Rhianna Jones is a Registered Nurse at CanXida. She completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Georgia Southern University in 2014. She was a neonatal ICU nurse for four-plus years and IBCLC. She has been featured in various media platforms including CBS-TV, Yahoo Finance, Parents Magazine, and Medical News Today, as well as numerous other newspapers and magazines. The CanXida website is: https://www.canxida.com/
Sheldon Baker is an InnoVision contributing editor. His freelance editorial content can also be found in several lifestyle publications, and as CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC, he has created numerous brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for health and wellness organizations. Contact him at Sheldon@NutraInk.com.
Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal (IMCJ): You’re company is relatively unknown. Please provide a short overview of CanXida.
Rhianna Jones, RN: CanXida was founded by Dr. Eric Bakker. He has 30-plus years of Candida experience. Dr. Bakker was treating patients with Candida as well as researching Candida. He formulated a specific diet plan, that he found through experience, to work when paired with super high-quality supplements, and potent ingredients along with lifestyle recommendations that he found to work. He is retired now, but it’s really awesome to be able to carry on his legacy and what he found in real practice really work. I feel like the work that he’s done over these years is now more important than ever.
More importantly, today than ever, especially in America, we are truly the hurried, worried, and stressed nation. These are the conditions where Candida thrives. It’s easy to get a foothold within people who are part of such a situation. We have the technology, along with sedentary lifestyles, as we work from home on our computers. We can just hit a drive thru and grab some fast food if we don’t have time to cook. People don’t prioritize healthy lifestyles. Even people who are exercising, I know personally, don’t do it adequately enough, or properly. It’s these lifestyles where Candida can get a foothold and becomes more and more prominent.
IMCJ: You were a nurse in a hospital setting prior to joining CanXida
Ms. Jones: It was in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit. I absolutely loved what I did. We cared for the sickest of the sick babies. We were the ones with the tiny 23-week-old preemie babies. We obviously wanted those babies to thrive. But it was a lot of just getting them to where they could breathe, eat on their own, and survive – not so much with natural remedies.
Regarding CanXida, I never set out to do this. Until a few years ago, I was probably the most un-natural medicine minded person. I loved attending a traditional nursing school but there wasn’t a lot of room for natural medicine in that world. We were just trying to keep babies alive. Through changes in my life, I ended up needing to come home to be with my kids, and we started home schooling. I left bedside nursing with no intention of going back to anything in the nursing realm.
IMCJ: About that time your life started to change even more.
Ms. Jones: I got really sick. Please know this is all very personal for me. While pregnant with my youngest, who is now four, I broke my finger and ended up having three surgeries during that time. It was terrible as I had this hardware in my finger trying to keep the bone together and my body rejected it. I was on long-term antibiotics, and it absolutely made me ragged. The doctors couldn›t determine what was going on. I was sicker than I've ever been from the medicine that was trying to make me well.
After I had my son, I was breastfeeding and realized he couldn’t tolerate dairy. I started paying attention to when I had dairy in my diet and somehow by the grace of the good Lord, I determined that gut health is really important. I was tired, and I felt like this is what many people experience. Furthermore, I was tired of doctors telling me that I was fine. They couldn’t find anything wrong with me, but I was the sickest I had ever been.
That’s when I started trying to heal my gut. I can’t say for sure that it was Candida, but I adopted a very similar lifestyle as to what Dr. Bakker formulated and recommends. Changing my diet completely changed my life, including my approach to eating and that of my family. We eliminated dairy and my son got better. I felt better than I ever had.
In addition, I had asthma since I was a child and was on long-term medicine for allergies. But I was able to cut down on all of my medicines, and even eliminate some just by changing my diet.
IMCJ: How did you get involved with CanXida?
Ms. Jones: I found the company through a friend. It really resonated that these people were saying the same thing that I was saying. I’m not well, but people are telling me I’m well and I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve seen we’re changing our diet, and we eat for survival. But instead of eating for survival, why don’t we eat to nourish our body and feed our body with what it needs. I’ve seen now that it works, and I just feel a personal connection with the company.
IMCJ: Diet and limiting carbs and sweets, and eliminating dairy are a few ways to combat Candida?
Ms. Jones: That’s absolutely true. Carbs, sugars, soda, chocolate, and alcohol. All the things we love. These are fine carbs and Candida loves these things. It thrives on it. When you eat them they’re enjoyable. You might say I’m really stressed right now. I need a glass of wine, or some chocolate. That’s okay in moderation. If you have Candida overgrowth, instead of fixing the problem you’re feeding it, and you’re destroying your immune system because all these things just wreak havoc on traffic on your immune system. As a result, it’s difficult to fight back.
IMCJ: You mentioned taking antibiotics. Can pharmaceuticals overall lend themselves to Candida symptoms?
Ms. Jones: Yes. Unfortunately, many pharmaceuticals have similar side effects. People are growing tired of this situation as it’s just putting a band-aid on what’s really going on in our body. There is a time and a place for pharmaceuticals. I am not saying you should never use them, but many drugs are definitely being over prescribed and are lending themselves to promoting Candida. If I’m predisposed to having Candida, if I get a really bad infection I may need an antibiotic, but that is the foothold that Candida needs to infiltrate our body. It could be completely innocent, and something that people need, but it sometimes has ramifications as a result of the pharmaceutical world.
IMCJ: Candida affects women and men differently.
Ms. Jones: A lot of times it can replicate other things. When you’re talking about oral thrush that is pretty readily recognizable. You’ve got the white patches on your tongue. It’s itchy and uncomfortable. Even vaginal thrush, or words I hate, jock Itch. Those are things people recognize and believe they have a yeast infection. It can mimic other diseases which is probably why it many times is undiagnosed. For example, you’re experiencing gas bloating or brain fog. Chronic allergies may look like hay fever but could be due to chronic Candida.
It can cause menstrual irregularities in women and even cause pelvic pain. For men it’s getting groin area itch, redness, rashes, or toenail fungus. Many issues are more recognizable, yet some things are a little less identifiable and mimic other things.
IMCJ: Does is affect men or women more? It seems like it might affect women more than men.
Ms. Jones: I had to recently look up the stats and if my memory is correct it does affect women more. A lot of times, in men it’s more commonly misdiagnosed. Some of those statistic statistics may or may not be skewed. Women have vaginal yeast infections, and they are super common. I talk about that all the time, so it would appear it’s more common in women. But I don’t recall exactly what the numbers are.
IMCJ: When you say reading about it I’m assuming you’re referring to scientific literature.
Ms. Jones: There is a lot of scientific literature for Candida. There’s a good amount showing how different herbs work to eradicate it.
Coming from the hospital and medical world natural remedies weren’t an option. Then four years ago I started to figure it out for my family. There is a lot of evidence that shows that these natural remedies people used 100 years ago was the only option and truly effective.
IMCJ: We can have Candida and not know it.
Ms. Jones: Definitely. People are just sick with a health issue that they can’t determine for several years. Candida proves to be the main cause.
IMCJ: Can sexual contact initiate a Candida condition?
Ms. Jones: Oh yes. There are direct causes, and you have things that simply maintain it. If your partner has Candida they can definitely give it to you. You could even get it from sharing a pair of shoes with someone who has a fungus. Again, it could come directly from antibiotics. There are things that maintain that, so repeated contact with whatever or whomever the contributing factor is, and then feeding into it with your diet, lifestyle, and basic habits, you just tend to maintain the issue that initially caused it.
IMCJ: Candida is an invasion of parasitic organisms or bugs. Are they actual bugs, or like little worms?
Ms. Jones: Yes and no. Candida has a place in a natural and healthy body. It is one of those things that’s just there. The problem is when it gets a foothold for one reason or another and you get overgrowth. When you are a healthy individual you have an immune system and gut microbiome that are both healthy as well. You’re good guys in your body are able to fight against all the bad guys and keep them at bay. It keeps everything in harmony and on a level playing field. It’s when you start introducing new things that disrupt your gut biome and doing things that make your immune system less responsive. It’s things that can give Candida room to thrive, and if you don’t nip it in the bud, it can cause problems.
IMCJ: I have heard it said many times, you’re only as healthy as your gut.
Ms. Jones: That’s exactly true. The doctors that I worked with always used to say that.
IMCJ: What kills Candida overgrowth?
Ms. Jones: What we advocate for and what our company has found to work is a combination of diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes. Being totally honest, if you take the supplements and don’t change anything else it’s not going to completely help your situation. As far as diet goes, if you’re eating cake for dinner, or drinking soda all the time, or whatever junk food you may be ingesting, it’s fighting a losing battle. These things are living in opposition of each other and you’re not going to get better.
Look for fresh fruits and veggies and high protein products. A good rule of thumb is to shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store for real food. People love to say that and it’s true. The outer perimeter is where fresher products are. Try to nourish your body, slow down and chew your food really well so you can adequately digest it. Also savor your food. I admit I have a terrible habit of eating super-fast because I have little kids, and we were in an environment for a while where I didn’t have a lot of time to eat. I’m still eating super-fast, but I’m trying to be mindful of it. Still, it can be problematic.
IMCJ: Are there foods that can help guard against Candida?
Ms. Jones: Garlic and ginger are excellent to incorporate into your diet. They help fight Candida and they also work as an anti-inflammatory. You want fermented foods. Yogurt is good for reintroducing good bacteria. Sourdough bread is amazing as it’s not refined flour. It’s a powerhouse in a loaf of bread and truly amazing. Staying hydrated is also important because if you’re not hydrated, you can’t flush out the bacteria that you’re trying to kill. A strict diet is temporary. I tell people it is hard to be sick and hard to take supplements, and make diet and lifestyle changes, virtually at the same time.
IMCJ: In other words, there are natural candida treatments. There are herbs that can help treat candida.
Ms. Jones: Yes. Things like tea tree oil, oregano oil, apple cider, and vinegar baths. I’m not advocating to pour apple cider vinegar on your open wounds because you will probably be in a world of pain. But diluting it in your bath and soaking in it can help. Coconut oil is good in so far as anti-fungal is concerned and it can be used in your diet, or as a lubricant to help prevent recurring infections.
For vaginal use and for growing yeast infections we have an effective and recommended treatment. It doesn’t fix it or cure Candida overgrowth. You’ve got to stop thinking of Candida as being a local problem. It’s not just your toenail fungus that’s the problem. It’s the entire body, and if you’ve got a problem in one place you’ve probably got overgrowth in your body and in your gut.
IMCJ: Provide an overview of the treatment stages.
Ms. Jones: We have a three-stage topical treatment, three-stage diet plan, and three-stages of supplements. Three, three and three.
The topical plan is not a cure all and alone will not treat your overgrowth, but it’s going to provide some immediate relief. We suggest using manuka honey. Take warmed manuka honey and chopped garlic and apply it to your affected skin. There are some incredible anti-fungal properties in those foods. If it’s a vaginal infection you want to let it sit on the skin in and around the vagina for about 30 minutes. Then rinse with apple cider vinegar. What you’re trying to do is reduce the inflammation, which should provide some relief. It’s helping eliminate the bacteria or fungi that are present. The apple cider vinegar is going to cleanse and return your Ph back to normal. Then dry the vaginal area and take plain, organic, unsweetened yogurt and use it like lotion. It is super soothing and will help get you immediate results to alleviate burning, itching, or pain. To reiterate, this is not going to treat your overgrowth. You still have to follow the diet and take the supplements if you truly want to be healthy.
IMCJ: How about using apple cider vinegar as a salad dressing with a little olive oil.
Ms. Jones: Yes. That would be helpful. Apple cider vinegar overall is a great Candida fighter.
IMCJ: So, topical is one program. What’s next?
Ms. Jones: Next is the diet stage. As I have mentioned, it’s fresh foods, shopping the outer parameter of your grocery store, steering clear of sugar, alcohol, refined carbs, soda, chocolate, muffins, and foods that fuel Candida and can tank your immune system.
The three-stage diet approach we recommend our patients go through begins with the MEVY diet – foods like meat, eggs, vegetables, and yogurt. It’s a strict diet. You start with that for approximately two-to-three weeks. That allows your body and gut to get better prepared for what you’re about to do next. The next phase of the diet plan is the low allergy phase. This can last anywhere from week two to approximately the sixth or eighth week. Much of it depends on how long you’ve been dealing with Candida. It’s very important to do this because most people have been sick much longer than they realize. That’s the simplest way to put it if you’ve taken antibiotics or oral contraceptives or other prescription drugs. The low allergy phase is important because you want to nourish your body as best as you can by focusing on nutrient dense foods and eliminate foods that people can typically be allergic to. Some grains, gluten or soy are generally fine for a lot of people. You need to clear your body of those things that may have been feeding your Candida and causing inflammation or triggering an allergic response and hurting your gut. There’s a possibility, if you’re allergic to one of those things, you could reintroduce them and not have problems. After you have gone through this strict diet, the next step is an isolation diet that should be followed for several weeks. The third diet phase is reintroduction. This is a phase people often want to skip. They say, I’ve done the first and second part. I’ve worked really hard for two months and I’m going back to eating the way I had. But you can’t do that because you’ll have to start completely over if Candida reoccurs. You’ve done all this work, and you just threw it all away. I know it’s tempting to go back to the way you were eating, but if you want to get healthier you can’t.
In the reintroduction phase, we recommend keeping a food diary and taking it slow. This is how you’re going to get back to normal. If you have stopped eating dairy during the low allergy phase reintroduce it in small amounts and give yourself a few days to determine if you are having a reaction. Personally, I know I am allergic to baker’s yeast, which is the yeast that is in regular bread. So, I make sourdough bread at home because I’m not allergic to that.
If I eat bakery products I have severe bloating. These are things you’re going be looking for when reintroducing foods. Give it two-to-four days before you determine you’re not having a reaction to those foods and write it in your diary. Track your responses to foods. We have an excellent symptom tracker which is a resource on our website. We have an excellent food guide that walks everybody through these things.
During the reintroduction phase track your symptoms. Be mindful of what your body is telling you even if you don’t like what you are experiencing, but it gets you back to normal. Here’s our diet plan link. https://candida.yeastinfection.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/customer-files/shopping-list.pdf
IMCJ: In terms of the products your company offers, if I was the consumer having these issues, what products would I look for?
Ms. Jones: We have three great products that are used in conjunction with the diet.
We have Canxida Remove, Canxida Restore, and Canxida Rebuild. Canxida Remove is designed to be this strong and steady partner for your first step of eliminating the junk in your body. It includes 12 potent ingredients. They are combined to make a time release tablet. What you get many times with anti-fungals is side effects from getting the ingredients all at once, and your body, the medicine, or supplement starts killing off the Candida. You experience side effects. The time release tablet gives you small doses as needed. Small doses reduce bad side effects.
One of the Canxida Remove ingredients is grapefruit seed extract. It has been tested against approximately 43 different strains of Candida. The most common Candida strain is Candida Albicans. When people with Candida Albicans take grapefruit seed extract, within five days there is a substantial load decrease in the body. It’s immediate action. Many people start to see the difference within the first week. Another ingredient is berberine, which has a synergistic effect. It helps all the anti-fungals and works together more efficiently against Candida.
Canxida Restore is a probiotic. That’s the simplest way to put it and aims to restore the good guys in your gut and create a healthy internal environment so you can have good digestion and proper absorption of nutrients. You’re going have better energy levels. And your immune system is going be able to function better.
A lot of people with Candida don’t have good nutrient absorption. When you take Canxida Restore you’re getting more probiotics, so you can amp up your good guys and that little army that’s spotting for you in your body. You’re also going to add digestive enzymes. They help you break down your food and absorb what you eat. They also help with breaking down, destroying, and eliminating the bad things that the yeast, virus, and parasite breakdown leave behind. It too is a time release tablet. The interesting thing to me regarding probiotics is that many aren’t coated, so they don’t survive your stomach acid. Our product being time release gets past your stomach before it starts releasing the probiotics and gets where it needs to go. Once you have started rebuilding your digestive system and your body is getting better, or better than it was, you can add Canxida Rebuild. It’s a multivitamin. It helps boosts critical vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that you could be low in because of the Candida infection. Typically, Candida patients have nutrient deficiencies because they haven’t been able to absorb food. It’s going to help get your levels back to where they need to be. It includes a unique blend of herbs and digestion boosting nutrients. You’re able to get the nutrients you need and absorb. Your gut is being fed and is happy and healthy because of these supplements. It also helps prevent reinfection, which is obviously very important as we don’t want to experience this health issue again.
When you’re starting our supplement and diet plan, you are probably in an uncomfortable situation, as it can often be. But as soon as 12 hours it is something that may start to give you relief.
IMCJ: I guess these symptoms will last as long as you don’t treat it.
Ms. Jones: Exactly. It’s not just going to go away on its own.
IMCJ: You mentioned there are 12 ingredients in all. Are all of those in the three product formulations?
Ms. Jones: All the ingredients are listed on the CanXida website.
IMCJ: Anything you’d like to add?
Ms. Jones: I’ve watched our products work, and it’s been awesome to see how they can work. I have personal ties with our patients. I answer some of the company’s patient emails. People who have questions about how to get started or what to do next. Recently, I’ve had several women email me who have been sick all their life. One such woman who was 60 wanted me to know she followed the plan, took the supplements, and was feeling much better. It’s quite rewarding to hear those stories.
I tell all my friends you get to decide what you live with. There are some things you can’t choose, and you just have to accept it. But this is one of those things you get to decide. Do you want to be sick and have a chronic health condition forever? Do you want to be present for your family and friends and be able to show up for this life that you’ve been given? Yes, our diet plan might be difficult for a little while and these supplements might be hard to take to maintain good health to get better and live well. It’s your right to choose. I encourage people to choose what they do wisely.