By Lori Hanson
If you’ve been to the doctor lately for an ailment or infection, chances are you were given a prescription for antibiotics. I talk to so many people who are being given antibiotics for issues that don’t even need a prescription. The overuse of antibiotics is creating a whole new set of health issues. The biggest one is the disruption of your good and bad bacterial flora because good as well as bad bacteria are killed upsetting the natural balance in the colon which contributes to Candida (yeast) overgrowth. The result—a compromised immune system which leads to…more health problems.
Many times this cycle starts as young babies and continues every time we are given antibiotics for infections. But the imbalance is also fed by birth control pills, toxic chemicals, yeast containing foods and drink. Leaky gut syndrome (which I also had during my Candida issues) dumps toxic yeast byproducts into your blood stream, setting up a string of events such as thyroid hormone imbalance; excessive cortisol production by the adrenal glands; and autoimmune disease.
So what is Candida overgrowth anyway?
“Candida albicans normally lives on the warm, inner creases and crevices of the digestive tract, vagina and skin. Healthy women have a natural community of Candida albicans organisms that live in all three locations…when this system gets out of balance…Candida cells rapidly overwhelm the friendly bacteria and create potentially serious results.” (The Yeast Connection.com, “About Candida Yeast”)
As I shared in my previous blog, the issue is that this creates a chronic cycle of imbalance for your system. You don’t need antibiotics for everything. Sometimes your cold or the flu just need to run its course. There are natural simple things you can do to lessen the effects of the impending cold that will alleviate your symptoms so you will either not get his as hard, or may not get sick at all.
1. Reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar you consume
Yeah, so I put the hardest one out there first. I have a list of 124 ways sugar can ruin your health. And one of the biggest issues is it weakens your immune system which contribute to you getting sick. It’s a great idea to take notes as you begin this process. You’ll notice quite a difference in how you feel and it’s always interesting to look bad and remember how horrible you used to feel, because you don’t any more.
Start with small steps:
– Eliminate the processed sugars ASAP!
– Realize that sugar is hidden in many items you consume, including your Starbucks fancy drinks
– Reduce the amount of sugar your consume to one day a week
– Start reading labels for added sugars (anything that ends is “ose” is a clue)
– Once you’ve reduced your intake of overt sugars (candy, cake, etc.) evaluate how you’re feeling
– All fruits are not created with equal amounts of sugar. Berries have the least amount, melons and grapes are high in sugar
2. Take an Epsom Salt Bath
As soon as you feel that “something” knocking at the door, take an epsom salt bath. This will help you sweat out the toxins and is very helpful to reduce and minimize symptoms of cold, flu, etc.
– Run the bath as hot as you can stand it.
– Add 2-4 cups of epsom salts (first timers start with 2 cups)
– Sit in the bath for 5-7 minutes
– Rinse off in the shower
In addition to sugar, Candida thrives on sugar, carbohydrates, moldy and fermented foods. So in order to get your body back in balance it takes a combination of reducing the foods that feed that Candida and killing it off at the same time. A delicate process that is highly rewarding when you eliminate cravings, get your energy and zest for life back.
In my next blog, I’ll share more about Candida overgrowth symptoms and how you can get help.
©2013
