Candida Cleanse Diet

If you’re suffering from candida overgrowth, then you’re not alone: millions of women suffer from candida overgrowth. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to protect yourself from this candida: go on a candida cleanse diet.

What is Candida?

Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast. Very small amounts of candida live in your mouth and intestines. Candida’s primary job is to encourage healthy digestive functionality. It aids in nutrient absorption and digestion, for example.

However, when overproduced, candida breaks down the walls of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream. This causes “leaky gut”, which releases harmful toxins into your bloodstream. This can ultimately lead to a wide range of diseases and illnesses, including everything from digestive problems to depression.

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

Candida overgrowth is typically caused by one of a few different things:

— A Diet High In Processed Carbohydrates And Refined Sugars, Both Of Which Feed The Yeast And Allow It To Thrive

— Consuming Large Amounts Of Alcohol

— Taking Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills)

— Eating A Diet High In Beneficial Fermented Foods Like Kombucha, Sauerkraut, And Pickles

— Living A Stressful Lifestyle

— Having Recently Taken Antibiotics, Which May Have Killed Off The Friendly Candida-killing Bacteria

What is a Candida Cleanse Diet?

A candida cleanse diet is a cleanse specially designed to flush out your colon and expel large quantities of unwanted candida yeast and toxic byproducts. It’s designed to alleviate candida overgrowth and restore healthy digestive functionality.

How Do You Know When You Need a Candida Cleanse?

Think you might need a candida cleanse?

Here are some of the most common symptoms of candida overgrowth in the body:

— Skin And Nail Fungal Infections, Like Athlete’s Foot Or Toenail Fungus

— Feeling Tired And Worn Down Or Suffering From Chronic Fatigue Or Fibromyalgia

— Digestive Problems, Like Bloating, Constipation, And Diarrhea

— Autoimmune Diseases

— Difficulty Concentrating, Brain Fog, ADD, ADHD, Lack Of Focus, And Poor Memory

— Skin Issues Like Eczema, Psoriasis, Rashes, And Hives

— Vaginal Infections, Rectal Itching, Vaginal Itching, Or Urinary Tract Infections

— Severe Seasonal Allergies Or Itchy Ears

— Strong Cravings For Processed Carbs And Refined Sugars

If you’re feeling two or more of these symptoms, then you may have candida overgrowth.

Always talk to your doctor before undergoing a cleanse or any type of dietary changes.

How Does the Candida Diet Cleanse Work?

The candida diet cleanse is fairly straightforward. It’s not quite as strict as other cleanses: you’re not limited to cayenne pepper, water, lemon juice, and other bizarre ingredients.

Instead, you’re simply cutting out carbs and sugars and replacing them with raw salads and steamed vegetables.

Here’s what you’re encouraged to eat while on the candida cleanse diet:

Vegetables

Vegetables are the most important part of the candida cleanse diet. Eating vegetables starves the candida fungus of important sugars: that’s why you can’t eat fruits or grains while on this diet. It’s also why you shouldn’t eat starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes, yams, corn, beets, and beans.

Instead, eat the following vegetables: artichokes, avocados, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, garlic (raw), green beans, kale, lettuce (all types), okra, onions, radish, seaweed, spinach, and zucchini.

You can eat these vegetables raw in a salad or cook them.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are primarily used to add interesting flavors to your diet. Let’s face it: raw veggies can get extremely boring after a while.

But spices have also exhibited surprising health properties of their own. Many herbs and spices increase circulation and reduce inflammation. They can improve digestion and alleviate constipation, all of which are important when you’re fighting against candida.

Recommended herbs and spices include: basil, black pepper, cayenne, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, oregano, rosemary, sea salt, and thyme.

Oils

Oils have powerful antifungal properties. They’re also needed to cook your vegetables.

Specific recommended vegetables include: virgin coconut oil and olive oil.

What to Drink

You can make vegetable smoothies during your cleanse – provided you stick to the rules of avoiding starchy vegetables, fruits, and sugars. You can also make a tasty vegetable broth or our favorite, Green Juices! Check out our Juicing Guide to learn how to get the most out of the vegetables you consume!

Other than that, you’ll be drinking mostly water. Just like with any cleanse, you should be pushing as much water through your system as possible.

Scientific Evidence for the Candida Cleanse Diet

To date, there have been no studies or clinical trials on the effectiveness of the candida cleanse diet.

The Mayo Clinic recently published an article on the candida cleanse diet. That article was written by Brent A. Bauer, M.D., who said the following about the candida cleanse diet:

“Unfortunately, there isn't much evidence to support the diagnosis of yeast syndrome. Consequently many conventional practitioners doubt its validity. And there are no clinical trials that document the efficacy of a candida cleanse diet for treating any recognized medical condition.”

However, Dr. Bauer went on to state that it’s not surprising the candida cleanse diet works. After all, those who cut out sugar and white flour from their diets will typically cut out most processed foods. This can eliminate calories while focusing on foods with higher nutritional content:

“Within a few weeks of replacing processed foods with fresh ones and white flour with whole grains, you may start to feel better in general. That, rather than stopping the growth of yeast in the gastrointestinal tract, is probably the main benefit of a candida cleanse diet.”

So yes, the diet appears to work. However, it probably doesn’t work by eliminating the candida fungus. Instead, you probably just feel better because you’re swapping out bad eating habits with good ones.

Conclusion: Who Should Take the Candida Cleanse Diet?

The candida cleanse diet is a great way to rejuvenate your body’s digestive system and restore healthy digestive functionality. I’ve listed symptoms of candida overgrowth above: if you’re feeling any of those symptoms, then you may benefit from a candida cleanse diet.

Of course, this diet is virtually impossible for those who don’t like eating vegetables. Vegetables, spices, coconut oil, and olive oil are basically all you’re allowed to eat on this diet: so if you don’t like those foods, then you may have lost the candida cleanse diet before it even begins.