Cleansing and Candida

The first stage in any Candida diet is to cleanse your system, and the best way to start your detox program is with a colon cleanse. The idea is to clean out the debris from your intestine, flushing out some of the Candida yeast and exposing the rest so that other Candida treatments can kill it.

Cleansing is also one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. Regular cleansers report more energy, improved mood, better digestion, weight loss and improved concentration. To cleanse your colon and start fighting the Candida, you basically have three options:

• Option 1: Cleansing with colonic irrigation
• Option 2: Cleansing without colonic irrigation
• Option 3: A detoxing Candida diet

Option 1: Cleansing with Colonic Irrigation

This option is a great way to start off your Candida elimination program. There really is no better way to flush out your system. The colonic irrigation may sound daunting but its a lot easier than you might think. However, if you'd still rather give it a pass, try a cleanse without colonic irrigation.

There are two elements to this version of the cleanse - colonic irrigation and fasting. The combination of the two can be quite draining, so if you have a full time job its best to take some time off and relax in a comfortable environment. Typically a colon cleanse will last for around a week, with colonic sessions on alternate days.

A 7 day colon cleanse

Here's a 7 day plan that you can use for your detox. Of course this is just a rough outline, you don't need to follow it exactly. Start with a colonic on the first day, then on alternating days for the rest of the week. Learn more about colonics here.

8:00am .... Detox drink (see recipe)
10:00am .. Broth soup (see recipe)
12:00pm .. Colonic irrigation (alternate days), followed by a probiotic after treatment
1:00pm .... Detox drink
3:00pm .... Broth soup
5:00pm .... Detox drink
7:00pm .... Liver flush drink (see recipe)

Be sure to keep drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and to flush away toxins. You can make things easier on yourself by preparing large amounts of broth soup once every three days.

This type of cleanse is generally very safe, but if you have any health problems or concerns, please consult your doctor before starting.

Recipe: Vegetable Broth

3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
3-4 stalks of fresh grown celery, thinly sliced
1-2 fresh grown carrots, thinly sliced
Cayenne pepper (optional)
1 large handful of greens such as kale or chard, chopped

Place ingredients in 3 quarts (about 3 liters)of pure or distilled water. Simmer for 20 minutes, strain the liquid, discard the veggies and drink. If you'd like to spice it up a little, throw in some cayenne pepper.

You should drink 2-3 bowls of this vegetable broth each day to replace depleted minerals. Use organic vegetables if possible!

Recipe: Detox drink

1 cup of water
1 Tbsp Psyllium Husk powder
1 Tbsp Bentonite Clay

Psyllium and Bentonite clay don't mix well with water, so shake up the mixture for a few seconds then quickly drink it before it settles. Drink another extra large glass of water immediately after.

Both these ingredients are great for detox. The Bentonite clay soaks up toxins, and the Psyllium pushes waste matter out through your colon.

Recipe: Liver Flush drink

1 cup water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Small chunk of ginger

Just blend all the ingredients together and drink.

More about Colonic Irrigation

Ideally you should get a colonic every second day during this process. During a session of colonic therapy, which typically lasts around 45 minutes, the patient lies down and is first given a gentle but firm massage in the lower stomach area. This is to loosen the materials that the colonic will expunge.

A small, sterile and disposable plastic tube is then inserted into the rectum and warm water is passed into the colon. Clients typically report a warm feeling but often have little sensation of the colonic, although it can feel slightly uncomfortable the first time.

The water is allowed to gently flow into your colon, then you push it out along with the fecal matter that it has loosened. This cycle repeats several times. Other liquids, often coffee, are then typically added to the water to further help with the loosening.

Option 2: Colon Cleansing without Irrigation

If colonic irrigation doesn't sound like your thing, don't worry. You can still do a very effective colon cleanse without it. This method is not as intense, however it will still do a great job of eliminating the Candida.

Just take the 7 day colon cleanse (see above), and remove the colonic irrigation. You should still drink the detox drink, broth soup and liver flush, and remember to drink lots of water.

Option 3: A Detoxing Candida Diet

If colonic treatments don't appeal to you, and you are struggling to stick to the fast, you can still do a detox. Think about what you eat - fast food is overloaded with additives, beef has added growth hormone, and fish are full of the various chemicals that are pumped into the oceans. Even if you don't follow the stricter cleanses in option 1 or 2, you can detox your diet by cutting out these unnecessary toxins.

Option 3 is a strict Candida elimination diet, with the addition of detox drinks and a liver flush. Eating fresh organically grown vegetables is a great start and will stop any more toxins from entering your system. Always remember to drink lots of water too. Here are the details:

• Eat only raw salads and steamed vegetables
• Drink a detox drink (recipe) 3 times each day
• Drink a liver flush (recipe) every evening, at least two hours after your last detox drink
• Do the cleanse for 7-14 days

Avoid starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, corn, all squash except zucchini, beets, peas, parsnips and all beans except green beans. They all contain sugar and can lead to Candida overgrowth.

Raw salads and steamed vegetables might not sound that exciting, but you can use salt, pepper, lemon juice and various herbs and spices to liven them up. Check out the lists of 'Seasonings' and 'Herbs And Spices' on our Foods to Eat page.

Note that the detox drinks must be taken on an empty stomach, so don't eat anything for an hour before and after you drink it. The easiest times are usually first thing in the morning, one in the afternoon, and two hours before bedtime.

What Causes the Toxic Build-up in your Colon?

We put our colons under a great deal of stress with our modern lifestyle. Years of fast food, cigarettes, prescription drugs and alcohol keep the colon busy. Add Candida to that mixture, and you have a recipe for an unhealthy colon.

The colon is the waste pipe of the body. Once the nutrients are taken out and processed, the waste from your food intake is passed through the colon and expelled from your body.

What many people don't realize is that this fecal matter, including the Candida yeast, can get backed up and solidified in your colon. Without a regular cleansing program it can get trapped there for years or decades, slowly releasing toxins into your system.

The waste matter hardens, fixing itself to the wall of the colon. Sometimes an unhealthy colon will have attached to it up to 20 pounds of this matter that just won't go away! Ever wondered why you sometimes feel heavy and bloated?

This waste material can serve as a breeding ground for Candida, releasing toxins into your bloodstream. They can spread through your body, affecting every part of it. Hence the need to flush out your system with a good cleanse.

Related articles

About Candida | Testing for Candida | Candida Symptoms | Reader Experiences |
Step 1: Detox | Step 2: Elimination | Step 3: Repopulation