Millions of Americans each year suffer from a Candida overgrowth either knowingly or unknowingly.  Those who suffer from such overgrowth’s in the gut often have unexplained symptoms which often get misdiagnosed as something else.  This can lead to years of mistreating a disease or disorder that isn’t even there!

Luckily, many are beginning to wake up the fact that the integrity of our gut plays an extremely important role in both our physical and mental health.  In fact, research has shown that gut health is responsible for various biological functions in the body such as immune system maintenance and good mental health (1)(2).

Those with a candida overgrowth in the body typically suffer from poor gut health and consequently display symptoms that are all associated with a gut dsybosis.  Gut dsybosis is just a fancy term for a gut that is overpopulated with bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria.  Correcting the gut is of the utmost importance if you wish to successfully rid the body of candida and regain optimal health.  Before we go into how to do this, let’s first go over the basics.

What is Candida?

Candida is a pathogenic fungus that can overtake a microbiome and cause several unwanted symptoms in the body.  As mentioned before, many of these symptoms get misdiagnosed and true healing never takes place as a result.

It’s important to understand that every healthy body DOES in fact have candida present in the gut.  In fact, candida is necessary and helps assist in several different functions in the human body and plays a role in digestive health.  In its yeast form, candida is typically harmless and will not cause unwanted symptoms in the body.  However, when the environment permits, candida can morph into a pathogenic fungus which can cause all sorts of problems in the body.

When in its fungus form, candida can release up to 70 different toxins in the body.  Some of these toxins include acetaldehyde, gliotoxin, and ethanol.  These toxins can have a severe negative impact on the immune system and essentially makes the body toxic. 

What are the Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth?

Although symptoms may vary from individual to individual, there are few symptoms that seem to be common among all candida sufferers.  Below is a small list of symptoms that are common when suffering from candida overgrowth in the gut and body.

• White Tongue
• Digestive Troubles ( IBS, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis)
• Anxiety and/or Depression
• Brain Fog
• Histamine Intolerance
• Newly Occurring Food Allergies
• Nutritional Deficiencies
• Chronic Diarrhea or Constipation
• Skin Rash After Eating
• Acid Reflux

It’s interesting to know that studies have revealed that those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) almost always have a candida overgrowth in the gut (3).  Furthermore, the boom in new food allergies across the nation may be related to the increase of candida suffers across the nation.  If you suffer from any of these symptoms, there is a possibility that you may have a candida overgrowth in both the gut and body.

What Causes Candida and Why Do I have it?

There are several different causes that can contribute to candida overgrowth in the body.  Below you find a list of the 4 main reasons that contribute to candida overgrowth in the gut and body.

1. High Sugar and Carbohydrate Diet

All diets high in sugar and simple carbohydrates are the perfect recipe for a candida overgrowth.  This is because the primary fuel source of all yeast and fungus is SUGAR.  Eating high amounts of sugar is like putting gasoline on the fire.  It’s important to understand that the more sugar you consume the more chance you will have of suffering from candida overgrowth.  When high amounts of sugar and simple carbohydrates are consumed candida is able to morph easily into its pathogenic fungal form.

The main job of candida is to break down any excess sugars that may enter the diet.  The quickest way to reduce candida in the body is to simply stop feeding it. Once its fuel source is cut out, it will inevitably stop proliferating in the gut and will return to its non-pathogenic yeast form.

2. Overuse of Antibiotics

The overuse of antibiotics has paved the way for poor gut health.  We must understand that an antibiotic literally stands for “anti-life.” Research has shown that the human gut microbiome is comprised of trillions of different bacteria which all play an important role in our overall health (4).  Although antibiotics do in fact work, they completely kill off both good and bad bacteria in the gut.  This is problematic because it opens the door for opportunistic yeasts such as candida to take control of the microbiome.

