LEAKY GUT AND CANDIDA AND THE CONNECTION TO OBESITY AND THE INCREASE IN ALLERGIES. Sally Cronin

Candida Albicans is a problem that affects an estimated 65% of the western world. When I weighed 25 stone and I traced the time line from childhood to my 30’s and 40’s it was evident that my weight problems began at the age of 11 after several courses of anti-biotics for tonsil infections and subsequent removal. Three months later I was a fat child. Candida is one of those airy fairy conditions that many doctors dismissed as being alternative mumbo jumbo and it is only really in the last ten years that it has been taken seriously. Unfortunately it is also a rather convenient label to attach to most illnesses because there are so many symptoms associated with it. You have to be careful not to use it as a convenient culprit and make sure that you take a detailed history from the client.

I have to say that having worked with over 2000 clients in the last 15 years that most of those who were suffering from persistent obesity – the kind that seems not to want to shift- also present with at least 75% of the most common symptoms.

I am finding that there is a similar story when working with clients with fertility problems, particularly if they have had eating disorders in the teen years where they have starved their bodies of nutrients.

There are over 120 symptoms connected to Candida including Arthritis, diabetic symptoms and immune system failures, reproductive and hormonal problems and obesity.

There have been a great many reports lately of increased allergies for many more people in the Western World. Whilst in my opinion it is the increased use of processed foods and therefore the increased intake of not only chemical additives but also far too much sugar I do believe that it simply produces a perfect environment for Candida to overgrow in the intestine and lead to leaky gut.

For those few of you who are not aware of Candida I am giving you a brief overview but first Leaky Gut as this is the condition which in my opinion is behind many of our increased intolerance and allergic reactions. I also believe that because Candida devours nutritional content in the food that is eaten the body is forced into nutritional deficiency and stores fat – effectively even someone who is obese can be suffering from malnutrition.

LEAKY GUT

In a normal healthy person the small intestine acts like a sieve only permitting the breakdown products of the digestion into the bloodstream. These include the obvious nutrients but also fats, proteins and starches – all of which are very well digested and the larger molecules such as bacteria and toxins are not able to pass through.

As part of this process, Villi, which are finger like projections from the wall of the intestinal tract with even smaller hair like extensions called microvilli, act as absorbtion pathways for nutrients transported through by carrier molecules.

If someone is suffering from a leaky gut the intestinal lining has become inflamed and the microvilli become damaged. They cannot then produce the necessary enzymes and secretions necessary for the absorption of nutrients. When there is inflammation and damage the larger molecles containing bacteria and other toxins are able to pass through into the bloodstream.

This of course activates the automatic response from the immune system which produces antibodies (proteins that locate and attack foreign objects as they are seen as antigens).

If this was a one off the body would cope with the invasion and the gut would return to normal but if the intestinal wall is damaged and the process is ongoing then the immune system is unable to control the leakage of toxins and they begin to leak back into the liver causeing that organ to become stressed and overburdened.

THE LIVER
The liver is the largest gland in the body and plays a really important part in detoxification as well as having many other functions including: producing bile, containing bile acids, which aid digestion, filtering out toxins, such as drugs, alcohol and environmental toxins, storing glucose as glycogen, then breaking it down about 4 hours after a meal to be converted to glucose to regulate blood sugar levels, converting ammonia to urea and removing damaged red blood cells.
Leaky Gut completely overworks the liver because it floods it with additional toxins diminishing the liver’s ability to neutralise chemical substances. When it cannot cope with the level of toxins the liver expels them back into the bloodstream. The circulatory system then pushes the toxins into the connective tissues and muscles where the body stores them to prevent major organ damage. The liver doesn’t get the time to go back and rid the body of the toxins.
You then have a build up of toxins in the tissues and major organs leading to inflammation and all the symptoms associated with allergic reactions.

In fact the person suffering from leaky gut usually test positive for a great many allergies, not because they are allergic to a specific substance or food but because their immune system is in overdrive – this leads to the chronic forms of conditions such as arthritis and asthma. The biggest problem is that therapists and doctors will begin to remove essential foods and nutrients from the diet to try and overcome this massive reaction when in fact they should be treating the root cause which is Candida.

