Cause of yeast infection

There are several common causes, and some of them are easier to deal with than others. The thing they all have in common is that they derive from a change in the acidity of the vagina. As I mentioned earlier, the acidic environment is what normally keeps the yeast in check. So if something happens that changes cause of yeast infection that healthy level of acidity, yeast can really have a field day, multiplying without a limit and therefore causing an infection to occur. Certain causes are natural events you have no control over. For example, menstruation, pregnancy, and diabetes can all lead to yeast infections. Steroids and birth control pills can also be a trigger; so can antibiotics, which cause of yeast infection disrupt the natural environment of the vagina by killing off good and bad cause of yeast infection bacteria. Other triggers have to do with things you could easily change in your everyday life. Wetness or irritation around the genitals is a major factor, so you should always avoid wearing too-tight underwear and wet bathing suits, or using vaginal products cause of yeast infection (douches, sprays, etc.) that irritate the delicate vaginal area (much more on this later). In fact, something as seemingly harmless as taking a bubble bath after a stressful day at work could actually be triggering your uncomfortable, itchy condition! 10 Now let’s discuss each of the major causes in greater detail. Pregnancy and Menstruation When your body goes through cause of yeast infection a massive change like pregnancy, or when it undergoes a monthly flux in hormone levels, your vagina does not escape unscathed! Pregnancy and your period can both cause the level of acidity in your vagina to change, and that, as I’ve explained above, can trigger an infection to occur. Stress Anything that stresses your body—from the everyday stresses of cause of yeast infection your job, for example, to a lack of sleep to a poor diet to that irritating relative who’s coming over for dinner—can raise your chances of developing an infection. This is because stress lowers the body’s resistance to infection and weakens the immune system. Therefore, getting plenty of sleep, having proper nutrition and staying calm can all help you cause of yeast infection avoid a yeast infection. Diabetes and Obesity There is some evidence to suggest that consuming foods high in sugar and drinking lots of alcohol can trigger yeast infections due to the high sugar content in the urine. (And yeast overgrowth can actually be a cause of weight gain!)

As you may know from the countless TV commercials on cause of yeast infection this topic or from past experience, such medicine generally comes in the form of a cream that is inserted with an applicator into the vagina, or a suppository that you place in your vagina and that then dissolves inside your body. In certain cases, particularly for recurring infections that don’t respond to the treatments above, doctors may prescribe an cause of yeast infection oral treatment, in the form of a pill that you swallow. 21 To help relieve the symptoms that you are experiencing while waiting for those meds to kick in, you can also buy creams that are designed to help relieve the itching, burning, and inflammation. Option 2: Home and Traditional Remedies Now let’s talk briefly about the second route cause of yeast infection you can take, which involves bypassing most of the medical establishment’s prescriptions. We’re going to talk a lot more about this in the section on my multi-step home remedy, so for now let me just say that doctors often treat just the symptoms and ignore the root cause of diseases. Maybe this is why so few doctors are able cause of yeast infection to make their patients’ vaginal infections go away for good! As many women have discovered for themselves over the years, certain home remedies and lifestyle changes are actually vastly superior to prescriptions and OTC medicines when it comes to curing a yeast infection. In fact, in other parts of the world it is very common to use home remedies cause of yeast infection such as yogurt and tea tree oil to cure yeast infections. I personally find that yogurt is a fantastic treatment, but let’s say just for the sake of argument that the results of yogurt and, say, Monistat are just about equal. Now, which would you rather flood your body with: natural, organic, delicious probiotic yogurt, or the powerful and cause of yeast infection potentially dangerous drugs that make up natural cure for yeast infection Monistat? We’ll talk more about all of this later. Moreover, in the case of yeast infections, it’s not enough to inject a cream into your vagina and get the yeast under control there. It’s more important to understand why you developed a yeast infection in the first place. cause of yeast infection As I have discussed above, you should know that a yeast infection can be a systemic infection that affects your entire body and its functions, and not just 22 your vagina. So treating just the vagina is not necessarily the way to cure yourself for good! However you decide to treat yourself, it’s important to remember that you should cause of yeast infection avoid sex while you have an active infection. Penetration can drive the yeast cells deeper and deeper into the walls of the vagina, causing more irritation and prolonging the infection.

