Since the advent of antibiotics nearly a century ago, we've been injecting them into our bodies to kill off bacterial infections. Alongside this increased use of antibiotics, American consumers have increased their sugar intake from 20 pounds of sugar per year to about 140 pounds of sugar per year -- mainly due to the exponential rise of process foods containing HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). It has been the combination of these two trends that has been the cause for what is known as the "Candida Yeast Syndrome."

In the gut, the ratio of "unfriendly" bacteria to "friendly" bacteria is about 15% to 85% in a healthy person. However, when we base our diet on foods such as crackers, chips, white bread, pizza, fries, and other processed foods, the body's immune system breaks down, causing candida albicans to multiply to the point where this healthy ratio is seriously compromised. As a result, people will experience candida symptoms such as chronic sinus infections, sinus headaches, vaginal yeast infections, frequent urination, acne, white tongue, spaciness, constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhea, water retention, and constant cravings for sweet, starchy, "yeasty" foods such as bread, alcohol, and pizza.

There are large number of probiotic products on the market but the best I've found are "Raw Probiotics" and "Yeast Freeze" from Garden of Life. But if you've been suffering from chronic systemic candida, then probiotics alone will not be able to reduce its overgrowth and get the yeast overgrowth under control. A diet based on zero starch and zero sugar for at least six months is often necessary to get your gut's bacteria back into a healthy balance and put the candida in check.

Because your anti-candida diet should not include any starch-based foods, this means eliminating the so-called "healthy" carbs such as legumes (soy, hummus, peas, beans, lentils), grains (wheat, oats, corn, rice), pasta, and potatoes. It's not enough to only eliminate the obvious starches such as processed foods, but it requires eliminating all starches because no matter how organic or "whole grain" they are, they are still metabolized by the body as glucose (sugar). And sugar is what the candida feeds on. So, essentially what you're doing by excluding all the starchy carbs, is starving the candida to death.

You will also need to eliminate all fermented foods such as pickles, vinegars, soy sauce, and products that contain them such as ketchup and mustard. And remember that all dairy products contain lactose sugar. So milk and cheese must be excluded as well -- and this includes yogurt, despite its probiotic benefits. Instead, replace the yogurt with Bubbies brand, probiotic-rich raw cultured cabbage. Or you can learn to make your own probiotics from coconut milk. Simply Google "coconut milk kefir" and you'll find a host of recipes. And finally, remember that antibiotics are added to eggs and poultry in high doses so you'll want to look for the free range, antibiotic-free kind at the supermarket.