| Food |
Description |
|
SUGARS
Sugar
Honey
Syrup
Chocolate
Molasses
Rice Syrup
Artificial Sweeteners |
Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida. Stay away from the soft drinks too. Always read food labels to make sure your food doesn't contain sugar. Be careful - the aspartame in diet cola weakens your immune system can leave you vulnerable to Candida. |
|
ALCOHOL
Wine
Beer
Spirits
Liquors
Cider |
Alcohol is high in sugars that can feed a Candida overgrowth. It also puts stress on your immune system. |
|
GRAINS & GLUTINOUS FOODS
Spelt products
Corn
Corn byproducts
Rice
Anything made with:
Wheat
Rye
Oats
Barley - (e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta) |
Many Candida sufferers have a high sensitivity to Gluten. Give your immune system a break and stay off gluten during your Candida diet. Corn-by products like popcorn tend to be contaminated with mold. |
|
FRUIT
Fresh Fruit
Dried Fruit
Canned Fruit
Fruit Juice |
The high sugar content in fruit feeds Candida, even though they are natural sugars. Fruits like melon may also contain mold. A squeeze of lemon is OK. |
|
VEGETABLES
Potatoes
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Yams
Beets
Peas
Parsnips |
This group of vegetables is very nutrient-dense, however they should be avoided until your Candida overgrowth is fully under control.
They then can be reintroduced in small portions one at a time. |
|
MEATS
All pork products
Cured meats
Processed meats
Smoked or vacuum-packed meats |
Pork contains retroviruses that survive cooking and may be harmful for those with a weakened digestive system. Processed meats like lunch meat and spam are loaded with dextrose nitrates, sulfates and sugars. |
|
FISH
All fish except for wild salmon and sardines
All shellfish |
All shellfish and most fish contain alarming levels of heavy metals and toxins. These will suppress your immune system and leave you vulnerable to Candida. Studies have shown that farmed salmon contain high levels of PCBs, mercury and other carcinogenic agents. |
|
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Cheese
Milk
Cream
Buttermilk
Whey products |
Almost all dairy should be avoided except ghee, butter, kefir and probiotic yogurt. Milk contains lactose so it should be avoided. Kefir and yogurt are better because most of the lactose disappears during the fermentation process. |
|
ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES
Citric Acid
Anything you don't know or can't pronounce! |
The manufactured, additive form of citric acid is derived from yeast. However the natural form, as found in lemons and limes, is OK on the diet.
Additives and preservatives can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish. |
|
OTHER BEVERAGES
Coffee
Black & green tea
Diet & regular soda
Energy drinks
Fruit Juices |
Caffeine can cause your blood sugar to rise, but the main problem is that it weakens the adrenals and can impair your immune system. Coffee also contains mold. Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine. |
|
NUTS
Cashews
Peanuts
Pistachios |
This group of nuts contains a high amount of mold, which can inflame your Candida problem. |
|
BEANS
Beans and other legumes
Chickpeas
Tofu
Soy cheese
Soy milk
All soy products |
The combination of being hard to digest and high in carbs rules out beans from the first stages of the diet. They can be reintroduced later on in small portions. Soy products are mostly forbidden, as the majority of soy is genetically modified. If you can find non-GMO tofu, it should be OK to eat. |
|
MUSHROOMS / MOLDS
Mushrooms
Truffles |
Mushrooms don't "feed" Candida as some websites claim, but eating some fungi can cause an inflammatory reaction if you are already suffering from Candida. On the other hand, some medicinal mushrooms are actually OK on the diet and have strong immune-boosting properties. Good examples are Reishi and Maitake. |
|
CONDIMENTS
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Regular Mustard
Relish
Horseradish
Soy sauce |
Ketchup, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauces all contain high amounts of hidden sugars. Condiments generally do tend to be high in sugar, and they can exacerbate your Candida. For an alternative salad dressing, try coconut aminos or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. |
|
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. However, one particular vinegar (unfiltered apple cider vinegar) can actually be helpful in combating a Candida overgrowth. |
|
FATS AND OILS
Peanut oil
Corn oil
Canola oil
Soy oil |
Peanut, corn and canola oil are contaminated with mold. And most soy beans used in soy oil are GMO. |
