Are Protein Shakes OK on the Candida Diet?
Ever wondered what to have for breakfast that will fill you up?
Especially during stage 2, the strict phase of the Candida diet where you are not allowed to eat any bread or cereal etc, the outlook of having to eat omelette every day might get a bit much!
So bringing up the topic of protein shakes makes total sense.
Whether it’s ok to have it depends on the ingredients and if you are sensitive to any of them.
What does the ingredient list say on yours?
Protein shake blends often have sweeteners, additives and chocolate in them which is no good on the Candida diet.
Whey versus Vegan Protein Powders – which one is better for Candida peeps?
Whey can cause issues due to the natural sugar in it, the lactose or casein. You could potentially react to any of those ingredients!
To me personally whey tastes a lot nicer than vegan protein powders.
One tip that I shared in the video was to try Sheep/ Goats’ milk whey protein powder. That’s easier to digest and even people who normally react to dairy seem to be fine with this without negative effect.
Rice, pea, hemp seeds…?
From my experience once you have thrush it works best to cut down on carbs substantially. If you don’t eat fruit, starchy vegetables or grains then you might get away with the protein powder. But if you have an acute Candida flare up where you react super sensitive to any ever so small sugar intake and you still have ‘sugar/ carbs’ sources in your diet then the protein powder might tip you over the edge. It’s unlikely because it’s a small amount, but it’s possible.
TOP TIP:
- I would add some greens to your shake to slow down the sugar in your blood stream and to keep you full for longer.
You might get away with pure hemp protein powder.
But apart from tasting horrible unless you add quite a bit of fruit it still contains carbs that can feed Candida and depending on the other ingredients in your shake it might spike your blood sugar levels which is also not good when you have Candida.
My fav Protein Powder
The protein powder I like best is this one. I order it on Amazon (UK source). Since I don’t have smoothies or protein shakes every day a bag lasts me a long time and since I love the flavour, and its a treasured treat for me, this ‘mini investment in my health’ is totally worth it.
This one is an excellent brand in America (U.S. source)
What if protein shakes don’t agree with you?
Don’t forget that food based protein (meat, eggs…) is the way to go during the strict part of the Candida diet. So whenever possible opt for a substantial breakfast, rather than a quick protein shake. But if it’s either protein shake or no breaky at all or worse still, some donuts and coffee to go than have the protein shake – every time!!!
Recap:
Try one of the protein powders I mentioned and see how it agrees with you, and if in doubt stop having it for a few days, and see if it improves your symptoms. Good luck!
What do other Candida sufferers say:
Veronica: I had Sandra’s Creamy Green Calmer smoothie and added Rice protein powder to it. I sometimes add watercress, kale or parsley to this recipe and leave out the nuts.
Tracy said: I made a smoothie with avocado. Spinach. Hemp and flax seeds almond milk. Lemon and half a green apple. I know the apple was fruit and you can try without it. But it didn’t bother me. And tasted good.
Laura chimed in: You’ve gotta switch up your idea of breakfast! Have leftovers. Soup, a salad, roasted chicken, cooked veggies, guacamole, anything! We’re used to nothing but sugar for breakfast. You could also have simply bacon, eggs, some greens and avocado. ? You could even combine those four ingredients make mini “quiches” or egg muffins and freeze them.
What about you?
What’s your view on Protein shakes on the Candida diet? Leave a comment below, or better still – subscribe to my newsletter and join the conversation in the private Facebook group.
I had pea protein in green smoothies with berries every day (sometimes twice a day) while being treated for intestinal candida. I still did not eat any other carbs at all… Salads, chicken (when I finally had to quit trying to be vegan because I lost too much muscle mass), veggies, eggs… It wasn’t always easy, but the alternative was to not be well, so I stuck to it religiously. I still have the same smoothie usually once a day now, but have the freedom to change up the fruit to whatever I want. I find it’s best to have only one fruit so that it doesn’t have too much sugar. Another trick is to add flavored Natural Vitality Calm for the magnesium in it. It’s sweetened with Stevia, and helps yo flavor the greens. I now add cucumber, cilantro or parsley, and fresh mint leaves, too. Did you know that cilantro can help detox lead from your body? My doctor is having me try that since I apparently have lead from some source in my past. The mint really helps disguise the cilantro flavor if you’re not a huge fan of it.
Yes, you are my green smoothie hero(ine) – if I hadn’t seen you have such success with it it would have taken me even longer to come round to the idea that it’s ok to have small amount of low sugar fruit! Now I can’t imagine a life without green smoothies or protein shakes any more! Thanks for your useful insider tips! I had heard that cilantro can mop up heavy metals, I did not know it was lead. No doubt I have had sources of a whole bunch of heavy metals in my past too!
Hi Sandra I have not been reading your web page for a while. I have had recent relapse after getting this awful flu bug and taking antibiotics. Have now developed jock itch !! I think that’s what it’s called apart from the usual Candida symptoms feel yuk !! Could you give me any idea of what to do next.