How to do an Elimination Diet and Why it is beneficial?
The foods we eat can affect many aspects of our health and using the Elimination Diet can help identify food intolerances. But the Elimination Diet can be very confusing. I am going to go over how to do an Elimination Diet. We will also talk about why it is beneficial.
In general the Elimination Diet is used to eliminate certain foods that may be causing your symptoms or making them worse. The Elimination Diet is perfect for identifying food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies.
Food intolerances are becoming more prominent. Some even use the elimination diet for performance. There are many uses to this diet and it can be done several times.
What is the Elimination Diet?
An elimination diet is a short-term diet that helps identify foods your body can't tolerate well and removes them from your diet.
In simple terms you eliminate food groups known for allergies/intolerances and then reintroduce them back into your diet to see if you show symptoms.
The length of the Elimination Diet will depend on how many foods you are wanting to test. In theory it should last around 4-6 weeks.
By following the Elimination diet you can potentially alleviate symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation
How to do an Elimination Diet
The Elimination diet is broken down into two separate parts: the Elimination part and the Reintroduction Part.
But before either of those you need to plan for this.
I will be brutally honest. This diet is not easy.
To start I suggest keeping a diet journal for a week of the normal foods you eat and keep track of symptoms that you have throughout the day.
Another helpful trick is to ask yourself the following questions and more than likely these are foods that you need to avoid:
- What foods do I eat most often?
- Which foods do I crave?
- What foods do I eat to “feel better”?
- What foods would I have trouble giving up?j
Elimination Part
For the first two weeks, it is important to follow the diet strictly with no exceptions, slip ups or cheat days. This includes eating the foods as a whole or as INGREDIENTS in other foods.
Pay close attention to the food labels. It is best to eat whole foods from organic/free-range sources where you can.
For example, if you are eliminating dairy and gluten from your diet to test intolerances, the most common foods to eliminate will be cow’s milk protein and gluten from wheat.
You will want to eliminate all dairy products including milk, cream, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream and frozen yogurt.
To eliminate gluten avoid any foods that contain wheat, spelt, kamut, oats, rye, barley, or malt. You CAN EAT brown rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, gluten-free flour products, potatoes, tapioca and arrowroot.
There are other foods you should eliminate in all elimination diets including:
- Fatty meats like beef, pork, or veal
- Alcohol and caffeine products
- Foods containing yeast or promote yeast growth such as processed foods, refined sugars, cheeses, commercially prepared condiments, peanuts, vinegar and alcoholic beverages
- Simple sugars including candy, sweets and processed foods
You should also drink at least 1/2 gallon of water a day. If you are active and exercising I would suggest at least a full gallon.
During the first week, the symptoms may get worse before they get better. If they become severe consult your healthcare practioner. During week 2 you should see an improvement in your symptoms.
Interesting tip: If you are allergic to LATEX, you may also react to: apple, apricot, avocado, banana, carrot, celery, cherry, chestnut, coconut, fig, gish, grape, hazelnut, kiwi, mango, melon, nectarine, papaya, passion fruit, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, potato, rye, shellfish, strawberry, tomato, and wheat.
via MEME
Re-introduction Part
Once your symptoms have improved or gone all together then it is time to start testing foods with your body. We do this ONE food group at a time. Keep a written record of symptoms as you do this.
Please note that you should to test more than one food group at a time, even if you showed no symptoms with that food.
This is a three day process for each food group.
On DAY ONE, start with a small amount of the food group in the morning. If you don’t notice any symptoms by the afternoon, eat two larger portions in the afternoon and evening.
On DAY TWO, remove the tested food from the diet again. DON’T EAT THE TESTED FOOD AGAIN until you are completely done with the diet.
Wait two days to see if any symptoms return. If they do, then you know that the food causes your symptoms and you should avoid it in your normal diet. If you show no symptoms, then you can still eat it once you return to your normal diet.
You repeat this 3 DAY TESTING process for each food/food group. You may need to try several different elimination diets before you identify the problem foods in your diet.
Foods your Allowed to Eat
There are general foods you are allowed to eat. This list is not all inclusive so do your own research on specific foods you are eliminating and take inconsideration your own allergies.
Meats, fish, poultry- Chicken, turkey, lamb, cold water fishes
Dairy- rice, soy and nut milks
Legumes- all legumes
Vegetables- all veggies (avoid creamed or processed)
Fruits-fresh or juiced
Starches- potatoes, rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa
Breads/Cereals- any made from rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, teff, millet, soy or potato flour, arrowroot
Soups- clear, vegetable-based
Beverages- fresh or unsweetened fruit/vegetable juices, herbal teas, filtered/spring water
Fats/oils- cold/expeller pressed, unrefined light-shielded canola, flax, olive refined oils, salad dressings, pumpkin, sesame and walnut oils
Nuts/seeds- almonds, cashews, pecans, flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds, and butters from allowed nuts
Sweeteners- brown rice soup, fruit sweeteners
Wrap-up
Once you are done with your elimination diet, it is time to start planning your long-term nutrition plan. This will be your normal everyday diet. I suggest working with a Nutritionist or dietician to help you decide which foods you need to avoid and which ones you can enjoy.
Please know that this is not a perfect test and not always accurate. You may also have issues with more than one food.
Even though this diet Eliminates a large amount of foods, you still need to make sure that you are getting the adequate amounts of nutrition. If you need to use supplements then do so. And they don’t have to be in pill form. A great substitute for calcium is green leafy vegetables.
It is important to know that this is to help your overall health and doesn’t need to be followed long term unless otherwise noted by your physician.
I hope this helped you to understand more about the Elimination Diet. If you have questions about a gluten free diet check out How Safe is a Gluten Free Diet?
And be on the look out for more Nutrition information coming soon!!
Sources:
- www.fammed.wisc.edu/integrative
- Mahan, L.K., & Raymond, J.L. (2017). Krause’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process (14th ed., 98-121). Saint Louis, MO: Elsevier.