Typically, when the gut microbiome is healthy, good bacteria keep the bad bacteria, yeast, and fungus in check and do not allow them to overgrow.  However, most of the population lacks healthy flora and as a result are prone to bacterial overgrowth’s in the gut.  Diet plays an important role in this vulnerability, but overuse of antibiotics also contributes to a hostile gut microbiome.

3. Lack of Probiotic Rich Foods

The lack of probiotic rich foods in the modern diet is another contributing factor to poor gut health and bacterial overgrowth.  Throughout the history of the world, every single culture always consumed some form of fermented food or beverage.  This can widely be seen among many Native American groups and can still be seen among the few still existing traditional tribes around the world.  Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, chicha, kefir, and miso all contain extremely high amounts of live bacteria.  These bacteria can help reduce the number of bad bacteria in the gut and can help the good bacteria overcrowd the bad bacteria.

Unfortunately, very few individuals in modern society still consume fermented foods.  Yet, fermented foods are extremely easy to make and are very low cost.  In fact, all fermented foods should in fact be made by you.  Store bought fermented foods are often times not raw and their bacteria count is low.  It’s for this reason that we recommend you make all of your fermented foods at home.  We’ve found this easy fermenting kit to be extremely beneficial for all our fermented foods and is perfect for families.

4. Too Many Processed Foods

Consuming too many processed foods can have an extremely negative effect on gut health and can allow candida to overgrow at a much quicker rate.  This is because many processed foods contain high amounts of dietary emulsifiers.  Research has shown that dietary emulsifiers have a negative effect on gut health and can contribute to inflammatory conditions and metabolic disorders in the body (5).

Cutting out all processed foods is essential if you wish to heal from a candida overgrowth and restore the gut microbiome back to optimal function.  This means anything that you can’t find growing naturally in nature should not be consumed.

The Importance of Traditional Diets and Candida

Traditional diets such as the ones eaten by our ancestors for centuries play an extremely important role in maintaining both good physical and mental health.  In fact, Weston A. Price, a dentist who studied various tribes around the world found that these people displayed amazing health throughout their lifetime and were free from the degenerative disease experienced by the west.  It should be mentioned that all these Natives were consuming a traditional diet and living off what the land provided.

Those suffering from a candida overgrowth are in desperate need of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, probiotics, prebiotics, and phytochemicals.  Traditional diets contain all of these elements and more.  It’s for this reason that a traditional diet is highly recommended for anyone dealing with a candida overgrowth.  However, it’s mandatory that you follow a gut healing diet first before you begin introducing traditional foods into the diet.  You can go here to discover the full details of our candida diet protocol.

Dr. Weston Price wrote an entire book on his discoveries after observing the Native people for many years.  The book is titled Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and is one of the most important books an individual can read when it comes to nutrition and its role in aging.

“All Disease starts in the gut.”

-Hippocrates

Fruit is Natural, is it good for Candida?

There is no denying that fruit is indeed natural.  However, over several decades fruit has become incredibly hybridized.  As a result, fruit contains extremely high amounts of sugar that once was never present in the original fruits.  Also, many fruits contain no seeds. These are in fact “sterile” fruits and no such fruits can be found growing in nature.

The best example is to look at the banana.  The modern banana contains extremely high amounts of sugar which can drastically raise blood sugar levels in the body and can cause havoc on the gut microbiome.  However, wild bananas on the other hand are extremely low in sugar, contain lots of hard seeds, and are about quarter of the size of conventional bananas.  They’re also much less sweet than modern bananas and contain only tiny amounts of edible flesh.

With that being said, fruit is OK as long as you enjoy it in season and it has not been overly hybridized.  Many berries that can be purchased in the grocery store have undergone very little hybridization with the exception of certain varieties of strawberries.  Most berries are also extremely low in sugar which can feed candida. As a rule of thumb, if you’re going to eat fruit, it should be consumed in season and should not be hybridized.

Food Cravings – Is it You Who is Really Craving Sugar?

