This is called an “Elimination Diet” because you remove certain foods and food categories from your diet. During a period of two to three weeks, you eliminate the foods from your diet that are the most likely culprits of sensitivity symptoms. If your symptoms improve during the three-week period, you’ll carefully add foods back into your diet one at a time to see which foods may be triggering symptoms. Make sure to read all labels carefully to find hidden allergens. Eat a wide variety of foods and do not try to restrict your calorie intake. If you find no improvement within three weeks either you do not have any food allergies, or you may have food allergies but there is yet another factor complicating the picture.
This process is generally well tolerated and extremely beneficial. There is not a “typical” or “normal” response. A person’s initial response to any new diet is highly variable, and this diet is no exception. This can be attributed to physiological, mental and biochemical differences among individuals; the degree of exposure to, and type of “toxin”; and other lifestyle factors. Most oft en, individuals on the elimination diet report increased energy, mental alertness, decrease in muscle or joint pain and a general sense of improved well-being. However, some people report some initial reactions to the diet, especially in the first week, as their bodies adjust to a different dietary program. Initially, symptoms you may experience include changes in sleep patterns, light headedness, headaches, joint or muscle stiffness and changes in gastrointestinal function. Such symptoms rarely last for more than a few days.
Changing food habits can be a complex, difficult and sometimes a confusing process. With a simplified blueprint, the process is “do-able.” Included are diet menus, recipes, snack suggestions and other information. Read this information carefully.
Eat only the foods listed under “Foods to Include,” and avoid those foods listed as “Foods to Exclude.”
Tips
• The first 2 to 3 days are the hardest. It’s important to go shopping and get t all of the foods you are allowed to have.
• Plan your meals and have a pot of rice available.
• Eat simply. Cook simply. Make a pot of chicken-vegetable-rice soup.
Make a large salad. Cook extra chicken. Have prepared food on hand to grab and go.
• Eat regular meals.
• Blood sugar stabilization is important. You may want to snack to keep your blood sugar levels normal. Have your specific food available at all times.
• Cooking extra food can be reheated for snacking or another meal.
• Avoid any foods that you know or believe you may be sensitive to even if they are on the “allowed” list.
• Try to eat at least three servings of fresh vegetables each day. Choose at least
one serving of dark green or orange vegetables (carrot, broccoli, winter squash) and one raw vegetable each day. Vary your selections.
• Buy organic produce when possible to eliminate pesticide and chemical residue consumption. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
• Vegetarians should eliminate the meat and fish and instead consume more beans, rice, quinoa, amaranth, teff, millet and buckwheat.
• Reduce caffeine consumption gradually rather than stopping it abruptly; this will prevent caffeine-withdrawal headaches. For instance, try drinking half decaf/half regular coffee for a few days, and then slowly reduce the total amount of coffee.
• Read oil labels; use only those that are obtained by a “cold pressed”
method.
• All animal sources of protein should be free-range or organically raised chicken, turkey or lamb. Trim visible fat and prepare by broiling, baking, stewing, grilling or stir-frying. Cold-water fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, and halibut) is another excellent source of protein and the omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are important nutrients in this diet. Fish is used extensively.
• Remember to drink the recommended amount (at least two quarts) of plain, filtered water each day.
• Strenuous or prolonged exercise may be reduced during some or the
entire program to allow the body to heal more effectively without the
additional burden imposed by exercise. Adequate rest and stress
reduction are also important to the success of this program.
• You may use leftovers for the next days’ meals or part of a meal, e.g.
left over broiled salmon and broccoli from dinner as part of a large
salad for lunch the next day.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
In the beginning, you may feel tired, irritable, experience brain fog and insomnia. This will subside after a few meals. Some people even experience flu-like symptoms. This is your body’s way of “withdrawing” unwanted foods, chemicals, toxins, preservatives and whatever else you are consuming on a regular basis that the body doesn’t need. By day #3, you should notice a change in your energy and sleep patterns. Then by the end of the elimination segment, you will experience what it truly feels like to eat clean and live healthy day to day. If you find your energy lagging, you may need to eat frequently to keep your blood sugar levels level. Be sure to drink plenty of water.
