What Is The Candida Diet?

The Candida diet is a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet that promotes good gut health and eliminates the sugars that feed a Candida overgrowth. The diet includes non-starchy vegetables, some low sugar fruits, non-glutenous grains, some dairy products, and fermented foods.

By improving your gut health, and restoring the balance of the bacteria and yeast that live inside your body, you can get relief from Candida symptoms like bloating, indigestion, yeast infections, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and gas. (1)

One of the major causes of gut dysbiosis and fungal overgrowth is a diet full of sugary, processed, junk foods. These foods are high in sugars that feed a Candida overgrowth, and rich in pro-inflammatory ingredients that damage your gut and cause inflammation across your body. (2)

The importance of the gut microbiome has been proven time and time again. There are an incredible 40 trillion microorganisms living in your body. In fact, you have more of these microorganisms inside you than you have human cells! (3)

Gut health has been linked to immunity, glucose control, heart health, and digestion (4, 5, 6). Recent research has even discovered links between gut health and mental health (7). It’s safe to say that an unhealthy gut can cause problems in every part of your body.

The Candida diet is designed to improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity. The principles of a candida cleanse include removing added sugars, consuming fermented foods, and avoiding pro-inflammatory triggers like gluten and processed foods.

The foods to eat on the Candida diet include non-starchy vegetables, fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut, low-sugar fruits like blueberries, proteins like chicken and fish, and pseudo grains like quinoa. The diet is designed to provide optimal nutrition while reducing inflammation, avoiding candida die-off depriving Candida albicans of the foods that it needs.

The list of foods to eat includes a wide variety of healthy, nutritious food. These foods are all low in sugar, gluten-free, and unlikely to cause inflammation in your gut.

The full list of foods to eat on the Candida diet includes non-starchy vegetables, low-sugar fruits, non-glutenous grains, healthy proteins, some dairy products, nuts and seeds, fermented foods, plus lots of herbs, spices, fats and oils.

You’ll be amazed at the number of simple, tasty meals that you can prepare. Just take a look at our recipes section for lots of delicious ideas!

Remember to make sure that your meals are balanced. A good example might be an egg salad with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, and salt. This nutritious meal contains protein from the eggs, healthy fats from the olive oil, and carbohydrates from some avocado and other vegetables.

The Candida diet foods to avoid list includes added sugars, glutenous grains, high-sugar fruits, processed foods, some dairy products, most condiments, alcoholic drinks, and refined oils.

Caffeinated drinks should also be minimized as they can worsen gut inflammation. Good alternatives are decaffeinated coffee, green tea, and chicory coffee.

There are three simple principles that cover most of the foods to avoid. If you’re unsure about a particular food, just apply these rules.

Firstly, stay away from foods that are high in sugar. The most important foods to avoid are sugars and added sugars, whether they’re added to your cereal or the natural sugars in a fig. These sugars can feed a Candida overgrowth, lead to chronic inflammation, and weaken your gut. (12)

Secondly, avoid foods that contain gluten. More and more evidence is now showing that gluten causes gut inflammation, even in those who are not Celiac. Gluten can worsen the symptoms of Candida and leave your gut more vulnerable to a Candida overgrowth. (13)

Thirdly, steer clear of inflammatory foods. A gut imbalance like Candida causes plenty of inflammation already. You don’t want your diet to make it worse.