Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (135 page)

Reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens—toxic man-made compounds present in pesticides, weedkillers, paints, adhesives, and plastics.

Don’t smoke, and avoid passive smoking.

Maintain a healthy body weight, as overweight and obesity are associated with an increased cancer risk.

Get regular exercise, as this will help to keep your weight in check and has a cancer-preventive effect.

Try to avoid stress and practice relaxation techniques such as meditation.

Reduce exposure to air pollution, industrial chemicals, and ionizing radiation.

Protect yourself from the sun with regular use of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing.

My wife, Josie, is recovering from breast cancer, having completed all her hospital treatment. Following the chemotherapy and radiation she felt less and less well, with backaches, a loss of energy, and her taste not fully returned. We purchased Gillian’s
You Are What You Eat
and upon checking Josie’s tongue it appeared she had a vitamin B deficiency. So off I went to purchase vitamin B supplements together with an aloe vera drink. The change in Josie within two hours was remarkable; she felt more energetic, her backache was reduced (not 100% gone but certainly loads better) and she has now returned to her part-time work after 11 months off!

CANDIDIASIS

Everyone has a certain amount of yeast growing within the body. But an overgrowth or excess of yeast can lead to conditions including thrush, vaginal infection, and candidiasis. Candidiasis occurs when the unhealthy bacteria or yeast take over the healthy bacteria in the gut, and the proper balance of intestinal flora is upset.

Certain events in a life might trigger these overgrowth yeast problems: for example, stress, divorce, job loss, illness, or death of a loved one. Pregnancy and giving birth can trigger candidiasis in women. And even a poor diet of junk food can bring it on, especially if the liver is not working optimally.

Candidiasis is frequently misdiagnosed or ignored. Symptoms might include chronic fatigue, headaches, digestive disorders, bloating, edema, mental dullness, confusion, severe and multiple allergies, and chemical or food sensitivities.

Primary diagnosis is through a test that shows abnormal production of the alcohol ethanol in the gut. It is best to have blood, stool, and other biochemical tests to evaluate the presence and extent of candidiasis.

Study the following Candida Self Check so that you may evaluate your own symptoms. If you think that you may have candidiasis, I urge you to consult your GP and a nutritionist or herbalist.

SYMPTOMS

Athlete’s foot.

Bloating.

Clogged sinuses.

Confusion (brain fog).

Constipation.