Ten years ago, my life changed dramatically. I had a history of declining health that grew worse with each pregnancy. My daily life included chronic headaches, lack of energy, sore muscles, aching in joints and limbs, occasional dizziness, and continual abdominal complaints, primarily diarrhea, but alternating eventually with periods of constipation. There were rarely more than 4-5 days in a row that I felt really well. I knew that eating very much sugar or chocolate gave me headaches, especially if eaten on an empty stomach, and that emotional stress was also factor, but even at times when I hadn’t felt stressed or consumed these known offenders, I frequently felt just “blah.”

My search began. I consulted every specialist my medically connected family could find. Several physical exams, a scope, an ultrasound, repeated blood work and stool tests all came back normal. I acquired several labels for my worsening symptoms: colitis, spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome and finally, fibromyalgia. I begged God to teach me the good that could come from this miserable condition and to find the resources to help me get well. I did find answers and recovered from fibromyalgia over a two- year period. Following is my story, along with what I’ve learned. And if what I share here helps anyone with similar challenges, then my effort is well met.

A Leaky Gut

My return to health began when a friend, plagued by similar symptoms, told me about food allergy and the possibility that my symptoms may be linked to an unhealthy gut infested with carbohydrate-loving yeasts. As I began researching systemic yeast and autoimmune disease, I learned that many of the physical complaints we share as a culture, virtually all autoimmune diseases, share a common condition called “Leaky Gut Syndrome.”

Among these autoimmune diseases and inflammatory states are:

• Alzheimers
• Arthritis
• ADD/autism
• Asthma
• AIDS
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Heart Disease
• Lupus
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteoporosis
• Schleroderma
  
  

Leaky Gut Syndrome is a condition where the gut is more porous and permeable than normal, allowing partially digested food particles to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. These particles trigger a series of inflammatory responses from the immune system that can affect any of the body’s systems including the brain. By healing the cause of the leaky gut and healing the gut itself, these same foods, in their whole and natural state, can be tolerated once again, and a life free from inflammation, discomfort and “dis-ease” regained. (Read “Gut Reactions” printed in Newsweek Magazine Nov. 17, 1997 at www.Newsweek.com for more on this condition.)

Candida Yeast

One cause of a leaky gut is the overgrowth of Candida yeast that normally lives in limited numbers in the mucous membranes of the body, along with friendly bacteria. The mucous membranes they inhabit are pervasive throughout the body. They line the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system including ears, nose and throat. They also line the skeletal structure of the body allowing bone and muscle tissue to move comfortably around each other. Mucous membranes are also part of the reproductive and urinary systems; they’re everywhere! Several factors can contribute to the inflammation caused by yeast getting out of hand:

• compromised immunity
• repeated use of broad spectrum antibiotics
• diets high in simple carbohydrates including sugar (which yeasts thrive on)
• exposure to hormones (real or synthetic) via the monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy, “the pill” or other hormone therapy
• Use of corticosteroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs.)

Women and Men

Women are much more susceptible than men to yeast overgrowth because of the continual fluctuation in hormone levels their bodies experience. Men also have it, but more often following an injury or illness treated with broad spectrum antibiotics or steroid drugs. Candida is communicable to others whose immune systems are weak. If a mother is suffering from Candida, often her offspring are too. It runs in families, not by way of genes, but rather by association.

Candida and Autoimmune Disease

What has some medical circles spinning is the apparent connection between Candida and the multitude of auto-immune diseases that until now have had no cure but to treat symptoms individually with medications. Not only do these “syndromes” share many of the same symptoms, but also clinical evidence over the last 20 years indicates that many people with these conditions respond positively to a special diet and antifungal (yeast killing) treatment.

