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If you’d like to book a session or chat about how I can support you, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me, Sarah Woodward, at Cheltenham Kinesiology by clicking the link below.
Candida Explained: A Natural Approach to Rebalancing Your Gut
Candida overgrowth can cause a wide range of symptoms—from digestive issues and sugar cravings to fatigue, brain fog, and recurrent infections. But instead of guessing what might help, kinesiology allows us to test exactly what your body needs to correct the imbalance.
Understanding Candida
Candida is a type of yeast that naturally lives in the body—mainly in the gut, mouth, and on the skin. In small amounts, it’s harmless and even part of a healthy microbiome. But when the balance of good bacteria is disrupted, Candida can overgrow, leading to a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms and health imbalances.
Signs and Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth
Candida overgrowth can show up in many ways, including:
- Recurrent fungal infections (thrush, athlete’s foot, jock itch, toenail fungus)
- Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhoea
- Cravings for sugar and refined carbs
- White coating on the tongue or bad breath
- Brain fog, fatigue, poor memory, or low mood
- Low immunity and frequent infections
- Hormonal imbalances, acne, or low libido
Because Candida can affect multiple systems, symptoms often overlap with other conditions—so it’s important to look at the whole picture, not just isolated signs.
What Causes Candida Overgrowth?
Candida is opportunistic—it thrives when gut balance is disrupted. Common triggers include:
- Antibiotic use, which kills off beneficial bacteria
- Medications that affect gut flora
- Diets high in sugar or refined carbs
- Poorly managed blood sugar or diabetes
- Hormonal changes (e.g. contraceptive pills, HRT, pregnancy, menopause)
- Weakened immune function
- Chronic stress, which impacts both hormones and gut health
When these factors are present, Candida can quickly take hold, leading to persistent symptoms and inflammation.
How to Treat Candida Naturally
Diet and Lifestyle
There’s a common misconception that treating Candida means cutting out all yeast-containing foods. In reality, the focus should be on reducing sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods—these feed the overgrowth.
It’s also wise to pause fermented foods (like kombucha, sauerkraut, or kefir) during an active cleanse, as they can sometimes aggravate symptoms early on.
Extreme sugar-free diets may bring short-term relief, but Candida often flares once sugar is reintroduced. The key is balance and long-term gut support—not restriction alone.
How kinesiology helps
Kinesiology can help identify whether Candida is present and guide which nutritional supports your body needs during a cleanse.
I typically look to:
- Eliminate the overgrowth—your body will guide us toward the right support, such as black walnut, caprylic acid, garlic, Pau d’arco, berberine, or grapefruit seed extract.
- Improve digestion with a targeted digestive aid.
- Repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria (“the restore” phase).
- Strengthen the immune system to help keep Candida in check long-term.
In some cases, simply boosting beneficial bacteria is enough to crowd out Candida—no antifungal phase needed.
The Role of Gut pH
Friendly gut bacteria thrive in an acidic bowel environment, while Candida prefers an alkaline one. Restoring natural acidity helps beneficial microbes regain balance and keep Candida under control. Alfalfa, spirulina, and chlorella may help—but I’ll always check what your body needs.
In Summary
Candida overgrowth is a sign that your internal ecosystem needs rebalancing—not just yeast elimination. By nourishing the gut, reducing sugar and processed foods, supporting key nutrients, and restoring proper pH and microbial balance, you can help your body return to a healthy, thriving state.