Getting rid of the candida overgrowth primarily requires a change in diet to a l

ow carbohydrate diet. Sugar is what feeds yeast, so eliminating sugar in all of

its simple forms like candy, desserts, alcohol and flours.
And reducing to only one cup a day of the more complex carbohydrates such as gra
ins, beans, fruit, bread, pasta, and potatoes will prevent the Candida from grow
ing and eventually cause it to die. I would recommend eliminating all fermented
foods as well.
Using diet alone could take three to six months before the candida is back under
control. Because of this I use an anti fungal medication such as Diflucan or Ny
astatin for a month or longer with my patients. If you are self-treating you can
take a supplement of caprylic acid. Caprylic Acid comes from coconut oil and ba
sically "pokes holes" in the yeast cell wall, causing it to die.
You may read that some people recommend herbs such as oil of oregano. Oil of ore
gano can be very effective, but it can also kill good bacteria so I don't recomm
end it. The anti-fungal medications and caprylic acid are very specific to yeast
and will not harm your good bacteria.
It's a must to restore the healthy bacteria that typically keep your candida pop
ulation under control, you should take probiotics on a regular basis. Taking any
where from 25 to 100 billion units of probiotics should help to reduce the Candi
da levels and restore your levels of good bacteria. Finally, healing your gut b
y eliminating inflammatory foods that can harm your GI tract and introducing foo
ds that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, will prevent candida from work
ing its way through your body, and will dramatically improve your overall health
.
If you would like to find out for sure if you have candida overgrowth, consider
seeing a functional medicine doctor who is trained in detecting and treating can
dida.
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More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, ry
e, and barley. Its estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intole
rance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.
It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolera
nt. Could you be one of them?
If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have glute
n intolerance:
1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see
the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as chicken skin on the back of your arms). This
tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency seconda
ry to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimotos thyroiditis, Rheumatoid
arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple scleros
is.
5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.

7. Migraine headaches.

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate
your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

How to test for gluten intolerance?
I have found the single best ways to determine if you have an issue with gluten
is to do an elimination diet and take it out of your diet for at least 2 to 3 we
eks and then reintroduce it. Please note that gluten is a very large protein and
it can take months and even years to clear from your system so the longer you c
an eliminate it from your diet before reintroducing it, the better.