Symptoms

Because this organism eventually makes its way from the gut to the bloodstream it can influence multiple body systems:

Gut Feelings

Often (but not always) there are abdominal complaints because the gut is where yeast colonizes first. Recurrent nausea, bloating, cramping, difficulty swallowing, gut pain that moves, colic (in babies), diarrhea or alternating constipation/diarrhea may be experienced. This was the first discomfort I experienced beginning with my first pregnancy and continuing over the next 8 years. Rarely would I be free of symptoms for more than a few days. I was tested for parasites several times, gallbladder dysfunction, fat intolerance, ulcers, lesions, and appendicitis--all negative.

Food Sensitivities

Sensitivity to foods that relate to yeasts may also be a clue that yeast is a problem. Such foods are baker's or brewer's yeast, simple sugars including lactose (milk), sweeteners (natural or synthetic), chocolate, moldy foods like cheeses, cantaloupe, peanuts, and yeast killing foods like garlic or onions. "Sensitivity" means that the substance causes some adverse reaction like stomach pain, gas, dizziness, headache, stuffy nose, asthma, skin dryness or rash, etc. Allergy to additional foods are acquired when proliferating Candida increases the permeability of the intestinal wall allowing partially digested food particles to enter the bloodstream. When a substance triggers an immuno-globular or “IgE” response in the bloodstream it is considered a formal “allergy.”

As it turned out, my gut trouble over the previous 8 years was the result of increasing food sensitivity caused by Candida. Once I avoided milk, wheat, corn, chocolate, yeast, and citrus fruit, I was completely free of irritable bowel symptoms, including what I thought was just recurring stomach flu or diarrhea.

Hormones, Hypoglycemia and Hypothyroidism

The endocrine system regulates the release of hormones into the bloodstream. It includes both the pancreas and the thyroid gland. Those who have Candida overgrowth usually are both hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and have symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid.) A low basal body temperature which is one degree or more below 98.6, causes hands and feet to be cold frequently, and affects less than optimum performance from the brain and other organ systems which run best at about 98.6 degrees. The thyroid gland also regulates metabolism (energy storage) causing Candida hosts to either store excess body fat or not store enough of it.

Triple-Crown of Autoimmunity

After each baby I’d work to return to normal weight and then drop another 5 pounds without trying. I became thinner and thinner until after my third baby, my thighs actually sunk inward just below my hips--not a healthy look in swimwear. And yet, I loved food and ate like a horse. Hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism and systemic yeast infection are known as the “triple crown” of autoimmunity. If your body is experiencing two of these conditions, it is almost certain you are also experiencing the third—they just go together. The good news is that there is a promising approach for mitigating and even reversing all three.

Allergies

Allergies to pollens, dust, moldy places, or chemicals in beauty or home products are also typical because of the way Candida compromises the integrity of mucous membranes in the body. Following my second baby I acquired hay fever and was bothered by welty rashes on my wrists from my watch. The dermatologist explained that it was an allergic reaction that would eventually go away, which it did, but metal watches and bracelets still irritated my skin if worn more than a few hours. After my third baby the skin cream I had been using for the last few years suddenly made me break out. Each time I discontinued using it for a few days I cleared up, then when I started using it again the blemishes returned. I tried several iterations of this just to be sure I wasn't imagining things. Then, following my fourth baby, any products containing alpha-hydroxy acid gave me a leathery rash. Again, I tested it for several days to be sure I wasn't crazy. It was true. My body was falling apart! Pallid complexion and dark circles under the eyes are also signs of allergy.

Craving Sweets

Sugar craving is almost always a symptom. Yeast overgrowth multiplies very quickly when fed simple sugars including sweet fruits. I never saw myself as a sugar addict until I actually cut out simple sugars "cold turkey." For the first three days without it I was headachy and anxious and began to realize how many times a day I would go to the kitchen for "a little something sweet." Reading the labels in my pantry was a revelation to me about the amount of unnecessary sugar (and yeast) I was pounding down my family and myself. It's everywhere!

Yeast Infections

Recurrent yeast or fungal infections of the mouth (thrush), skin and nails (athlete's foot or severe diaper rash for babies), the vagina or groin (jock itch) and recurrent urinary tract infections are also indicators that the body is struggling with yeast overload.

