Avocado and the Candida Diet
Commonly treated as a vegetable, avocados are actually tropical fruits, thought to have originated in Central and South America. Avocados are pear-shaped, with green or brown skin that can be either smooth or rough. The inside of an avocado contains a yellowish slimy flesh often described as rich and buttery. Most people first encounter avocados in guacamole, a Mexican dip in which avocados are the main ingredients but you will also see avocados tossed in a variety of salads. The good news about avocados is that they not only taste good but they are 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 suggests has numerous health benefits.
Fortunately, avocados are permitted on the candida diet. The candida diet is a diet which seeks to restore balance to the microflora of the intestinal system by greatly reducing or eliminating an overgrowth of Candida albicans. Candida albicans is a typically benign type of yeast found in the intestinal system that ideally will work in conjunction with “friendly” bacteria to keep the body healthy. Unfortunately, bad habits common to our modern lifestyle often disrupt this delicate internal balance and it is very difficult to restore. Overuse of antibiotics, oral contraceptives, diets high in processed/sugary foods and stress all contribute to causing this internal imbalance. When the intestinal system is not in balance ill health can develop and many experience symptoms throughout the entire body. The candida diet eliminates many foods that feed Candida albicans but these are the foods that we are use 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 what foods may actually help restore balance to our intestinal system’s.
Avocados are not only one of those foods that you will learn to enjoy on the candida diet but you will find that it may 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 that it will provide candida dieters with direct yeast fighting benefits.
If you are not use to eating avocados do not worry. Embarking on the candida diet means exploring new foods outside the boxes and cans that we have become accustomed to. Learning how to pick a ripe avocado will probably be 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 do this as I usually forget about them and let them go bad. Avocados are a great choice for the candida diet and can be eaten freely. If you have not yet incorporated avocados into your candida diet I suggest that you give them a try immediately.
For more information on living yeast free by following the candida diet visit Yeast Free Living.
Avocado and the Candida Diet by Tennille Jordan
