Candida Diet: The Foods & Supplements to Eat (and Avoid) to Treat Candida
When it’s at proper levels in the body, candida is a fungus that aids with nutrient absorption and digestion, but when candida overproduces, it can then become a serious concern that causes a wide variety of negative and serious health problems. A yeast-free candida diet is one of the best ways to reduce and eliminate candida symptoms, but what exactly do you need to eliminate from your diet?
Read on and I’ll tell you exactly what to take out of your diet and what to add to get rid of candida for good.
What Is the Candida Diet?
Candidiasis, commonly referred to as “candida,” is a fungal infection that can affect men and women of all ages in various parts of the body. It most commonly occurs in the mouth, ears, nose, toenails, fingernails, gastrointestinal tract and vagina.
Possible symptoms comprise a true laundry list ranging from bad breath to persistent heartburn to arthritis. Due to its many and varied symptoms, candida is often ignored, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed.
If you have candida or know someone who does, the good news is that there are many candida natural treatments. The main natural treatment is a change in your diet to discourage the overgrowth of yeast.
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Before embarking on your new diet, though, it’s a good idea to start with a candida cleanse to help rid the body of excess candida through flushing the digestive tract.
You have two options for a cleanse: a liquids-only cleanse or a more gentle cleanse with food. You can also start with the step one cleanse and then move to the step two cleanse.
Cleansing Step 1: Liquids-Only Candida Cleanse (Duration 1–2 Days)
Start by making a vegetable broth from organic onions, garlic, celery, kale, sea salt, and pure water. Let it simmer and strain. Discard the vegetables, and refrigerate the broth.
Throughout the day, sip on warm broth. It’s imperative that you drink lots of water to help your body expel all the toxins in your system.
While this is not a long-term cleanse, it can be repeated as needed every few weeks. It can also be used as a jump-start to the food cleanse below.
Cleansing Step 2: Steamed Vegetables (Duration 3–5 Days)
By eliminating grains, sugars, fruits, starches, and alcohol from your diet for three to five days, you can make great headway in your fight against candida overgrowth.
What can you eat on a candida diet? You should mostly eat:
- Fresh, organic vegetables that have been steamed. For this cleanse stage, keep away from any starchy vegetables like carrots, radishes, beets, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes, which may contribute to excess sugar levels and feed the candida.
- Continue to drink plenty of pure water, a minimum of 72 ounces per day, to help flush the candida and byproducts from your system.
- During this time, no more than once a day, you can eat salads made from leafy greens (like romaine) or bitter greens (like chard) and topped with just a bit of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice).
During either of the candida cleanses above, you can use bentonite clay to help surround the toxins and efficiently remove them from your system.
Once you’re done with the cleansing stage, you can then move on to an antifungal diet that doesn’t just discourage candida — it helps your body get rid of candida for good!
Here are the dietary steps I recommend for a candida-free diet:
Diet Step 1: Remove the Problem Foods
Now you know what to eat, but you are likely wondering what not to eat on a candida diet. First and foremost, you need to continue to remove the foods from your diet that literally feed the candida and encourage it to flourish in your body.
The top offenders include:
- sugar
- white flour
- yeast
- alcohol
These items are believed to promote candida overgrowth. If you avoid eating sugar and white flour, then you will easily cut out most processed foods, which tend to be higher in calories and unhealthy ingredients and low in nutrition.
Avoiding sugar in all of its various forms is truly key to fighting candida. The candida yeast cells need sugar to build their cell walls, expand their colonies, and switch into their more virulent, fungal form.
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This is why a low-sugar diet is such a necessary part of your candida treatment. If you need some help, here’s how to kick your sugar addiction.
Going forward, you want your diet to be centered on:
- vegetables
- high-quality protein foods
- gluten-free grains (like brown rice and millet)
Avoiding fruit at this time is also commonly recommended because even though fruit is very healthy, it does get turned into sugar in the body.
In terms of vegetables, you also want to avoid these somewhat sweet, starchy varieties:
- potatoes
- carrots
- sweet potatoes
- yams
- beets
- peas
- parsnips
These vegetables are banned from a strict anti-candida diet because of their high carbohydrate content, but they’re certainly nutrient-dense and can be reintroduced later on in your treatment.
