In this episode, we will talk about gut issues, how to detect them and fix them. The thing here is that almost everyone has a gut issue and my goal here is to create more awareness about our gut health.

But what even is Candida exactly, and what are the symptoms of it? Can we fix it?

Let’s dive right into it.

Watch the live show below:

What is Candida?

It’s a form of yeast. It is a fungus. Clinically we deal with those three the same way. We also have loads of good bacteria in our guts, but it all needs to be in balance. So Candida is a fungus in the body, which might get a different name depending on where it is in the body.

Candida overgrowth in the mouth is often called thrush.

What do the symptoms look like?

You could get bloating, diarrhoea, brain fog, mood swings, fatigue. And on the other side: skin rashes, fungus in the nails. You can eat but always be hungry because the yeast microbes are competing for your food because they are eating some of it as well. Also, Itchy skin. These are all signs of yeast overgrowth.

How do you know you have Candida?You can look at your tongue and see if it’s white. If you scrape your tongue and there is white stuff on it, then you have Candida. You also can do a very simple urine test called the organic acid test.

The Causes of Candida Overgrowth

Numer 1 is antibiotics—also sugar and carbohydrates. Stress is a huge impact because it changes the way our digestive enzymes work. Also, Steroids shut off the immune system, and the pill is a cause for Candida overgrowth as well.

These candida cells are in abnormal size, shape and abundance and can start cutting holes in the intestinal lining. And there, the process of leaky gut begins. If you compound that effect with GMO’s and without the defence mechanism, the Candida can get sucked up and absorbed into the bloodstream.

What to do when you have Candida

First, we have to starve it, then we have to kill it and after we have to regrow it.

1. Starve it: We have to stop the sugar. We have to try to eliminate all those carbohydrates and sugar, and in the first 30 days, that also includes fruits. Eat all the green leafy vegetables.

The second part of starving it is intermittent fasting. If it’s your first time, start slow with 12 hours and if it feels good, start stepping up to 14. It always needs to be step by step. Also, any type of dairy product needs to go.

2. Kill it: Numer one thing here is garlic! The first 30 days, it should be taken as a supplement because it will be 6 tablets, and that’s a massive amount of garlic. Garlic is both: antibacterial and antifungal. The one we use in the clinic which works wonders is garlic-forte.

The second thing to do is increase our stomach acid, and we do that with Zypan. It helps your gut to break down food better. Ideally, take two before a meal.

3. Regrow it: We will start this phase from day 30 because we have to kill the Candida in the first place. A lot of the probiotics are milk-based, which is awesome, but also, the Candida and yeast love it and feeds off it. So we will wait 30 days and then put you on the probiotics, and the one we use is a very specific one called Zymex. That will help you regrow your good Candida and bacteria.

Let’s talk a bit more about the diet and what other things are good for you as well.

MCT oil is antibacterial and antifungal. What I do in my morning routine is organic coffee with a coconut creamer and butter, which is an MCT and collagen, and I drink it every morning in my coffee. That will help you to heal up a candida and SIBO issue.

What we also have to pay attention to is adding more bitters to our diets. One of the best ways to prevent seasonal allergies for example is to eat more bitters. With that, we wake up the digestive receptors, and we are getting better at digesting food.

Also, if you really want to neutralize your gut fast, have ginger shots! It’s amazing for your gut health. You can also eat it.

Organic apple cider vinegar is also a big support during your journey. It will not be enough to use it as your probiotics, but it is still great as a supporter.

You can use Spanish Black Radish. It’s in the bitter family, and it is phenomenal for raking out the system and cleaning it properly. I would use this for the first 30 days as well.

Questions from the Audience 

What’s the difference between Candida and SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?

SIBO has very similar symptoms but starts typically in the large intestines and literally starts to go up and infiltrate the small intestine. Then a gas is produced. So the number one symptom of SIBO is bloating, even without food.

Is acid reflux a gut issue?

Yes! But we call it upper GI. Typically your stomach acid is not strong enough.

What’s the best way to heal a leaky gut? How long does it take to heal? 

Until proven otherwise, everyone has a leaky gut. If you haven’t been eating organic your entire life, you have some kind of leaky gut. Likewise, if you’ve ever been on antibiotics, you have a leaky gut. Chemicals get into our systems and start beating down the gut microbiome. 

There’s not a simple answer to healing a leaky gut. However, if you change your gut health you will change your life. 

I am living proof of this. I used to think that feeling bloated after I ate was normal. It took me a while to heal my gut because I was learning as I was going. Strategies to heal leaky gut have only been around for the last 6-8 years. 

To heal a leaky gut, it will take a minimum of six months to a year, but you will start to feel so much better in as soon as 30 days. 

What is one action that we can take today after this episode to move us toward becoming superhuman?

Let’s be more mindful about our gut health. So many people have a gut issue, and we can fix it. We just need to be more aware.

Medically reviewed and written by:

Dr. Bart Precourt

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