Candida Diet-HELP!!

Hi Everyone!

Let's start with a little background: I've been struggling with a series of bizarre health issues that have had most doctors completely puzzled--including being seemingly unable to lose weight. They know for sure that I have hypothyroidism and high estrogen and I'm being treated for both. The doctor I've been seeing for the past year (and who has made the most progress with my health) is a doctor who specializes in natural/non-pharmaceutical treatment.

Yesterday my doctor said that he really thinks the next thing he thinks I need to try is the Candida diet. He believes I may be having a reaction to the micro-toxins that result from eating sugars/yeasts. Here's my concern--I have to cut out ALL sugars, yeasts, etc. Not just for a few days, either...this is 4-6 weeks, minimum!

Have any of you tried the Candida diet? Can you give me any feedback on how it's worked for you?

I'm so reluctant to try it (it's such a HUGE change), but if it's going to help, it may be worth it...

Thanks...and sorry for the long post!!!

Replies

dn123

Check out the book, "The Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook" (Amazon) ...there's also a cook book out, and LOTS of websites with great recipes (http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/ for instance). You are certainly not alone on this struggle of a journey.

The Candida Diet is a COMPLETE life-style change. It's hard work.... especially if you're addicted to sugar. I've been reluctant for MONTHS...almost a year of half-assing things (another yo-yo dieter statistic)... but I'll be honest... the days I'm good, I see TREMENDOUS differences in my symptoms. But, with everything it's just as easy to give back into old habits (or cravings).

Sad thing is most of us are even BORN with a Candida-overgrowth all the way down to a cellular level. Born with a sugar addiction just like alcohol or crack. And there is an endless list of symptoms making it so difficult to diagnose! It's terribly frustrating. And to get better... our only (true) option is to give up we (think we) love most... even if it is only temporarily.

Embarking on a Candida Diet takes a lot of preparation, too! I mean, it can get expensive on a tight budget and you have to get creative with meals that will last you through the week. Going out to eat is not very much fun either. I will say your best bet is to make time one day a week to prep out meals, make big batches, freeze things, etc.... The more time you put into a prep day the less stress you will have towards the end of the week when you're tired and don't want to deal with anything and all you want to do is to just order a pizza (or whatever candida convenience food you prefer). Detoxing/cleansing really takes a lot out of you so you don't want to make things any harder on yourself than possible.

But really...I know that balance is not a lost hope. Take baby steps. I just re-joined MyFitnessPal about a week ago, and this is certainly the most excited I've been about it so far. You can edit your settings to add sugar to your goal list. That's the first time I've ever been able to see what type of goal for sugar (in grams) I should be reaching for. I still end up going over them each day so far, but I make a conscious effort to log EVERY single thing I put into my mouth by the end of each day- and even when I see that I go over, I'm at least becoming more aware of what I should be aiming for. But it's also making me become more aware of just how important exercise really is too. Which, by the way, makes a HUGE difference in lowering Candida levels.

I think with enough of the right kind of motivation and support we can all begin to take steps in the right direction for really healing ourselves from the inside out; and to develop healthy relationships with food.

In health,

Dianne

Post script - Colonics can be very beneficial when on a Candida cleanse as well. Best of luck.

kitkatkait

I've got Candida too. But forger the diet -- it's like impossible.
Threelac is the best thing ever.
check out http://www.candidasupport.org/ they have tons of info.

Grokette

I've got Candida too. But forger the diet -- it's like impossible.
Threelac is the best thing ever.
check out http://www.candidasupport.org/ they have tons of info.

Its not impossible if you want cured.

jamk1446

Its not impossible if you want cured.

Ditto! This is the diet my nutritionist originally put me on. I felt so bad before I started and felt so good following the plan, I had no real desire to fall off the wagon. But I did get cravings for sugar and other junk. I went online and googled alternative recipes for whatever craving I had. It took effort but it was so worth it to not feel like utter crap anymore.

Grokette

Its not impossible if you want cured.

Ditto! This is the diet my nutritionist originally put me on. I felt so bad before I started and felt so good following the plan, I had no real desire to fall off the wagon. But I did get cravings for sugar and other junk. I went online and googled alternative recipes for whatever craving I had. It took effort but it was so worth it to not feel like utter crap anymore.

I took L-Glutamine to help with the cravings until they went away. When the cravings are at their worst, that means the Candida is starting to die off. The die off symptoms are not pleasant, but worth it in the end.

Coconut Oil taken straight will also help with the yeast die off and gut healing.

bhagavatilad1

Isn't Candida a STD? I'd get a second opinion or find an alternative.

