Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Which Stool Test Should I Do?

This time we’re going to talk about the different types of stool tests that are available. If you look at the website for Doctor’s Data, you can read in more detail about stool testing.

There are many different types of stool tests. You can do a bacteriology culture alone, which looks at beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria versus the not-so-good bugs, like Citrobacter or Pseudomonas.

Stool samples can also undergo a comprehensive parasitology test. Parasite screening can be done on one to three samples with samples taken on separate days.

You can do the comprehensive stool analysis (CSA) without the parasitology. A test like that looks at inflammation, immunology, intestinal health markers, short-chain fatty acids, and the bacterial panel. You can do that to save yourself a hundred bucks if you don’t want to do a parasite screen.

Further readings:

Our stool tests include elastase, a pancreatic enzyme marker that will indicate whether the pancreas is functioning properly.

You can do a Helicobacter pylori antigen test. Helicobacter pylori is a stomach bug that can cause reflux (GERD). Approximately one in four Americans have got that bug in their tummy.

Intestinal permeability tests are useful if you think you might have a leaky gut. There are several ways you can test for leaky gut. There are different drinks or a breath test that measures intestinal permeability

Several inflammatory markers can be measured in the stool. Calprotectin, lactoferrin, and lysozyme levels all provide a measure of inflammation.

The secretory IgA test will give a snapshot of the immune activity in your gut. Secretory IgA levels can give you an indication if the intestines are inflamed due to food, parasites, or for other reasons.

Clostridium difficile can be cultured in the stool. Clostridium is a type of intestinal bacteria that can cause severe infections in some people.

Some clients opt to do a standalone stool yeast panel. I don’t think it’s a great idea to only do a yeast panel. I think you’re better off doing a comprehensive stool test, which gives you a broader range of valuable information. The CAS provides a much better bang for your buck than a standalone test.

In total, there are probably 25 to 30 stool tests that you can do. In my opinion, the best option is to do a three-sample comprehensive stool analysis that includes parasite screening.

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Questions & Answers

Making Breakfast Work On A Candida Cleanse

There are many foods you can eat for breakfast while on a Candida cleanse. Somebody in Turkey or in Uzbekistan is going to eat breakfast a little bit different from someone in Santa Monica, so think about that. Different countries, different cultures, different foods, it depends on what you like to eat. Using Google to your advantage. Spend a little bit of time looking at different healthy kinds of breakfast that you can eat.

Although I don’t consider skipping breakfast a sin, is it preferable that you have a morning meal.

Personally, I like having a good quality rolled oats cooked in water for breakfast. On weekends I like to have eggs for breakfast. I find eggs to be an excellent breakfast for most people, and some type of grain. It could be millets, it could be buckwheat, it could be rolled oats.

Further readings:

Other clients chose to eat fish and rice for breakfast. Some people have steamed vegetables or bone broth for breakfast. If you like having chicken soup for breakfast, you can do that.

Vegans will come out and say, “But hang on a minute. Eggs aren’t vegan. What about a vegan approach?” Again, there are different types of alkaline grains you can cook up for breakfast. I’d be cautious about having fruit for breakfast with a few exceptions. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are fine to have for breakfast. Avocado is okay to have. Grated green apple is quite nice on muesli.

You could look up the Bircher-Benner muesli recipe, the Swiss muesli recipe. Oats are soaked overnight, and then some grated apple with cinnamon is added on top. It’s very tasty.

Just remember to avoid dried fruits for breakfast. Don’t have orange juice or high sugar fruity kind of drinks to start your day. You’re better off having tea, coffee, or water and having them after, not with breakfast.

Focus on whole, healthy foods for breakfast, and you’ll get your day off to a good start.

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Questions & Answers

Genital Yeast Infections: Why Treating Both Partners Makes Sense

If you’ve got a vaginal yeast infection, or if you’ve got jock itch, men’s yeast infection, have your partner treated at the same time. It makes a lot of sense. Too many times I’ve seen a guy recover only to get jock itch back again. Similar with my female clients, who got rid of their yeast infection, only to have it return.

If you have a yeast infection in the genital area, encourage your partner to get involved in a treatment program as well. On my YouTube channel, there are several videos about yeast infections in both women and men. I highly recommend watching those videos if you are dealing with a yeast infection.

Further readings:

Fortunately, successfully treating yeast infections is the norm. It’s very unusual for me to see a case of vaginal yeast infection that can’t be eradicated. The recovery rate for women is likely over 95%. With men, yeast can be a bit more challenging to treat, especially with balanitis. However, the recovery rates for men are still well over 90%.

Treating both partners at the same time reduces the risk of recurrence significantly. So, remember, if you and your partner have yeast infections, get treatment at the same time. It can make a world of difference.

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Questions & Answers

Treating Vaginal Yeast Infections Naturally

When I see clients with a vaginal infection, I provide customized recommendations depending on the species causing the problem. There are a lot of different things we check out before treating vaginal yeast infections. I generally recommend using boric acid for vaginal yeast infections. Boric acid is best used in cycles rather than for thirty days in a row. If you have a menstrual cycle, the best time to use the boric acid is about a week before the period starts. That means using boric acid from about ovulation through.

Remember, the golden rule in treatment is that it should be customized to your circumstances. If you notice irritation at a particular time each month, keep track of the pattern and use the boric acid before the infection flares.

Further readings:

If you have constant vaginal irritation, it is probably best to treat from the end of your cycle right through to the beginning of your period. On most nights, you can insert anywhere between one to three, even five capsules if you want, of boric acid. Don’t be afraid to use the boric acid for several days in a row. Leave the capsules overnight and then clean the vagina in the morning. In the morning, clean the vagina using a turkey baster with a flexible, soft silicone tip. Irrigate the area thoroughly.

Calendula tincture is quite good for cleansing the area. You can purchase calendula in small bottles from a herbalist. Try and get a low alcohol one, around ten to twenty percent alcohol. Calendula tincture is made from Calendula flowers, leaves, and flowers. It works very nicely in a small basin. If you take that up with the baster and irrigate the vagina using that liquid, it works beautifully to regenerate tender and sore skin in that area.

Another option is to use Hypericum or St. John’s Wort, although that’s more for vulvar pain.

Each month come back and treat again. Once the conditions clear, keep treating for another one to three cycles.

If you have a vaginal yeast infection, have your partner checked and then treated with tea tree oil. If your partner isn’t treated, there is a risk of reinfection and symptom recurrence.

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Questions & Answers

Grapefruit Seed Extract: Is It Possible To Take Too Much Of A Good Thing?

I had one viewer tell me that they were taking 300 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) per day. Three hundred drops a day is an awful lot. My question is whether there was any stool testing pre- and post- GSE?

It’s possible to damage your gut if you take too much GSE. I would never keep a patient on 300 drops a day of GSE for more than a few days. Even then, only at their own peril. Even a week is too long.

Further readings:

I never recommend more than 40 to 60 drops per day of GSE. I do have some patients who take “crazy” amounts of GSE who take the high doses because they feel so desperate about their symptoms.

The brand and quality of the GSE impact its effects. Also, your diet and other supplements you are using will influence the impact of GSE.

My main message about GSE is that overly high doses can do more damage than good. Pre and post stool tests are crucial for determining if you are taking too much of a good thing.

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