Fungal Overgrowth in My Gut? How I’m Beating Candida and Taking My Energy Back
I found out I was in the 95th percentile for Candida Overgrowth. Here’s the 6-step plan I’m using to heal my gut, boost my energy, and finally feel human again.
“Most people know about bacterial overgrowth, but fungi are an equally important — and often overlooked — piece of the gut puzzle.” — Dr. Satish Rao
When I first started learning about gut health, fungus was the least interesting part to me.
Candida, fungal overgrowth, SIFO… I thought I was immune to that stuff because I was a “cool biohacker” with pristine gut health.
I cared more about probiotics, enzymes, and the fancy biohacks. And honestly? I just didn’t believe I could ever have fungal issues. I don’t eat loads of sugar, I don’t crush processed foods, I sauna every week.
But my recent blood work said otherwise. I took a blood test that showed the amount of fungi hanging out in my stomach. Turns out I had a shit ton. I was in the 95th percentile for amount of fungus in the gut.
My friend Norma, a doctor, put it bluntly:
“If you looked inside your gut right now, it would look like a mushroom colony growing inside it!”
And that was exactly how I was feeling:
Stomach pain every morning until I had coffee and food.
Insane sugar cravings that left me tired, cranky, and borderline hypoglycemic if I didn’t eat sugar constantly.
Frustration — I’ve been eating clean, taking my enzymes, doing all the “right” things. How did this happen?
That’s the thing with gut health: modern life bombards us with toxins, stress, and low-quality food.
Even the strongest gut can get knocked off balance. When the bacterial ecosystem, (microbiome) becomes unbalanced bad bacteria and fungi take over.
That’s called dysbiosis — and when the bad guys win, your health suffers.
Sounds gross, right? Mushrooms, bugs, even worms in our gut.
But here’s the thing: when balanced, these critters serve us. They help digest food, eliminate toxins, and even produce feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
There are as many bacteria in our bodies as stars in the sky. The key isn’t killing everything — it’s creating balance.
So for the past two months, I’ve been on a mission to figure out why my gut is unbalanced and build a path to healing.
I don’t have all the answers yet, but already my gut health, energy, and mood are miles better than two months ago — thanks to a few key supplements, blood tests, and lifestyle shifts.
And that’s what this article is about. If you’re struggling with unexplained stomach issues, sugar crashes, or confirmed candida, this is for you.
Let’s dive into what SIFO is, how it starts, and the natural tools I’m using to fight back.
👉 Buckle up, y’all. We got this❤️
What is SIFO?
“The gut is home to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Health depends on balance — overgrowth in any direction creates dysfunction.” — Dr. Michael Ruscio
Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO) occurs when yeast — most commonly Candida species — grows excessively in the small intestine.
This overgrowth can trigger a wide range of symptoms: bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, chronic pain, brain fog, mood disturbances, even neurological issues.
Unlike Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), SIFO involves fungi that produce a wide array of toxic byproducts.
For example, Candida albicans can release more than 79 toxins into the body.
These mycotoxins (mold toxins) and aldehydes contribute to systemic toxicity, amplifying symptoms far beyond digestive discomfort. They can affect hormones, immunity, and neurological health.
Although candida is natural in the small intestine in small amounts, when it overgrows, bad stuff happens quickly.
So now the question is: how did we get here in the first place?
Top Root Causes of SIFO/Candida Overgrowth
Antibiotic Use – Antibiotics wipe out beneficial bacteria that normally keep fungal organisms like Candida in check. Chronic or repeated use is a top risk factor.
High Sugar / Refined Carb Diets – Yeasts feed on sugar and fermentable carbohydrates, thriving in high-glucose environments.
Immunosuppression – From chronic stress, illness, corticosteroid use, chemotherapy, or autoimmune disorders.
Proton Pump Inhibitors / Low Stomach Acid – Reduced stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) decreases natural defense against microbial overgrowth in the small intestine.
Estrogen Dominance / Hormonal Imbalance – Women are up to 8x more likely to develop SIFO, partly because estrogen promotes fungal adhesion and growth.
Mold Exposure – Environmental mold exposure can weaken the immune system and create a favorable terrain for yeast to overgrow internally.
Poor Gut Motility – When the migrating motor complex (MMC) is impaired, food and microbes stay stagnant, allowing overgrowth.