On the same note, steer clear of tampons and remember to keep the area as clean and as able to breathe as possible. That means changing feminine pads cause of yeast infection frequently (at least every 4 natural treatment for vaginitis hours), wearing clean cotton underwear, and avoiding tight pants that stifle the area. 23 Over-the-Counter Treatment Products: Pros and Cons Over-the-counter, or OTC, treatments for yeast infections are incredibly common and are available in just about every drugstore or grocery store you go into. They are relatively inexpensive and widely cause of yeast infection available, so it’s no wonder that most women who think they have a yeast infection run out and buy one of the many OTC options. It doesn’t help that the airwaves are inundated with television commercials of pretty women complaining about yeast infections, then holding up boxes of drugs for you to buy. And flip open the pages of cause of yeast infection any women’s magazine and you’ll see plenty of print ads, too. Those companies want your money pretty badly, it seems! But buying an over-the-counter treatment is not always a good idea. First of all, if you have a vaginal infection that is not actually a yeast infection, trying to treat it with a yeast infection cream or suppository is cause of yeast infection not going to do you much good. Moreover, you could actually be increasing your body’s resistance to these treatments, so that when you need them later on they won’t work as well. Treating yourself for a yeast infection when you don’t actually have a yeast infection is, well, just no good for your body at all. Moreover, OTC medicines cause of yeast infection are not meant for every woman. If you are under the age of 12 or you are pregnant, avoid OTC medicines and consult your doctor about treatment options. The same goes if you are breastfeeding—drugs in your system may be secreted in your breast milk. This is true even if you are using a topic drug and not one cause of yeast infection that you take orally, because topical medicine is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. 24 Fungicidal creams are perhaps the most readily available OTC treatment options. Monistat is the best-known name, and you’ve probably seen their commercials on TV or in magazines. Monistat and other similar creams contain an antifungal drug called tioconazole. When you insert this cause of yeast infection antifungal cream into the affected area, it will go to work attacking the yeast. Usually, creams come in a package with several applicators. You put the cream in the applicator and then insert the applicator into the vaginal area and apply the cream as directed. The cream will stay “up there” for some time. You must repeat this process cause of yeast infection anywhere from 1 to 10 times, depending on the kind of cream you buy (1-day treatment, 3-day treatment, or 7-10-day treatment).

Also, the hormonal changes brought on by diabetes may also be a factor in the incidence of yeast infection. Antibiotics and Other Prescription Drugs 11 Antibiotics are meant to kill off certain elements in the body that cause of yeast infection are causing disease or discomfort. While antibiotics may be recommended to you by a doctor, you should keep in mind that they kill off bacteria indiscriminantly, the good along with the bad. Since good bacteria actually help to keep yeast in check in a normal, healthy vagina, taking antibiotics can lead the way to a yeast infection. In fact, cause of yeast infection yeast infections are quite common in women who have recently had a round of antibiotics. Even if you took antibiotics as a child and you are now a young adult, your body could still be “out of whack” as a result! Feminine Hygiene Products As you can probably imagine, douching too often or leaving a tampon in place for cause of yeast infection too long can wreak havoc on the delicate PH level of the vaginal environment. chronic yeast infection The vagina has a natural acidity level that the body regulates on its own. You do not need to “clean” it out using douches or feminine sprays, and you should not do anything to compromise it. Remember, feminine hygiene companies are trying cause of yeast infection to make money by selling their products; don’t buy into the hype. Your vagina, when kept healthy, will regulate itself and does not require external “cleansers.” Tight Clothing “Choking” your crotch with a tight pair of jeans or a pair of nylon stockings is a surefire recipe for a yeast infection. This is because tight clothing suffocates the vaginal cause of yeast infection area and does not allow it to breathe. This in turn results in a change to the level of acidity “down there.” 12 On the same note, synthetic fabrics are not a good choice for underwear, because they trap the air against your body, not allowing it to circulate and breathe. Avoid synthetic underwear, nylons and pants, all of cause of yeast infection which can trigger an infection. If you must wear nylons on occasion, just try not to wear them every day. Give your body a chance to breathe. This is especially important in the summertime, when the hot, humid air can make the situation down there even worse.

