Anti-Candida Diet - Foods to Eat and Avoid

Foods to Avoid

1) Avoid Processed Sugars! - Possibly the worst foods on an anti-candida diet are foods high in processed sugars. These include foods like candy, pop, candy bars, cakes, pies, ketchup, etc.

2) Avoid Deep Fried Foods. - Potato chips, french fries, onion rings or anything else deep fried should be avoided on the anti-candida diet.

3) Avoid Gluten. - Gluten is full of yeast that tends to trigger candida growth.

4) Avoid all Alcohol. "For many people, the most difficult part of switching to a Candida diet is giving up alcohol. This is a necessary change if you want to give your gut bacteria and digestive system the very best chance to get back into a healthy equilibrium." (Link)

5) Avoid Foods with Yeast - Candida is a yeast infection and is fueled by a yeasty diet. Foods rich in yeast include cheeses, breads, alcohol, cereals and vinegar.

Foods to Eat

1) ) Take a great probiotic. "Probiotics are possibly the most important part of your Candida treatment program. A good, natural probiotic, combined with the correct diet and natural antifungals, can slow down and even reverse Candida overgrowth, which can hinder immune system function and cause mood disorders, fatigue, and a myriad of health issues" (Link).

2) Eat foods high in chlorophyll (Green Vegetables) - Chlorophyll is the pigment that makes plant foods green. Most green vegetables, as unprocessed as possible, are excellent on an anti-candida diet. Some example of high chlorophyll foods include steamed broccoli, green peppers and vegetable salads. "Another benefit of the alkaline and antibacterial nature of chlorophyll is its potential to fight fungus, namely the common yeast known as Candida albicans." As one 2007 study found, "'Chlorophyll-based solution presents effective antimicrobial activity of C. albicans'" (Link).

3) Low Glycemic Fruits- "Most people eating a raw food diet to cure Candida find that they don’t need to eliminate fruit entirely. However, it may be best to emphasize low glycemic fruits such as berries, citrus and apples, at least in the initial stages of treatment. The majority of Candida patients can benefit from an increase in their intake of raw foods. However, it is not always a good idea to suddenly switch to a 100% raw food diet" (Link).

4) Brown Rice - "Mainly the eating plan consists of meat, vegetables, garlic, brown rice, oats and [sugar free] soy milk..." (Link).

5) Consider taking a high dose of Vitamin D. 

The connection between Vitamin D and candida is a relatively new discovery: "Dr Cannell came across a paper published in Nature by a team of researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles showing that vitamin D stimulated the body's production of antimicrobial peptides which have been shown to attack bacteria, fungi and viruses..." (Link).

In the below video, Dr. Roberat Heaney discusses how there aren't any known toxicity cases of people taking about 30,000 iu of vitamin D per day. He doesn't recommend that high of a dosage, however.

6) Drink Green Tea - Green tea is often shunned for those on an anti-candida diet, mostly because of its caffeine content. However, recent research suggests that green tea has incredibly strong properties for fighting candida.

Possibly even better than normal green tea is Matcha green tea. Though the caffeine is higher in Matcha green tea, so are the antioxidants. "My experience with matcha has been fantastic. I drink matcha twice a day. Once at 9 a.m. and again at 9 p.m. It does not make me feel 'wired' or jittery. If anything it makes me feel calm and tranquil yet alert. I did experience die off the first few days drinking it. I am pretty much symptom free now but matcha is not the only weapon I've been using against candida." (Link).

 7) Drink Lemon Ginger Tea - Lemon Ginger Tea is one of the best things you can drink for eliminating candida. You can use teabags like the ones above, or make your own. "I use 2 tablespoons of peeled and diced ginger root steeped in 2 cups of boiling water. I drink this tea twice a day (morning/night). It stops the growth of candida and cleanses the system as well. I happened upon a clinical study that showed ginger as an effective fighter against fungal infections and thought I would try it. I am pleased with how I am feeling after one week of my trial. My spit tests are coming out clear every morning and I do not seem to be suffering any die off effects (ginger has me eliminating 3 times a day, remaining solid as well). I am sleeping well, have more energy, can think clearly, and pain has almost gone completely" (Link).

8) Oatmeal - "So can you eat oatmeal on Candida diet? Yes, you can. Oatmeal is actually a good food to eat as well as other oats. These help to cleanse the colon and the intestinal track." (Link)

9) Baked Potatoes - "Given their nutritional value and health benefits, I’ll vote to keep potatoes in my anti-candida diet. When deciding which variety to buy, I always lean toward the reskinned variety if possible, since they’re lowest for both glycemic index and glycemic load. In fact, I ate potatoes from Stage 2 of the ACD, and being able to enjoy that kind of familiar comfort food kept me on track with the diet" (Link).

10) Focus on Proteins - High protein foods such as beans, nuts (except for peanuts) and seeds can be a great source of calories on the anti-candida diet.

11) Focus on Fats - Fatty foods such as avocados, eggs and organic yogurt (no sugar added) are also a great source of calories and can help you avoid sugary foods.

12) Consider other Specialized Supplements - Fortunately, there are people who've gone through the work and research of designing supplements for fighting candida. Three popular ones are Kyolic Candida Cleanse, Purely Holistic Candida Cleanse and Spirulina. Taking these three supplements provides a powerhouse of anti-fungal nutrients.

13) Peppermint Tea - "Try cinnamon tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, ginger tea or licorice tea. All these have antifungal properties that will help with your Candida overgrowth." (Link).

14) Exercise - "Exercise increases energy levels, mental alertness, and feelings of well-being, and it helps fight fatigue caused by candida. Even better: Aerobic exercise requires extensive amounts of oxygen that starve the yeast cells and kill candida growth" (Link)

15) Consider Taking Thorne SF722 - This supplement is considered by many to be one of the most important supplements at fighting yeast, fungal and candida infections. This blog is not sponsored by any companies, so this recommendation isn't biased. It can be purchased here.