Yeast Free Living

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Oh how I miss Sloppy Joes.  I really want to “Make tonight a Manwich Night” but how can I on this stinkin candida diet and with all of our stinkin food allergies.  I apologize for my anger but some things just bother me worse than others.  Sloppy Joes were one of my favorite meals as a kid and I have been unsure of how I was going to share this meal with my children considering all of the obstacles I thought I would have to overcome to make this happen.  But then I thought to myself “I have made things that I never thought I was capable of making in the last few months.”  Who knew that I could make my own mayonnaise, ketchup, veggie burgers, french fries and chicken nuggets.  Why not Manwich?  So can I re-create this magic in a can?  I am not sure but you know I am going to try. 

Turkey Sloppy Joes Ingredients
1.3 lbs ground turkey breast
1/2 medium green pepper chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1/2 onions chopped
1 medium carrot coarsely shredded
1 Tablespoon of quick oats (Proceed with caution if gluten intolerant) 
1 clove garlic minced
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (I use Cento because it has no citric acid) 
3 tablespoons tomato paste (Most varieties do not have citric acid but check labels carefully)
2 packets of stevia
2 teaspoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (omit if you are allergic to soy as my children are) 
Cooking Spray (Use the type for grilling if sensitive or allergic to soy)

Turkey Sloppy Joes Directions
Spray large unheated skillet with cooking spray.
Add the turkey meat and brown (Turkey is ready when the meat is no longer pink)
Drain grease from meat and then return to skillet.   
Add green peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots and garlic to skillet with meat. 
Cook on medium heat until vegetables are tender. 
Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, stevia and Bragg’s liquid aminos. 
Bring to boil and then reduce heat. 
Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite yeast free bread substitute (rice cakes, brown rice tortillas, Amy’s Yeast Free Bread from a mix, Ener-G, Brown Rice Bread)

Recipe adapted from Healthy Homestyle Cooking by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD

I was not sure what ratatouille was aside from a Disney movie of course, that my oldest enjoyed watching with her father a couple of years back.  Upon watching the movie with her recently on DVD I saw a rat create ratatouille that so impressed a food critic, that the food critic opened his own restaurant and made the rat head chef.  “This must be an amazing dish for it to help pull off all of that,” I thought to myself, so I decided to explore it a bit. 

Upon searching for recipes on the web I found that many recipes for ratatouille are extremely candida diet friendly in their original states or at least very easy to adapt to make candida diet friendly.  I decided to try a recipe by Jacques Pepin.  I do not consider myself a foodie so please forgive me in advance for having no idea who this guy is.  A friend passed along this recipe to me after watching a cooking show and I Googled a few of the words to track down the owner.  It is a very easy recipe and I used a crock pot to make it even easier.  I paired it with brown rice but brown rice pasta or even spaghetti squash may be a nice yeast free accompaniment. 

Ratatouille Ingredients
1 long Japanese eggplant or small regular eggplant (about 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small firm zucchini (about 1/2 pound total), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 cubanelle or long Italian peppers (about 1/2 pound total), seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cubed (3/4-inch) onions
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in sauce  (I could not find a canned variety without citric acid.  I used Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which contained about 25 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Ratatouille Directions
Combine all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low 5 hours or high 2.5 hours. 
For stove top directions please see the original Ratatouille and Penne recipe on Jacques Pepin’s website.

Today did not go so well.  I was just so angry from the start and complained and moaned all day that things were just not going my way.  I was late getting my daughter to school, she didn’t finish her homework so I provoked an argument in the car, yes with a 7 year old.   I know I am the adult but I am really not feeling like one today.  I just want to curl up somewhere and be left alone.  I am sure that I am cranky because of yeast and sugar withdrawal but I just want to feel better already.  I have no patience for this today. 

