Anti candida diet

Submitted by louiseds on October 15, 2007 - 11:08pm
Body: 

Hi All

Mumwithone posted the following in another topic about alcohol.

"Some years ago I was put on that Candida diet you spoke of. At times I found it really tough - mainly like you said, when out with friends who were eating all those yummy things I couldn't have. But I got used to it and stuck to it for quite a long time. I'd never felt so good and my overall health was the best its ever been.

I still have my list of what I could and couldn't eat. I've listed a few of the 'do eats' that might help with meal ideas:

soy milk (unsweetened), oat milk, coconut milk, brown rice milk, goats milk

brown rice, wild rice, whole grain or wholemeal pastas, rice noodles

wholemeal yeast-free pita bread, ryvitas, vita-wheats, rice cakes, corn cakes (great with avocado on top), yeast-free wholemeal soda bread, wholemeal tortillas

scones and pancakes using wholemeal flour, oatcakes

shredded wheat, rice puffs (great with natural yoghurt on top for breakfast), homemade, sugar-free muesli

dairy free unhydronated margarine, other nut buters, sugar free jams (though not until fruit is allowed), home-made dips, home-made mayonnaise, home-made sour cream

some soy sauce brands (eg Braggs), oil dressings, lemon dressings, homemade strawberry topping, homemade sauces, brwon rice syrup, lemon juice

corn chips, nuts & seeds, popcorn, some chips (eg. Kettle), rice snacks

eggs, beans, lentils, vegetables, soy mince

cranberry juice, taheebo tea, brazilian herbal tea, black walnut leaf tea

millet, bulgar wheat, oats, corn (maize), barley, buckwheat, spelt, kamut, amoranth, quinoa"

The diet I am on is more limited that this, but probably because I combined a couple of different ones for a bit of overkill, as I was planning on only using it for a short period. Mumwithone, as you found this diet to be workable for a longer period of time I might include a few more things and keep doing it for longer.

Mumwithone, and others, how long were you on this diet? How long did it take for you to observe benefit? What order do you introduce foods back into it? Do you introduce particular foods one at a time, or in groups?

Cheers

Louise

mumwithone

October 18, 2007 - 12:47am

Hi Louise,

Thanks for the post, you've got me all inspired to go back on it again. It's funny, but only last week I was thinking of it when I saw your post.

I did the diet in conjunction with a kinesiologist/naturopath. She had me on some other herbal tablets etc to do with the kinesiology as well at the time but I didn't need to be on them long term.

I think going to see someone professionally helped me be strict.

I can't remember a lot of the details but the idea of the anti-candida diet was basically to remove the yeast from my body, which is what contributes to thrush, cystitis etc. To get rid of the yeast I therefore obviously had to eliminate the yeast (breads being the main culprit). I also had to eliminate all sugars because the sugars help the yeast cells grow and multiply. So at first this meant cutting out anything containing sugar. You'd be amazed at how many things have sugar in them. I remember reading the ingredients on products in the supermarket wondering if there was anything I could eat.

I did adjust though and found things I could have. At first I had to cut out fruit because of the natural sugars in it but I was allowed to reintroduce it after a few months or so. I had to drink cranberry juice though.

Because I was trying to remove the yeast I had to be really strict at first and then I could slowly bring some small amounts of sugar back in to my diet - fruit first of all. I could have the odd food with sugar but you start compromising it if you have to much because the yeast can grow again. I also found it harder to be strict if I 'just had this' or 'just had that.' That's when I started going off it again.

The major thing to avoid long term is the yeast containing foods.

I think from memory the results were pretty quick, maybe a month but it's hard to remember for sure?? Over time I felt better and better with my health.

I hope that helps. Any more questions, let me know!

louiseds

October 18, 2007 - 2:52am

Hi Mumwithone

I'm not sure whether your response was good or bad news. I think you are right though. Doing it through some sort of professional is probably the way to go, as I am flying in the dark, and probably cutting out too much in my effort to overkill.