I have Hypothyroidism and my best advice to you is to get that treated first it takes 2-3 weeks for you TSH levels to get back to normal. I've been on Synthroid since 2004 with a yearly check.

The other issue I was suffering from was heavy periods so I went to Whole Foods and they have a whole area dedicated to health and wellness and you can buy over the counter estrogen/progesterone and see which works for you for me I started taking Dong Quai to balance out my hormones and it worked I don't have heavy bleeding anymore and I feel great. I have also incorporated Yogo as often as I can to balance my life. Good luck Do some research on the web.

from reading your responses I guess candida is a real disease follow what they suggest. good luck

jamk1446

Isn't Candida a STD?

No, it's not. Everyone has some amount of candida, it's part of the body's natural flora. The problem is overgrowth due to hormonal imbalance and diet.

JaenaM

I had candida and cured it naturally. I did the diet for about 2-3 months and also did a 21-day chaparral cleanse. My best friend was brown rice and lentils with smoked tofu cubes mixed in. I cooked excellent curries. I learned more about vegan cooking, raw cuisine, and got so much education in the process. I did a series of colon cleanses and took probiotics. I also did natural douches frequently. TMI, I know but true nonetheless. You can do it. If you think of it as a cleanse, a way to discover your body, and therefore a spiritual journey, it doesn't have to be awful. At points your body will cleanse and you may get sick, which is a natural response to your body dumping toxins. I lost a ton of weight too. Gained it back later of course but that was another issue. Friend/message me if u have questions; I don't know everything but can share my experiences with u!

Btw... Candida is NOT an STD. It's an overproduction of yeast usually connected with natural-born food sensitivities, hormonal changes, and diet among many other possible factors.

haslam666

It looks like we have a few things in common. I am quite obsessed with Wonder Woman, and I have some serious issues with candida.

My candida overgrowth has been pretty severe, I am surprised that you were able to eat tofu. I can't eat anything that has been fermented whatsoever. I can't even eat leftovers or anything that contains sulphites. I tried Candex for a while combined with diet, but it eventually caused some severe stomach problems. RIght now I am taking Zandia Candida Quuick Cleanse and it seems to be the most effective so far.

If you have any tips or advice, I'd love to hear them! I'm always searching for new information on the subject.

JaenaM

I had to work up to tofu and vinegars; for awhile it was just brown rice lentils and veggies. No dairy, of course nothing artificial or processed. No sugar or anything that broke down into sugar including fruit, alcohol, white breads, etc. I made brown rice pasta when I wanted a treat. Lots of lemon water, warm and cold to help alkalize the body. Spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa, wheatgrass shots....anything super high in chlorophyl helps. REALLY wanna focus on ph. There's a product called "parastroy"that can be helpful. Colon cleansing with psyllium hulls and bentonite clay drinks; disgusting but effective. Learn more about raw food preparation; dehydrated foods can be a good way to get your snacky food fix. I made a douche with 1/4 apple cider vinegar and pau d'arco, usnea, echinnacea, and goldenseal tinctures (I used anything anti fungal I could find) and filled rest up with distilled water. Those did help when I was having a bad infection. NO antibiotics; they make it worse. Of course probiotics; I would actually insert probiotic capsules in my "lady region", kind of like a suppository in front. Way TMI I know but I did it. My candida really affected me in giving me chronic painful yeast infections. It took awhile to figure it out. My hormones were also jacked up at the time too so u may wanna check with an endocrinologist. Um that's all I can think of...message me if u have more ?'s.

neenaj33

Usually Low carb diets work, Extra virgin coconut oil

ethompso0105

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all of your feedback and help. It's comforting seeing that I'm not "alone" in this, and that all this health crap (and the weight that's not going away) isn't my fault.

I'm still terrified by the diet--I tried it for about 2 weeks a few years ago and got VERY sick...I guess that was the detox phase.

I'm going to be traveling for work soon, so I'm not sure I can do it at this exact moment. Yes...I'll likely have to try it in the near future. In the meantime, I'm going to start by trying gluten free. I'm sure it's better than nothing!!

You've all been incredibly helpful, though. Your "successes" have shown me that this IS doable (something I didn't think would be possible).

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! :flowerforyou:

treatdream

*bump*

I've just recently discovered that I have candida (and probably have for years). I'm petrified and hopeful all at the same time. I'm just glad I know now, can do something about it and hopefully start to feel like myself again. Doing a lot of reading and research on the internet right now. thecandidadiet.com seems very helpful.

