I've been obsessed with the gut lately, all about gut health and how it impacts the rest of our body. The first book I ever read on yeast was, The Candida Cure, by Ann Boroch. She was actually able to beat her candida overgrowth and reverse her multiple sclerosis by addressing this. I am now reading, The Yeast Connection and Women's Health, by Dr. William G. Crook. Let me say, yes we all know of yeast infections and many of us have to deal with them all the time but these books go beyond just learning about yeast infections. They explain it and that's what I want to do for you today!
"Yeasts are single-cell living organisms which are neither animal nor vegetable...Yeast itself is nutritious, and small amounts of easts give bread its texture. Yeast is a kind of fungus...Healthy women have a natural community of Candida albicans organisms that live in all three locations...But when this system gets out of balance, Candida albicans yeast cells rapidly overwhelm the friendly bacteria and can result in an overload with potentially serious effects (Dr. Cook)."
Basically, our gut is filled with good bacteria and bad bacteria and what a lot of research has found is that when we take antibiotics for infections which in some cases is so necessary. But overtime that we take an antibiotic we are killing off not only the bad bacteria but also the good ones that we need for our gut and our entire bodies to function. When we eliminate the good bacteria we leave our body with nothing to support our systems and fight off infections that it should be able to.
I have suffered from severe vaginal yeast infections since I was in 5th grade, when I first started my period. My yeast infections were so bad that I would be in gym class and everyone would say, "What is that that smells like rotten fish?" There were even times I would be in band or some class of the day and would have to excuse myself up to 5x because the itching was unbearable. My mom took me to so many doctors to have my first Pap smears at this age and they always came back as 'normal.' So I dealt with these horrific yeast infections for about 3-4 years, I went on birth control and things got a little better but as most medication does, it started to not deal with any of the symptoms I was getting and they returned. I even today still deal with yeast infections but the symptoms are almost invisible, no itching, no discharge, and no smell. Yet, the last time I went to the gynaecologist for a Pap smear I had a yeast infection.
I've been working really hard the past couple of years to maintain my sugar intake and actual observe what I am using in my body. For example, women who use birth control are more likely to experience vaginal yeast infections. Women with endometriosis or diabetes also have a higher chance of having yeast infections. Some of the most common health issues that they are believed are linked to Candida albicans is endometriosis, MS, Crohn's disease, lupus, asthma, chronic hives, eczema, arthritis, and the list continues. I don't believe that we give our gut the credit that it deserves but I do believe that science and research is starting to figure out ways that we can PREVENT these issues from happening.
For some women, I've heard that getting off of hormonal birth control has helped them tramendously. Another common one that I hear, read about, and have experienced for myself is cutting back on sugar and carbs. As a kid I was in love with sugar and carbs but as I have gotten older and trying to listen to my body a bit more, I am quickly learning that things such as high carb diets, lots of sugar intake, and alcohol drive the growth of Candida. It's also quite interesting because Dr. Crook also discusses how these foods are the ones that drive the large growth of Candida in our gut but yet, we also crave these foods when our bodies aren't balanced at all!
Another thing that doctors often look into is what you are using in your household. Obviously, we know that high toxicity rates are becoming more common in today's world but this can also lead to issues with our gut health. We would all love to eat organic 100% of the time but unfortunately there aren't many of us that can do that, I know I definitely can't afford it living in Australia. But maybe you can look at what you are even washing your body with, your lotion, your face wash, even your deodorant. I know someone close to me that had chronic vaginal yeast infections for 4 years, literally had gone to the emergency room several times to be told that there is nothing seriously wrong with her. She found that when she used a certain type of soap the yeast infection got so much worse but when she switched to a more natural soap, the yeast infection was 10x better. I will note though that, in reality we shouldn't be using majority of soaps on our vulvas. Our vulvas and vaginas are not meant to smell like daisy's or roses and if we continue to use products that are harm it, it can actually affect our vaginal micro biome but that is for another conversation another day! Lastly, what are you using for your period? I have heard stories that when women finally switched to organic tampons and pads had relief of not only their vaginal yeast infections but also their headaches and menstrual cramps that they usually got during their period. I suppose this isn't totally surprising considering menstrual product companies don't have to disclose what is exactly in their products.
So yes, candida overgrowth is a real thing! I am still reading and learning but I wanted to share my experience. Have you also had trouble with yeast infections or any type of disease that may have begun due to yeast overgrowth?
Xoxo,
Moonli
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