Candida is a genus of yeast like fungi that are commonly part of the normal flora of the mouth, skin, intestinal tract, and vagina. It is a necessary bacterium as part of the normal flora for human health. The problems arise when Candida becomes out of balance. There are numerous different strains of flora present within the digestive system. The two main intestinal bacterium are Candida Albicans and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

Candida albicans is a natural inhabitant, yeast that lives in colon. Candida albicans is most often isolated from the skin and vagina. Candida, also known as Thrush, is often associated with the well-known female vaginal infection. It presents as a white, cottage cheese vaginal discharge and is often associated with vaginal itching. Its cause is an overgrowth of the organism Candida Albicans.

Candida infections can also occur in the gastrointestinal tract as well. When this occurs it is called "Systemic Candidiasis," and affects both men and women! This may be present without any symptoms or may be the cause of numerous problems. While gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping are predominate, other problems may occur as well including, headaches, sinusitis, palpitations, and environmental allergies and food allergies

There are several reasons why candida can become such a problem. One is over use of antibiotics. This kills the friendly flora and allows the rapid growth of candida as does Steroid abuse. Another major factor is our environment and the changes in the food industry. Exposure to a toxic environment weakens our immune system.

It is the same with the food industry. We used to eat wholesome meat, fruit, vegetables and grains that were not tampered with. Now, the major players are finding ways to make food last longer with preservatives, dyes and chemical sprays. Processed food should be a no no for anyone who wants to stay healthy let alone someone who has candida or other related health problems.

Candida Diet

The classic Candida diet permits dense protein foods, such as chicken and fish, and as many vegetables as you can eat. Some people can use whole grains, while others cannot. Caffeine and alcohol should be avoided, as should foods made from flour breads, pastas, tortillas, cakes, cookies, etc. Eliminate all sugar, and all sugar-containing foods. Read food labels carefully, as thousands of packaged foods contain sucrose, dextrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, molasses, barley malt, rice syrup, etc. If sweetening is required, use stevia. Avoid foods that contain vinegar (mustard, mayonnaise, etc.); fermented foods (cheese, sauerkraut, soy sauce, etc.); and processed meats, especially hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and so on. Drink only filtered or bottled water (tap water contains chlorine, which kills probiotics.). While the Candida diet is rigid, it is necessary. As you begin to get yeast under control, you may be able to increase the levels of grains you eat, and to add some fruits.

Many people are afflicted with gallstones whether they realize they have them or not. What are gallstones? They are hardened masses that may vary in size, usually consisting mainly of cholesterol and bile. They may be caused by a variety of conditions such as infection, too much fat in the diet, anemia, liver disease, obesity, diabetes and even pregnancy. People that are overweight seem to be more prone to gallstones as are women who have had two or more pregnancies.

Although it is not known why, women in general seem to have a higher incidence of gallstones than men. Symptoms usually include pain or discomfort in the abdomen as well as nausea and indigestion. But many people that have gallstones have no symptoms at all. Often people do not know they have gallstones until they have a gallbladder attack.

An attack can occur when a stone lodges in the bile duct. This can cause sharp pain on the right side of the abdomen that may travel to the back and shoulder blade. Symptoms may also include fever, chills, vomiting and even jaundice, which is a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes due to accumulation of bile in the blood.

A stone that becomes lodged could cause serious complications. Surgical removal of the gallbladder may become necessary. Other methods of treatment may include the use of drugs to dissolve stones and the breaking up of the stones by laser technique. Surgery may still be required in some cases.

I found that I had gallstones quite accidentally after being hospitalized for pneumonia. In my case, I had no symptoms and so I was unaware that I had gallstones. They never caused any pain, nausea or other symptoms that would have indicated their presence. As you can see, the absence of symptoms doesn’t mean that gallstones aren’t present.

If you do have any of the symptoms described or experience pain or discomfort after eating, you may suspect that you could have gallstones. If you have any reason to believe that may be the case you should contact your physician immediately for early detection rather than waiting until a severe gallbladder attack occurs. Once detection of gallstones is confirmed your physician can recommend surgery or the appropriate course of action. The early detection of the presence of gallstones can prevent the future pain of gallbladder attacks as well as any complications that could arise due to a lodged stone. Sometimes what you don’t know can hurt you.