Candida Diet: Foods to Avoid

Sugars

Honey

Syrup

Lactose

Sucrose

Fructose

Chocolate

Molasses

Rice Syrup

Artificial Sweeteners (e.g. Asulfame, Nutra-Sweet)

Agave nectar

Coconut Sugar

• Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida.
• Stay away from the soft drinks too.
• Read food labels to make sure your food doesn't contain sugar.
• Be careful - sugar-free diet coke can feed your Candida as much as a sugary soft drink.
• Calorie-free artificial sweeteners not only acidify your body, but also impair your immune system.
• Try Xylitol or Stevia instead!

Wine

Beer

Spirits

Liquors

Cider

• Alcohol is high in sugar that can feed the growth of the Candida yeast.
• Alcohol also puts stress on your organs and immune system.
• Mixing alcohol and Candida is like opening all your windows in a house fire - you don't want to feed the problem.

Anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley, e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta

Spelt products

Corn and corn byproducts

• Some Candida sufferers have high sensitivity to Glutens.
• Give your immune system a break and allow it to focus on the Candida.
• Corn-by products like popcorn are highly contaminated with toxic fungi.
• White rice causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.

Fresh Fruit

Dried Fruit

Canned Fruit

Fruit Juice

• The high sugar content in fruit feeds Candida.
• Fruits like melon may also contain mold.
• A squeeze of lemon is OK.
• In Stage 3 you can reintroduce low sugar fruits like apples and berries.

Potatoes

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Yams

Beets

Peas

Parsnips

Yucca

All Squash (except zucchini)

• This group is very nutrient-dense, however they should be avoided until your Candida overgrowth is fully under control.
• They then can be reintroduced in small portions one at a time.

All pork products

Cured meats like salami, pepperoni, pastrami and hot dogs

Processed meats like lunch meat, bacon and spam

Smoked or vacuum packed meats

• Pork cells contain retroviruses that survive cooking and may be harmful for those with a weakened digestive system.
• Processed meats like lunch meat and spam are loaded with dextrose nitrates, sulphates and sugars.

All fish except for sockeye salmon and sardine

All shellfish

• All shellfish and most fish contain alarming levels of heavy metals and toxins. These will suppress your immune system.
• Farm raised salmon is originally a grey color, but it is colored with chemicals to appeal to consumers. Studies have shown farmed salmon (like most farmed fish) contain high levels of PCBs, mercury and other carcinogenic agents. Additionally, these fish are raised in crowded water containing their own waste, chemicals and antibiotics.

All cheese

Milk

Cream

Buttermilk

• All dairy should be avoid except ghee, butter, kefir and yogurt.
• This includes dairy products from sheep and goats.
• Milk contains sugar so should be avoided. Kefir and yogurt are better because most of the sugar disappears during the fermentation process
• A small amount of organic cheeses like goat cheese or mozzarella can be reintroduced in Stage 3 (for those who do not have a dairy sensitivity).

Citric Acid

Anything on the list of ingredients that you don't know or can't pronounce!

• The manufactured, additive form of citric acid is derived from yeasts. However the natural form, as found in lemons and limes, is OK on the diet).
• Chemicals can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish.
• Citric acid is often found in canned tomatoes.
• Non-organic food like meat or eggs can also contain residual levels of antibiotics and steroids that were used during the farming process.

Coffee

Black & Green Tea

Diet & Regular Soda

Energy drinks

Sports Drinks

Malted Drinks (e.g. Ovaltine, Horlicks, Caro)

Coconut Water

Fruit Juices (fresh or packaged)

Rice milk

• Caffeine causes blood sugar spikes, feeding your Candida. It also causes stress on your adrenal glands, weakening your immune system. Many Candida sufferers also have impaired adrenal function.
• All coffee contains mold, one of the most important foods to avoid if you have a Candida overgrowth.
• Taurine in energy drinks is another culprit.
• Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine.
• Coconut oil is great for killing Candida, but coconut water is too high in sugar.

Cashews

Peanuts

Pistachios

• This group of nuts contains a high amount of fungal toxins, which can inflame your Candida problem.

Beans and other legumes

Tofu

Soy cheese

Soy milk

All Soy products

Carob Powder

• The combination of being hard to digest and high in carbs rules out beans from the strict stage of the diet. They can be reintroduced in Stage 3 in small portions.
• All soy products are forbidden on the Candida diet. The majority of soy is genetically modified, which has been linked to immune system damage and other health problems. Soy is also disruptive to thyroid function, which is a common problem with people with a Candida overgrowth.

Mushrooms

Truffles

• Eating some fungi can cause an inflammatory reaction if you are already suffering from Candida.
• Mushrooms also often have mold on their exterior.
• On the other hand, some medicinal mushrooms are actually OK on the diet and have strong immune-boosting properties. Good examples are Reishi and Maitake

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Regular Mustard

Relish

Horseradish

Soy sauce

Salad dressings

Braggs Liquid Aminos

• Watch out - ketchup, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauces all contain high amounts of hidden sugar.
• Condiments generally do tend to be high in sugar, and they can exacerbate your Candida.
• For an alternative salad dressing, try coconut aminos or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
• A small amount of Braggs might not cause a problem but a better soy-free option is organic coconut aminos.
• Regular mustards contain distilled vinegar which is not allowed on the diet. Use mustard powder or an organic mustard made with apple cider vinegar instead.

• Vinegar is made in a yeast culture, depletes the stomach of acids and can also cause inflammation in your gut.
• One particular vinegar, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, can actually be helpful in combating yeast.

Peanut oil

Cottonseed oil

Corn oil

Canola oil

Soy oil

Margarine

Shortening

• Peanut, Cottonseed, Corn and Canola oil are mold contaminated.
• Most soy beans used in soy oil are GMO.
• Margarine/Shortening contain toxic trans fats.