If 7 the acidity decreases, however, an infection can develop and cause of yeast infection the yeast will start growing out of control. When yeast begins to multiply, a yeast infection, or candidiasis, begins. There are many reasons why normal yeast may begin to multiply out of control—from moisture to lifestyle to disease to prescription drugs you may be taking to irritation—and we’ll get into those causes in greater detail in the next section. cause of yeast infection For now, however, just keep in mind that not all cause of vaginal yeast infection vulvar itches signal a yeast infection. Read through the “Symptoms” section of this guide carefully to determine if you have this condition; and if you are unsure, as always, consult a physician. If you do have a yeast infection, you’ll probably be experiencing any cause of yeast infection or all of the following: • White discharge that is thick and “cottage-cheesey” • Itching around the vaginal area • Swelling or inflammation of the area around the vagina • Pain during sex Perhaps this is your first time experiencing a yeast infection—but more likely it’s been an ongoing saga in your life. Many women will experience chronic yeast cause of yeast infection infections due to elements of their lifestyle that can trigger this nasty little condition. And even doctors are not always able to successful treat infections on the first go. Yeast is very hardy and can be difficult to get under control, especially if you don’t do your best to remove any external triggers. Thankfully, we know a lot more cause of yeast infection about yeast infections today than we used to, and we also know that prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines 8 (which don’t always work) are not our only options. The rest of this guide is devoted to helping you determine whether you’ve got an infection and, if so, how you can safely and effectively bring your body back to its cause of yeast infection healthy, energetic state. 9 What Causes a Yeast Infection? So now you know what differentiates a yeast infection from other vaginal infections—the presence of too much yeast! But you may be wondering: if it is normal to have some yeast in the body at all times, then why does the body get out of whack sometimes and let that cause of yeast infection yeast grow out of control? In this section we’ll discuss the main reasons why yeast is likely to grow too quickly.

Eat lots of leafy greens to keep your intestinal tract clean and in superior shape, and consume plenty of fruits and other veggies. Also, be sure to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, which is one cause of yeast infection of the easiest ways to maintain all of your body’s essential functions. 39 Foods to avoid: • Processed cereal, especially sweetened cereal • Soda and sweetened fruit drinks • Honey and sugar • Products containing white flour • Salted, cured meat (sausage, bacon, etc.) • White rice, pasta, white bread • Fermented foods, like pickles • “Moldy” food, like cause of yeast infection bananas and mushrooms • Coffee and caffeinated tea Step 3: Strengthen Your Immune System It’s not just what you eat or what you apply to your skin that can help stave off future infections. It also depends on your state of mind and whether or not you take the time to keep your whole body in good shape. Modern cause of yeast infection medicine so often fails to take into account the externals, such as whether you are getting enough sleep, how much stress is present in your daily life, whether you exercise regularly, and so on. Well, I’m here as proof that all of these factors play a huge role in how healthy your body is—and, therefore, how susceptible you are cause of yeast infection to vaginal infections and other diseases. Yeast infections, especially when they recur, are a sign of a weak immune system, so you should not stop at simply treating the symptoms. Instead, you have got to reassess your body’s health and its ability to ward off disease and further infections. You’ve got to make some changes so that you get cause of yeast infection your body yeast infection cure back into good shape. 40 Do yourself a favor and make your health a priority in your day to day schedule. It’s so easy to slack off and let your body go, but if you do so you are really compromising your health in many ways. Eating lots of sugar does not just result cause of yeast infection in obesity; it also lets the yeast run rampant throughout your system, causing depression, blurred vision, irritability, skin conditions, slow healing of cuts and scrapes, insomnia, and so on. Eat right, and exercise regularly, because these things will improve your health and reestablish a healthy, strong immune system. Establish a routine for yourself, and then stick to it. Pick cause of yeast infection a physical activity (or activities) that you truly love, so that you’ll feel inspired to do it. Vary things up to make it interesting: try yoga one day, jogging the next, cycling the third day, and so on. You will also need to eat right and introduce vitamins and supplements into your diet. Why? Because otherwise it is nearly cause of yeast infection impossible to get all the nutrients that your body needs for you to nurse yourself back to health. So pay attention to the following information about essential supplements. You can find them all at your local health food store: Essential fatty acids: One common misconception that lots of people have is that fats are bad for you and should cause of yeast infection be eliminated from a healthy diet. Not so! Certain fats are actually “lubricants” that keep the body’s systems functional, and so you’ve got to make sure you’re getting enough of the essential fatty acids. I’m not talking about the kind of fat that comes in a candy bar, of course—I’m talking about the fats you get from fish, avocados, cause of yeast infection and supplements.

