We’ve had several customers coming into the store recently with symptoms suggesting they may be suffering from candida overgrowth. It’s no coincidence that this may be happening at this time because candida thrives on sugar and yeast amongst other things.

And what have many been eating more of over Easter? Yes, sugar and yeast. All those chocolate treats and maybe more alcohol than usual and we’ve created the perfect conditions for an overgrowth of candida. When we’re suffering from candida overgrowth there are the obvious digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation or bloating however there are often other symptoms. These can include:

• -         feeling sluggish, tired, and maybe suffering extreme fatigue
• -         feeling a little foggy in the head, poor memory, and concentration with a  
•  lack of focus
• -         skin rashes, hives, and fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and toenail  
•  fungus
• -         vaginal thrush, urinary tract infections or rectal itching
• -         sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
• -         irritability, anxiety, depression, and mood swings

Stress can be another factor that may be conducive to candida overgrowth.

Candida is always present in our bodies, with a small amount of it residing in our mouth and intestines assisting with our digestion. However, when we suffer from an overgrowth of candida, leaky gut syndrome will occur where the candida will penetrate the wall of the intestines and be absorbed into the blood stream leading to many health problems.

Generally, the healthy bacteria in our gut will keep this candida under control however these overindulgences I’ve mentioned can sometimes be just a little too much to ask of our healthy gut bacteria.

An overgrowth can also come about when we are living a stressful lifestyle, taking oral contraceptives, eating lots of refined carbohydrates and taking antibiotics which have killed not only the bad but also the good bacteria in our gut.

So how do you overcome this? Firstly, we need to kill off this overgrowth of candida which we can do with certain herbs such as Pau D’Arco which is a South American herb used to combat excessive intestinal yeast. 

If we are suffering from a severe case of candida overgrowth, we would suggest bringing in the ‘big guns’ and using a combination of Pau D’Arco, Cats Claw, Echinacea, Chamomile and St Mary's Thistle. Cats Claw and Echinacea are a great addition to this formula as they’re both believed to be helpful in boosting the immune system and a good immune system is a great defence against Candida. Cats Claw also contains anti-inflammatory properties which may help with gastrointestinal disorders. Pau D’Arco contains excellent anti-fungal properties to help inhibit the growth of candida. It is also believed to contain antibacterial properties and enhances our immune system. St Mary's Thistle is well known as a liver herb.

At the same time as we are killing off the candida, we also need to be mindful of not feeding the candida. By eliminating certain foods from our diet such as sugar, yeast, fermented foods, and fungi we will help our body recover from this overgrowth. Be mindful, that as this candida dies off, we may feel flu-like symptoms as the yeast is flushed from our body. Sometimes taking a liver formula may help process this yeast ‘die off’. This is why St Mary’s Thistle has been included in the above candida formula. Drinking lots of water may also be very helpful.

Finally, it is extremely important to take probiotics because no doubt when suffering from candida overgrowth we have an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut and bowel. It is extremely important to build up the level of good bacteria.

To assist our customers in treating this problem we have created a booklet with suggested foods to eliminate, foods to replace those eliminated foods plus recipes. Most find this booklet very helpful, as it is important to have the right food in our pantry and of course, having some recipes on hand is very handy.

For more information contact the team at Go Vita, your health shop at 5 North St, Batemans Bay or phone 44729737. Don’t forget to tune into Bev on 2EC every Wednesday on Go Get Healthy after 12.30 pm.