Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Stool Testing: Well Worth The Cost

I’ve learned a lot from more than 30 years of stool testing.

I believe stool testing is so valuable due to the outcomes I’ve seen with client after client. It is expensive, but in so many cases, people regret that they didn’t test their stool years prior. A lot of doctors don’t do the testing due to the cost. I believe that people can’t afford to stay sick for so long.

The stool test gives you a baseline of gastrointestinal function. After treatment, you can do a repeat test to see the progress.

The following are some of the most common patterns I’ve noticed from doing stool testing:

1. Lack of Candida in people convinced they have it: Over half the people who are convinced they have Candida don’t have Candida at all. Candida couldn’t be cultured from their stool, and no dead yeast was detected. Yet, some of these people have been on Candida diets for ten years (!).

2. Absence of beneficial bacteria: In many cases, clients have a lack of beneficial bacteria instead of Candida. They may have had Candida and got rid of it, but they stayed on the Candida diet despite improvements.

About 60% of tests show a complete lack of beneficial bacteria. Clients with these results can have a variety of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, headache, brain fog, joint pain, muscle pain, and fatigue. Almost every person I see with chronic fatigue has a profound lack of beneficial bacteria in their stool.

3. Parasites: A trend I have noticed in the last few years is that many stool tests come back with parasites. About 20% of the tests I see contain Blastocystis hominis.

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4. Decreased pancreatic enzymes: I also commonly see problems with the pancreas. About 90% of what the pancreas does is produce enzymes and bicarbonate to help the small intestine with digestion. Stool tests often demonstrate significant deficiencies of the enzyme elastase leading to a lot of digestive problems, including gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Elastase can be reduced due to medication, stress, poor diet, and improper chewing. A lack of elastase can facilitate an explosion of bacteria in the small bowel and colonization by Candida. People find themselves tired and profoundly lacking in vitality.

Good food doesn’t always equate to vitality. You need to be able to convert the good food into good energy, which requires a sufficient supply of elastase.

5. Evidence of inflammation: I used to see this in people with inflammatory bowel disease. Now, I see it in people who don’t have IBS. Inflammation can be due to many things, including parasites and low levels of beneficial bacteria. Levels of secretory IgA are often either very high or very low. Very low

levels of IgA are found in people who are depleted and have been sick for a long time. High IgA levels tend to result in a feeling of profound malaise. This is not surprising because the immune system has an incredibly powerful effect on how you think, how you feel, and your energy.

Inflammation is not only about pain. Inflammation is the basis of all disease.

6. Low levels of short-chain fatty acids: Short-chain fatty acids are the by-products of fermentation. When food ferments properly, these acids feed the colon and facilitate healthy levels of beneficial bacteria. If you lack short-chain fatty acids, your health suffers.

I firmly believe that stool testing is a valuable investigation that will help you discover what is causing your symptoms.

Once you know the problem, you can look for the appropriate solutions.

For example, if you have problems with Candida or dysbiosis, CanXida Remove can be very helpful. The other CanXida formulations, Restore and Rebuild, also help correct or mitigate the abnormal stool tests we see in the clinic.

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Questions & Answers

Candida: Not A Common Cause Of Chronic Neck Pain

Candida infections can cause several symptoms. However, Candida is not a likely cause of all common health problems. For example, I have been asked if Candida can cause chronic neck pain. I don’t think it is a likely cause of ongoing neck problems.

My recommendation is to first investigate other possibilities such as whiplash, a sports injury, a posture problem, or stress. Many people spend far too much time on the computer. Too much sitting in front of the screen can cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain.

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An osteopath or chiropractor can help sort out what’s causing the neck pain. A massage therapist may help reduce symptoms. Some people report that a new or different pillow improves their neck pain.

Digestive problems can indeed be associated with joint and muscle pain. However, I would look at other possibilities before pursuing Candida as the cause of chronic neck pain.

