More Good Foods Gone Bad

Even good foods can cause havoc in your life. Here are a few to watch out for.

Check out Jackie’s comments on DietDetective.com from this past Tuesday- October 14th, 2008.

Food: Dried fruits.

Problem:Exaggerate symptoms of candida and other yeast-feeding infections.

What Happens: According to Jackie Keller, founder of NutriFit and author of Body After Baby: A Simple, Healthy Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight Fast (Avery/Penguin, 2006), “Dried fruits are a concentrated source of naturally occurring fruit sugars that can exaggerate symptoms of candida and other yeast-feeding infections.” Candida albicans is a type of yeast-like fungus that inhabits the intestines, genital tract, mouth, esophagus and throat. Under normal conditions, this fungus lives in healthy balance with the other bacteria and yeasts in the body; however, certain conditions can cause the bacteria to multiply out of control. This can, in turn, lead to a weakened immune system and an infection known as candidiasis. “There are a host of candidiasis symptoms that vary from person to person and can include, but are not limited to, constipation, diarrhea, colitis, abdominal pain, headaches, memory loss, mood swings, prostatitis, persistent heartburn, severe itching, bad breath, and kidney and bladder infections. The disorder is often misdiagnosed, since there are so many symptoms,” says Keller. Symptoms often worsen after consumption of foods containing sugar and/or yeast, including all forms of fruits and grains.

How Much Do You Have to Eat? “Everyone is different, so it’s impossible to generalize, but I would think that since a ‘normal’ serving size is [about 1 ounce], having any more than twice what a serving size is supposed to be is having too much,” adds Keller.