Disrupted Microbiome – From stress, medications, food sensitivities, infections, or poor diet.
So yeah… this fungi party is nasty. The first instinct is to murder everything and nuke the gut, right?
Not so fast.
Candida and Biofilms
One of the biggest challenges in treating fungal overgrowth is Candida’s ability to form biofilms — slimy, protective shields made of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA that coat fungal colonies.
These biofilms make Candida much harder to kill.
They reduce the effectiveness of antifungals, herbs, and even the immune system’s ability to detect and clear the fungus.
This is why so many people fail to resolve SIFO with diet or medications alone.
Over time, biofilms mature and become more difficult to break down, which means you need biofilm disruptors (more on those soon).
In my case, since I have active candida overgrowth, we’re focusing on this fungi specifically.
And important note: everything I’m doing is being monitored by my functional medicine doctor. Having a strategic, safe plan is key to healing.
Silent Candida: How It Hides
Not everyone with Candida overgrowth will have obvious gut symptoms.
In some cases, SIFO can be almost “silent” — especially when the body has adapted to chronic fungal toxins.
This can happen when:
The immune system is too suppressed to mount a noticeable inflammatory response
The body compensates through detox or adrenal pathways
Symptoms show up in less obvious ways — fatigue, poor focus, or recurrent infections — instead of stomach issues
This is why testing and clinical suspicion matter so much.
If you’ve got persistent, unexplained health problems — especially after other causes have been ruled out — silent candida could be hiding in the background.
Treatment and Prevention Considerations
So you’re probably dying for a solution now.
No more stomach pain, no more sugar crashes — let’s kill those fungi, right?
Not so fast. There’s nuance we have to understand.
Antifungal agents (herbal or pharmaceutical) can help reduce fungal load, but they don’t correct the underlying terrain.
Biofilm disruption is often essential for long-term detox success. Rebuilding the microbiome with targeted probiotics comes next. And of course, gut motility, stomach acid, detox pathways, and lifestyle all play a role.
Dietary therapy (like anti-candida or low-FODMAP diets) can definitely help in the short term, but they’re not cures by themselves.
Avoiding sugar, alcohol, moldy foods, and sensitivities can improve symptoms — but if deeper dysfunction isn’t fixed, relapse is common.
Simply put: you can’t starve out a biofilm-protected Candida colony with diet alone.
That’s why testing is so powerful.
I wouldn’t have known how bad my case was without running an advanced panel. I used the Vibrant America Gut + Environmental Toxin Test, which showed extreme candida, mold, heavy metals, and even microplastics. Eye-opening.
Other incredible functional tests worth looking into:
GI-MAP (Diagnostic Solutions) – A gold standard stool test for pathogens, candida, parasites, and gut function markers.
Organic Acids Test (Great Plains / Mosaic) – Looks at metabolites from fungi, yeast, and bacteria. Great for catching hidden candida.
DUTCH Test (Precision Analytical) – Primarily a hormone test, but often used alongside gut testing because candida and estrogen dominance are linked.
Highly recommend talking to your doctor and getting these tests ordered.
Just make sure you’re working with someone who actually understands how to interpret these panels. If your doctor has never heard of gut health or candida… run.
👉 Point is: test, don’t guess. Otherwise you’ll spin your wheels on random diets and supplements without knowing what’s really happening in your gut.
Ok, now it is time!! The 6 step plan, here we go.
Step 1. Detox Support (Before Anything Else)
Before killing anything, you need open detox pathways.
If you don’t, the toxins released by dying fungi — acetaldehyde, mycotoxins, fungal debris — just recirculate in your system.
That’s when you get slammed with headaches, nausea, brain fog, and fatigue.
Think of this detox protocol like clearing the highways before rush hour traffic hits. If your bowels, sweat, urine, and breath aren’t flowing properly, you’re just stirring toxins into the bloodstream instead of getting rid of them.
Once I started these key supplements, I instantly noticed a shift—more energy, clearer eyes, waking up lighter, regular bowel movements, and overall feeling so much better compared to the heavy, toxic load I was used to carrying.
Supplements I’m Using
Detox Support Packets (Designs for Health) – 1 packet daily with food.
