Candida Diet: Foods to Avoid

Candida Diet: Foods to Avoid

Foods to Avoid in Stage 1

Category	Foods to Avoid	Why?	Notes / Exceptions
FRUIT	Fresh Fruit Dried Fruit Canned Fruit Fruit Juice	The high sugar content in fruit feeds Candida Fruits like melon may also contain mould	A squeeze of lemon is OK In Step 2 you can reintroduce low sugar fruits like apples and berries
AGED CHEESE	Cheeses aged for 6 months or more	Holistic practitioners recommend that Candida sufferers dramatically reduce their dairy intake Candida prevents the body from processing fat properly	Only aged cheeses need to be eliminated completely A small amount of Swiss or Mozzarella cheese every once in a while should not hurt
ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES	Citric Acid Anything on the list of ingredients that you don't know or can't pronounce!	Citric acid is derived from yeasts Chemicals can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish	Citric acid is often found in tomatoes Non-organic food like meat or eggs can also contain residual levels of antibiotics and steroids that were used during the farming process
ALCOHOL	Wine Beer Spirits	Alcohol is high in sugar that can feed the growth of the Candida yeast Alcohol also puts 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 Alcohol can be reintroduced in Stage 3, when the diet starts to work, but in small amounts
CAFFEINE / STIMULANTS	Coffee Tea Energy drinks	Caffeine, sugar and sweetener all kickstart Candida Taurine in energy drinks is another culprit	Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine
CHOCOLATE	Chocolate Chocolate drinks	Candida loves the sugar in chocolate	Candida sufferers often get sweet cravings. Put your Candida on a starvation diet - don't eat chocolate.
GLUTINOUS FOODS	Anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley, e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta	Some Candida sufferers have high sensitivity to Glutens	Give your immune system a break and allow it to focus on the Candida
SPICES / CURRIES	Curries Spicy foods	Curries can kill the friendly bacteria in your gut and allow the Candida yeast to flourish
NUTS	Nuts that are high in mould, e.g. peanuts	Ingesting mould 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 / MOULDS	Mushrooms Truffles	Candida loves to feed on mould and fungi Leftover food can contain mould that will feed your Candida	If you can't buy fresh, keep leftovers frozen and then cook on a high heat in the oven (not the microwave)
CONDIMENTS	Ketchup Mayonnaise Mustard Relish Horseradish Soy sauce Salad dressings	Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida	For an alternative salad dressing, try Paul Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing
SUGARS	Sugars Honey Syrup Lactose Sucrose Fructose	Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida Stay away from the soft drinks too	Sweeteners can also make your Candida worse Sugar-free diet coke can feed your Candida as much as a sugary soft drink
VINEGAR	All vinegars, except for Apple Cider Vinegar	Vinegar is made in a yeast culture, depletes the stomach of acids and can also cause inflammation in your gut	One particular vinegar, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, can actually be helpful in combating yeast