200 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
proliferate. Visits to countries with very different standards of hygiene can
also instigate its appearance. Very often, allergic reactions to foods are
simply a sign that candida is present.
The symptoms include weight gain that will not shift (whatever the
diet or food restrictions); low blood sugar; alcohol intolerance;
constipation or diarrhea; premenstrual syndrome; depression; bloating
and gas; fatigue; irritable bowel; joint swelling and pain; itching and heat
in the hands and feet; reddish-pink blotches of varying sizes on the face,
torso, hands, legs, feet, or abdomen; anal itching and athlete’s foot; fungal
nail infections; night sweats; kidney and bladder infections; and pains
across the chest, mimicking angina. A blood test will confi rm whether
candida is present.
- Weak digestion will cause chronic candidiasis, so refer to dietary ad-
vice for correct digestion. - Consume nothing that contains antibiotics^ —^ most meat and fi sh do.
Choose organic meat and fi sh. - Eat organic vegetables and fruit.
- Cut out alcohol, tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, and tobacco.
- Eat no fruit or sugar for a period of at least two weeks. Then have
occasional fruit, but no fruit juice initially, because the concentration
of sugar is attractive to candida fungus. Avoid fruit concentrates and
frozen juices. Instead, drink fresh lemon juice in plenty of water — two
to four quarts daily. - Consider leaky gut and other digestive weakness, as it may be the
initial root cause, and liver problems and bowel congestion or consti-
pation — and treat accordingly. - Eat food with plenty of uncooked, cool spices and herbs. Do not eat
cooked chiles or other hot foods. The heat will attract candida fun-
gus. - Cut out all yeasty or fermented foods, including mushrooms and Mar-
mite or other yeast-based spreads and sauces. However, practitioners
in Germany and recent trials in Britain have shown that shii take
mushrooms actually help eradicate candida. - Avoid all refi ned carbohydrates^ —^ that is, any processed junk food.
- Eat only whole grains and raw foods^ —^ vegetables, seeds, and nuts.
f Avoid the apple cider vinegar normally suggested for poor digestion
and low hydrochloric acid levels. Instead, take daily meadowsweet
leaf, gentian root, and others.
f Use two parts valerian root, one part chamomile fl ower, and one part
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