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Simple supplementation for thrush
have suffered from thrush almost constantly for 15 years. I have now adopted a three-pronged attack by changing my diet and taking anti-fungal agents and probiotics. The trouble is, I have ended up with a very long list of supplements to take and so want to find a way to make it shorter and less costly.
I remember the first time I walked out of a nutritionist’s consulting room clutching a long list of natural remedies I had never heard of and wondering where on earth I was going to find Pau d’arco tea and blue green algae? It was very daunting and since I was trying to treat the same condition as you, I wish I had known then there was a way to make the task more simple but just as effective.
Holland & Barrett’s Yeast Raiders, for example, is a combination formula that provides candida-killing garlic and pau d’arco, immune-boosting echinacea and goldenseal and colon-cleansing psyllium seed husks, as well as a probiotic called Lactobacillus acidophilus. It also contains caprylic acid, an extract from coconuts which has proved effective in keeping candida under control. 150 capsules cost £15.99. (Mail order from 0800-273273. P&p on orders over £10 is free. Take as directed on the bottle.)
Candida is an excellent example of a condition that really does need to be tackled from the inside out - starting with your diet. Foods to avoid include sugar, packaged and processed foods, yeast breads and pastries, mushrooms and truffles, most condiments and sauces. Also, cut out fruits for the first three weeks of your candida-elimination diet and re-heated leftovers.
Moderate your intake of whole grains, brown rice, oats and barley and increase the amount of vegetables, nuts and seeds in your diet. Working out which foods to avoid is the easy part. The question then, is what can you eat? Overcoming Candida by Xandria Williams (Element, £5.99) is excellent. It not only explains candidiasis but is packed with recipe suggestions based on foods that will not perpetuate the infection.
*Make sure any mineral and vitamin supplements you take are all yeast-free.