How to Conduct an Elimination Diet

We often overlook the impact of our diets on our overall health and well-being. However, if you have difficulty processing certain foods, there’s a powerful tool you can use to uncover hidden food sensitivities, alleviate digestive issues, and improve your overall health. Enter the elimination diet, a valuable approach that has been gaining popularity for its potential to transform your relationship with food and enhance your quality of life.

Elimination diets have been used by dieticians for decades, as they help to identify the source of potential food intolerances or allergies. You may not be aware of a food sensitivity or allergy you have currently simply because you write off your symptoms as common indigestion or discomfort. To properly address these symptoms and concerns, you can conduct an independent elimination diet to find the basis of these issues. In this article, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of conducting an elimination diet, making it accessible and easy to understand.

What is an Elimination Diet?

An elimination diet is a systematic dietary approach designed to identify and eliminate foods that may be causing adverse reactions in your body. These reactions can manifest as a wide range of symptoms, including digestive problems, skin issues, headaches, fatigue, and more. By temporarily removing certain foods from your diet and then reintroducing them one by one, you can pinpoint which foods are triggering your symptoms.

What Is the Purpose of an Elimination Diet?

The primary purpose of an elimination diet is to uncover hidden food sensitivities or allergies. It’s not a weight loss diet, although some individuals may shed a few pounds during the process. Instead, it’s a tool for optimizing your health by identifying and addressing the root causes of various health issues. Here’s a breakdown of the key objectives:

1. Identify Food Sensitivities: Determine which specific foods or food groups might be causing adverse reactions in your body.
2. Reduce Inflammation: Many chronic health conditions are linked to inflammation. An elimination diet can help identify and eliminate foods that contribute to inflammation.
3. Improve Digestive Health: If you frequently experience digestive discomfort, an elimination diet can help identify trigger foods and improve your gut health.
4. Uncover Hidden Allergies: Allergies to certain foods can be severe and life-threatening. An elimination diet can reveal previously unknown allergies.
5. Enhance Overall Well-being: By eliminating problematic foods, you may experience increased energy, improved mood, and better overall health.

While the purpose of an elimination diet is to eliminate foods that cause bowel irritation or other issues from your regular rotation to prevent stomach unease, you do not want to accidentally expose yourself to a food you are allergic to during the reintroduction phase of the diet. Work with your healthcare professional before you start an elimination diet to see if he or she can pin down the source of your potential food allergy. If you are allergic to a certain type of food, your symptoms may include:

• Rash.
• Swelling.
• Hives.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Anaphylaxis in extreme cases.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after consuming certain foods, contact your healthcare professional right away and work with him or her to determine what is causing the issue. Your doctor may suggest you undergo testing in lieu of an elimination diet if an allergy is suspected.

Getting Started: Foods to Eliminate

Now that you understand the purpose of an elimination diet, let’s delve into the practical steps you need to take to get started. Here’s a list of common foods to eliminate during the initial phase:

• Gluten-containing Grains: Wheat, Barley, Rye
• Dairy Products: Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Butter
• Eggs
• Soy Products: Soybeans, Tofu, Soy sauce
• Nuts and Seeds: Peanuts, Almonds, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds
• Shellfish and Fish: Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Salmon, Tuna
• Nightshade Vegetables: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Bell peppers, Eggplants
• High FODMAP Foods: Certain fruits (apples, pears), Certain vegetables (onions, garlic), Legumes (beans, lentils)

The Elimination Phase

During the elimination phase, you’ll strictly avoid these foods for a set period, typically 2 to 4 weeks. You can start the elimination process by first eliminating foods you suspect to be the source of your discomfort, such as dairy or gluten. The next phase of the elimination process entails removing foods known to cause discomfort even if you do not suspect them to be the source of the issue. Wheat, soy, and seafood may inadvertently cause discomfort in some people, so work toward eliminating these items as the weeks progress. It’s crucial to maintain a food diary to track your symptoms during this phase. This will help you gauge any improvements and prepare for the next step – reintroduction.

The Reintroduction Phase

Once the elimination phase is complete, you’ll gradually reintroduce one eliminated food group at a time, monitoring your body’s response closely. This step is crucial because it helps you pinpoint which specific foods trigger your symptoms. Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose One Food Group: Start with a single food group, like dairy.
2. Reintroduce Gradually: Reintroduce a small amount of the food (e.g., a glass of milk) and wait for 2-3 days to observe any reactions.
3. Record Your Observations: Document any symptoms or reactions in your food diary. Potential symptoms you may notice during this stage include rash, migraines, stomach pains and bloating.
4. Proceed or Pause: If you experience no adverse reactions, you can continue to consume that food in moderation. If symptoms reappear, eliminate the food again and continue with the next food group.

Following the reintroduction stage, you are likely to have a better understanding of what types of food cause your discomfort or issues, and you can work toward permanently removing these items from your diet. If you have noticed an unpleasant reaction to several food groups during the reintroduction stage, speak with your healthcare professional about these results. Eliminating several food groups from your diet is not advisable and you may need to work with your doctor to determine a better way for you to handle your symptoms.

When you are on an elimination diet you still must consume food regularly, which may become difficult during times where you are eliminating items from your major food groups. To combat this issue, work toward incorporating the following items into your every day meals until the elimination diet has ended:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Grains
• Dairy substitutes
• Turkey
• Salmon
• Water
• Herbal tea
• Fresh herbs

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By Admin – March 2020