How do I know if I need a yeast cleanse, and what foods do I eat?
Eggs, nuts and seeds, and high-protein sprouted beans are good to eat during a yeast cleanse.
Gas and bloating are two
symptoms of an overgrowth
of yeast, particularly the Candida
species. If your body has too much, it
may mount an immune response
that can lead to a host of problems
like acne, memory loss, and chronic
fatigue. Recurring vaginal yeast
infections may be caused by an overgrowth
of yeast in the digestive tract
that has seeded the vaginal area during
sex. Your doctor can order a blood
test to measure your immune reaction
to Candida albicans and other
yeast, and if you're highly sensitive,
you may need a cleanse.
First, don't feed yeast what it
loves: excessive carbohydrates and
sugars, bread and baked goods, and
alcohol. Most people can tolerate the
natural sugar found in fruit, but the
less of any sugar, the better. Second,
take "good" bacteria, or probiotics,
twice a day. Probiotics-yeastfighting
live organisms like Lactobacillus
acidophilus and Bifidobacteria
bifidum-are found naturally in
fermented foods such as yogurt and
sauerkraut. You'll need to take capsules
or powders to get the billions
of organisms necessary to balance
Candida. Third, kill the yeast with
prescriptions like Nystatin powder,
Diflucan, or doses of caprylic acid,
berberine (an extract of goldenseal),
and garlic two to three times a day.
It may take several months to
rebalance the yeast in your system.
During that time, eat things like
nuts and seeds, eggs, legumes (especially
high-protein sprouted beans),
green leafy vegetables, and fish and
chicken, and cut back on starches like
potatoes and carrots.
-Elson Haas, M.D., author of Staying
Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts,
2006). More on cleansing is available
at his website, elsonhaas.com.
Your Comments:
The best way to test for yeast at home is do do a saliva test. Also, a very well known product to treat yeast and candida is Threelac found at www.ghthealth.com/bland
-- Eric
