The term ‘Candida’ refers to a collective group of yeast-like fungi that are naturally present in the human intestines, mouth, throat, skin and urinary system. Generally, it is Candida Albicans that is implicated in states of chronic yeast infections, but there are almost a dozen different types of Candida organisms.
Candida is normally present in the colon and is kept in check, along with other ‘bad bacteria’, by the probiotics or, ‘good bacteria’. The over-consumption of sugars , breads, alcohol and yeast products (candida feeds on these) results in the bad guys getting all the food they need while the good guys become outnumbered.
Candida is made worse by the use of antibiotics, including antibiotics in animal feed, birth control pills, environmental pollution and steroid drugs.
Once overgrown in the intestines, Candida forms spike-like structures called myceles or rhizoids. This enables the candida to burrow through the intestinal lining and enter the blood stream. This is commonly referred to as leaky gut or malabsorption syndrome. These holes now pave the way for other organisms to enter the blood stream as well as partly or undigested food particles which are a contributing factor in food and environmental allergies.
Allergies produce symptoms such as fatigue, depression , chronic dermatological infections, skin rashes, acne, abdominal bloating and gas, indigestion, constipation , diarrhea, chemical and food sensitivities, hypoglycemia, premenstrual tension, endometriosis, prostatitis, vaginitis, poor concentration, memory problems, mood swings, and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have any of these conditions it would be a good idea to get Candida testing done!
Depending on the severity, a typical Candida program can be anywhere from 12 weeks to 9 months. Incorporating supplements into your healing regime is essential during this program. I’ve met people who have been on Candida diets without the help of supplements for almost 10 years with just minor improvement. As soon as they go off the diet, the symptoms return.
If you plan to do a food-only Candida healing protocol, pack some lunch – you’re going to be doing it for a while.
These are some of the key foods you’ll want to avoid on a Candida diet:
- All dairy products ( milk , cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter)
- Most grains but especially gluten and starchy grains (barley, rye, kamut, spelt, rice, wild rice, oats). NOTE: some highly sensitive individuals might want to omit ALL grains. I find this is ok for meat-eaters but very challenging for vegetarians
- Sugar: I usually recommend ALL forms of sugar although some resources classify fruits as “allowable”. I would advise to err on the side of caution and if you’re going to consume fruits, make sure they’re not high sugar or high Glycemic Index. Berries are your best bet here!
- Wheat-containing foods such as breads, pasta and bagels (interestingly, wheat has a similar antigen marking to Candida)
- Starchy vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, beets, turnips and yams
- All alcoholic beverages, coffee, caffeine, tea and carbonated drinks. These are acidic which is what yeast prefers
- All fermented and fungal type foods such a vinegar (use lemon juice instead), soy sauce (use Bragg’s amino’s instead), ciders, pickles, mushrooms. This is open for debate and some practitioners do like to use ferments to support Candida healing for their probiotic benefits
- Peanuts, pistachios, cashews, bean sprouts and popcorn
I know what you’re thinking: “YIKES – that’s A LOT of stuff I can’t eat!”. While that’s somewhat true, let’s now take a look at what you CAN eat!
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Allowed Foods on a Candida Diet:
- Fresh non-starchy vegetables: asparagus , avocado , brussels sprouts , cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, kale , lettuce, onions, parsley, pumpkin, spinach, squash, string beans, tomato, watercress, wax beans. A wide variety and organic, if possible. Enjoy raw, juiced, steamed or as soups & salads.
- Protein: good quality meat is best. Ideal is grass-fed beef, fish, chicken, eggs and wild meats. Try your best to go for organic. Beans are a little too starchy but you can include some in the diet, especially if you’re vegetarian. Avoid processed meats like hot dogs, pre-made hamburger patties and dried/cured meats
- Nuts & Seeds: raw not roasted
- Grains: quinoa , millet, amaranth. However, keep grains to a minimum and focus more on eating vegetables and protein
- Beans and legumes: red & green lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans in moderation
- Coconut oil has many health benefits and mild anti-fungal properties
Supplements
Supplements are an essential component to this program. It will be a long and challenging journey without them. I am all about effective supplementation and when it comes to Candida, “go big or go home” is my general motto.
