The Elimination Diet – Step-by-Step Instructions
Have you been struggling with health issues for quite a while and are willing to try anything? If so, the elimination diet might be the answer. The concept is that there are certain foods that your body does not break down well. These foods contain proteins, which then leak into the blood and cause you immune reactions. These immune reactions can cause symptoms in people that can be minor or quite dramatic depending upon their health condition.
Once you identify and remove these trigger foods, many symptoms often disappear. Sound a little hard to believe? Well, I have seen this work in myself, my daughter, and many clients. In addition, there are plenty of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the elimination diet.
The Goal of this Article
In this article, I will discuss the step-by-step process for implementing the elimination diet. This will allow you to identify your triggers and build a plant-dominant diet founded upon foods that agree with your immune system. This reduces inflammation, strengthens your immune system, and improves overall well-being. Ready to get started? First, let’s go over an important point before covering the step-by-step process.
Your Discipline will Dictate Your Level of Success
Before I go into the step-by-step process, I want to emphasize something. Your level of adherence to the protocol below will determine your success. If you step outside of it, you are unlikely to experience the same benefits. Through this process, you will learn how to listen to your body. It will tell you through various symptoms that certain foods don’t agree with you. You must be willing to observe these reactions without bias. Your love for a trigger food often prevents you from seeing the truth about it.
How to Implement the Elimination Diet
Start Off with GREEN FOODS ONLY for 14 days
I would consume only the foods listed below for the first 14 to 21 days. The longer you consume just these foods, the easier it will be to recognize when a food is triggering you. This is the most important time in the whole process.
Green Foods – Low Potential to Develop Sensitivity
Fruits: Apples, Pears, Bananas, Blueberries, Wild Blueberries, Applesauce
Vegetables: Brussels sprouts, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, Cucumbers, Collard Greens, Carrots, Purple Beets, Golden Beets, Lettuces
Starches: Red Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Golden Potatoes, Rice Farina, Rice Puffs, Any Type of Rice
Proteins: Lentils, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Great Northern Beans, Cannellini Beans (keep in mind, most people must start slow with beans and simultaneously decrease meat intake)
Fats: Olive Oil
Other: Sea Salt, Raw Honey
Drinks: Water
How Often to Eat: Daily or Every Other Day (Beans)
Add a Few Foods from the YELLOW CATEGORY Per Week
Most of these foods are good for you, but they also shouldn’t be eaten every day. If consumed daily, they can eventually irritate the immune system. Enjoy them, but also remain moderate with them. Take a look below to see which food I’m talking about.
Yellow Foods- Moderate Potential for Sensitivity
Fruits: Cantaloupe, Grapes, Honeydew, Peaches, Cherries, Watermelon, Raspberries, Blackberries, Pineapple, Figs, Dates, Avocados, Tomatoes, Kiwi, Mangos, Plums
Vegetables: Onions, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Avocado, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Corn, Grits, Saukruat, Okra, Spinach
Starches: Brown Rice Pasta, Brown Rice Spaghetti, Chickpea Pasta, Rice Crackers, Rice Cakes, Millet, Butternut Squash, Spaghetti Squash
Proteins: Plain Hummus, Kidney Beans, Flax Meal, Beyond Plant-Based Burger
Fats: Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil
Other: Ground Chia Seed, Homemade Tomato Sauce
Drinks: Carrot Juice, Apple Juice
How Often to Eat: Max of 2 Servings per Week
Slowly Add in Foods from the ORANGE CATEGORY
After you have gone through the yellow foods, start trying these one at a time. These foods are a little more fun, but they still shouldn’t be eaten every day. They have a more complex protein structure or contain ingredients that cause inflammation in people who are already compromised. Take a look below to see which foods make the list.
Orange Foods- High Risk for Developing Sensitivity
Fruits: Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Coconuts
Other: Corn Taco Shells, Beyond Veggie Burger, Soft Corn Tortillas, Gluten Free Breads, Gluten Free Wraps, Chickpea Pizza Crust, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, High-Quality Potato Chips, Blue Corn Chips, Gluten Free Pancakes, Oats, Tofu, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds
Drinks: Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Water
How Often to Eat: Once Serving Per Week or Two
Only Add RED FOODS if You Must and Keep them Infrequent
Once you have found a way to live off all the other foods, you can try these here and there. These are the foods that cause inflammation, so be careful. The first red food you can add back is meat if you want to. Though I am not a big fan of meat, if it’s your thing, you can start with 4 oz. a couple of times a week. I would keep all other foods to a minimum. Take a look at the list of red foods below.
Red Foods- FOODS TO AVOID COMPLETELY
Other: Meat, Fish, Gluten, Eggs, Dairy, Tree Nuts, Preservatives, Processed Sugar, Artificial Ingredients of Any Type, Fried Foods, Spices, Dried Herbs, Seasonings, Dressings, Anything with more than 10 Ingredients!
NOTE: Keep in mind that any food from the yellow or orange section can be just as bad as these. The main thing that determines how strong your reaction is is how often you consume the food. If it triggers you slightly and you eat lots of it every day, it can become a big problem.
Determine Portions/Frequencies of Low-Grade Trigger Foods
There may be some foods you added back in that produced a barely noticeable reaction. In this case, you must determine the portion and frequency that works for you. Keep in mind, it may be hard to control yourself around these low-grade trigger foods. If you create a plan and stick with it, you can enjoy them without symptoms. In contrast, if you find that you’re eating too much of these and causing yourself symptoms, it’s time to go back to mostly green foods. Remember, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Just focus on making the best decision you can today, and WATCH YOUR CRAVINGS. These are your biggest triggers of all.
