Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers, Yeast Infection Signs And Symptoms

Alzheimer’s Disease And Candida: What’s The Connection?

With an aging population, Alzheimer’s disease is a growing concern. I’ve been asked before if the plaque from Candida exactly matches the brain amyloid plaque in Alzheimer’s. At this time, it’s speculation that Candida and Alzheimer’s are connected in some way.

What causes the amyloid plaques to form is Alzheimer’s remains unknown. Some people say it could be aluminum causing the problem. There are many other theories. It’s still quite early when it comes to an understanding of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS.

Many people I’ve seen with Alzheimer’s had significant gut problems before developing Alzheimer’s. Often these clients have been taking medication like proton pump inhibitors for a long time. It’s also not uncommon for them to give a history of eating a poor diet and drinking a lot of soda over the years.

Based on my clinical experience, I believe there is a link between Alzheimer’s and poor digestive system functioning. I think that link exists not only with Alzheimer’s, but with many diseases. The relationship between gut health and your overall health is why I recommend a very clean diet, a low-stress lifestyle, and a generally healthy way of eating and living. A healthy lifestyle, including what you eat, is undoubtedly going to help keep neurodegenerative conditions at bay.

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There are all sorts of reasons why people get sick. The common denominator for sickness is inflammation. What upregulates inflammation is poor immune function. Where does the bulk of the immune system reside? In the digestive system. As a result, when the gut isn’t functioning correctly, the immune system becomes dysfunctional, and chronic inflammation is the result. Chronic inflammation has been linked to a whole host of diseases, not just ones involving the neurological system.

Excellent digestive health leads to more appropriate immune response, a lower level of inflammation, and a decreased risk of disease.

If you’re worried about a possible Candida-Alzheimer’s link, do a comprehensive stool analysis. This test will alert you to any issues with Candida, intestinal bacteria, and parasites. Correct the imbalances, and you’ll have done yourself a favor if a link between Candida and Alzheimer’s is confirmed. Currently, the existence of such a link is still speculation.

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Questions & Answers

Colds And Candida: What Is The Connection?

People who get the common cold all the time have got poor immune function. When I have a client who gets sick frequently, one of the first things I do is check their cortisol level. I want to know how their adrenal gland and thyroid are functioning. I also assess diet, stress levels, sleep, medications (including antibiotics), and their gut health (i.e., do they have digestive systems such as gas and bloating).

It’s important to do blood work when there is evidence of immune dysfunction. If you find yourself frequently catching a cold, I recommend checking your red blood cells, white blood cells, B12, iron, and thyroid function. A salivary cortisol level will let you know if abnormalities of that hormone are contributing to symptoms.

Some of the diet and lifestyle factors that make you more vulnerable to getting a cold include vitamin deficiencies, iron deficiency, and lack of sleep.

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If you haven’t found any explanation for your recurrent colds, a digestive assessment may be helpful. Gut symptoms indicate that Candida or bacterial imbalance in the gut may be contributing to your weak immune system.

If you keep getting the common cold or flu all the time, the first thing that I would recommend is that you get a lot more rest and sleep. It is also essential to build up the health of your adrenal system. I suggest a rest period of twenty to thirty minutes every afternoon. If you can’t fit it in during the workweek, at least have those periods of relaxation on the weekends. Make sure you get a good 8 to 10 hours sleep for the first several weeks. Try to reduce the stress in your life. Chronic stress can play havoc with your immune system and make you more vulnerable to recurrent infections, such as the common cold.

Other steps that may help include increasing your intake of vitamin C, keeping warm, and putting on a bit of weight if you are too thin. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated and put aside time to be physically active.

I’m not a fan of the flu shot. I believe that people should build innate immunity, and not get injections to trigger an immune response.

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Questions & Answers

Do Stevia And Xylitol Make Candida Infections Worse?

I am often asked whether I approve of including stevia and xylitol in the Candida crusher diet. My reply is this: Do not become a slave to any kind of sugar. Don’t become a slave to any food or beverage. It’s a concern if you feel that you need added sugar in your diet. You should be able to get all the sweetness you need from berries and other kinds of natural food in your diet. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and even bell peppers are quite sweet. When you adjust to only eating fresh, healthy foods, you’ll find you won’t need to add sugar to your diet.