These are some supplements you may want to consider incorporating into your Candida-healing protocol:
- Digestive enzymes: one of the most critical supplements to include. They help break down food and some also break down the wall of the Candida itself (SO essential!)
- Anti-fungals: oil of oregano , berberine, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract and pau d’Arco (taheebo). Look for a formula or use them as individual items. These guys wipe out the Candida!
- Binders: Bentonite and activated charcoal bind what’s called Candida die-off (think “clay mask” and you get the picture). When you start killing Candida, they release aldehydes which are a type of alcohol. This is the stuff that really makes you feel sick on the cleanse. By adding these binders, you minimize the die-off reaction and things tend to run a little smoother
- Fiber: Fiber ensures that the bowels keep moving and that the Candida actually gets out of the body. Meat-eaters who are on a meat/veg program might want to increase the amount of fiber as a supplement since meat has no fiber at all
- Probiotics : These are the ‘good bacteria’ and they help crowd out the bad guys (Candida). A key component to this (and almost any other) program or diet. Look for high potency and high organisms (i.e. dosage in billions)
- A high-potency multi-vitamin. Look for one that supports the liver and the adrenal glands
- Vegetarians might want to consider a protein shake 1-2X/day. We are trying to starve the Candida, not the person!
While this might seem very overwhelming, remember this: in the grand scheme of things, a small-time investment pays off in the long run. Candida is an underlying issue for many disease states and heavily under-diagnosed, so a little ground work goes a long way.
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This is one of the most complete programs I know of and works well. The trick is to stick with it. If you fall off the wagon don’t throw in the towel. Take it for what it is, get back on the horse and keep moving forward!
What are some of your favourite Candida-friendly foods to enjoy?
44 thoughts on “Guest Post: What You Need To Know About Treating Candida”
Sounds tough, but it’s so doable.
I tried it and it worked…. thank you
This was such a helpful article! Thank you so much!
Happy to hear you found it so helpful Nicole 🙂 Rachel – Joyous Health Team
It’s definitely challenging, but not impossible. Working with a qualified practitioner to support you is key 🙂 Happy to hear it worked for you though. Rachel – Joyous Health Team
Glad you like it Nicole! Once you get on the diet and program, you will start to feel VERY different within a few days
Glad to hear of your success!
How much Fiber would you recommend for a woman to help fight off candida?
What is the amount of Fiber that you recommend for women when trying to deal with candida overgrowth?
Great article! I have been on the anti-candida diet for 10 weeks tomorrow and I only continue to get more motivated. It’s all worth it!
Thank you so much for the laid out format! You made it short and extremely easy to follow! The best so far!
Fiber can be a double-edged sword. Too much can cause constipation and certain types of fiber like psyllium can be quite irritating. I usually advise to start slow with something like fresh-ground flax seed (1 tbsp) and increase from there.
Amazing! Glad to hear 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the blog post 🙂
This is so helpful! What do you think about fermented foods during this time?
This is all very much correct. I pray that some day I feel totally healed from my Candida over growth.
I hope you heal as well Angela. I’m not if you’re working with a natural health practitioner but it’s a great idea to really combat candida for good. Wishing you joyous health!
How long is someone supposed to be on digestive enzymes? Can this be a forever thing? Is that safe?
I find that when I ween myself off of them, my symptoms come back.
There are some cases where it’s a lifelong thing, but in most cases I would say not to take digestive enzymes forever. Brett may have some more thoughts on this!
The timing of this article is so great. I’m sure that candida is what is impacting my overall health and am about to start meal planning to support this type of diet.
Thanks for this.
You’re welcome! Thanks to Brett for contributing it to the site 🙂
Brett, I am new to Joyous Health – discovered her on YouTube two days ago and binge-watching every day now! I noticed your article today, and it’s great confirmation that I’m doing things correctly. I was diagnosed with MS last November. I’ve been following Ann Boroch’s book for healing the MS naturally and following her supplement listing religiously. I had cut out sugar in September last year to get healthy and was feeling amazing by the time of my diagnosis in November! Now, with further eliminations on the candida diet, I struggle to even know what bothers my system. I don’t feel symptoms in my gut. MS symptoms are still present, but I’m looking at months to heal the nerves and see improvement. Any particular advice you can give me? Thanks so much!