My best recommendation is to take the bull by the horns and prevent the infection at its root cause—your diet. You need to change the way you eat in order to change the way your body is reacting. By eating healthy foods you will boost your body’s ability to stay healthy, and by avoiding “bad” foods cause of yeast infection you will be depriving yeast of the things they need to thrive and multiply. When you do that, voila—your infection will disappear! I’ve already explained how wonderful yogurt is as a topical treatment. Well, it works wonderfully as a part of your anti-candida diet, too! So don’t just apply the yogurt topically—eat it, too! The same acidophilus that will cause of yeast infection help in a topic application will also aid on recolonizing your GI tract and reestablishing a good balance of bacteria and yeast. You can also buy acidophilus in capsule form in health stores. If you don’t particularly like yogurt, it may be easier for you to swallow it in pill-form. Whichever vehicle you choose, rest assured that you are cause of yeast infection on your way to better health. In clinical trials, women who ate yogurt with acidophilus every day had a significantly lower incidence of recurring yeast infections and a lower amount of candida in the body. Try eating at least a cup a day and see how it works for you. Another duel-purpose treatment is garlic. I mentioned above that cause of yeast infection garlic may be used as a suppository, but it’s also practically a miracle food and you should consume lots of it. Chop it up in your salad, bake it and smear it into a veggie “dip,” eat it raw, make garlic soup—however you like to eat it, just eat it! 38 This tiny bulb is packed with so much cause of yeast infection great stuff, and it works amazingly well to stave off infection and fight fungi. If you suffer from frequent infections, make garlic part of your regular diet and I guarantee that you will start to feel better. So now you see, you can actually eat your way to better health! Aside from yogurt, there are plenty of delicious, nutritious cause of yeast infection foods that will help your body get back to an optimal state of health and prevent the recurrence of disease. Foods to eat regularly: • Cranberries • Onions • Oats • Fish • Lentils • Cottage cheese and unsweetened yogurt • Unsalted nuts • Brown rice • Brussel sprouts • Chicken • Eggs • Soy milk • Herbal teas cause of yeast infection and pure water Make these a part of your regular diet! Eat organically vaginal yeast infection whenever you can. In general, to beat your infection you must maintain a healthy diet that is low in sugary food (which yeast thrives on) and low in breads (again, anything “yeasty” is a feast for the yeast in your body).

