One of the culprits behind intestinal yeast overgrowth and, hence, Candida infections is an unhealthy diet.  It may be full of junk, processed and frozen foods, sweet and starchy foods, and even of alcoholic drinks.  Thus, it is only logical that one of the first lines of offense and defense in yeast infections is the adoption of Candida diet recipes.

Principles of the Diet

In reality, the Candida diet is not so different from a healthy diet.  The emphasis is on fresh food produce that contain vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber for boosting the immune system’s ability to fight off infection and for restoring the health of the digestive system.  Initially, the diet may appear expensive due to such an emphasis but in the long run, all the benefits of a healthy diet will be yours to enjoy.

With that said, the following food items are highly recommended for inclusion in your Candida diet recipes preferably in balanced quantities:

Fresh fruits and vegetables – Green and leafy vegetables are best but always add yellow, orange and red vegetables.  As for fruits, it is best to stick to the less-than-sweet varieties like unsweetened cranberry juice as well as a little lemon or lime in your water.
Whole Grains – Brown rice, millet and oats are highly recommended for their gluten-free composition.  Keep in mind that gluten is food for the yeasts.
Nuts and seeds – These contain immune system-boosting essential oils although it must be emphasized that peanuts and pistachios must be avoided as these are full of molds.  Flaxseed is a good addition to your Candida diet recipes.
Canola and Olive Oils – These food items restore the balance between good and bad bacteria in the intestinal flora.
Yogurt – This dairy product contains abundant quantities of lactobacilli acidophilus, the good bacteria that feeds on the yeast in the digestive system.

You must follow this diet for 4-12 weeks after testing positive for Candida infections.  Better yet, you should continue with this healthy diet so that the yeast infections are less likely to recur.

And if there are foods to be included in the Candida diet, then there are foods to be absolutely avoided because of their yeast-promoting properties.  These food items include pretzels, pastries, crackers and pizza, leavened bread and instant cereals, mushrooms, condiments, dried fruits, soft drinks and other dairy products as well as alcoholic beverages.

Basically, you want to eliminate refined sugars and flours, corn syrup, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils and malt in your Candida diet recipes. All of these food items contain substances that adversely alter the healthy balance of yeast and good bacteria in the stomach.

Examples of the Diet

For breakfast, you can opt for a low-fat granola coupled with fresh fruits.  For a brown rice cereal recipe, you can combine and heat leftover brown rice with natural soy milk in a pan.  Add a sprinkling of cinnamon for flavor.

You should be able to find Candida diet recipes over the Internet as well as in bookstores.  You have to gradually introduce the abovementioned good foods into your diet so that you will not be tempted to go on a binge.  After all, you want steps moving forward, not two steps forward and three steps back in treating Candida infections through a healthy change in your diet.