A yeast infection can suddenly appear and alter your daily course of life drastically. It does not seem that getting a rash on your body could cause discomfort, pain, and embarrassment, resulting in hindrances to activities you both enjoy and are necessary.

Yeast infections occur when the fungus Candida albicans has an explosion in growth. We naturally have yeast residing in our bodies. In fact, when it is under control, it is an important part of our immune system, helping to ward of diseases which could otherwise infect our bodies. Other helpful bacteria in our body, combined with our immune system, work to balance out the number of yeast fungi living inside us to make sure it maintains the proper ratio to help our bodies but not to overcome them. Unfortunately, some factors make it all too easy for the candida to overgrow itself too fast and powerfully for the body to respond properly. This is when yeast infections occur.

There are several different types of yeast infections. Some are more prone to occur in infant or the elderly, others more in women than in men. Yeast infections (or candidiasis) tend to be more associated with females, due to the fact that vaginal yeast infections are the most common and affect nearly seventy-five percent of women. But they can affect men and women, young and old.

Various kinds of yeast infections include oral candidiasis (yeast infection in the mouth), nipple thrush (yeast infection on the nipples), vaginal yeast infection (yeast infection in and around the vagina), male yeast infection (yeast infection on the penis), and yeast diaper infections (yeast infections around a baby’s diaper area). Other yeast infections can affect folds of skin, such as in the armpits, under roles of fat, or even in the belly button. Some candidiasis appear around fingernails and toenails. While others can show up in the gastrointestinal tract. Candida albicans like to grow in warm, moist areas of the body.

Candidiasis can occur in individuals whose immune systems are low. The immune system is the body’s way of preventing and fighting infections. When this is down, the body is susceptible to any number of diseases. Those with HIV are very prone to yeast infections. In fact, candidiasis in adults can be a sign of the onset of HIV. Other reasons the immune system might be lowered can be due to constant high stress levels, periods of extended illness, chemotherapy, frequent lack of sleep, poor hygiene, bad diets and little exercise, drug abuse, and a recent organ transplant.

People with diabetes also have yeast infections more often than others. This is due to the fact that higher levels of sugar present in mucus membranes gives the yeast fungus plenty of food to feed on and multiply quickly with. Especially if a diabetic poorly controls his blood sugar levels (whether that is due to no exercise, a bad diet, not checking his or her sugar levels regularly, or not regulating insulin pills or shots), yeast infections are very likely to set in.

Individuals on antibiotics also have a higher chance of getting yeast infections. The antibiotics do such a good job of killing off the bacteria that they also eliminate the bacteria which controls the Candida albicans. When this occurs, the yeast fungus begins to grow rapidly and turn into an infection.

Depending on what type of yeast infection it is, other factors can contribute to yeast infections. For instance, tongue piercings and heavy smoking can lead to oral yeast infections, while not changing your baby’s diaper frequently can lead to diaper yeast infections.

Many people tend to associate yeast infections with sexually transmitted disease (STDs). However, while candidiasis can be gotten through sexual contact, yeast infections are not an STD.

Numerous cures have been created and are promoted to destroy yeast infections. One very popular natural method to cure yeast infections is the candida diet. It is also known as the candida cleanse, the candida cleanse diet, and the yeast free diet.

The candida diet was developed to conquer yeast infections naturally through detoxing and reestablishing a healthy eating plan designed to finish off the candidiasis and further prevent it from occurring again. The candida diet is especially used by those who have reoccurring yeast infections and are tired of again and again resorting to medicines which seem in ineffectively work. It is also used by individuals suffering from systemic candida, a very serious form of yeast infection which instead of being limited to one area of the body, spreads throughout, infecting the blood stream and various organs.

The candida diet has no clinical trials to back up its true effectiveness. Thousands of people have followed the candida diet and have had positive results with it taking away their yeast infections. However, many medical doctors note that most individuals who focus on improving their diet and eliminating excessive sugary and yeasty foods from their plates will naturally have better health, improved immune systems, and consequently the reduced growth of yeast fungus.

However, holistic providers highly recommend the candida cleanse a genuine way to not only improve your body overall, but specifically to target reoccurring yeast infections.

The candida diet has variations to it, depending on what source you locate and what specific candida cleansing method you choose to follow. There tends to be three main points to most candida diets, though. They include first detoxing, second eliminating, and third repopulating.

The main idea is to rid your body of foods which the yeast can feed off of. Then the process of treating the yeast infection and incorporating healthy food habits back into your eating schedule follows.

Some people choose not to go with the cleansing portion of the candida diet. Detoxing takes great willpower and usually leaves your body feeling drained and weak. On the positive side, however, it also effectively cleans out the toxins and infections inside your body. Cleanses can include colonic irrigation, a process of literally flushing out your system. A more gentle method can include eating only raw, fresh salads and steamed veggies.

