Candida Diet

Posted by Yeast Diet Staff Writer

The Candida Diet (sometimes called the yeast diet) is a cleansing diet to rid the body from excessive stores of Candida Albicans. Candida Albicans more commonly known as yeast, is one of the many forms of yeast that live in the digestive system of the human body. Candida like all yeast gets it energy from sugars, starches, carbohydrates and alcohol which break down into sugar and provide nutrients to the yeast in the system. The body uses Candida to kill harmful bacteria and keep the body in balance. The friendly bacteria in the body holds the Candida in check so the body maintains a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria.

When the immune system is compromised and the good bacteria are not able to hold the yeast in check, the yeast begins to colonize or overpopulate within the system. When the yeast begins to multiply it introduces toxins which lead to the further weakening of the immune system and ultimately health problems such as fatigue, headaches, body pains, digestive problems, Candida infection etc. Common medicine will generally attempt to treat the side effects of this process such as the joint ache or yeast infection with medicine without recognizing or treating the actual source of the system ailment which is an overgrowth of yeast. In these cases a Candida Diet or yeast free diet is recommended.

Antibiotics are a culprit in the overgrowth of yeast in the body. Antibiotics are used to get rid of the bad bacteria in the body however the side effect can be to kill off much of the friendly bacteria as well. When this happens there is nothing to hold the Candida in check and the yeast begins to colonize or multiply unhindered within the body. Several things can add to the development of this process including an unhealthy diet rich in sugars, breads (which contain yeast), and processed foods. An unhealthy diet can lead to a compromised immune system. Environmental factors such as chemical exposure or mold exposure can also be factors in a limited or weakened immune system. Other factors that can contribute to yeast overgrowth are birth control pills, chemotherapy, and as mentioned above antibiotics.

The first step in getting the balance of the body back under control is to stop feeding the yeast by cutting out all sugars, starches, and yeasts in the diet. The Candida Diet is a cleansing diet designed to rid the body of an overgrowth of yeast through a combination of dietary restrictions and homeopathic supplements. Results can be seen in as few as 3 weeks depending on the severity of the yeast overpopulation. The Candida Diet is generally used as an alternative form of therapy for health problems thought to be yeast related such as headaches, fatigue, memory loss, digestive disorders depression etc.

In general everyone has the following avoidances on a basic Candida Diet:

Brewers Yeast
Chocolate
Coffee
Go light on tea, except green tea.
All sweeteners including sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia, Equal, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, Splenda, sucralose, etc.
Fruit juice
Dried fruit, mushrooms, peanuts (raisins are dried fruit).
Citric Acid (like lemon, lime or orange)- can be added to canned goods (look for brands like Eden Organic, Bionature and some Campbell's Organic Products).
Vinegar and all vinegar products (mayo, mustard, salsa, dressings, etc).
All dairy including milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter. Eggs are not dairy.
Yeast in any form. Including most breads.
Soy sauce and all fermented products like sauerkraut, and pickles.
Processed meats that contain sodium nitrites. Eat only hormone free meats.
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Use olive oil instead.
Spicy seasonings such as chili, cinnamon, pepper. Some herbs are ok including basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley.
No fruit in any form including fresh, canned, dried or frozen.

Eating out is not recommended while on the Candida Diet.

There are however a great variety of healthy, tasty foods left to choose from that do meet the Candida Diet criteria and these are listed below:

Vegetables - especially dark green leafy ones.
Beans of any variety.
Meat protein, including beef, poultry, fish and shellfish, and fresh (uncured) pork.
Eggs
Whole grains, including rice, barley, millet, couscous, and buckwheat.
Whole grain oatmeal and pasta; corn, rice or spelt pasta.
Unprocessed seeds and nuts.
Vegetable oils which are unrefined (the kind that must be refrigerated).

For delicious yeast killing recipes specifically designed to follow the rules of the Candida Diet visit yeast free recipes. This website is currently the top rated search result in Google for the yeast diet and offers many articles and information for yeast related issues such as candida infection and the Candida Diet.