Anti-Candida advice curing Yeast Infections

5 Environment factors that cause Yeast Infections

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:49:00 +0000

The problem with a reoccurring yeast infection is just that, it is reoccurring. It comes back time and time again. It is unpleasant, horrid and itchy. And unfortunately yeast infections are not all cured in a 12 hour window by using a miracle herbal cure.

There are however many fantastic herbs that can make a difference in a short space of time for example grape seed extract. The other avenue to curing a yeast infection is by purchasing a medical cream like “Canesten”.

What is a greater problem is the long term continual reoccurrence of a yeast infection. If you are experiencing continued yeast infection flare ups I suggest two things.

Visit your local health practitioner.
Review your own environment.

By visiting your doctor and talking about your yeast infection problem, they will be able to identify if extra help is needed. Sometimes the body has got into such a state that it just does not have the resources to fight back no matter how many herbal remedies are being taken.

Reviewing your own environment is just as vitally important. Most times your doctor can only treat what is in front of them. They come to your problem cold with out knowing a lot about your back ground. To compound this, doctor appointment times are normally short and the doctor is pressured for time as they are probably running late. This makes it difficult for the doctor to give you all the information that will help prevent and maintain a cure in the long term.

Scanning your environment for possible aggravating things that lead to a yeast infection is your job. Before you start scanning it is important to identify through research all the possible contributing factors.

These environment factors can contribute to a yeast infection.

Tight fitting clothing that does not breathe.
Damp body areas due to sport and staying in sports clothing afterwards.
Excessive weight.
Incorrect food or diet that contributes to an environment where a yeast infection can get a foot hold.
Other health problems that compromise the body’s ability to prevent yeast infection out breaks.

As you progress with an environmental scan of your life you will probably find factors that you could change that will help prevent the reoccurrence of a yeast infection breakout.

In trying to treat a onetime yeast infection you may consider using magic cures, like inserting grape fruit into the vagina. If however you have a long term problem and you are finding that yeast infections are returning. Visit your doctor and also make sure that factors in your lifestyle are not contributing to your problem.

Yeast infection video

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Here is a great 2 min video that explains about a yeast infection and the bacteria that cause it

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:11:00 +0000

Yeast Free, Wheat Free Sugar Free Corn Tortillas and Corn Chips

This is a yummy recipe - easy and with great flavour. It tastes wonderful wrapped around your favourite bean and vegetable or meat and vegetable dishes. Don't just limit yourself to serving it with mexican food, use it to make souvlakis, sandwich wraps and anything else you can think of.

Serving Size: 12 tortillas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of corn meal/Masa Harina (any wholemeal corn flour)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening or butter
1 1/4 cups of water.

In a medium sized bowl stir together the masa harina and salt.
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the lard/shortening/butter and water to a boil and stir until melted. Pour this liquid into the four and blend well with a fork or a pastry blender. You may need more flour to make a soft dough.
On a well floured surface need for about five minutes, adding more corn flour as needed.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll or pat out the dough until as thin as you can get it.

Heat a large cast iron or other heavy pan over high heat until very hot. Do not add oil. Cook the tortillas one at a time until brown on one side, then turn and cook until brown on the second side.

Keep them warm in a tea towel until all are cooked.

Now that is the low fat healthy option, but for something a bit different, shall we say an anti candida diet approved treat, try making these tortillas into your own corn chips.
Cut the tortillas into 8 wedges.
Heat oil in your saucepan or skillet, say about 1 inch deep. Heat the oil to medium high heat, it should be able to brown a chip in 60 seconds.

Cook the tortilla wedges in batches for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

When cool they can be stored in air tight containers.

More Anti-Candida Diet Chocolate Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:06:00 +0000

I haven't tried this recipe yet, although I really want to - I have to organise some Almond Butter . . .

Rich Chocolate Icecream/Fudge
2 cups almond butter (or any other nut butter that you like, peanut butter, hazelnut butter etc) Butter should be made fresh for best results, either in your own machine or
at a health food store.
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)

Sift the cocoa into a bowl and add all the other ingredients and mix well to combine. Pour into a tray and press down well with a metal spoon. Freeze for about one hour. Once firm take it out, cut it into pieces and put it in a container and back in the freezer. It has a chewy texture when frozen and a runny gooey one when at room temperature, so it is best to keep it in the freezer.