Anyway, yesterday’s Crock Pot Ratatouille came out great, but the rest of the household was not too fond of it.  It turns out that they are really not eggplant people.  I am lucky that I had a dinner guest last night who enjoyed it as much as I did, otherwise I would have had to eat leftovers all day.   As a general rule I refrigerate leftovers immediately after cooking and eat them within 24 hours of cooking them as they begin to deteriorate and are conducive to mold growth.  It has been suggested in many candida diet resources that ingesting mold from leftovers may add to our candida overgrowth problem.  If I do want to save leftovers for more than a day I freeze them right away.

Well even though it was a bad start to the day I will try to regroup and turn my frown upside down.  We are doing a yeast free take on chicken cacciatore tonight.  This recipe is a piece of cake and one of my favorites!  I even used the crock pot this time to make it completely effortless. 

Candida Diet Menu – January 28, 2010
Breakfast
1 Bowl of Puffed Rice Cereal with Unsweetened Soy Milk and a pack of Sweet Leaf Stevia (The kids use rice milk due to a soy allergy, I would use it too but it has more sugar and carbohydrates than soy and I would rather add carbohydrates in other ways)

Mid-Morning Snack
Tortilla Chips with Hummus
Kids have a piece of fruit

Lunch
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Spaghetti with olive oil, sea salt and basil for my 7 year old

Afternoon Snack
Cucumber with sea salt
Kids have 1 bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips

Dinner
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore over Brown Rice
Spinach

Dessert
1 cup herbal tea

Yesterday was good.  Stuck to the menu and I was able to fight off the cravings.  I almost lost it as I drove past a few Dunkin Donuts and really wanted a corn muffin with butter but I managed to keep my cool.  I really need to bake some candida friendly treats this weekend.  I struggle when I am not prepared.  It is when I can’t grab something I want quickly that I falter.   I can bake muffins, cookies and even cakes using non-glutenous grains and stevia and these would be acceptable for yeast free living.  Planning is so important in this process and I will strive to get better at it so I can succeed on the candida diet.   Today’s candida diet menu below is a little boring but with talent show and basketball practice tonight I welcome boring.  Make it a great day!

Tennille

Candida Diet Menu – January 27, 2010
Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs and grits
Kids ate Bowl of Oatmeal with some organic brown sugar

Mid-Morning Snack
Tortilla Chips with Hummus
Kids have a piece of fruit

Lunch
Baked Chicken, Brown Rice and Kidney Beans for me and the 2 year old
Spaghetti with olive oil, sea salt and basil for my 7 year old

Afternoon Snack
Cucumber with sea salt
Kids have 1 bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips

Dinner
Crock Pot Ratatouille over Brown Rice
String Beans

Dessert
1 cup herbal tea

I have to admit that yesterday was just not a good day.  I gave in to every craving that I had.  I stuck to the menu but I ate in addition to it, which is never good.  I have had such a sweet tooth the last few days and I just could not take it anymore.  My oldest daughter is going to hula hoop for a school talent show so we had to go to Toys ‘R” Us and get 2 hula hoops.  I remembered that they had a pretty good candy selection and went to check it out.  I found a jumbo candy necklace and could not resist.  I opened it as soon as I got in the car and about half of it fell apart.  The necklace had been crushed.  I immediately thought to myself, “That’s what you get for cheating” but then I proceeded to eat the remaining half of the necklace.  I felt terrible afterwards but instead of correcting course I decided to continue indulging these cravings.  After dinner when the kids were asleep I curled up with a hot bowl of cream of wheat.  This probably would not have been so bad if I hadn’t added such an exorbitant amount of granulated sugar to it.  It was so tasty but I went to bed guilt ridden and just plain defeated.  While I am trying not to let those feelings of guilt and defeat linger it is difficult because I feel like crap today.  It is amazing what one bad day can do to you.  Well let me try to focus on succeeding today.  Today’s candida diet menu is below.  Have a great day! 

