Candida, Yeast Infection Blog 4U

Candida fighting is tough!!!  Many people have tried to do it and many have failed.  For some, the difficult part is maintaining the anti-candida diet.  This diet is essentially a starvation diet and it is no wonder that many people will not commit to fighting candida because the diet is so strict.  However, there are new, more powerful products being developed all of the time that take the diet out of the equation.  ThreeLac, FiveLac and Candex do not require as restrictive of a diet, although it is recommended to restrict your sugar and alcohol.  But, diet aside… it is still a difficult battle to fight - Why is it so hard?

 Well, the answer lies in the toxins!  Candida normally produces over 70 different toxins - these toxins are released into the human system and include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ethanol.  When you start putting pressure on the candida, the rate at which these toxins are produced increases.  A virtual flood of toxins from the still living candida, the increased output of toxins as a defense mechanism from the candida and the dead candida itself pours into the system.  Your poor body is overloaded with toxins and it may have a difficult time getting rid of all of this stuff.  If you notice headaches, joint or muscle achiness, skin rashes, itchy skin or even depression, these are all signs of extra toxins in the system.  You have to get these toxins out of the system quickly in order to start feeling better. 

This toxic rush is what results in failure for many people.  When the toxins start pouring into the system, they start feeling crummy and will often quit because they don’t feel it is right to feel bad when doing a candida cleanse.  If you quit at this stage, the candida wins.

Go into the battle with candida well-armed. Make sure you have a soluble fiber containing apple pectin and/or psyillium hull to absorb the toxins in the gut.  Take Epsom Salt baths a few times per week to pull toxins through the skin.  Try taking a dry sauna if you have one available in your area.  If you are struggling with constipation, get a good constipation relief product (OxyPowder is our favorite) to make sure you are going!

If you go into battle well-educated and well-armed, the candida will not stand a chance and you will be on your way to renewed and vibrant health.

I had the most interesting experience a week ago.  I went to my most excellent chiropractor. He is an extremity specialist and very knowledgeable in many areas. Little did I know the turn my visit would take.  Many people that call us for candida help say that they have a Hiatal hernia - they just seem to accept the fact that they will have to live with this forever or have surgery to correct it. A Hiatal hernia is occurs when the top of the stomach squeezes through the diaphragm.  As many as 40% of the population may have one and most of these go unnoticed.  I had done some reading about these hernias and I was curious if you could determine the presence of a Hiatal hernia through muscle testing.  So, I asked my chiropractor if there was a way to test to see if a person has a hiatal hernia. 

He said that indeed there was a way and promptly illustrated the method on my 16 year old son (who happened to be on the table at the time).  The chiropractor placed the two first fingers of his right hand on the very end of my son’s sternum, he asked Kyle to raise his right arm and then pressed down on the arm.  This is a muscle testing technique and if Kyle could not hold his arm up under this pressure, then he is weak on this test and he does have a hiatal hernia.  Well, surprisingly, Kyle was weak - we were all a bit shocked.  No worries, though, the chiropractor assured me that he could fix the issue (without surgery).  Using both hands, he found where the stomach was, and then applied steady, careful, inward and downward pressure until he felt the stomach move out of the hernia.  My son thought the experience was strange and a little painful, but he recovered quickly. Kyle had been complaining about dizziness and muscle weakness while working out during a Karate class. The problem had been persisting for a few months and we could not figure out what the issue was.  After the Hiatal hernia was pulled out, the problem was immediately resolved. He did not experience dizziness or muscle weakness during his very next work out (nor has the dizziness returned). 

My turn was next and, sure enough, I had one too (sigh).  My stomach was kind of toward the right. In about 2 minutes, our chiropractor performed the same method on me and I could feel my stomach being drawn out of the hernia.  Although, the drawing out of the stomach was not painful, I was tender from my breastbone almost to my belly button and was also a little sore along the diaphragm on the right side a few hours after the procedure.  The soreness lasted for about 4 days. I tell you what, though, I can handle 4 days of tenderness versus having to have surgery to correct the problem.   I have also noticed that I am able to breathe more easily. I can get up and down the stairs without panting and noticed that I was able to sing much better than before. 

