My friend read something online earlier about eliminating (among all the other things we can’t eat) carbonated drinks on the candida diet. He loves Perrier and Diet Rite peach melba drinks (sweetened with Splenda). She only has one Diet Rite per day, but she often drinks 2 25 oz bottles of Perrier a day if she’s around. She wonders why carbonated drinks are not allowed.

I know that I have different reactions of sugars versus carbonation. The carbonation seems to go through my entire system, resulting in little pockets of air that come out when I use the bathroom. Unlike sugar that gives me typical candida problems.

I’m trying to be as strict as possible with my diet, but at least for the first month I allow myself diet sodas and low sweets for my grapefruit and herbal teas. I know it kills but I have to have something to satisfy my sugar cravings or I know I won’t succeed! I have a book on candida diets written by a nutritionist who originally chewed sugar-free gum for the same reason. I mean, we’re only human and we’re capable of disengaging from things when the time comes. I’m planning on going from diet soda to Perrier and then quit no matter what anyone says. It can’t be that terrible.

Sometimes, I also collapse and drink a “Spritzer” of “RW Knudsen”. It doesn’t affect me like typical sodas. It has sparkling water, concentrated fruit juices and “natural flavor”. But, as I recently learned, there could be anything in that natural flavor.

I wanted to point out, too, if Splenda is made from sugar that they process. I’m not sure if Splenda is good for candida considering what it really is. Try this for a fizzy drink: sparkling mineral water, unsweetened cranberry juice, and Stevia if you want to sweeten it up. It’s quite tart but refreshing!