Simply cause of yeast infection buy ointment base and then gather up some chickweed. Squeeze the chickweed to produce juice, then mix the juice and ointment, stir well, and apply to the affected areas. If you don’t want to make your own ointment, you can easily find chickweed ointment at the health food store. • Boric Acid Boric acid pills (available at health food cause of yeast infection stores or pharmacies), used as suppositories, can be a very powerful treatment for those particularly strong infections. Try using two capsules a day—and again, make sure that they will easily dissolve inside your body. (Some women do have reactions to boric acid, so proceed with caution. Don’t overdo it!) • Tea Tree Oil Tea tree oil is systemic yeast cause of yeast infection infection widely used in other parts of the globe to fight off yeast infections, and it works great because of its antifungal properties. In fact, tea tree oil is often used in the U.S. to successfully control athlete’s foot, dandruff and acne—why not try it “down there”? It works effectively but gently, and it actually smells wonderful and very cause of yeast infection refreshing. For the easiest possible method of treatment using tea tree oil, go to a health food store and purchase tea tree oil suppositories to use instead of 36 those OTC or prescription drug suppositories. Or you can buy the oil itself and apply a few drops to a lubricated tampon, then insert as normal. • Colloidal Silver When cause of yeast infection consumed or applied topically, colloidal silver appears to have the effect of killing off parasites and one-celled organisms, including fungi and bacteria. It seems to support the immune system and help repair damaged tissue. Colloidal silver may be used to treat yeast infections in the form of a douche. Mix the silver (1 tablespoon) with a full glass of cause of yeast infection water (8 ounces), then use the solution as a douche, to cleanse vaginal area. You will probably feel almost immediate relief from your symptoms. Colloidal silver is a suspension that contains pure silver floating in pure water. The atoms of the silver are electrically charged so that they are suspended in the water and do not all clump up cause of yeast infection at the bottom. Colloidal silver is readily available on the internet and in health food stores. Look for high-grade formulations, made from an electro-colloidal or non-chemical method of production. Also look for products that are slightly golden or yellow in color, and no darker. Avoid products that need to be shaken. * * * Okay, so now you’ve got cause of yeast infection the symptoms under control, and you’ve cured your vaginal infection—at least for the time being. Now it’s time to address the underlying cause….it’s time to: Step 2: Adopt a Low-Carbohydrate Diet 37 Now, as I’ve already said, yeast doesn’t just live in the vagina. It also lives in the mouth and the digestive tract, and the trick in treating cause of yeast infection a yeast infection and preventing it from reoccurring is to get the excess yeast to die off and to reestablish the right balance. You can’t just do this by treating your vagina topically!

Terazol is available by prescription in a 7-day or 3-day dosage, which you administer as you would any other cream, using an applicator, and it cause of yeast infection is also available in a suppository form. Pros: 30 • If you choose the 3-day version you’ll spend less time treating your infection • More powerful (and more effective against fungus) than OTC treatments Cons: • Messy • Again, contains oils that can break down latex • May cause some side effects, including body pain and headache 31 My cause of yeast infection Safe and Effective Multi-Step Home Remedy So now you know: OTC treatments are rarely all they’re cracked up to be, and prescriptions treatments may have some very undesirable side effects. Moreover, running out to buy a treatment every time you get a yeast infection can recurring yeast infection be very costly—especially if the treatment you’re using is not effective cause of yeast infection or, what’s worse, even triggers further infections! Wouldn’t you rather treat your vaginal yeast infection with natural, home remedies that cost nothing or close to nothing, that won’t cause adverse reactions like some drugs can, and that are readily available to you? And wouldn’t it be great if your treatment plan included suggestions for small but vastly effective lifestyle cause of yeast infection changes that could actually prevent you from getting infections again in the future? (Now what doctor is going to take the time to sit you down and talk about your lifestyle and how it affects your vagina?!) My multi-step home remedy is both super safe and extremely effective. The medical establishment likes to promote its pharmaceutical options because that’s cause of yeast infection how they make the big bucks, but this treatment plan is, in my opinion and the