8 essential ways to manage symptoms of candida die-off
As we choose foods that starve candida and other opportunistic bugs, yeast and bacteria cells die. When they die, they release waste and something called endotoxin, which elicits a candida die-off response.
You may have guessed that endotoxin is slightly toxic to the body. And because the immune system mounts a response to this endotoxin, we usually feel worse as we cleanse.1 This phenomenon is what’s known as a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction.
Symptoms of candida die-off: Why you feel worse before you feel better
LivAmend provides liver support at the cornerstone of detox. Cleanse from within with powerful antioxidants that can help your body eliminate waste.
Charee N., a fan of the Body Ecology Facebook page, asked:
“I have been on the B.E.D. for a month now, and I feel worse in a lot of ways. Do some people feel worse before they get better? Anyone else experiencing what I am?”
When we clean up our diet, it seems like we’re more sensitive than ever to our food and our environment.
As you first begin to cleanse on The Body Ecology Diet, you may feel worse as your body dumps all the waste and low-grade infections it’s been carrying around. When your body begins to release toxins, your immune system reacts — triggering a Herxheimer response.2
This can cause:
- Acne
- Depression or anxiety
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Lethargy
- Skin rashes
- Vaginal itching
Essentially, your immune system kicks up an inflammatory storm as toxins move through and out of your body.
Often, this is when people quit a new diet — although the symptoms may be a signal from the body to slow down and focus on assisting the detox process. During this time of cleansing, the body is inflamed. The immune system is up in arms. It’s critical that you give your body the attention that it needs, without shrugging off your symptoms as “just cleansing.”
Today, we come into contact with more toxins than ever, and our bodies can use the extra help. If you haven’t yet, try our 30-Day Challenge now.
8 intuitive tips to support cleansing and restore health to your body
To help your body in this process, you can:
1. Eat warming, predigested foods.
For example, heat makes food easier to digest. So choose cooked foods (like soup) over raw foods. And if you plan to eat raw, make sure that your raw food is cultured and predigested with a probiotic starter.
2. Always include cultured foods on your plate.
Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria and yeast that may help manage candida and soothe away inflammation.3 These good guys are also pros at helping to metabolize waste.
3. Consider colon hydrotherapy, especially if you’re not eliminating at least once a day.
As you cleanse, your colon is your best friend because it escorts waste and toxins out of the body. Constipation may prolong a Herxheimer response as waste and toxins are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream and often come out through the skin.
4. Focus on antioxidants and liver support.
Your liver transforms waste so it can be eliminated. Antioxidants are damage control; they sweep up the mess before it snowballs into free radical damage and runaway inflammation. Body Ecology’s LivAmend is formulated with herbs like milk thistle and wasabi, concentrated sources of antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables — like cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, and watercress — are also high in antioxidants.
5. Continue to avoid sweet foods while experiencing symptoms of candida die-off.
This includes naturally sweet foods, as they will feed the exact organisms you are getting rid of.4 If you crave something sweet, use a few drops of stevia to sweeten a warm cup of tea or lemon water.
6. Gently move the body, enough to work up a sweat.
It doesn’t take much. For example, bouncing on a mini-trampoline will stimulate the lymphatic system and support your efforts to cleanse. Your body will also release waste as you sweat. Remember, keep it simple and keep it gentle.
7. Drink plenty of water.
Dehydration may trap toxins in the body and close down elimination channels. Staying hydrated is key to support detoxification and ease symptoms of candida die-off.
8. Practice deep breathing.
Increasing oxygen into your cells not only helps to stimulate the lymphatic system and the immune system, but it can also help boost your energy and sense of wellbeing.
Remember, the cleansing period may be taxing, physically and mentally. Take it easy. Journal about your feelings. Try to create some quiet time to nourish yourself during your healing journey.
REFERENCES:
- 1. Pellon A, Sadeghi Nasab SD, Moyes DL. New Insights in Candida albicans Innate Immunity at the Mucosa: Toxins, Epithelium, Metabolism, and Beyond. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:81. Published 2020 Mar 3. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.00081.
- 2. Chia-Jui Yang, Nan-Yao Lee, Yu-Hui Lin, Hsin-Chun Lee, Wen-Chien Ko, Chun-Hsing Liao, Cheng-Hsin Wu, Chia-Ying Hsieh, Pei-Ying Wu, Wen-Chun Liu, Ya-Chu Chang, Chien-Ching Hung, Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction after Penicillin Therapy among Patients with Syphilis in the Era of the HIV Infection Epidemic: Incidence and Risk Factors, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 51, Issue 8, 15 October 2010, Pages 976–979, https://doi.org/10.1086/656419.
- 3. Mundula T, Ricci F, Barbetta B, Baccini M, Amedei A. Effect of Probiotics on Oral Candidiasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2449. Published 2019 Oct 14. doi:10.3390/nu11102449.
- 4. Hudson DA, Sciascia QL, Sanders RJ, Norris GE, Edwards PJB, Sullivan PA, Farley PC. Identification of the dialysable serum inducer of germ-tube formation in Candida albicans. Microbiology (Reading). 2004 Sep;150(Pt 9):3041-3049. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.27121-0. PMID: 15347762.