Successful anti-Candida dieters normally report improvements within the first month of the diet, although it can be a tough lifestyle change at first, with so many food groups excluded.
However, when the Candida infection is beaten, all of the foods to avoid can be slowly reintroduced into your diet. Click on each of the food groups below to find out more.
Aged Cheese | Additives & Preservatives | Alcohol | Caffeine | Chocolate | Fruits |Glutenous Foods | Mushrooms | Nuts | Condiments | Sugar | Spices | Vinegar
Aged cheeses
Holistic practitioners recommend that Candida sufferers dramatically reduce their intake of dairy products. This is because Candida prevents the body from processing fat properly. At the very least dieters should eliminate aged cheeses - a small amount of swiss or mozzarella cheese every once in a while should not hurt.
Additives & Preservatives
If you see something on the list of ingredients that you don't know or can't pronounce, chances are that you should steer clear. One common preservative is Citric Acid, a chemical derived from yeasts and often found in supermarket tomatoes.
Non-organic food like meat or eggs can also contain residual levels of antibiotics and steroids that were used during the farming process. These chemicals can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish.
Alcohol
Alcohol is high in sugar, sugar that can feed the growth of the Candida yeast and put stress on your organs and immune system. Mixing alcohol and Candida is like opening all your windows in a house fire - you don't want to feed the problem. Wine, beer and spirits are all off-limits, but remember these can be reintroduced when the diet starts to work!
Caffeine and Other Stimulants
That's right, its time to cut out that cup of coffee in the mornings. Not only do the sugar and sweetener kickstart your Candida, the caffeine gives it just as much of a boost as it does to you!
Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided if possible, as they contain residual levels of caffeine. As for energy drinks like Red Bull, their levels of sugar, caffeine and taurine are so high that no serious Candida dieter should ever go near them.
Chocolate
Often Candida sufferers have sweet cravings, which makes it doubly important to stay off the chocolate! Its not you that needs the chocolate, its the Candida telling you that its hungry. Put your Candida on a starvation diet - don't eat chocolate.
Fruits
While fruit is good for you in so many ways, its high sugar content does you no favors when it comes to Candida. Like other foods to avoid on this page, the sugar helps to feed the growth of Candida.
Avoid fresh, dried and canned fruit. Especially avoid fruits like melon that may contain mould. You should even cut out your morning glass of orange juice while you're fighting Candida.
A squeeze of lemon or lime juice on your food, or in a glass of water, is absolutely fine.
Glutenous foods
Avoid foods containing Gluten - basically anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley. Cut out foods like wheat bread, rye bread and pasta. Some people are very sensitive to Glutens, if you're not careful your body will spend all of its time combating these glutenous foods instead of attacking the Candida.
Spices, Curries & Hot foods
Even a mild curry can destroy the friendly bacteria in your gut and allow the Candida yeast to flourish. Try to avoid anything that tastes spicy.
Nuts
Any nuts that are high in mould, like peanuts, can promote a Candida outbreak. Nuts that were cracked a long time ago, for example sliced almonds, also have time to develop mould. If you like nuts, stick to freshly cracked or whole ones.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are fungi, and Candida loves to feed on mould and fungi. Cutting mushrooms out of your diet will help to restrict the infection's growth in your system. Also make sure to avoid truffles, as these are part of the same family.
Equally, try not to eat any leftovers that may be close to spoiling, as they may contain mould that will feed your Candida. If you can't buy fresh, keep the leftovers frozen and then cook them on a high heat in the oven (not the microwave) to destroy any possible mold.
Condiments
Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida. Stay away from ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, horseradish, worcestershire and soy sauce. Salad dressings, whether a sweet honey mustard sauce or a simple balsamic vinegar dressing, are best avoided. Looking for a substitute? Try Paul Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
Sugars, honeys & syrups
That includes any chemical ending in 'ose', like lactose, sucrose, fructose etc. Sugars feed the growth of your Candida infection. This means stay away from the soft drinks too!
Many people don't realize that sweeteners can also make your Candida worse, as well as keeping your sweet tooth alive and well. You may think that sugar-free diet cola is a safe option on the Candida diet, but the fact is that it can feed your Candida just as much as a really sugary soft drink.
Vinegar
Vinegar is made in a yeast culture, depletes the stomach of acids and can also cause inflammation in your gut. There are reports that one particular vinegar, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, can be helpful in combating yeast. Other types should be avoided.
