Candida infection, commonly known as yeast overgrowth, is a very common issue of the gut. Oftentimes it can present itself in seemingly unrelated ways such as a white thrush on the tongue, or yellowing of the finger or toenails. Vaginal yeast is generally indicative of gut overgrowth as well. Though a small amount of candida exists naturally in the gut, it is a sensitive bacteria in that its balance can be overthrown easily based on the conditions it lives in.
Candida is a type of yeast which naturally resides in your mouth and intestines. Candida is good and normal in small amounts. At normal levels, it helps maintain balance in your gut microbiome by contributing to digestion and nutrient absorption. However, candida can become a major health problem if over-produced in the body. Overproduction can be caused by eating too many carbohydrates, sugar-rich foods, and/or chronic stress. Additionally, antibiotics can cause an overgrowth of candida by killing the healthy bacteria which keep candida in check.
While small amounts of candida in your normal gut microbiome are natural, susceptibility to candida overgrowth is caused by factors like:
Identifying and addressing these factors is crucial for effective management and prevention.
While small amounts of candida in your normal gut microbiome are natural. Susceptibility to candida overgrowth varies, influenced by environmental factors like stress, mental and emotional well-being, and sleep quality. Identifying and addressing these factors is crucial for effective management and prevention. Here are some of symptoms of candida overgrowth:
There are a few different candida overgrowth tests a doctor can perform to identify candidiasis including urine and stool testing
While these tests aren’t always 100% accurate, it is common for multiple tests to be completed to verify results and identify if indeed candida overgrowth is present.
At Active Edge, nutritional supplementation is used to support the GI tract and help clear extra candida from the system. Some of our doctors’ favorite antifungal supplements for candida overgrowth include:
Our candida doctors couple these antifungals with proper diet and lifestyle changes to combat candida overgrowth.
See Candida Diet Protocol below and our Favorite Candida-Friendly Recipes!
If you are prescribed with the Candida Overgrowth Diet Protocol as part of your functional medicine program here at Active Edge, you will receive detailed information about the cycle of candida albicans and the stages it takes to kill it off. We will also provide you an list of foods to eat and avoid during this kill-off period and support you as needed throughout the process.
Presentation of physical symptoms before diet & supplements.
Begin 3-week anti-candida cleanse using diet and supplements. This implements an initial kill-off of much of the live/active candida in your system.
At this point, candida spores may still exist in your system because the supplements only eradicate mature candida fungus. The spores that are left in your system are still dangerous, waiting for the conditions to be right for them to mature (i.e., feeding it carbs/sugar and taking away supplements) which in turn may bring back all your symptoms.
Ideally, all mature bacteria and spores are killed at once through the anti-candida cleanse. However, since we can’t actually kill off the candida spores, you must pulse the anti-candida supplements while adding back in good carbs which then mature the existing spores, enabling them to be killed by the supplements.
As Doctors of chiropractic, we’ve done rigorous study of physiology, nutrition, neurology, anatomy, and diagnosis. We’ve refined our knowledge over the years with continuous study of full body health, Functional Medicine, gut health, the interconnectivity of body systems and structural alignment, understanding of organ to joint relationships, acknowledgement of blocked emotions manifesting in physical disease, and more.
Our doctors have studied with some of the Functional Medicine greats including Bob Rakowski, Jeffery Bland, Mark Hyman, and Jeff Bryst. Applying the knowledge from all these avenues allow our doctors to determine which body systems need to be restored and reset to improve gut health. We create targeted and comprehensive plans to activate healing and restore vibrance in patients.
Candida does not discriminate between natural and processed sugars. Many fruits are high in carbs and sugar which feed candida. Therefore, high-sugar fruits should be strictly avoided when attempting to get rid of your candida. Some fruits like lemons, limes, and avocados are comparably low in sugar and are deemed acceptable in some candida diets. However, other diets may tend to err on the side of caution by advising total fruit avoidance. If results are not achieved after numerous weeks, it is often due to the inclusion of fruit in one’s diet. For this reason, pulsing fruit around the life cycle of the candida and its spores is important to wipe out all the excess candida.
Our doctors generally recommend the removal of all fruit for the first 3 weeks or until the pulsing phase which is dependent on the severity of one’s overgrowth and other individual factors.
The consequences of cheating depend on the severity of the infection and additional environmental factors that contribute to candida overgrowth. Remember that every time you cheat on your anti-candida diet, you feed the candida allowing it to grow. Candida spores reproduce 24 new spores per cell and amounts can double in as little as one hour. This means that cheating may result in a longer recovery time from candida because even one cheat gives the candida opportunity to grow. Candida is like fire that is fueled by logs of sugar and carbs. Supplements act like a water hose on the fire, but if you keep feeding logs to the fire, it can continue burning. Ultimately, it is up to you to weigh the pros and cons of cheating.
Our docs usually recommend a strict diet for 3 weeks straight while taking supplements. This way, the spores get killed off initially without any added sugar. After those first 3 weeks, foods can slowly start to be incorporated back in while monitoring symptoms and continuing supplements. Pulsing the diet on and off one week at a time as needed is usually sufficient after the initial 3-week cleanse.
Restoration time varies from person to person and depends on the severity of the candida infection as well as mental and emotional components in one’s life. Worse infections are caused by higher candida levels in the system and therefore take longer to expel compared to those with less severe amounts. Recovery could take as little as 2 weeks or as long as 2 years. The better you stick to your diet & supplements, the faster you should restore balance!
You may notice a white foam, yellow or light brown string substance in your stool. If you are having frequent constipation, diarrhea or loose stool, these can also be a symptom.
A UTI occurs because of bacteria in the lower urinary tract. A yeast infection occurs because of candida (a fungus) in the vagina. While some of the symptoms are similar, the cause of them are slightly different.
Candida die off results from the toxic by-products caused by the dying candida cells. Candida die off symptoms include common flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, muscle aches or others like inflammation, brain fog, or increased heart rate. Be sure to drink enough water, eat enough fiber, and intake enough supplements to aid in enzyme production. While die off symptoms can occur they don’t have to and are not always there.
At this point, you are feeling better than you ever thought you could as you are feeling energized and thriving. You have learned a lot about your body, you are moving more efficiently, you understand your body’s cues, and you have a good idea of what to do with these cues. This means you get to try new things, achieve new goals, and conquer new challenges! As you do, we will be here as your resource, as needed, to help you nourish, boost, and refresh your health.
Pain is generally the last symptom to show up and the first to go away. This means that by the time you realize there is a problem, there has been a problem for a long time. Especially for chronic or recurring issues, understanding how you got to where you are is so important for getting to where you want to go. In this stage of your journey, you will resolve underlying dysfunction, remove cheats, and retrain habits. As we aid you in activating your body’s natural healing potential, we will help you regain movement, energy, and body function both inside and outside. Throughout this process, you will start to feel greater ease and inspiration as you restore communication and efficiency in your body. Together, we will constantly assess, observe, and reassess your body’s responses to boost your results.
You are your own person, with your own collection of life events which brought you to where you are today. You deserve to be heard, seen, and treated as the individual you are. Your journey begins with your Discovery Evaluation. This first visit includes your exam which works to uncover the root of your issue(s), new patient diagnostics, and, of course, your first treatment. This is how we will help you begin connecting the dots and feeling better. After your first treatment, we will ask you to observe your body’s responses– good, bad, or indifferent. There is no wrong answer as this is just starting point information and direction for moving forward. In your second visit, we will review this feedback and your diagnostics to further identify potential underlying causes and compensations. We will combine everything we have learned about you, consider your goals, and together create a plan to resolve your concerns from the roots up.