Hiatal hernia’s are very common.  If you are curious if you have one, you and a friend can try the little muscle test I described above (you can’t do this test on yourself).  If the muscle test shows that you have a Hiatal hernia, then call around and find a chiropractor who deals with Hiatal hernia’s often; not all chiropractors may be aware of the correct method. I don’t think this is a procedure you want to try on your own - get a professional to help!

A lot of people with candida issues also have trouble with their adrenal glands. Adrenal fatigue and insufficiency are always an issue for everyone in this day and age and if you have a stressful life, watch out - you are guaranteed to have trouble with your adrenal glands. 

It has come to my attention recently that we may be sabotaging our adrenals with a very common household item; our alarm clocks! Apparently, in order for our adrenal glands to get a full recharge during the night, we must have total darkness for a certain number of hours each night.  The alarm clocks that we have now are so bright (so we can see them when we wake up multiple times in the night, because our adrenal glands are so tired) that your adrenal glands cannot get the complete darkness that they need and crave.  Do yourself a favor and set the clock face down so that you can not see the time or have the green light shining in your face all night.  It might make a difference!

Many people who have candida, struggle with urinary tract and bladder infections.  Beyond the normal infections, you may also have frequent urination or the inability to make it through the night without urinating. If you do not have interstitial cystitis, this little trick may be helpful.  Take 1/8-1/4 cup of low sugar (organic would be ideal) cranberry juice and pour it into a 20-30 ounce water bottle.  Fill the remainder of the bottle with water and ice.  Sweeten to taste with a few drops of stevia and sip throughout the day. The cranberry will flush the kidneys and bladder and may help to prevent infections.  The side benefit is that you will see less frequent urination during the day and will be able to make it longer through the night.

Fighting candida will put some pressure on the urinary system.  If you already struggle in this area, a little support in the way of cranberry juice and extra water may be very helpful.  If you can’t abide cranberry juice, the cranberry capsules that can be found in a health food store may also prove useful!

Relationships between Candida, Leaky Gut, Parasites and Heavy Metals

Candida is the one common factor shared by all 3 of these other systemic conditions. Deciding which of these problems you are actually experiencing and needing to treat can be difficult. Often we hear from our customers a few months after completing a Candida cleanse that they are again experiencing Candida symptoms or “the Candida has come back, why”. 

It’s not until we get the one common denominator(Candida) eliminated and the digestion tract repopulated with the good flora, Acidophilus & Bifidum, that we are then able to narrow things down a bit and see if the Candida has actually retuned, or if there is yet another underlying issue.Leaky Gut can occur as a result of not having enough good floras in our intestines. The cells in most areas of the body are very close to one another. The cells in the intestinal tract are farther apart, leaving more room for Candida, parasites, heavy metal deposits or other bad bacteria’s. Candida grows rhizoids, finger like protrusions, which burrow into the intestinal walls. Parasites will often do the same kind of damage. Once these conditions perforate the wall of the intestine, their toxins, along with decaying food and other bacteria can enter the bloodstream. When this happens we have what is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome. Toxicity symptoms continue to plague us, even though we may be doing all kinds of cleansing to feel better.  L-Glutamine is an amino acid (a protein building block) whose main function is to support cellular growth, energy and repair. It plays a role in the health of the immune system, the digestive tract and the muscles. L-glutamine is very helpful in repairing leaky gut and restoring intestinal health.  Probiotics such as Acidophilus & Bifidum live in the spaces between the cells leaving less room for those pesky invaders to set up house. Probiotics also create Vitamin K, another common deficiency found in those with systemic Candida. That’s why taking the Acidophilus Pearls is so important to your maintenance, after you’ve completed your course with the ThreeLac, FiveLac or Candex. It ensures the healthy environment you’ve worked so hard to establish.                                                                                  
                                                                                                         Parasitic infestations are more common than we realize. Candida and heavy metals create acidity and an anaerobic (lacking oxygen) environment they thrive in. Many Parasite symptoms are confused with Candida. For instance, brain fog, fatigue, memory problems, intestinal & digestive complaints can be parasites rather than Candida. Parasites also inhabit dark warm moist places, especially where there           is mucus, such as in the intestines, and respiratory system. Chronic coughing up phlegm, or a nagging dull headache are often indicators of a parasitic infestation.Heavy Metals