Following optional (but recommended) detoxing, a strict diet is followed. All foods which encourage growth of Candida albicans are eliminated from the diet. Obviously, the two biggest types of food groups to avoid are sugars (carbohydrates) and yeasts. Because most of our eating revolves around these types of food, it usually means a major overhaul in menu planning. Many times, we do not even realize how much of our food contains ingredients associated with sugar and yeast. Therefore it is vital to be aware of various types of foods, read labels, and do significant research before delving into this part of the candida diet. The candida diet food list will exclude foods such as the following.

Sugars

Obviously, if Candida albicans grows by eating sugar, then eliminating sugar from your diet is a must. Refined sugars include honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, sorghum, white sugar and brown sugar, and date sugar–to mention a few.

Labels will sometimes rename sugar to such terms as polysaccharides, maltose, glycogen, glucose, soribaol, and galactose.

Fruits are very high in natural sugar, whether they are dried, frozen, juiced, canned, or even fresh.

Yeast

Yeasty foods are also discouraged on the candida diet. This, of course, eliminates any kinds of breads, pastries, muffins, and crackers. Foods containing any kind of yeasts (such as Baker’s yeast and Torula) are out.

Gluten

Closely associated with yeasty foods are foods which have gluten. Gluten is in rye, barley, and wheat. Gluten is found in most breads and in many pastas. Foods which have gluten tend to be associated with yeast, as well.

Alcohol

Many alcohols contain yeast, especially beers. Any form of alcohol is off the list, though, when on the candida diet.

Drinks

Certain types of drinks, besides alcohol are to be eliminated, as well. These include root beer, coffee, cider, and black teas.

Mold

Most people do not think of their diets to include mold anyway. Surprisingly, though, mold appears in such foods as peanut butter and pistachios. Cheeses are also off the list, as they are aged and molded to create the lovely taste so many of us love. Even processed or sliced cheeses, though, cannot be eaten.

Pre-packed and processed foods

These usually contain some form of yeast and sugar in them. They also are stuffed with preservatives and colorings which many natural food advocates consider highly unhealthy to begin with.

Vinegar bases

Any foods or seasonings with vinegar bases should go. This includes ketchup, salad dressings, steak sauce, BBQ sauce, mustard, chili sauce, pickled veggies, and mayonnaise.

Miscellaneous

Other foods removed include mushrooms, hotdogs, bacon, sausage, corned beef, sandwich meats, smoked meats, salami, and bologna.

With this list of foods, it may seem as if those on the candida diet have hardly anything to choose from to eat! Fortunately, though, many companies today cater to people attempting to live healthier or to people who struggle with certain allergies, such as gluten intolerance. Therefore, many products can still be purchased which either replace the foods you had to eliminate or there are plenty of raw products available for you to make foods from scratch. Many candida diets come with candida diet recipe suggestions for you to take advantage of.

Many people experience headaches, nausea, and heavy sweating during this phase. This is due to the body starving the candida of its foods. These reactions can be expected and should not be a cause of alarm.

After a period of two to three weeks, you can start to slowly reintroduce foods into your diet. Depending on what type of candida diet program you choose to follow, the types of these foods can vary. However, foods tend to be those still low in sugar and yeasts. Therefore, fruits lower in sugar (such as apples) can be added in your diet.

During this second phase, you will start specifically treating your yeast infection with antifungal creams or washes, as well as other homeopathic yeast infection remedies. This could involve eating more garlic and plain yogurt, taking vitamin C (and other herb and vitamin) supplements, and applying natural creams and liquids, such as aloe vera and oregano oil. Antifungal creams such as Nystatin and Diflucan can be used at this stage, as well. Drink large amounts of water during this phase. This will ensure that the infection is being washed out of you effectively.

The final stage of the candida diet is a time of bringing your body back to a normal diet. Slowly add foods back on to your menu. Pay careful attention to your body to see how it reacts to certain foods. If you notice some type tends to cause problems, add it to your list of foods you should stay away from. To make sure that your body stays free from yeast infections, it is a good idea to still limit your intake of processed and sugary foods. Not only does this help keep yeast infections from returning, but it is a great diet plan to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In this phase, you will also add probiotic supplements. These are the helpful bacteria in your body which help control the yeast fungi population. Probiotics can include supplements, such as ThreeLac, or it could include eating probiotic yogurt or sauerkraut. Especially if you have suffered from frequent yeast infections in the past, remaining on this phase of the candida diet can help you never have to worry about a yeast infection again.

Numerous treatments besides the candida diet exist to help conquer yeast infections and return a person’s life back to normal. Yeast infection treatments can be gotten through your doctor or dentist, at a local drug store as over the counter medications, as well as many different versions of home remedies. Some yeast infection treatments simply include preventative measures, which hopefully will exclude any chance of having to put yeast treatments into effect. Practicing good hygiene, eating well, and exercising often are practical, effective measures to put into practice to prevent yeast infections, as well as creating an overall healthy lifestyle.