What an Elimination Diet is and How to Start One
An elimination diet is designed to help you figure out what foods you are allergic to or have bad reactions to when you eat them. When you take them out of your diet for a certain period of time then very slowly enter them back into your diet one at a time, you can find out which ones are effecting you and what reactions occur. If you cheat on the diet and sneak a piece of something you have eliminated, you will have to start all over again! The real benefits of an elimination diet comes after a period of time with pure elimination, so it’s vital to stay on track.
There have been studies done showing that if you eliminate foods from your diet for 21-30 days, and then slowly enter them back in, you will have eliminated the allergy and can possibly eat those foods again. However, it really depends on the individual person and elimination diets really come down to 2 different outcomes. There are chances you will change your diet and have to end up avoiding those foods for your lifetime depending how severe your allergy is. Secondly, instead of a lifetime elimination, you’ll have to diminish the amount of intake due to your symptons. You might know when you eat a certain food you will have ill effects such as severe stuffy nose, stomach problems, bloating, gas, etc. So you stay away from it when you can and understand the repercussions.
Here are the steps you should take to start your elimination diet:
- First, define the allergy or symptoms to the foods you are having reactions to.
- Make a list of foods that you think are bothering you.
- Write in a journal for 7 days of everything you eat.
- Bring this to your Nutrition Coach.
- You will start by eliminating these foods from your list for 7-14 days. The longer duration the better.
You could also try an “Applied Kinesiology test” where you hold the item in question to your chest with one hand. Takes the other arm if it is weak there is a high chance you are allergic to that item.
Foods that are the highest concern for most include:
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- dairy
- gluten
- eggs
- chocolate
- peanuts
- sugar
- food coloring
- caffeine
- meat
- beans
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The foods you can eat are the ones that you have no reaction to, plain and simple. If you start to feel bloated or not good overall, listen to your body. Whatever it is reacting to, you will be able to identify if you notice the signs.
Live by this simple rule:
“Listen to your body. It will tell you if you are ready or not. If you feel a slight resistance then stop!”
That goes with anything. Our 5 senses are god given. We need to use them, respect them, and just be grateful that we have them.