You need to make some important additions and subtractions to your list of foods while being on an antifungal diet. People who suffer from fungal complexes like Candidiasis created by Candida albicans fungus should strictly maintain an antifungal diet. Here is a detailed list of the foods that you are allowed to eat and the ones you should generally avoid. This is one of the easiest and the most natural way to treat this fungal disorder by inhibiting the growth of the fungus.
Antifungal Foods for Candida
Firstly, let us concentrate on what are the foods that you can include in your antifungal diet. Do not worry; all that is healthy isn’t boring or tasteless.
Lime and Lemon
Fruits which are low on their natural sugar content and are less sweet in taste can be a part of the antifungal diet. It basically includes those which are sour and rich in Vitamin C. You can thus have limes and lemons and a bit of olive or avocado in your salads.
A bowl of rich brown almonds. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Low starch Vegetables
Skipping the starch present in vegetables helps you to kill the Candida fungus by starving them. Your daily diet can have delicious recipes using vegetables like broccoli, eggplants, zucchini, onions, and asparagus. Try not to fry them or overcook them as it steals them of the nutrient content. You can have them raw in your salads or eat them steamed and grilled. [1]
Almonds and Hazelnuts
Low mold nuts can be a part of the anti-fungal diet. Nuts like almonds or hazelnuts have absolutely low mold which is good for your system.
Coconut
It is one of the best things for your system during an anti-fungal diet. It is also low on mold content and can be definitely included in your Candida diet in any form.
High Fiber Grains
High fiber grains are necessary for a well-functioning digestive system and are helpful for killing the fungus from your system. An important addition to anti-fungal diet is high fiber grains like millet, quinoa and buckwheat. [2]
Yogurt
To kill the Candida fungus in your system, you need to have fermented dairy products like yogurt. In fact, probiotic yogurt is the best for you. Probiotic yogurt contains good bacteria which grow to outnumber the Candida fungal growth. This is also low on lactose and natural sugars and thus allowed to be included in the diet.
Herbs
Certain herbs and condiments are necessary for your diet since they are antifungal in nature. Lemon seasonings and apple cider vinegar are in fact very good as condiments because they reduce inflammation, boost up immunity and fight fungal infections.
Olive Oil
Always include oils like olive oil and coconut oil in your diet because they are anti-fungal in nature.
Spices- Turmeric & Ginger
Though you are not allowed to have rich and spicy food, some spices like turmeric, rosemary, thyme, cloves, ginger, garlic, paprika, oregano, basil and black pepper are very good in the treatment of fungal overgrowth and must be included in your recipes.
Green Tea
You should only go for herbal drinks like green tea or other herbal teas. These are antibacterial and antifungal in nature and keep the fungal growth in check. These drinks also have anti-inflammatory properties and must be included in your Candida diet. [3]
Chicken
If you want to have non vegetarian food, eat chicken to satisfy your taste buds while doing justice to your antifungal diet. You can have chicken in the form of stew, grilled, baked, steamed, etc. Try out various healthy recipes each day.
Foods to Avoid
There are some foods that you need to identify and exclude from your diet. This will help to inhibit the growth of candida fungus in your body. Know all these ingredients that are in fact doing you more harm than good.
Sugar
Sugar is one of those foods that feed the fungus and help it to expand itself. To eliminate it from the body, stick religiously to a no sugar diet.
High-starch Vegetables
Being on an antifungal diet implies that you cannot have any vegetable that is high on starch content like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, carrots, and beet.
Glutinous Grains
If you are suffering from Candida overgrowth in your gut you are most likely to be highly insensitive to glutinous grains like wheat, rye, and barley.
Processed Meat
When you have fungal growth in your gut, your immunity, as well as the digestive system, is weakened. In such conditions, processed meat can really be harmful and increase the level of toxins. They contain sugars, dextrose, and sulfates which can be dangerous for Candida overgrowth. You should also avoid bacon, pork, and red meat in general.
Dairy Products
Stay away from all dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream, etc. You can only have butter and probiotic yogurt because of low lactose content.
