An Interview with Dr. Julie Gatza
Under normal conditions, we humans have a naturally occurring critter called candida albicans growing in our gastrointestinal tracts. This organism, a yeast, is usually benign. However, if allowed to over-grow and proliferate, candida’s presence in and on our bodies may have seriously detrimental effects on our health, triggering symptoms such as persistent gas and bloating, weight gain, brain fog, fatigue, skin issues, and more.
Estimates are that approximately 33% of people in Western countries suffer from candida overgrowth, with certain naturopathic schools of thought estimating that over 80% of the population is affected.
“The primary reasons for candida overgrowth can be attributed to our high consumption of antibiotics and dietary sugars, both of which promote candida proliferation,” says Dr. Julie Gatza. Dr. Gatza says an effective anti-candida program will involve both dietary changes and nutritional supplementation.
Here is Dr. Gatza’s four-step plan for treating candida overgrowth naturally:
1. Starve the Yeast
Starve the yeast with a sugar-free diet: This means avoid sugar in all its forms. Check labels for hidden sugars, avoid processed meats. Avoid bananas, pineapples, all sweet fruits and syrupy canned fruits. Avoid carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes, grains and white rice that rapidly break down into sugars,
2. Eliminate Fermented Foods
Eliminate fermented foods and food products that promote the growth of yeast: alcoholic beverages, pickles, peanuts, soy sauce, vinegar, olives, mustard, ketchup, mushrooms, dairy products, buttermilk, cheese, milk, sour cream.
3. Kill the Yeast With Herbal Anti-Fungal (Horopito)
Kill the yeast with herbal anti-fungal: “Horopito is a highly potent anti-fungal herb native to New Zealand, used for hundreds of years by the region’s indigenous people for treatment of a variety of skin diseases including ringworm,” says Dr. Gatza. “Polygodial is the herb’s active ingredient, able to kill fungus on contact by damaging the organism’s outer membrane. The all-natural extract has been formulated into capsules and skin creams and is proven effective for a variety of applications including intestinal care, intimate care for women, and foot & toe care.”
4. Repopulate the Gut With Probiotics
Repopulate the gut with probiotics: Dr Gatza says it’s essential to put good bugs into the gut to crowd out the bad ones, so high potency and quality multi-strain probiotics are essential for the prevention, control and elimination of candida. As the intestinal and vaginal microflora become balanced, you will be able to tolerate a greater variety of foods.
“Some people take longer to heal from yeast overgrowth, and some take a much shorter period of time,” says Dr. Gatza. “Many factors determine how long it takes: the strength of the immune system, the degree of stress in one’s life (both environmental and emotional), the health of the individual organs being treated and, of course, a patient’s attitude towards his or her healing goes a long way toward hurting or helping the healing process.”
ABOUT DR. JULIE GATZA (Dr. Julie) Co-founder of the Florida Wellness Institute
Health educator Dr. Julie Gatza is one of the nation’s top chiropractic physicians with more than 26 years of clinical practice during which she assisted more than 25,000 patients resolve a wide variety of physical ailments. Using her understanding of the nervous system, nutrition and alternative therapies, Dr. Gatza’s mission with each patient is to enhance their body’s potential to heal itself. Dr. Gatza regularly lectures and educates audiences on how to maintain optimum health with a focus on the role that a healthy, balanced, parasite-free digestive tract plays in maintaining a healthy immune system. She currently serves as spokesman for Nature’s Sources, distributors of the Kolorex brand of candida control supplements and topical creams.
