An elimination diet involves removing foods from your body that you feel are causing a problem. An elimination diet is beneficial if you are suffering from food sensitivities. Many people think of calorie restrictions when they hear the word diet; however, an elimination diet is nothing like those used for weight loss. An elimination diet is a structured diet that removes the most common foods to which individuals have a food sensitivity or food allergy. Then, one by one, the foods are added back into the diet to help determine the foods causing your symptoms.
An elimination diet can seem overwhelming. You probably wonder how you will eliminate all the foods at once. However, it is one of the most essential tools for learning how to nurture and nourish your body.
Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities
Food allergies and food sensitivities are pretty different from one another. When you eat foods you are allergic to, your immune system reacts, causing several symptoms that occur shortly after consuming the food. Conversely, food sensitivities do not cause an immune reaction, and symptoms may occur within 24-48 hours. Typically, the symptoms experienced from a food allergy are digestive issues. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a food allergy or sensitivity may be the culprit:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that there are eight major food allergens, including:
Eggs
Fish
Milk
Peanuts
Shellfish
Soybeans
Tree Nuts
Wheat
Although these eight major food allergens contribute to 90 percent of food allergies, many other foods can cause adverse reactions. Food derivatives and additives can trigger food allergies and sensitivities. Therefore, it is essential to strictly adhere to an elimination diet and avoid everything other than whole foods. This means no grabbing a meal or heating a TV dinner.
Foods to Eliminate From Your Diet
Although the elimination diet may seem impossible initially, it becomes easier to follow over time. The key is to stick to whole foods. The following foods must be removed from your diet initially since they may be causing your symptoms. Please remove and slowly add them back in, one at a time.
These are the most common foods that cause a reaction; however, everyone is different,, and their sensitivity to foods can vary greatly. Let’s examine why these foods are included in the elimination diet.
Dairy
Three in four people have a dairy intolerance. Some experience digestive issues due to the lactose in dairy products. Others experience increased allergy and asthma symptoms, acne, and inflammation due to a protein found in cow’s milk. Dairy intolerances can cause:
Gluten is a protein in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. Most people assume gluten is in bread, cereals, pasta, and baked goods; however, gluten is also found in soy sauce, instant coffee, canned soups, and more. Gluten sensitivity affects approximately 18 million Americans. A gluten intolerance can cause:
Approximately 90 percent of corn and soy crops are genetically modified (GMO). Soy and corn remain the United State’s largest farm commodities. These foods sneak into a number of our daily foods. For example, corn is processed into high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil, and various preservatives. Soy is added to many of our foods. Corn and soy can cause a variety of issues, including:
Asthma
Headache
Nausea
Runny Nose
Skin Rash
Sneezing
Stuffy Nose
Sugar
Sugar causes systemic inflammation, elevated glucose levels, and increased insulin production. It is found in peanut butter, oatmeal, ketchup, and salad dressings. Sugar is linked to several health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Furthermore, it can cause a host of symptoms like:
Abdominal Cramps
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Fatigue
Gas
Mood Swings
Nausea
Painful Bloating
Vomiting
Hydrogenated Oils
Hydrogenated oils are chemically altered to ensure the oil remains in a liquid form rather than returning to its solid form. It is added to various foods to extend shelf life and enhance flavors. Hydrogenated oils can be found in coffee creamer, vegetable shortening, packaged snacks, margarine, and fried foods. Hydrogenated oil can cause:
Caffeine is an addictive substance found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. It increases sugar cravings, weakens the adrenal glands, and destabilizes blood glucose levels. Although small amounts of caffeine can be beneficial, caffeine should be eliminated from your diet to ensure your body detoxifies. Caffeine intolerances cause:
Alcohol can be produced from a variety of food, including grapes, grains, potatoes, and more. During production, natural flavorings and yeast are added. You can be intolerant to one of these ingredients: the alcohol itself or the sugar that alcohol is converted into. Furthermore, alcohol can cause inflammation and can prevent the body from detoxifying properly. The symptoms of an alcohol intolerance are varied based on how the alcohol is produced. The most common symptoms of an alcohol intolerance are:
Asthma
Diarrhea
Facial Flushing
Fatigue
Heart Palpitations
Hives
Low Blood Pressure
Nausea
Runny Nose
Stuffy Nose
Throbbing Headache
Vomiting
What to Eat on an Elimination Diet
You must avoid these foods for 2 to 23 days to give your body ample time to detoxify. It takes about three weeks for the antibodies your body has produced in reaction to offending foods to dissipate from the body. If you shorten the elimination period, you are not giving your body the time to recover and stop your symptoms.
Rather than focusing on what you cannot eat, embrace the foods you can eat. There are many substitutions that you can enjoy during your elimination diet. Let’s consider what to include to help make it more bearable.
Gluten-Free Grains – rice, buckwheat, tapioca, amaranth, and quinoa
Sweeteners – Molasses and honey, monk fruit sweetener
Spices
Reintroducing Foods During Elimination Diet
After completing your elimination period, you can reintroduce foods into your diet. Consider how you feel after reintroducing food during this period. You will reintroduce foods one at a time, with a 48-hour waiting period between each reintroduction.
You should choose a food and eat it. Over the next two days, pay attention to how you feel. Eat the food again on the second day and wait two more days to see if you notice any issues. If you do not have any problem, you can incorporate it into your diet. Conversely, if you have symptoms, remove the food from your diet and wait until your symptoms subside before you try a different food.
Tips for Success
To ensure your elimination diet is successful, follow these tips.
Plan Ahead—Have the foods you can eat available. It may also help to plan your menu for the next three weeks to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs to optimize your health. Furthermore, menu planning can help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and giving up.
Read Labels—Many foods you should eliminate can be hiding in foods. Therefore, you must read each label carefully to ensure no ingredients will disrupt the results of your elimination diet.
Stay Hydrated—It is very easy to confuse dehydration with hunger. Drinking plenty of water each day will help control your cravings.
Food Journal—Keeping a food journal will help you track your symptoms before the elimination diet, during the elimination period, and throughout the reintroduction period. This information can help you discover which foods you are sensitive to.
The Beginning is the Hardest—You may feel worse during the first few days. This is entirely normal. As your body begins withdrawing from foods, you can experience body aches, headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms will pass within a few days as your body rebalances itself.
Take Control of Your Health
Taking control of your health, including changing your diet, requires much effort. Our integrative health professionals at Rose Wellness can help ensure the success of your elimination diet. We can also perform food sensitivity testing to identify foods causing your symptoms.
Rose Wellness offers Holistic, Integrative and Functional Medicine services for treating chronic issues as well as for preventive care. Join us and take control of your health, your most important asset.
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