Do I Have Candida?

In general, chronic Candida overgrowth can make a person feel very unwell all over. Here are some of the many symptoms that you may be experiencing if you have Candida overgrowth:

Stomach - constipation; diarrhoea; irritable bowel syndrome; stomach distension; bloating, especially after eating; two sets of clothes needed for pre and post eating; indigestion; gas; heartburn.

Head - headaches; dizziness; earaches; blurred vision; flushed cheeks; feeling of 'sleepwalking'; feeling unreal; feeling 'spaced out'.

Women - Pre-Menstrual Tension (PMT); water retention; irregular menstruation; painful breasts; vaginal discharge or itchiness; thrush; cystitis.

Blood Glucose - hungry between meals; irritable or moody before meals; shaky when hungry; faintness when food is not eaten; irregular pulse before and after eating; headaches late morning; waking in the early hours and not being able to get back to sleep; abnormal cravings for sweet foods, bread, alcohol or caffeine; eating sweets increases hunger; excessive appetite; instant sugar 'high' followed by fatigue; chilly feeling after eating.

Mental - anxiety; depression; irritability; lethargy; memory problems; loss of concentration; moodiness; nightmares; mental 'sluggishness'; "get up and go" has got up and gone.

Other - athletes foot; dandruff or other fungal infections; Food Intolerance; dramatic fluctuations in weight from one day to the next; poor circulation; hands and feet sensitive to cold; exhaustion; feeling of being unable to cope; constant fatigue; muscle aches; susceptibility to infection; gasping for breath; sighing often - 'hunger for air'; tightness in chest; chest aches; cramps; yawning easily; insomnia; excessive thirst; easy weight gain; coated tongue; dry skin; hair loss; symptoms worse after consuming yeast or sugary foods; symptoms worse on damp, humid or rainy days.

As you can see, the complaints attributable to Candida are many and varied. If you are feeling very unwell at the moment you may identify with many of the above symptoms and you may be as worried about your general health as you are about your eating habits. However, many readers will be most aware of the sugar handling problems, water retention, fatigue, easy weight gain, dramatic fluctuations in weight, stomach bloating, depression, anxiety and other symptoms common to eating problems. If Candida is left unchecked you could soon develop many of the other symptoms until your health deteriorates to an unprecedented level. Candida does not get better on its own - it gets worse. At the moment you may just be worried about sugar cravings and weight fluctuations but things could get a lot worse.



This copy is an extract form a book by Zoe Harcombe called 'Why do you overeat? when all you want is to be slim'. This book tackles the question of what impact Candida, and other conditions, have on food cravings and how they can be overcome to get cravings under control. You can get a copy of Zoe's book, which is available as a paperback and e-book, right here.