Combat Candida with Diet and Lifestyle

Overcoming candidiasis through diet alone is possible, but it requires patience and consistent eating habits. Candida thrives on sugar and refined carbohydrates—two ingredients that can be incredibly difficult to cut out, especially in today’s fast-paced world where stress and convenience often dictate our food choices

Many of us can relate to feeling constantly tired, lacking the energy to prepare a nourishing meal, and resorting to less-than-ideal food choices. Whether it’s reaching for a chocolate chip muffin after lunch or grabbing a bagel with cream cheese on the go—only to feel sluggish afterward—this cycle can be hard to break.

If you suspect that yeast infections or Candida overgrowth might be affecting your health, I encourage you to read my other post to learn more about it.

Foods to Incorporate

These foods help counteract yeast overgrowth:

• Vegetables: Celery, lettuce, scallions, pumpkin, turnips, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, beets, parsley, collard greens, dandelion greens, chard, watercress, romaine lettuce, cabbage, micro-algae (spirulina, chlorella, wild blue-green algae, barley grass, wheatgrass).
• Grains: Amaranth, rye, millet, kasha, oats, barley, quinoa.
• Beans: Aduki beans, peas, lentils.
• Fruits: Limit most fruit intake due to their high sugar content. If consuming fruit, opt for berries and pomegranates in moderation.
• Bread: Whole-grain sourdough, rye bread.
• Oils: Use sparingly, opt for extra virgin olive oil for cooking.
• Fermented & Mineral-Rich Foods: Raw, saltless sauerkraut, seaweeds, and garlic are highly recommended for those dealing with Candida overgrowth.

Simple Healing Practices

• Garlic: Take ½ clove of raw garlic twice a day before meals.
• Raw, saltless sauerkraut & seaweeds: Excellent for supporting gut health.
• Probiotics: Take on an empty stomach once daily, or twice daily if symptoms are severe.

Foods to Eliminate

To starve Candida and promote healing, avoid:

• Sugar, molasses, maple syrup
• Baked goods, high-starch carbohydrates
• Cheese, dairy
• Fruit
• Yeasted bread, vinegar, alcohol
• Fatty, processed foods.

Home Remedies for Yeast Infections

Garlic is one of the best natural treatments for vaginal yeast infections. Yeast burrows into tissue layers, making it difficult to eradicate, which is why symptoms can persist or return. Consistent treatment is essential, and addressing the infection for at least a month is recommended.

• Douching with teas of garlic or pau d’arco during the day can be helpful.
• A vinegar and water douche (2:1 ratio) can provide temporary symptom relief.
• Kelp and other seaweeds offer exceptional value in managing Candida overgrowth. They are rich in selenium and essential nutrients that support immune function. Additionally, their high iodine content helps produce iodine-charged free radicals, which deactivate yeast—a method once used in medicine before antifungal drugs became widely available.

Note: If you tend to have loose stools, consume seaweed in moderation, as it has cooling and cleansing properties.

A Small Challenge for You

Try chewing on a stick of celery after dessert. Notice how your body feels. Instead of the sticky-sweet aftertaste of sugar, your mouth will feel clean and refreshed. Celery has a mildly bitter flavor, which helps counteract excess mucus and yeast in the body.

A small, mindful change like this can be the first step toward lasting transformation.

Schedule your visit here to get an individualized assessment and treatment plan on how to achieve your optimal health through TCM at Silk Road Acupuncture.