Tennille

Candida Diet Menu – January 26, 2010

Breakfast
Left over spaghetti and meat sauce from last night’s dinner
Kids ate Bowl of Oatmeal with some organic brown sugar

Mid-Morning Snack
Bowl of cucumbers with a little bit of sea salt
Kids have a piece of fruit

Lunch
Rice wrap with turkey slices, avocado and salsa
Kids have left over spaghetti and meat sauce

Afternoon Snack
Tortilla Chips with Salsa
Kids have 1 bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips

Dinner
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Homemade French Fries
Broccoli

Dessert
1 cup herbal tea

This is one of my quick lunch ideas.  I use Applegate Farms oven roasted turkey meat found in the deli section of many stores.  I have however found it to be the least expensive at Trader Joe’s in my area but is also available at Shoprite and Whole Foods and I am assuming many other supermarkets.  I use whatever kind of lettuce I have around and 2 tablespoons of Whole Foods 365 salsa.  I use a homemade creamy herb dressing with this salad.  I found the recipe for the dressing in the Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton.  This combination really does make a great lunch. 

Turkey, Avocado and Salsa Salad Ingredients
3 slices of turkey cold cuts (I use Applegate Farms Oven Roasted Turkey Breast which does not contain nitrates)
1 ripe avocado 
2 Tablespoons Salsa (I use Whole Foods 365 brand salsa which does not contain vinegar or citric acid) 
1 bowl full of lettuce, mixed salad greens and/or spinach leaves

Turkey Avocado and Salsa Salad Directions
1) Fill bowl with your choice of lettuce, mixed salad greens and/or spinach leaves
2) Peel and slice avocado and add to bowl
3) Add Salsa
4) Serve with homemade creamy herb dressing

I dabbled in vegetarianism a few times when I was in college but I could never go more than a week or two without eating meat.  I just didn’t know what to do with all of those vegetables.  My roommate was vegetarian I think for religious reasons, so this was pretty much the norm for her.  She never tried to convert me but she would always share her vegetarian dishes with me.  I found them delicious and they did not weigh me down the way the meat dishes that I ate did, yet they were still very filling.  Although I was curious about creating vegetarian meals I was not sure that I could handle this task.  I knew all to well how to cook meat, you fry it, grill it or bake it and you are done.   I was comfortable with my meat filled life and did not want to learn something new.   

It is not until recently that I have discovered that with a little creativity preparing vegetarian meals can be just as easy, as filling and as tasty as the meat meals I normally prepare.  Although I am not a vegetarian, I have been seriously thinking about taking the plunge lately.  My youngest daughter is allergic to beef and pork, my oldest is allergic to fish and  to frank we are all just so damn sick of chicken that I thought it may be a good time to explore and introduce my kids to some vegetarian dishes. 

I wanted to start with something simple like veggie burgers.  I remember eating and enjoying these thoroughly.  Starting with burgers will also be a kind of familiar way to introduce vegetarian food into their lives.  They can even smother them with the organic ketchup that they love so much.  I will also make some homemade french fries with the veggie burgers to keep everything happy. 

I remembered that there were several frozen varieties of veggie burgers in the supermarket.  I checked out the ingredient labels on Boca Burgers and some other varieties in the store to see if these would work for the candida diet and for my childrens’ allergies.  I am not sure why I still get hopeful when I am about to read a label, but I do.  I hoping that I will stumble across the one frozen product that will not have any preservatives, yeast, corn, soy, wheat or milk in it.  I know that I am living in a fairy tale land and of course there were several  ingredients in all of the varieties that would not work for us.  I immediately thought to myself, “Can I make a veggie burger from scratch?”  “Of course I can,” was my next thought,  ”I just need to figure out how”. 

So yes I have figured out how to make a veggie burger and after all my babbling, I would like to share with you a recipe that I found on All Recipes for a Homemade  Black Bean Veggie Burger.  I am sure that the recipe is great in its original form but I did have to adjust  it order for it to be wheat free and egg free to cater to my childrens’ dietary needs.  The altered recipe is candida diet friendly.  My substitution of rolled oats for the breadcrumbs may be troublesome to gluten sensitive people as I have read that oats sometimes cause problem for those who are gluten free due to sensitivity or celiac disease.  If  gluten is an issue for you another substitution may be needed.

