How to Prevent Yeast Infections
75% of women have at least one yeast infection in their life. If you happen to be part of the lucky 25%, your friends must be jealous. For the rest of you, I have been assured there are some ways to keep this stigmatic condition from crossing your path.
Additionally, some women are merely prone to yeast infections and no matter what they do they can’t keep them from coming back. They may need to take these guidelines into more consideration than others.
Diet may have more affect on yeast, or Candida, than you know. First of all, yeast loves sugar. Sugar is it’s life source, so stay away from it as much as possible. You may have to limit your chocolate tendencies, but we all tend to overindulge on those anyway, so a limit might not be a bad idea.
Sugar includes any type of fructose or fruit sugars so watch out for those, as well. This means alcohol is added to the list. A good alternative to sugar, though, is vegetable glycerin, which usually comes from coconut palm and is used like a honey.
Try to Avoid…
Pastas, breads, mushrooms, smoked meats, cheeses and the like. You may be disappointed the only beverage you should be drinking is distilled water. Admittedly, we probably already knew that.
But, you should also avoid foods you probably didn’t like. For instance, this is a great time to dislike tofu and anything with distilled vinegar.
Antibiotics are known for getting rid of the bad bacteria in your body, but they usually take a lot of the good bacteria with it. It was once explained to me that if you wipe out everything in an area, eventually something else will come to take its place, and it will probably be something bad, like an infection. So, if possible seek alternatives to antibiotics.
Instead…
My doctor recommended I eat Activia Yogurt every day. Activia, or similar brands meant to help with your digestive system, have Acidophilus and other probiotics that replenish good bacteria in your body.
Garlic and Onion breath are a good thing too, so sport them with pride. Also, try to supplement lots of fiber-rich and steamed vegetables to your diet.
One food group that isn’t particularly limited are meats.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment3 Comments
Sugar is often considered the culprit with yeast infections but that's hardly the case - see this article from Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC Davis for additional information exploring the yeast/sugar myth: http://www.attunefoods.com/newsletter/newsletter-May08.asp
March 31, 2009 - 8:35amThis Comment
I went to that link. I have noticed a difference, though, when I do and do not add sugar in my diet. Maybe, like the link pointed out, a balanced diet is the best way to go, and too much sugar (at least for me) is not part of that balanced diet.
March 31, 2009 - 5:11pmI disagree also. I see more yeast symptoms when I eat more sugar.
April 3, 2009 - 2:02pm