The
Yeast-Fighting diet has
four distinct stages. For best results, it should
be followed in order from elimination to maintenance:
1.
Elimination of sugar and yeast containing foods
2.
Challenge - Re -introduce some foods you've eliminated
and check for
reactions
3.
Reassessment - Explore food allergies and sensitivities
4.
Maintenance - Eat those foods that work for you
Each
stage includes foods choices that are permissible
and not permissible. The right supplements
and prescription medications
can help you deal with your body's imbalance
from several angles.
1.
ELIMINATION
In the first stage, you'll eliminate foods that feed
yeast organisms and encourage overgrowth. These include
sugar, yeast, mold, starches and
fermented foods.
The Elimination Stage usually needs to last
for 2 to 4 weeks, depending on how long it takes your
major symptoms
to subside. The simplest approach is to focus
on eating fresh meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, unprocessed
oils, water and tea. Our shopping
list will get you started.
Eating other foods during this stage may slow the
process of clearing yeast and toxins from your body.
It may also be more difficult to notice a direct link
between foods and symptoms. You may find that some
of these don't cause you trouble at all. Our books
recommend foods to eat cautiously or experiment with
that aren't on the grocery list. Feel free to experiment.
Just tune in to your body's
signals and document what happens.
As you eliminate yeast-feeding food from your diet
and incorporate supplements or other medication, you
may experience "die-off". This is actually a great
sign that you're on the right track!
To help you through this limited diet, check out our
site's recipes
and The
Yeast Connection Cookbook for easy, quick, tasty
meal ideas. Try
This and Expert
Advice offer other ideas for relief.
2.
CHALLENGE
You are ready for the challenge stage when you have
experienced some relief and begun to control your
yeast overgrowth. Now you're ready re-introduce or
"challenge" some of the foods you avoided in Stage
1.
Continue following the food plan from the elimination
stage. Add one portion of one new
food a day and notice any reactions
or symptoms your body experiences in response to the
new food. If you notice a reaction, give yourself
at least one day without symptoms before introducing
another new food. If you don't notice a reaction,
continue another new food per day and observe your
body's response.
When re-introducing foods, start with foods containing
only one ingredient . If you experience
a reaction to bread, the culprit could be yeast, wheat,
eggs, or sugar. Instead, Dr. Crook suggests taking
a tablet of brewer's yeast to find out if you're sensitive
to yeast.and proceed from there.
Next, you may want to re-introduce fruit. Try only
one type of fruit initially and watch for your body's
response. Then move on to another food, and so on.
For best results, don't eat sugar until your body
has been clear of symptoms for a much longer period
of time.
Record the foods you eat each day and body symptoms
and sensations linked to eating those foods.
The
Challenge stage can be just that - a challenge! Vent
your frustrations on online discussion
boards. Communicating with people who have made
it through the program can give you hope to hang in
there.
When you have a good list of foods that your body
seems to tolerate and not tolerate, it's time to move
to Stage 3, Reassessment.
3.
REASSESSMENT
If you are feeling much better, you may choose
to go on to Maintenance.
But maybe you still have quite a few symptoms. At
this point, you might have accumulated a long list
of foods that set you off. The
Yeast Connection and Women's Health
discusses allergies, asthma, and food and chemical
sensitivities in greater depth.
Now it's time for the reassessment phase. Avoid
the following foods for at least two weeks:
Chocolate
Citrus
Corn
Food coloring and additives
Fruit punches
Milk
Processed and packaged
foods
Soft drinks
Sugar
Wheat
Yeast
Beef
Chicken
Coffee
Eggs
Oats
Pork
Rice
Tea
Tomatoes
White potatoes
Also
avoid any food or beverage you consume over
once a week. Track
your normal week's intake and note which foods
appear on the chart frequently. Some
bodies need 3-4 weeks to clear out enough to notice
a distinct change. If you don't detect a noticeable
difference in symptoms, continue this process for
a few more weeks.
Once
you do feel more "clear", gradually integrate
each food back into your diet. Add only one new item
at a time. Allow at least a day or two between each
addition to help you clearly identify any symptoms
that might be caused by that particular food. Make
sure you track in detail your food
and symptoms as you do these experiments.
If you don't notice any symptoms, wait another four
to seven days before eating that particular food again.
This rotation of foods helps you detect hidden sensitivities.
If you notice symptoms, avoid that food. You
may want to discuss allergy treatments with your health
care professional. This may allow you to eat a particular
food without problems. You may, however, need to avoid
it on a regular basis.
By the end of reassessment, you'll have developed
a list of foods you can and cannot tolerate.
It's now time to move to Maintenance.
4.
MAINTENANCE
Congratulations! You may not be all the way back to
where you want to be, but you have faced a challenge
-- and you've acquired valuable knowledge about
yourself and your body. Now you can loosen up a bit.
You now know what to watch for and return to a more
restricted food plan any time you run into trouble.
And remember, diet is only
one part of the program.
Don't forget other ways to care
for yourself. Most importantly, notice and trust your intuition.
Humans have great instincts about what works for them
and what doesn't. Remember, even respected
professionals don't know everything. Don't let anyone
convince you that you don't know what you're talking
about. You alone are the "expert" on yourself and
your body. Take advantage of available resources,
and talk
to others, but don't devalue your own instincts.
back
to Yeast-Fighting Program main page