Candida is an overgrowth of fungi called yeast in the body that leads to unnecessary weight gain, pain and make you feel exhausted. This condition can usually see in mouth, vagina and gastro intestinal track.
However, it is harmless when it is in normal levels and exists alongside the trillions of other bacteria in our body. And if you have gut imbalances, stressful job, excessive consumption of alcohol or smoking, Candida can easily overgrow in your body.
According to several studies, it has confirmed that even the worst Candida infections can be cured with the right diet and eating habits.
So, we are going to show you beginners guide to the Candida diet and sample meal plan.
Symptoms Of Candida
The following are the possible symptoms caused by this condition.
- Chronic fatigue
- Skin infections such as eczema or rashes
- Mood swings and irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Joint pains
Causes Of Candida Overgrowth
Here are some more causes of Candida overgrowth in our bodies:
- Weak immune system
- High sugar diet
- Use of antibiotics
- Oral contraceptives
- High alcohol consumption
- Elevated stress levels.
If you experience any of these conditions shown above, try addressing them through the change in your lifestyle and diet.
How To Do Candida Cleanse In Our Body?
Treating Candida overgrowth takes lots of holistic approach and a commitment of time. Taking prescribed medications is the only ideal way to control Candida in our body, but it is a long term process that contributes to more imbalances in the intestinal track.
The goal for treating Candida overgrowth is to reduce the amount of yeast bacteria by increasing the amount of good bacteria in your gut. As it takes more than a month or even more depending on the severity of infection.
So, that’s the reason many advocates recommend for candidate cleanse before starting the Candida diet. This is a short term process that helps to alleviate stress on your digestive tract and releases toxins from your body.
However, there are many ways to cleanse Candida from your body, but two of them are quite popular among people.
- Eating fresh vegetables and fruits that are loaded with lots of proteins and minerals.
- Drinking lots of fluids such as lemon water, bone broth, fruit juices etc.
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Well, some people often experience negative symptoms such as fatigue, head ache, mood swings and change in sleep patterns in the initial stage of Candida cleanse. So, make sure it should not last few days.
After you completing the cleanse, then start the Candida diet by following some guidelines.
It is always better to consult your nutritionist before including this diet in your regular routine to take the right amount of nutrition in your diet.
Here are two things you need to consider, before including Candida diet in your regular diet.
- Start Out Slow: instead of preventing sugar, caffeine and gluten from your diet at once, it’s better to cut it off one by one is an easy thing to do.
- This Is Short Term Diet: this is a short term diet, so don’t continue it after improving the symptoms of this condition.
Foods To Eat
All the following foods can be included in your Candida diet:
- Healthy fats such as avocadoes, olives, extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil
- Dairy products such as ghee, plain yogurt etc
- Gluten free grains such as oat bran, buck wheat etc.
- Herbs and spices such as cinnamon, garlic, ginger, oregano, turmeric, rosemary
- Non caffeinated beverages such as herbal teas, homemade almond milk and coconut milk, lemon water
- High quality protein food such as chicken, eggs, salmon and turkey
- Non starchy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, onion
Foods To Avoid
We need to eliminate sugar and gluten and some dairy products in Candida diet. Avoiding these foods has great impact in reducing the infection from your body.
However, studies shows that excessive intake of sugar can even worsen condition and result in weakening immune system.
Here is the list of foods you need to avoid in Candida diet:
- Nuts and seeds such as peanuts, cashews, pecans
- Refined oils and fats such as sunflower oil and soybean oil
- All grains that contain gluten
- High sugar fruits such as bananas, mangoes, grapes etc
- Coffee, sugary beverages and alcohol
- Artificial sweeteners and all sugar products
Meal Plan
Here is the sample meal plan to follow on regular basis according to Candida diet. You can adjust it based on your own preferences and choices.
Monday
- Breakfast: one avocado with 2 scrambled eggs and tomatoes
- Lunch: turkey with salad of green, slices of avocadoes, cabbage and olive oil dressing
- Dinner: chicken breast, steamed vegetables and coconut aminos
Tuesday
- Breakfast: vegetable omelet along with eggs and spinach and tomatoes
- Lunch: sautéed cabbage with leftover turkey and sage breakfast sausages
- Dinner: steamed vegetables and coconut curry chicken
Wednesday
- Breakfast: one omelet made with onions, red pepper, tomatoes and eggs
- Lunch: turkey meat balls with kale salad
- Dinner: white caught salmon seasoned with lemon plus side of asparagus
Thursday
- Breakfast: one cup of plain yogurt with berries, almonds and little bit of cinnamon
- Lunch: Thai red curry chicken
- Dinner: salmon cake served with steamed broccoli and a cup of bone broth
Friday
- Breakfast: turkey and sage breakfast sausages with a side of Brussels sprouts
- Lunch: lemon roasted chicken with green salad
- Dinner: hamburger party topped with avocado and served with steamed vegetables
Saturday
- Breakfast: buckwheat breakfast muffins
- Lunch: coconut curry chicken and cup of steamed vegetables
- Dinner: noodles topped with chicken, raw garlic and olive oil
Sunday
- Breakfast: one cup of plain kefir along with almonds, coconut and cinnamon
- Lunch: salad made with two boiled eggs, turkey, tomatoes, olives and olive oil dressing
- Dinner: chicken fatija bowl made with chicken, cilantro, avocado and salad greens
The Candida diet is nutrition rich and anti inflammatory which not only reduce the overgrowth of Candida infection, it even offers numerous health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart diseases, obesity, diabetes etc.
Note:
This diet should be followed only when you experience the symptoms of Candida infection. There is currently no evidence supporting the effectiveness of Candida diet, but the diet is healthy overall and its recommendations are not based on science according to health line website.
