Once I acknowledged here on Fork and Beans of my diagnosis of a fungal infection called Candida overgrowth, I got an outpouring of questions about what exactly Candida is, how to get diagnosed for it and what I have been eating in order to combat the infection. I’m taking this month to answer all your questions, share some of the recipes I have been creating and enjoying, and filling you in on my experience with the diet for anyone even interested in hearing about it.
Let’s start with talking about what it is. Candida is a normally-occurring yeast-like fungus that thrives in the intestines of humans. The goal is not to get rid of candida, it only becomes a problem when there is an overgrowth of yeast. When that happens, the good bacteria in your gut becomes dominated by the bad, causing an array of horrible symptoms that are spurred on by poor diet (including processed foods, sugars, and alcohol), consumption of antibiotics in our food supply, and stress. An overgrowth begins to negatively effect our bodies through the following ways but not limited to:
- Bloating/gas
- Diarrhea/constipation
- IBS
- Foggy brain
- Fatigue
- Skin irritations (acne, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis)
- Poor concentration
- Dizziness
- Mood swings
- Abdominal pain
- Fluid retention
- Mucus in stools
- Vaginal itch/odor
- Jock itch
- White thrush on tongue
- Consistent sinus problems
- Strong cravings for sugar or high carb foods
- Food allergies
I have been feeling horribly for a good two years now and was diagnosed with a Candida overgrowth back in September through my naturopath doctor who ran several tests on me including blood and stool samples. My tests came back saying that I was malnourished and my liver levels were at a low, so right after my diagnosis I began a standard Candida diet where I eliminated all sugars, most fruits, processed foods, alcohol, and yeast from my diet and found relief to the majority of my issues.
I lost 10 lbs that first month (weight I could NOT lose for the life of me), my stomach was no longer bloated, the white coating on my tongue went away, my breath changed, I battle with cystic acne when it’s not balanced by birth control and once I went off the pill around the same time of the diet my face actually cleared up (!!), my bowel movements became normal, I wasn’t angry and high-stressed, in fact I felt very even in my mood, I wasn’t dropping anything/running into walls/or feeling clumsy like usual, and the amount of gas I had went significantly down. Matt even went on the diet and we witnessed his dermatitis significantly go down. His skin became less inflamed, less raw, and less dry–something that no doctor has been able to cause. Unbeknownst to us, we actually needed to be on the diet for longer than those 2 months so once I started to incorporate foods a bit too quickly back into my diet, our symptoms came back with a vengeance. Now we are preparing to go back onto the diet (this time for a longer length of time [4-6 months] in a more structured manner [a clear 2 phase plan]. I am ready to kick this thing to the past and I know that there are several of you who are in a similar situation so here are the ABCs of Candida that I have been learning and have found to be helpful:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar will become your new best friend. Though vinegar is off-limits while on the anti-candida diet, Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar happens to be a natural candida repellent and is encouraged to ingest daily. I get my dosage by drizzling it (along with avocado oil) on a side salad at dinner but you can also drink 1 teaspoon mixed with 1/2 cup filtered water.
Be Surrounded by Supportive People
Find the people in your life who have your best interest in mind and keep them close during this time. I’m serious. If you can even convince your loved ones to join you on this eating plan, that will make your life all the easier. If anything, you will need the support and encouragement from friends and loved ones so if anything, take note of those who seek to sabotage you and avoid them at all costs during this time.
Candida Cookbooks
I highly recommend purchasing Ricki Heller’s latest guidebook, Living Candida Free. Not only does it provide you with 100 recipes that are meatless AND tasty but it also lines out for you a 3 Phase program on how to go on a successful (and easy-to-follow) Candida cleanse for those who have a diagnosis. There is a lot of differing info out there so it is nice when you can trust the source and Ricki is someone I trust. You can read more here on my review of the book.
Ditch the Alcohol
As much as it might pain you, all alcohol needs to be avoided completely for the duration of the diet plan due to its ability to convert into sugar once it hits your system, thus aggravating candida. One glass can set you back completely if it’s added too soon to your diet. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.
Every Body is Different
Be your body’s best champion and know what works best for it because what works for me might not work for you. Though the outline of the candida diet is the same for everybody, keep in mind that the execution will be a little different for you, especially the duration of time on it. Some will recover rather quickly and be back to feeling better in no time, others (like myself) will need a longer amount of time on the elimination phase. Also some will be okay with eating beans and grains at a faster rate initially while others (like myself) will not. It is not your place to judge anyone’s choices or actions while in recovery, in fact this is a great reminder to remember in general. You do not hold the key to everyone’s problems, only your own.