Hey Brett – great article. My symptoms have definitely improved following a similar candida protocol. My only issue is that when following the above diet for a few weeks and more I lose too much weight. And without being able to eat starchy veg I just get so hungry too. I try to eat more healthy fats to compensate with hunger but to no avail. Is more protein the key here? I feel like I end up eating LOADS! (Which isn’t a bad thing at all but gets expensive!) Thanks for your advice
Very informative post! The multivitamin recommended is for pregnancy by New Chapter. I checked the ingredients for New Chapter for women however it contains wheat and soy. Do you have recommendations for other quality high-potency that are gluten free? Thanks!
Hi Alicia,nIt’s kind of confusing, but in the U.S the same formulation is considered “gluten-free” and safe for celiacs however, Canada has stricter guidelines which is why it says there is wheat, even though there isn’t any. As for the soy, there is organic non-GMO used as a starter culture for the fermentation and this means it’s food for the yeast and bacteria. There is very little, if any soy in the end product. However, if you have a severe allergy I would definitely avoid. Otherwise, I’m sensitive to soy and I take their women’s daily multi with no issues. Hope that helps!
Thank you for all the information! I am planning to start the candida protocol and wondering if you could recommend a digestive enzyme? Should it be plant based but not contain any fruits because of the sugar that feeds candida? Just looking to get it right! Thanks so much
Great article, thank you! I’m about to start a candida protocol but am curious about the “err on the side of caution” as it pertains to sugars. Reading the labels of enzymes, most contain an “ose” of some sort in the non-medicinal ingredients. Genestra even has “natural vanilla flavours”! Am I being TOO cautious? Maybe the amounts in the enzymes are insignificant.
Glad you enjoyed it! There are varying levels of candida protocols so the best thing to do it ask your ND or nutritionist 🙂
I would also like to know the answer to this question.
Hey Jen (both Jens – hehe!). I’m not sure if Brett has a specific digestive enzyme he would recommend so I would recommend checking in with him directly or your natural health care practitioner to confirm this. But I like the Digest Plus from Genestra for a digestive enzyme. Rachel – Joyous Health Team
This article has come at just the right time for me as I am have been a long time sufferer with candida and am presently suffering with many allergic reactions and other symptoms noted in this article.
Interesting to me is my maiden name is Hawes and I have only once come across another outside of immediate family spelled the same!
Heather
Ah! Don’t you love when that happens? 🙂 Happy to hear you could find it helpful. What a cool connection as well! Rachel – Joyous Health Team
I’ve done a couple candida cleanses in the past year since coming off birth control. I have no idea how I could do it for so long, I feel like i’d have to quit my job just to have enough time and energy to prep all my meals and snacks. Know what I mean?
Hey Mandy, There’s definitely a lot of prep and planning that goes into it but its do-able with the right support team 🙂 Rachel – Joyous Health Team
Hey, do you know anything about Candex. I looked at this website https://www.supremeform.com/blog/candida-symptoms and they say that a enzyme supplement like Candex may help
Hello viewers all over the globe am very happy today to share my testimony on how i was cure from Candies disease, i have been suffering from candies for the pass 2 years which makes me had constant pain all over my body, i have went to several hospitals taking treatment from doctors, but still know improvement till i meet a old friend of mine who direct me to a great traditional herbalist called Dr Oso which i contacted by email so luckily he reply back i explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that his going to prepare the herbal medicine and send to me which will cure me forever, i believed in him, after all the procedures given to me by Dr Oso few weeks later i went to see my doctor to confirm if i was finally cure, the result was Negative am totally cured by this great herbalist my life is more important now am free and happy if you have such sickness or any kind of disease like HIV, Diabetes, herpes,Cancer, HPV, ALS, Hepatitis A/B, pregnancy issues etc contact Dr Oso details: drosohaberhome@gmail.com or call 2348162084839 ….
here is the DR OSO website.
https://sites.google.com/view/drosohaberhome/\
His blog page https://drosohaberhome.blogspot.com
you can also email me for more information about DR oso via eddiekenzie1@gmail.com ALL THANK TO DR OSO .
