Candida is a fungi or yeast which lives on the skin and inside the body, in places like the mouth, throat, digestive tract, and vagina. Usually, it exists in these places without causing any symptoms, but when given the right conditions, it can grow out of control. On top of the undesirable symptoms Candida overgrowth can cause, it can also be difficult to get rid of. But by supporting your gut with a healthy diet and the right natural supplementation, you can rid your body of yeast overgrowth once and for all.

What’s Candida overgrowth?

Candida (Candida albicans) is a type of yeast that can be found naturally on our skin and inside the body including the mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract, and genitals. When found in small amounts, the presence of Candida is completely natural and harmless. However, when our gut microbiome falls out of balance due to infections, poor diet, stress, or antibiotic use, our friendly bacteria become depleted. This creates the exact environment in which the opportunistic Candida thrives, leading to Candida overgrowth, or Candidiasis.

Symptoms & long-term impacts

The telltale signs of an overgrowth include digestive issues, brain fog, rashes, aching joints, low mood, and fatigue. Candida can also be the culprit behind other conditions, including leaky gut syndrome, inflammation, and food intolerances. It also competes with our body for vital nutrients, stealing them in order to continue multiplying.

Healing Candida overgrowth with food

The food we eat plays a critical role in balancing gut bacteria, so part of ridding the body of excess Candida involves filling up on healthy, gut-supporting foods and eliminating anything that Candida thrives on.

Eliminate sugar

Candida’s favourite food is sugar, so eliminating sugar in all its forms is an essential step to take. In addition to traditional sweet treats like candy, fruit, and pop, we also need to eliminate all sources of glucose, the simple sugar molecule found in foods like grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, and dairy.

Avoid inflammatory foods

There are certain foods that can trigger excess inflammation in the body, which enables the growth of Candida. Produce that’s high in solanine, a compound that’s known to trigger inflammation includes nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. These should be eliminated to put a stop to yeast overgrowth.

No more yeast

Since Candida itself is a yeast, avoiding foods that contain yeast is a must. This means cutting out miso, tempeh, kimchi, and malted products.

Kick the caffeine

As much as many of us need our morning cup of tea or coffee to kickstart the engine, caffeine spikes blood sugar, which exhausts our nervous and immune systems. Any tea, coffee, or other beverage containing caffeine should be avoided. Even decaffeinated tea and coffee can contain trace amounts of caffeine, so steer clear of these as well. It’ll be worth it in the long run!

Power up on whole foods

Replace all of the foods you’re eliminating with a diet that’s high in fibre and essential fatty acids. This includes:

• Fresh, non-starchy vegetables
• Legumes
• Poultry
• Meat
• Nuts and seeds
• Herbs and spices

The healing power of Innovite’s Gut Classics

With a yeast that’s as persistent as Candida, in addition to making changes to your diet, finding reliable supplemental support will help ensure your yeast overgrowth is gone for good. This is where our Gut Classics line-up comes in.

Caproil: A medium-chain fatty acid found in coconut oil, caprylic acid is able to disintegrate the protective layer of the Candida cell, without which the yeast cannot function. Caprylic acid can be consumed directly or used in oil pulling (swishing it around your mouth for 10-20 minutes).

Licorice: With anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, licorice protects your intestinal lining from pathogens like Candida. To really get the benefits of licorice, a supplement that can compact a strong enough dose is ideal.

Psyllium + Fibregum: As the caretakers of our gastrointestinal tract, fibre essentially cleans up the toxic byproducts left behind by Candida, making sure they exit as swiftly as they were formed. Fibre also feeds the good bacteria—like our friends from the lactobacillus family, helping them do their job. Soluble fibre, like psyllium husk, is fantastic due to its laxative effect, getting things moving, faster. Psyllium is also a great source of prebiotic fibres, fueling our friendly bacteria strains, helping bring balance back to the gut microbiome!

DDS-1 Probiotics: And finally, to make up for the depletion of good bacteria, in addition to feeding the remaining ones with fibre, we also need to focus on repopulation. The more friendly flora we have, the less likely it is for Candida to be able to grow, colonize, and wreak havoc. Let’s give these little guys a fighting chance!

GREEN MONSTER SMOOTHIE

It’s always a great idea to start your day off with something refreshing, green, and nutritious. Popeye would agree! This smoothie recipe is a great base for testing out new flavours and combinations, while getting all the nutrients you could possibly want in one glass.

INGREDIENTS
¼ cucumber
Large handful of kale or spinach
A few mint leaves
½ avocado
¾ -1 ½ cups water or unsweetened almond milk (enough to cover the ingredients in the blender)
1-2 scoops Innovite Psyllium + Fibregum
A few ice cubes

METHOD
Add everything to your blender and blend! Pour into a glass and enjoy its gut-healing benefits.

About the Author: Innovite

Innovite brings unique, effective and research driven products to the natural health community. They are about exploring and discovering health products that matter, so that people can feel their best.