Reproductive Problems

Clinical findings also link Candida with some disorders of the reproductive organs such as endometriosis and an inflamed prostate. Remember, an IgE or immune response to allergens can trigger a histamine or inflammatory response in any target organ in the body.

Muscles, Bones and Joints

Musculo-skeletal symptoms are fatigue not relieved by a good night's sleep, sore muscles after mild or no exertion and dull ache or numbness in joints or limbs, including arm and leg aches often experienced by children, which are also part of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and MS symptom complexes.

Breathing and Heart Problems

Respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms include a persistent cough, mild sore throat, shortness of breath (like you can't quite fill your lungs to capacity), and "pounding heart." I could often feel my heart beating at rest or hear it in my ears with my head down on a pillow.

Chemical Sensitivity

Because Candida is an immuno-suppressor in many ways, Candida hosts also suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities. If being around gas fumes, fresh paint, cigarette smoke, or cleaning chemicals makes you nauseated, headachy, or dizzy that's another indicator.

Poor Immunity

Because the immune system is compromised, infected people eventually find that they catch whatever bug comes along and seem to hang onto the illness longer. If the infection goes unchecked, systemic yeast gradually breaks down the body’s defenses leaving its host open to other bacterial, viral and parasitic infection such as Mono, Epstein Barr, bacterial infection of the skin, cancer, & AIDS.

Brain Symptoms

Among the most troublesome are the neurological symptoms that I had a glimpse of following the birth of my fourth baby. These include dull headache, dizziness, forgetfulness, clumsiness, speech problems like tongue-tied or stuttering, accidentally biting cheeks and tongue, a sense of non-reality like a "spaced out" or "fogged in" feeling, inability to focus mentally, blurred or spotty vision, depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, and inappropriate adrenalin surge, like you just want to jump for joy or punch someone, either one will do.

Can Depression Be Cured?

Until my fourth baby was born, I would hear others describe these neurological symptoms and feel badly for them, and wonder how I could help them be less spacey, depressed or aggressive. That year I comprehended something I never had supposed: that depression, aggression, and "spacey-ness" are not mere personality traits but rather biological states. I do not believe that those who suffer with depression want to be depressed nor by nature are wallowers and whiners. The sensation is real, it is separate from a person’s spirit. What I believe we all want is to be filled with joy and love being alive. I found solid assurance in the words: "God hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7 King James version of the Bible). They gave me great hope that these strange symptoms I had sampled that year were not gifts from God but from some other source. Candida was one of those sources for me and will perhaps be a factor for you or someone you know.

Getting the Big Picture

Until I saw all my symptoms spelled out in black and white repeatedly in books about Candida, I had never lined them all up. I considered myself a normal healthy person, except that I rarely felt very well. All the other little discomforts were not debilitating enough to alarm me, although they were relatively constant. Researchers estimate that 1 in 3 people in the U.S. suffer from yeast related illness, whether they know it or not. Others estimate that because of our environment, diet, and broad use of antibiotics, steroid drugs and “the pill,” nearly everyone has or will have at least a moderate Candida condition at sometime in their lives. At present, the number one reason women see a medical doctor is for vaginal yeast infection. Further, the American Medical Association conducted its own clinical study of the subject in 1985 which concluded that "recurrent yeast infection has a gut reservoir." (JAMA, Aug 1985).

Systemic yeast infection is both real and pervasive. It is also reversible. Your own return to vibrant health will depend on your willingness to: really listen to your body, manage stress differently than in the past, and take advantage of powerful tools to correct imbalance where health begins...in the navel. 

Here at Feel Good Foods, we are dedicated to assisting you in restoring "health in the navel."  Our products and guide The Feel Good Cookbook, are intended to nourish your own desire to take primary responsibility for your wellbeing and experience feeling better, whatever your current health condition.