WELLNESS WEDNESDAY : CANDIDA CLEANSE

 I started a detox 3 weeks ago and it has been going way better than I expected. I used a product called CandiGone to aid the cleansing process and kept my diet strict by not consuming any wheat, dairy, sugar (not even fruit), alcohol, yeast or caffeine. First two days were the worst and I had terrible sugar cravings, but then I bought some Granny Smith apples (only acceptable fruit) and raw almond butter and that’s been my fix for it.

Surprisingly I didn’t miss pasta or bread almost at all during this time. Also, I was easily able to go through the days at work without any caffeine and actually had way more energy than on a regular, caffeine-filled day. Instead of coffee I enjoyed some herbal teas (peppermint) without sugar.

Granny Smith apples and raw almond butter for sugar cravings

First couple of days after starting the cleanse I experienced constipation (maybe because of the strong herbs), my skin started breaking out a lot (especially chin area) and I had quite serious sugar cravings. I did hot vinyasa yoga almost daily, had just one day each week for rest and that aided the cleansing process. After every yoga class my skin seemed clearer and in couple of days it was back to normal. Also, I became very regular and felt overall much lighter and energetic.

Kale salad with quinoa and black beans

This is a tough diet if you don’t know your way around the kitchen, meaning cook all your food from scratch daily. Because as it turns out, everything has sugar, yeast, whey or wheat. It’s extremely hard to find sauces, bread or even gluten-free crackers that don’t have one of those ingredients.

What is Candida? (Read about it in Finnish here)

Candida albicans is the most common digestive yeast and is present in small amounts in most people. When Candida growth leads to an imbalance of intestinal flora, a Candida cleanse can be helpful to promote intestinal balance.

What is CandiGone?

CandiGONE is a blend of natural herbs and ingredients that have been traditionally used to help maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora. This 2-part formula includes vegetable capsules and a tincture for a comprehensive Candida cleansing experience.

What to eat during candida cleanse?

BREAKFAST:

YES Sprouted grain breads: (millet, quinoa, flax made with baking soda)
Steel cut oats (for oatmeal)
Fruit: Granny Smith apples, lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberries
Almond or cashew butter
Legumes: includes hummus, all beans
Eggs (natural/organic are best), eat sparingly – a few times a week
NO Wheat grains, wheat products
Fruit juices; fermented beverages such as ciders
All other fruit, fresh or dried
Alcoholic beverages, sodas, coffee
Milk: includes milk products, sour cream, buttermilk, cheeses Peanuts, pistachios
 
SNACK IDEAS: 
YES Herbal teas (ex. chamomile, peppermint)
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (soaked overnight, preferably raw) Carrot sticks, celery sticks
Almonds (preferably raw), almond butter
Unbuttered fresh-popped popcorn
All fresh vegetables (raw or lightly steamed)
Green vegetable juices (with lemon, Granny Smith apples to taste)
NO Fruit or fruit juices
Caffeinated teas
Nuts (nuts in general are acidic and hard to digest)
Peanuts, peanut butter
Microwave popcorn (typically contains harmful hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils)
Carrot juice, beet juice, tomato juice, tomatoes
Canned vegetables, mushrooms
FOODS (GENERAL): 
YES Yeast-free grains: millet, quinoa, basmati rice, amaranth, brown rice, khorasan wheat, teff, buckwheat, rye.
Red-skinned potatoes (sparingly)
Olive oil, flaxseed oil (cold-pressed if possible)
Soy milk, rice milk, almond milk
Tofu (if tolerated well)
Rice, soy, almond cheeses
Goat milk, goat cheeses, goat kefir
Bragg® Liquid Aminos (in place of soy sauce)
Raw apple cider vinegar
Rice flour, rye flour, soy flour
Beans
NO Wheat, wheat products
Rolled oats
Barley
Semolina pasta
Yeast-containing foods (ex. breads, pastries)
White potatoes, russets, yams, sweet potatoes
Margarine
Cheese
Milk
Artificial sweeteners: (ex. aspartame, Sweet’N Low®)
Sugars: honey, maltose, raw sugar, date sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, maple sugar, fructose, molasses, lactose, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, galactose, sucrose
Condiments, sauces, vinegar-containing foods (ex. mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickles, MSG)
Tomato sauce (or sauce with tomatoes)
Packaged/processed foods (including enriched flour products)

I ate lots and lots of kale salads, veggie stews and soups (mainly lentil and cabbage). I will definitely keep going with this low-sugar and low-gluten diet, because it gives me so much energy. But I’m adding the fruits, because it’ summer, and I love fruits. Watermelon, here I come again!