I hope you are making progress towards getting better and figuring out your diet, ethompso0105.

ajbeans

How do you know for sure if you have a candida overgrowth? Is there a test, or do you just assume you have it from the symptoms? I ask because both my daughter and I show symptoms, and I'd like to solve it if that's the problem, but since it is such a huge change I don't want to put us all through that if that's not the issue. Does that make sense? And if that is in fact the issue with me, I know I've been showing these symptoms for over 20 years, so a diet change will take a long time to take effect, and it's daunting when I read about the possibility of a temporary worsening of symptoms. Any advice on preventing that?

treatdream

How do you know for sure if you have a candida overgrowth? Is there a test, or do you just assume you have it from the symptoms? I ask because both my daughter and I show symptoms, and I'd like to solve it if that's the problem, but since it is such a huge change I don't want to put us all through that if that's not the issue. Does that make sense? And if that is in fact the issue with me, I know I've been showing these symptoms for over 20 years, so a diet change will take a long time to take effect, and it's daunting when I read about the possibility of a temporary worsening of symptoms. Any advice on preventing that?

Here are a few tests you can take. There is a link to a questionnaire at the bottom of the first page. The second link is another questionnaire. There are probably more out there but these are the ones I found on Google and they seemed reliable.

http://www.candidasupport.org/test_saliva.html

http://www.wholeapproach.com/candida/questionnaire.php

I know everyone is different but I started noticing symptoms going away after the first day or two of changing my diet (which I just started the Monday before Thanksgiving). I have fallen off the diet since Thanksgiving but have gotten back to it the past couple days and am feeling better again already. I am pretty positive I have lived with candidasis for at least 10 years.

jsv454

I did the Candida diet for about a month to help kill off a topical yeast infection in my armpit. Had been there for months, and OTC powders, etc. weren't helping. To make a long story short, I cleared up the infection and started losing weight. I ended up transitioning from a Candida diet to a Paleo/Primal one, which has improved my overall health tremendously. I have tons of energy, am hardly ever hungry, and am losing weight like it's going out of style. I was never able to lose weight despite a lifetime of "healthy" eating, so this has been wonderful.

Paleo cuts out all grains, not just ones with yeast like the Candida diet. I used to eat pasta nearly every day, and never thought I could give it up, but I am NEVER going back to eating grain. I feel so much better without it. The cravings can be tough at first, but as time goes on, they get much better, and for many, go away entirely.

I follow the Primal version of Paleo, which allows for a small amount of full-fat dairy. While on the Candida diet, life didn't seem worth living without cheese! Now I have just a little bit of high-quality cheese, and it's enough to keep me happy. Plus, a good source of protein and healthy fat.

If you are interested in learning more, check out www.marksdailyapple.com His articles and the user forums have tons of info. What ever you decide to do, good luck!

ajbeans

So for those of you who have done or are currently on the candida diet, how did you go about it? All at once changing everything, or small changes one at a time? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole concept, just because we eat a decent amount of bread and fruit is like my go-to snack for the kiddos.

jamk1446

So for those of you who have done or are currently on the candida diet, how did you go about it? All at once changing everything, or small changes one at a time? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole concept, just because we eat a decent amount of bread and fruit is like my go-to snack for the kiddos.

I also follow the primal lifestyle, I took about 6-8 weeks or so to transition into it. My nutritionist also had me taking some anti-fungal herbal supplements but it proved to be too much for me combined with the diet. I had constant headaches, nausea, anxious mood swings, sleep difficulties. So I stopped the herbal supplements and just concentrated on keeping my carb intake low and that made the symptoms much more manageable and I drank a lot of water to flush my system. After several months we tried the herbal supplements and I tolerated them much better the second time around.

If a drastic change is overwhelming for you and your family, then do it steps. Make a list of changes you want or need to make, prioritize them by importance, then implement one or two for a couple weeks. Once that change becomes part of your routine, then go to the next step. Those changes will still add up and it may lessen any reactionary symptoms you may have by doing it gradually.

haslam666

One thing that I have found extremely helpful is grapefruit seed extract. There's a product made by beeyoutiful called grapefruit seed crush, it's amazing. It is inexpensive and has tremendously (along with diet) help me to rid myself of candida. I even diluted in water for enemas which I think is the main thing that got my body back on the road to healing. I don't feel like I have a candida problem anymore, but I still ake grapefruit seed crush every day.

http://www.beeyoutiful.com/grapefruit-seed-crush.html

katykid15

You HAVE to treat candida through diet and supplements. If you want to feel miserable for the rest of your life, don't change your diet. If you want to restore balance and health in your gut, then suck it up for 4-6 weeks! I have suffered from candida and I am currently following the candida diet. I have found this website to be most helpful. www.thecandidadiet.com. I am on day 12 and feeling pretty good. I promised myself I would continue for 30 days total. You have to starve the yeast, kill the yeast, and build up your probiotics. You can't win this battle if you're going to continue feeding the yeast overgrowth sugar!! It's temporary! Good luck.