Hello viewers all over the globe am very happy today to share my testimony on how i was cure from Candies disease, i have been suffering from candies for the pass 2 years which makes me had constant pain all over my body, i have went to several hospitals taking treatment from doctors, but still know improvement till i meet a old friend of mine who direct me to a great traditional herbalist called Dr Oso which i contacted by email so luckily he reply back i explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that his going to prepare the herbal medicine and send to me which will cure me forever, i believed in him, after all the procedures given to me by Dr Oso few weeks later i went to see my doctor to confirm if i was finally cure, the result was Negative am totally cured by this great herbalist my life is more important now am free and happy if you have such sickness or any kind of disease like HIV, Diabetes, herpes,Cancer, HPV, ALS, Hepatitis A/B, pregnancy issues etc contact Dr Oso details: drosohaberhome@gmail.com or call 2348162084839 ….
here is the DR OSO website.
https://sites.google.com/view/drosohaberhome/\
His blog page https://drosohaberhome.blogspot.com
you can also email me for more information about DR oso via eddiekenzie1@gmail.com ALL THANK TO DR OSO .
Hello viewers all over the globe am very happy today to share my testimony on how i was cure from Candies disease, i have been suffering from candies for the pass 2 years which makes me had constant pain all over my body, i have went to several hospitals taking treatment from doctors, but still know improvement till i meet a old friend of mine who direct me to a great traditional herbalist called Dr Oso which i contacted by email so luckily he reply back i explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that his going to prepare the herbal medicine and send to me which will cure me forever, i believed in him, after all the procedures given to me by Dr Oso few weeks later i went to see my doctor to confirm if i was finally cure, the result was Negative am totally cured by this great herbalist my life is more important now am free and happy if you have such sickness or any kind of disease like HIV, Diabetes, herpes,Cancer, HPV, ALS, Hepatitis A/B, pregnancy issues etc contact Dr Oso details: drosohaberhome@gmail.com or call 2348162084839 ….
here is the DR OSO website.
https://sites.google.com/view/drosohaberhome/\
His blog page https://drosohaberhome.blogspot.com
you can also email me for more information about DR oso via eddiekenzie1@gmail.com ALL THANK TO DR OSO .
Hi Kim, I was investigated for MS many years ago. I had all the symptoms and severe pain in my legs and even numbness up to my waist. I researched and some info was to take evening primrose oil. I’m not going to say this is the do all, end all and maybe because I was in the beginning stages of symptoms but I started taking it religiously and within about two to three weeks the pain in my legs was disappearing and it did go away along with other symptoms. Interestingly, at one point I ran out of evening primrose and was unable to get to a store to buy some and the leg pain returned. Again, resumed and leg pain gone. I continued taking Evening Primrose Oil for years. I still do take it but not as regularly and have no issues. If you decide to try it, get the 1000 mg soft gel capsules. Good luck and hope this helps.
Hello! I’m very excited to inform everyone that I’m completely cured from Candida recently. I have used Oregano oil, Coconut oil, Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Famciclovir, and some other products and it’s really help during my outbreaks but I totally got cured! from my Candida with a strong and active herbal medicine ordered from a powerful herbalist and it completely fought the virus from my nervous system and I was tested negative after 2 days of Candida herbal medicine. I’m here to let you all know that and Candida has a complete cure, I got rid of mine with the help of Dr ORAL and his herbal exploit. Contact VIA EMAIL droralherbalhome@gmail.com or 2349031111198.
Are there any particular brands of candida antifungal natural supplements that you would recommend? I used to use Genestra Candicin it Han been out of stock for many months
Check out Renew Life, they have some good candida cleanses that have been around a long time.
Happy Monday !!!
I’ve read that going into a Candida cleanse, it’s best to refrain from all meats for the first 2 weeks and then slowly introduce them along the way … Any thought to this ?? Also, this is for the comment readers, using Larch Fibre as a fibre source is an excellent supplement
Thank you for the useful information and good luck on your journey to all those reading and embarking on this cleanse !!!
Just wondered if you ever healed from Candida overgrowth
Hi there, my name is Deborah,
I’ve been so sick with Candida/ mold
Do you take new patients?
I really need help and I’ve spent a lot of money on different alternative dr and no one has helped me.
Hi Debbie, I do not see patients/clients. I’m sorry to hear you haven’t gotten the help you need. Wishing you well in your healing journey 🙂