I have seen clients who are reduced to eating a handful of foods and beginning to suffer from deficiency symptoms particularly those of Vitamin B’s, C and D.

CANDIDA ALBICANS

Candida Albicans is a yeast, which inhabits all humans, usually only in small amounts. It is also known as Monilia, Thrush, Candidiasis and Yeast Infection. In its natural, mild form it is harmless and is simply part of the soup of bacteria that inhabits our intestines.
The basic precondition for a fungal disease is an impaired immune system. This can be the result of an illness, over-use of antibiotics, intensive dieting over a long period of time and recurring infections. Latterly there has been considerable research into why women who have never had anti-biotics are developing Candida Albicans in their late 20’s and 30’s and again in their 50’s. The answer seems to be that the birth control pill and HRT both hormone altering drugs are having a similar effect as anti-biotics.
Look at antibiotics for instance. In most cases antibiotics are broad spectrum not specific. Because, without a lab test it is difficult to tell the specific strain of bacteria responsible for an infection, the use of broad spectrum drugs usually guarantees that the bacteria in question will be killed off. Unfortunately, like chemotherapy not only the bad bacteria are killed off but also the good bacteria in your body. Your intestine, which has a very fragile balance of good and bad bacteria, is vulnerable and this is where Candida Albicans can start to take over your intestinal tract.

If Candida yeast is allowed to grow unchecked, it changes from its normal yeast fungal form to a mycelial-fungal form that produces rhizoids. These long root-like components are capable of piercing the walls of the digestive tract and breaking down the protective barriers between the intestines and the blood. This breakthrough allows many allergens to enter the blood stream causing allergic reactions. A mucus is also formed around major organs and in the lining of the stomach. This prevents your digestive system from functioning efficiently. The result is poorly digested foods and wasted nutrients. Your body begins to suffer a deficiency of these nutrients and it leads to chronic fatigue.

SYMPTOMS OF CANDIDA OVERGROWTH?
The most common of the allergic reactions are – watering, tearing or dry eyes. Itchy inner ears and dry throats that come and go. A dripping and itchy nose, unexplained rashes. These symptoms are almost always accompanied by a craving for either bread or savoury snacks such as crisps or for sweets in the form of chocolate particularly. Sometimes clients tell me that they have not got a sweet tooth and don’t eat chocolate, but when I read their food diary, I soon spot the biscuits, cakes and alcohol that is eaten or drunk every day.

Let me give you an idea of some of the complaints you could be suffering from that are directly related to Candida Albicans. Fatigue – people who are suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME test positive for Candida. Numbness, burning or tingling in your fingers or hands. Insomnia, abdominal pain, constipation or diahorrea, bloating and especially Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Thrush and Cystitis, sexual disfunction and loss of sexual drive. For women it can mean years of suffering from endometriosis or infertility – pre-menstrual tension and heavy and painful periods.

Depression and panic attacks are common symptoms as is shaking or getting very irritable when hungry. Some people suffer from unexplained muscle or joint pains and are often diagnosed with arthritis. You have to remember that the Candida bacteria is a parasite and like all parasites it will take the nourishment meant for you and you will then suffer from a depressed immune system. Headaches and mood swings. Chronic rashes or hives and you will be more prone to food intolerances that cause discomfort or some form of physical symptom. The most significant problem is the strain which all of the toxins place on the liver. This can result in chronic fatigue, discomfort and depression.

THE FAST APPROACH TO CALMING DOWN A CANDIDA OVERGROWTH
I have found the fastest and most effective approach is to remove all processed foods from the diet. It is important not to starve but to give you body all the nutrients it needs to boost the immune system and repair itself.

Nothing that is fresh and unprocessed is banned including fruits. Traditionally, therapists will remove fruit because of the sugar but my philosophy is that the body has evolved over the last 100,000 years eating fruit, vegetables, grains and protein and needs that mix to obtain the nutrients it needs to be healthy including the immune system which needs to be strong to counteract the candida.

Eating small meals at least 5 or 6 times a day. Keep to a low glycemic approach – small amounts of wholegrains with protein etc. I do suggest avoiding too much yeast so restrict multigrain bread – soya and linseed (lower glycemic) to one or two slices per day.

