Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Can Brown Rice Be Part Of A Healthy Diet?

Any food is not right for you if it doesn’t agree with your digestive system. But, if brown rice doesn’t cause you a tremendous amount of bloating, gas, pain, constipation, or diarrhea, then its perfectly fine to eat.

Other people are going to say brown rice is unacceptable because it contains arsenic. If you’re going to drill every single food down and look at the heavy metal content of it, you’re probably not going to eat a whole bunch of different foods. For example, root crops like carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes can contain heavy metals. In fact, many natural foods can contain heavy metals. That’s why I’d be very careful about making assumptions based on what you’ve read on the internet. When it comes to deciding whether a food is healthy or not, remember to put things into context. You should always think twice about what the “food police” tell you.

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Brown rice is an excellent food. For example, brown rice contains a tremendous amount of manganese, a trace mineral that is important for many different aspects of your health. Brown rice also contains niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and lots of fiber. There is ample research showing that people who swap out white rice for brown rice, lose weight, decrease their blood pressure, and improve their health overall. I don’t consider brown rice to be a “bad” food for people with Candida. Nevertheless, I think it makes sense to start with a small portion if you have Candida or a bowel problem. If you tolerate the brown rice well, that’s great new. In other words, brown rice can be a perfectly acceptable part of a healthy diet. Just remember that any food that upsets your digestive system is bad for you and is best avoided. This principle holds true whether the food is an apple, a banana, or some other food generally considered to be good for you.

The bottom line is this: eat what’s acceptable to you and don’t eat what’s not. This philosophy applies to any of the healthy food options out there. It doesn’t apply to foods or drinks like pop, deep-fried chicken, pizza, or candy. I call those foods “no brainer” foods because it is so obvious that you shouldn’t regularly include them in your diet, whether you’ve got Candida or not.

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Questions & Answers

What Is the Impact of Hair Dye, Botox, and Eyelash Extension on Candida?

Sometimes clients worry that being exposed to certain chemicals contributes to Candida infection. For example, I had one patient ask me if she should avoid Botox, eyelash extension, and hair dye.

My short answer to her question was that I don’t see these kinds of procedures as contributing to Candida. Instead, I recommended that my patient focus on more important factors such as her diet, her intake of alcohol, and the amount of sugar she eats.

Further readings:

I know that in the past, hair dyes were full of toxic chemicals. However, nowadays, hair dyes are much more natural. I don’t have the concerns about hair dye that I would have had years ago.

Similarly, I don’t see Botox or eyelash extension as being linked to Candida whatsoever.

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Questions & Answers

Treating Anxiety and Depression By Fixing Your Gut Flora

Sometimes I see patients who not only have multiple physical symptoms but are also experiencing significant depression and anxiety. This combination of problems can be a real catch-22 because depression, anxiety, and intense cravings interfere with the motivation needed to follow a healthy lifestyle. It is not unusual to see a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, and a lot of depression in people who have severe candida. These emotions are a completely understandable response to having a multitude of symptoms that leave you feeling depleted. Nevertheless, if you put some work in, I’m confident you can see positive changes to your mind and body.

I am not a scientist or researcher, but I have seen a lot of patients over the year. I have noticed that there is a definite link between anxiety and depression and a lack of healthy bacteria. The most critical healthy bacteria in this situation seem to be lactobacillus and bifidobacterial.

Further readings:

If you are experiencing symptoms like bloating, belly and back pain, lack of energy, tiredness after eating, and depression, my recommendation is that you have a comprehensive stool test. The goal of the test is to identify the levels of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Once you find out the type and number of harmful bacteria in your gut, you can act on that information. I have seen patients in very poor health experience full recovery after dealing with the bad bacteria in their gut. Do not give up hope that you, too, can turn around your symptoms.

To recap, the stepwise approach I am recommending is as follows:

1. Identify what the problem is internally.

2. Repair what needs repairing.

3. Stand back and watch what happens to your health

4. Reassess your gut bacteria in three to five months.

5. Correct any outstanding issues.

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Diet And Yeast Infection, Questions & Answers

Are Dried Dates Good For You?

When it comes to specific foods, my rule is that no rule fits everyone. You need to decide for yourself whether a food is right for you, given the state of your gut. Dates are a great example of how what is healthy for one person may not be healthy for someone else.

Dried dates are fine to eat if you have a healthy digestive system. If you do eat dates and are noticing no ill-effects, then it is fine to continue to include them in your diet. However, keep in mind that dried dates are up to 60% sugar, so it is best to consume them in moderation.

Further readings:

For those of you who have digestive problems, dried fruits are generally considered a big no-no. That recommendation holds for Sultanas, dried currents, raisin, dried fits, dates, and other dried fruits. If your digestion improves substantially, there is no reason why you can’t add a small amount of dried fruit here or there. I wouldn’t recommend adding this food to your diet until your bowel movements are healthy, and your digestion is working well. If a stool test has revealed Candida, parasites, or bad bacteria, you want to avoid dates at all costs because the high sugar level will encourage the growth of these harmful microorganisms.

Another thing to consider before regularly eating dried fruit is the quality of the product. I have had fresh dates, and they were terrific. However, the quality of dates that have been sitting on the supermarket shelf for a long time is probably not very high.

To summarize, deciding whether to include any particular food in your diet means considering the state of your digestive system, the quality of the food, and the quantity you intend to ingest.

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Questions & Answers

Getting Healthy Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

It’s never too late at any age to clean and heal the body. It doesn’t matter if you’re 47 or 97, you can always work at improving your health regardless of your financial position, where you live, and what you do.

I’ve seen many people live in third world countries that have outstanding health. I’ve also seen people living in opulence and wealth in the Western world who are sick and toxic. Money doesn’t always have to equate with good health. There are steps you can take to improve your health even if your income is low.

I often recommend tests, such as stool testing, but this can be expensive. A regular hospital isn’t going to offer those kinds of tests but instead will focus on investigations to prepare you for surgery or to take medication. If that’s not what you’re looking for, it’s probably better to work on your health in a different way.

Further readings:

For example, if fibroids are one of the problems you are dealing with, seeing a herbalist or a naturopath can be helpful. Fibroids are usually a result of estrogen excess and can be treated without surgery if they are small enough. In the case of estrogen excess, I recommend addressing your liver function. You can improve the working of your liver by eating bitter foods such as Swedish Bitters.

If anemia is an issue for you, eating red meat once or twice a week is fine. I usually recommend eating red meat only once a week. However, you might be someone who needs to eat red meat twice a week to feel good. If you notice any side effects such as pain from eating red meat, you can remove it from your diet for a few weeks and see if it makes any difference. You can also replace the red meat in your diet with chicken. If you’re eating chicken as a source of iron, make sure to choose the dark meat that is close to the bone as it has the highest level of iron. If you are anemic, have your blood tested for iron, ferritin (iron stores), B12, and folic acid. A deficiency of any of those nutrients can cause anemia.

Getting a copy of my Candida Crusher book will also help you take charge of your health.

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