Adapting Ayurveda Diet and Lifestyle To Cure Candida
Candida and Restoring Balance with Ayurveda
Candida, or scientifically known as candida albicans, is a yeast-like fungus that reside in your intestinal tract and genital tract. There are various environmental and lifestyle factors that promote the proliferation of this fungus such as poor diet patterns, excess amount of stress, and low quality sleep, among others.
As this condition is caused by an imbalance in your system, it is therefore important to correct your dietary and lifestyle patterns to discourage the spread of the bacteria and eliminate symptoms. Since this is a long-term treatment, expert Ayurvedic healers recommend that a patient stay committed to the treatment and ensure that all dietary and lifestyle guidelines are observed.
Ayurvedic Diet: Don'ts
Diet, according to Ayurveda experts, play a crucial role in combating illnesses including candida. Hence, you need to identify certain foods that you need to stay away from as part of your Ayurvedic diet in an effort to reduce intensity or eliminate symptoms of this condition:
- Avoid sweet and cold foods. The more sugar you consume, the more you promote the growth of yeast bacteria responsible for candida. You need to eliminate sweet fruits or fruit juices off your diet.
- Avoid consuming leftovers, especially refrigerated ones. This exposes the food from molds or bacteria that are difficult to digest.
- Avoid beverages that contain nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.
- Avoid processed or junk foods, such as white rice or anything that contains flour as an ingredient.
- Avoid fermented foods or those prepared using fermented products.
Ayurvedic Diet: Do's
Now that you are aware of foods that you must avoid to treat candida, you must then learn about recommended food products as part of your daily diet:
- Consume plenty of vegetables, such as cruciferous, pungent, and bitter vegetables. Some of the best types of vegetables for this type of diet include bitter greens, fenugreek sprouts, radish, bitter gourd, zucchini, asparagus, carrots, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. As for the method of preparation, steaming vegetables is recommended over eating them raw.
- You must drink hot lemon drink as part of your morning routine. The acidic properties and antibacterial components of lemon helps to eliminate toxins off your digestive system and discourage proliferation of yeast bacteria inside your body.
- Eating beans and whole grains are recommended in treating candida, which includes barley, oats, rye, and buckwheat.
- Drink the recommended amount of water each day. This will help flush out toxins off your body for a thorough cleansing.
Ayurveda: Lifestyle Changes to Cure Candida
Apart from adapting ayurvedic diet to cure candida, you must also observe major lifestyle changes to ensure that you will not develop the symptoms of this condition. You need to observe these lifestyle guidelines to ensure prevention against candida and to promote holistic health.
- Exercise. Moderate exercise is recommended as part of Ayurvedic preventive measures against candida. Morning exercise that is performed in an outdoor environment is highly recommended but make sure the type of exercise you perform is suitable for your body type for a balancing effect.
- Sleep. You need to ensure both good quality and quantity of sleep every night to allow your body's defense mechanism to recuperate and replenish all energy lost. Sleep is also crucial in the purification of your body.
- Massage. A warm oil massage performed on a daily basis is ideal for releasing body toxins, as well as maintaining emotional and mental balance.
- Stress Management. Stress is directly associated with your immune system, such that the more stressful you are, the higher your risks at developing certain illnesses.
- Personal Hygiene. Make sure to regularly cleanse your skin using gentle and fragrance-free floral waters or essential oils. Opt for organic and natural materials that are rich in antibacterial properties. However, do refrain from over-cleansing to avoid irritating your skin. You must also take note of your choice of clothing since it can cause infection and skin irritation.
- Cleansing. This is one of the basic components in Ayurveda treatment and Ayurvedic experts recommend that anyone suffering from candida must adapt a 45-day period of internal cleansing to eliminate any accumulated ama or toxins off the body.