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Q: My doctor has diagnosed Candida and
has prescribed Diflucan. I feel dizzy when I take it and I’m very
worried about side effects from pharmaceutical products. Can you
recommend any natural, self-help measures to help get me back on
track?
A: Candida Albicans is a yeast that
resides in the upper bowel area of almost all of us, irrespective of
age or gender. It serves no particular function, until the immune
system is compromised and then it multiplies out of control, producing
toxins that can interfere with almost every bodily function.
Unfortunately this means conditions symptomatic of candida are
plentiful. They can include thrush, digestive imbalances,
migraine-type headaches, mood swings, fatigue, psoriasis.
The answer is to deal with the root cause, usually a weakened immune
system, created by prolonged stress, illness, or the over- prescribing
of antibiotics. The latter do a very good job of wiping out the
beneficial bacteria in the gut that co-exist with candida to keep it
in check.
 To clear an infection, complementary medicine works on the theory that
you starve the organism of the foods it thrives on. Dietary
carbohydrates, sugars, moulds found in mushrooms and fermented drinks
(alcohol included) are considered to be the biggest culprits. Avoid
sugar, packaged and processed foods, including sugar-rich soft drinks
and fruit juices. You might want to replace tea and coffee with eight
glasses of water a day to help flush out the bowel. Cut out yeast
breads and pastries, mushrooms, condiments and sauces.
Replace the above with plentiful amounts of vegetables, nuts, seeds,
and oils.
New research highlights the health benefits of chemicals found in
these foods, called sterols. Sterols are essential for human life and
extremely useful in supporting immune health. You also need moderate
amounts of wholegrains, brown rice, oats and barley. Stick to simple,
natural foods as much as possible.
A few weeks into your elimination diet and you will be ready to
introduce some immune-boosting herbs. Garlic is a potent antifungal
agent with strong anti-yeast action. It inhibits candida growth and
prevents recurring infections if you continue to take it, either
crushed in its natural form or as tablets. Aloe vera juice can help to
heal the damaged gut lining. Drink a quarter of a glass, twice daily.
Pau d’arco, the anti yeast herb, can help kill off candida overgrowth.
Taking a probiotic can replace the friendly bacteria levels in your
gut to keep the candida under control.
Wearing cotton underwear serves as a useful practical measure.
Q: I am finding it difficult to shake
off winter. I feel sluggish and tired all the time and I think my
system could probably do with a good overhaul. I think I have a milk
intolerance so need some suitable alternatives. I have heard food
allergies can contribute to a feeling of general malaise. I don’t want
to resort to anything too drastic, but is there an easy way to test
for allergy and some simple dietary changes or supplements that would
help enliven me?
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A:
If you think milk is a problem, soy
milk, rice drink, goats milk are all viable alternatives. An easy test
is to record your pulse rate before and then 20 minutes after eating a
particular food. If it’s raised by 10 beats or per minute you have a
good indication of a reaction.
Acidophilus will help ease your digestion and restore the friendly
bacteria in the body. Also, take a mix of multivitamins and minerals
on a daily basis.
Polyzyme Forte for food intolerance is a mixture of digestive enzymes
derived from vegetable sources enhanced with Lactobacillus
acidophilus. Specially formulated for those with food intolerances and
allergies, it gives broad spectrum digestive enzyme complex derived
from vegetable souces, to digest all the elements in food for more
efficient absorption, and other ingredients to assist the breakdown of
foods. Take one capsule daily.
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PRODUCTS
-
Pau D’Arco by
Rio Trading Company. - ?5.99
for 30 tea bags.
-
Vitamin B by Kudos
- ?7.15 for 30
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Co Enzyme Q10 by Health Plus,
- ?14.45 for 30 caps
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Calcium magnesium zinc tablets by Solgar -
?11.69 for 250
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Polyzyme Forte by Biocare,
- ?8.80 for 30
If you would like to ask a
question, please send an email to
nutricentre@laterlife.com
Please note questions
cannot be answered personally but questions will be selected for
inclusion in future editions of 'Natural Solutions'.
The information
above is provided by the Nutri Centre. Laterlife cannot endorse any
information presented and recommends that you consult your doctor if
in doubt about any medication or health-related matter. |
