Candida 1-2-3: Diet and Supplements

(Step 1 of 3)

By Debby Padilla-Hudson and Sarah Wittekind

Candida - General Information

What is Candida?

Candida is a fungus that normally lives in our body in our mucus membranes (eyes, ears, vagina, sinuses, mouth, stomach, bladder, etc.). Unfortunately due to many factors, including high carbohydrate diets, environmental toxins, stress, antibiotics and other toxic drugs, etc., our immune systems can get depressed and Candida can over-grow.

When Candida over-grows, it can get into our blood stream and over-grow in our mucus membranes and cause many health problems. To get Candida back to its normal state, one would build up the immune system and starve out the Candida at the same time by following an anti-Candida diet. Later, anti-fungals can help decrease the Candida over-growth, and friendly bacteria can be replanted to help with the cause.

It's important to do as many things as you can to strengthen the immune system including eating the right diet, avoiding environmental toxins, taking vitamins/minerals, drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of rest.

Symptoms and Diseases Caused by Candida

Numerous symptoms and diseases are caused by Candida ranging from allergies to autoimmune diseases to cancer. Here is a partial list of issues:

Acne
Allergies
Anxiety Attacks
Appetite Loss
Arthritis
Asthma
Athlete's Foot
Bloating
Body Odor
Brain Fog
Canker Sores
Colic
Constipation
Cough
Cysts
Depression
Diabetes
Diaper Rash
Diarrhea
Difficulty Urinating
Digestive Problems
Dizziness
Ear Infections
Eczema
Endometriosis
Epstein Barr
 Eye Floaters
Fatigue
Feeling Spaced Out
Flu-Like Symptoms
Food Cravings
Gas
Glands Swollen/Blocked
Hair Loss
Hashimoto's Disease
Headaches/Migraines
Heart Palpitations
Heartburn
Hemorrhoids
Hiatal Hernia
Hives
Hypoglycemia
Hypothyroidism
Impotence
Inability To Concentrate
Indigestion
Infections (Various)
Infertility
Insomnia
Irritability
Itching Skin
Jock Itch
 Laryngitis
Low Sex Drive
Low Temperature
Memory Loss
Menstruation Problems
Mood Swings
Muscle Problems
Nail/Skin Fungus
Nasal Congestion
Nightmares
Numbness
Painful Intercourse
Panic Attacks
PMS
Prostitis
Psoriasis
Rashes
Rectal Itching
Ringworm
Sore Throat
Thrush
Ulcers
Urinary Issues
Vaginal Itching/Burning
Vaginitis
Vomiting
Do I Have Candida?

There aren't any lab tests that can diagnose Candida overgrowth, and many doctors are unsupportive or uninformed about this condition. The diet recommended here will dramatically improve your health as you strengthen your immune system, regardless of whether your issue is Candida or not.

Candida Control Program

It is recommended that you gradually wean onto the MOVES diet (Meat, Oil, Veggies, Eggs and Special Foods) by removing one thing from your diet at a time at a pace that is comfortable to you both emotionally and physically. Noone can tell you how fast or how slow is best to go for you, but a guideline might be to remove a new food each week until you get onto the core MOVES diet.

Be aware that as you remove the foods that feed Candida and other bacteria, it is common to experience cravings and die-off reactions, as the bacteria and fungi die. Die-off reactions can include digestive troubles, stomach pains, headaches, skin issues, fatigue and flu-like symptoms.

Do not be discouraged. it is necessary to go through these symptoms to get better and to get the toxins out of the system. If die-off symptoms become too uncomfortable, take a step back on the diet (add in smaller amount of something you already cut out) or try some detox techniques.

Some ideas for alleviating detox symptoms are soaking in a bath with epsom salts, increasing water intake, vitamin C supplements, taking flushing niacin, and saunas.

Transitioning to the Core MOVES Diet

If you are not currently eating a low carb diet such as Atkins or Protein Power, we recommend you gradually transition to the MOVES core diet. We recommend you remove foods roughly in the following order:

  1. Sodas, juices and any other beverages besides black coffee, herbal tea or water
  2. Any foods with trans-fat (the word hydrogenated on the ingredients list)
  3. Desserts or high sugar foods
  4. Grains of any kind such as rice, wheat, etc.
  5. Fruit
  6. Dairy
  7. Non-MOVES Condiments (like mayonnaise, mustard, and salad dressings)
  8. Nuts
The Core MOVES Diet

Foods allowed on the anti-Candida diet can be summed up with the acronym M.O.V.E.S.:

If a food is not on this list, you should assume it is not allowed on the diet, and not eat it. For an in-depth list of foods, please see MOVES Allowed Foods List

Calories and Ratios

We recommend you eat approximately 10-12 times your body weight in calories. So if you weigh 200 pounds, your calories would be 2000-2400. Here are different calorie ranges for different body types:

Ratios should be close to the following:

To calculate your ratios and calories, we recommend using the free program found at fitday.com.

Using fitday

One good way to attain these ratios is to calculate your needs using fitday.com in this manner:

  1. Start by entering your carb foods (veggies) for the day:
    • 25-35 grams of fiber from food (not supplements)
    • 20-70 grams additional carbs (not including fiber)
      Note: Additional carbs should be on the low end if you are insulin resistant, have blood sugar issues or need to lose weight. Additional carbs should be on the high end if you are underweight.
  2. Add the meat you will eat that day. To determine your protein needs, use the following formula:
    • Low activity level: Current Body Weight x 0.4 = protein in grams
    • Moderate activity level: Current Body Weight x 0.5 = protein in grams
    • High activity level: Current Body Weight x 0.6 = protein in grams
  3. Finally, add in fats and oils until you reach your target calorie level (see above).

Sample fitday menu

Special Cooking Considerations
Is Eating This Way Healthy?

Absolutely! Not only is it healthy, it is the best way for nearly everyone to eat, since everything is as natural as possible and it is much closer to how humans have eaten since the beginning of time.

Tweaking the Core MOVES Diet for Maximum Results

If you are on the core MOVES diet, and still finding you are experiencing cravings, weight gain, lack of weight loss or persistent symptoms, we recommend that you eliminate foods from the Special Foods category one at a time to see if the situation improves.

Supplements

With the lack of nutrients in today's foods, and the health issues that go along with Candida overgrowth, it's important to supplement with the right vitamins and minerals to support healing. Supplements are a key part of the program we recommend, so you'll want to start shopping around for your supplements from the beginning.

Please see the Supplement Chart for details on the supplements we recommend.

Moving to Step 2: Antifungals

You are ready to move to the antifungal step if you are feeling well on the diet and supplements and not experiencing die-off symptoms. You'll want to start slowly and not overwhelm your body.

If all is going well at this point, you will be ready for Step 2: Antifungals.