Plenty of fluids including Green Tea and water.

Take light exercise, walking in the fresh air 30 minutes a day.

Lots of sleep.

I usually find that not only do energy levels increase in a matter of days, most of the symptoms including weight stabalise in a matter of weeks.

OBESITY AND DIABETES Sally Cronin Sorry to be long winded but I get asked all the time to talk about Diabetes and it is now becoming critical.

Many of the clients that I work with are on their way to becoming diabetic and like smokers, sugar addicts blithely continue to consume many times the recommended 10 level teaspoons per day under the illusion that it will never happen to them. The problem is that we now have over two million diabetics in the UK and many more obviously than that in the United States. What is an even more worrying statistic is that there are nearly a million children who are diabetic. Type 2 Diabetes is virtually avoidable and if you suspect that sugar or even its substitutes play a large part in your diet then spend six weeks going cold turkey except for natural sugar in fruit and honey and just see where your energy levels are on a scale of one to ten. In my mind it is refined sugars and those sugars found in white carbohydrate products which are the cause of our obesity and certainly increasing diabetes. Give me a good old fashioned sirloin with a jacket potato with a small pat of butter and a bunch of vegetables and salad any day. After you have read my programme notes – think about where your weight is on your body – if you are sporting a good old beer belly you are most likely consuming too much sugar – don’t have your head in the sand – be smart. If you need help there is plenty out there.
QUESTION – What Exactly Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a set of related diseases in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood.
Glucose is what gives you energy. Without it you would be unable to complete many every day to day tasks let alone exercise or lead any kind of active lifestyle.
The liver produces glucose from our diet. We have a number of hormones which normally regulate the level of glucose in our blood, one of which is insulin.
We have a small organ that produces insulin and other enzymes that help us digest our foods and extract the nutrients. This organ is the pancreas.
Without insulin the glucose has no access to the parts of our body that utilise fuel such as the liver, muscles and fat cells.

Type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic link and a great deal of research is currently going on to identify the exact gene. There are a number of lifestyle factors, which also increase the risk of getting Type 2 as we get older. Being overweight, not getting any exercise, taking in too much sugar in the diet, drinking too much and also ageing – the risk increases significantly over the age of 65. This is why this is more commonly called late onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common and accounts for over 90% of diabetics.
The good news is that Type 2 responds very positively to diet and lifestyle changes and following some of the diet and lifestyle changes in this post will get you started. 

There is actually a third type of diabetes which is temporary and that occurs during pregnancy. That is called Gestational diabetes and is usually associated with larger than average babies. It usually rights itself after the birth but those women are more likely in later life to develop Type 2 diabetes and need to watch their diet.

QUESTION – Who Are The People Then Who Are At Most Risk?
Some of the risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes are also common to many of the age-related problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high fat diet, being overweight and not doing any exercise. These all put enormous pressure on the body systems -the pancreas being part of that system.
We have mentioned the genetic link; my father developed late onset diabetes in his mid seventies. He had a healthy diet although he did love his puddings. We don’t know if he inherited it from his parents as his father died in his mid 50’s and his mother as a result of a car accident. The other side is that millions have a condition called pre-diabetes where they have all the markers including high blood sugar but it has not become full-blown diabetes. It is only recently that diagnosis through blood tests have determined the condition and of course in my grandparents day these were not available and they could have been suffering from diabetes and not known it. Just put their symptoms down to getting older.
Many people have elevated sugar levels, which can lead to diabetes. This is where a healthy eating programme comes in, lowering sugar levels and therefore the strain on the network of organs whose job it is to deal with the food that we take in.
A combination of processed foods, drinking too much alcohol, taking no exercise and being two or three stone overweight can over time stretch your pancreas and its efficiency to breaking point.

QUESTION – What Sort Of Symptoms Should People Be Aware Of?

