When you realize that your digestion is much less than optimal and you feel terrible, it is time to do something about it.
I got to that point and started noticing that I had symptoms like gassiness, bloating, constipation, and sharp cramp-like pains that started happening a lot.
I knew I needed a reliable way to find out WHY this was happening and, more importantly, WHAT was causing my discomfort. That’s when I found out about the Elimination Diet.
The Elimination Diet is an approach to figuring out which foods you are sensitive to so that you can eat mindfully and keep your digestive symptoms at bay.
** Please note that this post may contain affiliate links which means that I can receive a small payment if you make a purchase through my links.
The gut is where the majority of your immune system is and is considered the “second brain” in your body, so it is important to keep it healthy and keep things running smoothly.
In the elimination diet, you start by eliminating common culprits of digestive upset and common food allergens.
You dial down your daily meals and snacks so that you are only eating real, nourishing foods that will not hurt your gut. In fact, you can begin to heal your gut with a proper elimination diet. The categories of food to eliminate are:
- Grains – The foundation of the Food Pyramid for decades, it has now been discovered that many people have a hard time digesting grains, including corn.
- Processed Foods – There are many toxic chemicals (like MSG, artificial colors, and flavorings) and other undesirable ingredients (like GMOs, trans fats, and HFCS) in processed food that can impede digestion and even cause disease.
- High Glycemic Foods – Large amounts of starches and added sugars can feed a bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and other gut dysbiosis problems.
- Gluten and Fructans – Found in many grains, gluten has been found to be one of the causes of leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune diseases. Fructans are found in FODMAPS (short-chain carbohydrates) and can also feed those bad bugs in your gut.
- Unrefined Oils – These can cause inflammation throughout your body.
- Feedlot Meats and Dairy – Meats and dairy from the conventional food system are full of hormones, antibiotics, and even poisons such as arsenic.
- Eggs, Peanuts, and Shellfish – All are common food allergens.
- Gut Irritants – Caffeine and alcohol can wreak havoc on your gut. Avoid these while you are healing.
There is a 3/3 guideline for adding foods back into your diet:
“Do not conclude a food causes symptoms, unless symptoms occur within 3 days of eating the food and occur consistently on 3 separate occasions after eating it.”
You will know, as you begin to add foods back in, what works and what doesn’t.
I suggest starting slow; give the diet a few weeks to work, and start adding foods back in one at a time.
If a food causes symptoms on 3 different occasions, you will know that you are sensitive to that food and to avoid it for a while and try again later.
Eventually you will come up with a plan that your body will love. Everyone is different and finding your own unique way of eating to feel good will change your life.
Many people go on an elimination diet and discover they feel so good and never go back to their regular diet again.
That’s what happened to me.
Everytime I tried to introduce allergens back into my diet I got awful cramps and other nasty symptoms so I now just stick to a healthy diet and feel SO much better for it.
I couldn’t find a diet to follow that was free from allergens, based on real food, had an abundance of leafy greens AND was calorie counted to help me lose weight.
So I developed my own diet!
My diet is called The Leaf System and I produce monthly meal plans to help you eliminate allergens and see what you’re intolerant to, but also to help you lose weight and feel better than you’ve ever felt.
You can get a month’s worth of FREE recipes that are delicious, made from scratch, quick to make AND calorie counted to help you lose weight. They are all gluten free, dairy free, processed food free and a choice of meat based or vegan meal plans.
Click here to get your FREE month’s meal plans.
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Hi Katherine,I just wanted to tell you I completed the 7 day detox and I feel so great.
I have lost 6lbs, do not feel like I need more my morning coffee, the flushing of my facial skin from rosacea has dramatically reduced and I am so excited to wake up each morning and make a green thickie for breakfast!!
I am a stay at-home, homeschooling momma of 3 littles and at times so busy I would forget to feed myself!
I would go most of the day without eating and then snack on random things.
I gained 60 pounds the last 6 years during pregnancy.
I have lost 30lbs but recently plateaued and have felt so frustrated.
I’ve tried everything from paleo and keto to the point where I didn’t know what to eat or how much and felt like even eating fruit was bad for me which thankfully it’s not!
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I’m so excited to continue another week with this plan! Thankful Stephanie
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