I am on Day 26 of a 30 day Candida Diet and it has been challenging but not horrible because COME ON let’s have a little life perspective please! If you are experiencing complicated digestive issues or any of the symptoms on the list below I highly recommend doing this program for 30 days. It is regimented and highly restrictive and it is only for 30 days so DO IT! It is also giving me the opportunity to test foods because my gut is so clean and the food so restricted. I’m currently only able to test foods approved on this diet, so I plan to spend July with slow re-integration of foods so that I can test their effects as well.
Let’s start with…
What is Candida?
Look that up on google and the definition you get is: a yeastlike, parasitic fungus that can sometimes cause thrush. Okay, fine. And yuck. But what does that mean. Candida is a normal bacteria but it can overgrow, often due to these factors:
- Taking antibiotics
- Eating a diet high in sugar and refined carbs
- High alcohol intake
- A weakened immune system
- Taking oral contraceptives
- Diabetes
- High stress levels
So if any of those items are in your history and you experience symptoms like: fatigue, joint pain, chronic infections, unexplained weight gain or weight retention, oral thrush, or digestive issues, you may want to try this diet. There is a ton of information online about Candida. Google and read, y’all. Research is an excellent tool and what do I always say? USE YOUR TOOLS.
The first 3 – 7 days on the candida diet are highly restrictive (basically 50% of what is listed below), the rest of the days get a few more ingredients that make a big difference. Here are the general approved foods for the 30 days.
What has been hard?
I’m bored with food. That’s for sure. I have realized that even if I’m just roasting veggies, I love an assortment. I don’t get that right now, so I miss variety. However, I have found some new favorite and gut-friendly recipes through the need to get creative and have shared some of them on Instagram @modmedwoman
In the evening’s of Day 8 and Day 9 I tested my first grain on the diet, quinoa. Supposedly okay for my system I’ve used it as a replacement since going off gluten. However, both times I tried I had an upset stomach the next morning. It wasn’t a gluten reaction but it was an upset stomach and I don’t want that! So no more quinoa for now. That was sad. Except!… it was counterbalanced by my finding that Buckwheat (ingested first on Day 12 or 13) is gluten free and tasty and a great texture and doesn’t upset my stomach! So now I’ve a new grain pal to play with.
I did/do miss alcohol. There have been several days where I would have loved a drink. Generally this is out of relaxation habit, I’ve noticed most on days where I know that if I could drink I’d likely have one drink maybe even a half a glass of wine – so clearly this is not about missing being drunk. But I do miss the decompression opportunity and the edge that gets taken off. I’ve been trying to do other things to tend myself instead or raise a glass of Perrier. When I had a very frustrating day, last week, I came home and spent an hour and a half on my backyard, so I increased productivity and my yard benefitted and I made it through the night on my diet plan. MOOD WARRIOR
The other several toughest times have been when I’m hungry and in social environments where others are eating food I cannot ingest and drinking cocktails. I volunteered for an all day event and supplied my breakfast and lunch, I was told they would have dinner for me but something went wrong. Now, by this point I’ve had very few calories and been in hot weather most the day and spent a cocktail hour not drinking cocktails or eating the passed hors d’oeuvres that smelled and looked amazing. So when I got to dinner I was READY and it was not – as it became apparent there was a snafoo somewhere I told my partner, if they don’t have food for us we are taking off. And that’s what we did as soon as they said, “I’m sorry-” we were out of there and I went home to a fridge properly prepped and cooked up some salmon and spinach rapidly and it was the very best meal ever. Lesson? Prep extra for always, I’ve yet to regret that.
This last week has also been tough because my body is detoxing so hard that I feel weak in my muscles and my energy could use some real boosting via caffeine! But alas. I push on and realize that hydration is a big piece of the weakness I’m feeling. I had fish last night and roast broccoli because I knew I needed a lighter fare. It was perfect. I feel better today.
My advice? Do this cleanse for any reason that seems valid to you. I am not hungry on this diet – I can eat whenever I please, it just has to be on the list of approved foods. I am considering doing this once a year as a system reset, like the liquid cleanse I like to do the first week of the new year. And whenever you are stressed because you are hungry, or weak, or wish you could have what others are having? Give yourself a break. You are phenomenally strong in your choices. Tend yourself gently and let yourself say no to the social challenge or environmental challenge. Go drink a cup of coconut water or lemon Perrier and do some deep breathing. Remind yourself that this is help and you are ready to receive help.
You will get through and on the other side is greater understanding of your vessel.
And you know what that is? WORTH IT.
The Moon Maven 