Is It Candida, or PMS?

Candida, also known as Candida albicans, is the scientific name for a type of yeast. It is a fungus that lives almost everywhere, including in your body. Usually, your immune system keeps yeast under control. However, if you are sick, or taking antibiotics, yeast can multiply and cause an infection in various parts of the body as toxins produced by the yeast enter the blood stream.

Symptoms of Candida are numerous and can include fatigue, headache, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, mood swings, poor memory and concentration, and cravings for sweets, to name a few. Sounds a lot like PMS, doesn’t it. That’s because excess estrogen can contribute to Candida, therefore a variety of female conditions co-exist with Candida. The most well known form of yeast overgrowth occurs in the form of vaginal yeast infections, which affect a majority of women at least once in their lifetime. Some women, depending on their dietary habits and immune system, experience recurring yeast infections.

Since many female conditions co-exist with Candida, sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether it’s PMS or Candida. If you are experiencing recurring yeast infections seeing a health care professional may help to get to the root cause of your symptoms. Candida testing should be considered as part of a thorough evaluation. There are tests available that can help you determine 1) the likelihood of a Candida yeast overgrowth being the cause of your health issues, and 2) how much overgrowth there is. One such test is the Organic Acid Test (OAT).

You can order the OAT test online from the following Websites, however I cannot vouch for the quality of any of the labs listed, nor am I responsible for the contents of their Websites. I’m only providing this brief list as a matter of convenience:

• Great Plains Laboratory. The test requisition form (included in test kit) must be signed by a medical practitioner and accompany all specimens. Off hand, I couldn’t find what they’re charging for this test.

• Interestingly enough, Integrative Psychiatry also offers this test ($320.00).

• Vitamin Research Products is selling the OAT test for $269.00.

Yeast infections affect different parts of the body in different ways:

1. Thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
2. Esophagitis is thrush that spreads to your esophagus, the tube that takes food from your mouth to your stomach. Esophagitis can make it hard or painful to swallow
3. Women can get vaginal yeast infections, causing itchiness, pain and discharge
4. Yeast infections of the skin cause itching and rashes
5. Yeast infections in your bloodstream can be life-threatening

Treatment for Candida albicans includes conventional over-the-counter medication or prescription medication such as topical creams, anti-fungal drugs, probiotics, and pharmaceuticals.

Suggested natural remedies for detoxification and Candida:

Lactobacillus acidophilus is bacteria that normally live in the human small intestine and vagina. This is a type of beneficial bacteria (commonly used probiotic, or “friendly,” bacteria) is typically found in most yogurts (more so in the organic, sugar free yogurts) can help to support the immune system and maintain normal levels of yeast in the system.

> Get More Info on Natural Remedies for Candidiasis, Candida and Yeast Infections

> Get More Info on Detox Drops to Cleanse and Detoxify the System

Alternative Therapies and Diabetes

Almost 24 million Americans have diabetes, a serious disease in which blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are above normal. Most people with diabetes have type 2, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes. At one time, type 2 diabetes was more common in people over age 45. But now more young people, even children, have the disease because many are overweight or obese.

Are you at risk for developing diabetes?

If you have wondered or possibly been told that you are at risk for developing diabetes or that you have pre-diabetes, you should know that diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their weight, if they are overweight—that’s 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.

Two keys to success:

• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week.
• Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and reduce the number of calories you eat per day.

In other words, you don’t have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards.

Diabetes and Alternative Therapies

Some people with diabetes use alternative therapies for their health condition. For example, they may try acupuncture or biofeedback to help with painful symptoms. Some use dietary supplements in efforts to improve their blood glucose control, manage symptoms, and lessen the risk of developing serious complications such as heart problems. Supplements include:

• Chromium is an essential trace mineral—that is, the body requires small amounts of it to function properly. Some people with diabetes take chromium in an effort to improve their blood glucose control. Chromium is found in many foods, but usually only in small amounts; relatively good sources include meat, whole grain products, and some fruits, vegetables, and spices. In supplement form (capsules and tablets), it is sold as chromium picolinate, chromium chloride, and chromium nicotinate.
• Polyphenols—antioxidants found in tea and dark chocolate, among other dietary sources—are being studied for possible effects on vascular health (including blood pressure) and on the body’s ability to use insulin.

Other supplements:

• Garlic for lowering blood glucose levels.
• Magnesium supplementation on blood glucose control have had mixed results, although researchers have found that eating a diet high in magnesium may lower the risk of diabetes.
• Coenzyme Q10
• Botanicals such as prickly pear cactus, gurmar, Coccinia indica, aloe vera, fenugreek, and bitter melon to control their glucose levels.

Treatment depends on a number of factors including the signs and symptoms of diabetes, type of diabetes, and severity and age. Most treatment regimes include lifestyle changes, medicinal treatment, (either allopathic medication, natural remedies or both) as well as close monitoring of blood glucose levels.

Suggested Homeopathic Remedies:

Triple Complex Diabetonic a safe, non–addictive, natural remedy containing 100% homeopathic ingredients to balance sugar levels in the blood and pancreas.

Triple Complex Diabetonic is a combination of three, cellular–supporting biochemic tissue salts and may be taken at the first signs of low energy or sugar cravings for effective help.
Get More Information on Triple Complex Diabetonic Tissue Salts for Diabetes

Iodine and Hypothyroidism

More Than a Pinch of Salt

If you are a woman with thyroid problems that don’t seem to stay in control, look for a major suspect in your kitchen cupboard: iodinated table salt. Once thought to prevent thyroid problems, little attention has been paid to the impact of constant iodine in our diets, especially for women. Read more

Estrogen and Food in Menopause

Food is a powerful medicine, but did you know the carbohydrate content of what you eat can shift your estrogen metabolism towards the cancer stimulating pathways?

In The Menopause Diet book by Dr. Larrian Gillespie, research has pointed to the advantage of a high protein diet in helping to prevent estrogen-related cancers. By current nutritional standards, eating a diet higher in protein than carbohydrates has received a bad rep in today’s press, but let’s look at the chemical breakdown pathways of estrogen. Read more

Natural Remedies for Menopause

The goal of any alternative therapy program for menopause should be twofold: eliminate the bothersome symptoms, and to prevent the degenerative ailments.

Some health practitioners report that plant-derived synthetic hormones work as well as Premarin and more closely resemble human hormones than those made from mare’s urine. Others, including many womens’ health activists and practitioners of alternative medicine, suggest a more natural approach such as: Read more

The Best Diet for YOU!

From an early age we’re programmed by the media, the fashion industry, and our peers to believe that something must be wrong with us if we don’t have the genetic makeup of a super model. We begin to feel inadequate on all levels, and thus begins the quest for that magic bullet; which comes in the guise of diet pills, fad diets, crash diets, liquid diets, cosmetic surgery, and whatever else will make us resemble those computer-enhanced photos we see on the covers of fashion magazines. Read more

Ways to Avoid Getting the Flu

What’s the best way to avoid the flu? Aside from common sense hygiene practices, your best first line of defense is to build a healthy immune system.  At its core level, our immune system is designed to do two things: recognize harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites that enter the body, and then destroy them. At least that’s the way it works if your immune system is working properly. Read more

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