A yeast-free diet is one of the recommended methods of combating the symptoms caused by a Candida yeast/fungal infection. Not everyone agrees that this method is effective, but at least based on personal observations, many people believe in the results so you may want to give it a try. In theory, the balance of yeast in a person's body shifts due to overgrowth so avoiding yeast-containing foods for about six weeks can restore proper balance and relieve infection. People who are prone to yeast infections and experience them frequently may benefit by reducing yeast in their overall diet.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Assessing the Problem
Step 1. Consider your symptoms
Yeast infections are usually manifested as itchy, white, burning patches in the mouth or genital area. However, some people experience further symptoms, including depression, headaches, fatigue, stomach upset, and indigestion.
- A common yeast infection that recurs frequently in the mouth or genitals may be a sign of more widespread yeast sensitivity. Although the infection can be treated with medication, it never hurts to consider the underlying cause.
- Some yeast infections don't respond well to medications and trying a yeast-free diet may be more beneficial for you to regain the balance that has shifted. Trying a yeast-free diet is not risky, which is why this method is popular with people who suffer from infections that don't go away.
Step 2. Consult a doctor
You should ask your doctor to examine and diagnose because many of the symptoms that occur are general and can be caused by several different causes. Candida yeast overgrowth can often be measured, but even that is not absolute, and a diagnosis based on symptoms alone is unfortunately speculative.
- If you do have a yeast infection, you can ask for a prescription antifungal medication (preferably for a period of six weeks) that can be used while on this diet because it can help treat the yeast infection. Appropriate antifungal drugs include: Diflucan (Fluconazole), Lamisil (Terbinafine HCL), Nystatin, Sporanox.
- Many doctors with traditional thinking are not convinced that a yeast-free diet is medically beneficial. So don't be surprised if your doctor isn't interested in what you eat. Dietary change is difficult to measure (and varies from individual to individual) so the available evidence may be limited for practical reasons, but in any case, not much evidence is available.
Step 3. Get ready to change your diet
Whether you envision these changes only being implemented for a month and a half, or perhaps for the foreseeable future, changing your diet can be a huge challenge if you're not mentally prepared. Whenever you start an elimination diet, it is important to know all the parameters of the diet and to be fully prepared. This is the main key to success. Try to prepare well in advance, and look for people who are supportive.
- Keep in mind that the first few days may be the worst as your body transitions to a new diet. With a yeast-free diet, the physical balance in the body shifts even further before reaching a new balance again, like trying to balance a boat on a stormy ocean.
- Don't reward yourself by allowing cheating in your diet. Instead, reward yourself with things you enjoy in other contexts, such as allowing yourself to spend money or spend time on something you enjoy. Just like any other elimination diet, even a small “cheat” can cause a recurrence of symptoms.
Method 2 of 4: Try the Four to Six Week Diet
Step 1. Identify prohibited foods
While you don't want to concentrate on the negative aspects of your diet, it's important to know your limits as you get used to a new set of habits.
- Avoid anything that contains yeast, such as most breads, processed foods, and baked goods.
- Sugar in any form (including sucrose, glucose and fructose) is also considered dangerous because the fungus gets its food from sugar so that it thrives.
- Refined grains, malted products, and fermented products (vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, beer and wine), including all alcohols, either contain yeast or simple carbohydrates that provide food for mold growth.
- Dairy products should be avoided, as should most cheeses. Exceptions are made for yogurt containing live cultures.
- All types of mushrooms are not allowed.
- You should avoid stimulants such as coffee, chocolate, black tea and so on as they release stored sugar into the body and provide a breeding ground for yeast. The same goes for artificial sweeteners and spicy foods.
Step 2. Familiarize yourself with allowed foods
It's easier to make a list of allowed foods and stick to them than it is to make a list of prohibited foods. Look for ways to make these foods more interesting and broaden your horizons if you haven't tried any of these foods before. Basically, you're targeting a diet consisting of fresh vegetables and protein, with fresh fruit and dairy products in limited quantities (because these foods are high in sugar), and complex whole grains. But get to know the details of the food so you make the food you love! Foods that are allowed include:
- Fresh meat, chicken and fish.
- Egg.
- Garbanzo beans and lentils.
- avocado.
- Walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia and coconut.
- Brown rice (no white rice) and rice cakes.
- All vegetables, whether fresh or frozen, including onions and garlic.
- Unripe fruit (but no melons or grapes).
- Limited amounts of milk (125 ml per day) or soy/rice milk.
- Flavorless yogurt with live culture.
- Low-fat cottage cheese without sugar.
- Homemade popcorn.
- Flavorless chips and no MSG.
- Herbal tea.
Step 3. Familiarize yourself with entertainment food
These are foods that are allowed each week (only one type of each), which won't upset the balance with just one serving, but will mess with your efforts if you make it a habit. The foods in question include:
- Wheat pasta.
- Tomato paste.
- Cheeses such as Camembert or feta.
- Canned tuna in water (as opposed to fresh tuna which can be eaten regularly).
- Spice.
Step 4. Continue this diet for four to six weeks
By the end of this period, the infection should be gone, and all symptoms gone. If you don't feel fit and healthy after following the diet during this time period, a yeast infection may not be the underlying cause of your symptoms as that period of time should be long enough for the body to maintain balance.