For some other ideas, add a handful of chopped nuts or dried fruit when making it.
Instead of freezing it in a square container freeze it in the base of a spring form cake container,and then top it with our chocolate banana ice cream, or if not on the diet, another icecream of your choice, and freeze. It will make an unforgettably decadent icecream cake!

The nut butter in this recipe provides excellent protein and other nutrients and makes an excellent addition to your anti candida diet. However, the fairly high level of honey in the recipe can make some people's blood sugar spike, so beware!

Anti Candida Chocolate Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 06:14:00 +0000

What on earth can I eat when I’m on the Anti Candida Diet and I feel like . . . CHOCOLATE?!

It’s been a hard day at work or at home, and you have had it. You’ve decided that this time you are just going to break free and do it. You don’t care what the consequences are.

You are heading, right now, to the nearest source of chocolate that you can find. You don’t care if it breaks your anti candida diet. You are sick of it any way.

Before you kick the vending machine it on or hold up the chocolate shop sales person, we have some good recipes for you, whether or not you are the sudden craving type, or you just would like to know if there is a candida friendly way to eat some chocolate (that doesn’t involve paying huge amounts for boutique all natural chocolate, or buying chocolate that although free from sugar is still full of preservatives, not to mention artificial sweeteners).

These recipes are rich and fairly sweet and they make a great treat that is candida friendly.

Chocolate Ice-cream
Ingredients (per person)
1 ripe banana
Cocoa (to taste)
Honey (to taste)

Mash the banana with a teaspoon of honey to start. Add a tea spoon of cocoa and mix well. Test for taste. Add more cocoa if a stronger flavour is desired, or more honey if not sweet enough. Or more of both to make it more chocolatey and sweeter. Then freeze until semi frozen, take out and stir (to break up the ice crystals) and return to the freezer until wanted.

Hot or Cold Chocolate.
Ingredients (per serve)
1 ripe banana
1 heaped teaspoon of cocoa (or more to taste)
1 heaped tablespoon of honey (or more or less to taste)
Enough hot or cold water to make up a cup (or milk if you are not on a particularly strict level of the candida diet)
Cinnamon and nutmeg – ½ to ¼ teaspoon of each if desired – makes it spicy.

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until combined.

About the ingredients in these recipes.
Neither of these recipes contain sugar – the big enemy of the anti candida diet.
Cocoa powder is low in fat and an excellent anti oxidant. It is good for you, in other words, it is the company that it is normally found in that is the problem, so cocoa is a great ingredient to include in the anti candida diet.
Honey – honey is an allowed sweetener on the anti candida diet. It has antibiotic properties, and it is a whole food (as opposed to sugar which is so highly refined that it does not have any essential vitamins orminerals to help your body process it).
Bananas – great source of potassium and generally good for you.
Cinnamon and nutmeg – have anti microbial properties, also good for your digestion.

So- I thought with Halloween upon us, Thanksgiving on the way, and then Christmas you might enjoy these allowable treats. The ice cream can be made ahead and kept on hand for when you suddenly want a treat, and the drinks can be made on demand.

Herbs to soothe your digestive tract - Comfrey

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:39:00 +0000

Comfrey has a long history in western herbology. It is native to Europe, and still grows wild in many parts of England. It is also known as blackwort, boneset, bruisewort, gum plant, healing herb, salsify, and slippery root.

It is perennial, it has a large root like a turnip, which is black in colour on the outside. It has large hairy broad leaves with small bell shaped flowers, white, cream, purple or pink. Its stem is angular and hairy and grows to about three feet in height. The branches from the stem are located near the top of the plant.
There are about 25 species of comfrey.

Benefits
Comfrey is rich in nutrients containing allantoin, rosmarinic acid, symphytine, echimidine, isobauerenol, sitosterol, tannins, lasiocarpine, phytosterols, triterpenoid, inulin, phenolic compounds, pyrrolisidine alkaloids, and vitamin B12 as well as potassium, phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen as well as linoleic acid.