Homemade Veggie Burgers Ingredients
1 can black beans (approximately 16 oz)  – I used Nature’s Promise Organic Black Beans 15.5 oz
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic – I buy it already peeled to save time.  Beware of additives. 
1 tsp milled flaxseed and 1/4 cup water – This was my egg substitute.  You can just use 1 egg if you are able to eat eggs.
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 cups rolled oats – This was my bread crumb substitute.  Proceed with caution if you are gluten free too.

Homemade Veggie Burgers Directions  

1) Drain and Rinse 1 can of Black Beans
Tip: Watch for additives when choosing canned beans.  I like to use organic varieties such as Nature’s Promise (Stop & Shop) and Trader Joe’s Organic.   Ingredients in these varieties  include water, sea salt and prepared organic
black beans.

2) Dry beans by placing on a plate with two paper towels in order to absorb excess water. Repeat as necessary to remove excess moisture.  We want the beans to be as dry as possible. 

3) Place bean in medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork until they are very mushy.  Put aside. 

4) Chop green pepper into 2 inch pieces, slice onion in quarters.  Combine green pepper, onion and garlic in food processor or blender.  Chop until all ingredients are minced.   Combine mixture with beans

5) Measure 1/4 cup water in measuring cup and add one teaspoon milled flaxseed (This is where you could normally use an egg).   Mix together water and flaxseed.  Add chili powder and cumin and mix thoroughly.   Add mixture to the beans. 

6)  Mix all ingredients thouroughly. 

7) Grind approximately 2 cups of rolled oats using a blender or foodprocessor  (This is where you should consider substitutes if you are gluten sensitive).

8) Stir ground oats into mixture a little at at time.  Continue to add and mix until mixture holds together well.  

9) When mixture is a good consistency shape into 4 patties.  You can fry it, grill it, or bake it!   LOL!

The first time I tried the candida diet was in the beginning of 2006.  I found the list of allowed and prohibited foods on the Internet and began to follow the lists very strictly with great success.  Most resources that I consulted gave pretty good explanations as to why you had to avoid certain foods but the reason for avoiding vinegar always eluded me.  As I consulted resource after resource I never really found a thorough explanation of why I was avoiding vinegar.  I really wanted to know why because as many of you that have done the candida diet know vinegar is often a hard thing to avoid and I wanted to make sure that I was avoiding it for good reason.  Vinegar is found in the majority of commercially available condiments on the market including but not limited to mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and salsa.

Even today there 4 years after I first try to figure out why consuming vinegar is a candida diet blunder continues to confuse me.  Some sources say vinegar is prohibited where others promote certain types such as apple cider vinegar.  So let’s explore what vinegar is.  Maybe by understanding what it is it will become clear why it may be problematic to the candida sufferer.  According to Wikipedia vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of alcohol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid (ethanoic acid).  The first indication that vinegar may be a problem is the word fermentation.  Fermentation is a process by which carbohydrates are converted to alcohol by using yeast and/or bacteria.  You will find thay the candida diet excludes all fermented foods due to their yeast content. 

In addition to its high yeast content vinegar is also a natural antibacterial .  This may be a good thing if your goal is to treat a bacterial infection naturally but may only add to you candidiasis problem.  Similar to antibiotics the vinegar can kill both the bad and good bacteria therefore contributing to allowing yeast to grow unchecked in the body.   Continuing to consume vinegar can set back our healing program. 

I have seen a lot of information apple cider vinegar and its ability to cure candida.  While apple cider vinegar in its natural form may be less harmful than the white distilled vinegar commonly found in commercial products I am just not sure if it is any better for you.  If you have taken  apple cider vinegar with success than great.  There is not one size fits all for the candida diet, I believe there will be some trial and error involved.    Some people may be able to tolerate apple cider vinegar where others may not.  If it works for you and you feel better than I say take it.    Pay careful attention to your body and how it reacts as you are eliminating and reintroducing foods because that will ultimately be the judge of what is right for you to maintain your health and stay yeast free.