Type 2 Diabetes, which is the most common, can have subtle symptoms that we can miss for years. It may not be detected until a check up for blood pressure when eye problems may be noticed etc.
The most common symptoms for anyone to look out for are the following.
Extreme fatigue. weight loss. excessive thirst. going to the loo a lot is an indication that there might be something wrong. This leads to more dehydration as of course water leaves the body as well as sugar, this sends more signals to the brain to drink more and it becomes a vicious circle.
Although a person suffering from diabetes will usually lose weight, they will find that their hunger increases and making them eat far more than they would normally.
To try and deal with the excess sugar in the blood the pancreas will secrete more insulin – excess insulin stimulates hunger.
Fluctuating blood sugar levels cause a number of depressive states. Irritability, loss of memory, confusion and extreme lethargy can occur in varying degrees. If you think that you might have any of these symptoms then a quick chat to your doctor and a blood test will put your mind at rest or get you the help you need.

QUESTION – So Where Do We Start? And Can We Prevent This Happening?
The great thing is that it is never too late. Particularly with Type 2 diabetes. Even with Type 1, following a sensible diet can make a difference to your overall health.
Firstly it is a very simple thing to go and get your blood sugar levels tested.

If you have any worries that you might be at risk, then take a test and then at least you know where you stand. Many of us have elevated sugar levels that are not causing diabetes but are a nudge for us to take a look at our lifestyle and moderate it so that the risk factors are reduced.

A healthy diet and lifestyle can help prevent the onset of diabetes. Even if you do have diabetes, once under the care of a doctor and monitored medication, then a change in lifestyle can over a period of months result in a reduction of the medication and in some cases patients have been able to stop it altogether. Having said that of course: as always you must never change any medication that you have been prescribed if you have not first consulted your doctor.

QUESTION – What Type Of Diet Should A Diabetic Person Follow?
Type 2 Diabetes is more about weight management and eating healthily. At least 85% of sufferers of this type of diabetes are overweight and so reducing to a normal weight has a dramatic effect on the diabetes.
Here are some of the key foods that can help prevent problems with blood sugar levels.

Walnuts and Salmon with their high content of Omega 3 and B vitamins. One of the properties of Omega 3 is that it helps with high cholesterol – it lowers the lipoprotein in blood that causes platelets to clot and helps prevent erratic heart rhythms. All symptoms of diabetes. The B vitamins are vital for cell health and the processes that metabolise our foods such as carbohydrates and proteins.

In addition Walnuts contain manganese which is important for glucose metabolism so help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates such as brown rice and porridge oats which are low glycemic and therefore do not cause blood sugar levels to rise in the first place in the same way as refined sugars or carbohydrates do. The oats are also anti-bacterial so help with wound healing.

The green tea has so many benefits – from cholesterol reduction, thinning the blood and preventing blood clots and reducing blood pressure. It has also been linked to preventing and improving diabetes.

The banana helps control blood sugar levels. All vegetables and fruits that are fresh and unprocessed should be eaten every day, particularly carrots and dark green vegetables.
Lean protein is also very important and if you like a bit of butter on your bread then have a scrape of butter which is far better for you then highly processed margarine.

So the first step in preventing Diabetes in the future is to take a long hard look at your lifestyle. Adopt a healthy eating plan and a moderate exercise regime. Walking just 45 minutes briskly a day will be beneficial – you don’t have to run a marathon or go to the gym for three hours.

Remember that 90%of diabetes sufferers are Type 2 which means that it is almost always preventable by diet and if you are suffering from the disease, it can be improved dramatically by following a healthy lifestyle.

Sometimes making huge sweeping changes are counter productive and hard to stick to. It is often the small changes that we make to our diet and lifestyle that makes the most effective and long term difference.
For example change your white bread, pasta and rice for wholegrain – that simple move with reduce the rapid processing power of refined sugar in your diet and replace it with slow release energy, fibre and more importantly B Vitamins essential for so many functions within the body, including processing the carbohydrates and fats that we eat.
Another easy way to lose weight is to reduce your snack intake by half and the amount of alcohol that you drink by half. If you eat two bicuits twice a day with coffee or tea and you only have one biscuit instead you will lose 15lbs in a year. If you normally drink two glasses of wine per night every day of the week and you only drink one glass you will lose another 20lbs. I will pop back with some more tips every week to help you get started on a healthier lifestyle.