I’m so excited about this book.

As a nutritionist I know how pervasive candida overgrowth is and the havoc it can wreak on your health.

If you’ve done any research on candida, or ever attempted an anti-candida diet, you’ll know that most approaches are very heavily meat-based.  There has never really been a great resource out there for vegetarians or vegans struggling with this condition.

Until now!

Ricki Heller is a nutritionist, an educator, an author and a well-known blogger.  She has given hope (and better yet – hundreds of delicious recipes) to vegetarians and vegans around the world who want to eliminate candida but don’t want to turn away from their plant-based diet.

Thanks to Ricki and her co-author Andrea Nakayama, this book is packed with easy-to-understand information about candida, comprehensive worksheets to help you determine your own level of candida overgrowth, and 100 delicious plant-based recipes that will help you rebalance your system and heal.

I’m honoured to call Ricki a friend and I was thrilled to be able to get my hands on an early copy of the book and also pick her brain a little bit in this interview.

And – if you want to get your own hands on a copy of this amazing book, leave a comment at the end of this post and one lucky winner will be selected at random to receive a FREE copy!

Sara: How did you come to be so interested in and knowledgeable about gut health and specifically candida overgrowth?

Ricki: As with many people who learn about specific conditions and become health advocates, it all started with my own ill health. When I had myriad symptoms that couldn’t be explained (or alleviated) by conventional medical doctors, I began my own research. Then, over the years as I learned more, I realized how little I actually knew. It was at that point I enrolled at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN) to become a holistic nutritionist. I had already been diagnosed with candida by that time, but obviously I learned SO much more at school. From there, I continued with my own research and learned as much as I could soak up. And, as you know, holistic nutritionists, as you know, LOVE learning about gut health!

Sara: What are some of the most common symptoms of an overgrowth of candida?

Ricki: Probably the most common symptom is one we refer to as “foggy brain.” Basically, it’s a sense that you’re always operating through a fog—as if you can’t concentrate on anything and can’t focus in. I only realized how badly I suffered from foggy thinking after I began to treat the candida and it went away. But I recall that before I recognized what was wrong, I was perpetually frustrated because my formerly razor-sharp memory no longer worked; or I’d find myself sitting at the computer trying to focus on writing a blog post and it was taking me 5 times longer than usual.

Other symptoms are the more obvious ones, related to fungus, mold and yeast (since candida is a type of yeast): vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush (yeast infection of the mouth), toenail fungus, jock itch, athlete’s foot, or fungal rashes (red, raised, itchy patches).

Basically, because the problem begins internally in the digestive tract, it affects immune function as well, and can cause reverberations pretty much anywhere in the body. And since it begins in the gut, it causes all manner of digestive distress, from gas and bloating to constipation to painful digestion.

Sara: What conditions might people be surprised to learn can be connected to candida overgrowth?

Ricki: One that surprised me the most was sinus infections. In fact, that’s how I was finally diagnosed with Candida Related Complex (or CRC). I had four sinus infections in the space of three months, and nothing could seem to get rid of them for more than a day or two. Finally, after six courses of antibiotics and a fever that spiked at 104F, I stumbled upon a holistically-minded MD who diagnosed me with candida. She started me on the diet and a course of antifungals, and that was how I began to recover. Another symptom that people might not associate with candida is allergies or food sensitivities.

Sara: Eliminating sugar is obviously key when working to get candida in check, but are there any anti-candida superfoods that we can also incorporate into our diet to help get rid of those “bad” guys?

Ricki: There are loads of them! Three of my favorites are coconut and coconut products, garlic, and lacto-fermented cabbage. Coconut contains caprylic acid and lauric acid, both potent anti-fungals; garlic is a great broad-spectrum anti-microbial that works very well to kill candida; and lacto-fermented cabbage (traditional sauerkraut) contains up to 100 times more probiotics than supplements, so it’s terrific for repopulating the “good” bacteria in our gut that’s been crowded out by the candida.

Sara: Your approach to the anti-candida diet is different in that it’s also vegan. What are your thoughts about the more typical anti-candida approach that focuses on more of a Paleo diet (lots of meat and animal fat and very little grains)?

Ricki: Compared to most vegan diets, my version of the anti-candida diet could probably be considered Vegan Paleo! While we do allow grains and legumes on the diet since they are such important sources of protein and other nutrients for vegans, the amounts are fairly light at the beginning of the program. So, while vegans might typically have grains with each meal, we streamline grains to only one serving each per day. But there are still lots of other ways to get your protein. The reasoning behind limiting these foods is that they’re ultimately converted to sugars in the body, which could feed the yeast, and I agree with that concept.

Sara: Why did you decide to create a program that also eliminates animal products?

Ricki: Well, it’s the way I eat, and the way I ate when I treated my own candida. On my blog (rickiheller.com), I hear from readers every week who are searching for a plant-based anti-candida diet and just can’t find it anywhere. In my own research, I found a couple of popular anti-candida programs that were open about allowing vegan options, but in reality “vegan” simply meant removing all the meat from the diet they provided. In one case, I was told that “you can take amino acid supplements” while on the program. Well, I thought it was time vegans had a version of the diet that wasn’t simply half of another plan that was meant to include meat, but rather a plant-based program that is complete on its own and offers delicious recipes everyone can enjoy, even without animal products.

Sara: What do you think is the key to not feeling deprived on this kind of a diet?

Ricki: I think we humans are creatures of habit, and we crave familiarity. If you can continue to cook foods that look, taste and have the same mouthfeel as what you’re used to, there’s no sense of deprivation. You can still enjoy fudge, chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch pudding and more—even in the very first stage of the diet. I worked especially hard to create recipes I’d be proud to serve other people whether or not they follow an anti-candida diet. In fact, my husband eats all of same the foods I do—he just adds a piece of chicken or fish to his plate. 😉

Sara: What kind of tips or strategies do you suggest for people following this kind of diet when they find themselves in social situations like a dinner party, birthday party or when out at a restaurant?

Ricki: There are lots of things you can do, but one of my favorites comes from my collaborator on the book, Andrea Nakayama. Most people with allergies or other food restrictions will offer to bring a dish to a party at a friend’s house. Andrea suggests that you bring two: one sweet and one savory. That way, no matter what’s going on during the meal from appetizer to dessert, you’re covered. But be sure to bring enough to share—I’ve seen my anti-candida brownies disappear before I could even grab one for myself!

Sara: Thanks so much Ricki!

You can order your own copy of Living Candida-Free (or buy it for a friend or loved one who’s struggling with this condition) today.

And don’t forget to leave a comment below. One lucky winner will be selected at random to receive a FREE copy of Ricki’s book!