I have just had a really nasty dose of candida that I initially treated with Canestan 1. It went away pretty well, but came back. There were numerous ways in which I could have been re-infected though, so I had a culture done and it was positive. I was also given a prescription for Diflucam single dose. I have been taking a one month course of oral probiotics and using a ten day course of vaginal probiotics but even these didn't seem to be working. It worsened considerably one day so I dashed off to the chemist with my Diflucam script and cut all the nasties out of my diet straight away. It was worse again the following day (which the blurb said would probably happen) but has progressively improved over the last five days. The lasts prickly symptoms were the day before yesterday. I'll give it another couple of days without penetrative sex then see what happens. If it flares up again I think I will find myself a good practitioner and do the diet properly.

I have cut out most wheat, foods that could conceivably have yeasts or fungus on them (including nuts and seeds), dairy except natural yoghurt, fruit, sugars in jams, honey, processed foods, brewed and fermented foods and meats that could have been raised with antibiotics. That's about it. It doesn't leave a lot. I really think I will need vitamin c if I continue for a while.

I also have my food science expert in the family lecturing me about the sugars in vegetables and other carbohydrate foods which are just turned to sugars in the digestive system.

The one good thing though, has been that I have realised how much sugar and yeast I usually consume. Might have to do something about that in the short term when I ditch this diet. That alone may be tipping me over into risk of thrush, along with the menopause thing which apparently causes vaginal pH to increase as a result of the lowering of oestrogen level. Everything's a bit up the creek at the moment. I just hope I will get some stability once menstruation has ceased for a couple of years. I haven't had thrush for at least a couple of years. Thought i had it licked, but alas not.

Thanks for your response.

Cheers

Louise

mumwithone

October 18, 2007 - 4:43am

Hi Louise,

I looked over my info on it today and the prickly thing you describe is normal and should completely disappear after no more than a month.

If you really want to go ahead with it I think it's well worth it and is the hardest only at the beginning. Like I said, things like nuts and seeds and fruits you can reintroduce after a couple of months. I buy a sugar free jam too that's really yum. I was told seeds and nuts were okay, it was only peanuts that I had to worry about. I had a lot of soy and rice milk products to supplement the dairy. You can even buy yeast free breads that fill you up a lot. Yoghurts like Yakult are great too.

Once I'd been on the diet for a while I found I could have a 'naughty' week or two and still be okay once I'd gotten rid of all the cells to begin with if that makes sense. It does mean a bit of a lifestyle change though.

I also found it took a long time for me to get thrush again or any cystitis. I used to have severe pain after going to the toilet and I no longer have that, even now. Part of the problem was that I was being put on antibiotics and they're known to be one of the causes of candida. So it can be a bit of a catch-22.

Also, drink heaps of water. I was put on cranberry tablets to begin with. It was also recommended I have watermelon and carrot juices.

I think that's about it.

louiseds

October 18, 2007 - 6:48am

Thanks Mumwithone

http://www.wholewoman.com/forum/comment/reply/1560#comment-9412

It's nice to know it's not one of those all or nothing diets.

Cheers

Louise

Edited by Christine to correct long subject line disrupting formatting.

passion3flower

August 23, 2014 - 7:38am

There's a very informative site with lots of information on how to eliminate candida long-term and find healthy diet options to replace foods that feed the candida. You can visit candidaholistic . com Her detox has also been immensely helpful to my recovery and I seriously recommend it

Surviving60

August 24, 2014 - 7:55am

The site itself does not have information on how to treat candida, but a 20-minute video about the effects of candida and the detox program that is available for sale. There is a link to contact the site if you have questions. This contact link is not in evidence on an iPad which made it appear there was no way to contact the site; but does work in other browsers. - Surviving

