Candida Diet: Foods to Avoid

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 Step 2 you can reintroduce low sugar fruits like apples and berries

Cheeses aged for 6 months or more

• Holistic practitioners recommend that Candida sufferers dramatically reduce their dairy intake
• Candida prevents the body from processing fat properly
• Only aged cheeses need to be eliminated completely
• A small amount of Swiss or Mozzarella cheese can be reintroduced in Stage 2

Citric Acid

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

• Citric acid is derived from yeasts
• 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

Wine

Beer

Spirits

• 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
• Alcohol can be reintroduced in Stage 3, when the diet starts to work, but in small amounts

Coffee

Tea

Energy drinks

• Caffeine, sugar and sweetener all kickstart Candida
• Taurine in energy drinks is another culprit
• Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine

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

Spelt products

• Some Candida sufferers have high sensitivity to Glutens
• Give your immune system a break and allow it to focus on the Candida

Nuts that are high in mold, e.g. peanuts

• Ingesting mold can promote a Candida outbreak
• Nuts that were cracked a long time ago, for example sliced almonds, also have time to develop mold
• If you like nuts, stick to freshly cracked or whole ones

Mushrooms

Truffles

• Candida loves to feed on mold and fungi
• Leftover food can contain mold that will feed your Candida
• If you can't buy fresh, keep leftovers frozen and then cook on a high heat in the oven (not the microwave)

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Relish

Horseradish

Soy sauce

Salad dressings

• Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida
• For an alternative salad dressing, try Paul Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing

Sugars

Honey

Syrup

Lactose

Sucrose

Fructose

Chocolate

• 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
• Sweeteners can also make your Candida worse
• Sugar-free diet coke can feed your Candida as much as a sugary soft drink

• 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 (if you really like it that's OK, but make sure you buy organic)
• Margarine/Shortening contain toxic trans fats