Gives the liver the micronutrients and herbs it needs for Phase I & II detox (milk thistle, ALA, minerals).
Ergo-Thione+ (Quicksilver) – 5mL twice daily, held in the mouth for 1 minute before swallowing on an empty stomach.
Combines ergothioneine (a medicinal mushroom amino acid), glutathione, vitamin C, and selenium. A “smart antioxidant” that concentrates in damaged tissues and quenches oxidative stress from candida.
NAD+ Platinum (Quicksilver) – 1 tsp twice daily, held under tongue 60–90s.
B12, NMN, resveratrol → cellular support + methylation for detox.
The One Mitochondrial Optimizer (Quicksilver) – 1 tsp morning + afternoon.
PQQ, resveratrol, CoQ10 + herbs to boost parasympathetic tone and gut resilience.
Nordic Naturals Fish Oil – My nutrient profile showed I was severely deficient in omegas, likely from poor absorption due to candida. Clean, non-oxidized brands are critical (most fish oil is rancid). I love this one.
Detox Lifestyle Habits
These are just as important as the supplements:
Hot water + lemon + mineral-rich sea salt each morning
Daily minerals in my water (Kaizen)
Infrared sauna 3–4x per week
Light walks after meals to move lymph
Sunlight + grounding every day
Breathwork to open up the lungs
Yoga + foam rolling to release fascia and mobilize toxins
Tai chi shaking (read my article on it — incredible for lymph and energy)
Sleep = The #1 Detox Hack
The majority of detox happens at night. If your sleep sucks, your detox pathways shut down. Here’s how I set mine up:
Room like a cave → 67° or below, blackout curtains
No phone or stimulating inputs 1–2 hours before bed
Bioptimizers Magnesium + sleep breakthrough. Amazing combo for deep sleep.
Relaxing Breathwork → drops brainwaves into recovery mode
Red light only after sunset (full guide here)
Ultimate HEPA air filtration. Improves Deep sleep by 25%. Real science on this one.
Sleep supplements in rotation → Magnesium Breakthrough, Sleep Breakthrough, melatonin, calming herbs (pick one stack, stick with it for a month, then re-assess)
👉 Only after this detox foundation is in place do I move on to Step 2: Optimizing Digestion + Targeting Fungus.
Step 2. Optimize Digestion & Elimination (The Stressors + The Fungus)
Once detox pathways are primed, it’s time to remove what doesn’t belong — both in your environment and inside your gut. This step has two parts:
1. Remove the Stressors
Food sensitivities → I’ve been using an elimination-style approach to figure out my triggers (dairy, gluten, alcohol, moldy foods).
Environmental toxins → Cleaning up my air (Jaspr filter), water (reverse osmosis + minerals), and cutting plastics wherever I can.
Gut stressors → Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and acid-blocking meds (PPIs), since both wreck the terrain.
And here’s a big one: weak digestion.
If you’re not breaking down food properly, undigested proteins and carbs become perfect fuel for fungi and bad bugs.
One of my tests showed I was low in nutrients and high in pathogens → meaning poor digestion and low stomach acid were feeding the candida.
As my doctor, Dr. David Morcom says:
“Enzymes are an art form — it depends on how much you eat, what time it is, how you feel that day.”
My Digestion Plan
MassZymes (BiOptimizers) – Broad-spectrum digestive enzymes to break down protein + prevent fermentation in the gut. 20 minutes before eating: 10 caps.
HCL Breakthrough (BiOptimizers) – Restores healthy stomach acid so food gets sterilized + digested properly before hitting the small intestine. Take with meals.
Gluten Guardian (BiOptimizers) – Breaks down gluten + casein so I don’t accidentally feed yeast.
P3-OM (BiOptimizers) – A patented probiotic with proteolytic action → “gut scrubbing” undigested food + keeping pathogens in check.
Other amazing digestion aids include bitters, apple cider vinegar fennel seeds.
Why This Matters
Killing fungi without Step 1 (Detox) is like knocking down a hornet’s nest in your living room — toxins and debris scatter everywhere.
But with detox pathways primed + digestion reinforced, antifungals can actually do their job without overwhelming your system.
2. Target the Fungus Directly
This is where antifungals come in. But again — only after detox and digestion are solid.