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8 Replies to “WELLNESS WEDNESDAY : CANDIDA CLEANSE”

  1. Vautsi, hieno saavutus! Ja hyvät ja selkeät ohjeet!
    Itselläni on ollut mielessä aloittaa detoxkuuri jo jonkin aikaa, mutta aina on tullut siirrettyä sitä tuonnemmaksi… Nyt elokuuksi on tarkoitus jättää viljat ja sokeri pois ja katsoa paraneeko olo.

    1. Hyva paatos! Kylla se eron huomasin aika selkeasti. Eilen soin ns. roskaruokaa lounaaksi eli bbq sandwich soijakanalla ja kokojyvaleivalla, ja olo oli sen jalkeen kylla ei kovin mahtava. Energiat ihan hukassa. Kun vahan aikaa on ilman viljatuotteita varsinkin niin ei niita enaa niin tee edes mieli. Joten jatkan detoxin suosittelemaa suuntaa tulevaisuudessakin, en tosin niin ankaralla kadella. Varsinkin kun loma Euroopassa haamottaa lahitulevaisuudessa… 🙂

  2. Can I ask you what did you feel the benefits of the cleanse were? How did you feel afterwards? How long do you think the effects will last? I am def. going to use some of those recipes you shared as rice, pasta, dairy, and gluten make me ill and was causing intense cronic pain.
    I also have a vitamin question for you- what is the difference between expensive and inexpensive supplements? I know that if you are purchasing ibuprofen it doesn't matter if it's premium brand or dollar store, but is it the same with supplements? Thanks in advance for your answers- sorry about the long questions that make this sound like an interview!
    xx Kristina

    1. Hey Kristina

      I think the biggest benefit was the fact that I no longer have cravings for pasta and bread. Sugar is still there, but not as strong as before, meaning I don't lose my mind over it anymore. I have the sense to make better choices and enjoy apple slices or watermelon instead of candy. I'm still taking the herbal supplements for another 2 weeks, making the total cleanse time actually 4 weeks, because it takes a while to destroy the candida which has been living in my body for years. But as I said, before, I've added some fruits back to my diet, so hopefully it won't mess up the entire process. Although I read that you do not necessarily need to change your diet, but effects are better if you do.

      Also, I feel my mind is clearer and no more foggyness and sluggishness. I have so much more energy. I feel lighter. Life is good.

      More about Candigone on this video which is actually how I heard about the cleanse for the first time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sycVL8P43Ug

      Supplements: There are two different kind of supplement: Synthetic nutrients (made from isolated, synthetically derived chemicals) vs. whole food nutrients (derived from whole food sources). Synthetic supplements are the cheap ones and many of their compounds have different forms in nature, and typically only a very few can actually be used by your body.

      Whole food supplements are made by compressing actual whole foods into a highly dense, getalinized form that’s put into the capsule. Few brands that do this are Megafood multi-vitamins, Pure Synergy Organic Vitamins, VitaMineral Green Vegan Caps and Dr. Schulze Superfood Plus Tablets. But be prepared to pay more, but also know that your body gets more out of it.

      Of course it's better if you get your vitamins from actual food, but it's not always possible (like for me Vitamin B12).

      Here's a good article about supplements and the differences between synthetic and whole food supplements: http://blog.healthkismet.com/whole-food-synthetic-vitamins

      Ok, I hope this answered some of your questions and gave you direction where to go! Have a beautiful weekend!

  3. Oh gosh, I really ought to do something like this. I drink cider vinegar and honey but I really ought to do more as I am sure that Candida is the reason for my random skin rashes.

    This was really helpful so thanks, I'll be bookmarking this page!

    🙂 xxx

  4. […] I can reset my body’s harmony. You can read about my previous 30-day sugar detox experiences here and here. I used this herbal tincture to aid with the process of clearing candida overgrowth and […]

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