Seriously, I never thought I’d get excited about a vegetable broth. But this anti-candida vegetable broth is legit delicious!
It’s also super easy to make, cleansing, and honestly would just make a great first course! But the point is to help clear out candida.
Ok first – What is Candida?
There are several strains of the Candida bacteria – the most common and the one in question being Candida albicans. It is the most common type of yeast infection, typically found in the mouth, intestinal tract, and any other areas with mucous membranes. In healthy individuals it generally does not cause major issues. However if the immune system is impaired or if the integrity of the gut lining is impaired, it can migrate to other areas of the body, causing potentially serious symptoms.
At proper levels, it actually helps with nutrient absorption and digestion. But it can overproduce and cause typical symptoms. If left unchecked, it can cause leaky gut syndrome, allowing toxins to escape and enter the bloodstream.
What are the main causes of candida overgrowth?
Diet is a common factor in candida overgrowth. A diet high in sugar, alcohol, and refined carbs creates a perfect breeding ground for candida.
Additionally, antibiotics – particularly antibiotic overuse – can kill both the bad and the good bacteria in the body. These good bacteria keep candida under control. Candida is opportunistic. When they die off after long courses of antibiotics, candida has a hey-day!
Birth control pill use has also been linked to candida issues. Weakened immune systems, diabetes, and oral corticosteroids such as those used for asthma also create the perfect environment for candida to take over.
Finally, cancer treatment has been linked to serious cases of invasive candida (technically called candidiasis in the medical community). Like antibiotics, chemotherapy and radiation can kill off good bacteria as well as the cancer cells. Not to mention, most cancer patients are also put on antibiotics so their systems get a double whammy!
How do you know if you need to do a candida cleanse?
Doing serious, prolonged cleanses like this are certainly not fun, but the end results are so worth it… and the cleanse phase is temporary! After less than a week you shift into the anti-candida diet phase, which is more or less a no sugar, very low-carb way of eating.
For the anti-candida diet, think lots of green veggies, healthy fats, and clean protein. Which is not too different from how I tend to eat as it is. There is a lot of overlap between both the Paleo and Ketogenic Diets. The Anti-Candida Diet is meant to shift your long-term eating behaviors. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite foods for good. I still stand by the good ole’ 80-20 rule.
Any of the following symptoms are signs you have candida overgrowth:
- Fatigue/ Exhaustion
- Food Cravings (especially for sweets)
- Bloating & Gas
- Brain Fog
- Weak Immune System
- Frequent Colds
- Sinus Congestion
- Yeast Infections
- Joint Pain
- Oral Thrush (white coating on tongue)
- Bad Breath
- Headaches
- Mood Swings/ Irritability
- Dizziness
- Itching
- Weight Gain
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Loss of Sex Drive
- Food Sensitivities
- Insomnia
- Abdominal Pain
- Acne
- Red, Itchy Eyes
- Rashes
- Psoriasis / Eczema
- Allergies.
Phew that’s quite a list! As you can see, candida overgrowth in the gut causes issues way beyond the digestive tract. Because it compromises the integrity of the gut lining, it leaks out into the bloodstream and can travel around the body. Candida can wreak havoc on the whole system!
You certainly don’t need to be experiencing all of these symptoms as once to have a candida issue – I’m certainly not thank goodness! But I can check off plenty of these issues to know that candida is the underlying issue. This is exactly what I’m talking about whenever I mention gut health…. our gut health impacts our whole system! An unbelievable number of health issues can be traced back to our gut health… and of course our eating patterns. Which is why I focus so much on anti-inflammatory eating (aka like every recipe I post!)
And… did you catch the fact that some of the symptoms relate to mental and mood issues? Yup, our gut health influences our brain! Mind, mood, and food are all connected.
A Simple Test to Determine if You Have a Candida Overgrowth Issue
Do a saliva test! It sounds gross, but it’s very simple. And quick, and free! If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, the following test will help you a little confirmation.
Here’s how the saliva test works:
- Spit into a glass of water first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.
- Wait a minimum of 15 minutes (and keep checking if nothing happens at first) to check whether the saliva stays on top of the water.
- If it begins to ‘grow’ down into the water and you see little white fibers… yup that’s candida.
