Pat Robinson posted a very informative article about Candida on Heal Thyself, that I'd like to share. Before really getting into health and learning everything I could, I would hear the word candida brought up a lot and didn't have a clue what it was, or the role it played in keeping your body healthy, so I find this article very helpful...followed by links to even more healthfy information:)
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 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\
ir-quest
"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...
We can make candida 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\
ir-quest
"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 blo...od 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?
Basically, our detox system is like a funnel. You can dump a lot of toxins into the blo...od 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-start
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.
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.