As with allergies, eliminating the allergen from your diet over a period of time is the perfect way to test for sensitivity. The thing is, some allergies show very obvious and noticeable reactions like skin rashes or asthma attacks, but yeast sensitivity symptoms are hard to pinpoint. It's important to remember to believe how you feel
Step 5. Add food back into your diet slowly after a few weeks
If the infection clears up and you want to start eating certain foods again, it's safe to do so slowly without triggering the same infection.
- However, if you are sensitive to yeast infections in general, your body will still react to high yeast levels or a yeast-producing environment. Therefore, it is best to add food back into the diet slowly and watch out for any negative reactions. That way, you can determine if you have a sensitivity to yeast or to other foods that you happen to stop taking.
- You may feel better after being on a yeast-free diet for a long time, as some people are prone to yeast imbalances. You can try and prove it!
Method 3 of 4: Switching Diets for the Long Term
Step 1. Change your attitude
The main thing to remember is that you will be focusing on eating really fresh foods only, not fermented foods, baked goods, mushrooms and anything else that can provoke yeast growth. While there are other ways this can be applied, this overall mental attitude can help you make decisions when dealing with new foods. Don't show an "I can't eat that" attitude, but "I choose not to eat it" attitude!
Think of food not as entertainment for the mouth, but as fuel for the whole body, and choose things that will please every healthy part of your body. In your mind, associate positive health and feelings of well-being with beneficial foods, and keep in mind the consequences of prohibited foods
Step 2. Eliminate yeast from your diet
If you think a yeast-free diet might be healthier for your overall body type, try eliminating yeast from your diet for good. Instead of thinking about certain foods that are not allowed, imagine that you are creating a diet that will provide maximum benefits for the body.
Gluten-free diets are gaining popularity among a wide variety of people, but in that case it's likely a yeast allergy because they are both found in many of the same places. If you've tried a gluten-free diet that has worked for you one time, but not another, it might be worth investigating where the differences lie
Step 3. Invite a friend to work together
Mutual support is a great way to maintain your diet, and a healthy diet will benefit everyone. Even if the two of you don't eat exactly the same foods, congratulating and reminding each other of what's not allowed can do more than you think. You will stay motivated and in charge.
- Planning meals ahead of time can keep your momentum going. Two people are better than one because there will be support if one of you starts to get off track, and preparing meals will be a motivating force.
- Eating together is a positive social interaction. Of course not everyone can make time to eat together every time, but seeing each other regularly will make a difference. Whether you're having dinner every day with your partner or lunch once a week with coworkers, every opportunity to encourage each other will add value.
Step 4. Talk to a nutritionist
If you're serious about changing your relationship with food, there's nothing wrong with planning foods that you like and are good for you. An expert can help decide on the best combination to meet your needs.
Everyone will find a different meal arrangement that works best for them. Talking to someone can be a helpful way to make a new diet a pleasurable experience, not something that stresses you out or frustrates you. Remember, eating foods that are good for the body should be something fun. It may take some time to adjust, but don't imagine you will suffer forever. A dietitian can help figure out what you need to stay full
Method 4 of 4: Making a Meal Plan
Step 1. Make a breakfast you will love
Some people think breakfast is something they do in a hurry while running out of the house, while others believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and should contain enough calories to start the day. Get to know your tendencies and interests, and make a meal that works for you. Consider the following options when making breakfast:
- A piece of fruit.
- Porridge – oats or rice cereal.
- Yeast-free bread or rice cakes.
- Eggs with avocado and tomatoes.
- Cottage cheese.
Step 2. Make lunches and dinners that you will enjoy
Do you have to bring food to work? Do you cook for two (or more) at home? Some people like to eat small portions and eat lots of snacks, while others like to enjoy large meals at night. Know what you want to eat. Consider the following options for lunch or dinner:
- Lentil soup.
- Meat with lots of vegetables.
- Sauteed vegetables with brown rice.
- Cold chicken with cottage cheese.
- Potato salad.
- Hummus-covered pita bread.
- Sourdough bread covered with avocado.
Step 3. Write down the ideas that come to mind so you can start building your own collection of food choices
You'll start to capitalize on certain ideas on a regular basis, and have reliable food choices, as everyone who diets (whether they realize it or not) does, but it can't hurt to have a few easy-to-reach possibilities for combining a few foods once in a while.
- You can do a search on yeast-free foods to create new recipes because there are always new ideas posted and talked about on the internet. Sometimes, you just need to be reminded of ingredients you haven't thought of using in a long time. The same stir-fry recipe can turn into an entirely different meal whether you use bok choy and carrots or brussels sprouts and kale.
- You can also search for some of your favorite ingredients, and modify the results slightly if necessary. Keep in mind that you can usually replace regular milk with soy milk, or vinegar with lemon juice, as long as the recipe is simple.
Tips
- Focus on what you can eat instead of worrying about what's forbidden. There are many healthy foods that are very tasty and you can enjoy.
- Prepare healthy snacks so you can eat them when you're hungry so you don't turn to unhealthy choices or start getting annoyed with the limits on what you can enjoy.
- Take extra time to prepare food.
- Your symptoms may get worse during the first few days. This is natural, and is called the “dead slowly” period. The symptoms will begin to subside after that.
- Make sure you eat enough food! Diet is a lifestyle, not a challenge. You must enjoy the food that your body needs and can use.
- Talk to a healthcare professional if you're not sure what you can and can't eat, especially if you also have other health needs.