Now that detox pathways are open and digestion is firing, the terrain is ready for antifungals to weaken and rebalance fungi without wrecking me.
What I’m Using Right Now
Crypto Co-Max (Quicksilver) – 1 tsp, twice daily under the tongue. Strong antifungal activity, also targets Lyme + Epstein-Barr (which showed up on my test).
Candid-Away (DaVinci Labs) – Berberine + caprylic acid → two well-studied natural antifungals.
Other favorites – Oregano oil, garlic extract, pau d’arco tea, and undecylenic acid are also powerful options (all natural antifungals that hit candida hard without harsh drug side effects).
“Candida and other fungi can be remarkably resilient. Natural antifungals like oregano oil or caprylic acid can help bring balance back without the side effects of harsher drugs.” — Dr. Josh Axe
Step 3. Reinoculate (Smart Probiotics)
Once you’ve cleared the bad guys and strengthened digestion, it’s time to repopulate the gut with the good guys. And in this case… we actually want to add more fungi — but the right kind.
Yes, fungi party, fungi party. 🎉🍄
Most people think probiotics = dump a capsule of lactobacillus and call it a day. But with SIFO, the wrong strains (or too many of them) can backfire — worsening bloating, feeding biofilms, or making the imbalance worse.
That’s why strain selection matters. And ideally, you should run bloodwork or stool testing to see what species of fungi you’re really dealing with.
What I’m Using Right Now
Floramyces (Designs for Health) – My base probiotic for this protocol. It’s Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast that directly competes with Candida. Multiple studies show it reduces fungal adhesion, lowers inflammation, and supports healthy immunity. 2 caps, twice daily.
P3-OM (BiOptimizers) – Not just a probiotic — it’s proteolytic (breaks down undigested protein + pathogens). Helps keep the gut “scrubbed clean.” 1 cap in the afternoon.
Prebiotic foods – Garlic, leeks, onions, flax, oats, Jerusalem artichokes. These feed the good guys but not the fungi.
Fermented foods (in moderation) – Miso, sauerkraut, coconut kefir. A little goes a long way — too much can flare fungi.
My Daily Schedule
Morning: 2 caps Floramyces on an empty stomach
Afternoon: 1 cap P3-OM
Evening: 2 caps Floramyces before dinner
👉 Once you’ve reinoculated, the next step is Step 4: Repair (Healing the Gut Lining). Because if you don’t fix the “leaks” fungi leave behind, you’ll keep fighting symptoms.
Step 4. Repair (Healing the Gut Lining)
Once the fungal overgrowth is under control and the good bugs are moving back in, the next mission is to repair the gut lining itself.
Candida, biofilms, and mycotoxins leave behind microscopic “leaks” in the intestinal barrier. This is what people call leaky gut — undigested food particles and toxins slipping into the bloodstream, which triggers inflammation, food sensitivities, and immune chaos.
If you don’t repair these leaks, antifungal work turns into a revolving door: symptoms improve, then come roaring back.
The good news: the small intestine lining regenerates every 3–5 days, but only if you give it the right nutrients.
What I’m Using Right Now
Microbiome Breakthrough (BiOptimizers) – a Powerful combination of IgYmax and synbiotics (probiotics and prebiotics), gut-healing bone broth, and collagen. It is synergistically designed to weed out suboptimal bacteria and reseed the good ones, as well as repair the gut lining. I feel amazing on it.
Bone broth – Rich in collagen and amino acids (glycine, proline). I sip in the evenings for gut soothing.
Colostrum – Immune support + tissue repair.
LVLUP GI Repair – This stack is next-level:
Antifungal peptides → target lingering fungi at the lining
Zinc carnosine → one of the most researched gut-healing compounds
Quercetin → calms mast cells, reduces histamine, lowers inflammation
Step 5. Rebalance (Circadian Rhythm, Lifestyle & Purpose)
You can kill fungus, load up on probiotics, and repair the gut lining — but if your daily rhythm is chaos, your gut will never fully heal.
Stress hormones, poor sleep, and disconnection from nature all suppress immunity and leave the door wide open for overgrowth to return. That’s why this step is about syncing your body with natural rhythms, stress resilience, and purpose.
It’s mindset, heartset, soulset… and yes, gutset.
My Morning Flow
Wake up 5 AM → pet my dog Fitzy, gratitude breaths for another day.
