Candida diet folks, please share your wisdom

[Grace Hopper]

Is there a specific book or website you recommend for tackling this? Whatever experience you can share is appreciated. 

[Grace Hopper]

Bump. Anyone?

[Harriet Vane]

I had a long sojourn with this when my kids were young. I will respond a little later today with some specifics. 🙂

[Harriet Vane]

I will edit to remove some of the personal stuff later:

Okay, so quite a lot of years ago, I found myself with the most awful candida infection I had ever had. So awful that I did not think it was candida--I was convinced I had some other, super-serious calamity. I had tried over-the-counter solutions that didn't touch what was going on. I was in pain and I felt absolutely horrible. Even had thrush, ugh.

In my case, this infection happened after more than one course of strong antibiotics to address mammary duct ectasia (which is a breast infection in a non-lactating woman).

I had lab testing to check for several things. I'm not sure what all they checked for now. The lab tests came back as negative for everything and positive for candida. I remember the doctor saying: "You have a yeast infection. A BIG ONE." I had no idea that it could be like that and I doubted him at first. The amount of candida overgrowth throughout my body was more what you would expect in someone who had been sick a looooong time with frequent hospitalization, like a cancer patient or an elderly patient.

(And now, years later after having other reactions to antibiotics, it's in my chart to avoid antibiotics.)

One course of Diflucan (an anti-fungal antibiotic) is 3 days. I took five separate courses of Diflucan to knock down that initial infection. (July of that year.) When it resurged again in September of that year, I took more Diflucan.

The doctor gently suggested that I "go low carb, maybe cut back on sugar." A different doctor told me that I would need to hit this much, much harder and recommended a full candida diet. I also took acidophilus.

For the first two months, I did not eat any sugar. The only fruit I ate was an occasional Granny Smith apple (because that variety is lower sugar than most fruits). No potatoes of any kind, and no grains at all. No milk products at all. So I basically ate meat and vegetables, but no peas or corn. I drank water mostly, or tea with no sugar.

This phase was by far the hardest. I felt utterly wretched. After starting the diet I actually felt much worse, because candida die-off is a real thing that makes you feel horrible until your body can clear all that out. I was so sick that my desperation kept me on track to follow the diet. The other thing that helped was bold flavor. When the cravings were really bad, I could tamp them down with some hot salsa or cook something with lots of herbs. For me, hot spicy flavor was the most effective.

When we felt that the main infection was, indeed, knocked back, I was allowed to add back in limited amounts of cheese, berries, plain yogurt (no sugar), and sweet potatoes. The first sweet potato I ate was one of the most luxurious experiences I have ever had--my taste buds had shifted and the sweet potato tasted like a dessert.

After several months on the diet, I did phase in more fruits.

The first month is really hard. BUT when your taste buds shift, it gets easy. Junk food and sugary food didn't even taste good anymore. I didn't have to exert any willpower to turn down snacks or big desserts at a potluck, because I didn't find any of that remotely appealing anymore.

When you give up grains and sugar and fruit, you need more fat or you will feel shaky/hungry. Olive oil is your friend. At that time, when I could still eat dairy (I am now lactose intolerant), I used a lot of butter.

Also when your diet is reduced to protein (meat or beans) and just veg, you need tons more veg. There are some who become constipated on this diet because they do not consume enough vegetable matter.

One "dessert" that I made to help with the cravings (roughly six weeks in I was allowed to do this) was fried apples. I simply sliced a Granny Smith apple into a shallow pan with melted butter, flipped once, sprinkled with a little plain cinnamon. Later when I was allowed plain yogurt, I added a dollop of that to my plate for creaminess. Since my taste buds shifted, the apple tasted wonderfully sweet even though I did not add any sugar at all.

I will see if I can find the website I used and post that separately.

I am happy to answer any specific questions.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Harriet Vane

[Lady Florida.]

