My family just returned from a Ayurvedic Retreat. We all decided to find out our DOSHA(read down for some more about Ayurveda and DOSHA in a previous blog). My husband and I both were Pitta Dosha and not surprised about our imbalance. On the way home my husband said, "Did the Ayurvedic expert ask you to stick out your tongue?"
I had to stick out my tongue and I don't believe it looked quite as bad as this picture. My husbands tongue wasnt quite this bad but obvious coating. Then we really started comparing notes. We both felt fatigued and a little brain fog. We do have some digestive issues which he Ayurvedic expert picked up on. So now what do we do?
What is Candida?
Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, a very small amount of which lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption, but when it is overproduced it breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems ranging from digestive issues to depression.
How can you test for it at home? We know this is NOT an accurate scientific test BUT it IS a real INDICATION of the density of your fluids which can harbor micro organisms and possible be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.
You heard it right - - this is a spit test.
The best time to do this test is the first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up. Before you rinse, spit, or put anything in your mouth, go get a glass of water (in a clear glass). Now build up a bunch of saliva (just mouth saliva, do not cough up anything) and spit it into the glass of water. Observe what happens.
The saliva will float. That is OK and normal. If within 15 minutes you see thin projections extending downward into the water, it is a positive sign for candida. The projections may look like hair, or small strings, like a jelly fish or spider legs, moving down into the water from the saliva floating on the top. Other positive indications might be very "cloudy" saliva that will sink to the bottom of the glass within a few minutes or particles that slowly sink or suspend below the saliva glob. What you are seeing are colonies of yeast which band together to form the strings.
Here are some symptoms:
My family is vegan/vegetarian for the most part. You will here from some people, "Oh as soon as I went Vegan/vegetarian is when I got Candida so I stopped eating this way!" I think this is just an excuse to go back to a poor diet! Candida LOVES sugar so this is something to know.
Here is a Vegan/vegetarian approach to fighting Candida! It is going to be alright. We are all in this together!
Foods to Avoid
Fruits – all fruits, including dried, fresh and canned + fruit juices.
Starchy vegetables – potatoes, beet, yams, sweet potato, corn, peas, parsnips, carrots
Legumes – all beans, chickpeas and GMO soy products. Non-GMO, unsweetened soy products are fine.
Mushrooms and molds – mushrooms can cause inflammatory reactions, if you have Candida. Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi and Maitake are Ok to consume.
Some nuts – cashews, peanuts and Pistachios as they may contain mold.
Grains that contain gluten and glutinous foods – rye, wheat, spelt, barley, oats (except oat bran and gluten-free oats), anything with corn, white rice.
Alcohol
Sugars – all syrups and artificial sweeteners, except stevia and xylitol
Additives and preservatives – citric acid, anything you don’t know.
Some beverages – coffee, black and green tea, any drinks that contains sugars, i.e. any drinks other than plain water, herbal tea or chicory.
Condiments – read the labels really carefully and look for sugars or any other additives that you don’t know. As a rule, it’s not possible to find a suitable condiment from a store when on Candida Diet. You can check from organic stores for natural products or make your own.
Vinegar – all vinegars except apple cider vinegar.
Foods to Eat
Non-starchy vegetables – asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, raw garlic, kale, lettuce, olives, onions, rutabaga, spinach, summer squashes, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips.
Gluten-free grains – millet, buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, gluten-free oats and oat bran.
Nuts and seeds – almonds, coconut meat and milk, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, poppy seeds.
Legumes – non-GMO and unsweetened soy products (milk, tofu, tempeh) without any unwanted additives.
Yogurts and plant-based milks – anything unsweetened based on non-GMO soy, coconut, hazelnuts, almonds, quinoa, millet.
Seaweed – nori, kelp, wakame, dulse, sea lettuce.
Herbs, spices and seasoning – apple cider vinegar (organic), basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, lemon and lime, juice, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sea salt, thyme, turmeric.
Beverages – water, chicory root coffee, herbal teas.
Sweeteners – stevia and xylitol.
I hope our apocalyptic experience as Candida Zombies can help your family thrive and eat a balance diet! Have a great Monday!