create an acidic, oxygen lacking environment in the body. This is the perfect living conditions for parasites and Candida. We all have Candida in our intestinal flora. It’s there for a reason. One benefit it gives, when it’s not overgrown and causing us problems, is it binds to heavy metals, especially mercury. As the Candida dies, it then releases Mercury and other heavy metal toxins into the body, thus we experience this strange mirage of symptoms and struggle to understand why we aren’t getting better if we are cleansing.                                                                                                                                                                 
So you can see how treating Candida alone may not relieve you of all your symptoms and discomforts. We have personal experience with these conditions and have successfully treated them with products we’ve found of high quality. We would very  much like to hear about your conditions and help you to a Renewed State of Health and well being.  Below are lists of symptoms caused by these systemic invasions. These lists are not all inclusive, but generally are the most common complaints.Common Symptoms shared by all 4 - Candida, Heavy Metals, Parasites and Leaky Gut

·         Bloating
·         constipation and/or diarrhea
·         painful gas/abdominal bloating
·         irritable bowel
·         stomach pain
·         Concentration problems/ foggy thinking
·         Memory Problems
·         feeling in a fog
·         personality changes
·         mood swings
·         irritability
·         anxiety
·          panic attacks
·         fatigue, Chronic fatigue syndrome, incapacitating fatigue
·         concentration/focus problems
·         Hyperactivity, ADD, ADHD, Autism
·         anemia
·         rashes
·         Dry flaky Skin
·         headaches including migraines
·         ringing in the ears
·          tremors
·         Candida
·         Food/sweet cravings
·         weight changes without changes in diet
·         Low sex DriveCandida & Heavy metal shared Symptoms

·         painful joints, muscle aches
·         vomiting 
·         sweating/night sweats
·         numbness
·         burning/tingling sensation in the skin
·         dizziness
·         high blood pressure
·         visual problems
·         kidney problems
·         sensitivity to heat/cold
·         skin discoloration/blotchiness  Parasite and Heavy Metal Shared Symptoms·         constipation or diarrhea
·         kidney problems – inability to, or frequent urination
·         Malabsorption 

Candida Symptoms that stand alone·         canker sores
·         shortness of breath
·         alcohol intolerance
·         gluten intolerance
·         irregular heartbeat
·         dryness of mouth and eyes
·         difficulty swallowing
·         menstrual problems (PMS/endometriosis)
·         recurrent yeast infections
·         recurrent ear infections
·         eczema
·         dermatitis
·         acne
·         dandruff
·         chronic athlete’s foot
·         chronic toenail and fingernail fungus
·         sensitivity to noise/sounds
·         sensitivity to foods
·         sensitivity to chemicals
·   sensitivity to odor

Leaky Gut Symptoms, All of which are Candida & Parasites Symptoms as well

·         skin rashes
·         head sores
·         scalp or body itchiness
·         food allergies
·         chemical sensitivities
·         nutritional deficiencies
·         anxiety
·         impaired immune system
·         impaired memory
·         moodiness or irritability
·         bloating
·         flatulence
·         brain fog
·         diarrhea or constipation
·         fatigue
·         headaches Heavy Metal Precursors and symptoms that stand alone.

Parasite Precursors & Symptoms that stand alone

·         Mild Nagging Headache
·         Bronchitis
·         Coughing 
·         Tiny Red Abrasions That Itch
·         Pet Bird
·         Eat Sushi
·         Pet Cat
·         Pet Dog
·         Pet FerretCommon Cleansing – Die off reactions, Also Known as Toxicity

·         Headaches
·         Brain fog –Poor concentration
·         Fatigue
·         Aches or pains
·         Constipation
·         Diarrhea
·         Skin rashes & itching
·         Rectal/vaginal itching
·         Irritability REMEMBER: If you are taking prescribed medications, it is important that you monitor your conditions and get lab tests done regularly. Conditions like High Blood Pressure & High Triglycerides may improve while taking ThreeLac/FiveLac. DO NOT stop taking your medications but discuss any improvements with your physician so he/she can evaluate the necessity of your medications. 

