An overgrowth of candida can exist externally as yeast infection on your skin or internally as thrush in the mouth or candidiasis in the intestines. Candida may result from stress, a course of antibiotics or contact with another infected person. If you're diagnosed with an overgrowth of candida, changes to your diet can help kill off the fungus and put candida back in balance with your body's good flora.
No Sugar or Starch
Candida loves sugar, and the more gets, the faster and stronger it grows. Starchy foods break down in the body as sugars, so you'll want to avoid vegetable and fruit starches as well as grains. No sugar means you can't eat fruit as well, especially citrus fruit which turn into alkaline foods in the digestive tract. Candida thrives in an alkaline environment.
No Fermented Foods
Fermented foods have the possibility of harboring yeast and yeast by-products, which will cause candida to grow. Avoid anything aged, fermented or smoked, such as cheeses, alcohol, dried fruits, ham, bacon, pickles, molasses, raw mushrooms, soy sauce, sprouts and all vinegars.
Lots of Vegetables
Vegetables function as a mainstay on the candida diet; you may eat as many as you wish. You can prepare them any number of ways, but steaming them or eating them raw will give you the most benefit. Fresh herbs can add flavor and spice and are preferred over packaged dried spices, which might contain additives to prevent caking.
Animal Protein
On a candida diet, you can enjoy animal protein without worry of it feeding the candida organism. Only the methods by which you prepare the protein have restrictions. You can eat mustard, but not steak sauces, ketchup or vinegars due to their high sugar and possible yeast content.
Enjoy plain yogurt with live cultures, which will help stop candida growth. The cultures generally, cannot kill off an already overgrown candida infection, but they can halt the infection's progress.
Non-Soluble Fiber
Non-soluble fiber moves through your digestive track without breaking down into starch. In a sense, it scrapes the junk out of your intestine and eliminates it through the colon. You can add non-soluble fiber to your morning yogurt with a flavored extract and an artificial sweetener if you have a tough time adjusting to the taste.
Garlic and Anise
The more garlic and anise you add to your food, the faster you kill off the candida organism. Add garlic to your vegetables and animal protein choices. Sprinkle anise in your yogurt and you'll land a power punch to the candida organism with the killer probiotics.
References
- "Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Candidiasis
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