If you find candida, you may want to think about putting yourself on an anti-candida diet. The best way to quick-start the candida diet is to do a short-term candida cleanse to give your digestive system a little chance to rest and reset.
Candida Cleanse Phase One: And So it Begins
So I woke up the first night I had this soup (after a lot of hydration throughout the day) to pee like eight times. No joke. Sunday was a soft start to the cleanse – I did my morning vegan protein powder drink then all veggies for lunch and a little tahini snack in the afternoon. But I made this anti-candida cleanse vegetable broth in the evening and had it for dinner.
Not gonna lie, it’s surprisingly delicious! I honestly didn’t have high expectations as far as the flavor went – most recipes I found sounded bland (and many admitted it was!). So I decided to add some ginger and spices to the mix, including a little extra heat from cayenne, and the flavor is actually amazing.
For two days I planned to do just the broth – although to be fair rather than straining the vegetables (which is an option), I decided to blend up the veggies and put them back in to make it a little more substantial.
I’m doing the cleanse with my friend and we also decided it was absolutely necessary to add avocado to the soup. Because yes avocado makes everything more delicious. But also because – healthy fats are important and keep you full. And as far as the cleanse goes, avocado is pretty easy on the digestives system.
A minor hiccup and a major health revelation
I started the day with a little sugar-free vegan protein powder drink as well. And then I went to see my holistic doctor and got the results of an adrenal test I took the other week – sure enough I have adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue stage 3 to be precise.
Ironically, my cortisol levels are actually quite low – I’d assumed they were way too high and that was what was keeping me up. But apparently I left that stage behind me long ago, pass through stage 2 where things just get a little wacky and unpredictable, and entered stage 3. Low levels of cortisol all day long – which explains my perpetual fatigue. At least I have my answer!
Fortunately, there is a lot of overlap between the anti-candida diet and the adrenal fatigue diet. So I stuck with my anti-candida cleanse plan but added some more vegan protein powder to my daily diet. And I continued on with the avocado. So far, it’s been manageable. And now after two days of the soup cleanse I am back on vegetables.
The Key Players in Anti-Candida Cleanse Vegetable Broth
This soup packs in some of the best anti-candida foods to kick-start your anti-candida mission.
- Onion – great anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitic properties. They also help flush out excess fluids, which is helpful for candida as many experience water retention
- Kale – green vegetables in general are great for the nutritional value – kale in particular helps decrease inflammation and fight cancer
- Celery – one of the best anti-candida foods, an anti-bacterial and high in fiber to keep the gut happy
- Garlic – potent anti-inflammatory and detoxifier, helps reduce intestinal gas
- Ginger – powerful anti-fungal properties, stimulates liver and colon to improve detox
It’s simple – just some veggies, water, and spices!
Anti-Candida Vegetable Broth
A simple yet incredibly flavorful cleansing broth to help clear candida, cleanse the system, and get your gut back in balance.
CourseSoup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2medium onions, choppedor one large onion
- 1large handful kaleI use 3 large leafs of lacinto kale
- 6stalkscelery, chopped
- 5clovesgarlic, chopped
- thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 1tspsea salt
- spices to taste
- 10cupspure waters
Optional herbs and spices
- 1tspherbs de provencerosemary, sage, other similar herbs work well
- a few shakes of cayenne to boost the heat
- 1/4tspturmeric
- fresh cracked black pepperhelps the turmeric absorb better
Instructions
Clean and chop all your vegetables.
Add all of the ingredients to a large soup pot and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 60 minutes.
Option 1 - strain the veggies for a pure broth.
Option 2 - strain the vegetables and add a few back in.
Option 3 (my favorite) - use your veggies and blend it up! Use either an immersion blender, or place all the larger veggies in a blender with a few cups of the broth. You can leave the remaining broth and any smaller veggie bits in the pot. Blend it up and return it to the remaining broth, stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Recipe Notes
Use organic produce as much as possible.
This will make enough broth to last one person about one day on the full cleanse. Otherwise, it makes about 6-8 servings of soup. To make it a bit heartier, add some chopped avocado.
If you think you might be experiencing candida issues and want to ask more, feel free to get in touch!
For more healing and cleansing soup recipes, check these out:
- Creamy celery soup
- Clean green soup
- Creamy ginger turmeric squash soup
