Last month, I told you about my lengthy experience with systemic candida, and how that led to my career as a doctor of natural medicine.
This month, I'll provide you with much more information about candida, its causes, and treatment. I'm also very excited to tell you a little more about my book, The Belly of the Beast, which is just about to be released.
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better. It is a step toward longevity.
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NEW! We now offer Physiotherapy Services and Laser Rehabilitation
Clinically proven to eliminate pain!
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Ramila Padiachy
Doctor of Natural Medicine (DNM)®
Ramilas Healing Arts Clinic
1437 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa ON (map)
613.829.0427
info@ramilas.com
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Candida albicans (the species we're talking about) is one of many organisms that live in our gastrointestinal tracts. It is a type of fungus or yeast. Virtually everyone has Candida, and the ratio of Candida to good bacteria is normally 1 yeast to 1 million good bacteria. In this form and this ratio, it does no harm.
 However, with poor nutrition due to a diet high in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, rice), packaged and processed foods, and very few or no fruits and vegetables, Candida literally overtakes your body. Other factors that enable it to take over include the use of antibiotics, some other prescription drugs (e.g. steroids), stress, and a compromised immune system.
Candida can attach itself firmly to the gastrointestinal tract and compete for nutrients, eventually robbing the body's cells of vital nutrients. It can penetrate the mucus lining of the digestive tract and create holes; this is known as leaky gut syndrome. This enables undigested food particles, toxins, yeast and bacteria to enter the bloodstream and begins the whole spectrum of symptoms that comprise systemic Candida, and make your whole body feel sick.
Common issues include weight gain, inflammation and food sensitivities. These can be problems even when you're eating a healthy diet. The Candida is triggering an immune response (70% of your immune system is in the gut). This, in turn, is causing inflammation and swelling.
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There is really no single cause of Candida. If your system is already weakened, other causative agents will further weaken it. There are psychological and mental factors (e.g. stress), external factors (e.g. toxins), and factors, such as poor diet and antibiotics (that kill off good bacteria), that can contribute to the overgrowth of Candida.
Poor diet is a major reason so many people struggle with Candida. We are consuming more sugar than ever. Sugar is yeast's best friend and our worst enemy if we're struggling with an overgrowth of yeast. In addition, sugar causes inflammation in the body, and suppresses the immune system.
Basically, a systemic Candida infection is caused by an imbalance in our gut of 'good' bacteria versus Candida. We tend to think of bacteria as something that makes us sick, but we have trillions of bacteria in our gut and elsewhere in and on our body, which are very beneficial to our wellbeing. This community of microorganisms collectively is known as the microbiome. In fact, we have 10 times more bacteria living in our body than cells that make up our body.
Candida and biofilms
When it becomes systemic, Candida forms a protective shield around itself called a biofilm. Many different bacteria and fungi do this. The biofilm makes Candida overgrowth difficult to treat with medications, and also makes it difficult for the body to fight it. Candida's biofilm in particular is comprised of 32% glucose. This tells us that not only does Candida need sugar to grow and reproduce, but also to protect itself from our immune system.
There is no magic pill to eliminate the biofilm, and the longer it's in the body, the more resistant it becomes. Therefore, anti-fungal treatments alone do not work. This is why it's so important to starve the Candida of sugars at the same time.
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Very simply, to treat Candida, it is necessary to both kill it and starve it. To starve it, completely avoid any sugar and yeast in your diet; do not be discouraged, this is only necessary for a fairly short period of time. There are a number of supplements that help to kill it.
I have developed a protocol that is very effective in eliminating symptoms of the Candida infection quickly, and with some additional time, killing off the overgrowth of Candida. In fact, the whole protocol takes 3 months, but clients typically see a major improvement in just 2 weeks.
In my book, you'll find questionnaires to help determine if your symptoms are consistent with systemic Candida, which are too lengthy to include here. However, I think you can get a pretty good idea from last month's newsletter of the sorts of symptoms which indicate Candida could be the problem.
I provide a detailed list of foods to avoid. Obviously it's essential to avoid anything with sugar or yeast in it. Dairy products must also be avoided. Many beverages are on the 'no-no' list, including coffee, teas (including herbal teas), alcoholic (fermented) beverages of all kinds, and, of course, any drinks with sugar (even naturally occurring sugar). Other foods to be avoided include processed foods, processed meats, potatoes (except for sweet potatoes), corn, all dried fruit, and anything with vinegar (i.e. most salad dressings). The list is more comprehensive than this, but this gives you an idea of what's involved.
The supplements I prescribe include, but are not limited to, the list in the supplements section of this newsletter. It's impossible to provide precise instructions for supplements, since there may be some variation of what works from one individual to the next. Also, different brands of supplements can vary widely in strength and purity.
After the first two weeks on the program, some foods can be gradually reintroduced into the diet, provided they do not contain sugar, dairy, yeast or vinegar. Reading labels carefully is very important! The total program is three months in length.
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The book: The Belly of the Beast
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 The Belly of the Beast will teach you how to:
- have abundant energy
- eliminate digestive problems like bloating, constipation and diarrhea
- lose weight without counting calories and measuring portion sizes
- heal your skin from eczema, psoriasis, etc.
- lower your liver enzymes
- lower your cholesterol
- recognize food sensitivities
- eliminate inflammation in the body
- get your child back into the correct growth percentile, especially when diagnosed with the inability to thrive
- uncover the emotions that affect the core of your being
With my book, I'm offering a free recipe book, I'm sure you'll enjoy the recipes, whether or not you need the Candida diet.
If you're interested in purchasing The Belly of the Beast, stay tuned; it's in the final stages of the printing process.
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 There are some Nature's Sunshine supplements that are relevant to this newsletter.
You can find information about these products and purchase them in our online store:
- Caprylic Acid Combination
- Garlic, High Potency
- Pau d'Arco
- Probiotic 11
- Psyllium Hulls Combination
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References:
- Padiachy R. The Belly of the Beast. 2017.
Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
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