Yeast Yields Metabolic Overdrive

There are more organisms living in your gut than there are cells in your body. Many of these organisms are good guys that synthesize vitamins and fatty acids, neutralize toxins, and make hormones. Others aren’t. One of the most problematic of these organisms is Candida Albicans (a.k.a. yeast overgrowth).  Candida normally lives in your mouth and gut (small and large intestines). As they ferment the food you eat, yeast secretes toxins that weaken the immune system and cause the following symptoms: gas, diarrhea/constipation, bloating, gastric reflux, post-nasal drip, brain fog, fatigue, increased appetite, headaches, rashes, and food allergies.
Taking antibiotics (or eating meat laced with antibiotics), eating too little fiber, or even consuming too much sugar can throw off the delicate balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. In fact anything that lowers stomach acidity or compromises the immune system can cause the yeast to overgrow.
Yeast overgrowth (YO) can put the body into a “starvation mode” because food is not being metabolized effectively. When this happens, the body switches into metabolic overdrive to counteract “starvation mode” and repair the metabolic chaos.
Despite popular belief, yeast overgrowth isn’t something that only affects women. Plenty of men have it, too.
What are symptoms of “yeast overgrowth”?
1. Do you experience gas, especially after eating sugar, foods than contain vinegar, cured foods, pickled foods, sun-dried tomatoes, moldy cheeses (i.e. blue cheese), and mushrooms?
2. Does your abdomen fill up with air (bloating) after you eat, at night, or periodically throughout the day?
3. Have you been diagnosed with ulcers, gastritis, or irritable bowel syndrome?
4. Do you frequently experience indigestion or a “nervous stomach”?
5. Is diarrhea or constipation a daily concern?
6. Do you regularly experience brain fog (the sensation that you can’t concentrate or think clearly), despite adequate sleep?
7. Is your lack of focus affecting your ability to accomplish minor tasks?
8. Have you been sick frequently or taken antibiotics more than three times in a year?
9. Do you ever develop hives, acne, or rosacea?
10. Does your tongue have a white coating?
11. Do you have seasonal allergies, food allergies, or allergies to medications?
12. Are your sinuses frequently stuffy or infected?
13. Do you have asthma?
14. Have you been diagnosed with an ulcer or gastric reflux?
If you have answered yes to two or more questions, yeast may have infiltrated your digestive tract.
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If candida has taken control of your digestive tract, regain your ground. Use “The Stubborn Fat Fix”, http://www.amazon.com/The-Stubborn-Fat-Fix-Metabolic/dp/159486828X, as a  guide to help re-build the good bacteria . If you have just 5 to 10 pounds to lose, use the Level 2 eating plan until you reach your goal. If you have more weight to lose, use Level 1.
*Regardless of the plan, anyone with YO should avoid the following yeast-promoting foods: fermented, pickled, and moldy (blue cheese) foods; soy sauce; vinegar; mushrooms; sour cream; sauerkraut; some nuts (cashews, peanuts, pistachios); pickles; breads that contain yeast; and all cheese except mozzarella and cream cheese. It’s also particularly important for you to maximize your 3 to 7 cups of green leafy vegetables and 2 cups of other vegetables every day. Vegetables contain fiber, and fiber nourishes the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract. Finally, you will need to take supplements to help kill YO and to help the good bacteria flourish. Suggestions are outlined in Chapter 9.