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What protein powder do you use for your Breakfast Protein Shakes?
There are 2 different kinds of protein powder that I'd recommend.
1. If you can tolerate dairy, then whey is the best option, but not all whey's are created equal. I would recommend this one & you can order it right from their site with free shipping (you'll probably need 2 cans for 1 month, if you're drinking the shakes every morning). If you live in the Twin Cities area, you can also stop into Alenov Wellness Center to pick up a can or two, but you'll pay a little more for it than on the website above.
2. If you can't tolerate or don't eat dairy, I'd recommend this one. It's vegetable-based and the sweetener used is Stevia. They have a bunch of different products so make sure you're getting the "Whole Food Health Optimizer". A small can lasts me over a month, because I only use 1T for my shakes (that's enough for 1 protein serving) instead of the recommended scoop or two. I get the "Vanilla Chai" flavor & I really like it! However, friends and family have had mixed reviews when I've given to them to try. I get mine at my local The Vitamin Shoppe store. The nice thing about the store is that they have a rewards program. After you spend so much, you start getting $5 back towards your purchases.
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Are all of the recipes on your blog Endo-Diet-friendly?
No, they are not all Endo-Diet friendly.
I have updated the recipes page to say if they are Endo Diet friendly or not.
Another way to tell if any recipes are Endo-Diet friendly is if they are:
I have updated the recipes page to say if they are Endo Diet friendly or not.
Another way to tell if any recipes are Endo-Diet friendly is if they are:
*Wheat-Free
*Red Meat-Free (you can substitute Ground Turkey, Ground Chicken or Ground Pork)
*Dairy-Free (you can substitute Unsweetened Almond Milk, but be careful of Dairy-Free Cheeses, they tend to be Soy-based & you want to steer clear of all Soy. Live Yogurt is ok, like Greek yogurt.)
*Sugar-Free (stevia is ok, everything else isn't. Including: honey, molasses, Sucanat, agave nectar, etc)
*Soy-Free
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You have so many great things on your blog, but I was wondeirng if you could provide me some quick, helpful, everyday guidelines of what to avoid and what to include in my diet. I'm vegan and not planning to change that, but I also want to lose weight and the candida and not be completely bored and depressed from lack of interesting food in the process.
Being vegan makes it a bit tougher to eat a Candida Diet, since the main things you can eat are meat, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats. Try googling "candida diet and vegan" or something similar to see if you can find tips from others. You will want to rely heavily on nuts and vegan-friendly protein powders, so you're getting enough protein. (I use Nutiva Hemp Protein Powder. Here's what I drink for breakfast every morning: http://foodie4healing.blogspot.com/2012/04/lemon-lemon.html.
I also can relate to the not wanting to be bored and depressed from lack of interesting food. Know that this diet is TOUGH. Know that you most likely will have days where you will feel depressed and upset that you can't eat what you want. BUT... also know that you are doing the best thing for yourself and in the long run, it will be worth it. My Dr has me on the Candida Diet for 3 months. You will feel SO much better. And, in time, you will be able to eat most of those foods again. I have found that my down days are usually do to feeling deprived of something I really want or having a craving that you just can't fill. So, my tip (and also my own saving grace) is find a healthy substitute that will satisfy that craving. For instance, I love chocolate. But, every chocolate on the market either contains unhealthy oil, soy, sugar or dairy. So, I did a google recipe search (and also follow about 60 food blogs) to find a recipe for chocolate that I could make at home. Now, I don't feel deprived. (Still working on trying to find a pizza alternative. Arg.)
Lastly, some quick go-to tips, for everyday...
*Drink a protein shake for breakfast, like the one I gave you the link to. You can vary it by using coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, etc. Using different candida/vegan-friendly protein powder and adding different extracts, cocoa powder, lucuma powder and/or stevia flavors.
*For snacks, have a handful of nuts or pre-measured out baggies that you can grab. Have some cut up non-starchy veggies with a homemade tahini dressing (recipe to be posted on my blog soon, but you can find a whole bunch of them by doing a google search) or drizzle some lime juice and sea salt on them.
*Quick lunches and dinners: you can never go wrong with a salad. Load it up with nuts for your protein and non-starch veggies. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, spices/herbs and apple cider vinegar. Also, I love making candida-friendly meals-in-a-glass... here's the basic recipe, but spice it up to your own liking!
BASIC MIAG
1 c non-dairy/Candida-friendly milk (unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk are my favorites)
1 serving Candida-friendly fruit (optional. You can only have raw coconut or lucuma powder)
1 serving Candida-friendly carb (optional. I'll use a gluten-free flour like brown rice flour or coconut flour. Or I'll use oat bran)
1 handful fresh organic spinach (sounds odd, but you don't even notice it's in there and you get a boost of veggies)
2-3 oz protein (you can use protein powder, nut butters or nuts. I love making my own version of fun and unique nut butters!)
1 serving healthy fat (optional. My favorite is coconut butter)
