Candida Diet Food Recommendations
You know the old saying: “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Nowhere is this truer than when dealing with chronic conditions like Candida overgrowth. Formulating a successful treatment plan is really important, but adequately preparing for your treatment is just as vital.
Your kitchen, and specifically your pantry, is where you can make your Candida diet so much easier. By filling it with low-carb, healthy, nutritious foods, you will give yourself a huge head-start towards eventual recovery.
Here is a selection of staple foods that you will find useful on your Candida diet. Keep them ready in your pantry. Enjoy!
Coconut Oil by Nutiva
Coconut oil is made up of three different medium-chain fatty acids – caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. When coconut oil is taken as a whole food supplement, these amazing fatty acids have been shown to work together to be effective against Candida.
Be sure to buy a high quality, organic brand. Don’t worry too much about whether it’s ‘virgin’ or ‘extra-virgin’ – coconut oil is not regulated in the same way as olive oil. Here is an excellent choice.
We recommend Organic Virgin Coconut Oil by Nutiva. Find it here.
Kefir Starter Kit by Body Ecology
Probiotic foods are a fantastic way to introduce lots of probiotic cultures into your gut. Probiotic yogurt is a good choice but kefir is even more potent.
You can buy kefir at your local health food store, but it’s really easy to make. If you can find someone with kefir grains to share, that’s a good option. If not, try one of these starter kits and make your own delicious kefir at home.
We recommend Kefir Starter Kit by Body Ecology. Find it here.
Stevia by Mommy Knows Best
Cutting out added sugar is one of the cornerstones of any Candida treatment. But sometimes foods do need a little sweetness. This is particularly true if you’re weaning yourself off a high-sugar diet.
Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener that is derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. Look for a pure stevia or one that is mixed with another healthy sweetener like erythritol.
We recommend Pure Stevia Powder by Mommy Knows Best. Find it here.
Xylitol by Now Foods
Xylitol is another natural sweetener, this time derived from birch wood. It has a low glycemic index and will not spike your blood sugar. The added bonus for Candida sufferers is that it has some antifungal properties.
You can use xylitol to replace regular sugar in your recipes. And if you find xylitol gum, that can be useful for combatting oral Candida infections (or oral thrush).
Erythritol by Now Foods
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in certain fruits and some fermented foods. It can also be produced by fermenting glucose with yeast.
Erythritol’s selling point is that it’s 60-70 percent as sweet as table sugar – and yet it’s almost calorie-free and won’t spike your blood sugar.
Coconut Flour by Bob’s Red Mill
Coconut flour is a staple for low-carb baking, whether you’re on the Candida diet, keto diet or paleo. It’s drier than your regular multipurpose flour, so it’s a little different to cook with.
If you’re not getting the consistency that you need, you can also mix it with other low carb flours like buckwheat flour. Make sure you buy a high-quality coconut flour, as it will be easier to bake with. Here’s our favorite brand.
Buckwheat Flour by Bob’s Red Mill
Buckwheat has the advantage of being gluten-free, high in protein and fiber, but relatively low in carbohydrates. It is a fantastic flour to mix in with dry flours like coconut flour.
Look for a buckwheat flour that is organic, from a reputable brand, and that doesn’t contain other ‘fillers’. Here is our recommendation.
We recommend Buckwheat Flour by Bob’s Red Mill. Find it here.
Coconut Aminos by Coconut Secret
Coconut aminos is an amino acid liquid that is often used as a substitute for soy sauce, even though it does not contain any soy. It’s made from the sap of the coconut palm tree. The sap is mixed with a sea salt rich in minerals, which creates a product that is close in texture and taste to soy sauce.
Coconut aminos has many applications in cooking. It can often be used in Chinese and vegan recipes, but it is also employed for sauces and for salad dressings.
We recommend Coconut Aminos by Coconut Secret. Find it here.
Coconut Vinegar by Coconut Secret
Coconut vinegar is made either from coconut water or from the sap of the coconut palm tree. This is boiled in water and yeast is added, giving it a distinct taste compared to other types of vinegar.
Coconut vinegar is used in cooking and contains plenty of minerals and amino acids. For people looking to use it in their recipes, it can be used as a substitute in most recipes that normally call for vinegar.
We recommend Coconut Vinegar by Coconut Secret. Find it here.
Coconut Milk by Native Forest
Coconut milk is an important ingredient in many different cuisines, particularly Asian. Don’t confuse real coconut milk, which is usually found in a can, with the coconut-based milk substitutes found next to soy milk in your supermarket. Those milk substitutes usually contain carrageenan and a host of unhelpful additives and preservatives.
When you buy a coconut milk, look for an organic brand that comes in a BPA-free can. They’re not always easy to find. Here’s our favorite coconut milk.
We recommend Coconut Milk (unsweetened, BPA-free, organic) by Native Forest. Find it here.
