Foods that Group Members Eat

Here are some messages from the Candida Support Group discussions on what some members are eating on a daily basis:

I saute’ french green beans in butter, then before they are done I add cubes of whatever meat or poultry I have already cooked from the fridge or freezer.

Then maybe I add some diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper (which I also keep in the freezer because I don’t use it up fast enough) and continue cooking until the meat is warmed.

Once it is in my bowl I press fresh garlic in it, then stir in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and season with Celtic sea salt to taste. Yum!

I have found that I really enjoy chopped cabbage, (either red or green) sauteed in butter with cubed or strips of meat, with garlic, coconut oil and sea salt added after cooking. Simple, fulfilling and yummy!

I think it takes time to get familiar with your new foods, and for the creativity to begin to come forth for meal planning. I am taking wee steps and have noticed a difference right from the beginning, and I am feeling better and getting stronger as each day passes. So hang in there, Bee’s diet and suggestions are well worth it.

Debra NW

Peppers actually freeze okay. I just dice them, put them in a jar to freeze, then use as many as I want from the jar and keep the rest frozen until I need them. I like the color they add to food, so keep some of each color frozen to throw into whatever I am cooking.

I also keep cubes of meat in the freezer ready to go for stir frys, etc. and always have french green beans and other vegetables available in the freezer.

I am learning as I go, and it is so worth it to feel better and know there is a way to better health and well being.

This morning when I finished making the salsa from Cory’s recipe (see Recipes), I realized I hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch yet. (It was 12:30pm, long morning, lol.) So I made scrambled eggs with some of the salsa and it was delicious. When I put it on my plate to eat I put some coconut oil on it and some Celtic sea salt and it was yum!

I find that I use coconut oil and sea salt on just about everything I eat anymore, so have no problem getting in my 5 tablespoons a day. I use it in soups, teas, top off my stir fries, eggs, just about anything and it is good to go. The more coconut oil I consume, the better I feel.

I really enjoy Bee’s egg drink, so if I am hungry and don’t know what to make to eat, sometimes I’ll just make an egg drink to tide me over while I think about what I want to eat.

I also make salads and add cubes of meats, chicken and fish in it. Then I drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on it, press some fresh garlic on it, and add some fresh herbs from the garden or fresh grind a provence herb mixture which is a blend of marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savory and thyme, toss it and enjoy.

Debra NW

The meat is previously cooked. The cubes are only about a 1/2″ – 3/4″ or so in size so they thaw quickly.

I use a cast iron pan, over electric heat, on a medium setting. I spray the pan with a little extra virgin olive oil (I have my own refillable spray pump), then get the pan hot. Then I add the previously cooked frozen meat. I let it cook a little, stirring now and then, (it doesn’t take long) until it appears to begin to de-thaw. Then I add either frozen or fresh **vegetables and saute’ them with the meat until they are all done. As I am cooking sometimes I will add a little organic butter or extra virgin coconut oil if needed.

When I am done cooking the vegetables and meat, I put them in a dish and put about a tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil on it while it is hot and I press fresh garlic over it and stir them both in topping with a sprinkle or two of Celtic sea salt. This has become a comfort food to me that is tasty, filling and satisfying.

**One of my favorite frozen vegetables to use is the french cut string beans. I just like them better for saute’, rather than the regular cut green beans.:-) I always try to keep a couple of bags available in our freezer for a quick meal, especially if company drops by, because it is so easy to expand this meal with more vegetables.

I also have found I like to saute’ chopped cabbage in butter alone or with meat too. I had never cooked cabbage this way before, (because I really was not a big cabbage fan before Bee’s diet plan), so was pleasantly surprised when I had run out of other vegetables and tried it. It is especially good with extra virgin coconut oil and Celtic sea salt on it while it is hot. Yum!

Enjoy!

Debra NW

I do eat the same things every day which is stir fry. I make a big pan of it once a day and eat that all day long. A few things that make it simpler to make:

• Buy packages of pre-cubed stir fry meat (I’m able to find pork, chicken and beef at my local grocery store).
• Buy bags of veggies that are already washed and ready to go. For instance I like the bags of green beans that already have the ends cut off for me for when I’m really feeling lazy.
• I usually keep both kinds in my fridge. Then on nights when I am really rushed I can use the bag, and other nights I trim the ends myself.

• You can also get bags of cauliflower and broccoli already cut into pieces,as well as onions and peppers (some places carry fresh in their veggie dept. but you can also get frozen onion/peppers in your freezer section).

