A Candida diet avoids the foods which the yeast loves, or which are presently being intolerated by your weakened immune system. The main thing to avoid with Candida is sugar as the Candida yeast thrives on this. You must also avoid yeasts and fermented products
My Candida diet is very restricted and I find that even Vegan recipes are impossible to follow as they involved lots of sugar. However, if you are vegan or vegetarian, then it is possible - you will want to use herbs and spices for flavouring.
I now find it easier to live on a non vegetarian diet because I am allowed organic meat, fish, free range eggs, cereals and vegetables. Candida will usually mean that you are also allergic to yeast and maybe to dairy, or gluten or both. I am fortunate in that I can so far tolerate gluten. My main problems are tap water, table salt, citrus fruits and citric acid because this makes it difficult to buy any processed food and also makes it extremely difficult to eat in a canteen or restaurant. I also have to avoid peanuts, mushrooms, coffee, cocoa, alcohol, many chemicals (including flouride, petrol diesel and smoke fumes). You will need to be tested for your particular allergies.
In order to stop new intolerances developing, you must rotate your foods, ie only have the same thing every 4 days. I tend to find that rotating breakfasts and lunches are impossible, as I have little time to cook and no facilities at work. I alternate between using soya and oat milk and I have porridge for breakfast on soya milk days and Kellog's Raisin Wheats on oat milk days. Otherwise I eat some health food oatcakes (which have water and salt, but which I have tested OK with) or some soda bread if I have made some and have a banana. My lunches tend to be cashew butter on rice-cakes or chips and an apple. At home I microwave a frozen home-made meal for lunch which is rice-based, ie kedgeree, tomato/veggy sauce, or prawn fried rice or chicken fried rice. Evening meals tend to be a casserole, shepherd's pie or fish with lots of vegetables and baked potato (I use non allergy margarine called Pure or Tomor.)
EAT
You should eat plenty of raw vegetables, salads, and seeds. You should be able to eat free-range eggs and chicken, a little organic lamb and plenty of oily fish such as mackeral, else eat beans, lentils and avocados. Flavour your food with herbs, spices, sea-salt and olive oil, and non-dairy marg if dairy allergic. Fill up with potatoes, rice, and other grains if you are not allergic (The Atkins low-carb diet which says no to potatotes, rice and other carbohydrates and starches which can be converted into sugars - but I think that we have to eat something.) You can try and be strict for first 2 months, but then your die-off may be worse. You will need to decide how many carbohydrates you want to eat.
DRINK
Drink lots of filtered or mineral water. Use soya, oat and rice milk. Drink herbal teas (watch for citrus) or Caro which grows on you (if not allergic). (I did not like herbal teas for quite a while but now I am crazy about rosehip tea). For special treats, vanilla flavoured Rice Dream is lovely. Recently opinion is against this as it is not gluten-free and is not sugar-free as the starches have been converted into sugars. However, I have been drinking it in small amounts and I am still reducing my Candida.
AVOID
1. SUGAR other sweet foods such as honey and molasses and all foods containing these. Do not eat fruit in first month, then one piece of fruit for first few months then up to 2 pieces of fruit a day. (not large melon or bunch of grapes!)
2. YEAST and all food containing yeast such as marmite, bread, dough, monosodium glutamate and all malted products.
3. ALCOHOL
4. SAUCES such as soy sauce and vinegar
5. PROCESSED AND SMOKED MEAT
6. DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS
7. FRUIT JUICES (they contain lots of sugar and sometimes citric acid)
8. COFFEE AND TEA (these give the body a sugar high)
9. MUSHROOMS
10. CHEESE
11. YOGHURT apart from live yoghurt (if not allergic )
12. NUTS unless freshly hulled
13. FRUIT for first month, thereafter 1 or 2 pieces of fruit a day.
14. CITRIC ACID - found in fruit juices, tinned tomatoes, carrot juice, flavoured mineral water, etc.
Candida sufferers have enjoyed using Stevia or FOS as an alternative sweetener. My therapist also mentions sweet cicely as a sweetener, although I have not found a supply of this yet.
I am not impressed with the taste of the green leaf and the liquid extract has alcohol. However you may like to use the white powdered extract which is £10.99 for a 30g tub. 1/2 tsp = 1 cup of sugar so best to dilute 1tsp a 5-10ml of filtered water and keep in fridge in glass bottle with pipette. Look at links of stevia sites in Candida Sites section.
You can mail me at camason@btinternet.com
