February 20, 2018

What is an Elimination Diet and is it Right for You?

Like many other diets, there is not a hard and fast “one size fits all” diet when it comes to gut health. However, when you are first embarking on the journey to heal your gut, there are a few things you can stick to. An elimination diet is a good way to get started on the path and reduce your inflammation. By eliminating foods with a high risk of causing discomfort, you are able to allow your body to heal properly.

Elimination diets are short-term plans and not intended to be extended past a certain point. This could be anywhere from 21 days, up to 90 days depending on how you do it. Make sure you discuss with your doctor or a medical professional prior to embarking on one. Do not cut too many things out of your diet too quickly without medical guidance. After your body is able to detox from the foods causing issues and healing itself, you should reintroduce the foods. This reintroduction will tell you if the food should continue to be held from your diet or not.

What foods to eliminate?

When starting out on an elimination diet, foods to cut first include:

dairy
alcohol
gluten
refined sugars
soy products
eggs (if you feel this is a problem food for you)
all processed food products
Citrus fruits
Caffeine

It is suggested to keep these foods out of your diet for 3-6 weeks. By doing so, your body is able to burn through all the nutrients containing these foods. This also allows for your body time to heal from eating these sources of food. You will also be able to notice improvements from not eating these types of food. This could include increased energy, skin issues clearing up, and improved digestion.

What benefits are there?

Discover any food allergies/sensitivities – you may not realize you have any, but more than likely it will help you pinpoint the ones causing you the most trouble.
Improve digestion – help with bloating, constipation, gas, heartburn, diarrhea.
Beneficial in leaky gut
Aid in skin relief – conditions such as acne, eczema, or psoriasis
Improve brain health and learning disorders – this can include ADHD, anxiety, or depression
Reduce migraines – it is important to realize you may suffer from headaches during any diet where you are cutting sugar and caffeine. Be prepared for this!

Where to start in an elimination diet?

Cut out all allergenic foods
Keep a food journal for 3 weeks to keep track of what you are eating and how you feel.
After 3 weeks, slowly reintroduce foods one grouping at a time to see if you have any reactions. Continuing journaling to see how you react during the reintroduction phase vs the elimination phase.
If during the reintroduction phase you begin noticing symptoms again, you can confirm you have an allergy or sensitivity to that food group.

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Some people chose to follow a strict diet such as Whole30 to determine what they are allergic to and to serve as a reset. This can work also as it cuts out many of the main culprits. However, pay special attention during the reintroduction phase as this is the biggest indicator of what causes problems for you. Many people finish the end of the 30 days and don’t take the time to reintroduce foods properly. Make sure to plan accordingly to allow for the reintroduction phase.

According to Dr. Axe, during the elimination diet, you should include “about 40 percent of your plate fresh vegetables, 30 percent “clean” sources of protein, 20 percent healthy fats and the remaining percent whole-food carbohydrates and fruit.” Strive for organic vegetables and fruits and as much clean, wild-caught proteins as possible. Healthy fats can include avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, and seeds. Consider eliminating all grains including oats during this time to ensure your gut heals properly. You can reintroduce these later on, as not all grains are bad for you!

Additional Tips

There are several kinds of elimination diets available. Whole30 and FODMAP are just two examples. The FODMAP is usually more comprehensive. Please research and discuss with your medical provider about what would be the most beneficial to you. You should always check prior to starting any kind of diet, supplement, or exercise changes to ensure it will be a fit for you and your health goals. Especially if you have any other medical conditions that could cause major issues if not properly cared for. Some diets can trigger flare-ups of these medical conditions.

Being on a restrictive diet is not good for your overall health. Especially if you are still experiencing gut issues. Different diets work for different concerns. If you have a yeast overgrowth, you will need a different style of diet over someone simply needing to heal their gut.

It is also important to realize an elimination diet is not a long-term solution. If you find relief during this time and are struggling during the reintroduction phase, please please please seek medical advice! This could indicate an underlying medical issue you may not be aware of or other concerns that would need guidance from your doctor on.

Have you considered an elimination diet? Have you done one before? Did you notice a difference? I’d love to hear about your experience!