Elimination Diets

Food sensitivities are more common than you might think; and they can cause acne, allergies, migraines and more.

Elimination diets are a great and simple way to find out if you need to adjust your regular menu.

The idea of an elimination diet is to remove certain foods from your diet for a given period (3-4 weeks), and then re-introduce them in a controlled manner, one at a time, to see if you have any adverse reactions to them.

As a basic guide (and it really doesn’t need to be more complicated than this), here is what to do if you suspect you may have a food sensitivity, or have a chronic condition that you can’t figure out the cause of.

Cut out the following foods for 3-4 weeks (completely!):

Citrus fruits; 

Tomatoes; 

white potatoes; 

eggplant; 

wheat/corn/barley/oats (and all other gluten-containing products); 

Legumes (all beans/tofu/soy/peas/lentils); 

all nuts and seeds; 

Beef; 

Chicken; 

Pork; 

Eggs; 

Bacon; 

all processed meats; 

Milk; Cheese; Cream; Yoghurt; Butter; Margarine and other spreads; 

mayonnaise; 

Alcohol; 

Caffeine; 

Chocolate; 

Ketchup; 

Mustard; 

Sugar;

Honey; 

Syrup; 

and anything else you suspect may pose a problem for you, or anything you eat on a regular basis (you can actually develop a sensitivity if you overeat something) .

I know this is a big, scary list! But focus on what you CAN have, and remember it’s only for a short time, and the benefits will be well worth it if you find something that’s been causing you grief for years.

What you CAN eat:

Almost all fresh fruit; 

Almost all fresh, raw, steamed, sautéed or roasted vegetables; 

Rice; 

Fish; 

Turkey; 

Lamb; 

Wild game; 

Unsweetened rice or coconut milk; 

Olive Oil; Coconut oil; Flaxseed oil; 

Fresh water; Herbal teas; 

Sea salt; Fresh pepper; Fresh herbs and spices.

Follow this strictly for 3 weeks and monitor your symptoms/how you feel.

In week 4, introduce a single food/food group for ONE DAY ONLY, then monitor your symptoms for 2 days. Continue this process with different foods and food groups until you figure out what is causing you issues. The fewer foods you re-introduce at one time, the more accurately you’ll be able to pinpoint the problem, but it will take longer.

Pay attention to your mood, concentration, gut/bowels, joints, skin, insomnia, headaches, sinuses, and energy levels.

This is not a restrictive diet (calorie-wise) – do NOT use it as a weight loss tool, but be aware that by eliminating foods you are sensitive to you will allow your body to detoxify more efficiently, and weight loss may occur.

Give this a try and see how you get on.

If you need more help, visit www.DartfordBootcamps.comwww.DartfordBootcamps.com for information on Personal Training, Nutrition Coaching, and Bootcamp classes.