All these things give it a variety of benefits:
It is good for wound healing and tissue regeneration. It is good for varicose ulcers. Linoleic acid helps alter cholesterol levels and maintain cell function. Tannins are astringent. It has been used to treat gastric ulcers, acne other skin conditions, coughs and asthma. It helps promote secretion of pepsin and is a general aid to digestion. It is possible that the use of comfrey externally helps prevent the improper formation of scar tissue. Comfrey root’s mucilage is partly why it is a digestive aid, as the mucilage coats the digestive tract and destroys amoebic parasites. Comfrey taken as a tea or an expressed juice has been used for stomach upset, stomach ulcers, haemorrhoids and diarrhoea.

How it’s taken
Creams containing extract from the root can be used topically for cuts, acne, sprains, bruises, athletes foot and staph infections. If you are going to use a comfrey root cream, it is important to ensure that the other ingredients in the cream support the aim that you have in using the preparation. For example an overly greasy cream containing comfrey may not help acne.

For topical irritations you can also use the leaves of the plant peeled open and applied as a poultice.
Comfrey is taken internally by using a tea or a tincture made from the root.

Side affects
Comfrey has quite a few potential side effects, to the extent that it has FDA restrictions and warnings attached to it. The ingredients that cause the most worry with comfrey are the pyrrolisidine alkaloids.

These chemicals can cause liver damage, and at worst, death. The comfreys that contain high levels of these substances are Russian comfrey and prickly comfrey. Comfrey can also cause problems for people on potassium restricted diets, as it is high in potassium. It can also be a problem in wound healing situations, as it can cause such rapid healing that if a wound is deep or dirty pus or dirt can be trapped behind the healed skin, and cause abcesses. Comfrey is not recommended for those on anti tuberculosis medications (as it can cause side affects) and comfrey creams and preparations are not recommended for pregnant women.

In summary, comfrey is said by some to be useful taken internally to help with digestive complaints, but it has so many potential side effects that it may be wise to avoid it, except as an external cream.

Marshmallow - soothes your digestive tract

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:20:00 +0000

Herbs that soothe and calm your digestive tract, promoting better heatlh part 2 – marshmallow.

Herbs covered in this post:
Marshmallow

Herbs covered in future posts:
Comfrey Root
Slippery Elm

Marshmallow – the herb that gives the name to the confectionary is a member of the mallow family and it does like to grow in damp places (like marshes). It grows a long stem and has a velvety texture on its leaves – from the small hairs that cover it.

Benefits – It is used traditionally to treat a range of illnesses, a lot of them respiratory, such as asthma, bronchitis, the cold, sore throats and as a cough suppressant. It is also used for digestive inflammation, such as crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, and it is this ability to soothe and promote healing in the digestive system that makes it of particular interest to those who suffer from digestive complaints such as systemic candida. It has also been found that the inside of the leaves is a useful wound healer.

How it is taken – often it is the root that is used in medicinal preparations, although the leaves and the flowers can be as well. Making a tea either from dried root or leaves/flowers is one of the most effective ways to take marshmallow. If you can find a ready prepared marshmallow tea, that is great, remember to check the ingredients list and see if anything else has been added, most other herbs will be fine, but some may have side affects and contraindications with other medication you may be on. Also, obviously, you don’t want a tea with caffeine in it. If you decide to grow your own marshmallow that is great – remember it likes a damp spot, by the side of a lake, for example. You can then harvest the root off plants that are two years old or more and the flowers and leaves as they appear fresh each season. Once you have dug up the root, chop it into small pieces and leave it to dry. The leaves and flowers can be used fresh to make tea or put in salads. To make tea you need 1 tsp – 1 tbsp of dried chopped root, or 1 tbsp of fresh crushed leaves/flowers per cup of cold water.

Side affects – marshmallow does not seem to cause any side affects directly, although taking it with other medication can reduce the body’s absorption of medication – so it is a good idea to take it at a different time of the day or to consult your health care provider. If you do experience any side affects after taking it, then of course stop and talk to your health care provider.

Liquorice - a herb for health!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:47:00 +0000

Herbs that soothe and calm your digestive tract, promoting better health.

Going with the basic premise of this site, that anyone that suffers from repeated yeast infections or from systemic candida (or any other type of gastro intestinal problem) needs to take steps to support their body’s best health, this post will discuss some herbs that soothe and help to heal the gastro intestinal tract. The healthier our digestive systems are, the healthier we will be!

