Homemade Pico de Gallo instead of Salsa in a Jar

When I first started avoiding pre-packaged foods, I found obstacles trying to find alternatives to the foods I loved.  One of those foods was Salsa.  It wasn't until a friend handed me her recipe for Pico De Gallo that I found hope.

Pico De Gallo:

Mix together

1/2 onion diced

1-2 Peppers of any color Diced

4-5 Fresh Tomatoes Diced
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
1/2 of a bundle of Cilantro (remove the leaves and chop them up finely or use a food processor)
Squeeze of Lime Juice from 1/2 of a lime
Pinch of Salt

This recipe is a very quick and cheap alternative to Salsa, and utilizes uncooked raw foods. The ingredients, like onions and garlic, have natural antifungal properties specific for Candida.  Fresh squeezed lime juice (and lemon juice) balances blood sugar and Cilantro is packed full of vitamins and antioxidants to boost immunity (1).

I used to buy Blue Corn Tortilla Chips to go with my homemade Pico, but have discovered recently that Cucumber slices are a great atlernative for dipping. 

1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/464325-what-are-the-benefits-of-parsley-cilantro/

Alternatives to Soda

If you crave Soda, know that like Ice Cream and Candy, it is one of the substances that is contributing to your Candida and fueling  your sugar cravings.  Studies also indicate that consuming soda, or any sugary drink for that matter, increases your risk of diabetes by 26% (1).  When considering Candida, it is helpful to also consider risk factors for diabetes, because both conditions are associated with spikes in blood sugar, either by feeding your Candida or promoting insulin resistance.

To address your Soda consumption, think about the context in which you drink Soda.  Do you buy soda in the can, in the bottle, or drink it as a beverage at restaurants? Do you crave Soda because of the caffeine, the sugar, or the carbonation?

If you have intense cravings for other sugary substances (candy and ice cream), it is probably a safe bet to assume that you crave soda for the sugar content.  Switching to a diet soda will not alleviate this problem because Candida feeds off artificial sweeteners just as effectively (2) and diet soda carries a similar risk for diabetes (3).  With this data, it is helpful to view all soda as the same substance.

In my experience, I know that if I bring Soda into the house in the form of cans, I will drink it.  I do so because it is convenient to grab a new can of soda when I crave sugar.  Part of the process of getting away from Soda is to trade cans of soda for a 2-Liter Bottle, because not only is it not as convenient, but after a couple of days open in the refrigerator it loses the carbonation and taste and is thrown out. 

Another way is to only buy a can of soda during a sugar craving and not purchase it as part of your grocery routine.   If you feel the need to buy a sugary drink at the grocery store, check labels and try to buy Orange Juice that is as close to fresh-squeezed as possible.  One form of juice you can use to transition away from soda is Naked Fruit Juice.  

Make Coffee without the Coffee-Maker

If you find you crave caffeine after trading Soda for Fruit Juice, switch to Coffee.  Many Candida diets do not recommend drinking coffee because there is speculation that the beans harbor mold.  Your coffee maker also harbors mold.  If you want to avoid the mold from your coffee maker, buy an electric coffee grinder, a French Press, and a tea kettle.  My boyfriend makes coffee every morning using this method.  It is cost effective because the coffee grinder also doubles as a flax seed grinder.

If you have a routine of drinking soda at restaurants, try ordering an unsweetened iced tea, an ice water with lemon, or a coffee.  Even an Arnold Palmer (Ice Tea and lemonade), especially that which is light on the lemonade, is an effective method to break the Soda habit.  Subway, for instance,  offers Green Tea with or without sugar.  Choose the sugary green tea when coming off of Soda and work towards the sugarless by mixing the two together in different ratios until you can transition to the sugarless.

When taking Soda and eventually bottled juice out of your diet, it is important to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water.  If you don't like the taste of tap water, filter it yourself or buy bottled.  Most grocery stores have a reverse osmosis water dispenser that filters out the chlorine and minerals and at the cost of about $0.30 per gallon.  Save your water jugs or buy glass ones online, clean them out with a vinegar spray and reuse them to buy water that is similar to bottled for a third of the price.

Lemon Balm Tea

Last but not least, herbal teas are a great additive to a healthy diet and are great substitutes for soda and juice.  Buy herbs from a health food store and make your own teas, or buy tea in a box, especially green tea.  When you go to a coffee shop, try ordering tea lattés or signature teas.  Avoid tea that is concentrated or that which is found in a bottle.  You can make your own ice tea by steeping tea bags in a quart-sized kettle, allowing the tea to cool, and then transferring it to a pitcher in the fridge.  Keep ice on hand and a variety of citrus fruits and cherries to add to your ice tea throughout the day. 

1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963518/

2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6481700

3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19151203

The Truth about Bread

If you have Candida, you probably have intense cravings for refined carbohydrates.  Refined Carbohydrates are anything with added sugar or corn syrup, and any grain that has been processed and stripped of its nutritional value.  Table sugar also makes the list, as do candy bars, granola bars, ice cream, pretzels, potato chips, canned fruit, pastries, and most cereals (1).  It is unfortunate too, that bread is also on that list, especially white bread.

White flour and rice should always be the first culprits to go when transitioning away from bread.  I will admit that I do indulge in bread from time-to-time and it has posed as one my greatest challenges.  However, I will share with you some great ways that are helping me transition away from it for good.

On my post on Breakfast, I suggested indulging in Whole Grains for Breakfast to combat carbohydrate cravings throughout the day.  Eating a bowl of brown rice, quinoa, oats, millet, buckwheat or amaranth in the morning will balance your blood sugar and reduce your sandwich cravings at lunchtime.

Another way to transition away from bread is by experimenting with different brands.  Trade your white bread for breads with labels that tout whole wheat or whole grain.  Become an avid reader of bread labels.  Look for hidden corn syrup, sugars, and white flour.  When in doubt, buy a particular brand of bread and don’t throw away the package—Google the ingredient’s list.

If your cravings are anything like mine were, than you know that even when you don’t bring bread into the house, you still crave that Subway Sandwich.  Even though Subway is definitely better for you than Mcdonald’s, intense cravings for sandwiches are going to be an issue that will need to be addressed.

The bread I found most helpful to steer clear of Subway and sandwiches is Ezekiel Bread.  It is a sprouted bread made from whole grains rather than flour, so it has more fiber, and digests slowly to prevent spikes in blood sugar (2).  Because of this, it is said to have a low glycemic index.

The Ezekiel brand offers more than just bread, marketing bagels and tortillas using the same methods.  Look for it at your local grocer or health food store in the freezer section.  I notice that it is cheaper at my local grocer.  A word of note, it is a little bit more expensive than other breads, but you will find that it may greatly reduce your breads cravings, as it did mine, and you will alternately find yourself reaching for whole grains, nuts, lentils, and beans to satisfy your carbohydrate cravings.

1)http://www.livestrong.com/article/28412-list-refined-carbs/
2)http://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/diabetic-friendly