Make Commitment to Self to Minimize Triggers
Once you start to make progress, don’t get lost in the fantasies about trigger foods. This is always a recipe for disaster. Remember, during the first few months of the elimination diet, you are reconditioning your immune system and restoring your gut health. To fully heal, you must have these triggering episodes far and few between. Keep in mind that anytime you have a reaction, it will slow down the process of healing. If it becomes hard to stick to these foods, ask for strength from your higher power. I know it can be a difficult transition, but if you stick it out, your preferences will eventually change.
Important of Food Rotation and Variance
The only foods you want to be eating every day are the ones on the green list. Otherwise, you want to have a rotation for anything on the yellow, orange, or red list. The reason is, if you eat these foods too often you can develop a sensitivity to them. If you REALLY enjoy them, it is best to keep them at a distance. Even though it’s best to live on mostly green foods, you still want the other foods here and there. The reason is that more variance in plant fiber leads to a more diverse gut microbiome. This then leads to a stronger immune system and a healthier you.
Stick with Plan and Observe Any Symptom Shifts
If you are eating the right foods, you should not have any worsening of symptoms after consuming them. In addition, you should not see your symptoms go up and down throughout the day. If you are still experiencing symptom flares, you must look closely at the correlations. If your body flares within a couple of hours after eating, there has to be a food or ingredient that is setting you off. Remember, the foods that you crave are the ones that are hidden triggers. Also, any food that you have a tough time controlling the consumption of is likely to be a trigger. Pay attention to the way you feel about the foods you are eating. This will help you distinguish what is good for you and what isn’t.
Avoid Trigger Foods for as Long as Needed
If you notice you are sensitive to a specific food, it should be avoided for at least three months. In some cases, it can take up to three years if it was eaten a lot. Typically, the more often the food was consumed, the longer you have to avoid it to no longer react. This is why things like gluten, oats, dairy, nuts, eggs, are the most common triggers. Not only are they eaten daily, but they have complex proteins which are hard to break down. I know this may be hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Just find a substitute and trust me, within a few weeks you’ll adjust.
Frequently Asked Questions – The Elimination Diet
Why do people have food sensitivities?
People develop sensitivities to foods they can’t break down well. The protein molecule in the food leaks into the bloodstream which forces the immune system to remove it. Once the immune system removes the food protein, it then creates an antibody to it. Next time the food comes into the body, the immune system attacks it like it is a threat. This whole process can be avoided by consuming mostly plants that are easier to digest, and eating a wide variety of foods in a rotation.
Why start with only the foods you listed?
The hypoallergenic foods I listed have the simplest protein structures possible, making them easy to digest and unlikely to produce sensitivity reactions. In contrast, something like gluten is likely to produce a sensitivity reaction because the protein molecule is difficult to break down. When you have a compromised gut, complex proteins like this must be avoided to heal the gut. In terms of meat, it is best to avoid it while initially creating your hypoallergenic diet. The reason is, it’s the hardest of all foods to break down. After eliminating it for a few weeks, you can add it back in small portions here and there.
How long until you start to notice benefits?
If you really stick to the elimination diet, you can start to notice benefits within 10 days. Despite this, I wouldn’t think of the elimination diet as a short-term thing. Think of it as a learning experience to determine which foods truly agree with your body. The longer you go without triggering your immune system, the better you will feel. At any point if you start to feel worse, you have to ask yourself what did you eat. This will help you identify which foods alter your mood, energy, symptoms, or behavior.
Can this be helpful for any chronic condition?
The elimination diet has been shown to be effective for various conditions. This is because food sensitivities can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Depending upon the person’s weakness, food sensitivity may trigger different symptoms. For example, one person may get a migraine because of their history, and another person may get eczema. You never know how much progress you can make with food alone until you implement the elimination diet properly.
How do I get protein on a plant-based diet?
There are plenty of plant-based proteins that can be a good substitute. My favorites are beans, lentils, tofu, cruciferous vegetables, flax meal, veggie burgers, and more. The key point to remember is that your own gut bacteria can produce all of your essential amino acids if you give them enough fiber and glucose. Trust me, you don’t want to emphasize protein in your diet over the long term. This eventually causes stress on the body. To be healthy, you want to consume mostly high-fiber plants and complex carbohydrates. Protein is highly overrated and destructive to the body in excess. Learn more about the protein myth in this podcast.
Conclusion- Elimination Diet Helpful Across the Board
The elimination diet is the one diet that has shown benefits across various conditions. This has been demonstrated scientifically with conditions like histamine intolerance, IBS, ADHD, autism, chronic migraines, and plenty more. Though the elimination process may be intimidating, trust me, the results outweigh the sacrifice. The last thing you want to do is eat a food that is triggering you every day for months on end.
Do you think this diet can help you? If so, it’s time to jump in with no hesitation. It took me years to finally get the courage to do it myself, and I could not be more thankful that I did. Symptoms that I couldn’t shake for decades disappeared within weeks. The reality is, if I hadn’t tried the elimination diet, I would have still been suffering today.
If you are having a tough time implementing the elimination diet, get in touch. I am willing to help, if you are willing to make the changes.
Happy healing everyone!
Matt Nedin
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
EndSickness, Founder
Phone: (734) 846-8619
WhatsApp: +17348468619
Email: endsickness@gmail.com