Herbs covered in this post:
Liquorice
Herbs covered in future posts:
Marshmallow
Comfrey Root
Slippery Elm

Liquorice
Benefits - liquorice helps protect the innermost mucosal layer of the stomach against irritation that could lead to ulcers. Liquorice works by stimulating your stomach so that it produces more protective compounds. Liquorice also contains flavonoid compounds that can help inhibit H. pylori the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers. Liquorice itself has a sweet flavour and can be stimulating and some people have chewed the root (swallowed the resulting juice but spat out the root) to help them stop smoking. It is also meant to be good for your lungs, your adrenals as well as your gut.
How it is taken – liquorice extract as used by herbalists is made from the liquorice root. It is not the same thing as the liquorice that is sold in sweets shops or candy stores. Liquorice the sweet often contains flour, water and salt and aniseed extract. Even some liquorice syrups that are sold for medicinal purposes contain either alcohol or sugar and so are to be avoided. It can be taken in capsule form, drunk as a herbal tea – either prepared from the root yourself, or in a tea bag (but then check carefully what else has been added to the tea bag, make sure, for example, that the tea bag is free from caffeine!) And you can also chew on the root (but most herbalists recommend swallowing only the juice and not the actual root fiber).
Side affects – there are quite a few possible side affects when using liquorice, so you may want to check with your health care professional if you have any pre existing conditions such as hypertension, heart problems or you are pregnant or breast feeding. Apparently the major possible problem is hyper tension, and it is for this reason that pregnant people or those with heart conditions are cautioned to be wary of it. However, many herbalists say that when taken in a normal (ie tea bag) dose made from the whole root there is little chance of problems unless you are someone who is very sensitive to liquorice. So it can be wise to start out slowly and see if you have any problems. Other potential problems include edema (fluid retention) so if you begin to have a puffy face or hands, discontinue use.

An easy step to stimulate good digestion

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:39:00 +0000

Bitters anyone?

Bitters, these days added to some cocktails, started their life as medicinal preparations. For example Angostura bitters were first made by a German physician in the town of Angostura in Venezuela. He prescribed them to patients for stomach upsets.

The concept of having something bitter to stimulate the digestive function is still a valid one. If we eat (or drink) something bitter 20 -30 minutes before a meal our pancreas has been stimulated and more digestive enzymes have been released and are ready and waiting for the food.

We will digest the food better and will benefit from the attendant increase in health.

So, given that the anti candida diet is not in favour of alcohol, what can you have besides a cocktail that will act as bitters for your stomach?

Let’s go back to the herbs that are used in bitters. Bitter herbs (that stimulate digestive function) include gentian, wormwood, boldo, goldenseal, barberry, dandelion, hops, and artichoke.

Some of the easiest to access would be artichoke, gentian and dandelion. (Gentian is a primary ingredient in the Angostura bitters). They do have a bitter flavour, but I recommend trying them for overall digestive health. Dandelion is my preferred one, taken as a tea.

ARTICHOKE AND FENNEL SALAD
INGREDIENTS:

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

2 fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds)
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered or eighths
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup pitted Nicoise or other brine-cured black olives
1 ounce (about 3) flat anchovy fillets, drained, minced, and mashed to a paste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
freshly ground pepper to taste

Trim the feathery tops from the fennel bulbs, reserving several for garnish, and trim the stalks to the point where they meet the bulb, reserving them for another use.
Quarter the bulbs, discarding the core, and slice the quarters thin crosswise. In a large bowl combine the fennel, the artichoke hearts, the tomatoes, and the olives.
In a bowl whisk together the anchovy paste, the oil, the lemon juice, the orégano, and the thyme.
Toss the fennel mixture with the dressing, season it with the pepper and salt, andgarnish the salad with the reserved fennel tops.

Serves 6.

Yeast Infection is not the only itchy culprit

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:08:00 +0000

A Recent report delivered to the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease has researchers warn that women who self diagnose them selves with a yeast infection and then treat their vaginal yeast infections with over the counter drugs may be doing more harm then good.

What Susan Hoffstetter said in her report was "Everything that itches isn't a yeast infection." There can be many reasons for vaginal itching or discharge that range from skin irritation because of dryness to sexually transmitted disease. Susan Hoffstetter pointed out that these conditions require different treatment and women should consult with their doctor before diagnosing themselves.

