Day 121- Elimination Diet

It's always hard to start a regimented diet, "life" usually just gets in the way, especially during summer. Summers are jam packed with BBQs, tasty beverages, and face it - just not the best for you foods!

I want to give an applause to a few of my close friends that have decided to test how strong their will power may be. They have decided to begin their elimination diets, and/or gut healing programs this week, and I am so proud of their commitment and positive attitudes.

There are so many different types of elimination diets out there, but not very many that give you enough detailed information that is needed to be able to keep full compliance. I'm not saying that the elimination diet that I am about to describe is the very best one out there, but after working with many practitioners, and being involved in different detox programs, all I can say is, this one works.

An elimination diet allows your body to rest and is one of the best ways to determine foods that it may be allergic or sensitive to. It also provides the most inexpensive and accurate method out there to determine sensitivities, without all the false positive and negatives that may arise in lab testing. That is with saying that you have patience, discipline, and will power to follow this diet completely. Some of the symptoms that occur to our bodies such as rashes, GI upset, fatigue, brain fog, or headaches are due to the foods that we consume on a day-to-day basis. As much as we don't want to admit it some of those food sensitivities come from the foods we enjoy the most, because we tend to bombard our bodies with them on a regular basis. In many cases, the foods that we crave the most are the ones that do the most damage to our bodies. The elimination diet forces you to remove these foods from your diet and then reintroduce them back in slowly, if you have allergies or sensitivities then in most cases the reactions from these foods will be much more obvious.

Elimination Diet:

The first step is a three day limeade fast:

This stage is optional, but highly recommended as long as you don't have hypoglycemic issues.

To do this step make a concoction of filtered water, grade B maple syrup, and limes or lemons. Use as much of each as you need to; the syrup is to provide glucose so your blood sugar stays stabilized, which will help prevent you from crashing. The lemons or limes help to reduce the overly sweet taste and create an alkaline environment in the body. The key to making the fast work is to constantly take sips, do not go past 15 minutes without taking a sip. The fast allows the body and your digestion to rest and recover. Many people feel exceptional on the fast and chose to continue on it for longer, which is completely fine. Intense exercise should be avoided on this stage. Expect to just drink and urinate the entire day. Don't worry about drinking while you are sleeping, you will be fine throughout the night.

The next step is the actual elimination diet. This diet should be followed for at least 2 weeks, but a month works even better.

Here is a list of foods that need to be eliminated during the diet:

• Gluten- including hidden sources such as sauces, dressings, and canned meats
  
• Dairy
  
• Soy- and soy products such as soy sauce and tofu
  
• Corn
• Nightshades vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant)
• Chicken eggs
• Peanuts, including peanut butter
  
• Caffeine
• Citrus fruits
• Alcohol
• Shellfish
• Chocolate
• Any other foods that you already know to be allergic or sensitive to

Gluten, dairy, soy, and corn are ingredients in a majority of products so make sure to double check the list of ingredients before you eat it. The best way to make sure that you are not accidently exposing yourself to any of these ingredients is to avoid processed food. For the best results, eat only whole, real foods, and attempt to make most of your meals at home. Spices are fine to add to meals, but check with the manufacture that they are indeed gluten free. Eat plenty of good quality proteins, fats, vegetables, and fruits. Eat as much as you want during this elimination diet, while just avoiding the foods in the above list. If you already know that you are sensitive to gluten then I would also suggest that you go grain free during this diet, to rule out any cross reactivity. For a more restricted diet that aims to help heal a leaky gut I also suggest eliminating the following foods as well:

• All sugar- natural and artificial
• Grains- including rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.
  
• Lectins- including nuts and beans
  
• Nuts
• Oats

Some suggestions for good food choices on the elimination diet include:

• Low mercury containing fish
• Organic, good quality meats
• Vegetables (sans nightshades)
• Low glycemic fruits
• Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha)
• Coconut- including coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, etc.
  
• Olive oil
• Herbal teas
  

The next stage is the challenge phase:

During this phase you will be reintroducing one food group back into your diet every 72 hours. If you notice any reactions or symptoms then stop eating that food, wait until the reaction goes away and then reintroduce the next item into your diet, avoiding the last item that you reacted to. Some symptoms will be noticed within minutes of consuming the food, while others it may take about 72 hours to present.

Some example of possible reactions are:

• GI upset
• Bloating
• Sneezing or runny nose
• Brain fog
• Joint pain
• Skin rash
• Fatigue

If you do notice anything, big or small, with the reintroduction of a food you need to avoid that food. Some foods over time can be reintroduced back into the body, others may need to be avoided for life. To know whether or not you can reintroduce a certain food back into your body, one thing that you can do is follow a leaky gut healing protocol (check with you health care provider). Another way to determine if you need to continue avoiding a certain food is to reintroduce that food back into your diet after a longer period of time, say 6 months and see if you still notice a reaction. The only testing that I really recommend when it comes to allergies and sensitivities is testing for gluten or cross reactive foods through a lab called, Cyrex Laboratories. Through experience we have noticed that similar foods will have separate reactions in the body. For an example one might be sensitive to tomatoes, but notice nothing when they consume tomato sauce. In this case separate the two into different challenges.

Here is an example of a schedule to follow when reintroducing foods (this is just an outline, create your own order if you prefer):

• Wheat
• Rye
• Barley
• Corn
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese

You get the idea right?

I also highly suggest keeping a food journal, notate how you feel during the elimination diet, and then anything you notice while reintroducing each food back in.

At the end of the elimination diet if you feel dramatically better, it indicates that you most likely suffered from multiple food sensitivities and your gastrointestinal-immune system is over active. If you feel no improvement with your digestion, talk to your health care practitioner about other concerns such as parasites, yeast, or bacteria and for further testing options.

The diets that my friends are embarking on are also supported with supplements. I believe that it is very important to support the detox pathways during the diet, and/or to supplement with nutrients that can help repair the gastrointestinal lining, which may be a reason for many of your sensitivities.

If you have any questions or would like support as you give this diet a try, feel free to contact me.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP