KPV Peptides: The Natural Candida Cure

By Rebecca Steiner, Health Coach and Peptide Program Manager

It seems like most people struggle with gastro-intestinal candida overgrowth these days. Along with a myriad of troublesome symptoms, for many of my clients the main complaints are primarily gut issues and an inability to lose weight. Candida makes weight loss extremely challenging. The reasons for this are twofold: First, candida feeds off sugar, and it is extremely skilled at telling your brain to give it more of the sweet stuff it needs to survive. Those crazy sugar cravings you are having aren’t really yours, they are the little bugs taking over your brain! Additionally, candida makes it harder to lose weight because it completely hijacks your metabolism. Needless to say, it is extremely frustrating for so many of my clients who are doing everything right, and getting nowhere. 

Even more exasperating is the nightmare of trying to rid your body of this awful infestation. There are a lot of pharmaceutical, dietary, and natural therapies out there, and many of them will work to some extent. But candida is a formidable opponent, and unfortunately, the likelihood of completely eradicating it, in my experience, is uncertain. Additionally, the treatment can sometimes be even worse than the original problem, wreaking havoc on your gut and mental health. 

This is where KPV enters the picture.  KPV is a natural occurring peptide with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory powers. In studies, KPV has been shown to kill C. albicans (the most common strain of candida) with over 99% efficacy. Combining KPV with an anti-candida diet can completely resolve candida overgrowth for many people. Additionally, KPV is a naturally, biologically occurring molecule with anti-inflammatory properties so, it does not produce as many of the troublesome side effects that you get with some of the other candida therapies. 

Along with its candicidal capabilities, KPV has other pretty miraculous abilities, such as reducing SIBO infections, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis and IBD symptoms, minimizing tumors, and generally decreasing inflammation in the body. I personally use KPV for its mast cell stabilizing effects. It can be a game changer for those who are suffering from mold toxicity, pain, allergies, histamine overload, hives, MCAS, and psoriasis. 

Because KPV is an MSH analogue, it interacts with mast cells in your immune system, which when in dysfunction, can result in an overactive immune system, promoting inflammation and the above disease states. Your doctor may also want to combine KPV with other peptides for more targeted results. Amlexanox, Thymosin Alpha 1 and LL-37 can work synergistically with KPV to treat certain infections and chronic pains, fibromyalgia, inflammation, gut issues, and immune dysregulation. 

If you would like to try KPV for yourself, or if you need assistance creating a personalized anti-candida diet, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/exd.13887

 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18061177/

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4957955/

Health Coaching for SIBO

Diagnosed with SIBO? Health Coaching Can Help

By Rebecca Steiner, Naturopathic Medical Assistant and Health Coach

Have you recently been diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)? Are you feeling uncertain or frustrated? Are you struggling to navigate treatment plans, complicated diets and lifestyle changes? 

SIBO treatment can be daunting and the information available online may be confusing or conflicting. Things that used to seem simple, like grocery shopping, going to a restaurant or even deciding what to eat for breakfast, can suddenly feel overwhelming. The good news is that life with SIBO can be manageable, and partnering up with a Health Coach can help. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with SIBO, it is likely that your doctor has prescribed some combination of diet, medications, and/or herbs to eradicate the bacteria that are living in your small intestine, a place where they shouldn’t be. These bacteria can wreak havoc and they can be stubborn. That means that SIBO treatment is not always straight forward, which can make the treatment difficult for patients. 

One of the biggest complaints I hear from SIBO patients is that they are struggling to implement the diet prescribed by their doctor. They understand that making proper dietary changes is essential if they want to get better, but the food lists are confusing and they are at a complete loss when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking. Additionally, the food guidelines don’t take into account their individual needs, their lifestyle, or any other dietary or medical issues they may have, like food allergies. 

It is not uncommon for people to feel overwhelmed and want to give up. However, with the right team and the proper support it is possible to treat SIBO and restore your health. As a Health and Wellness Coach, I assist patients by making their SIBO treatment plan easier to follow. Working with a Health Coach allows you to individualize your program so that it is tailored to work best for you. We will design a diet based on your individual food preferences and needs. As you gain the knowledge, tools and resources you need, you will also develop confidence, knowing that you have what it takes to beat SIBO! 

One of the greatest benefits of working with a health coach is that inevitably questions, concerns or challenges arise between scheduled visits with your doctor. As a Health Coach, I am here for you: to answer your questions, troubleshoot any problems, and offer support via phone, email, or in person. If you are a patient at Be Well Natural Medicine Cl and diagnosed with SIBO, let us know if you think Health Coaching can help you. 

Post-Holiday Digestion Help!

By Sangita Pedro, ND

We have all had the post-holiday experience of feeling sluggish and heavy after overindulging in rich food, sugar, and alcohol topped off with a hearty dose of stress! This is probably why gyms, yoga studios and doctor’s offices fill up quickly after the first of the year. We all want to start the year off feeling good. Well, if you want to start your new year off on a healthy path, improving your gut is a great way to start. Even the healthiest of us could likely use a little tune-up after the holidays to help us sleep better, feel more energized and get through those workouts with a smile.

Digestion 101

Good digestion is the foundation of health.

Digestion provides the body with the raw materials it needs to carry out thousands of essential processes every day, including building hormones and neurotransmitters, creating cells of all kinds, and producing cellular energy.

Where does healthy digestion begin? In the mind! Even before food enters our mouths, the thought of the meal we’re about to enjoy makes us salivate, which triggers stomach acid production. With the first whiffs of dinner, digestion is already underway. 

Stomach acid serves two primary purposes in the story – it breaks down the food we consume into smaller pieces and it kills any unwanted bacteria, viruses, or parasites that might be hiding in our food. 

 As the food leaves the stomach, it triggers the pancreas to release digestive enzymes for carbohydrate and protein digestion. Next, it prompts the liver and gallbladder to release bile for fat absorption. 

 If all goes well, the result of this process is a perfectly broken-down pile of nutrients that winds its way slowly through the roughly 20 feet of the small intestine, where all the macro and micro nutrients are absorbed and sent to where they are needed in the body. Anything not absorbed in the small intestine is sent to the large intestine for disposal.

In a not-so-healthy system we might experience symptoms like these:

• Heartburn, indigestion or reflux

• Abdominal bloating

• Excessive burping or gas

• Bad breath

• Increased or decreased appetite

• Constipation 

• Diarrhea

• Fatigue

• Abdominal cramps and pain

Or we might end up with any one of these diagnoses:

• IBS with diarrhea and/or constipation

• Crohn’s disease

• Ulcerative colitis

• GERD

• Collagenous colitis

Whether you are currently undergoing treatment for gut imbalance or you simply want to optimize your digestion, follow these simple tips to improve your gut and your overall health:

When to Eat:

• Eat three meals daily

• Leave 3-4 hours between meals with no snacking, only water or herbal tea

• Leave 3-4 hours between dinner and sleep with only water

• The two largest meals of the day should be breakfast and lunch

• Lightest meal of the day should be dinner

• No food after 7pm

• Go to sleep by 10pm

• Get up by 6am 

• Eat breakfast within two hours of waking

How to eat:

• Enjoy your food before you start eating – look at it, smell it, appreciate it

• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly

• Sit down and relax while eating

• Eat with others as often as possible

• Don’t do other things while eating – phone, computer, books, etc. 

What to eat: 

What we eat is unique to each of us and will depend on our age, environment, and nutritional needs.  There is no perfect diet, there is only the diet that is right for you in the moment. 

If you are still experiencing symptoms after making these changes, there may be something else going on that warrants further testing and more specific treatment.