Working at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Hoffstetter analyzed over 150 cases and found that only 26% of cases actually had a vaginal yeast infection. When a women visits her doctor, the doctor will be able to identify correctly what her problem is through pelvic examinations as well as a vaginal swab.

Balanitis and thrush

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:04:00 +0000

What is it? It is an infection of the glans – the tip of the penis that the foreskin covers. When a person has balanitis this area becomes sore and swollen. Besides localised pain it may make it difficult to urinate.

What causes balanitis – it can be caused by a fungus, by a bacterial infection or it can be symptomatic of a more serious disease – for example balanitis can be an early sign of male diabetes in children.

In babies balanitis may be caused by bacteria or fungus already present as a yeast infection spreading to infect the penis.

How to treat Balanitis
First talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of the inflammation being caused by something more serious. Then practise really good hygiene. Pull the foreskin back and wash thoroughly with gentle soap. Allow it to dry thoroughly and receive air if possible. This destroys the environment that bacteria and fungus like and they are responsible for most balanitis. This simple practice will help clear up many cases of balanitis. For babies, make sure the nappy is changed often when wet.

If simple hygiene methods aren’t enough, then you may need to use either an anti fungal or topical antibiotic cream. It can be helpful for your doctor to culture a swab from the glans to establish what is causing the balanitis, as bacteria and fungus are killed by different medications.

If your balanitis still does not respond, sometimes circumcision will be recommended.

How important is it to treat balanitis?
If left untreated a couple of nasty things may happen. It may spread to be a general (very painful) infection of the total penis. It may cause scarring of the ureter which makes passing urine painful. This would then necessitate an operation to enlarge the ureter again. More pain. So get it treated as soon as it appears. And if you have to go for circumcision, oh well, it won’t kill you!

4 Truths about drugs that cause yeast infections

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:38:00 +0000

There are drugs that dramatically increase your chances of developing a candida overgrowth. Some major culprits are steroids, the oral contraceptive pill, chemotherapy and antibiotics.

Steroids:
Oral steroids (such as those taken for asthma) can contribute to cases of oral thrush. So be on the look out for white patches in the mouth or on the tongue, and be prepared to see a doctor if you suspect a problem. Spacers used with steroid inhalers can help prevent oral thrush or stop it recurring. Treatment for oral thrush generally involves looking for and removing the cause of the problem, and then if necessary oral lozenges may be prescribed by your doctor.

Steroids taken either intravenously or in ingested as medication can increase the likelihood of getting thrush, either vaginal, oral, or sometimes on other parts of the body. Steroids may prescribed for such things as allergies, hodgkins lymphoma, crohn’s disease etc.

The Oral Contraceptive pill:
Because it alters normal hormone levels, it can increase a woman’s susceptibility to thrush. This is because as our hormone levels are altered by the pill, our ability to process sugar is reduced, leading to more available sugar for the thrush to feed on.

Chemotherapy:
Can increase your chance of oral thrush in a number of ways. First of all, chemotherapy works by damaging the cells in your body. Healthy cells can repair and keep reproducing, cancerous ones find it more difficult. But in the period where your healthy cells are damaged they are liable to more problems than usual.

You can find you get ulcers and bleeding, and candida, always present in our mouths any way, can become an opportunistic infection. Really good oral hygiene is important in treating and preventing thrush while having chemotherapy. If you have dentures, keep them very clean. If you have teeth use a soft tooth brush, an electric one can also be good. Replace the toothbrush frequently to prevent infection.

Chemotherapy often causes a lack of saliva, so eat foods that are soft on the mouth, think juicy or saucy things, rather than crispy or acidic.

Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are implicated in yeast overgrowth because they kill friendly bacteria such as lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are normally available to help keep a balance with the yeast and stop them growing out of control, so if they are removed yeast tend to flourish more.

It is also worth remembering that with the exception of the contraceptive pill, you only take these drugs when you have a pre-existent health problem. Candida overgrowth can occur purely because our body is run down, so the fact that you have a health problem already may make you more susceptible to yeast overgrowth, regardless of the drugs that you are taking.

