Think you have candida?
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Well, let’s hold up here and first understand just WHAT is candida. Candida is a type of yeast that actually lives in our system. Yes, it is part of our healthy microbiome. Most people believe any amount of candida is bad for us, when in reality, it is part of our internal ecosystem.
Candida, however, can get out of control, and eventually result into something we call an “overgrowth”.
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Symptoms can look like fatigue, gut issues (nausea, constipation, diarrhea, bloating), oral thrush (white coating on tongue), sinus infections, fungal infections, mood disorders, brain fog, food or chemical sensitivities, joint pain and even nasal congestion/infections.
But how do we get rid of it?
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That is NOT the question to ask my friends. What we really want to ask is WHY is there an over growth in the first place.
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Most practitioners approach candida with a carb free or low carb diet, thinking it will “starve” the yeast off and then die. This is the thing though, it doesn’t make sense to restrict sugars when it is OUR primary source of fuel. Whilst “starving” it, we are ALSO starving ourselves of energy to be able to handle it. If our bodies don’t get enough glucose from an external source it will then resort to making its OWN by breaking down your own tissue. Helloooo muscle loss.
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Now you’re in a state of stress due to not enough energy in the body, tissue breaking down, and cortisol is up, which then increases zonulin production in your gut, loosening up the tight junctions in between the epithelial cells, allowing LPS into the blood stream (here’s an in depth post about leaky gut) sparking inflammation.
Now your gut is “leaky”, candida is pissed (like it has feelings), and plans to proliferate beyond the gut to find energy. Starving of glucose, it will permeate through the intestinal wall with its little fingers called filaments and become systemic. This is how people can then develop candida in the sinuses, vaginal areas, skin, etc.
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Usually our body is strong enough via white blood cells to keep it from killing us when it becomes systemic, but it can be a problem.
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So WHY is candida proliferating?
THAT is the question you want to ask yourself when approaching an overgrowth
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Well, there are a few things:
1️⃣Antibiotics or other drugs: Antibiotic use can be a cause of candida overgrowth because when one takes antibiotics, it disrupts and eliminates many bacteria that can be recognized as protective. There isn’t necessarily “good” and “bad” bacteria, but there are types that are more dangerous than others when they are in excess. Conversely, antibiotics also deplete stomach acidity which makes you more susceptible to overgrowths
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2️⃣ Estrogen dominance: Estrogen is a hormone of GROWTH. Let’s remember that. Many women who develop candida issues have either been on the birth control (which provides synthetic estrogen), have trouble detoxing estrogen out of the liver (which allows estrogen to recirculate into the body) and are also exposed to many endocrine disruptors like plastics, unsafe makeup, glyphosate, etc
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3️⃣PUFAS: Yes, we need some polyunsaturated fats, but NOT the rancid ones that have been isolated from their whole food forms. Things like fish oil or any type of vegetable/nut/seed oil can cause yeast over growth. How? PUFAs have been shown to decrease vitamin E, exposing our cells to oxidative stress and struggle to work with other nutrients that help maintain immune function- and remember. 80% of our immune system is in the gut
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4️⃣Hypothyroidism: A condition in which our ability to making T3 is diminished, meaning our cells lack in getting energy. If our cells don’t have enough energy, our metabolism, our ability to fight off infection, our ability to protect ourselves is weakened. One particular antibody that is reduced in hypothyroid patients, or people with a slowed metabolism is IGA. This antibody is usually found in our mucous membranes, playing a role in immune function, and sending an inflammatory response when something is wrong, which in the case of candida, should protect us, but because it’s low, we don’t get that immune response
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5️⃣Nutrient deficiencies: Particularly copper and iodine. Both of these minerals are anti bacterial, anti fungal, and much of our food nowadays is mineral deficient.

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