SharShar72

Hey there, I have done this diet and have the books talked about.

I have known about it for years and had strange symptoms

rashes on my scalp, acne, heavy periods, and putting on weight,

At Thanksgiving 2013 I saw the scale and had enough, I did change most of my diet(I did not give up fruit, some people do, I did not) on the diet. I began to loose weight right away, I also took a Candida Cleanse supplement(I take it 30 min before meals) I have had to break them in half because the symptoms were a bit much for me(headaches are common with die off)

I lost 16 pds right away, it was amazing. I also juice(green juices with little fruit, made at home)

I feel so much better, sleep through the night, no blood sugar issues.

I gave up all the starbucks and ice cream at Sonic stops, now and then I do treat myself of course. But have cut down, eat at home more, juicing, nuts, brown rice, protein, meants, avocados, eggs. And my green juice!

My skin cleared up, my energy level is great, and I dont wake up feeling irritable and starving in the am.

So its now 5 mos later. I was at 169, last showed 147 on the scale! I dont have a workout routine or the gym yet! I do yard work and wash my cars and mow lawns, so I do get physical exercise that way for the moment. I stopped for a few weeks and started to eat whatever again and I felt cruddy again. I didnt like it, so I actually got used to HOW GOOD I felt eating the candida diet and supplements. And of course the weight loss is awesome, and i didnt start it for the weight loss, so that made it even better!

I just finally reached a point where I was ready to do this and feel better. Feeling great is everything!

Hadley_SM

Bump for Info

michellemills184

I have been doing the yeast free, sugar free diet four weeks. I have lost 15 lbs just by following the diet. I have stuttered a little when I had weak days and 'fell off the diet' for vacation (four days). I feel great and have great energy. I have a copy of the diet from my nutritionalist and it's not really that hard. My bad days, I reach for pineapples or banana. Although I am not to have them, they aren't that bad for me compared to chocolate or bread. So, I balance my needs. I highly recommend the diet as the difference is amazing to not be bloated, full and infected with yeast. Being yeast free is unbeliveable and I rarely get cravings. Again, when I crave bad things I reach for less bad things. I found no sugar added ice cream that is delicious and alternatives to bland food like taco casserole without cheese!!

nikknack16

I didn't think I had that big of a Candida problem until the yeast started to manifest in places more unusual than allergies or a "lady yeast infection" I switched to natural deodorant and almost instantly had a raging yeast infection in my under arms and one in my belly button was so bad that it bled. I had some pretty strong antibiotics a few years ago because of a staph infection on my leg, but hadn't noticed any yeast symptoms because my diet is usually pretty low on the GI. I had allergy like symptoms and an occasional yeast infection but no huge clue that my whole system was out of balance. But then I started dating a man who owned a bakery/confectionary. All those yummy sweets and breads awakened what had been hiding inside me since the antibiotics and I have been fighting it like the devil ever since. What works for me is a diet of homemade bone broth soups (with lots of garlic) like a good egg drop soup (no carbs of course) and TONS of coconut oil every day. If I am going to tackle a really grueling workout and don't want to burn out I may add a little whey protein and unsweetened coconut milk. Once I follow this for 3 or 4 days my weight drops and I feel much better. Maintaining is the hard part

Yi5hedr3

Cut carbs.

Tmccall55

I'm Terrie. I also have a yeast problem similar to yours. Always have had a sugar addiction. Always sneaking chocolate and candy and sweet drinks. Now at age sixty, I've hit the tipping point. Rash and itch that cannot be ignored on my upper thighs and underarms and under my breasts. I've found a way of eating that keeps it under control. No bread, no sugar. I eat a few fruits, carrots, corn etc. but I've cut out tortillas, potatoes and such. My weight is slowly coming down. I've lost about 50# over the last couple of years, some of it twice

. This last 12 months I've lost about 15# with just the Candida diet. I started around 242 and am now at 188. I don't know if I'll ever conquer this overgrowth, but Im managing it. If I slip up, the rashes come back with a vengence so it keeps me on track. How do you get your tons of coconut oil down? by the spoonful? or mixing it in foods. Using MFP to track my progress