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This post is an installment in our “Coffee with the Coaches” series, where we answer YOUR questions posted on our Facebook page.

Q. I drink from the city water supply. Is the water itself gumming up my system as much as it is my glassware and coffee pot and teakettle and bathtub, etc.?

A. I don’t know that it’s “gumming up” your system, but I do have a concern around municipal water with regards to chlorine and fluoride, both of which compete with iodine and block iodine receptors in your thyroid gland. My recommendation is a reverse osmosis filter and to add a tiny pinch of high quality sea salt with each glass you drink to replenish the lost minerals. After a lot of research, we opted for an Aqua-Pure RO filter.

Q. Is the candida spit test really accurate? I’ve gone through two bottles of Candex and then tried Diflucan, which I got from my GP. My spit is better, but it still has small, stringy legs in the water. My bloating is gone for the most part. I’ve stayed away from all sugar and am keeping up on probiotics and doing everything else perfectly. How will I know when I can move on? Is it really that stubborn? What are some other herbal remedies?

A. It’s not 100% accurate. I don’t know of a candida/yeast test that is. But I know of doctors who use it with their patients. In several years of giving clients the spit test, we’ve seen them test positive (cloudy, murky, stringy saliva in their water), do a gentle yeast cleanse, see a lot of improvement (like total alleviation of sugar cravings – and bloating, like you mention), do the spit test again, and their water is clear.

A while back, Dr. Mark Hyman published a short video about candida testing and he said (and I paraphrase), “We don’t have a good test for yeast. Many of the tests for yeast are largely inconclusive, like a skin scrape or stool or blood testing. Until we have a good test, I’ll continue to give my patients the no-cost, easy spit test.”

So I said, “If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.”

Then, I learned of some testing that is said to be pretty good: GI Effects, Genova CDSA 2.0, and a test from Doctor’s Data. I can’t vouch for any of these. 

I’m a big fan of Candex and it works well for most people. Candex dissolves the biofilm that yeast surrounds itself with – this biofilm is why it’s been historically difficult for many people to do a thorough yeast cleanse. If you’re feeling that you want something herbal, my favorite herbal anti-fungals are Candibactin AR and Candibactin BR.

Q. I need good snack ideas that are fast and healthy! Fruit, jerky, and sweet potato chips with coconut oil are some old standbys. But are there any good bars out there?

A. I’m not a big fan of bars, in general, but there are some decent ones out there. I like Pure Ancient Grains bars, which are certified organic, non GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, kosher, and made with quinoa, amaranth, flax seed, and hemp. A lot of people like Kind Bars or Larabar, but they’re too sickening sweet for me.

You mention jerky already, but Tanka Bars are pretty good. I buy a 100% grassfed beef sick from my local co-op (Grass Run Farms).

Here are some other ideas: celery and cashew butter, apple and cheese (if you can tolerate dairy), nuts, a “mini smoothie” (often my go-to if I need something in the afternoon), sardines, any raw veggie with hummus, and roasted sea veggies. This is referring to “travel foods,” but it may help.