ActiveandLapsed

August 25, 2014 - 4:05am

Hi Guys,

I am a bit confused about the above but diet is a big thing in my house at the moment as I have a 4 yr old and a 1.5yr old with eczema and we are doing gut healing (or building up to it) for that. They talk a lot about fungus in the gut for that. The GAPS diet (Gut and Pyschology Syndrome) is popular at the moment. It is big on bone broth and gelatin and has no grain and of course nothing processed. I love Christine's work and know she does not advocate meat so I do not want to go against what she is saying but I am doing this for my kids gut health. It will work for all fungus and there is definitely no yeast in the GAPS type diet (similar to strict Palio). It's into fermenting and soaking like Christine is too. I have been almost vegan in the past so have not taken this diet lightly. Also I am down under and our cows are all grass fed year round. Chicken and pork is a different story.

Interestingly I have had constipation problems and have tried many things with my diet (no FODMAP, high fibre, fruit, herbs you name it). Putting my bum in the air and head down on my hands while on my knees has helped wonderfully and I am not regular for the first time in 4 years. Interesting that the consitpation started when my first prolapse signs began (air in vagina). I didn't know what that was at the time - then two kids later and my life changed one day. Hopefully I can stop the damage constipation was causing now I think I have found the solution to my problem.

I have prolapse of all 3 organs but started with just a one and then didn't find this site until my uterus had slipped. I am grateful for this info everyday and try not to think about not listening to my intuition that was telling me to get online and sort out where my organs were and how I should hold my body (rather than just avoid ab crunches as experts say). Arghh. Still as all Mums know, it is such a busy time when they are young and easy to not put ourselves first.

Sorry this has turned into a bit of a stream of consciousness but hello to all the Mums of preschoolers out there. Good luck and please post your stories. I like hearing them and not feeling alone in my 30s on here.

A&L

Aging gracefully

August 25, 2014 - 6:31am

On my journey to better health I have read a lot about different diets, including paleo and the gaps diet. I really don't think there is a one size fits all diet out there. The popular here and now diets always seem to fall on the way side, because people just can't stay on strict diets for the most part.
I did the South Beach Diet for 3 years which is very similar to paleo and I was always left wanting or feeling like I was missing something in my diet. I also had a lot constipation with all that meat. And, I have read so many studies that show that increased meat consumption leads to increased health issues. No matter what country they did the study in, because increased animal fat and cholesterol if not burned off right away just builds up in our system. The paleo people had to expend a lot of energy just to get their next meal. It was all about survival. We are not that energetic anymore, unless you are a tri-athlete or something. I am not saying don't eat meat, but from all that I have read, paleo advocates have the wrong idea for long term health in the human body.
Our guts are a mess from all the processed foods and sugars out there, but I think each individual should narrow down what kinds of foods are causing each symptom.
For me I suffered until I cut dairy completely out of my diet. I was amazed that that's all it took, and I was a dedicated cheese eater! So it wasn't easy. I do also eat fermented foods, and I can eat grains now, because I found that all my bloating came from dairy. Did you know that only a small percentage of the population actually carries the enzyme that can process dairy? That is definitely something to think about. I also cut out processed sugar and junk, for the most part. Yes, I do cheat on occasion, but real food is so much more satisfying in the long run.
For me, I think just going back to cooking my own food made the hugest difference. Remember, if you have to read a big long list on a package, it is not food you are looking at purchasing.
Just throwing my two cents in here.

ActiveandLapsed

August 27, 2014 - 3:01am

Thanks AG. I agree on the dairy and we are dairy free. I don't like all the meat but at the moment it is keeping the ezcema under control for my kids. I do more broth than meat. We have a lot of veges (well I do about 70% of my diet). I hope to lessen it and return to seeds and nuts and grain (all properly prepared) in time and once I finish breastfeeding. We have good herbs too and will have some that Christine mentions (I will).

Definitely real food is the way to go. My bloating comes from grain and dairy. I am now giving up chocolate too for my daughters ezcema and for me but it's hard hence I have not been able till until now. Certainly prolapse makes me very aware of what works and what does not so that is a bonus.