Once you have completed three weeks, you can begin to add foods back into your diet. KEEP A JOURNAL OF ALL FOODS EATEN AND ALL SYMPTOMS. Be sure to add foods one at a time, one every two days. Eat the test food at least twice a day and in a fairly large amount. Often an offending food will provoke symptoms quickly — within in 10 minutes to 12 hours. Signs to look for include headache, itching, bloat, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea, indigestion, sleepy 30 minutes after a meal or rapid heartbeat. If you are unsure, take the food back out of your diet for at least one week and try it again. Be sure to test foods in a pure form: for example test milk or cheese or wheat, but not macaroni and cheese that contain milk, cheese and wheat!
THE RESULTS
Avoiding symptom-provoking foods can restore gut integrity, which means better nutrient absorption. When the body is nutrient rich, sugar cravings, insomnia, mood swings, headaches, joint pain subside. This means a stable weight and healthier body!
Finally, anytime you change your diet significantly, you may experience symptoms like fatigue, headache or muscle aches for a few days. Your body needs time to detox and adapt. Be patient! Those symptoms generally don’t last long.
COMPREHENSIVE ELIMINATION DIET GUIDELINES
Foods to include Foods to exclude
Fruits: whole fruits, unsweetened, frozen or Oranges and orange juice
water-packed, canned fruits and diluted
juices
Dairy substitutes: rice milk Dairy and eggs: milk, cheese, eggs,
cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice
cream, frozen yogurt, non-dairy
creamers
Non-gluten grains and starch: rice (all types) Grains, wheat, corn, barley, spelt, rye, oats
millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca,
buckwheat, potato flour
Animal protein: fresh or water-packed Beef/veal, pork, sausage, cold cuts, canned
canned fish, wild game, lamb, duck, organic meats, frankfurters, shellfish
chicken and turkey
Nuts and seeds: Coconut, pine nuts, flax Peanuts and peanut butter, walnuts,
seeds. sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds,
hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, nut
butters such as almond or tahini
Vegetables: all raw, steamed, sautéed, juiced Corn, creamed vegetables. If you have
or roasted arthritis, avoid nightshades: tomatoes,
potatoes, eggplants, peppers, paprika,
salsa, chili peppers, cayenne, chili powder
Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, butter Margarine, shortening, processed
oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and
spreads, fl ax, safflower, sesame, almond,
sunflower, walnut, canola, pumpkin
Drinks: filtered or distilled water, Alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, all caffeinated
decaffeinated herbal teas, seltzer or mineral beverages
water
Sweeteners: Use Sparingly: Refined sugar, white/brown, honey, maple
brown rice, syrup, agave nectar, stevia, syrup, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated
fruit sweetener, blackstrap molasses cane juice.
Condiments: vinegar, all spices, including
salt, pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin,
dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano, parsley,
rosemary, tarragon, thyme, turmeric Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy
sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, and other
condiments
Shopping List
Fruits Vegetables Animal Protein
Apples Artichoke Free range chicken,
Apricots Asparagus turkey, duck, eggs
Bananas Avocado
Blackberries Bamboo shoots Fresh ocean fish,
Blueberries Beets and beet tops salmon, halibut, tuna,
Cantaloupe Bok Choy haddock, cod, sole,
Cherries Broccoli mahi mahi,
Coconut Brussels sprouts
Figs (fresh) Cabbage Lamb
Grapefruit Bell peppers
Kiwi Carrots Water packed tuna
Kumquat Cauliflower
Lemons/limes Celery Wild game
Melons Chives
Nectarines Cucumber
Peaches Dandelion greens Fats
Pears Eggplant Flax, olive oil, coconut
Prunes Endive oil, butter, ghee
Raspberries Kale Raw nuts
Strawberries Kohlrabi
All can be raw or juiced Leeks
Lettuce – red or green leaf
Mushroom
Beverages Okra Herbs/Spices
water Onions all fresh or dried, no
herbal tea Parsley spice packets
decaf coffee Potato
Red leaf chicory
Sea vegetables – seaweed, kelp
Snow peas Dairy Substitutes
Spinach almond milk
Squash coconut milk
Sweet potatoes/yams rice milk
Swiss chard
Tomatoes Sweeteners
Watercress Agave, stevia, rice Zucchini syrup, molasses
All the above
vegetables can be Vinegars
consumed raw, apple cider, balsamic,
juiced steamed, red wine
sautéed or baked. If
you have arthritis,
avoid nightshades
(in italics).