I’ve been thinking about a conversation that I had recently with a friend. It reminded me of the power of an elimination diet. Now as someone that loves food, strict diets never appealed to me. However, I decided to try an elimination diet as part of a 28 day workout challenge that literally changed my life nearly a decade ago.
What is an elimination diet? During an elimination diet, a food or group of foods is removed from your diet for a set period of time. Then you reintroduce each food back into your diet one at a time to see how your body reacts. The key here is to pay attention to your body. Some reactions can take a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few days to become noticeable. My husband's sinuses almost immediately take a turn for worst after he consumes gluten. My digestion is affected within hours of consuming dairy while my skin takes a few days to breakout. Everyone is different.
What is the purpose of an elimination diet? For me, it opened my eyes to a food sensitivity that I was totally unaware of. Which literally put an end to acne that I had struggled with since high school. As well as terrible menstrual cramps that I had been told were “normal” as a female. Not to mention a list of other digestive symptoms that I had thought until that time were just a normal part of life. FYI - gas, bloating, constipation, etc….all your body trying to let you know that it’s struggling to digest what you are consuming.
What foods are typically eliminated during an elimination diet? Those specifics can vary. The elimination diet that I followed removed gluten, dairy, add sugars, processed grains, & alcohol for 28 days. According to the National Institutes of Health, the six most frequently implicated food allergens are milk, eggs, soy, wheat, nuts, including tree nuts and peanuts, and fish, including shellfish. Typically, an elimination diet can range from four to six weeks.
When I saw and felt the results of that elimination diet, I had a whole new understanding and respect for my body. That was my first glimpse into the true power the food choices. For more information on elimination diets and how they can help, you can click here. |
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