Question: I have a problem with the diet. I’m already under weight and don’t know how to totally give up all carbs? Have tried several times and weight dropped like a rocket=nothing to loose 20 lbs in a few weeks and I’m thyroid meds so thyroid is OK and blood sugar.

Sometimes weight loss can happen when you change your diet to something much healthier. There are lots of healthy foods on the Candida diet that can provide the calories needed to maintain your weight. Healthy fats from olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados are great on the Candida diet and are a good source of calories. If three meals a day isn’t enough to keep your weight up, add some snacks like larabars, jerky, nuts and nut butter, and baked products made with almond/coconut flour. You need to avoid being nutritionally depleted while trying to cure your gut problems. Your digestive tract needs ample nutrients to restore it to a healthy state. If you are overcoming a condition such as Candida overgrowth, SIBO, or IBS, your gut is very likely leaky and inflamed, making it difficult for your body to digest and absorb food.

A Candida protocol that includes diet, probiotics and antifungals is designed to heal your gut and reduce your inflammation so that you can begin properly digesting and absorbing your food. Reducing inflammatory foods such as gluten, alcohol, processed food and sugar is key to reducing inflammation so that your gut can heal. Rememeber this type of diet is meant to be followed short term (4-8 weeks) until you start noticing improvement in symptoms. During this time focus on good quality proteins, add more hearty vegetables like squash, parsnip and sweet potato, and add nuts, seeds and healthy oils all which will help you maintain your weight. Once your gut has healed and your weight begins climbing, you can then add foods back one at a time, to figure out which ones you do well with (and can continue eating), and which ones you have a sensitivity to. This process will help you discover the perfect diet for your unique needs, and set you up for lifelong health.

Question: l discovered in my reading foods with lections and that lections can harm some people should l be concerned about lections

Lectins are a type of protein found in certain types of plants. There are thousands of lectins, and some are being blamed for digestive problems, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. But many of the plants that contain lectins are among the healthiest foods in the modern diet. It’s true that plant lectins bind to carbohydrates, which slows down their digestion. But, in many cases, this is a good thing. It lowers the glycemic index of carbohydrates, and it contributes to the weight loss and anti-diabetes effects of beans and other plant foods. Dr. Gundry tells in his book the Plant Paradox to avoid eating foods like beans and many vegetables. But the plant foods that he says to avoid are, in fact, among the healthiest foods we can eat.

Lectins in plant foods have been found to have important anticancer effects. Certain lectins can pose some risk when prepared incorrectly. Raw kidney beans, for example, contain a lectin which causes unpleasant symptoms when eaten. However lectins are completely neutralized by cooking. So just soaking and cooking beans for example will remove more than 99% of the lectin content. There are plenty of studies showing that many of the foods high in lectins, like grains, beans, and nightshade vegetables, are highly beneficial to human health as they are rich sources of B vitamins, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and minerals. A small percentage of the population does have a sensitivity to lectins, so if you notice any side effects after eating lectin-rich foods, then you might have a sensitivity to certain lectins, but you might want to consider doing a food sensitivity test first or making sure they’re adequately cooked. When it comes to adverse reactions to eating lectins, most people don’t experience these as long as cooking methods are adequate.

Question: I believe I have a yeast infection. It occurs frequently. Can yeast settle into the sockets if one has 2 hip replacements?

Candida can adhere to a biomaterial surface such as a medical impants by producing extracellular polymers, leading to the formation of a microbial biofilm. C. albicans can develop biofilms on the surface of many materials used in implants. Cobalt-chromium alloy is superior to prevent Candida adhesion, followed by zirconia and titanium (PMID: 31880295). Due to factors such as the long duration of operations, there is a higher risk for Candida infection of knee and hip prostheses than other joint prostheses. Early signs and symptoms of a Candida infection in the impant area include pain and sweeling in the surgical area, late wound healing, erythema and fever. A strong immune system is your first line of defense against a Candida overgrowth. In addition to your probiotics and antifungals, there are a number of ways to help your body cope with these illnesses and rebuild your immune system.

Since 70% of the immune system is found in the gut a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut can help boost immunity. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium bacteria increase the effectiveness of the immune system and help your body to fight off pathogens. A multivitmin that contains immune-boosting nutrients like Vitamin C, D, zinc and magnesium like CanXida Rebuild can also give you better chance at fighting infections. You can try some herbal remedies to reduce stress on your immune system like ashwagandha and licorice root. Reishi and echinacea are also good to stimulate production of white blood cells. Make sure to impleemt lifestyle changes as well to support your immune system such as lowering stress and caffeine intake and icnreasing gentle excercise.