If you are getting into healthy eating, you may have heard or struggled with candida. Candida is the overgrowth of yeast in the body. You see, it’s natural to have yeast in the body, but problems arise when the yeast starts to take over.

My Experience with Candida

Peter and I have talked about this before but it wasn’t until I really started getting  into healthy eating that I started having issues with candida.  We think it’s because when you start eating better, you really start to get in touch with your body and pick up on the signs it’s giving you.

How do you get an overgrowth of yeast?

Candida happens when you have too much yeast (some yeast is good) in your body and it can’t balance it out with the bacteria in your body. This usually happens when you consume too much sugar, flour (which turns into sugar), too long on antibiotics or even birth control pills. Both men and women can get candida but in my experience it’s usually women that get it. Peter eats more sugar than I do, but never seems to have a problem; I’m pretty sure his body can process sugar a lot better than mine.

How do you know if you have it?

The first time I realized I might have candida was when I was working at Whole Foods Market in the bakery. I was constantly craving sweets. I could not go one day without a sugary treat.  Some symptoms are: extreme sugar cravings, foggy head and yeast infections. There are tests you can do to see if you have it, like the spit test and stool test, but I don’t think they’re very accurate.

How I beat candida

If you have The Seasonal Diet, you know our eating philosophy, which is basically 2 meals a day and low sugar consumption. That eating routine was first created when I was fighting candida; Peter and I liked it so much we stuck with it. This worked super well for us: Stop eating breakfast and give your body enough time between meals to fully digest. Drink green juice every morning.  Eat a 100% gluten-free diet, with the easiest to digest grains. Use low glycemic sweeteners, low sugar fruits, introduced stevia and cut out pastries & baked goods. Eat more dark chocolate, avocados and berries.

Here are the things to eat MORE of and LESS of when you have candida. (Note: you may not need to follow these as strictly if you don’t have it)

Some of the ‘Yes’ Foods

• Buckwheat, Quinoa, Millet
• Berries
• Green Apples
• Grapefruit
• Stevia
• Dark Chocolate (70% or higher)
• Raw and cooked vegetables
• Coconuts
• Avocados
• Sweet Potatoes

Some of the ‘No’ Foods

• Baked Goods
• Stone Fruit
• Bananas
• Brown Rice
• Nuts (only eat occasionally when fighting candida and soak and sprout first)
• Alcohol
• Processed Foods

Candida also shows up for me when I am stressed and eat sugar, so I have to keep my stress in check. Some things I do to manage stress: practice yoga, go for a run/walk or jump in the ocean.

Also, it’s important to note that Candida is yeast and grows in damp, dark places… So it’s really important to shower right after yoga or a sweaty workout.

*I have gotten a lot of questions about candida, so I wanted to write this post, but if you have specific questions I am happy to answer them, feel free to email me or leave a comment below.

The recipes in The SD are great for fighting Candida (no desserts though).  Candida is a pain in the butt, but once you beat it, you will feel so much better (TRUST ME). How long it takes to beat it will depend on your body but I suggest trying to eat this way for 1 month.

Some other resources I recommend are:

Ricki Heller: She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Candida. She even has a Google Plus community dedicated to Candida… and she posts awesome photos of her breakfasts on Instagram:).

Detox 4 Women: This book isn’t plant-based/vegan friendly, but has a lot of great information. Natalia Rose is an inspiration to me and has greatly shaped the way I eat and the logic of the way our program works.

Leave a comment and let me know your experience with candida, what worked/didn’t work. Or any questions you have!

Cheers to feeling our best:)