Candida Cleanse: Day 1

I've decided to try a candida cleanse. Candida is a yeast that grows naturally in the body. It becomes a problem when it gets out of balance with the rest of the body's natural flora (mainly bacteria). There are many symptoms associated with candidiasis, many of which I have. A list of some common symptoms can be found here. In case you're dying to know what my symptoms are, I have acne, fatigue, red eyes, intense sugar cravings, and digestive issues.

I am going about my cleanse by eliminating all sugar from my diet for 2 weeks. This includes fruit (which is going to be extremely challenging), honey, high fructose corn syrup (which I was already avoiding), and anything else that's labeled a sugar. My diet is going to consist of vegetables (including fruits that everyone confuses with vegetables, like peppers and avocados), whole gluten-free grains, proteins, and good fats. It's also important to avoid vinegar (with the exception of raw apple cider vinegar) because it can encourage candida growth. I won't be eating any processed foods at all, and I won't be going out to eat. In addition to this diet of doom, I'm taking herbal supplements that are geared towards killing candida. The supplement regimen consists of fiber and 2 different liquid extracts.

Apparently, I have intense sugar cravings to look forward to. I also will probably experience a whole slew of nasty symptoms associated with the death of the candida. I can't wait (for those of you who couldn't tell, that was sarcasm).

After the initial 2 weeks, I'm going to slowly reintroduce certain foods, but ideally, I'd like to keep my sugar intake to a minimum. When I eliminated sugar from my diet a couple of years back, I felt amazing, and I'd like to feel that way again.

I'm going to try to keep track of how things are going here. If I come up with any delicious recipes that work with this cleanse, I'll be sure to share.

So far today, it has been pretty uneventful. I've taken my fiber, eaten some raw almonds, and taken the liquid extracts. I'm about to start preparing my lunch - a salad made of organic baby greens, avocado, and raw zucchini, with a dressing made of raw apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Tonight, I'll probably make something with quinoa.