Bathroom reset → tongue scrape, oil pull, floss, brush teeth. (The mouth is the first step to gut health — read my guide here.)
Make the bed → momentum into a positive win.
Morning light + movement → sun in the eyes to anchor circadian rhythm, then breathwork + yoga + foam rolling. Clears stress before the day starts.
Gratitude journaling → sets the tone for how I show up.
Hot water + lemon + sea salt → gentle morning mineral flush.
Morning Supplements
Candida Away
Crypto Co-Max
Floramyces (S. boulardii probiotic)
Then I let the antifungals work uninterrupted while I move, breathe, maybe dip in Lake Michigan, and spend time outside.
Later I stack in:
Fish oil
Phosphatidylcholine
Hormone support
Microbiome Breakthrough
Nootropics + organic mold-free coffee (Kaizen Coffee is my go-to — no hidden mycotoxins first thing in the morning).
Daily Rhythm
Work sessions at coffee shops → organic coffee, journaling, deep flow writing.
Movement “snaps” throughout the day → lymphatic drainage and anti-stagnation.
Slow lunches + dinners with family → eating in parasympathetic mode (rest-and-digest).
Play + joy → making music, throwing the ball with my dog, hanging with my girlfriend.
Night Reset
Bedroom = cave → blackout curtains, 67°, no phone 1 hr before bed.
Air filter running → clean air for detox.
Organic sheets + zero blue light → signal body it’s time to recover.
CBD, magnesium, calming herbs → drop into recovery mode.
Sleep is when detox + repair pathways fire at full blast. I treat it like my #1 supplement.
Step 6. Integration (Making It Stick)
By now you’ve:
Opened detox pathways so toxins can actually leave
Removed stressors + fungi with antifungals and digestive support
Reinoculated smartly with the right probiotics + prebiotics
Repaired the gut lining with nutrients, peptides, and soothing foods
Rebalanced your lifestyle with circadian rhythm, movement, grounding, and sleep
That’s the blueprint. But the final step is integration — making this protocol not just a “cleanse,” but a way of living.
How I’m Integrating Long-Term
Keeping MassZymes + HCL Breakthrough in rotation for heavier meals
Staying consistent with Floramyces + P3-OM for microbiome support
Cycling antifungals like Candid-Away every few months as insurance
Protecting my morning routine (light, movement, coffee, journaling) like it’s sacred
Treating sleep like a performance enhancer → blackout curtains, no phone, CBD, cave vibes
Checking in with my body through journaling + labs so I don’t get blindsided again
The Big Picture
You can’t starve, cleanse, or supplement your way out of SIFO overnight. But when you stack these steps, you retrain your body:
Detox pathways flow
Digestion fires properly
The microbiome rebalances
Energy and clarity come back online
Healing the gut isn’t just about killing fungus. It’s about creating a new baseline — one where your body feels safe, resilient, and ready to thrive.
👉 Closing thought: If you’re struggling with stubborn gut issues, start with Step 1. Open detox pathways, then build from there. That one shift alone can change everything.
Closing Thoughts
I know this was a long one — but it’s everything I’m doing right now to heal.
And I know how hard it is:
Waking up with stomach pain every morning
Feeling bloated after every meal
Constantly worrying about what foods might trigger a flare-up
These steps have changed the way I feel, remarkably. I’m not “all the way there” yet, but the progress has been life-changing.
Remember → this is not just about killing fungus. It’s about rebalance and lifestyle. When you stick with it, candida becomes less an enemy and more a teacher — showing you how to slow down, tune in, and take care of yourself on a deeper level.
This process has forced me into more self-love, awareness, and intuition. That’s the gift of it.
So wherever you’re at, have faith. Healing your gut will blow your mind with how amazing you can feel.
👉 If you want to chat more about SIFO, supplements, or gut health, I’m offering a free 30-minute call to anyone struggling with this stuff. DM me if you’re interested, or just drop a comment below.
Let’s keep growing, learning, and upgrading — together.
Always here for you❤️
- Jack (Founder of Biohack with Jack)
I’m grateful to my partners who make the biohacks I actually use daily—here’s what I love most:
MSM is the real tool!!
Post saved. Thanks for sharing this amazing protocol.