The less sugar you have in your diet, the better the microbial balance in your gut, and the healthier your digestive system. Avoiding the sugar highs and lows that come with added sweeteners will also improve your mood, energy, and sleep.

If you are going to have something sweet in your diet, I prefer that you eat a little bit of Manuka honey rather than stevia or xylitol. The sugar found in Manuka honey is called levulose. Levulose will give you an instant hit, which will satisfy your cravings. At the same time, your body converts some of those complex sugars into glycogen that is absorbed slowly.

There has been a long debate about eating Manuka honey if you have Candida. Some people believe that honey exacerbates Candida. However, I’ve had many clients who can easily get away with small amounts of Manuka honey despite having Candida. The honey causes them no problem at all. I recommend that you don’t add sugar to your diet. If you do decide to add a little something sweet to your daily eating routine, Manuka honey is the best option.

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When your taste buds function at a high level, like mine, you can appreciate the subtleties, beautiful smells, and delicious flavors of many foods.

My videos on sugar cravings and sugar addictions will help you understand how to manage your sugar cravings.

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Questions & Answers

Shortness Of Breath: Is There A Connection With Candida?

Sometimes I have clients present with shortness of breath (SOB), and the question comes up as to whether this symptom could be caused by Candida.

If you have a Candida infection of the lung, you have a very serious health condition – often requiring emergency medication intervention or even life support. That’s why mild shortness of breath isn’t a common symptom of a Candida. There may be a link between Candida, immune dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to other health conditions that cause SOB, but I don’t think Candida directly causes shortness of breath.

More likely causes of shortness of breath would include allergies or other types of infections such as bronchitis.

I suggest being checked out medically to determine if you have pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or even something such as a pulmonary embolism.

Blood pressure problems that lead to cardiac dysfunction can also cause shortness of breath.

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The list of possible causes of SOB is long. The most likely reason for your SOB will depend on several factors, including age and whether you smoke or not. Chemical exposure, as well as your body weight, can also impact the likely cause of your SOB.

Stress is an important cause of SOB. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “fight or flight” stress response. This response can result in shallow, rapid breathing. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is also known as the “rest and digest” system. When your breath is under the influence of the PNS, you end up with gentle, slow, deep breathing.

Hormone conditions such as adrenal fatigue or problems with cortisol can also result in SOB.

If it turns out that asthma is the cause of your SOB, I recommend looking into Buteyko breathing, a type of breathing designed by a Russian profession, Dr. Konstantin Buteyko.

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Questions & Answers

The Candida Crusher Diet: Is Coconut Sugar Okay?

If you have decided to follow the Candida Crusher diet, I would recommend having no sugar. That means you should avoid palm sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, and even xylitol and stevia. When I wrote Candida Crusher, I didn’t mind people having small amounts of xylitol or stevia in their diet. But the more I work with people that include these sugars in their diet, the more I say, ‘Don’t do it. It’s a mistake.’

Once you are eating one kind of sugar, it’s very easy to add another type of sugar to your diet. You become accustomed to eating sweet foods and gradually slide back into old, unhealthy habits. My recommendation is this: “Don’t put your hand in the fire unless you want to get burned bad.” Keep your hand out of the fire. Keep a safe distance from it.

If you want something sweet, I suggest turning to naturally sweet foods like berries. Have three or four strawberries to eat or have some raspberries or blackberries. The advantage of eating berries is that you get the sweetness, but you also get phytonutrients and tannic acids that act to prevent sugar spikes. You could also have a tiny amount of Manuka honey – about a quarter of a teaspoon – if you need a small “sugar” fix.

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You don’t want to push your blood sugar up too high. It’s a big problem with Candida, but also with bad bacteria. Harmful bacteria thrive on excessive sugar. When you’ve got Candida issues in the intestines, you also often have very low levels of good bacteria. At the same time, you have harmful bacteria waiting for an opportunity to colonize and create a biofilm. When you add sugars, you’re courting a problem. It’s just not worth it.

When clients ask to have sugar in their diet, I explain that it’s like saying, “Is it okay if I occasionally do 70 or 80 miles an hour on the road, but then back off and go down to 50 or 60?” It’s not okay. You need to set a firm limit for your sugar intake and stick to it. You can flex maybe a percent or two, but don’t let yourself fall right off the sugar wagon. You will have opened the flood gates.

Don’t go back to eating sugar until your gut is almost completely healed, and even then, take it slowly.

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