Healthy Poop 101

     •  Master Tonic 101 

     •  Nettle Leaf herbal infusions 101.

     •  Overwhelmed? Where to Start?!

     •  Probiotic Selection

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[Pat Robinson]

In general, homemade probiotics are much more potent than commercial probiotics. Shifting the gut ph too much too fast can have increased die-off and those toxins often exit through the skin.

There are two "theories" about candida (for simplicity, there are more within the conventional paradigm). One is that candida needs to be "attacked". And the other is that candida exists due to a cause and addressing the cause can make candida obsolete.

Another variable is that candida sequesters excess heavy metals and killing off the candida releases those toxins. So... the path of "attacking candida" must proceed slowly. The commercial probiotics have about 7-10 isolated strains of microbials. Our gut has 500-1000 different strains of microbials. High doses of isolated probiotics is based upon the same theory of antibiotics - to attack the overgrowth of a "pathogenic" microbial.

However, the collateral damage from both is a further imbalance of the gut microbials. Leading to repeated overgrowth of various microbials and resistant microbials developing.

[Pat Robinson]

• There are two schools of thought regarding candida as a "pathogen" vs. the "terrain" theory of dis-ease.

  I'm of the second school of thought that dis-ease manifests as a symptom of imbalance. Some/many people believe that we need to "attack" pathogens as if that would eliminate the problem. I believe that we can make candida overgrowth obsolete by rebalancing gut microbials.

  We have 500-1000 different microbials in the gut. When we add MORE different beneficial microbials the body can self-regulate. There is an issue with "die-off" if one has a really messed up gut/imbalance and introduce a rapid shift to the gut ph or a rapid shift in gut microbials with antibiotics (or probiotics).

  I suggest that people start with just one tablespoon of kefir daily and listen to your body. Increase by the same amount each week or decrease to 1/4 teaspoon if diarrhea is a side-effect. Healthy people can drink 1-2cups of kefir without an issue. But, those with mercury or candida issues (they go hand-in-hand) only tolerate tiny amounts of homemade probiotics.

  Many people suggesting "candida cleanse" want to sell *their* expensive probiotics. But, homemade probiotics have may more different microbials and are inexpensive. Thus, many are told "don't use ferments". Additionally, too many probiotics at once can lead to die-off and skin rashes for people detoxing too fast.

  So... the sugar is consumed by the water kefir grains. Milk kefir has more beneficial microbials and homemade kimchi or kraut has more than any bottle probiotic.