Before You Start Your Candida Treatment

If you’re a Candida sufferer, you’re probably tempted to jump into your Candida diet right away. Many Candida sufferers have been living with their symptoms for years (or sometimes even decades!) and the prospect of eliminating those symptoms for good is really exciting. But you should know that by starting your Candida treatment without the right preparation, you might actually be making it more difficult.

Taking a few simple steps before you start the program will not only shorten your treatment, but it will greatly increase your chances of success. So here are some basic guidelines that you should follow before you begin.

Start With A Cleanse

The best way to start your Candida treatment program is with a good Candida cleanse. This 3-7 day detox is a great first step towards beating your Candida infestation. The idea is to eliminate as much of the Candida yeast and its toxic byproducts as possible, while reducing the load on your digestive system and detoxification pathways. Cleansing starts the hard work of resetting your digestive system, and prepares your intestine for the low-sugar diet, probiotics, and antifungals that will form the rest of your treatment.

The benefits of a good cleanse go far beyond treating Candida. Regular cleansers report more energy, improved mood, better digestion, weight loss, and improved concentration. For Candida sufferers in particular, it offers the possibility of cleaning out the debris from your intestine, flushing out some of the Candida yeast, and exposing the rest so that other Candida treatments can kill it.

There are many different ways to do an effective cleanse. On my page about cleansing I’ve given some directions that you can follow to create a basic cleanse yourself. In the Ultimate Candida Diet program, Dr Eric Wood and I have outlined a 3-7 day detox that we believe to be fast, safe, and effective.

Cut Down On The Junk Food Slowly

While we’re on the subject of diet (one of the three elements in any good Candida plan), there’s something else you should consider. Instead of quitting the junk food, caffeine and sugary snacks all at once, you should try to taper down your consumption before you start your cleanse.

Just like quitting cigarettes or any other addictive substance, quitting junk food ‘cold turkey’ can lead to withdrawal symptoms and make your journey harder, not easier. So make an effort to cut out as many of the items on my foods to avoid list as possible in the weeks before you start your treatment.

It’s particularly important to take your time when you’re reducing the amount of coffee and tea that you drink. Remember that caffeine is a highly addictive substance. Reducing your intake will certainly help your immune system and support your adrenal glands, but quitting it too quickly can be counter-productive.

Eliminate The Risk Factors For Candida

There are many possible causes of Candida Related Complex, and now is the time to eliminate them from your life. Snacks or sodas with high sugar content are major culprits, but it’s not all about your diet. Antibiotics are also a primary cause of Candida, so make sure you don’t take them unless you absolutely need them! Medications like the contraceptive pill and PPIs have also been linked to gut dysbiosis and Candida overgrowth, as have stress, smoking, parasites, and even mercury in old fillings.

That’s a pretty wide range of risk factors, and I haven’t even mentioned other possible causes like diabetes yet. In fact, in our Ultimate Candida Diet program we list eight different causes of Candida overgrowth. Eliminate what you can, and concentrate on improving your diet and cleansing your system.

Are You Ready For Candida Die-Off?

Once you start your Candida treatment, you may find yourself suffering from something called Candida Die-Off. This can manifest itself in symptoms ranging from nausea and headaches to sweating or even itchiness. Why does this happen? Simply put, the symptoms of Die-Off occur when your Candida treatment plan is working too well!

Candida Die-Off is actually the result of large numbers of Candida cells being killed. When they die, they release large amounts of toxic byproducts like acetaldehyde into your bloodstream. These cause symptoms that are generally similar to your regular Candida symptoms, but more extreme. So you might experience a severe headache or worse fatigue than usual.

However, just because the treatment is working does not mean that you need to go through Die-Off. If you make the right preparations, you can prepare your body for the toxic overload that comes when those yeast cells are killed.

The best way to do this is by choosing a good liver-supportive detox supplement like molybdenum, or a toxin binder like bentonite. In our program, we recommend taking these detox supplements right at the very beginning of your treatment. This will lighten the load on your liver and other detox pathways, and allow them to be fully prepared for when you start treating your Candida.