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My Doctor and I Jan : Hi Sophie!
Sophie : Hi Jan! How have you been?
Haven't seen you for a long
time. What have you been
doing? You do look a wee bit
worried. What's the matter?
Jan : Nothing really. But ...I have been
a little worried lately. It's my
bad breath.
Sophie : Lots of people suffer from it.
What are you worrying about?
Jan : Well ... for many, many years
now, I have been suffering from
bad breath. It's rather embarrassing, really. I am so conscious of it
that I try not to speak sometimes. But then, it is impossible to
remain mum all the time.
Sophie : Have you done anything about it so far?
Jan : Yes, I've been gargling my mouth with medicated gargles very
frequently. .. every two hours, in fact. But this does not seem to help
very much. You know, I've noticed that when I. get up in the
mornings, my tongue has a white coating. On top of that, I have a
lot of phlegm and it is often thick and yellow in colour.
Sophie : Do you have a sinus problem as well?
Jan : Yes. I'm told I have sinus congestion.
Sophie : Hmmm...Let me see ... mouth gargles offer only temporary relief. If
you want a permanent cure, you need to get to the root of the
problem. There are several reasons for bad breath which may
include congestion of the sinus, indigestion and even decaying
teeth.
Jan : I have always taken the trouble to have my teeth checked every
six months and I've always received a clean bill of health from the
dentist. No bad teeth.
Sophie : That's very good. But from what I've read so far, I know that
symptoms such as indigestion, excessive gas and a white-coated
tongue may indicate an abundance of candida.
Jan : Candida? What's that?
Sophie : It's a yeast-like fungus that inhabits the human colon. In a
healthy person, the population of candida is kept under control by
the human immune system as well as by friendly bacteria such as
lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
Jan : Lactobacilli sounds familiar. Isn't this the bacteria found in
yoghurt?
Sophie : Yes, that's right. That's why it's good for you to eat lots of yoghurt.
However, if the friendly bacteria is reduced, then there is a
tendency for the candida to grow quickly and overpopulate,
causing a lot of health problems.
Jan : Well, Doctor Sophie, you seem to know a lot.
Sophie : I should. I'm in my third year of medical school and I still have
another three years to go. It's all part of what I'm learning.
Jan : Then you are qualified to advise me. What should I do next?
Sophie : You have to make sure that there is enough good bacteria in your
gut. Eat lots of yoghurt or take some probiotics tablets.
Jan : All right.
Sophie : Another thing, avoid sugar. Refrain from consuming sweet drinks
and cakes and other sweet foods. This is because sugar and
carbohydrates act as food for candida. By avoiding sugar
completely, you are actually starving the fungus. Slowly but surely
you get rid of the candida.
Jan : What about my sinus problem?
Sophie : Simple! Do not eat bananas and oranges for eight weeks. In
addition, do not eat more than two whole fruit per day. Also avoid
taking milk. Do this for eight weeks and you'll find yourself feeling
very much better. This is because these foods are known for their
mucus-forming properties. So if you avoid these foods, there will
be very much less mucus.
Jan : Thank you, Sophie. Your advice has really been helpful. As a
reward, let me buy you a triple ice cream cone and I'll get myself a
single scoop.
Sophie : Oh no! |