Essential Vitamins

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:02:00 +0000

Vitamins are essential to our bodies’ health. Here is a short list of some vitamins and what role they play in your body as well as what sources of food you can find these vitamins in.

Vitamin A

This is needed for healing and maintaining of epithelial tissue, healthy skin, hair, vision and new cell growth. It is fat-soluble.
Food Source
Broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, apricots, liver, milk, butter, cheese, oysters and eggs

Vitamin B
Maintain normal skin functioning. Helps creates energy by converting calories into energy. It is needed by the nervous system and for tissue building as well as good vision.
Food Source
Poultry, lean red meats, liver, kidney, fish, clams, oysters, eggs, bananas, whole grains, Brewer’s yeast, peanut butter, soybeans, peas, legumes, seeds, nuts, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, spinach and dairy products

Vitamin C
Builds collagen which is what the skin structure is based upon. It is important for healthy blood vessels, gums and teeth. It is also very important in iron absorption.
Food Source
Citrus fruits and juices, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, green peas, broccoli, green and red peppers, collard greens, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, lemon, cabbage and pineapples

Vitamin E
It Slows down skin ageing. It also protects red blood cells and prevents destruction of other vitamins
Food Source
Margarine and vegetable oils (soybean, corn, safflower, sesame, olive and cottonseed), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, salmon, legumes, extra-lean meat and almonds

Seleium
Helps other antioxidant vitamins cancel free radicals helping with skin problems especially.
Food Source
Fish, shellfish, sesame seeds, whole grains, Brewer’s yeast, organ and muscle meats, cereals, Brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, garlic, onions, molasses, dairy products, kelp and wheat germ

When to go to Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:08:00 +0000

Emergency Care gives advice of when to seek medical advice for a Yeast Infection. Unfortunately a yeast infection can afflict people in a number of different ways. Fortunately the majority of cases can be treated quite easily, by visiting your doctor and then by making sure your life style is healthy. This helps you keep yeast infections a thing of the past and includes diet and exercise as life style choices.

However there are times when serious symptoms will mean that going to hospital may be the wisest decision. Before you go to hospital you will probably need to see your local doctor.

Times that Hospital may be needed

People with weakened immune systems are candidates for hospitalization
Women that are experiencing abdominal pain, fever chills, and nausea
If oral thrush stops the intake of liquids

Skin cleansing spa – the Japanese way

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:06:00 +0000

I came across this post by Health Knowledge Blog that had a picture of a new kind of spa. It looks like a wonderful way to remove skin conditions. It is becoming popular in Japan where you sit in a spa bath with lots of little fish. These fish then eat away dead skin and help remove skin conditions. I have not tested this with a skin yeast infection. However I would definitely not rule it out. Just remember to dry well removing all moisture after the fish have eaten away the candida bugs.

Yeast Infection cured with perfume

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:48:00 +0000

My story starts as I was sitting in a business meeting. I was intently paying attention to the person speaking. I was leaning forward and as such created a very enclosed space around my body.

As I sat there I started to notice the vaguest smell that had me cringe in possible embarrassment.

At the moment I am taking a heavy dose of steroids and other nuclear drugs. The down side of all of this is the accompanying itch or yeast infection that happens when taking many of these hard drugs.

As I sat there in the meeting pulling my coat around me tighter I had these horrible thoughts of “can any one else smell me”. I was ready to crawl away and die. After the meeting and with a little investigation and help from my husband I ascertained that I was probably the only person that was aware of the sweet smell that made my blood curdle.

I have since made myself a promise, to make sure that I have sufficient perfume in my bag that if I am ever caught in a similar situation that I will be able to disguise the smell. At least enough to put my mind at ease, even if they do start calling me petal.

Coleslaw recipe ideal for candida patients

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 05:46:00 +0000

Here is a coleslaw salad, suitable for those suffering a yeast infection. The yogurt replacing the traditional mayonnaise makes this salad tasty and ideal for candida suffers as it helps replace the good bacteria in the digestive system that will help control a candida out break.