Do you feel sick all over?  Do you have a hard time describing your symptoms to doctors but know that something just isn’t right?  Are you tired of feeling like and being treated like a hypochondriac.  Do you have the sneaking suspicion that you could live a happier and more fulfilling life if only these chronic and unexplained health problems would disappear?  If you answered yes to any of these questions I hope that the following information will help point you in the right direction in order for you to regain your health and ultimately live the life that you so desperately seek.   First I do have some more questions, well they are not really my questions but they are questions that I was confronted with when first learning about Candida Overgrowth (Dysbiosis) and its link to many common diseases and conditions many years ago while trying to solve my own chronic and unexplained health problems.  The following questions are from Chapter 1 of William G. Crook’s The Yeast Connection and Women’s Health and may resonate with you. 

• Have you taken antibiotic drugs?
• Have you sought help from many different specialists?
• Have you taken birth control pills?
• Are you troubled by fatigue and/or muscle aches?
• Are you bothered by food sensitivities and/or digestive problems?
• Do you crave sugar?
• Do you sometimes feel spaced out?
• Are you bothered by depression and/or irritability
• Are you bothered by headaches
• Are you sensitive to tobacco smoke, perfume and other chemicals?

I answered yes to every one of these questions and was thrilled to find out that my chronic health problems, the problems that I had sought answers to by seeing countless doctors, undergoing numerous tests and even exploratory surgery, for over 15 years may finally have an explanation.  After answering these questions I read the words “Your health problems may be yeast related.”  I sure hoped so.  I desperately wanted an answer and this felt like my last hope of regaining my health.  No doctor was able to help me so I was out of ideas.  I figured I would keep reading and see what this guy had to say.  I went on to read the wide array of symptoms associated with candida overgrowth.  The following is a list of diseases and conditions that were listed not only in Yeast Connection and Women’s Health book in other books that I have read on Candida Overgrowth. 

• Weight gain
• Chronic Vaginal Yeast Infections
• Chronic Bacterial Vaginosis
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Vulvodynia
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Dyspareunia
• Infertility
• Endometriosis
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Colitis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Eczema
• Acne
• Lupus Erythematosus
• Asthma
• Sinusitis
• Psoriasis
• Chronic Hives

This was another list that resonated with me.  Especially the first eight conditions listed.  I was plagued by numerous female health problems from the age of 15 and I was treated with alternating rounds antibiotics and anti-fungals several times a year for over 12 years.  In retrospect I realize that this treatment was making things worse but who knew.  I would have taken anything just to feel normal. 

I do not know about you but I am amazed at how many diseases and conditions that candida plays a role in.  This is probably why it is so hard to diagnose and may even seem ridiculous to think that your vaginal yeast infection, eczema, joint pain and sinusitis are all somehow related but  now a days after living and breathing the treatment plan I am convinced that they are very much connected.  I believe that our body is just trying to tell us that something just isn’t right in anyway that it can.   If you can relate to all of this keep gathering your information on candida overgrowth and it’s treatments.  I highly recommend The Yeast Connection and Women’s Health by William G. Crook.  It is a great starting point to understand and beating Candida Overgrowth. 

This creamy spinach soup will be sure to warm you up on a cold day.  You will delight in the fact that it is all yeast free.  This quick and easy recipe will certainly be one of your favorites! 

Creamy Spinach Soup Ingredients
1 large carrot
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
14 1/2 ounces unsweetened chicken broth
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
2 1/2 cups soy milk (I use unsweetened rice milk because of my children’s allergy to soy)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice  

Creamy Spinach Soup Directions
Slice carrot, onion
In medium saucepan heat olive oil on low heat
Add brown rice flour, salt and dry mustard
Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly
Stir in chicken broth
Bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly
Add spinach, carrot and onion
Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender
Stir in milk and cook 3 additional minutes
Add lemon juice