The Candida Cleanse is a vegetable-based diet, which offers an abundant selection of powerful healing foods. You should not experience hunger with this or any well thought-out cleansing diet; yet, you may go through a period of withdrawal if you are accustomed to eating flour, sugar, fast or processed food, or many starch-based foods. On the Candida Diet you will enjoy fresh, organic produce turned into bountiful salads, generous portions of steamed veggies, soups, high-quality protein sources such as organic, free-range, grass-fed and finished beef and bison, organic poultry, wild-caught fish, free-range organic eggs, a wide variety of beans and legumes, along with plenty of organic soaked nuts and seeds, sea vegetables of all kinds, cultured foods such as fermented vegetables, homemade raw milk yogurt, kefir, and healthy fats such as virgin coconut oil, non-sweet fruits such as avocado and cucumbers, a selection of non-mucus producing whole grains such as quinoa and buckwheat, and a few select non-sweet fruits. Additionally you can have candida-safe smoothies, fresh green vegetable juices, homemade nut milks and large quantities of pure water and herbal teas.
Foods that must be avoided are: All sugar products; commercially produced flesh foods such as inorganic meats and poultry, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, fried foods, flour and products made from flour or flour derivatives. Pork is not allowed in the Candida Cleanse whatsoever, even if it is organic.
What to Eat.
Please buy organic foods during cleansing, whenever possible. This allows you to minimize the intake of new toxins and chemicals while you are releasing old toxins and candida.
Include the following foods in your diet with unabashed enthusiasm for the first 6-8 weeks:
Vegetables: Eating a wide variety from an abundant selection is the key to successful cleansing of any kind. Eat all and any types of vegetables in the quantities you desire with the only exceptions being mushrooms, corn kernels, peas, parsnips, white and sweet potatoes, and canned, processed or deep-fried vegetables. Avoid eating bowls of steamed beets and carrots. Small quantities of beets and carrots in a soup or fresh vegetable juice are fine. Live cultured, fermented vegetables are encouraged. wild fermentation, by Sandor Katz, is our favorite book on cultured vegetables.
Sea Vegetables: Although unfamiliar to many of us, sea vegetables are delicious additions to the Candida Diet. When you are hungry for variety, they satisfy, and will very likely be adopted as a permanent staple in your diet. If you have never prepared arame, hijiki, dulse, kelp, laver, wakame or kombu, you are in for a fun surprise. Clear instructions are included in the recipe section. The book Sea Vegetable Celebration, by Shep Erhart & Leslie Cerier, is one of our favorite resources for recipes and information about sea veggies.
Sweet Fruit: For the first 6-8 weeks of this cleanse, choose from grapefruit, tart green apples, or unsweetened berries; enjoy 1-2 servings of fruit per day. Berries are best blended into a Candida Safe Smoothie. After the 12-week mark, you can gradually introduce a full selection of fresh fruit. Lemons and limes may be used freely at any time.
Non-Sweet Fruit: Avocados, olives packed in olive oil or water that contains no vinegar are allowed. Fresh, not canned, tomatoes, and cucumbers are allowed.
Sweeteners and Treats: Stevia is the main sweetener used in candida cleansing. Mesquite meal can be enjoyed for its subtle, smoky sweet taste. Raw cacao, whole goji berries, green apples with raw nut butter, kudzu or agar puddings, and whey and tahini dips are all delightful candida cleansing treats. See recipe section for candida-tailored dessert ideas.
Protein: Choose organic whenever possible. Vary your selections from the following list: free-range poultry, buffalo, lamb, deep-water, wild-caught ocean fish that have fins and scales. Omit farm-raised fish. Choose organic eggs. Moderate amounts of tempeh, tofu, legumes and beans can be eaten for variety or as a protein source for vegetarians and vegans. Vegan raw foodists will depend primarily on soaked nuts, seeds, coconut, and sea and land vegetables.
Grains: You may eat the following whole grains unless you are allergic. Quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and teff can be eaten and are especially important for vegetarians and vegans. Long grain or Basmati brown rice may be included after the initial 6-8 weeks. Occasionally blue corn, in the form of organic tortillas or baked tortilla chips, may be enjoyed in moderation.
Beans and Legumes must be pre-soaked, preferably overnight, and cooked with sea vegetables in a stainless steel pressure cooker. The best choices include black, white, adzuki, lima, red or French green lentils, and split peas.
Nuts and Seeds: Use raw, organic nuts and seeds. For easiest digestion, especially during this cleanse, be sure to soak your nuts and seeds overnight in purified water, rinse the following morning, and then drain. Choose from almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, and hazelnuts, as well as pumpkin, sunflower, and hemp seeds. Fresh coconut is fine, especially if the milk is cultured into kefir. Raw, un-roasted almond or sunflower butter and tahini may be enjoyed in moderation.
Healthy Fats and Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, high lignin flaxseed oil, raw virgin coconut oil, hemp and sesame seed oil are the recommended oils to eat during and after the Candida Cleanse.
Dairy Products: Organic, cultured dairy products such as plain, un-sweetened yogurt or kefir, preferably made from raw organic goat or cow’s milk, are allowed. Unless you are allergic, you can have up to one cup, every third day. Small amounts, 1-2 ounces of raw goat or sheep’s milk cheeses including raw feta cheese, may be enjoyed after the first 6-8 weeks.
Milks: Fresh milk from young coconuts, unsweetened or stevia-sweetened homemade nut or seed milks such as almond or sunflower milk, or raw cow or goat’s milk are included in the diet.
Fresh Juices: Green vegetable juice is highly recommended. With a juicer, make fresh vegetable juices using only one carrot, beet or green apple to sweeten, if necessary. Use cucumbers, celery, or romaine as your vegetable juice base.
Smoothies: Candida safe smoothies can be made using the following combination of ingredients: apples, berries, homemade almond milk, yogurt or kefir, and enough water to blend. Add organic raw whey protein powder, high lignin flaxseed oil, and your choice of green powder.
Beverages: In addition to drinking half your body weight in ounces of purified water daily, you may enjoy stevia-sweetened lemonade or limeade, herbal teas with lemon and/or stevia, and warm vegetable broths.
Condiments: The healthy oils listed above can be drizzled on foods to enhance flavor and are especially tasty when used in combination with the following condiments: sea salt, cayenne pepper, organic fresh and dried herbs and spices without additives or fillers, raw apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon and lime juice. In addition, homemade pesto without the cheese, fresh raw salsa, and salad dressings all add great flavor to simple grain, vegetable and salad meals.
Water: Water is an essential element of life and is of the highest importance while undergoing any cleansing protocol. Please note that your cells cannot properly flush out candida without adequate water intake. Drink at least half your weight in ounces of pure water daily.