However, if you do have a yeast overgrowth, there is another category of food that you will need to avoid: yeast- and mold-containing foods. This includes cheese( except for mozzarella and cream cheese), vinegar, soy sauce and other fermented condiments, plus mushrooms, sauerkraut, sour cream, peanuts, cashews and pistachios( all nuts are subject to mold but these last two often contain the greatest amount). The list also includes smoked or cured foods, yeastcontaining vitamins( make sure the label says they are yeast-free) and wine, beer and spirits.
The Allergic Connection
You may wonder why I mention mold. If you have allergies, be aware that yeast and mold are co-reactors-meaning that if you react to one you react to the other. Therefore, if you have a yeast problem, you should do your best to avoid not only yeast and mold in food but also places that harbor environmental mold. This includes office buildings with " sick building syndrome," your damp basement and bathrooms with poor ventilation.
If you are subject to hayfever or other seasonal allergies, such as those stemming from ragweed or pollen, your system is already stressed, making you more vulnerable to an even greater yeast sensitivity. One way to reduce mold exposure is( at certain times of year when mold counts are high) to cut out the yeast and mold in your diet. This may decrease the degree of symptoms you experience.
It is important to remember that yeast overgrowth stresses the immune system, undermining your total health. When it comes to weight loss, a yeast overgrowth, in combination with mold sensitivity, may lead to a suppressed metabolism. This may deplete your body of the energy it takes to burn fat. Of course, there may well be other causes that we haven ' t yet identified. I think that the complete explanation of what Candida overgrowth does to the human body is still well in the future.( For a few common annoyances, see " Did You Know These Conditions Are Yeast Related?" on page 337.) But I do know from my medical practice that this is a problem that can cripple weight loss efforts.
What Can You Do?
If you think you might have excessive yeast in your system, your best bet is, in addition to controlling your carbohydrate intake, to cut out all yeast- and mold-containing foods and wait to see if your symptoms clear up. Give it four to six weeks. If your symptoms do not improve, your problem may not be yeast alone. If you improve in some of the areas I mentioned earlier, then you may have identified a yeast problem or conceivably you may have removed a food to which you ' re allergic( see the next chapter). If you do improve after four to six weeks, cautiously reintroduce some of these foods to see if your symptoms return. It is possible that you may always have to consume yeast and mold foods in moderation.
Lingering symptoms that look yeast related are a reason to refrain from eating yeast- and mold-containing foods a while longer. If you live in a hot, humid climate, be aware that your house may contain a considerable quantity of mold. I ' ve had patients benefit from installing a hepa-filter air purifier in their bedrooms so that they can decrease their allergy load of dust and mold spores, at least when they ' re asleep. A preferable solution would be to install such filters
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