opinion of thousands of other women, far superior. Let’s put it this way: it works by tackling your yeast infection at its root, not just by treating its symptoms. My treatment plan takes into account all the factors of your life and how cause of yeast infection things like stress and diet might be causing your infections—and that kind of comprehensive approach is how you can effectively cure yourself. Intrigued? Well, I’m about to share with you my multi-step home remedy, from start to finish. I promise you, it works! I know from personal experience! So 32 if you’re frustrated by your recurring or persistent infection cause of yeast infection and you’ve tried everything else, don’t give up! This is going to be the last treatment plan you ever need! Step 1: Get the Surface Problem Under Control If you’re suffering from a yeast infection, you’re probably going nuts from all that itching, burning and swelling. So your main priority is to get those symptoms under control. Well, there cause of yeast infection are several very easy and effective ways to do that that don’t require any prescription drugs or a trip to the doctor’s office. All they require is a trip to your fridge, supermarket or health food store. The following are several highly effective and readily accessible natural treatments you can use to help relieve the surface itching and redness cause of yeast infection of a yeast infection. • Yogurt The single most common home remedy for relieving the symptoms of a yeast infection is yogurt. That’s right—yogurt! But not just any yogurt—I’m not talking about the banana-strawberry flavored low-fat stuff. I mean unsweetened, plain yogurt that contains live cultures and—this is very important—acidophilus. Acidophilus is the good stuff that lives in the cause of yeast infection intestinal tract and that keeps everything in working order. This is the stuff that is going to help keep the yeast under control. Given current trends toward (somewhat) healthier eating, you may be able to find this kind of yogurt in your local grocery store. If you can’t, however, try going to a health food store. To give yourself cause of yeast infection a simple and effective yogurt topic treatment, use the yogurt the same way you’d use a vaginal cream. Use a syringe (with needle 33 removed) to squirt the yogurt up there, or make your own yogurt “suppository.” It’s easy: all you have to do is to freeze the yogurt so that you can easily insert it into your vagina. cause of yeast infection Try putting yogurt into plastic tampon applicators or regular old cream applicators and then freezing them. Another great trick I’ve heard about is to use a plastic glove: put yogurt in each of the fingers and freeze. Then, when you’ve got your yogurt “suppositories,” insert them for some nearly instant relief. Plus, a side benefit of freezing the yogurt cause of yeast infection is that the coolness will help soothe the heat of the inflammation in the vaginal area. Leave the yogurt in for a good long while, perhaps while you’re sleeping, and repeat once or twice in a day. Keep this up until your symptoms start to abate.

If you suspect you have a vaginal yeast infection, you might also want to go through this “checklist” of common yeast infection symptoms that have to do with your entire body. If you say yes to most or all of these, you may have a yeast infection, and you need to treat it sooner rather than later. 17 • An itchy, red, burning or inflamed vulva and/or vagina, and thick white discharge • Sores in the mouth or on the anus—remember, yeast lives in the mouth and GI tract in addition to the vagina! • Symptoms of infection between your toes (itchiness and irritating skin) • Irritable bowels, gassiness, abdominal how to get rid of yeast infection bloating • Cravings for sugary and yeasty food, including breads • Sore or rashy armpit skin—yeast can colonize this area • Unexplained weight gain or loss • Depression or irritability • Fatigue • Excessive thirst • Blurred vision and poor memory • Skin problems, including acne If you are experiencing the above symptoms, if you feel generally tired, depressed, or just “not right,” your body is trying to tell you something. Listen to your body and do something about it! And please remember that while these symptoms do signal a condition that you ought to do something about, they are not generally serious. They may be frustrating or uncomfortable, but they aren’t usually harmful. 18 How Is a Yeast Infection Diagnosed? Going to the gynecologist is not necessarily the most enjoyable activity, but it is a good idea if you suspect you have a yeast infection. And the experience will probably be a lot more comfortable if you know what to expect! When you go to your doctor, he or she will examine the area visually and take samples to send to the lab. Your health care provider will use a swab to take a sample from the genital area. The lab will look at the sample and test it for yeast.

