Dietary Changes on the New Candida Programs

1. Dietary Changes on the New Candida Programs By Karolyn Campbell

2. A New Grain Option: Quinoa • In the past, we’ve allowed up to 1 cup of either rice or lentils on our Candida programs. • Because quinoa is so nutritious (and very well-tolerated), we’ve decided to included it in the mix. • Though we’re adding a little variety, portion sizes will not change. Patients are allowed up to 1 cup of rice, quinoa, or lentils (not one of each).

3. Quinoa: A Comparison Compared with brown rice, quinoa is higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates, higher in fiber, and higher in a variety of important nutrients (magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and folate).

4. Nuts and Seeds: Calorie-Dense, But Nutritious • In the past, we’ve restricted nuts and seeds because they’re very calorie-dense foods. • We’ve decided to allow up to ½ cup of nuts and seeds because they’re so nutritionally valuable. • However, we don’t want our patients to overeat them at the expense of fruits and vegetables (hence the ½ cup limit).

5. Nuts and Seeds: How To Incorporate Raw nuts and seeds make an excellent salad topping, are delicious with fresh fruit (after day 22, of course), and can be used to make small portions of raw desserts.

6. Squash: Eat Sparingly • The Candida programs restrict starchy vegetables for the duration of the program. • However, many types of squash (spaghetti, acorn, butternut, delicata, etc.) are much lower in starch than potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams. • Because they’re so nutritionally valuable, they may be eaten very sparingly (never as the basis of an entire meal). • Any squash consumed replaces your patient’s grains/ legumes for the day. If they want to eat a cup of squash, ask them to skip their rice/ quinoa/ or lentils on that day.

7. Squash: Examples of “Sparingly” For Example: • An occasional side of butternut squash soup would be fine. • Including a little bit of squash (less than a cup) in a stir-fry or baked vegetable dish would be fine. • Eating a small portion (less than a cup) of squash as a side-dish with other vegetables would be fine.

8. Broth Doesn’t Need to Be Low-Sodium • The old Candida Program manuals specify that chicken and vegetable broth should be “low-sodium.” • The programs don’t restrict sodium anywhere else, making this rule an anomaly.

9. Egg Beaters Don’t Make the Cut • Most “Egg Beaters” contain a variety of unwanted additives. Though egg-only versions are possible to find, they’re less common and easily confused with the additive-laden varieties. Vs.

10. Chicory: A Less Popular Choice • Chicory usually appears in sweetener blends, rather than on its own. • It’s still an excellent choice, but our patients rarely know what it is or want to use it. • For this reason, we’re taking it off the list. • If you have a patient who knows what it is and wants to continue using it, that’s great!

11. Grapeseed Oil: A Hidden Source of Excess Omega-6 • We’re cutting grapeseed oil to reduce our patients’ intake of omega-6 fatty acids. • Excess omega-6 in the diet increases inflammation and makes it difficult for patients to lose weight. • Also, most grapeseed oil is also heavily refined. Patients struggle to find cold-pressed options available in grocery stores.

12. The Fruit and Vegetable Lists Are Not All-Inclusive • Fruits that do not appear on the “Fruit” list have not been excluded for any universal reason. In most cases, unlisted fruits should be fine (after the first 22 days, of course). • Vegetables that don’t appear on the “Vegetable” list may have been excluded because of their starch content. If a non-starchy vegetable hasn’t made it on the list, it’s probably still okay to eat.

13. Now, Let’s Talk About Yeast & Fungus Foods on the Candida Programs

14. Your Body Doesn’t Just Need “Friendly” Bacteria • Friendly yeasts matter too. • The latest and greatest research suggests that not all types of yeast are harmful. • On the contrary, many types of yeast are beneficial – and even necessary – to human health. These “friendly” or probiotic yeasts (ex. Saccharomyces boulardii) are necessary to keep the pathogenic ones – like Candida albicans – in check.

15. Candida Albicans: A Uniquely Harmful Organism • There are over 900 different strains of yeast in the human body, though Candida albicans is one of the most common. • Candida albicans has unique characteristics that set it apart from other types of yeast. • These unique characteristics make it especially dangerous when too many of them grow in your body.

16. Candida’s Dimorphic Characteristics • Normally, yeasts are small, round cells that don’t cause much damage. • Unlike these harmless yeasts, Candida albicans can grow long, mold-like tendrils (hyphae) that penetrate tissues in your body, causing inflammation and cell damage. • Other types of yeast and fungus foods don’t share these characteristics.

17. Mushrooms, Vinegar, Nutritional Yeast, and Probiotic Fermented Foods Are No Longer Prohibited • When the original Candida diets came out in the late 1970s and early 1980s, research on the human microbiome was only just beginning. Nobody understood the complex relationship between “friendly” and pathogenic organisms in the gut. • As research has been conducted over the last 30 + years, we’ve learned more about the role of “friendly” bacteria in sustaining human health. • Our programs are always evolving to keep up with new information.

18. Mushrooms are OKAY • Mushrooms are radically different from Candida albicans. • They’re not even a yeast, they’re the fruiting body of completely different types of fungus. • Eating a mushroom won’t cause more Candida albicans to grow in your gut. • Mushrooms don’t have probiotic benefits or pathogenic properties, but they do contain lots of B-vitamins, selenium, and antioxidants. • Some mushrooms (reishi, maitake, shiitake, cordyceps, etc.) have immune-boosting properties.

19. Fermented Foods are OKAY • Fermented foods – sauerkraut, kimchi, traditionally fermented pickles, coconut kefir, etc. – all contain yeast. But the type of yeast they contain is enormously beneficial! • It’s important to get “friendly” yeast in your diet just like it’s important to get “friendly” bacteria – otherwise, the pathogenic yeasts like Candida can become overgrown. • These friendly/ probiotic yeasts (ex. Saccharomyces boulardii) are necessary to keep the pathogenic ones – like Candida albicans – in check.

20. Vinegar is OKAY • Almost all vinegar is filtered and pasteurized (contains no yeast, live or dead). • Only special brands of vinegar like Bragg’s have raw/ unfiltered options that still contain yeast. • Even if you do consume raw/ unfiltered vinegar, these yeasts don’t share Candida’s harmful characteristics.

21. Nutritional Yeast is OKAY • Nutritional yeast is derived from a deactivated (dead) form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. • A single serving – just 16 grams – of nutritional yeast meets (and exceeds) the DV for many B-vitamins (640% of B1, 570% of B2, 280% of B3, and 480% of B6, 60% of B9 (folate), and 130% of B-12). Nutritional yeast is also a complete protein (contains all essential amino acids). • Homemade forms of nutritional yeast have been used to prevent vitamin deficiencies in prisoner of war camps.

22. Thanks for joining us!