Candida is a type of yeast that is present on our skin, as well as our reproductive and digestive system. When there is an overgrowth of candida in our body, it is referred to as candidiasis, and can cause symptoms such as bloating, headaches, depression, premenstrual syndrome, as well as fatigue. Most of the time, candidiasis is treated with a round of antibiotics as prescribed by doctors, but if you are looking for alternative measures, changing your diet into vegan candida diet may be of good use.
What is this diet all about? As the name suggest, the Vegan Candida Diet is a diet plan that has been put together to reduce your intake of foods that can cause candida to grow at a rapid rate. Among the foods that are often removed are those that are processed or contain refined carbohydrates as they have been found to exacerbate the problem. Of course, before you follow any diet, it is always a good idea to discuss first with your doctor to determine if there will be any adverse effects to your condition.
What Goes In a Vegan Candida Diet?
The Vegan Candida Diet sounds promising to those who are suffering from candida overgrowth, as it is designed to help reduce the symptoms of this infection in their body. But what exactly are the foods that are allowed in this diet?
Plant-based protein
Vegans tend to be careful when it comes to the food that they are eating as they remove any traces of meat in their diet. Since protein is necessary in combatting yeast overgrowth, sticking with plant-based protein sources is highly recommended. Fortunately, you won’t be lacking in this department as soy products are one of the best sources for it. Think tofu, tempeh, and even texturized vegetable protein. If you are going to add legumes and beans, limit your intake to just one cooked cup per day so there won’t be any carbohydrates that will be fed to the yeast in your body.
Oils and condiments
Of course, you will be using oils when you cook but make sure that you choose the right oils. think almond, sesame, canola, and flax seed just to name a few. As for the condiments, instead of the prepacked ones that line the shelves of groceries, you can opt to make some on your own. Go for herbs that are sugar-free and combine it with seasoning and other spices too.
Tips on How to Follow the Vegan Candida Diet
If this is your first time to follow this diet, you’re probably thinking how to get started. Well, here are some tips that can help you out.
Choose foods that don’t feed the yeast
The main objective of this diet is to reduce the growth of candida, and what better way to do this than to avoid consuming foods that are actually feeding it in the first place? If you are going on a candida cleanse, you might want to avoid eating foods such as starchy vegetables, sweet fruits as well as berries, additives, sugars, and vinegar with the exception of apple cider vinegar.
Add probiotics
When your gut flora is out of balance, you need to take steps to help repopulate it with good bacteria. This is where probiotics come in. What’s great about probiotics is that it helps regulate gut flora which, in turn, can improve your immune system to fight off yeast infection. The problem with taking antibiotics for candida is that it causes your stomach to become too alkaline. By re-introducing probiotics, you are helping your gut environment to normalize.
