Have you ever been proud of yourself because you thought you were being good on your diet, then coudn't figure out why you were retaining water and feeling bloated? Have you ever noticed after taking antibiotics, you're more susceptible to sinus and vaginal infections, not to mention your nose won't stop running? How about no matter what you eat, you get indigestion and feel fatigued? Is it hard to hang onto a thought lately? Are you feeling "spacey"...? Is depression hovering over you like a black cloud, resulting in no interest in sex which makes you even more depressed...!?

You may be suffering from an overgrowth of what is known as Candida albicans, a yeast-like fungus that normally lives within your body, but when running rampant, can make you "sick all over". Although most food yeasts are full of nutrients, they can cause allergies, and some, like Candida albicans, can also play a role in breaking down your immune system, causing many baffling health disorders ranging from fatigue, headache, depression and premenstrual tension to hyperactivity, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.

When your immune system is weak, nature's unfriendly bacteria, viruses, allergens and other scavengers are quick to make their way into the intestinal tract and break through into your deeper tissues and bloodstream where they begin to rape and pillage. When this happens, it's time to watch out. Your only hope is to change your eating habits and fight back with "friendly flora" which act like well-skilled armies against the enemy. The problem is, antibiotics and a poor diet can kill friendly flora, thus allowing unfriendly inhabitants such as Candida albicans to multiply. Diets rich in sugar, dairy products, birth control pills, cortisone and other drugs also stimulate the problem.

Yeasts are fast growing, single cell organisms which belong to the vegetable kingdom, most of them rich in many basic nutrients such as B vitamins (except for B-12), chromium, sixteen amino acids, fourteen or more minerals, and seventeen vitamins (not including vitamins A, C and E). Candida albicans, however, possesses behavioral patterns similar to animals, and has the ability to switch from its single cell makeup to a branching fungus form that can burrow beneath the surface of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, digestive tract, respiratory tract and vagina. We're talking about the same kind of mold-like substance you see on meats, breads, cheese and other food stuff.

If you've ever noticed the destruction mold can have on aging paint, paper, damp clothes and food, imagine the destruction it can reap on the inside of your body. The result can be staggering: constipation, diarrhea, colitis, abdominal pain, canker sores, persistent heartburn, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, numb hands, legs or face, kidney and bladder infections, acne, tingling sensations and sometimes diabetes. Some of us afflicted with Candida albicans may even develop a sensitivity to the environment, including the smell of rubber, petroleum products, tobacco, exhaust fumes and chemical odors.

Unfortunately, if you're taking antibiotics, it's safe to say your immune system is already low. And if not, what about the food you're eating? Do you get a stuffed up nose or maybe gassy bloat after you eat breakfast? Could it be you had cereal with skim milk over it? Sounds harmless, but if you really investigate the ingredients, you'll find lactose (milk sugar) in the skim milk, and anything from sugar to fruit concentrate in the cereal. And what about lunch and dinner?

If you want to combat an outbreak of Candida albicans, it's imperative to avoid yeast products, alcohol, chocolate, dried fruits, citrus and acid fruits, fermented foods, all grains containing gluten (wheat, rye and barley), honey, nut butters, pickles, mushrooms, soy sauce, sprouts, sugars of all forms and vinegar for at least thirty days, adding them back to your diet slowly, one or two per week at a time.

In other words, for a month, your diet should be virtually fruit free, sugar free and yeast free. Candida albicans thrives in a sugary environment, so lay low on complex carbohydrates, loading up on meat (if you eat it), brown rice, millet and vegetables instead. You may want to take a supplement of acidophilus which helps to restore the normal balance of the bowel and vagina, and do your best to avoid household products and cleaners, including chlorinated water, moth balls and synthetic textiles, as well as damp moldy places such as basements.

Dr. Victoria Arcadi, a Los Angeles-based Chiropractor/Applied Kinesiologist, who specializes in pregnancy, new borns and systemic conditions, states that a large majority of her patients (60 - 80%) have systemic yeast overgrowth. It's a frightening statistic, noting that in family situations, the mother, if infected, is usually the one who spreads the yeast to spouse and siblings.

So, if you're thinking about having a baby, it's no joke. If you have systemic yeast overgrowth "in-utero" or vaginally at the time of birth, your child will more than likely inherit a condition known as "thrush" which manifests as a cheesey white coating on the tongue, gums and lining of the cheeks.

As Dr. Arcadi explains, "The mouth is the beginning of 'the big tube,' otherwise known as the alimentary canal, that runs from the mouth to the rectum. If a baby has thrush, he or she has a good chance of getting what doctor's call 'leaky gut' or dybiosos. These are terms used to describe a condition in which long strings of molecules fall through the gut lining and enter into the blood stream, causing, at times, severe damage and allergic reactions."

It's important to remember that when babies are born, their intestinal tracts are sterile. They have no friendly flora for approximately six weeks, and are especially susceptible to unfriendly attacks until the proper defenses can be set up by mother's breast milk. The concern is, if the mother is infested with yeast at the time, the baby is prone to colic, allergies, food sensitivities and a suppressed immune system, which is why the latest studies show that approximately 80% of all people today suffer from systemic problems.

Dr. Arcadi claims that when people appear to have allergies or food sensitivities (usually caused by histamines being released into the blood stream), it's time to test for Candida. There are several different methods: Muscle testing, Pap smears, slide smears and Anti-Candida Antibody blood tests, which, of course, are extremely comprehensive in picking up the amount of antibodies your body is producing to fight off invading bacteria. A normal range is less than 90, but in severe cases can jump to 700 to handle the problem, and without proper testing, can be misdiagnosed as everything from a bladder infection to irritable bowel syndrome.