 I can't wait for my new glasses to arrive, hopefully some time next week. I keep reading "Canada diet folks" and keep wondering why dieting in Canada is different from the rest of the world. 😂

[Harriet Vane]

This website looks pretty decent. I honestly don't know if it's the one I used back when I had to do this, though I think it's possible that it might be. This was more than ten years ago for me--I learned what I needed to, stayed on the diet for about a year (and lost a TON of weight without even trying), then moved on when I was confident that I was infection-free and healthy.

The folks who run the website do recommend supplements for purchase. I personally did not purchase anything other than over-the-counter acidophilus. The website includes helpful lists and information, so just skim on past the occasional supplement mention (unless you are interested in that, of course).

https://www.thecandidadiet.com/

Edited June 4, 2022 by Harriet Vane

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

For the first two months, I did not eat any sugar. The only fruit I ate was an occasional Granny Smith apple (because that variety is lower sugar than most fruits). No potatoes of any kind, and no grains at all. No milk products at all. So I basically ate meat and vegetables, but no peas or corn. I drank water mostly, or tea with no sugar.

This phase was by far the hardest. I felt utterly wretched. After starting the diet I actually felt much worse, because candida die-off is a real thing that makes you feel horrible until your body can clear all that out. I was so sick that my desperation kept me on track to follow the diet. The other thing that helped was bold flavor. When the cravings were really bad, I could tamp them down with some hot salsa or cook something with lots of herbs. For me, hot spicy flavor was the most effective.

The first month is really hard. BUT when your taste buds shift, it gets easy. Junk food and sugary food didn't even taste good anymore. I didn't have to exert any willpower to turn down snacks or big desserts at a potluck, because I didn't find any of that remotely appealing anymore.

When you give up grains and sugar and fruit, you need more fat or you will feel shaky/hungry. Olive oil is your friend. At that time, when I could still eat dairy (I am now lactose intolerant), I used a lot of butter.

Also when your diet is reduced to protein (meat or beans) and just veg, you need tons more veg. There are some who become constipated on this diet because they do not consume enough vegetable matter.

Ditto all of this. I did this after having a course of steroids followed by a course of terrible antibiotics (fluoroquinolones). Sigh.

I will note that if you feel good on this diet, the hardest part is having any kind of social life that includes food. Just a heads-up. I lost a ton of weight on it, but at that point in life (with little kids), I couldn't maintain it and leave my house with kids. Within a week of going back to normal (but still healthy eating), I was visibly gaining weight, which was insane.

I also found out through this experience that I am massively gluten intolerant. I would've never, ever guessed, and that was a huge, permanent shift. So, realize that this functions a lot like an elimination diet, and you need to be prepared to potentially find food intolerances, which is a mixed blessing--you want to feel better, but if you aren't expecting to be sick via food, it's a shock and a big shift.

25 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

This website looks pretty decent. I honestly don't know if it's the one I used back when I had to do this, though I think it's possible that it might be. This was more than ten years ago for me--I learned what I needed to, stayed on the diet for about a year (and lost a TON of weight without even trying), then moved on when I was confident that I was infection-free and healthy.

The folks who run the website do recommend supplements for purchase. I personally did not purchase anything other than over-the-counter acidophilus. The website includes helpful lists and information, so just skim on past the occasional supplement mention (unless you are interested in that, of course).

https://www.thecandidadiet.com/

I think I used this site too, but it's been a long time. I did try some other supplements, but I didn't purchase through them.

I would get a whole-foods based vitamin (especially if it has methylated b vitamins in case you need that kind of B vitamin), and I would use a reliable s. boulardii (saccharomyces boulardii) probiotic on board. I use Thorne or Florastor (if Florastor is on sale big time). Beyond that, I don't know how to tell which supplements are most helpful. I would stagger-start anything you use so that you can evaluate what is making a difference and what is not, but a good probiotic and a good multi are really not going to hurt anything. 

