Guest post from Leigh McDonald Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Leigh’s services are 20% off through June 15, 2020.
What is an elimination diet?
An elimination diet involves removing certain foods that cause uncomfortable symptoms and reintroducing them one by one while monitoring for a reaction. A reaction could be digestive issues (gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, difficulty swallowing), hives, skin rashes, acne, allergies, headaches/migraines, joint pain, mood changes, or low energy. The goal of an elimination diet is to cut out specific foods long enough to calm the immune system down so when you start adding foods back in, you will clearly notice if there is a reaction. Typically, a good time frame for achieving this is four to eight weeks. However, depending on how many items you are eliminating, you may need longer to complete an elimination diet. Be sure to work with your healthcare team when doing an elimination diet to identify which food(s) might be causing symptoms, confirm you are conducting the diet effectively and meeting your nutritional needs.
How to do an elimination diet:
- PLAN: Timing and planning are the two most important factors for whether or not you will be successful in trying an elimination diet. Plan a time when you will be home and know you can be successful. Vacation or holidays is not the time to start an elimination diet! Prepare by having the foods, you can eat on hand and prepare as much as possible in advance.
- ELIMINATE: Remove all of the foods that might be causing symptoms for 4 weeks. Don’t eat the foods whole or as ingredients in other foods. It is important to read food labels for hidden ingredients. Use caution when dining out where you have less control over the ingredients used.
- REINTRODUCE: Introduce ONE of the foods you stopped eating for 1-2 days. Then go back to a full elimination for two days to monitor your reaction. On the day you try an eliminated food for the first time start with a small amount in the morning. If you do not notice any reaction, eat two larger portions in the afternoon and evening. Record any reactions you do have. Reactions that may occur are digestive issues (gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, difficulty swallowing), hives, skin rashes, acne, allergies, headaches/migraines, joint pain, mood changes, or low energy. If the food does not cause a reaction or symptom then it is considered safe. Repeat this process with each food you are eliminating. It is important to wait to add any safe food back into your diet until the other foods have been eliminated and reintroduced.
6-FOOD ELIMINATION DIET
Foods to Avoid, Foods Allowed and Brand Examples
Dairy
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| Milk (cow, goat, sheep) Buttermilk Condensed milk Cream/Artificial creamer Evaporated milk Butter, butter oil Ghee Margarine, Cheese Ice cream Yogurt Sour cream Some mayonnaise and salad dressings Ingredients that contain dairy: Casein (curds), Hydrolyzed casein |
Coconut, hemp, oat or rice milk Coconut ice cream Hemp products Coconut milk products |
Coconut milk: Thai Foods, Thrive Market, Native Forest Hemp, oat and rice milk: Elmhurst, Malk, Pacific Foods, Ripple, Good Hemp Yogurt: Cocoyo, So Delicious, Oui by Yoplait, Coyo, Silk Oatmilk, Chobani non-dairy cups (coconut based) Cheese: Daiya Frozen Dessert: So Delicious coconut ice creams, Coconut Bliss, Cado (avocado base) |
Wheat
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| Bran Bulger Couscous Durum einkorn Emmer Farina Farro Flour (all purpose, whole wheat, cake, enriched, graham, pastry) Gluten Hydrolyzed wheat protein Kamut Semolina Spelt Wheat (berries, bran, grass, malt, starch) Ingredients that may contain wheat: Artificial/natural flavoring |
Gluten free foods Wheat substitutes: Amaranth Arrowroot Barley Beans, legumes Buckwheat Corn Oats (gluten free) Potato Quinoa Rice Rye Tapioca |
Grains: Bobs Red Mill Breads: Katz, Bread Srsly (online) Cereals: One Degree Organics, Barbara’s, Arrowhead Mills, Nature’s Path Crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers Real Thin, Plant Snacks Pasta: Jovial Foods, POW, Banza, Tolerant, Cybele’s Free to Eat, Barilla Wraps/Tortillas: Siete Cassava/Chickpea, The Real Coconut |
Egg
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| Eggs (yolk, white, dried, powdered, and solids) Egg substitutes (Eggbeaters, etc) Egg noodles Egg sauces (Hollandaise, bernaise) Condiments containing eggs |
Egg-free foods Egg Substitutes: Flax egg – 1 Tbsp. ground flax + 3 Tbsp. water ¼ cup applesauce ¼ cup mashed banana 1 tsp baking soda + 1 Tbsp. vinegar 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder + 3 Tbsp. water |
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Egg Replacer |
Soy
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| Edamame Miso Natto Shoyu Soy (soy cheese, Soy flour, Soy ice cream, soy yogurts) Soy Sauce, Tamari Soya Tempeh Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) Tofu, bean curd |
Soy Sauce Substitute: Coconut Aminos | Coconut Secret Big Tree Farms Thrive Market Trader Joe’s |
Nuts
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| Peanuts Pine nuts All tree nuts (walnut, almond, hazelnut, cashew, pistachio, brazil nut) Macadamia nuts |
Coconut and coconut products Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds Sunflower spread |
Sunbutter 88 Acres |
Seafood
| Foods to Avoid | Foods Allowed | Brand Examples |
| All fish All crustacea (shrimp, crab, lobsters All mollusks (Oysters, clams, mussels, scallops) |
Note: If a food causes you to have an immediate allergic reaction, such as throat swelling, a severe rash, or other severe allergy symptoms, seed medical care immediately.
