Positive Health Online

I would like to explain that I am reviewing this video from the perspective of someone recently recovered from a gut dysbiosis problem and thus seeking, rather than giving, information on the subject. Having been on a ‘Candida’ diet I found this video highly informative and most entertaining and would have appreciated viewing it when first diagnosed!

In the short introduction, Jane and Gill describe how they individually became aware of the serious clinical effects of Candida albicans, and how they teamed up to create ‘Candida Workshops’ to provide support, information and personal contact for people with this insidious condition. The video is a compilation of the best elements of these workshops.

In the first of three main sections of this three-hour video, we join workshop participants as they go through the symptoms of Candida before Nutritional therapist Gillian Haymer BSc Dip CNS shows where Candida is most commonly found in the body, how to assess whether it is there and whether it is clearing. With clear illustrations, Gillian describes yeasts and how their development into a mycelial form can damage the gut wall leading to ‘leaky gut’ problems and food intolerances. She outlines the range of diagnostic tests for Candida, including measurement of IgA, gut fermentation, blood components and other methods such as Kinesiology, Dowsing and Iridology. A short presentation on Live Blood Analysis later in the video complements this.

Gillian Haymer then looks at the main causes of Candida overgrowth including the chief culprit – antibiotics – and also steroids, poor diet and stress. She then lists the foods to avoid, with revelations about some dubious food industry practices, followed by suggestions for breakfasts, snacks and main meals.

Gillian explains her own ways of helping clients with Candida, stressing that other practitioners will inevitably have developed slightly different strategies based on personal experience. She places emphasis on detoxifying the system and supporting the liver before replacing beneficial bacteria, boosting the immune system, using herbal products to destroy the Candida and finally building up the gut wall once a test has confirmed the Candida has gone.

For me this was the most valuable part of the video. Gillian Hamer’s presentation style is both informative and entertaining. At the end I had a much clearer idea of what has been going on in my gut despite having read several books on the subject. It also made me think twice about slipping back into potentially bad habits!

In the second major section Jane McWhirter cooks a range of healthy snacks and meals in the homely surroundings of her own kitchen. Covering breakfasts, soups, dips and main meals, Jane sets out to show us that it is still possible to eat delicious food while on a ‘Candida’ diet, and offers some handy kitchen tips. She suggests eating a wide variety of foods, choosing good quality ingredients (and doing as little as possible to them) and going organic.

In the final section, we return to the original workshop where Gill Jacobs discusses stress, emotions and the immune system. Starting with a chart of stress responses, she then explores methods of quietening the mind including Meditation, Autogenics, Visualization and Yoga with brief explanations. Gill goes through a list of ways to minimize worry and how to change one’s attitude before answering some searching questions from the participants.

I regard this video as an excellent accompaniment to Jane’s book A Practical Guide to Candida (reviewed in Positive Health Issue 125, July 2006), or indeed any of the other publications about identifying and treating Candida albicans, and I highly recommend it. Although it might seem to some that this is sufficient for a ‘do-it-yourself’ solution to a Candida problem, it is emphasized throughout that one should find a practitioner to guide you with diet and supplements. Whereas the presenters suggest a small amount of fruit in the diet and sourdough bread is acceptable, I was advised that they were not! Hence there is a need for one-to-one professional advice when dealing with this condition.

The video was recorded in 1999, so some facts will have changed; however, updated information is available on www.janelorimerforhealth.co.uk and a list of practitioners, plus further information can be found on www.candida-society.org.uk.

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