Adding tons of non-starchy veggies never really hurt anyone that I know of. 🙂 

[Grace Hopper]

Thank you all so much, what you’ve shared is very helpful. My Patient has a lot of will power, so I think it’s doable. Looks like maybe soup and salads for months? And zero grains at all, if we want to get super serious about it?

@Harriet Vanethanks for the link, we will dive in. 

[kbutton]

33 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

Thank you all so much, what you’ve shared is very helpful. My Patient has a lot of will power, so I think it’s doable. Looks like maybe soup and salads for months? And zero grains at all, if we want to get super serious about it?

@Harriet Vanethanks for the link, we will dive in. 

Honestly, I used small amounts of puffed millet and brown rice and did really well. That might've been after the first few weeks though. I can't remember anymore. 

[Harriet Vane]

43 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

Thank you all so much, what you’ve shared is very helpful. My Patient has a lot of will power, so I think it’s doable. Looks like maybe soup and salads for months? And zero grains at all, if we want to get super serious about it?

@Harriet Vanethanks for the link, we will dive in. 

Soups and salads, yes. Many of my meals were a hunk-o-meat + tons of veg + salad.

Be aware that processed meats have hidden sugars. When I was on this diet I ate no form of sausage at all nor processed lunch meat. Even if the ingredients do not list "sugar" as an ingredient, in the little nutrition box manufacturers are required to list "added sugars" or "additional sugars." (I don't remember the exact term off the top of my head.) Those are sugar or sugar alcohol additives that the government mysteriously decided don't have to be listed by name in the ingredients. (!!!) Some of those additives are really unhealthy! So my advice is not to buy anything that lists added or additional sugars.

To be crystal clear--the added sugars are NOT mentioned in the ingredients list. They are listed in the nutrition box that lists fats and calories and all that jazz.

I did zero grains. An acquaintance allowed herself small portions of brown rice and did okay? Another rice alternative that might be healthier is purple rice? I really love the taste of purple rice, but many have not heard of it.

After several months, I did bring back into my diet wild rice. (Not a rice mix--I really like 100% wild rice as is common throughout Minnesota.)

It wasn't until I was all done following the diet a year later that I phased back in any grains such as white rice or bread.

[Harriet Vane]

17 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Honestly, I used small amounts of puffed millet and brown rice and did really well. That might've been after the first few weeks though. I can't remember anymore. 

Yes, an acquaintance couldn't face life without grain, so she allowed herself small amounts of brown rice. I think she did okay?

After several months, I did allow wild rice back into my diet (100% wild rice as is common in Minnesota, not a rice mix).

[Harriet Vane]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

Ditto all of this. I did this after having a course of steroids followed by a course of terrible antibiotics (fluoroquinolones). Sigh.

...

I also found out through this experience that I am massively gluten intolerant. I would've never, ever guessed, and that was a huge, permanent shift. So, realize that this functions a lot like an elimination diet, and you need to be prepared to potentially find food intolerances, which is a mixed blessing--you want to feel better, but if you aren't expecting to be sick via food, it's a shock and a big shift.

Thank you for sharing that. I'm so sorry you suffered like that!

And yes, it IS an elimination diet. After a different, massive antibiotic reaction that put me in the ICU, I became lactose and gluten intolerant. It was really hard to adjust to that, but I feel I am turning a corner on that now that I know how to cook around those intolerances.

[Grace Hopper]

So I’ve perused the linked site - so so helpful, thanks again!

A question is, what about smoothies of some sort? Did any of you make a green smoothie concoction to carry vegan protein powder, flax/chia and unsweetened coconut milk to get in a healthy fat, some fiber and non-meat protein?

I assume broths are good as long as they are good quality, gf, etc? I know some brands can contain sugars but I will read labels carefully. Just thinking about soup bases. I keep thinking soup/stews as something easy to prepare in a batch and then freeze in portions so The Patient would have something easy to grab out of the freezer and reheat. 
 

