Crave Sweets? On the Weight & Mood Roller Coaster? Perhaps It's More Than You Think!

The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG TIME on the addictive nature of carbohydrates (sweets, breads, deserts) in the human body. Blood sugar-handling problems promote arteriosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), adult-onset diabetes, mood swings, weight problems, chronic fatigue, PMS and much more. Additionally, there is evidence that sugar addiction has a component of alcoholism!
Consider that there actually is speculation about a Syndrome called "Gut Fermentation" or "Auto-Brewery Syndrome." There is a great deal of evidence that due to a combination of 1. An overgrown yeast population in the GI tract (gastrointestinal system), 2. Compromised stomach acid levels (hypochlorhydria), and consumption of refined carbohydrates, detectable amounts of alcohol are produced. In fact, it is estimated that this syndrome plagues 61% of chronically unwell patients.
Microscopic Yeast, "Candida Albicans" Controls Your Cravings. Just what is candida albicans? Neither a vegetable nor an animal, yeasts live in our intestines, on our skin, as well as on the surfaces of all living creatures (and foods). However, yeasts usually live in small enough numbers that the existence of large populations of "good flora" (the kind of bacteria that actually assist human health) keeps it under control.
Candida yeast is in the fungal family, and loves warm, moist places on, or inside living things. People plagued with candida crave sweets – carbohydrates – and milk products (cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.) because candida "loves" these foods too. Americans consider them daily fare.
How Can I Diagnose Myself? Though there are tests that can be many practitioners diagnose from the symptoms and health history alone. Ask yourself these questions and then take the symptom survey in #6 below: Taken many antibiotic drugs from childhood through the present? Are you now, or have you had periods of high to extreme stress in your life? Taken birth control pills for any period of time? Heavily consume white breads, pastas, cookies, cakes, ice cream, cheeses, etc? Have a child who has been labeled ADD/ADHD, "slow learner" or "underachiever"? Our children are huge victims of the yeast syndrome! Circle your symptoms: Headaches, Depression, Fatigue, Mood swings, Muscle/joint pains (unexplained), Loss of strong libido/sexual function, Chemical sensitivities, Asthma & respiratory problems, Food sensitivities, Memory loss, Constant colds, Sleep Problems, Volvodynia, endometriosis, infertility, Attention Deficits, Ear problems, Skin rashes, Hyperactivity, Poor School Performance, Recurrent vaginal yeast infections, Pain on intercourse, Interstitial cystitis
How Does This Yeast Syndrome Occur? In a person with a strong immune system, yeasts co-exist with the millions of other microbes ("micro flora") in the body. The imbalance begins with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. These drugs not only kill infectious microbes, but also kill the "good flora" that normally live in our bodies; thus decreasing the body's built-in yeast population control. The opportunistic yeast then have a chance to multiply.
Worse yet, yeasts excrete toxins into their environment (the host body) that weaken the immune system further. This increases susceptibility to re-infection and the need for more antibiotics; leading to more killing of the "good flora" and hence the continued overgrowth of yeasts – a vicious cycle!
Yeasts can and do spread to be a system-wide problem. The result is myriad symptoms that can arise from its pervasiveness.
What YOU Can Do NOW: Unfortunately, simply eating yogurt to ingest the "good flora" (acidophilus and bifidus) when you take antibiotics isn't enough. Dietary changes, along with herbs and supplements are vital. In severe cases, anti-fungal prescriptions are recommended. There are several must-read books on the subject: The Yeast Connection by Dr. Crock, M.D., The Body Knows, by Caroline Sutherland, and regarding the negatives of sugar, Sugar Blues, by William Dufty.
Candida Yeast infections are no joke, and progressively make the sufferer's life more and more difficult. If you ignore it, it will NOT go away. Many people have been so debilitated by candida problems that they almost felt they needed to go live in a plastic bubble to stay healthy. If you do have it, getting free of systemic yeast infection can revolutionize your health, and give you the youthful vitality and wellness you never thought you'd see again.