Quantity
Serves 4 as side salad

Preparation time
10 min

Ingredients
2 cups cabbage
1 medium grated carrot
½ chopped green pepper
½ stick celery
5 tablespoons yogurt, low fat
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dill weed

Preparation Process
Wash the cabbage and chop finely
Peel and grate the carrots
Cut green pepper into small pieces
Chop celery into small pieces
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together

Dressing
Place Yogurt, lemon juice and dill weed in a small bowl and stir together.
Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and add salt and pepper to taste

Should you insure against a yeast infection?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 22:50:00 +0000

SICKO – Michael Moore’s new film that highlights problems in the medical, insurance and pharmaceutical industries cites an example of a woman who had her insurance voided because she did not disclose on a medical form that she had, had a previous yeast infection. And what is even more unbelievable is that they managed to do this when the form did not specifically ask about yeast infections.

As has been rightly pointed out there is almost no woman that has not had a yeast infection at some time in her life. The question that must be asked “how long can America stand this sort of blatant abuse by greedy CEO’s.” ?

See How Easily You Can Eat Good Bugs

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 04:33:00 +0000

You have a sewer system in your body and it needs to work properly for you to be healthy. It is not the nicest analogy; however that is exactly what is happening inside of you.

If you have ever lived in the country, where the toilet system uses a septic tank buried in the ground out side the bath room window you may have had the unpleasant experience of having to work on it.

How it works is the sewerage goes into a big tank in the ground. The tank has lots of bacteria inside which live off the waste products coming in. They break everything down and the remaining water flows out an outlet pipe into a special drain system in the ground.

The body works much the same way. Bugs and bacteria in the intestinal system break down the waste product that is passing through the body. At each stage of the process when the waste product is broken down sufficiently it then passes to the next part of the body’s digestive tract. This has the food moving from stomach to small intestine, large intestine and out through the back end. If the bugs are incorrect then the waste either passes to quickly (diarrhea) or too slowly (constipation). It may also cause other problems along the way.

It is very important to make sure that the right bacteria are present in your digestive track. This helps with the digestion process of food. The correct bacteria in the right quantities help control diarrhea, yeast infections, constipation and many other gut related problems

One of the best foods to help in getting the right bacteria into our system is yoghurt. Yoghurt has live cultures in it that are extremely important to your body. Dr. Terry Gaff medical director of the emergency department at Parkview Noble Hospital in Kendallville and the Noble County EMS talks about yoghurt and the good impact it can have in our diets.

Dr Gaff says that a normal tub of yogurt is much better then frozen yogurt because the cultures in frozen yogurt are inactive and possibly dead. Many of the yogurt companies have been able to develop a process which keeps the bacteria alive in tubs of normal yogurt. He says pick your favorite flavor and increase you good bacteria helping your body stay healthy.

Kitchen hygiene kills bacteria and helps prevent infection

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:59:00 +0000

The Kitchen is the first battle ground in the war against bacteria and germs. To help improve overall hygiene it is important to regard the kitchen as a place that you can impact not only the nutritional content of the food but the hygiene of the food. This in turn will help keep the bugs away.

Here is a top ten list of ways you can combat the bad bugs in your kitchen

Clean surfaces as you go
Wash Crockery and Cutlery with hot water and washing liquid
Leave to drain dry were possible
Change tea towels regularly
Wash tea towels in hot water
Keep Dishwasher filters clean
Clean the Can Opener after use
Clean top of can before opening
Wipe down kitchen cupboards regularly
Empty the rubbish bin regularly

Avacado pears great food

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:15:00 +0000

A fantastic food to make sure that you are including in your diet are avocado pears. They are a great source of oleic acid, potassium, carotenoid lutein, they are also rich in folate and they taste great.

Avocado pears do a wonderful job of helping your body to absorb carotenoids of other vegetables when eaten together.

The avocado pear is normally displayed by super market along side other fruits as it should be. Avocado’s are normally eaten in salads and as such are thought of as a vegetable. They are however a fruit which was discovered in Mexico approximately 291 BC. Their popularity has grown immensely and in 1995 40% of American households ate avocado pears.

Avo’s as they are sometimes affectionately referred to do not ripen until picked. The fresher the fruit the harder it is. When choosing an avo shake it gently and if the pip is loose then it is older and you may want to choose another one.

To ripen an avocado get a brown paper bag and wrap the fruit in the bag leaving it between 2- 5 days at room temperature. If you are impatient a banana or apple in the same bag will speed up the ripening process.

