The candida diet claims to alleviate a variety of symptoms associated with candidiasis, a type of yeast infection. Candidiasis occurs when the population of Candida albicans, a yeast naturally found in your gastrointestinal tract, suddenly explodes. The candida diet requires you to restrict your intake of cheese and other foods to return the candida yeast population to its normal level.
Rationale
It is normal to have candida yeast living in your intestines, but changes in your diet or medications may cause your candida population to grow rapidly. Candida yeast feed on sugars found in your digestive tract. Removing sugar from your diet cuts off this food source and causes candida yeast to starve to death. The candida diet encourages dieters to eliminate all sugar intake as well as consumption of potentially moldy foods, which can trigger candida growth.
Symptoms
Candidiasis affects each person differently. Alternative medicine practitioners may give a diagnosis of candidiasis to individuals experiencing weight gain, fatigue, sluggishness, abdominal pain, irritable gas, bloating, joint pain, fungal infections, depression, sudden mood swings, irritability or skin problems. Some people mistakenly attribute these symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastroenteritis or other medical conditions.
Candida Diet
During the initial phase of the candida diet, you must eliminate all sweets, alcohol, fruits, starchy vegetables, processed foods, caffeine, gluten, mushrooms and sugars. After four weeks on a strict detoxifying diet that includes vegetables, lean protein and non-glutinous grains, you can reintroduce apples, pears, berries, beans and starchy vegetables. The diet's final phase diet requires you to repopulate your intestines with beneficial bacteria through eating probiotic yogurt.
Cheese
Certain cheeses are restricted on the candida diet. In general, you must eliminate cheeses aged for more than six months. Aged cheeses contain mold that can trigger candida growth, according to the website Candida Solutions. Therefore, all candida dieters should avoid Blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort and other cheeses containing mold. Most people suffering from candidiasis can eat goat cheese, Feta, cream cheese or Mozzarella without trouble. Use caution when eating aged Cheddar, Romano or Parmesan cheeses, which can cause candida growth.
Considerations
Not all health care providers recognize candidiasis as a legitimate medical diagnosis. While some alternative medicine practitioners recommend following the candida diet to improve gastrointestinal distress, fatigue and other symptoms of candidiasis, conventional medicine professionals typically deny the existance of candida syndrome. Following a candida diet may improve your symptoms because it replaces sugary, processed foods with healthier alternatives. Before beginning the candida diet to treat your medical symptoms, talk to your doctor to ensure you do not have a serious health condition. Ensure that a candida diet is indeed safe for you.
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