How often have you found yourself craving something sweet or starchy right after consuming a meal?  This phenomenon is extremely common and is a result of years of bad eating habits and a dysfunctional gut microbiome.  When the gut is healthy, the body will be nourished and satisfied after eating a meal.  However, those with candida often always crave something sweet after a meal.  These cravings can be extremely intense and most end up succumbing to these cravings.

It’s important to understand that it’s not actually YOU who is craving the sugar or dessert; it’s the pathogenic fungus, yeast, and bacteria in your gut.  Traditionally, when these cravings occurred after a meal, it was well known that that individual was suffering from some sort of digestive pathogen.  Many were given something bitter to consume after meal in order to stop the cravings and aid in digestion.  It’s for this reason that the Chinese often consumed bitters before or after a meal.  They knew that it would naturally improve digestion and prevent any cravings that were not their own.

The Candida Stomach Acid Connection

Despite what you may have been told about stomach acid, it’s extremely important that you maintain healthy stomach acid levels in order to maintain optimal health.  In fact, a healthy gut microbiome will have a PH of 2.0 or lower.  Unfortunately, due to excess sugar and processed foods many do not have adequate levels of stomach acid in order to maintain proper health. 

Many are unaware of the fact that many different digestive pathogens cannot survive in the gut when stomach acid levels are strong.  It’s for this reason that bacteria such as H. Pylori will actually attach to the gut wall and release ammonia.  This ammonia will further reduce stomach acid levels in the body and makes it more habitable for the bacteria, yeast, and fungus.  However, these types of bacteria cannot flourish if the stomach acid is strong.  This is because stomach acid will naturally neutralize the pathogen before it can take hold.

A traditional diet consisting of high quality animal foods, organ meats, sea salt, fermented foods, broths, small amounts of seasonal fruit, and non-starchy vegetables is the quickest way to rebuild stomach acid levels in the body.  Again, this is all covered on our other page explaining the best diet and protocol for candida.

Also, lack of bitter foods in the diet can also contribute to sub-par stomach acid levels in the body.  This is because bitter foods stimulate the vagus nerve on the back of the tongue which signals to our brain and gut to produce more stomach acid.  As mentioned before, the Chinese have consumed bitter herbal teas before and after meals for centuries in order to enhance digestive power.

Digestive Disorders and Candida Overgrowth

There are millions of American each year who are plagued with so called incurable digestive disorders which can take a toll on overall quality of life.  Although not all digestive disorders are related to candida overgrowth specifically, a good majority of them are a direct result of an out-of-balanced microbiome.

As mentioned before, studies have shown that the majority of people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome often have a candida overgrowth in the gut.  In fact, there are many testimonies of individuals getting rid of candida in the body only to find that their IBS also leaves them.

Unfortunately, many suffer from several different digestive disorders without knowing the true cause behind them.  As a result, their health suffers and their quality of life goes down dramatically.  Luckily, following a candida diet protocol and using the recipes in our Crush Candida Diet Recipe Cook Book can help.

Final Words on Candida

Candida is in the body because the host has given it all the right building blocks needed in order to reproduce and thrive.  The only way to get rid of this pathogenic fungus is to starve it out.  We do this by dropping all sugar, processed foods, and high carbohydrate foods from the diet. We then replace these foods with extremely gut healing and nutrient dense foods which can help repair the gut lining and restore the microbiome to an optimal state.

Although detox and withdrawals is inevitable in the beginning, your body will begin to thank you in time.  When we eat properly and give the body what it truly needs, our health can flourish and our true selves are able to be expressed.  It should be noted that Weston A. Price never once came across a tribe that was depressed or unhappy.  All were constantly smiling, laughing, and enjoying life and all of its gifts.  This is because they all consumed a traditional diet and their microbiome had not become tainted with processed foods and sugar which can wreak havoc on both physical and mental health.

It’s for this reason that we highly recommend you go to our page explaining the candida diet protocol in full.  We believe that everyone deserves to be happy and that life should be enjoyed. Unfortunately, millions are unable to do this because of an imbalanced microbiome.  Luckily, this website has all the information you need to know about candida and how to get it under control!