Day 1 - Candida Diet

After a lot of research, I decided to use the candida diet outlined HERE from Probacto. This guide includes recipes, meal plans, supplement list and oodles of good information. Before I get into what I ate yesterday, I wanted to list the supplements I am taking and what they are for. (The information I am sharing here is from Probacto at the link above.)

(For the record, I am not paid by Probacto. It is just a site I found while conducting research. I have not used any of their products so I cannot comment on the quality of Probacto products.)

Pau d'arco - 2 capsules, twice a day, with food - Safely promotes the growth of probiotic flora and eases Candida Die OFF symptoms

NAC with Molybdenum and Selenium - 1 capsule, twice a day - Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral that helps your body to expel a neurotoxin named acetaldehyde, a toxin released by Candida. It also contains critical antioxidants that helps maintain cellular health

Milk Thistle - 1 capsule a day - Milk Thistle is important because it supports healthyliver function. Since Candida is heavily concentrated around the liver, this organ suffers the most damage

Now Foods Organic Fiber-3 - 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water morning and night - Fiber is essential for digestion health and to promote proper bowel movement. During the detox stage you want to ensure that you avoid constipation so that you are not retaining harmful toxic waste in your body

Nettle Leaf Tea - Once a day at first, if tolerated well drink twice a day - Nettle leaf tea is a good detox drink that provides the body with the ability to strengthen the kidneys and support both your thyroid and adrenal glands 

I will be adding more supplements next week, on top of what I am taking here. 

As for the food, it is all actually pretty good. The hardest part about yesterday is that I got a "snack attack" in the afternoon. There aren't any snacks in the meal plan given so I just improvised. 

I am logging all my food on myfitnesspal.com. If anyone wants to see calorie counts just leave a comment and I will give you my profile name.

Breakfast: Detox Drink, Veggie Scramble
Lunch: Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce
Snack (not in the meal plan): celery with sunflower seed butter
Dinner: Mean Green Soup

Recipes

Detox Drink - 8 ounces each morning the first week
3 pints distilled water
2 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
juice of 1 lemon

1:Pour all ingredients in a large bottle or glass container and combine by stirring or shaking vigorously
2:Store in refrigerator and when ready to drink pour an 8oz glass and drink through straw

Veggie Scramble - Serves 2 to 3
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 to 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 Medium green pepper, diced
Diced avocado and cheery tomatoes to garnish

1:Place a medium sized frying pan on the stove and heat 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat
2:Saute the broccoli, onion and green pepper for 3 minutes or until tender
3:In a small bowl, whisk eggs and then pour mixture onto the vegetables and stir
4:Continuing stirring to remove egg residue from the frying pan
5:Season with salt and pepper and top with diced tomatoes and avocado

Zucchini Noodles in Fresh Tomato Sauce - Serves 2 
4 medium zucchini
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup ripe grape or cheery tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
12 to 15 turns freshly ground pepper
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut

1:Wash zucchini, peel off skin and use a mandolin or julienne peeler to create “noodles”. Place “noodles” in a mesh strainer and salt generously. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, discard liquid and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the noodles
2:Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Set aside to dry
3:Grab a handful of fresh basil leaves, place in a flat pile, roll up and thinly slice
4:Place a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once very hot, add coconut oil, then tomatoes. Cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally until they blister and start to burst, about 5 to 7 minutes 
5:Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomatoes, add in crushed garlic. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes and release their juices.
6:Toss zucchini “noodles” into frying pan, stir to combine and cook until noodles are heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
7:Remove from heat, adjust salt and pepper if necessary, toss with fresh basil, serve

Mean Green Soup - Serves 2 
1/2 lb spinach
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup leek, diced
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped

1:After chopping vegetables, sauté in coconut oil with garlic 
2:Once softened and flavors infuse, add water and thyme. Allow mixture to simmer for around an hour and let it cool down 
3:Once cool, puree in blender to desire texture. If needed, heat up again and serve

Reactions

Food: The first day was okay. The food was all very good. The only meal I had a problem with was dinner. It tasted great but I had a texture issue. 

Body: I had a headache most of the day yesterday. Also, you know the taste or feeling you get in the back of your throat when a cold is coming on? I had that feeling most of the day. I took a detox bath last night after I went to the gym, and I felt a thousand times better. 

(My detox bath is Epsom salt, baking soda, and 5 to 10 drops lavender essential oil. Get the water as hot as you can stand it and soak for at least 20 minutes.)

I also had 14 cups of water yesterday, just two cups shy of a gallon. You need to drink a lot of water on this diet. Water is the best way to flush the unwanted things out of your system. A gallon each day is what I am aiming for. You choose how much water you feel is best for you.  

I realized I haven't talked about the Die-Off symptoms you can get during this time of detox. They vary from person to person, so I can't tell you exactly what will happen. You can read HERE for information about Die-Off symptoms. I will share my experiences as they come up.