And vinegars - I see apple cider vinegar listed for several of the recipes. I’m guessing balsamic may contain sugars, since I understand it sweetens as it ages. Any advice on that?

[Harriet Vane]

1 minute ago, Grace Hopper said:

So I’ve perused the linked site - so so helpful, thanks again!

A question is, what about smoothies of some sort? Did any of you make a green smoothie concoction to carry vegan protein powder, flax/chia and unsweetened coconut milk to get in a healthy fat, some fiber and non-meat protein?

I assume broths are good as long as they are good quality, gf, etc? I know some brands can contain sugars but I will read labels carefully. Just thinking about soup bases. I keep thinking soup/stews as something easy to prepare in a batch and then freeze in portions so The Patient would have something easy to grab out of the freezer and reheat. 
 

And vinegars - I see apple cider vinegar listed for several of the recipes. I’m guessing balsamic may contain sugars, since I understand it sweetens as it ages. Any advice on that?

At the time I didn't do smoothies and I am not sure where flax or chia fall in the nutritional spectrum.

I would think bone broth with no added sugars is a good thing.

Apple cider vinegar is recommended as an anti-fungal. Some people swish with it to combat thrush. Other vinegars are not allowed for the candida diet (if I remember correctly).

[kbutton]

30 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

Thank you for sharing that. I'm so sorry you suffered like that!

And yes, it IS an elimination diet. After a different, massive antibiotic reaction that put me in the ICU, I became lactose and gluten intolerant. It was really hard to adjust to that, but I feel I am turning a corner on that now that I know how to cook around those intolerances.

It is difficult to adjust. I am really thankful I can have dairy. I am somewhat lactose intolerant, but it's mild, and a lot of cheese is lactose-free. 

[kbutton]

40 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

Yes, an acquaintance couldn't face life without grain, so she allowed herself small amounts of brown rice. I think she did okay?

After several months, I did allow wild rice back into my diet (100% wild rice as is common in Minnesota, not a rice mix).

I don't think it's supposed to be a life-long diet, though I am sure some people do better if they stay on it. I am not GF, mostly nightshade free, and low-carb. I have some odd intolerances tossed in there as well, some of which came out of nowhere (coconut, for instance). It is what it is. I've felt more normal during the pandemic because we aren't eating with other people except under strict circumstances or outside, so food and socialization aren't as intertwined as usual. It's been freeing, lol!

[Harriet Vane]

17 minutes ago, kbutton said:

I don't think it's supposed to be a life-long diet, though I am sure some people do better if they stay on it. I am not GF, mostly nightshade free, and low-carb. I have some odd intolerances tossed in there as well, some of which came out of nowhere (coconut, for instance). It is what it is. I've felt more normal during the pandemic because we aren't eating with other people except under strict circumstances or outside, so food and socialization aren't as intertwined as usual. It's been freeing, lol!

I didn't mean to imply life-long. My friend was really overwhelmed by the diet and wanted at least one grain to liven things up. I certainly didn't stick with it for life, though I wish I had kept some of the healthy habits I learned that year, LOL.

I've got a few intolerances myself, so I feel your pain. When I had a major abdominal infection (ICU, the works), I came out with a dysfunctional digestive system. Whether it was the infection itself or the antibiotic cocktail I took for six months, I'm not sure, but clearly something in my metabolism was killed off. I wonder if the same happened to you.

Yes, socializing with others is a challenge. I found I had better carry food with me to make sure I have something nice to compensate for the lack of options at those occasions.

[momto3innc]

3 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

 I can't wait for my new glasses to arrive, hopefully some time next week. I keep reading "Canada diet folks" and keep wondering why dieting in Canada is different from the rest of the world. 😂

Same. Four times in a row before I finally figured it out!

[kbutton]

16 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

I wonder if the same happened to you.

More than likely. 🙂 I am glad I didn't have to endure the effects that you did.