Although not commonly used by doctors, like most things associated with the world of nutrition, Amino Acid Chromatography is another way of testing your Candida status. It's a simple, relatively inexpensive and extremely accurate way for lab technicians to analyze the body's so-called amino acid "blueprint," thereby setting a protocol for strengthening the immune system. Your doctor may hem and haw, but you know what? It's your body, your child, and your money.

You may think I'm crazy, but if you ask me, over the passing years, every generation seems to get sicker and sicker. Look around you. Our immune systems are getting weaker, and more and more autoimmune diseases are creeping into the environment. We have to start boosting our immune systems with good fresh foods, free from hormones and pesticides. We've got to limit our drug use, prescribed or otherwise. The world knows how to take a Tylenol for a headache, but why doesn't it think about the cause of the headache? Did you ever think that maybe the pain in your knee was from yeast build-up?

When I think back on my childhood, my twin sister and I were always sick. We missed out on a lot, including an opportunity to play (collectively) Lucy and Desi's child on the "I Love Lucy Show." After all, who was going to hire a couple of kids with a case of dysentery, colic and asthma? No one, that's who. But things finally changed when our older sister, plagued with a weight and acne problem, was forced to go on a sugar-free, dairy-free diet. We loved her, and not wanting her to feel left out, decided to eat the same way she did, and in doing so, unintentionally cured our own health problems.

I later found out, that during her pregnancy, my mother ate a lot of what she called rich natural foods: Whole grains, fruits, complex carbohydrates, and of course, tons of dairy, including homemade pastries and chocolates. Is it any wonder we were riddled with Candida?

Take it from me. Changing your lifestyle is the only way to conquer yeast-related health problems. You've got to stop smoking and drinking alcohol, avoid all chemicals, make sure you're on a decent exercise program, and find a knowledgeable doctor or nutritionist who's skilled in yeast-related health disorders. The bottom line is, if you can work on maintaining a healthy intestinal flora, and above all, a strong immune system, you're on your way to recovery.

There are several products to look for at your favorite health food store that will help to support and maintain a healthy flora balance in your body: Dairy-free "Natron" Lactobacillus Acidophilus; dairy-free "Kyo-Dophilus"; "Kyolic" Super Formula 102; Nutri-Biotic (Standardized Grapefruit Extract); caprylic acid products such as Capricin, Caprystatin, Kaprycidin-A and Candistat 300; vitamins and minerals including A,C,D,E and B complex (from yeast-free sources); calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium. And if you need something a little stronger, there's always prescription medications like Nystatin (Mycostatin or Nilstat), Ketoconazole (Nizoral), Diflucan and Amphotericin B.

As of February 1999, a study came out through the Fisher Institute for Medical Research concluding the effects of Glyconutrient Compounds on Candida Albicans having a 95% kill by Macrophages. the results of macrophage phagocytosis and killing assays following a challenge with Candida Albicans indicate that supplying the formulation of known saccharides in culture medium with all 8 essential glycoproteins as a supplementation to your daily diet, enhances the bioactivity associated with this type of host cell defense. It was noted, however, that it was necessary to have a full spectrum of glycoproteins rather than a few, to have the killing activity against Candida to be most singificant. Mannatech Inc. is the only company in the world that owns a full spectrum of glyconutrients with multiple monosaccharides to help modulate the immune system.

So good luck, and until next time, here are the "do's and don'ts" when it comes to the 30-day Candida diet:

Forbidden Foods:

Breads - including yeast-free wheat and rye breads.
Exceptions: rice and corn breads, and yeast-free pita breads are OK.

Dairy Products - including yogurt.
Fermented Foods - Mushrooms, champagne, wine and beer or anything fermented; for example, miso and tofu.
Fruits - including apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, prunes dates or dried fruits (too much sugar).
Fruit Juices - especially when fasting.
Exceptions: The juices of allowed fruits, and those only sparingly, cut with natural healthy water, completely free of pollution. (I like Trinity Water at: http://www.trinitysprings.com/products_3.asp).

Wheat and Rye - in crackers, cereal, breads and pasta.
Tea or Coffee - not even caffeine-free coffee or herbal teas.
Sugar - in any form; no honey, molasses, maple syrup or artificial sweeteners.
Sauces - of any kind unless homemade without peppers, sugar, vinegar or syrup.
Vinegars - including those found in salad dressing, mustard and mayonnaise. Peppers, Horseradish and Canned or Fried foods.

Avoid: refrigerated leftovers, especially meat. Freeze the leftovers and heat them later (especially for meats, because they will become damp and moldy overnight.)

Water - distilled
Vegetable Juices - freshly squeezed, not canned (such as V-8)
Cranberry Juice - unsweetened
Wheatgrass Juice
Fruit Juices - of allowed fruits, in moderation and cut with distilled water Coconut and Rice Milk
Chicken, Turkey & Egg whites
Most Fish - preferably cold water fish (salmon, true cod, sea bass)
Vegetables - steamed or stir-fried; avoid eating them raw
Rice and Corn Breads, and Yeast-Free Pita Breads.

Rice Cakes, Rice Crackers, Corn Tortillas, Corn Chips, Nuts and Seeds.
Exceptions: peanuts and pistachios.

Legumes - (beans) soaked and drained several times for a minimum of 24 hours.
Leafy Greens - lettuce, tomatoes and avocados with flaxseed, avocado or linseed oil and a dash of lemon juice as a salad dressing.
Tropical Fruits - papaya, mango, kiwi, pineapple, banana, honeydew melon, coconut and guava.
Caution: use fruits only in the morning. Do not eat after other meals. Some people (10%) cannot eat fruit at all because of the high fructose content or acidity (banana and pineapple).