Fruit in Limitation
Despite the fact that fruit is filled with delicious, natural-occurring sugars it still needs to be avoided as much as possible, especially the first couple of weeks while on the first phase of the diet. If you want a piece of fruit, stick to a very small serving and grab for fruits that are lowest in sugar like blueberries, kiwis, coconut, or even tart green apples.
Get Up and Move!
You will find it helpful to be active during this diet as it stimulates your brain and body. Really, I don’t need to convince you here about the benefits of exercise–just do it but be mindful of how your body is feeling and don’t overexert yourself in the first phase. Go for a nice walk and call it a day.
Herbal Teas Instead of Coffee
Make the switch to herbal tea or at least greatly reduce the amount of coffee you drink down to one cup a day and then sip on tea for the remainder of the day. Some of my favorite teas are Peppermint (great for digestion), Roasted Dandelion Root, and Nettle Leaf (perfect for those who like black tea) and I particularly love the Traditional Medicinals tea brand.
Inventory Your Symptoms
Pay attention to your symptoms and monitor their improvements as you are on the diet. Keep a food diary and note if certain additions of foods cause certain symptoms to come back and adjust accordingly. Do this slowly, giving your body enough time to react to new foods and seeing how it shows up in your system. For me, when I added wine back into my diet too quickly, I found the day after having one glass that I was super clumsy, unable to properly grab items with my hands and my temperament went from serene to very angry–something I had not experienced in the two months prior to.
Just Remember It’s Not About Perfection
Perfection isn’t the goal here, recovery is, and though you need to be on top of your eating game, it’s okay when you “fall off the wagon” (and by “It’s okay” I mean this isn’t a race about who recovers faster nor is there a time frame on when you should feel better). The nature of growth is never in a straight line. There is a lot of “2 steps forward, 2 steps back” type of growing so never beat yourself up when you step back; learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
Keep It Simple
The diet itself can seem very overwhelming initially but just remember to keep it as simple as possible. For breakfast, I will eat eggs, veggies, and even a slice of Paleo bread on occasion; for lunch, I go for leftovers from the night before or a big salad; and for dinner, I try to have a very small portion of protein, a good-sized serving of vegetables, and I always serve my dinner with a side salad drizzled with raw apple cider vinegar and avocado oil. It’s a basic and simple structure for my meals without feeling overwhelmed.
Lemon Water First Thing in the Morning
Lemon is great for digestion, alkaline for the body, and should be paired with lukewarm water. Usually those who are battling candida tend to have problems with digestion in some form so introducing lemon water first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything else is a great habit to form.
Make Veggies the Spotlight
In every meal, make vegetables the star, avoiding high-starchy veggies initially for the first few weeks like carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Vegetables are high in fiber, full of good-for-you vitamins, and are filling.
Natural Candida Repellents
There are a good number of foods that actually are natural candida repellents. Find ways to incorporate them into your daily diet, even after the restrictive phase is over:
- coconut oil
- garlic
- lemons
- clove oil
- raw apple cider vinegar
- oregano
- cruciferous vegetables
Organic and Antibiotic-Free Foods
Do your best (remember perfection is not the goal) to buy organic fruits and vegetables and hormone/antibiotic-free eggs and meat (if you are a carnivore). Consuming too many foods with antibiotics in them is part of the issue for Candida overgrowth so do what you can with what you have. Yes, they are more expensive to purchase but you will be saving money on not buying processed foods so it’s a win-win.
Pay Attention to Your Cravings
The foods you crave the most while you are on the most restrictive part of the diet are usually the foods you should pay the most attention to, as it can be an indication of a food that the yeast overgrowth actually craves. For me I had insane cravings for corn, mainly in tortilla chip form. Corn, potatoes and alcohol, oh the Holy Trinity of severe body damage once incorporated back into my diet.
Quiz Yourself
This awesome quiz provides as a tool (though does not take place of a doctor’s diagnosis) to monitor how severe your candida might be, as well as monitor your progress along the diet. I highly recommend it.
Rest and Relax
Part of the cause and continuation of a candida overgrowth is stress so now is the time to learn to take it easy. Make sure you are getting enough sleep for your body and that you are not overexerting yourself. You might also find it very beneficial if you begin a meditation routine.
