Loading up on vegetables is a great diet strategy. Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, veggies are a great choice for any healthy diet, but are all veggies the same? Believe it or not, some vegetables may not be right for certain types of diets. The candida diet is one of those diets that requires you to be extra careful about what kind and how much of certain vegetables you eat. To understand what types and why you need to eliminate or reduce certain vegetables, you must first understand what the goal of the candida diet is.
The Candida diet is the cornerstone of treating a condition known as candidiasis. Candidiasis is a condition in which Candida albicans, a typically benign species of yeast, becomes an opportunistic organism in the intestinal system. Candida albicans is an innate part of the gut microflora that ideally works with “friendly” types of bacteria to keep the body healthy. Unfortunately, external factors such as overuse of antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptives, stress and a diet high in processed/sugary foods often cause Candida albicans overgrowth. When this happens, a plethora of toxins are released into the body, causing a variety of seemingly unrelated health problems. Symptoms of candidiasis include chronic yeast infections, chronic sinus infections, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, and fatigue, among others. The Candida Diet aims to cut off the food supply of Candida albicans by eliminating foods that encourage their growth. While the main culprits are sugar, vinegar, fermented foods, sticky grains, and fast-acting carbohydrates, there are other foods that the Candida Diet Guidelines recommend consuming in moderation. Complex grains and high-starch vegetables fall into this category because while they don’t break down into sugar as quickly as the simple carbohydrates, they actually break down into sugar and feed the candida. What vegetables can we eat freely and in moderation on the candida diet?
Vegetables to eat freely
onion vegetables such as chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, shallots and water chestnuts are all good choices for the candida diet. This group of vegetables can be used to add flavor and texture to dishes, and onions and garlic in particular have antifungal properties that help fight Candida albicans. flowering vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli, broccoli, and cauliflower make great side dishes. Use Leafy vegetables such as arugula, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chicory, collards, endive, lettuce, kale and spinach to complement main dishes and create delicious salads.
Fruit Vegetable, These include avocados, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, and squash to help you prepare delicious yeast-free meals. stem vegetables such as asparagus, celery, chard, fennel and kohlrabi are also used in a variety of ways in nutrition.
Eat vegetables in moderation
The two vegetables to eat with caution on the candida diet are: root vegetables and tuber vegetables. Beets, carrots, parsnips, radishes, swedes, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams all belong to this group. You can still enjoy these veggies while on the candida diet, but plan your meals so you don’t overload these veggies.
More information about living yeast free by following the candida diet visit Yeast Free Living.
Thanks to Tennille Jordan
