Avocado and the candida diet
Commonly treated as a vegetable, avocados are actually a tropical fruit, believed to have originated in Central and South America. Avocados are pear-shaped, with green or brown skin that can be smooth or rough. The inside of an avocado contains a yellowish slimy pulp that is often described as rich and buttery. Most people first come across avocados in guacamole, a Mexican sauce in which avocados are the main ingredients, but you’ll also see avocados mixed into a variety of salads. The good news about avocados is that they not only taste good, but they are also good for you. Avocados are an excellent source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, copper, and potassium. Additionally, avocados contain a high level of monounsaturated fats, specifically oleic acid, which research shows has numerous health benefits.
Fortunately, avocados are allowed on the candida diet. The candida diet is a diet that seeks to restore the balance of the microflora of the intestinal system by greatly reducing or eliminating the overgrowth of Candida albicans. Candida albicans is a typically benign type of yeast found in the intestinal system that will ideally work in conjunction with “friendly” bacteria to keep the body healthy. Unfortunately, the bad habits common to our modern lifestyle often upset this delicate internal balance and it is very difficult to restore. Excessive use of antibiotics, oral contraceptives, diets high in processed/sugar foods, and stress all contribute to causing this internal imbalance. When the intestinal system is not in balance, poor health can develop and many experience symptoms throughout the body. The candida diet eliminates many foods that feed Candida albicans, but these are the foods we are used to eating. We may even crave these foods, but we can learn to enjoy new foods that are allowed on the candida diet and learn which foods can actually help restore balance to our intestinal system.
Avocados are not just one of those foods that you will learn to enjoy on the candida diet, but you will find that they can actually play a direct role in helping you overcome your yeast problem. In addition to the high level of essential vitamins and nutrients it provides, avocados also have antifungal properties due to the high levels of oleic acid. This means it will provide candida dieters with direct yeast-fighting benefits.
If you’re not used to eating avocados, don’t worry. Embarking on the candida diet means exploring new foods outside of the boxes and cans we’ve grown accustomed to. Learning how to pick a ripe avocado is probably your biggest challenge. A ripe avocado will be slightly soft but not bruised or dented. You can buy firm ones and ripen them at home, but I prefer not to because I usually forget about them and let them go bad. Avocados are an excellent choice for the candida diet and are free to eat. If you haven’t already incorporated avocados into your candida diet, I suggest you try them right away.
For more information on living yeast-free on the candida diet, visit Yeast-Free Living.
