Candida Recovery
My Personal Journey
The Diet
Diet alone won't work
Diet alone won't work
Diet alone won't work
What we all need is a diet that is DO-ABLE. It must include some of the foods we love, or we won't be able to stick to it. One of the reasons I was willing to try this program was because at the time I was making homemade bread and I refused to give it up. But when the doctor said "you can have bread, but it must be well toasted." Hmmm. I don't actually like toast, and I hate it well toasted, but knowing that if I absolutely had to have a piece, I could. And that made this do-able.
Desserts were my addiction. Like many of you, I love chocolate, and I love desserts. I spent days and days looking through cookbooks for ideas on how to make desserts that would be allowed. In the beginning, I was frustrated and angry that I couldn't have cakes and cookies and puddings, and things I loved. But after a while, I got creative. I learned about stevia, a natural non-toxic sweetener that is allowed on the program. I experimented with it. I started making sugarless cookies using whole wheat flour and oatmeal (which are tolerated in small amounts and only if eaten hot/cooked), I made sugarless puddings, custards with soy or rice milk, jello dishes, lemon things. I don't like dairy products, I don't even like lemon. But I really wanted something sweet after dinner. I knew chocolate was not allowed because of the caffeine, so I experimented with carob ... not the same, but it was satisfying to be able to have some semblance of dessert after my meals.
It was hard. It was frustrating. It's like any addiction. You have to get through DAY 1. Then day 2 comes and goes, and next thing you know, it's starting to get easier. It's an uphill battle to beat an addiction or a habit. But it's just like alcoholism or smoking ... you start with an hour, then a day, then a week.
Note: Try to stick to 50 grams of carbs per day. If you are going to eat foods that are 'best avoided' like corn chips, make sure you have not consumed the total daily allowance of carbs. Remember that carbs convert to sugar, sugar feeds yeast. This is a high protein, low-carb, no-sugar, no-caffeine program. And when I say corn chips, I'm referring to organic blue or white corn chips that contain nothing but organic corn and sea salt.
PLEASE understand that this is not a one-size-fits-all diet. Not everyone can have all foods on this list. First find out if you have allergies/intolerances, because the candida will stay alive & well if you eat foods you are not digesting well. If you have a very bad case of candida, then you want to be as strict as you can on this program. When in doubt, don't eat it!!!! Foods that are allowed:Vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, parsley, avocado, brussel sprouts, celery, green pepper, peas, tomatoes, green beans, yellow beans, cabbage corn, okra, potatoes, beets, carrots, cucumber, onion, radishes, greens: beet, collard, kale, lettuce, mustard, spinach & turnip, zuccini
Meats: beef, duck, eggs, quail, chicken, fish, oyster, rabbit, clam, tuna, turkey, crab, shrimp, goose, pheasant, lobster, cornish hen, lamb, pork, veal
Dairy: best avoided. Dairy products contain LACTOSE which feeds candida.
Butter is ok, cream or milk in your coffee/tea is ok, cheeses must be well heated and eaten hot (i.e. lasagne) * * * Listen... don't ABUSE dairy just because it's on the list. Don't drink milk by the glassful... this just means you can have cream in your coffee, or you can bake with it, or enjoy a sugarfree custard once in a while. But PLEASE do not write to me about dairy! I HATE the stuff and I DO NOT EAT IT. I am slightly lactose intolerant and I am NOT promoting it!!!!! Yogurt? See Forbidden List, below. Yogurt has acidophilus in it, true, but it has LACTOSE in it which feeds the yeast!!!
Beverages: water, club soda, herb teas, tomato juice (in moderation), decaf coffee, V8 (in moderation in small quantities), diet pop with no fruit juice or caffeine, milk/cream to cook or bake with, have in coffee or tea - but not to drink by glassful (contains lactose)
Nuts, seeds, oils: almonds, pecans, walnuts, butter, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, oils (almond, avocado, corn, linseed, olive, sesame, safflower, sunflower, canola, soy), cashews (I ate cashews without any problems, I've since heard they should be avoided), sesame seeds., filberts, sunflower seeds.
Whole grains; must be eaten hot: best avoided, as they are high in carbs - go for brown rice, barley, buckwheat, wheat, rye, oats, millet, amaranth, quinoa
Misc**: NutriSweet*, Equal*, NutriSweet Jello, sugarless rice cakes, sesame rice crackers, original triscuits (should be nuked first), Stevia **
* Artificial sweeteners are allowed on the program but you may object to using them if you read about the dangers.
If cooked and eaten hot: leftovers, mushrooms, vinegar-containing foods, cheese well melted, bread well toasted - I get lots of email about this ... I didn't write the program, I just followed it, please don't email me about this. I AVOIDED THESE FOODS because to me it's not worth wondering if you've heated them enough to make them safe.
** About Stevia - there is a product called Sweetvia... it is the pure extract so there are no undesirable additives such as maltodextrin that dilute the taste, quality, and health characteristics of the product. (Update June 2020 - I see that the domain for sweetvia.com is for sale.) I can buy pure concentrated powder at my local health food store, and that's what my recipes are based on. Pure concentrated powder sells for about $20 for 1/4 cup (note: I haven't it bought it since the late 90s; that was the price back then). It's VERY expensive if you get the pure stuff. Anything that is inexpensive usually contains additives and even sweeteners, which defeats the purpose! Read labels!!! The cheaper stuff usually has a horrible after-taste too ... so try different brands to see if there is one you like. I like the brand by New Roots in Montreal.
Forbidden Foods
Anything sweet (sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, sorbitol, Splenda), alcoholic beverages, buttermilk, cheeses, coffee & tea, cold cereal (read label), cottage cheese, crackers, dried & candied fruits, flour enriched with vitamins from yeast, fruit & fruit juices (except lemon or lime juice; only 1 gm per tablespoon), leftovers, malt products, mushrooms, packaged & processed foods, peanuts, pistachios, pretzels, processed & smoked meats, sorbitol, sprouts, sweet potatoes & yams, vinegar-containing foods (catsup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressings, pickles), vitamins/minerals from yeast source (read label), yeast, yeast breads & pastries.
And yogurt. Say whaaat??? There are some yogurts that promote acidophilus ... but yogurt is a DAIRY product and it has LACTOSE in it. You do need acidophilus on this program, 2 three times a day would be great. But DO NOT look to getting it from yogurt. There are naturally occurring SUGARS in yogurt that are feeding the candida. Maybe a couple of tablespoons per day - maybe as a dip or a sauce of some kind - but DO NOT be disillusioned about the benefits of yogurt. Buy your acidophilus at the health food store in pill form, and skip the yogurt. HONEST.
Click here for Typical Day's Diet, Caesar salad tricks, etc.
If you honestly think there is NOTHING TO EAT on this diet, then you had better visit my recipes link
.Snacks
Many of you ask about snacks. I'm not a snacker. But I've created this page for you.