Stevia is the New Sugar
Since sugar in all forms (this includes honey, molasses, brown sugar, sucrose–you name it) must be avoided during the diet, stevia provides as a great substitute. I personally am not a fan however desperate times call for desperate measures.
Take Snacks with You Wherever You Go
I make sure that my purse is well-stocked with goodies whenever I step out of the house. From a green apple, to nuts like almonds or cashews, cut up veggies, or even a green juice, I know that being hungry causes me to make poor choices so avoiding that as much as possible is key.
Undo Bad Habits
It’s our bad habits that got us here in the first place and now is the time to deal with them. Whether it’s eating too fast, making poor food choices, stressing out, or even grabbing for a chocolate bar or can of beer instead of dealing with our emotions, now is the time to go within and figure out the big WHY. If we don’t deal with the underlying issues, we will perpetually be in the same circumstance over and over again.
Vitamins, Supplements, Anti-Fungals, Oh My!
The following is my daily regime from vitamins, supplements, and even the anti-fungal that I use to battle my candida overgrowth prescribed by my naturopath doctor. This serves a guide to help you and is not limited to:
This is the anti-fungal that I use and have had great results with it: Thorne Research Formula SF722. I take 5 pills, 3 times a day until the bottle runs out (take a little over two weeks to complete). You can go longer with the dosage, which is what I will be doing the second time around, especially around the time you begin to incorporate news foods into your diet in case of an outbreak.
I also ingest oil of oregano caps from Gaia to pair with the anti-fungal pills (one cap, 3 times a day), which as we discussed earlier, oregano is a natural candida repellent and helps with the lowering of bad bacteria in order to replace it with the good bacteria.
Ultra Flora Spectrum is a high quality probiotic with over 1o billion live bacteria to do the job right. I take one capsule every day after I eat breakfast.
Triphala is one of my most prized supplements to take. Due to my terrible-at-times digestion, this stuff helps keep my colon moving. I usually take two caps at night so it does the dirty work for me by the morning. This isn’t candida-specific but it’s part of my daily regime.
Thorne Research has a great multivitamin for women called Nutri Fem. I take three pills every morning after I eat breakfast and get all of my needed nutrients aside from food.
For the days that I am feeling bloated or gassy, depending on what I have ingested, these Activated Charcoal pills do the trick! Usually I get relief within 15 minutes of taking 1 cap. Note that the charcoal will absorb anything else you take with it so it’s best to spread out ingesting this apart from other medications.
Watch Fed Up
Need more good inspiration (as if your health being on the rocks isn’t enough) on reasons why you should initially ditch sugar? The documentary Fed Up just might do the trick. It is a great movie and overview as to why it’s important to eat fresh, whole foods and avoid processed foods as much as possible. It also explores the harmful effects that sugar can cause on our bodies when over-consumed (notice I said over-consumed–I am not advocating avoiding sugar completely).
Xplore New Recipes
Variety is key with this diet. Switch up what you eat as often as you can and try adding new foods into the rotation. Go on Pinterest, create a secret board for the diet, and collect new recipe ideas to try. I have a board for every meal as well as a snack category.
You WILL Make It!
The best part of all of this is knowing that this way of eating is NOT forever. You do not have to avoid fruit (or other goodies) for the rest of your life so remind yourself of that when things get rough (because they will).
Zip Up Those Bad Thoughts
It all begins in your head so whatever you choose to think and dwell on, your reality will become. Overcoming your health and weight issues (you WILL be losing weight on this) might seem impossible, eating better foods might seem unimaginable, and getting through these several months might seem never-ending but you CAN do this as long as you keep that brain clear of negative thoughts.
If you or someone you know is going through something similar you don’t want to miss the remainder of the month. I’m going to be talking about my particular diet plan, my personal experience of it, and I will be sharing tasty candida-friendly recipes.
10 years ago I found a naturopath who diagnosed me and after 5 years of being sick “fixed me”. It was hard work, went through the yeast die off, stuck to her plan and felt amazing after. Your post is so spot on. There was not much on the internet back then that made it seem like could succeed. I am keeping this to remind myself and get back to living the way I did when I felt so good! I have kept it at bay but I know it is always under the surface.
