The Candida Diet Protocol - Part 1

If you’re dealing with recurring yeast problems or Candida overgrowth, one of the first places I look is diet.

This week I want to help you understand why I use the dietary guidelines that I do when working with patients who are dealing with Candida and fungal overgrowth. There are a lot of different versions of an “anti-Candida diet” out there, and they don't all take the same approach.

My protocol is intentionally more restrictive in the beginning. Over the years, I've found that patients tend to get better and more lasting results when they follow these guidelines consistently, particularly during the initial phase. Understanding the reasoning behind the recommendations can make the restrictions feel a lot more manageable.

One of the most important parts of an anti-Candida diet is reducing sugar and other carbohydrates that break down into glucose. Usually when I say this to a new patient, I get an immediate response of, “Oh, I really do try to stay away from sugar most of the time!”

Unfortunately, what most people really mean when they say this is that they are staying away from added sugars like cakes, cookies, candy and soda. However, when I ask them what they typically eat, their diet is often still fairly high in carbohydrates.

Many people don't realize that carbohydrates are ultimately broken down into sugars that the body can use for energy. The biggest difference between whole grains and processed grains like white bread and pasta is that whole grains generally contain more fiber and nutrients and are digested more slowly. This matters for blood sugar regulation, but it doesn't necessarily make them appropriate during the initial phase of an anti-Candida protocol.

When you're trying to get fungal overgrowth under control, eating sugar means you're providing fungi with one of their preferred fuel sources, which can help them thrive.

Candida and other fungi are able to use sugars for growth. Some research has also explored connections between Candida overgrowth, metabolism, and changes in cravings. Creepy, right? How dare they hijack your systems! Whatever the reason for the cravings, understanding why they can be so strong can make it easier to resist those sugar temptations.

Another component of my anti-Candida protocol is temporarily removing foods that contain yeast, molds, or other forms of fungal fermentation.

The reasoning is fairly straightforward: we're trying to reduce the overall fungal burden and make the diet as supportive of the protocol as possible during this initial phase. These foods most commonly end up on your plate as a side, added ingredient, or condiment. Some, like mushrooms or blue cheese, are pretty obvious, while others are foods most people never think about.

Some foods I recommend avoiding during this phase include:

Cheeses

Cultured dairy like sour cream and buttermilk

Vinegars (watch your condiments especially here, favorites such as ketchup, mustard and most salad dressings contain vinegar) Apple Cider Vinegar is an exception to this rule

Foods containing yeast such as bread, beer and baked goods

Mushrooms

Most jams/jellies

Sauerkraut and most fermented foods- plain yogurt is an exception to this rule

So back to sugar. I find that my version of the anti-fungal diet is a bit more strict than some. If you’re saying “whyyyyyy Dr. Caroline”, the reason is that I found I got much better and lasting results having patients do it this way over the years than when I tried other formulas. We discussed carbohydrates that most people think of like bread, but we didn’t talk about fruit, which tends to pop up as a surprise. After all, don’t we usually talk about eating our fruits and veggies every day? Well not during the next 30 days. Fruits are absolutely nutritious foods, but they also contain naturally occurring sugars. During the initial 30-day phase of my protocol, I temporarily remove most fruit because I've found that keeping the overall sugar load low makes the protocol easier to follow and can be particularly helpful for patients struggling with significant sugar cravings and suspected Candida overgrowth.

This isn't because fruit is inherently unhealthy. It's because we're temporarily using a more restrictive approach to create the best possible environment for the protocol to work.

You’ll see in the recommendations that this also includes tomatoes. While most people don’t consider themselves big tomato eaters, we sure do use them in lots of dishes like pasta sauces, many curries, pizza sauces, ketchups, barbeque sauces and the list goes on. So watch your menu when you’re meal planning or ordering to be sure there aren’t any tomatoes hiding in there!

There won't be any counting calories, macros, or even pounds on the scale. No portions to measure out (except your carb servings if you add them), and no food diaries to write. Just a straightforward list of foods to avoid during the initial phase.

Speaking of that, here's the full list of foods to skip while you're trying to show Candida the door:

1. Sugars and Sweeteners - honey, Sweet'N Low, etc. Stevia is okay, but make sure it doesn't have anything like inulin added to it.

2. Fruits - including tomatoes. Lemon, lime, and avocado are okay.

3. Yeast - breads, beer, etc.

4. Vinegar - including mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressings, etc. Apple cider vinegar is okay.

5. Most Dairy Products - Anything made from cow’s milk. Plain yogurt and butter are okay, as are eggs.

6. Alcohol

7. Fermented Foods - soy sauce, tempeh, pickles, etc.

8. Mushrooms

9. Hydrogenated Oils

10. Peanuts and Pistachios - including nut butters

In Part 2, I'll go further into the foods and supplements I recommend for their natural anti-fungal properties and explain how I incorporate them into the protocol.

If you haven't already, you may also want to read Common Candida Symptoms Most People Miss (and Why They Keep Coming Back)before starting a Candida diet.

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About the Author

Dr. Caroline Ricker, DC, DABCI, MTAA, is the founder of Whole Health & Wellness in St. Louis. Her practice combines functional medicine, clinical nutrition, functional laboratory testing, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and other integrative approaches for patients with chronic and recurring health concerns.

Learn more about Dr. Caroline Ricker and Whole Health & Wellness