Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hi Terry, “I am elderly and have very bad candida yeast issues. It has affected my bowels badly–I have problems with both constipation and diarrhea. It seems I have no peristaltic action. Probiotics can’t seem to take hold and I feel nothing from them. I am trying to take yeast cleanses, but they are too harsh and I suffer when I do. I try to eat no starches–no grain, no potatoes, etc. Could you help me with some sort of regime to follow and what supplements to take that might help these issues? I would appreciate it greatly. Thank you.” —Theresa C., Wallingford, CT A. Dear Theresa, It may well be that you have yeast overgrowth issues and I will provide you with some ideas for diet and supplements that might be very useful to you. However, when a person has problems with alternating constipation and diarrhea, it can be the result of a variety of potential intestinal problems. I would urge you to get this checked out with your health care practitioner to make sure there is no serious underlying health problem that needs to be addressed. If it turns out that there are no structural issues with your intestines (like blockages, etc.) then you can move to trying diet and supplement interventions. For supplements, stick with the probiotic, even if you don’t “feel” any changes, because probiotics are so important in preventing yeast overgrowth in the intestines. I’d encourage you to increase your dose to a level of 4 to 6 billion colony forming units (CFU) for more optimal results. Next, I would recommend a blend of boswellia and curcumin. Boswellia has very strong anti-fungal properties which can reduce yeast overgrowth and curcumin is excellent for reducing gut inflammation, too. Make sure the curcumin is clinically studied to have high bioavailability—up to 10 times greater absorption than regular curcumin—or you won’t get optimal effects. You can find this formula at your local health food store. Last, but certainly not least, try a combination of chemotyped plant oils that include ravensara (Ravensara aromatica), myrtle (Myrtus communis), thyme (Thymus satureioides), and bay (Laurus nobilis). Plant essential oils are extremely concentrated, as much as 100 times more concentrated than plant extracts. Chemotyping means the oils are thoroughly investigated to assure the right plant, species, marker compounds, and safety of internal use. Do not use essential plant oils internally unless it is chemotyped. The combination of ravensara, myrtle, thyme and bay are extremely potent in ridding the body of pathogens, of which yeast is one type. As for diet, you are absolutely correct in limiting or even eliminating all grains. You should also eliminate all added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Refined sugars and carbs are like throwing gasoline on the fire when it comes to yeast overgrowth. You should also eliminate cow’s milk. Later, if you are feeling better and you miss milk in your diet, try goat’s milk or goat’s cheese. For more information on my suggestions for the healthiest diet for all people, please follow this link: Terry’s Healthy Diet. Healthy regards! Terry…Naturally