In the last post I wrote about the emotional causes of candida overgrowth, and while looking at that is key to a full recovery we cannot overlook diet. In the next couple of posts I will cover what I’ve been doing physically but as there’s no shortage of info about food out there I will mainly cover how to go about changing our eating habits without feeling too deprived.

Two big changes I’ve noticed since starting this cleanse are that I’m finally getting up early every day, at first it was great to be up by 8.30am as before I’d felt so wiped out each morning this year it was an effort getting out of bed before 9.30, now I’m up at 7.30am and I aim to go even earlier. The other change is that I no longer crave really sweet, manufactured products. I noticed this yesterday when I had a good excuse to buy an easter egg for myself as part of an online meditation. I didn’t and instead made one from some little treats I’d made for myself from 85% chocolate, ground brazil nuts, coconut cream and dried coconut, I then coated it in a thin layer of some more 85% chocolate. It was pretty messy looking but to me tasted very rich and quite sweet! Other treats I make myself are chia seed puddings with a very small teaspoon of maple syrup – even that now tastes sweet!

When we give something up that we are addicted to, that we crave, there needs to be something to replace with it otherwise the need for that substance never quite goes away. For many of course that replacement is good health and a feeling of well-being or at least the promise of better health when at the end of your rope regarding disease. When the need to change is based less on physical discomfort and more on simply knowing a change is needed that replacement needs to be internal. For me this has been paramount as I still have some days when I feel worse than I did before I began this cleanse!

This brings me to a third change and that is how different I do feel internally. It’s beyond feeling released from any emotional issue feeding the candida as I’m well used to letting go of stuff, it’s more a feeling of increased lightness within and this is what I was aiming for, the reason I finally began this cleansing process in an in-depth way. I’d gotten to the point where it felt as if my spiritual progress was being held back by my physical state. In other words, there is a certain amount of Light our cells can hold alongside all the toxic sludge that is part of living here and what is considered a normal diet. I can sense that I have cleared a certain amount of that and in the process have “lightened up” more. I have also noticed an increased sense of spiritual richness and clearer communication with the higher realms when I meditate or ask for guidance. This is all very welcome and can only increase as I deepen the cleansing.

What are some of the physical changes necessary?

In no particular order of importance as they are all important, here is what I have done. I have not been really strict as you can probably gather as I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary – I want to slowly but permanently change aspects of my diet, not be extreme and then bounce back into some rubbishy ways of eating. (My basic diet is still much healthier than the average person but as pointed out before I had developed quite a sweet tooth, was eating too much and was also not as clear of convenience foods as I’d like)

Eat less – yes, really… We do eat so much more than our parents or grandparents generation, if you don’t believe me visit an antiques or good second hand shop sometime and look for old dinner plates! I remember the size of dinner plates as a child/teenager as being much smaller and looking through cookery books written up until 1980 portion sizes so much smaller too. I want to make it very clear that I’m not talking about weight loss diets and health plans – this is about ordinary everyday food, standard meals and the way we eat permanently. Nowadays this is talked about as a health plan or the 8-16 rule or whatever, instead of just being how we sustain our bodies, without sacrificing taste and enjoyment of course. Food seems to be an obsession, a lifestyle, an entire entertainment industry. I’m not judging or putting it down – I’m entertained by it, and currently watching the Great British Menu! Just pointing out the changes that have taken place. In order to do this, simply eat a little bit less incrementally and if you’ve been really active then adjust according. If you find yourself with strong hunger pangs after three days of making changes then again adjust a little. Give it time though as our stomachs will have gotten used to a certain amount of food and will protest at first – ride it out if need be.

Why eat less and what does it have to do with candida? When we eat more than we need it puts a strain on the digestive system (you will know if this is true for you as in being uncomfortably overweight, have no energy or feel out of sorts after a meal). There are several ways this strain manifests. One is through the build up of colon plaque due to a high proportion of refined foods, these adhere to the intestinal walls and build up over time. It makes it increasingly difficult for the digestive system to extract all the nutrients from food and the desire to eat more (with false hunger pangs) will be there as your body is craving proper nutrition. In this case the most pressing concern is cleansing the colon, colonic irrigation is the most thorough but products utilising high concentrations of magnesium oxide are good. In my twenties I did a cleanse with a product I don’t recall the name of now, I was thin at that time with a fairly healthy diet and even though I looked exactly the same after a three week course of this stuff I remember weighing myself before and after and being dumbstruck at the evidence that I’d lost 5 pounds! 5 pounds of what?

Link to a similar product that also explains how and why this particular formulation of magnesium works – https://www.thefinchleyclinic.com/shop/colosan-capsules-120-caps-e-25.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLWVohAzyMzhLj_kjMoavXWE0r2pnn_5HIeBtDF2SHsovqd2twc4tQxoC47MQAvD_BwE

Digestion requires huge amounts of energy, energy that could be utilised elsewhere such as the immune system – most of which resides in the gut. Too much food can knock out the delicate balance between the good bacteria and yeasts, causing candida to proliferate or bacterial infections to get out of hand instead of being dealt with by our incredible natural defences. Too much food, and the type of food that accompanies overeating, leads to fatigue and can impact mood, the mind and emotions, all of this affects our ability or willingness to do exercise or engage in healthy practices such as yoga, tai chi or regular meditation. The reason this matters is in the compromising of the immune system, we need our immune system to work effectively to help dispel candida spores that have travelled through the body. We also need a fairly strong sense of self and of positivity in order to continue healing the body of candida. As mentioned before this is a tenacious condition that needs a multi faceted approach.

Food intake itself – obviously the number one thing to cut out is sugar and refined carbohydrates, this directly feeds the fungi that have proliferated. The other is alcohol, again it directly feeds the fungi and the spores that have entered the bloodstream. Any substances that may contain mould, yeasts or is fermented need to be considered, this includes products such as kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut. While these may be beneficial in sensible amounts they will only add to the candida overgrowth so it’s best to stay clear until the gut biome is balanced. Dairy produce is another food that feeds the candida overgrowth so only in very small amounts or cut out altogether.

Many diets will advise that all fruits, especially dried as this is more concentrated in fruit sugars. are to be cut out. I have cut out dried fruit but eat one small portion of fruit each morning with my homemade muesli (the muesli is half oats to a mix of ground sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, a nut of choice and toasted coconut for flavour). Eat a lot more vegetables and salad, protein is whatever you would normally eat but no ready made stuff! I have almond milk instead of cow’s milk, I still eat eggs but in the past two months have barely eaten cheese.

Next post will cover supplements.