Thanks for sharing this information Cara. Some years ago I experienced sudden, incredible, debilitating knee pain. No pain meds of any kind relieved it at all. Three Houston area physicians told me it was arthritis, and I would need to take Celebrex for the rest of my life. I refused to believe them due to the sudden onset of the pain and due to the dangers of taking prescription meds forever. By accident, I stumbled across the Hotze Clinic. Their diagnosis – systemic yeast particularly affecting the knee joints. I was also, tired, foggy headed, etc.. but didn’t connect that with my pain. I started the yeast free diet as well as one round of Nystatin, and probiotics. My pain lessened within two weeks, and completely disappeared within six weeks. I stuck with the eating for many months, but eventually started back down the slippery sugar slope. Hotze has a yeast free blog and a group reset once or twice a year. Anyone can join. A new program starts tomorrow, 1-7-19, and I’m going to get started again. If you just google Hotze yeast free, you’ll find lots of free information and support. I wonder how many people are suffering from joint pain and other ailments for which they’re taking pharmaceuticals when yeast is really the problem.
Hi Cara, Love your post. My doctor told my I had a candida infection on my tongue in November. He recommended coconut oil pulling, but after two weeks there wasn’t any improvement and I ended up with an awful sore throat. I stumbled across this post and realized I had been on way to many antibiotics and my diet consisted mainly of sugar. I’m now on day 12 of the Candida diet. My only vice is having a small mandarin orange here and there due to low blood sugar feelings. It’s only day 12 and my stomach issues feel better! Unfortunately I don’t see any improvement on the white tongue yet 🙁
Wow! So glad I stumbled upon this article. I got very ill in SE Asia last year. Very ill! When I first starting getting sick, I took the antibiotics I brought, but got only worse. A lovely doctor came to my hotel room, assumed that I had a parasite, so gave me an anti-parasitic, along with fluids via IV. He took blood and fecal samples, then returned to my room a few hours later. He was quite shocked to find I had a Candida level six times normal. I really wasn’t familiar with Candida, only ever connected it to yeast infections. So it didn’t really mean that much to me, except that he had a certain diagnosis. He gave me an anti fungal medication, which I took for a few days.
As the medication began to work, other things started improving too. The biggest of those was the horrible psoriasis which had plagued me for months, keeping me inside too much, causing the loss of 25-30% of my hair.
The psoriasis had been acute, though I’ve never had it before. But it began to clear, and continued to improve even after I stopped medication.
Other things changed too. I lost some weight, even after I returned home from the trip. My body odor improved. I’d never had an issue with body odor until recently before that. Meaning like maybe 6-8 months.
Anyway, I am so glad to stumble upon this, because I never received any after care, because of course I was traveling all over Cambodia and Thailand and then went home two weeks later. And since my doctor at home retired last year, I haven’t replaced him yet. So I’ve never gotten any medical advice, or otherwise, because this condition is likely so under reported, and no one seems to test for it unless you are a very savvy and experienced patient. I am neither of those.
I wanted to believe this was just a one-off. And I probably behaved as if it was, having a bad diet, for example. That is until a few weeks ago, I resumed the WFPB lifestyle I’d had a couple of years ago. (BTW, I never even heard of a Candida diet until I saw your site!)
I’m quite concerned that I’m again carrying around a large load of Candida. I mean, I’ve just spent the last ten months feeding it sugar and alcohol. How could it not grow again? SO, I figured if the psoriasis kicked up again, I’d quit sugar and alcohol at that point. Which is so beyond ridiculous, I hardly even recognize myself in all this self-bargaining.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks, and I will be checking back in…a lot.
Great my score was about 148. Seems hopeless.
I have a question, as I am learning about how to “take my life back” from candida. I have been diagnosed with pityrosporum folliculitis, which is an overgrowth of yeast ” candida”. The dermatologists keep giving me anitibiotics for it but, tell me I don’t have to do anything else. Well, I have learned that I need to get my stomach flora back to the normal function so in order to do that, I need to go on a candida diet along with supplements etc. My question is, about how long do I need to be on a cleanse? Just so I can get an idea.
I am newly on the candida diet as per my doctor. He has me doing it with low carbs. No fruit, dairy, grains, etc. I am 2 weeks into it and completely exhausted! I’ve had a distended stomach for over a year, weight gain, brain fog and fatigue. I am immediately seeing a difference! But have setbacks where my stomach will slightly return, that’s frustrating. I sure hope yours is better as I know this post is older.
Do you have an opinion on whether protein powders (vegan, vanilla, stevia sweetened) would be too processed? It’s a good low carb meal but not sure.
Thank you for a really great article! One of the best and most real I’ve read in my research.