When doing a candida cleanse we are always hopeful that we will just start to feel better right away.  However, candida never seems to just fade quietly away into the night; it always goes with a fight.  Around 3-5 days into an effective candida cleanse, you may notice that you are just not feeling all that well and this “unwellness” is due to the Herxheimer reaction.  You may see continued Herxheimer reactions to varying degrees through the cleanse. 

Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer (both were dermatoligists studying a cure for syphilis - go figure) are credited with the discovery of the Herxheimer reaction in 1902.  These guys were treating patients who had syphilis with mercury.  Surprisingly, Adolf Jarish died in March of 1902, the same year that the Herxheimer reaction was discovered.  I wonder (purely my own speculation) if he was poisoned by the mercury he was using in his experiments.  At any rate, Herxhemier went on to live a very distinguished life right up until he was murdered by the Nazi’s in 1942 at the age of 81 in Theresienstadt, a German concentration camp. 

According to Wikipedia, the Herxheimer Reaction “occurs when large quantities of toxins are released into the body”.   There are too many toxins for the body to handle by the natural detoxification routes through the colon, kidney and liver.  When these organs become overloaded with toxins, the person experiencing a Herxheimer reaction may feel down-right lousy.  Typical Herxheimer reaction ”symptoms” could include: fatigue, headaches (even migraines), itchy skin, skin rashes, runny nose or post nasal drip and sometimes will even include a fever and chills.  If your body is doing a good job of getting rid of toxins, then these symptoms may only last a few hours and at the most a couple of days.  If these herxheimer reactions are very severe or last longer that a couple of days, you need to SLOW down whatever detoxification procedure you are doing and concentrate on getting your system clear of toxins. 

The most effective ways to rid yourself of toxins are:
1.  A good, soluble fiber (pysillium or apple pectin based)
2. Far Infr-Red Sauna or a regular Dry Sauna (10-20 minutes per session)
3. Colonics (if reactions are very severe)
4. Ionic Foot baths

It is always best to be taking a soluble fiber (usually pysillium-based) and taking sauna’s a couple of days a week when you start your candida cleanse; then you will be able to stay ahead of the toxic wave that will undoubtedly hit when the candida starts dying off.

Plantar warts are nasty, painful warts that show up on the sole of the foot.  These warts are caused by a virus and if left untreated will grow down in the foot potentially causing a great deal of pain while walking.  You may not even be able to wear regular shoes after a while. Conventional treatment would have you go to a dermatoligist where they may apply salicylic acid to the wart over a period of weeks.  For more serious conditions, burning, freezing, laser therapy or surgical removal of the wart may be required.

There is a natural alternative, however.  Natural alternatives generally focus on a gradual remission of the water.  The natural methods require some time to work, but if you are diligent they are quite effective.

My 14 year old daughter recently got a really bad (HUGE) plantar wart on her foot.  We removed it by applying duct tape and swabbing the wart twice daily with Silver Shield (a silver sol prodcut by Nature Sunshine).  The entire process took about 4 weeks.  The duct tape suffocates the plantar wart by cutting of its oxygen supply and the antiviral properties of the silver shield kill the virus directly.  It make take several weeks for the wart to die and it will look ugly through the process.  If you hang with it and are very diligent, however, you can get rid of the wart without having to go to a doctor.

My very favorite colon cleanse is a combination of OxyPowder and Loclo Fiber.  The OxyPowder is a high-powered, ozonated magnesium oxide that will get even the most chronically constipated people moving overnight.  It oxygenates the intestinal wall and oxidizes or ”melts” fecal matter off of the intestinal wall; The old fecal matter is turned into water and gas in the process.  You get a powerful cleanse that you have to experience to understand.  The nice thing about this product is that it is not addictive to the bowel and does not cause cramping or pain as many herbal colon cleanses do.

Combine the OxyPowder with Loclo and you have an extremely powerful combination.  Loclo is a fiber that contains FIVE sources of soluble fibers: pysillium hull, apple pectin, acacia gum, guar gum and oat bran.  These five fibers wrap around toxins in the bowel and pull them out of the system very efficiently.  The Loclo traps toxins and the OxyPowder moves them out of the bowel; what a team!

Between these two products, you will have the cleansest digestive tract around! Both of these products are available at www.stopyeast.com.

