The other day I was asked a question concerning candida and water fasting that I thought I would answer in this post. Someone asked me why not go on a water fast and starve your candida – wouldn’t that solve the problem?
Read my candida story here.
It’s a great question, and I think we need to take some time and research the topic and find the answer. When I was sick with candida, I searched the internet high and low for answers; I was willing to try anything and spent a lot of money on my research. This is why I created this blog and why I take the time to do all the research. I want to find out the best method of beating candida and getting life back to normal.
I am going to give you my opinion on water fasting and why I believe this isn’t the best way to kill candida and restore your gut to optimal health.
What Is Water Fasting?
Water fasting is when you withgo food for a period of time and only consume water. Medical experts suggest that from 24 hours to 3 days as the maximum time to go without food. Obviously, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any diet or fast.
To learn how to do a proper water fast, you can check out the article here.
Fasting isn’t something new, but water fasting has received a lot of attention lately. There are a lot of people that merge water fasting and mediation as a method of relaxation. Fasting has been used for spiritual and health purposes for years and does have a benefit to your overall wellbeing.
People with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity have seen some positive results using some type of fasting.
Fasting has also been used as a means of weight loss.
Why does fasting result in weight loss? When the body doesn’t have carbohydrates to use as energy, it will begin to burn fat. It’s important to note that fasting isn’t the best way to lose weight. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, taking it slow by using a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight and keep it off for a long time.
Yet, our world is filled with easy, quick methods for weight loss, and people are there really to drink it all up. At the end of the day, weight lot methods that take little effort are more popular than natural, balanced approaches. This is why most people would rather swallow a pill then head over to the gym.
I have always believed in balance. Is water fasting bad for you? Nope. It has its place, but it isn’t always the best practice for losing weight or improving our health.
Is Water Fasting Good for Candida?
The basic premise of defeating candida is three steps: you need to starve the yeast, kill the yeast, and feed the good bacteria in your gut.
>> Learn about how you can kill candida and restore balance back to your gut with this excellent resource. Click here to begin.
The good bacteria in your gut will kill the candida and add balance back to your gut over time. If you work at restoring that good bacteria, then you will slowly win the war. You cannot just run after quick fixes, because they usually lead to more significant problems.
The problem with focusing just on a diet to beat candida and whether it’s the candida diet or a type of fasting is that it only is part of the equation. You need to starve the yeast and feed the good bacteria to win the war.
People who will rely on water fasting to beat candida do not feed the good bacteria; they end up killing the good bacteria that is so essential to killing off candida. The bad part is that they become frustrated with the lack of results and then give up the battle altogether.
I tried several diets in hopes of killing my candida, and all of them failed. I tried fasting, and it didn’t work. The bottom line is you have to feed the good flora in your gut and restore the balance that was lost when candida took over. Failing to feed the good bacteria will allow candida to hang around and cause those terrible symptoms that you’re trying to eliminate.
Take Pro and Prebiotics
The simple solution to your candida problem is found in cutting back your carb and sugar intake (which feeds the candida), and feeding the good flora in your gut.
When my candida was at it’s worst, I took a probiotic every day that had an excellent prebiotic, I took a vitamin B complex and some Yeast Cleanser to kill the yeast.
With eliminating sugar and carbs, this method helped restore balance to gut and reduce the symptoms that plagued my body.
Conclusion
Let’s circle around to that question again, would a fast water help get rid of my candida? The answer is it would probably (short-term) help with some of your symptoms, but it’s not going to be the best way of getting rid of your candida for good.
For more information about how I treated my candida, you can check out my video here.
