Do you think you may have a food allergy but you aren’t sure? Maybe you are experiencing fatigue, skin flare-ups, mood swings, asthma, arthritis, or nutrient deficiencies, but you are reluctant to medicate.
An elimination diet is a short-term eating plan that is a great starting point for pinpointing what food, if any, may be causing your symptoms.
Most elimination diets cut out all common allergens, including:
-gluten
-dairy
-soy
-refined/added sugar
-peanuts
-corn
-alcohol
-eggs, in some cases
-packaged, processed or fast foods
So how do you go about starting an elimination diet?
Follow these steps:
-Stop eating all of the common allergens from the food list for at least three weeks.
-Be sure to read food labels carefully to make sure you’re really avoiding even trace amounts of these foods.
-Keep a food journal during this time to record how you’re feeling on a daily basis.
-At the three week mark, start to reintroduce one food group at a time. Eat the food daily for 1–2 weeks and record your symptoms, taking note of any changes in symptoms between the elimination and reintroduction phases.
-If symptoms return, you can confirm that this food is a trigger by eliminating it once again.
-The goal is to see if the symptoms clear up when the food is removed a second time.
This process can be somewhat lengthy, but it is a good way to pinpoint and remove foods that cause negative symptoms.
Try this incredible, simple meal that is a great, elimination diet approved recipe:
Ingredients
-1 cup brown rice, rinsed well
-2 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
-1 15oz. can kidney beans, rinsed
-1 tsp cumin, plus more to sprinkle on top
-1 tsp salt
-2 avocados, sliced
-2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
-Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil
-Add 1 cup rice. Return to boil, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed
-Stir to fluff. Remove from heat and allow to stand for five minutes
-While the rice is still warm, mix in the kidney beans, salt, and cumin.
-Place some of the avocado slices and chopped green onions on top, and sprinkle with an additional dash of cumin.
-Enjoy!