A full body cleanse should include many elements: candida, parasite, colon, liver/gall bladder, and kidney cleanses.  The question is what should the order of the cleanses be!  There is a lot of conflicting data out there on the web, but from my experience this is the order that I would do things in.  If you do not have a particular issue, you would just skip that step.

1.  Colon Cleanse
2.  Heavy Metal Detox
3.  Kidney Flush
4.  Candida cleanse
5.  Parasite cleanse
6.  Liver/Gall Bladder flush
7.  Heal the Leaky Gut with l-glutamine

You can accomplish some of these things at the same time.  The colon cleanse could certainly be done at the same time that you are detoxing from heavy metals.  And the parasite cleanse could be started toward the end of the candida cleanse.  However, you must be aware that your body can only deal with so many toxins at one time.  Doing all of this at once will be very difficult for you and may even be dangerous to your system (at the very least you could be very uncomfortable or even sick). 

So, be patient!  You didn’t get in this shape overnight; it will take a while to heal.  The effort, however, is well worth it in terms of your long term wellness.

Do you have candida?  That is always the question. Yes, you may have the symptoms, but do you actually have the condition.  Some of us are willing to get going on killing the candida without having any emperical data; but, it is always good to know if you have candida, how bad the condition is to start with, and where you end up. 

There are a couple of different tests that can be done.

1.  There is always a saliva test for candida.  Doctors are coming to realize more and more that saliva tests are a very accurate representation of what is going on in the body at that particular point in time.  Hormone tests for women are done with saliva and are very accurate.  There is also a saliva test for candida that can be done at home.  This test can be done through the candida cleanse and will usually indicate your progress.  The results for this test may actually be worse than when you started for the first 6-8 weeks, because it indicates active yeast in the system. As you start to kill the candida with a cleanse the candida will become more active as it is exiting the body, so the test will look worse. the saliva test actually correlates quite well with blood tests.

Here is how to do a saliva test for candida:

When you awake in the morning, before you put anything into your mouth, work up some saliva and spit it into a clear glass of water.  You may want to spit in the glass 3 or 4 times, just make sure you have enough saliva in the glass to cover the surface of the water.  You want to observe the reaction of the saliva in the glass about every few minutes for up to 30 minutes. If there are strings coming down from your saliva, if the water turned cloudy, or if your saliva sank to the bottom, you probably have candida You may want to put out a glass of water in the bathroom or on the nightstand the night before you wish to do the test just to remind yourself not to brush your teeth prior to spitting into the glass.

(Yes, we have seen people test negative for yeast with this test.  If you do NOT have a yeast concern, your saliva should stay at the top of the glass and will eventually dissipate.)

2.  Live Blood Analysis: If you can find a naturopathic doctor in your area that does live blood analysis, this is also a good option.  In Live blood Analysis, the doctor will take a sample of your blood and analyze it under a microscope.  The doctor should be able to see candida in the blood sample if your candida is leaking into your blood stream from the digestive tract.  You may also be able to see parasites, anemic conditions and other issues with the blood.  The only weakness with this is it will not indicate candida that is not in the blood stream.  If your candida issue is confined to the digestive system; the live blood analysis may not pick it up.

3. The last test must be performed by a diagnostic lab and will need to be ordered by a physician.  This blood test is a Candida Antibodies and Antigen panel.  It will pick up the current levels of candida in your body and may also give an indication of past infections.  What is nice about this test is that it will let you know what your actual levels of candida are.  This can give you an idea of how bad the issue is and how far you have to go to get well.  You can also repeat this test through the cleansing process and will know for certain when you are down to non-reactive levels of candida.  The Candida Antibodies and antigen Panel will measure IgG, IgA, and IgM and Candida Antigen levels in the blood.  If the Candida Antigen measure is over 592, you have a substantial candida concern.  Any measure under 300 is considered a negligible candida problem. US Biotek Laboratories, Inc can perform this test for you.  Their website address is: www.usbiotek.com, phone number is: 1-877-318-8728.

The test you choose is very dependent on your personal circumstances. Very rarely are any of these test covered by insurance.  I have listed the tests in order from the least expensive to the most expensive.

Hope this is helpful for you!