From shifting in our pants and avoiding giving into the itch while walking down a street, let’s face it, having a yeast infection is not fun. We sit and recite to ourselves how we’ll break it to our partners that we are temporarily out of commission and in fact, not dirty. It seems unfair we should be enjoying the last days of summer, having fun on our vacations but instead its as though our vaginas were given detention. This white patch of doom bonds us all ladies and together we can free ourselves from the itchy clutches of sexual avoidance. So here are four tips on how to overcome the dreaded yeast infection.
Go with your gut first & lady bits second
That’s right, a yeast infection begins in your gut and according to Chinese Medicine dampness is the culprit. Dampness can be loosely translated as candida in Western medicine and it’s the swamp-like environment that we’re left with when our digestive system is weak. Staying away from fried foods, alcohol, sugar, dairy and gluten is a major step in the right direction. Replacing it with lighter foods like greens, lean proteins and bitter foods is a better option.
Natural lady bit remedies
I was graced with the white patch of itchy doom at 16 years old and came to the horrible realization that I was allergic to OTC suppositories. So instead, I’ve since discovered and recommended sitz baths to my patients. Simply fill your bath tub a quarter of the way with warm water and add in ¼ cup 35% hydrogen peroxide. This will help to bring oxygen into the water and destroy the little buggers lurking in your lady bits.
Probiotic love
If you haven’t heard me tout the magical benefits of having a bang up digestive system for feeling sexy from the inside out, then let me sing it loud and proud: your gut is the core to your health. So when dampness comes lurking around the corner, it’s time to give your tummy some probiotic love. You see, dampness can result from the birth control pill or a round of antibiotics that leave a poor digestive terrain. So reinoculate that gut with a probiotic supplement with breakfast daily. Thinking of yogurt? Forget it. Yogurt is a damp-promoting food that’s generally filled with sugar and the probiotics found in it aren’t at a high enough dose to provide a therapeutic effect.
Anti-fungal smack down
Show that itch what you’re made out of with a natural anti-fungal supplement like grapefruit seed extract or olive leaf capsules. Adding this at the opposite time of day of when you use your probiotics is key so you don’t knock out the good guys with the bad. This will help to remove the dampness and give your vagina a fighting chance.