A resource for a whole lot of recipes that use avocado can be found at About Home cooking not all of these are recommended for a yeast infection.

No thrush naturopath healing

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:39:00 +0000

Here is a story from some one who emailed me recently. It is great to hear other people’s success stories with beating ill health. And it is wonderfully encouraging to those that have suffered for ages with the problem of yeast infections.

Dear Lisa

After approx six plus months of very much stress due to vaginal thrush and antibiotics from the doctor, I consulted a naturopath. I do not like to take antibiotics of any sort so after months of taking them (and yes they were working but as soon as I stopped, within a day the thrush would return), I consulted a naturopath. Within days of taking herbs in liquid form, NO thrush. Life has returned to normal and is happy days again.

Kind regards,

Sourdough Bread - what's the deal

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:42:00 +0000

I had an email the other day which asked me about sour dough bread recipes. Someone was looking for a bread recipe that was wheat, dairy, sugar etc free, as it had been suggested to her as the only bread she could eat with her high level of candidiasis.

I did research into sour dough when compiling the recipe book, but I went back and did some more after this email.

I was aware that sourdough is started by leaving a flour and water mixture out in a warm place and yeast in the air and in the flour would create a starter capable of rising bread.

What I did not realise is that the starter also gets populated by friendly bacteria.

This bacteria (and it varies according to the strain that you get in your starter) can actually dramatically alter and break down the composition of the flour. One article I found documented a trial that was being done with coelic's disease sufferers and wheaten sourdough bread. If it was made with the right strain of bacteria it did not affect them because the gluten had been taken by the bacteria and converted into a substance that they were able to digest.

Of course the trick would be to get that particular strain of bacteria! Although someone will probably start selling a starter kit that features it sometime soon . . . the results do still need further testing.

But even for those without coeliac's disease, sourdough bread seems to be the most natural and digestible of risen breads, I have been experimenting with it myself this last week - and although I have yet to perfect it, I think it is going to be good.

Vinegar - friend or foe when treating thrush?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Wed, 09 May 2007 03:22:00 +0000

For holistic long term treatment of thrush, food is always an issue. Certain foods are held to feed thrush (eg sugar etc) and certain foods can help the body successfully combat thrush (probiotics etc).

Vinegar is an interesting food, when it comes to thrush, as it is both on the 'prohibited' and 'use every day' lists.

Why is vinegar prohibited? There is no clear evidence (that I am aware of) that consuming vinegar is a problem for people who have thrush, but some people avoid it because it is a fermented food product. There is a school of thought that says fermented food makes the body more prone to thrush. As I said, court is officially out on this (meaning that there are no double blind scientific experiments that say it is definitely a contributing factor in a yeast infection). However, if you find you experience flare ups when you have vinaigrette salad dressings, then by all means avoid it.

The really interesting thing on the 'ban on fermented foods' for yeast sufferers, is that fermented foods are often classified as very easy to digest and therefore good for you. Miso is an example of a fermented, easy to digest food. And I have found in my own experience that foods that ferment in the gut are a greater health problem than foods that were fermented before I ate them. Red meat is an example of something that can ferment in the gut. It can sit there for a while and is fairly difficult to digest.

So I recommend seeing what works for you, and what gives you trouble, try avoiding fermented food, and then try avoiding food that might ferment in you!

Moving on from talking about what we eat, vinegar is a star when it comes to topical home remedies for yeast infections. A vinegar dilution solution can help restore the health of your skin, by restoring its pH balance. Use it in a dilution of about 1 part vinegar to five parts water. You can use it as a mouth wash for oral thrush, a general 'toner' for skin

What oil should you be using to cure your candida?

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa McCappin) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:09:00 +0000

Well, according to some current research, oregano oil. That's if we're talking oils that you can eat.
For those not allergic to it (most of us) oregano oil is a great anti candida oil. It has anti inflammatory properties and is great to take internally or to rub into skin.

One word of caution - it is known to regulate hormones so should not be used by ladies who are pregnant.

There are other oils that have great anti candida fighting properties (and make you smell good) but most of them should only be used externally to fight your yeast, and depending where they are being applied, you might be most comfortable using them diluted!

The other good oils include Eucalyptus, myrrh, rose geranium, tea tree oil. To find out more about them, have a look at this site eliminate candida naturally