Hi I recently was on the candida diet and did great for a few weeks and then failed miserably last weekend. Of course my symptoms got worse. I started back on track right away. Do you think that I need to do a cleanse again. Thank you!
That is for your doctor to determine as I am not an expert on this. Sorry, Natasha, and good luck!
About 8 years ago, I had all these same issues and I thought I was suffering from a long-term systemic candida infection. After 4 years of a strict candida diet, I read an article about gluten intolerance and celiac disease being related. So thankful that I read it, because I got retested (my initial blood test came back negative) with a more sensitive type of testing from Enterolab. I had severe gluten intolerance, which also caused an intolerance to yeast, lactose, fructose and several others. I quit eating those things, and was slowly completely healed. I just wanted to share my experience in hopes that it might help someone, bc I spent thousands of dollars on candida cures and never got to the root cause. Thanks for posting.
thank you so much for putting this all together. it’s a fun and concise way to point out the major players in going through a candida cleanse. i really appreciate it, as you know how helpful support is when going through this!
Hi, I am searching for an answer and I think candida is it. I have suffered with my hands itching and cracking until my fingers bleed. I do not wash dishes by hand much but I still changed my dish soap to something for sensative skin and it has helped but hasn’t taken it away completely. I do have some of of the other symptoms but the main symptom is itching hands and feet especially at night time. I am just today looking for the answer and want to stop/start eating foods that will elleviate the problem. What do you think? Thank you
This is a fabulous post thank you so much! One of my blog readers alerted me to it because I have been writing about my troubles with candida, leaky gut, ibs…blah blah!!! I am currently deciding whether to go with the GAPS or SCD diet with full avoidance of all sugars. It is tough because I dont want to go that strict but from what I have read if the gut isn’t healed properly the problem will likely return! In preparation I have been off grains, carbs and sugars since the beginning of last week. It is so tough isn’t it? Failed today as hosting a coffee morning for comic relief tomorrow and couldn’t resist the cream cheese frosting from one cake! Still I didn’t eat any cake so am feeling pretty proud! It is nice to know I am not alone with this misery..!!
You are definitely not alone!! So glad you were referred over here. what I’ve found best is to be gentle on yourself and keep trying. It’s hard but YOU CAN DO THIS! If you need anything, let me know…xo
Thank you for making this horrible start to our quest to squash candida, so much more simple, and not overwhelming! My husband and just started a few days ago, and the crankiness has kicked in, food is really not exciting, and we dread meals. However, I am not going to let either one of us quit! Can you make suggestions for foods that are filling, and snack foods besides, almonds, edemame, and green veggies. My husband is more frequently hungry. Thank you!
You are so sweet for saying this Nancy, I am SO HAPPY to hear that you are finding some relief in this horrible diagnosis. Let me know if there is anything I can help with…
I have always been a little lactose intolerant, but it got really bad a few years ago. I then became intolerant towards gluten too. I cut both of them out for about a year and felt amazing. A few months ago I started eating everything again and I am now feel really icky. I scored a 94% on that quiz and I have most of the symptoms of Candida. This weekend I am going to clean out the fridge and pantry, I want to switch almost cold turkey. I have a friend who has been on a diet similar to this as a way to lose weight, the difference is she doesn’t eat carbs. I am thankful that I will have her as great support. I’m wondering about coffee-I have seen it on many of the foods to avoid list, but it is something that I have drank from a young age to help me stay focused (a replacement for ADD medication). I am worried that I will not be able to function without it. What are your thoughts?
you are my favorite human. im obsessed with you. hahahahahahaha 🙂
HAHA! I heart you and am equally obsessed with you. Now it’s time to update the blog missy so I can stalk you 🙂
Interesting… I’ve never heard of candida until now. I’m totally intrigued by it now though. My friend has a similar issue and has to avoid some of the same foods that you do with candida. I’ll have to tell her about this!
Candida is definitely a new concept for me as well but I am finding that my body is really responding well to treatment. Hopefully your friend will find relief too! xo
Oh boy.
Thanks for the link Thisiswoo. I’m not really trying to prove or disprove Candida. I’m going off of my experience and the knowledge of the medical professionals that are helping me. Happy New Year!
This does not sound fun to deal with, though I’m very glad the benefits are worth it! Goooo Cara! I’ve been reading a lot about the benefits of coconut oil, specifically for teeth. Great stuff.
