Matthew Bredel asked: Although the words diet and dessert aren’t typically the best partners, it is possible to enjoy some sweet treats while sticking to a candida diet. It is true that sugar and white flour are still foods to avoid, but there are carefully crafted candida dessert recipes designed to keep your body on track, fighting off candida overgrowth.
Studies have shown that people tend to fail on overly restrictive diets because they cannot stick to the plans long term. It may be possible to muster up the will power to succeed for a couple of weeks or even a couple of months, but soon the cravings start calling and it is important to have healthy alternatives to satisfy your desire.
However, the fact remains that sugar and white flour feed candida overgrowth. Even in small amounts of foods containing these items can trigger symptom flare-ups and make life miserable, making a sugar splurge hardly worth it.
The great thing is that once you start cutting back on processed foods, refined carbohydrates and excess sugars, your intense cravings for these foods will subside. Yet it may be unlikely that you will never desire another dessert again. After all, something sweet is an excellent end to a delicious meal and a perfect pairing to a cup of gourmet coffee or tea.
The key to sticking with a candida diet while enjoying dessert is to find recipes that do not promote candida growth. Many people have had success utilizing artificial sweeteners to get their sweet fix without ingesting sugar. However, certain sweeteners have earned a bad reputation and can cause side effects or even illness.
One sweetener that seems to stand above the rest in that it cooks and bakes well and does not appear to cause the same reaction as other artificial sweeteners is Stevia. This plant-derived extract has nearly 300 times the sweetness of sugar, so a little goes a long way. Stevia is popular now, because not only does it not spike blood glucose but also medical studies have shown it may treat conditions like obesity and high blood pressure.
So Stevia may be a way to have something sweet without feeding the candida like sugar does. Using it as an additive to shakes, puddings and cheesecakes, means you can experience real dessert while sticking to your candida diet plan.
Below are some dessert ideas to get you started:
Crustless Peanut Butter Pie
Combine equal parts of sugar-free natural peanut butter and cream cheese and then mix in whipped heavy whipping cream to provide a lighter texture. Sweeten with Stevia to taste. Pour into a pie pan or bowl and refrigerate until chilled.
Frozen Chocolate Pudding Dessert
Mix a package of sugar-free instant chocolate pudding (4-serving size), 1.5 cups milk, and 1 cup whipping cream. Add a small amount of stevia to taste. Pour into a pan, cover and freeze for at least four hours. Remove from freezer approximately 1 hour prior to serving.
Berries and Cream
Select fresh or frozen berries and pour heavy whipping cream on top. Add a small amount of Stevia and vanilla extract to taste. If the berries are frozen the whipping cream will freeze, creating a delicious, ice cream-like dessert.
Just because you are living with a candida condition does not mean you can’t enjoy a dessert from time to time. Treat yourself on special occasions and when a major craving calls and you will be less likely to binge on damaging processed, sugary desserts.
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