Fermented foods are good sources of natural, healthy bacteria. They can give your body the same benefits of consuming massive quantities of probiotics at a fraction of the cost.
Throughout history, people have fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt as a way to preserve them, to support their intestinal health and support their overall health. It is especially helpful in crowding out Candida!
Fruits ferment naturally so fermentation has been around longer than humans have. Humans first learned how to ferment food several thousand years ago. The oldest evidence of wine making is from over eight thousand years ago.
The ancient Romans ate sauerkraut
In India, from ancient times through today, they consume lassi before dinner and a small serving of curd after dinner
Bulgarians consume large amounts of kefir and fermented milk
In Asia they enjoy many pickled vegetables - cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots
You should take a cue from these cultures around the world and add some fermented foods to your diet. The good bacteria in fermented foods will crowd out the Candida in your intestines leading to a quicker recovery.
The six benefits of food fermentation are:
Cultures large amounts of healthy bacteria
Preserves food by converting sugars into organic acids like lactic acid
Enhances your diet by adding diverse flavors, aromas and textures
Enriches food with essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and protein
Eliminates anti-nutrients
Decreases cooking times and fuel requirements
There are hundreds of fermented foods from around the world. Many are safe to consume while on the Candida Diet. They are listed in the table below.
However, many fermented foods are unsafe to eat while on the Candida Diet. They either produce alcohol or have too high of a glycemic load. The high glycemic load will lead to a large amount of sugar in the bloodstream which feeds the Candida.
When you buy any of these fermented foods, make sure they do not have any added sugar. These foods are very sour by nature. In today's society, people are used to very sweet foods so many brands add sugar to cover up the sour taste.
You want the foods for their anti-Candida properties created by the sourness. You do not want a sugar-laden food that will feed the Candida.
All of the foods shown in red are foods that I have tried and highly recommend. I am especially fond of kombucha, kefir and miso. I have a sip of either kombucha or kefir with nearly every meal. I also have a spoonful of either sauerkraut or kim chi with most meals.
Kombucha is naturally effervescent and delicious. This effervescence makes it a great replacement for someone who is addicted to drinking sodas.
There are hundreds of things in modern society that kill off the good bacteria in our intestines. By constantly adding new bacteria with these quality fermented foods, you can prevent a future overgrowth of Candida!
Note about Soy Sauce: Most Commercial Soy Sauces (such as Kikkoman) add wheat after the fermentation process. Therefore they are not safe to consume while on the Candida Diet. Make sure you get tamari which is a type of soy sauce that is wheat free.
