Feed me Seymour!…. if you remember, this is a famous line out of the movie, Little Shop of Horrors. When I teach gut health classes, I use this analogy in reference to another monster within us who has an insatiable appetite….. Candida.
Candida is a sugar fermenting yeast that naturally lives within our digestive tract, and is helpful and necessary in our gut ecosystem when colonized in appropriate amounts. Unfortunately, 70-80% of all Americans have fallen below the wellness line and now suffer with chronic Candida overgrowth. How in the world did this happen to so many of us? The possible list of culprits is long:
- Immune dysfunction in the form of:
- exposure to toxic metals
- poor digestion leading to buildup of toxins within us
- stress
- Reduction of good bacteria (who act as the national guard and keep Candida in check). This happens by:
- heavy consumption of refined carbs, alcohol, and caffeine
- heavy consumption of refined sugar
- antibiotics
- mercury fillings (double whammy! they also affect our immune system)
- An adjustment in intestinal pH (allowing Candida to flourish). This commonly occurs when:
- acid blocking medications (like Prilosec, Nexium, etc) are used regularly and in excess
- we have a decrease in production of digestive enzyme
- we age. In the normal aging process, our stomach acid actually becomes less acidic, allowing Candida to grow out of control.
One of the hallmark signs of a Candida overgrowth is an insatiable craving for sugar and carbs. It feels almost like something is living inside you telling you that you MUST eat sugar and carbs…..ie: Feed me Seymour! If you have those feelings (and can’t stop after just one cookie), chances are, you have a heavy Candida load. Candida is ASKING for this “nourishment” to survive, and you are feeding it each times it asks….. just like the plant with the voracious appetite in Little Shop of Horrors.
Symptoms of Candida overgrowth are varied… they include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hyperactivity, sinus problems, bad breath, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, hypoglycemia, eczema, psoriasis, skin fungus, yeast infections, chronic fatigue, swollen joints, and gout. The list is much longer…. but you get the idea…. Candida overgrowth is very problematic in all aspects of wellness.
Young Living has many products that will help keep you above the wellness line (ie: Healthy!) when it comes to Candida. One such product is called Detoxzyme. This powerhouse capsule combines digestion enhancing essential oils with several fast acting enzymes that assist in the complete digestive process. They help detoxify and promote intestinal cleansing (a critical component for maintaining overall body health). The enzymes within the capsules are designed to help us digest starches, sugars, proteins, and fats. Efficient digestion helps the body detoxify. Importantly, Detoxzyme also helps in opening the gallbladder duct and cleansing the liver, preventing Candida and other yeast overgrowth…. also important in the detoxification process. Remember, your liver is the main “garbage processing center” organ of our bodies…. and if it has a backlog of work, then toxins simply sit in our body and wreak havoc as they wait to be excreted.
So, if you are looking for ways to lose that sluggish feeling and regain your energy, quit feeding that monster no matter how much it asks to be fed, and grab yourself a bottle of this dragonslayer!
Have a great day, and contact me if you have any questions!
5 Feb 2017 at 2:33 pm
There seems to be a wealth of information in this blog. Thank you for your interest in my blog. I look forward to following yours and I may learn a lot of things!
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10 Feb 2017 at 4:23 am
Such a wealth of information on this blog!
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10 Feb 2017 at 6:21 am
Thanks for the encouragement Lamar!
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15 Feb 2017 at 8:09 pm
Extremely informative! Having survived 2 bouts of c-diff and researched my heart out to be one of the lucky ones who is now free! I can hardly wait to read more! Fabulous!! Congratulations on your #winning!! Kind Regards – K
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15 Feb 2017 at 8:49 pm
whoa! Congrats on surviving twice! That is amazing. I hope (i’m sure you are) very protective of your gut now. Be sure to avoid long term use of Antacid type meds…. they increase your risk of c.diff tremendously. God Bless~ liz
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16 Feb 2017 at 8:09 am
I have IBS and find that stress is the biggest trigger (along with that piece of cheesecake and coffee). Sometimes I think that if anyone looks at me cross-eyed I will get a bout of diarrhea. The gut is such a complex organ. I am convinced that many doctors do not fully understand it especially when it doesn’t fall within the “standard” of an illness. There are better treatments for Crohn’s and more serious gut diseases. I continue to be vigilant with that I eat and manage my stress as best as you can manage stress. I never considered candida but worried about C Diff.
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16 Feb 2017 at 8:59 pm
Kate, you hit the nail on the head. Stress is under recognized in my opinion as a primary facilitator in so many diseases…. it probably plays a part in nearly every one! As you may (or may not know), many neurotransmitters are manufactured with the help of beneficial gut bacteria in the gut…. and if your gut is out of whack… that affects your levels of serotonin and GABA to name just two…. When those two are not in adequate supply, it will affect sleep and anxiety, and also make you prone to depression. All 3 of these (especially the anxiety) can affect your ability to manage stress. It is a giant circle that feeds on itself. (BTW, coffee inhibits the production of GABA… so that isn’t helping it any either I’m sorry to say 😦 . Candida… you’ve just read this article, so you know the part that your cheesecake plays now too. I’d love for you to attend my next gut health class next month. We’ve not set the date yet, but if you keep watch, it will be in the early part of the month. God bless! ~ liz
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17 Feb 2017 at 8:35 am
Thank you for following Freedomborn oilyfarmgirl mine is a Christian Blog, are you a Christian or wanting to know how to be one?
Your Blog has a lot of interesting health advice which is very important today when we read and hear conflicting accounts of what is good for us and what is not, I will look forward to following you.
Blessings – Anne.
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19 Feb 2017 at 7:24 am
Freedomborn, Yes ma’am I am a Christian :)….. for many many years. Thank you for spreading the Good News on your site. God expects us and asks us to be good stewards of whatever we are given. It saddens me to see so many people not caring for their bodies. They are wasting the gift that God has given them. Take care and God bless wordpress friend! ~ liz
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24 Feb 2017 at 2:11 am
Interesting post! I’ve definitely got a hard time stopping after one cookie.
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