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Questions & Answers

Tea Tree Oil: An Answer To Candida Infections Of The Ear

Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the outer part of the ear. It can be caused by Candida, although most commonly it is due to the yeast Aspergillus. One of the most prominent symptoms of otomycosis is itchy ears. It can be seen in children through to the elderly and is more common in swimmers, surfers, and other people who spend a considerable amount of time in the water.

If you are an adult who commonly has itchy ears, it may very well be due to Candida. The chances of itchy ears being due to Candida increase if you eat a lot of sugar. I remember my father constantly having itchy ears. He also would think nothing of having twenty cookies at one sitting or five scoops of ice cream after supper. (You can read more about my dad and his health in my book, Candida Crusher).

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Cutting back sugar is key to managing otomycosis. Changing your diet should be combined with applying tea tree oil to your ears. You should also try to keep your ears dry – but without sticking anything into the ear. For those of you who are water lovers, make sure you get the water out of your ears as soon as you are done swimming.

There are many types of tea tree oil. The one I consider to be the best is Australia tea tree oil from the species Melaleuca alternifolia. The best brand of tea tree oil is Thursday plantation. Put one or two drops of tea tree oil in your ears regularly to help treat otomycosis.

Tea tree oil is a regular part of my routine. I wash with tea tree oil, and I brush my teeth with tea tree toothpaste. I also consider tea tree oil to be non-negotiable when I travel. I can’t recommend it enough.

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Questions & Answers

Antibiotics and Candida infection: What is the connection?

I am often asked if medications taken as a child can contribute to Candida infections as an adult.

I’ve seen this situation many times in the clinic. Adults who have been on many kinds of drugs, over their lifetime, including antibiotics. There is a progression of mild treatment with drugs to aggressive drug management. In my experience, multiple rounds of antibiotics tend to be devastating to people’s health. I would go so far as to say that antibiotics slowly destroys health. Antibiotics are strongly linked to the development of Candida infections.

Don’t fall into the trap of multiple rounds of antibiotics for the same condition.

If you think that early life exposure to antibiotics may be contributing to your gut problems as an adult, I recommend having a comprehensive stool test. This test will clarify whether you have an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in your digestive system. It will let you know if your good bacteria have been knocked out, and your current beneficial bacteria count. Stool testing can also alert you to small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) as well as bacterial overgrowth in the stomach or colon.

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Candida will show up on stool tests as well. You can find out where the yeast is your body is live or dead. If it’s live, you’ll want to know the number of live yeast that are colonizing your digestive system.

I always recommend investigations before treatment. You need to understand what is happening internally to know how to heal your digestive system.

Once you can answer the question, “What is going on in my gut?”, you can choose the most effective treatment.

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Questions & Answers

Eyes, Ears, And Gut Imbalance: What Is The Connection?

Eye floaters and ringing ears (tinnitus) can be related to digestive problems, liver problems, and circulatory problems. Tinnitus can come from exposure to loud noises, but it can also be the result of gut imbalance.

If you are having eye and ear symptoms, the most important thing to do is get your digestive system working at its best. You need a gut that absorbs essential nutrients from the food you ingest. I have seen eye floaters go away after Candida was treated effectively.

Before you begin a course of treatment, make sure you know what you’re treating. That’s why I recommend doing a comprehensive stool analysis. That test will reveal whether you have a problem with bacteria, yeast, or parasites. Make sure you stop any probiotics for two weeks prior to the stool test to ensure the tests reflect the state of your digestive system and not the contents of your supplements.

If you do have low counts of good bacteria, raising those numbers might help your ear and eye symptoms resolve.

Further readings:

CanXida Remove and CanXida Restore can help address gut imbalances. You can also take CanXida Rebuild to ensure you are getting enough nutrients.

Lifestyle factors to consider include your sleep, the amount of time you give yourself to relax, and the stressors in your life. You also need to be following a healthy diet.

If you take all the above steps, your visual floaters and ringing ears have a better chance of improving.

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