If you must wear nylons, just use this simple trick to allow the air to circulate down there: get out your scissors and make a cut in the crotch area of the nylons. Stay Dry! 48 Just as you must pat yourself dry after taking a shower or bath, you must also be sure to get dry right after going swimming. Don’t sit around in a wet bathing suit! This is one of the most common triggers for a yeast infection. One of my favorite tips is to use a blow-dryer set on low heat to dry off the area after a shower or bath. You’re probably already going to be blow-drying the hair on your head so this won’t take more than an extra minute or two. Plus drying off with warm air diminishes the risk of infecting yourself with any bacteria that may be present on your towel. Avoid Feminine Hygiene Products Don’t use douches or feminine sprays, which can disrupt the PH-level of the vagina. Remember, maintaining the natural acidity level of the area is a good way to prevent infection. Also, change your tampons religiously—don’t leave them in longer than recommended—or use feminine hygiene pads instead. Also, while it may sound silly, something as simple as toilet paper can trigger a yeast infection. Avoid toilet paper that has dyes or colors in it. Use the plain, white, unscented boring old stuff. Use a Lubricant During Sex Having sex when your vagina is dry can actually cause irritation and lead the way to an infection. The body should naturally make its own lubricant when you become aroused, but certain factors (age, level of arousal, irritation, etc.) can decrease the amount of fluid that is produced. If you are so dry that sex feels painful or you feel a chafing, you could be paving the way for a yeast infection. You should make it a point to use a sexual lubricant like K-Y jelly. When you are picking one out, make sure it is safe for 49 use with condoms. (Remember, Vaseline can actually eat through condoms and latex!) You can even integrate the application of it into your foreplay in order to make it less of a chore! Maintain a Healthy Diet Yeast feasts on sugary, bready foods, so try to cut back on your consumption of things like candy, sweet desserts, beer, yeasty bread, white pasta, and so on. You are really helping your entire body get healthier when you swear off these foods—or at least cut down on your intake of them. To reestablish the good balance of yeast in your body, consume lots of organic, probiotic yogurt that contains live cultures and acidophilus, which keep your intestinal tract in good shape. You will find that this new diet makes you feel so how to get rid of yeast infection good that you won’t even miss that sugary stuff. While cravings may set in in the first days or weeks or a new diet, that is just the yeast crying out for sustenance.

You’ll probably find that your yeast infection begins to clear up pretty quickly! This treatment works so well that I have actually heard of some doctors recommending it to their patients instead of drugstore medical treatments. If an OTC treatment is anywhere from $10-$20, and a carton of yogurt is $2-$3, and yogurt seems to be even more effective, well, which is the smarter treatment plan? However, if the idea of putting yogurt “up there” is just too messy or weird for you, there’s another option that delivers the same “good” bacteria into your system. Go to a health food store and buy acidophilus pills in a gel coating. (The coating is important because you’ll want it to be able to dissolve thoroughly inside your body.) Use the pill as a suppository and insert it into your vagina, just the way you would with a drugstore or prescription suppository—although this one is probably going to be much better. • Garlic 34 For hundreds of years garlic has been a favorite food and spice, and millions of people already know how beneficial it can be to your health when eaten, raw or cooked. But did you know that raw garlic cloves can also help cure a yeast infection when applied topically? Garlic is a very powerful antifungal, which means that it will get right to work killing off all the nasties that cause the itching, swelling and redness. It is a beloved natural home treatment of many, many women, and no wonder. It is ultra-effective, works quickly, and is practically free! Do you have garlic in your kitchen right now? Probably. If not, just pick some up next time you’re out doing your grocery shopping. It’s so inexpensive and readily available that for many yeast sufferers this is the treatment of choice. To get some immediate relief, put a peeled garlic clove up in your vagina, just about a finger’s length deep. It will eventually work its way out, or you can get it out by bearing down hard, as though you are having a bowel movement. Don’t worry about “losing it” up there—there’s no way a garlic clove can fit through the cervix. Leave the garlic clove in place over night. If your infection is severe, you may need to do this for several nights in a row, and you may want to replace the garlic clove with sign of a yeast infection a fresh one each morning. Repeat this until the symptoms disappear, and then repeat one extra day for good measure. Try it and see for yourself why so many women swear by this easy and allnatural treatment. • Chickweed Ointment 35 Instead of buying a prescription or OTC ointment to relieve your itching, why not try all-natural chickweed ointment, which is just as effective but does not contain potentially harmful ingredients? Chickweed is a weed that is commonly found in gardens and grassy fields, and you can actually collect it and make your own ointment if you so desire.

