There are many children and adults who suffer from food allergies and
intolerances but are unaware of their problem. Just a few examples of
symptoms are aching joints, eczema, migraines, lack of energy and stiff joints.
Children can be hyperactive, needy, aggressive, unruly, suffer from ADHD
and much more.
The elimination diet is
used to determine which foods and additives are affecting the body negatively.
First, you exclude foods that potentially cause reactions. Then you begin
to reintroduce one food at a time. This enables you to determine exactly
which item your body reacts to. It is very common for someone to feel
almost one hundred percent better within a week of eliminating all common
allergens. Many people have become so used to feeling bad that they can't
believe how wonderful they feel after the first week of the elimination diet.
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Following the elimination diet takes time and can be difficult - but in the
end, it may completely change you or your child's life. As with all health
issues, you must seek the advice of your physician before any form of
elimination diet begins. This is especially true with children - always
follow this diet with the strict guidance of your pediatrician. Since
there are many variations of the elimination diet, it is important for your
physician to choose the right one for you.
A Basic Elimination Diet
There are different schools of thought on which
foods you should eliminate initially in this diet. You should eliminate
the foods you eat most frequently, as well as common allergens and all food
additives and dyes. A minority of people suffer from multiple food
sensitivities. These people will need to follow strict avoidance of almost
every food they normally eat. But for most people, it is common practice
to eliminate the most common culprits - dairy, eggs, wheat, citrus fruits,
chocolate, soy, peanuts, yeast and additives.
Unprocessed turkey, pork, duck, goose, lamb, turkey, rabbit, millet,
vegetables, potatoes, rice if you do not eat this often, apples, bananas,
grapes, chickpeas, beans, herbal teas, vegetable oil. Do not eat one thing
every day - for instance, if you eat turkey on Monday, do not eat it on Tuesday.
It may take up to a week to feel good. You may begin by feeling
symptoms of withdrawal - but stick with it and you will soon feel better.
Introduction of Foods -(Never introduce a food you have been positively
tested for as an allergy):
After you have felt good for two days, introduce one new food. This
food should be something that you eat fairly rarely and is probably not a
problem for you. If after 48 hours you have not felt any symptoms such as
intestinal trouble, rash, irritability, headache and so forth, eat two portions
of this food the following day. If you have no negative symptoms, have it
one more time the next day. If you are fine with this food, wait a few
days and then begin to eat it in your regular diet. Follow with another
food in the same manner, and then another.
As you begin to introduce more allergenic foods, proceed in the following
order. You can add other foods you chose to avoid in addition to this
list:
Milk
Cheese
Orange
Lemon
Yeast
Mushrooms
Wheat
Eggs
Beef
Rice
Chicken
Peanuts
Always keep notes on what you have eaten, when and how you felt. This
documentation will be an invaluable tool in helping you to look back and
determine which foods cause negative symptoms in your body. If followed
closely, the elimination diet can help you to feel better than you have ever
felt before, and will uncover food reactions you had not recognized previously.
Bibliography:
Food Allergies and Food Intolerance, Brostoff, Jonathan, M.D. and Gamlin,
Linda, Healing Arts Press, 2000.