Question: are you taking acidophilus to bring up the level of good bacteria? I’m just curious
I’m picturing you with pom poms cheering me on 🙂 And yes, I am taking acidophilus! Trying my best to get rid of the bad and fill it with the good 🙂
Yikes….I did not do so well on that quiz…..Perhaps I should bring this up to my naturopathic doctor. I WAS doing an elimination diet but once the cookies and wine came out I threw in the towel. Restarting gluten-free in the new year when I am back in my kitchen. Withdrawals are the worst and I cannot imagine cutting all the things you did out of my diet but it is good to know that it is possible if that is what I need to do. Great post (as always) and all the best in the new year! xo
This is the one time you don’t want to score high on a quiz, ha! I totally did as well 😉 I hear you about the cookies and wine…that is what screwed me over come December but that’s okay because I learned a great deal from those 2 weeks. Let me know what happens with your health Jessica!
This is such a great, comprehensive post. Thanks for the info!
You got it, Angie!
So sorry you’ve been dealing with this, Cara, but you are so right–there is an end in sight! I found that the diet got much easier with time and once you become familiar with the permitted foods (and it really is second nature now). I’m really looking forward to your anti-candida recipes, too! 🙂 Best of luck with it!
Thank you so much Ricki! Coming from YOU, I feel confident that it will be okay 🙂
I took the quiz. 94%/severe
I am starting a candida diet this weekend. I have read conflicting info or to be more specific, incomplete info, on whether you should take a probiotic from the first day or only take the antifungals for a little while and add the probiotic in later. I ask because I take a probiotic now to keep things moving and I will need to stop it if that’s the best way to get this under control.
Hey Deb, you are an got about the same score 🙂 I hear you on the conflicting info. There are so many theories about candida that if you took the time to read every one you’d be spinning and unwilling to start because you wouldn’t know who to believe. The issue of a probiotic is something that Dr. Bakker covers in his eBook and he says it really doesn’t matter. I was taking the probiotic initially along with the antifungal and still had great results so I just think issues like that are on the small side. Best of luck and let me know how things are going!
Oh my goodness! My eyes are welling up with tears. Thank you for all of this! I look forward to more recipes and blog entries of yours! Christmas Eve, I had a family dinner with my husband’s side of the family. A conversation with gut problems I was having lead to another conversation about cutting out sugar, gluten, dairy, and grains. I stopped all of those things a couple of days ago. I have been drinking lemon water and eating so well. The hardest part BY FAR is the sugar. I haven’t had any fruit although the sight of it is cruel and unusual punishment for me. I’m the girl who eats sour patch kids for a treat and thinks she deserves them! Now I know I can’t and I will feel better once I’m a few months in. I made the mistake last night of having a vodka tonic. I am so dizzy and odd feeling today that I know it’s from the sugar. Thank you SO SO much for outlining this. I haven’t been diagnosed by a doctor, but every thing I’m researching from Leaky Gut to this lines up. I’m becoming more regular and little to no stomach pain has occurred. I’m choosing foods on the paleo diet and it seems to be working great. What do you do when the sugar or alcohol (also sugar 😉 vampire kicks in? I’m thinking of New Year’s right now and if that champagne is going to be worth it since the feeling of having sugar leads to worse repercussions than the enjoyment of it at the time. Thank you for these ABC’s! I may need to find a friend or two for support because meals with in-laws are going to be interesting.
Luci, Luci! We sound like we are in similar situations here (except my “treat” is usually scotch and potato chips) and I really hope that adhering to this diet will provide relief for you from your symptoms. Sounds like your body already adapted well to a cleaner eating plan (yet the bad side is your body hates you when you eat an offending food). For me, when the cravings hit, I go to Peppermint tea. That, or make homemade crackers that are grain-free for the days I so badly want chips. I also remind myself that this is an addiction that I have to break and that the hard part will be over soon. The BAD cravings lasted 2 weeks but after that it got easier to control. Also the good symptoms begin to outweigh the bad and that helps too. Let me know if you need anything else!! I’m here if you need anything…
This is such a great post! Only you could make reading about Candida fun. Love you so much.
HAHA I’m glad this was a fun read for you!! xo Love YOU.
loving this, lady. thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. when i had candida several years ago…seven years ago? i CRAVED the vegan chocolate chip muffins from the whole foods bakery. it wasn’t until later that i realized why i was craving so much sugar. candida…
Oh girl, I would LOVE to hear about your experience! How long did you cravings last? Do you still eat sugar at all? I hear you on the cravings though–that has been the most enlightening, knowing that it’s the candida wanting beer and tortilla chips more than me, ha!