Rise Like a Sunflower, Not Like White Bread

And just like that we are back with another piece to this anti-yeast puzzle. If you don’t remember why we’re all here then go read one or both of the pieces below.

Now that you’ve (hopefully) read what the heck has been going on, I’m going to provide a short little summary ANYWAYS for all you lazy bums who didn’t bother to click the link.

Everyone is always talking about the planets rising, or being in retrogatorade or whatever, but we’re here because the yeast is rising. Candida is having a time and your gut is not just leaking, it’s crying.

Remember: Candida overgrowth is a fungal infection that occurs when too much yeast is produced. This can cause a rainbow of issues in so many parts of your body. Rashes, vaginal yeast infections, brain fog, digestive issues, etc. can all develop and re-develop if you have too much yeast losing its shit in your system.

Now, it is officially Day 9 for me of eating my delicious Candida-friendly menu. Time for an update and some more recipes! #accountabilitycounts

I am super happy to say that the armpit rashes are gone! Yes, I did use an antibiotic topical cream as well to manage the rashes, and that’s okay! I also ate so much onion and garlic in the first few days that I just naturally reeked of it. So it was a few real smelly days before I eased up the anti-vampire foods. I’ve also been trying my best to keep my pits as dry as I can. Detox can be smelly.

What I’ve Been Avoiding

Alright, I love sugar. I had an energy drink addiction for like 10 years. Haven’t had any since moving, but sugar is still addicting stuff. And in Canada, everything has hidden sugars. Ironically I’m not the biggest fruit eater though, but that’s a neurodivergent/texture/lack-of-consistency thing. Anyways, I’ve gone no sugar.

I repeat.

No sugar.

The only sugar I’ve really had would be what’s in my peanut butter. Yes, I know peanut butter is processed and shit, but it took time to find almond butter (which I’ve switched to 2 days ago).

I have also had zero simple carbs. And basically no carbs overall. No pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, etc. No juice, no cereal, no cookies, no chips, nada.

Candida loves yeast and sugar, and so, none for you mofo!

What I’ve Been Stuffing My Face With

A lot of veggies. I’ve eaten so much zucchini, carrots, onions, lettuce, cucumber, etc. I’m practically a hybrid carrot with limbs.

I’ve also been eating quinoa cooked in turmeric as I need that fibre. Pooping is important.

I made a delicious hummus; very filling. And in the first few days I had roasted sweet potato along with my veggies. Apples and peanut/almond butter have been my saviours, not gonna lie. I’ve also made almond flour pancakes, with zero honey or sugar added.

I’ve also been eating a lot of chicken, beef, eggs, and avocado. And coconut oil. Holy. I’m not used to so much healthy fats at once sometimes.

And for folks that say they can’t eat anything on a Candida-friendly menu, it’s a lie. I’ve eaten trompo (without the tortilla), butter chicken (dairy free), bun-less burgers, delicious salad, Korean cuisine, omelettes with turkey patties and almond pancakes, etc.

So. Much. Food.

How Do I Feel?

To be honest, full. A LOT of my bloating has gone down, and yet I still have farts! But at least they aren’t as smelly haha. I also feel less hungry in general. Sometimes I crave something sweet, but not really for processed sugar. Again, that’s where the apples ‘n’ almond butter save the day. Not having sugar/energy spikes and crashes has been real nice.

Most of what I eat is very savoury- thank you spices! Drinking lemon/lime water helps to balance that. Sometimes I want something like juice to combat the savoury, but I’m alright.

But besides feeling full, I feel SO much more energized. My body doesn’t have to overwork itself to process all that gluten and sugar, instead I feel awake and aware. I feel… bright-eyed? I think I also have a bit less joint pains, but I’m not totally sure about that yet because I’m eating more beef which isn’t always the best of me either.

I’m also more thirsty, but maybe that’s just now and I need to go get some water…

…alright now that I’m slightly more hydrated…

I gotta say that I’m quite proud of myself. I’ve been taking this a lot more seriously than I thought, and sticking it out more than I thought I would. It’s a little scary sometimes, and it feels like it’s been much longer than 9 days. I still eat really well, but I want to increase my daily movement. That one’s still a bit tricky, especially when you work from home (sex helps though hehe). But we’re moving again soon, and I’ll have much more movement opportunities in the area that we’ll be in. I’m really looking forward to that.

But now let’s dive into the real shit, recipes.

I’m going to start with the most complicated one first because if I leave it to the end, I’ll run out of attention span to add it.

Dairy-Free Butter Chicken and Turmeric Quinoa

I make the best butter chicken, I swear. It’s so savoury, creamy, and filling and it is totally Candida-friendly. Why? Because there’s no actual dairy. And it’s filled with spices and ingredients that are so good for so many things. Tons of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and anti-fungal ingredients.

I’m not going to give you the whole recipe because to be honest, I use this one.

But, I do have to adapt it to my menu so I’ll tell you about that.

- First off, use coconut oil, cashew or coconut yogurt, and avocado with a plant-based milk of choice.

- Need cream? Add an avocado to the blender along with that plant-based milk and blend till creamy. Want the consistency thicker? Add a bit of cornstarch mixed with cold water.

- You can also add some chickpeas when adding the chicken to the base sauce for added protein.

- Top it all off with a lot of cilantro, and even slices of avocado for more healthy fat.

For the quinoa though, I roast the quinoa in some coconut oil with some salt and a teaspoon of turmeric powder. After I just add water and let it cook covered until ready. Follow the package, it ain’t rocket science.

Beef Strip Lettuce Wraps

Alright, don’t ask me what this is. It’s a fusion. It’s an invention. It’s just delicious. This is what happens when you don’t know what to make but want different things and accidentally defrosted the wrong meat and had to improvise. Originally I was going to make a loaded hummus plate. With ground beef, garlic, nuts, etc. But I accidentally put a bunch of thin beef strips in the pan before I realized it wasn’t ground up. Whatever.

Hummus Ingredients (for the lazy):

-can of chickpeas

-clove of garlic

-half a lemon

-tsp of cumin powder

-pinch of salt

-tbsp of oil

-2-3 tbsp of tahini

Alright, in a food processor (or blender if you don’t have one) toss those half-ass rinsed chickpeas with some ice cubes and pulse that shit. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend till smooth. Basically pulse and then scrape the mix off the sides and taste. Adjust to your liking.

Cook your beef whatevers on a pan to your liking. We added some salt and lemon pepper. After it was cooked, we sliced it up thin to make it easier to eat.

Top all that on a lettuce leaf, drizzle some chilli oil if you like, and Bon App-the-Tit!

~

And because two recipes seem to be all the energy and patience I have for, I’m going to stop here.

But don’t worry, you get to enjoy a super basic shot of my apples ‘n’ butter because I’m feeling generous.

Lastly, remember to do what works for you. Don’t make yourself miserable over this. If you need a bit of carb or sugar, have a piece of dark chocolate. Ease into/out of it with the coffee. Add some fucking mayo. It’s okay. Just do your best. I’m proud of you either way. I know I’m def proud of me.