‘Tis the Season To Do a Cleanse

As I write this I am in the midst of participating, along with a group of 550 people, in a candida cleanse. Our group has committed to live with intention and to bring our best selves forward by greeting the challenges and opportunities of the New Year with clarity and conviction.

What does this have to do with candida, you might ask, and what is candida anyway?

Candida albicans is a fungus that lives in our mouths and digestive tracts. Under normal conditions it causes no harm, but it can become an infectious agent if allowed to grow out of control. This upset to the body’s balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria, known as candidiasis, can occur for a variety of reasons, including use of antibiotics or birth control pills, hormonal changes, and poor eating habits.

To give you an idea of the kinds of problems candidiasis can cause, here are just a few potentially related symptoms:

• Brain “fog” (memory issues)
• Digestive problems
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Endocrine system imbalances (e.g. thyroid imbalance)
• Hemorrhoids
• Headaches and migraines
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Mood swings, depression and irritability
• Anxiety attacks, panic attacks
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Fatigue, muscle or joint pain
• Hair loss
• Fungal problems, such as athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, rashes and eczema
• Immune disorders including asthma, allergies, recurring infections

Candida overgrowth has become much more prevalent in recent years due to a number of factors including: widespread overuse of antibiotics; highly-chlorinated swimming pools; increased levels of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in the foods we eat; and the explosion in the use of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in so many processed food and beverage products.

What can a person do to address any possible candida overgrowth and increase overall health and vitality at the same time? The first step is to eliminate from your diet those foods that support the growth of this fungus. Refined sugar, hydrogenated oils and other unhealthy fats, bread and pasta, processed/refined grains, starchy vegetables, and pasteurized dairy products fall into this category. It is also recommended that you seek out organic, non-GMO fruits and vegetables (always a good idea even when you’re not on a cleanse).

I firmly believe that when you make a decision to embody your true essence and to live to your fullest potential, imbalances like candidiasis are impediments.

If you have noticed in yourself any of the symptoms mentioned above, and would like to explore the possibility that they could be related to candida, I invite you to contact me. In addition to the elimination of the foods that feed the fungus, there are supplements you can take which support the body’s ability to return itself to its naturally-balanced state. The diet portion stops feeding the candida, thus interrupting its ability to multiply; the supplements prepare the body for a gentle cleansing process and facilitate the die-off of the fungal overgrowth.

Another group cleanse is slated to start in February 2013. Please contact me if you are ready to say YES to 2013 in a more fully-present way.