I usually steam my veggies in the steamer and then saute meat and onions and peppers in olive oil. Then at the end I often add cilantro, sea salt and pepper. I use different veggies/meats combos every day so even though it’s always stir fry, it always tastes a bit different since it’s a different veggie/meat/herb combo.

I am having a lot of success using the Moosewood cookbooks for sauces, dressings, and egg recipes. It’s a vegetarian cookbook but has fish recipes and I just add meat or remove the grains from the recipe. I eat a lot of the same stuff everyday but I try and mix it up. Today I made a frittata with no cheese – eggs, broccoli, onion, asparagus, and salmon. Even my carb addicted guest who is a pro chef said it was delicious. I also try to sneak raw eggs into things. Today we made frosted decaf espressos and instead of using milk, I put an egg in. I used the magic bullet to blend it with ice. I also make salad dressings to dip veggies in.

Kim

I have been on a candida diet of one form or another for over a year. It’s amazing how my eating has evolved over that time. I used to make lots of turkey burgers and some chicken and fish and made spicy (Indian style) veggies. I would have salads with lemon juice and olive oil also.

Breakfast was always eggs and veggies. I seemed to spend lots of time cooking and was very sick and fatigued at that time. My diet now is completely different. I have discovered sprouting and now eat a huge sprout salad at each meal. I grow six types of sprouts and have nine 8×10 inch trays going at all times. My husband eats the same diet as me. I have been reading lately about the benefits of raw foods, so am trying to incorporate more raw meats into my diet.

My recent experiment making ceviche (a marinated raw fish salad, the recipe is in Nourishing Traditions) and also trying barely cooked steak turned out great. These more simple raw foods don’t need much seasoning and minimal prep time.

I also bake herbed chicken and broil fish with cajun seasoning.  I make bone broths and use this for vegetable soups that usually contain meat. I also cook burgers and buy some sausages at Whole Foods that are consistent with the diet. I have about 1/2 cup of homemade sauerkraut at each meal. I usually eat cooked veggies at least once per day.

There wasn’t much cooking involved in my dinner tonight. The sprouts and kraut just had to be dished out and the steak I had was lightly seared in a cast iron pan with a bit of salt and pepper. It was wonderful. I also had some curried cauliflower soup. Be patient with yourself and keep a journal of your successful meals.

Your cooking will evolve over time and your tastes will change also. It’s funny that now that I’m feeling pretty good I spend very little time cooking. I do have to rinse and harvest my sprouts, but that can be done any time.

I have a turbo oven also which is great for cooking any type of meat. It seals in the juices and is quicker than the oven. I loved mine so much that I got a second one so we could make larger quantities for the family.
Dr. Mercola sells these ovens, but I ordered mine through Amazon.

Happy eating, Jan

The main thing is I kinda feel like food is taking over my life!

It’s a common complaint. let’s look at the options.

• If it’s taking all that time out of your evenings & social life, then we need to figure out a way to make it easier for you. I’d say make larger batches of foods (soups, stews, chilis, meatloaf, etc) and eat those for a number of days. I know sometimes we recommend eating fresh food and trying not to have too many leftovers, but if you have them well covered in good containers in the fridge, they will be just fine and not cause you any harm or setbacks.
• OR freeze individual portions when you make a big batch of something so you can extend the left-overs time table :). Then just take portions out of the freezer a day before you want to use them, put them on a plate in the fridge to thaw,and they’ll be ready to re-heat the next day.
• I tend to always have at least a couple of things pre-made on hand for the easy meal. Hopefully you don’t mind eating the same thing a few times in a week. You can make a meatloaf, have some hot with steamed buttered veggies for dinner, and then take a few slices of it cold to work for lunch, with a salad. or roast a pan of chicken legs and have them hot for dinner (very easy to re-heat with a bit of water in a covered skillet) and cold for lunch.
• If you go out at night with friends, and don’t have time to prepare a lunch, are there any restaurants you can hit in a pinch? There’s *something* there you can eat, just modify the best you can so you can stick to the plan. Even though it is not the best, sometimes we have to do it.

Though I am still persevering, I’m finding it a bit of an effort at the moment – feeling like I don’t know how long I am going to be able to sustain this for. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Nope. You’re not alone. Read some of the other messages from the past couple of months. We ALL go through periods of frustration with it. Sometimes it feels so good and seems so obvious we’re on the right track, other days just feel crappy. But…you can do it.

Hang in. I hope you find some good kraut.

~ suz