Will A Raw Diet Work If I Have A Sensitivity to Sugars (Candida)?

by Amy
(Toledo OH)

Amy's Question Most of my life, I've followed a low-carb diet of fish, chicken, all kinds of different veggies, small amounts of tofu and brown rice -- and felt pretty good overall. Now I'm 55 and having trouble with low thyroid, headaches, and post-menopausal symptoms and I want to go on a more cleansing diet to see if it helps.

However, I seem to react strongly to fructose, and actually get fuzzy and "stupid" on large amounts. Have also had severe candidiasis in the past and am worried that lots of fruit sugar will reactive that problem. Can I do a raw-foods diet with lots of veggies and veggie juices but very small amounts of fruit?

Andrew's Answer:

Although I do not like to generalize because all conditions are unique, it's often fairly easy to get rid of candida on a raw diet.

It's just about impossible to obtain enough calories from vegetables to meet your needs. You need fruit to provide calories. The problem is not the sugar, however.

Candida is epidemic among raw foodists and cooked-food-eaters alike because they all eat lots of fat.

Avocados, nuts, seeds, oils, fatty animal products, etc, all serve to trap sugar in the blood stream. The body reacts to this trapped sugar by using candida to clear it out.

Candida usually disappears within a week if a very low fat raw diet containing no overt fats is followed.

This diet can have the majority of calories come from sugar-based carbohydrates from fruit and no problems will appear. The problem is not with the sugar, which is the body's natural fuel, but with the fat that traps it in the blood stream.

You can read more about low fat diets here.

I am also available for coaching consultation to assist clients in going raw while avoiding problems like candida.