Remember to keep your body’s health in mind, and know that you don’t have to give in. And guess what—after the yeast starts to die off, so will those cravings! Our bodies don’t need artificial substances and sugars to keep us going— we just need healthy, natural fruits, veggies and proteins. Change your diet and you will be amazed by the beneficial changes you see and feel in your appearance and mindset! Keep Your Immune System Healthy If you have a disease or a chronic condition, such as HIV or diabetes, you may find that your incidence of getting a yeast infection seems very high. This is because a weakened immune system does not act as a very effective barrier. 50 You’ve got to make an especially concerted effort to boost your immune system in order to stave off further infections. And even if you don’t suffer from a chronic medical condition, there are many elements of today’s lifestyle that weaken our immune systems—without us even realizing it. The toxins in the air, pollution, mercury in our fish, and so on can all be hazardous to our health. It’s more important than ever that we make ourselves strong enough to fight off those dangerous elements in our environment. Stay healthy so you don’t need to take antibiotics, which can raise your risk of infection. Exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and drink lots of water. Avoid the “bad” foods I’ve listed above. Have fun learning to cook with organic foods, or experiment with healthy, great-tasting recipes. Go to a green market to select the best vegetables and fruits! It is also important to laugh, enjoy your time with family and friends, and keep up a cheerful outlook on life. Happiness is actually a great antidote to ill health and can boost your body’s energy and resiliency. A weak immune system is a classic risk factor for yeast infection, so the best way to stave one off is to keep your body clean and strong! De-stress Stress can actually compromise the health of your entire body by weakening that all-important immune system and throwing the good and bad yeast and bacteria out of whack. Also, when you are stressed you are more likely to eat sugary foods, which will make the yeast very happy but which is terrible for your health. 51 Therefore, taking time out to relax should be an essential part of any good, comprehensive health program. I’m not saying you have to chant along with meditation tapes—I’m just saying that you should set aside time to do activities that you find soothing and relaxing. That can be anything from yoga to listening to classical music. Here are some particular favorites of mine: • Going for a long walk or jog • Meditating • Cooking • Pilates • Reading • Sewing • Singing • Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle Make it a point to practice (ideally, on a daily basis) any relaxation technique that you find appealing. 52 Conclusion I how to get rid of candida hope that in this book I’ve helped you see that you, and only you, are in control of your body. You have the power to keep it healthy like no doctor can! It is simple lifestyle and dietary changes that can make the difference between a healthy body and a weak, ailing one. Doctors’ prescriptions can make you feel better temporarily, but those quick solutions are rarely the most effective options in the long run. Whenever something goes awry in your body and you get sick—whether it’s a flu, a skin condition or a vaginal yeast infection—it’s your body trying to tell you something. Taking a prescription medication is akin to putting tape over its mouth to stifle its voice! Isn’t it better to listen carefully and to respond in a thoughtful, careful way? Now, I’m not saying that drugs are never helpful. Indeed, modern medicine has performed many miracles over the years. But when it comes to yeast infections, there is much today’s doctors don’t or won’t understand. A yeast infection is an indicator that something in your body is out of whack. Perhaps a past dosage of antibiotics has wrecked the delicate balance of good and bad organisms in your GI tract, and you need to rebalance it. Perhaps your diet is too high in sugar and you need to find a healthier way to eat. Perhaps your daily stresses are just too much for your body to handle, and you’ve got to find a way to relax. One of the best aspects of the home remedies I’ve outlined in this guide are that they will not only cure your yeast infection, they will also cure whatever else is ailing you and whatever it is that is causing your yeast infection in the first place. I’m not just trying to help you get rid of those nasty symptoms; I’ve tried to 53 show you how a yeast infection is evidence that your body needs you to make some changes in your lifestyle. I hope you’ll give this holistic approach to your health a go. You may be surprised by your body’s natural ability to heal itself, when given the proper nutrients, exercise and plenty of sleep. It is possible to get better without drugs! Try this system and see! I wish you the best of luck in your quest for better health!