Candida

If cakes, biscuits and booze are a regular part of your diet, or if you don’t think twice about taking a course of antibiotics at the first sign of an infection, then you might be affecting your body in a way that’s a little less obvious than weight gain or a niggling cold.

Candida is a fungus, similar to yeast, and overgrowth of it can cause an array of health issues – tiredness, bloating and digestion problems, fungal infections and sugar cravings are just a few of them. If you’ve ever experienced these symptoms but could never figure out the cause of the problem, then you might be dealing with a candida overgrowth.

So what can you do to prevent it? There are some simple tweaks you can make to your everyday habits that could work wonders in treating candida overgrowth. Make these subtle changes gradually and give your health the boost it needs.

1. Go sugar-free
Sugary foods will feed the yeast, which in turn just makes you crave more of the sweet stuff. Cut out sugar and limit your carbohydrate intake – especially alcohol and any refined carbs (think white bread and pasta).

2. Boost friendly bacteria
Taking probiotics supplements will significantly promote the growth of friendly bacteria in your gut, which will help to fight candida. This is extremely important if you regularly take or have recently taken a course of antibiotics, which destroy all friendly bacteria. Try Bio-Kult Candea, £9.86, amazon.co.uk

3. Fight fungus with food
Anti-fungal foods like onions, garlic, ginger and oregano are great at fighting candida overgrowth. Add these flavoursome foods to your usual dishes.

4. De-stress
High stress levels can increase candida growth, so try to relax. This means getting a decent amount of sleep each night, exercising to release tension and trying to address any stressful situations in your life.