Diet Step 2: Up the Intake of Candida Killers and Boost Your Immune System
You want to make sure you include the items from my top 10 list below on a daily basis, including:
- apple cider vinegar
- green veggies
- green drinks
- coconut oil
- Manuka honey
- garlic
- ground chia and flaxseeds
- unsweetened cranberry juice
- cultured dairy
- spices (like turmeric and cinnamon)
How long do I need to eat like this?
In order to have success with the candida diet, it will take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The effectiveness of the candida diet varies depending on the individual and several key factors, including how strictly the diet is followed, the intake and effectiveness of probiotics and antifungals, and the severity of the candida infection.
Once the symptoms of candida have cleared and the infection has been eliminated, it is important to gradually reintroduce certain foods back into the diet to prevent a recurrence of the infection. Low-sugar fruits like green apples are a good starting point, and if these do not cause any flare-ups, other foods can be slowly reintroduced one at a time.
There are certain foods that are beneficial for fighting candida, such as apple cider vinegar, green vegetables, coconut oil, stevia, garlic, flaxseeds, chia seeds, cranberry juice, kefir, turmeric, cinnamon, cooked vegetables, organic meat, bone broth, and pau d’arco tea.
On the other hand, there are foods to avoid on the candida diet, including sugar and sugar alternatives, fruit and fruit juice, alcohol, grains, vinegar (except for apple cider vinegar), peanuts, dairy, and foods that may cause intolerances or allergies.
In addition to dietary changes, essential oils like oregano oil, myrrh oil, lavender oil, and clove oil can be used to help fight candida. These oils have antifungal properties and can be effective in treating candida infections. It is important to use these oils cautiously and for a limited period of time. Oil pulling is a great method for eliminating candida and detoxifying the body.
Best Supplements
Consider incorporating these supplements into your candida diet:
1. Probiotics (50 billion units daily)
Support your body with beneficial bacteria to reduce yeast presence.
2. Oregano oil (2 drops 3 times daily for 7 days then stop)
Naturally antibacterial and antifungal, oregano oil can be beneficial.
3. Garlic (2 caps or cloves daily)
Boost your immune system and combat fungal infections with garlic.
4. Vitamin C (1,000 milligrams, 2–3 times daily)
Enhance immune function and fight off infections with vitamin C.
5. Grapefruit seed extract (200 milligrams, 2–3 times per day)
Grapefruit seed extract has antimicrobial properties that can combat candida and other health issues.
6. Turkey Tail Mushroom (1 gram, 2–3 times daily)
Research suggests that turkey tail mushroom can help treat candida and improve gut health.
7. Astragalus Root (1 gram, 2–3 times daily)
Support healthy gut microflora and fight candida with astragalus root.
Additionally, consider using olive leaf and other mushrooms to treat candida.
A study showed that olive leaf extracts have antimicrobial effects against bacteria and fungi, including candida albicans.
Meal Plan and Recipes
For a successful candida diet, aim to consume a variety of raw and cooked vegetables while avoiding foods that promote candida growth.
Here's a sample day meal plan to get you started:
- Breakfast: Egg and vegetable omelet with broccoli, onions, salt, and pepper
- Snack: Trail mix with almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts
- Lunch: Grilled chicken over salad with spinach, almond slices, avocado, and lemon dressing
- Snack: Cup of bone broth or green tea
- Dinner: Wild salmon with cilantro and massaged kale with olive oil dressing
- Dessert: High-quality dark chocolate
Explore recipes that exclude candida-promoting foods and include candida-fighting ingredients.
Precautions: Candida Die-Off Symptoms
Rapidly eliminating candida from your body can release toxins and lead to die-off symptoms.
While these symptoms may be uncomfortable, they indicate that the candida cleanse is working. Symptoms include impaired brain function, fatigue, and intestinal distress.
Most symptoms should subside within seven to 10 days, leading to improved energy and overall health.
If you experience persistent candida infections, consult a healthcare provider to address underlying health conditions that may contribute to candida growth.
Final Thoughts
- Candida is a common issue that is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
- An antifungal diet can help reduce and eliminate candida symptoms, leading to improved health and vitality.
- Choose whole, nutrient-rich foods to support your overall well-being and maintain a healthy balance in your body.
