Nutritional Therapy - The Six Basic Diets
Diet Number Three
THE ANTI-YEAST DIET
Yeast overgrowth, or candida, is extremely common among 4-A kids, and generally
must be cleared for these kids to recover. It is especially important to clear this
overgrowth from the gut, because it can not only interfere terribly with digestion,
but can send harmful substances into the system that hurt the brain and body.
The anti-yeast diet, which can be done at the same time as the other appropriate
diets – is a little hard for some kids, but at least it’s not very complicated. The
hard part for most kids is avoiding wheat and baked goods, especially bread.
Unfortunately, these foods have high levels of yeast. The difficulty is reduced
drastically if your child is already on the gluten-free, casein-free diet, because that
diet also eliminates wheat products. This diet is also very compatible with the anti-
hypoglycemia diet, because the same general restrictions apply to both.
Yeast overgrowth, or candida, is generally diagnosed clinically by the child’s
history, as well as by a set of signs and symptoms. Some laboratories perform a
stool test for candida, but I generally do not rely on this test. This test can confirm
my clinical suspicion that a patient has yeast, but I do not require the results of this
test to make a clinical diagnosis. The clinical signs and symptoms, along with the
child’s history, are the best indicators that the problem exists. The test, however,
can be helpful in choosing the proper medications.
Signs and Symptoms Include:
- Abdominal bloating, especially after eating yeast-promoting foods.
- Itching in the mucosal membranes, such as those of the genitals, or “jock
itch.”
- Recurrent athlete’s foot, or fungal infections of the toenails.
- A thick white coat in the throat, known as thrush.
- Chronic nasal congestion or infection.
- Depression, lethargy, food cravings, weight gain, malaise.
- Joint pain and muscle aches.
- History of frequent or recent antibiotic use.
The foods to restrict on the anti-yeast diet are those that:
Contain yeast (such as bread).
Contain foods that stimulate the growth of yeast (such as sugar), or that contain
other forms of mold or fungus (such as cheese or mushrooms).
The worst foods are those that contain both yeast and sugar, such as cake,
cookies, pastries, and pancakes.
Other extremely harmful foods are those with exceptionally high amounts of yeast
in them, such as high-rising breads, or beer (among adults).
Talk to your doctor about controlling yeast in your child. You may need to not only
change your child’s diet, but also administer certain yeast-controlling
supplements, and medications. Controlling yeast overgrowth sometimes has
extraordinary benefits.
