Elimination Diet

In the past I have had a number of allergy and intolerance tests done, but the results have always been a little different.  Completing this elimination diet is my way of getting to the bottom of what works for me and what doesn’t.

When I was in middle school, I had stomach issues on and off for years.  As the stomach issues increased more and more and soon I found myself actually coughing up blood.  The doctors ordered a scope and sent a camera in to my stomach to have a look around.  The test did not give us a conclusive answer and it was not until my Mom suggested that I get allergy tested that we find the cause.   My Mom was severely allergic to animals, chocolate, strawberries and more as a child and ended up taking allergy shots for years to get over them.  Like Mother, like Daughter, it turned out that I had severe allergies to milk, eggs, wheat, rye, peppers and mushrooms and that was causing my symptoms.  I went off those foods for roughly a year and then slowly ,one by one, started adding them back into my diet.

Fast forward 20 years and here I am again, trying to get to the bottom of my health issues. Over the past few years I have done a few allergy and intolerance tests but each time the results were a little different. See below:

2/12/18 – The Allergy and Asthma Center

7/26/19 – The Allergy and Asthma Center

1/6/20 – MaxWell Clinic Results

At the beginning of my journey to health, in April of 2019, my Primary Care Physician suggested I complete an elimination diet to see if any foods were triggering my shortness of breath and sinus congestion.  At the time I was feeling so rough, internally knew that my issues were not just allergies and was so busy with work that I could not devote the time necessary to complete a true elimination diet. 

12 weeks post-op and I was feeling significantly better having removed the tumor from my chest, but I was still having stomach, allergy, breathing and digestive issues.  After much consideration I finally decided to commit to a true elimination diet.  I researched different methods for tackling this big task and then created a schedule that worked for me.  For those of you that are not familiar with this an elimination diet is: a procedure used to identify foods that may be causing an adverse effect in a person, in which all suspected foods are excluded from the diet and then reintroduced one at a time.

Click here to view / print my elimination diet guidebook.

I spent 48 days studying my body, documenting the foods I was consuming, studying ingredient labels on everyday foods and notating changes I was seeing and feeling over time.  I am honestly amazed at how good I feel, how much better my skin looks and how much more energy I have throughout the day.  I found a number of foods that my body did not love.  Some of these I knew about and some were a surprise to me.  I plan to continue my new healthy lifestyle and will periodically try foods that I have taken off my list to see how they make me feel in the future.

My Elimination Diet Journey

Day 1

July 22^nd, 2020 – 196lbs – Issues:  Trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, lack of energy, heartburn, headaches, constant need to clear my throat, facial acne, small rashes on my upper arms.

The first two weeks are the absolute toughest.  During this time, you are eliminating the major foods that can cause physical symptoms.  These include: Citrus fruits, Nightshade vegetables, Nuts and seeds, Legumes, Starchy foods, Meat and fish, Dairy products, Fats, Beverages, Spices and condiments, Sugar and sweets.  Now if you are like me and you read that for the first time you think, what is left?! That is everything I eat!  I was shocked by this list and honestly think it is why it has taken me so long to commit to it.  To make these seem less scary, here is a list of foods that you CAN EAT during those first two weeks:

Avocado, Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries,  Black Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Apples, Grapes, Acai, Pineapple, Pears, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Honeydew,  Cucumbers, Celery, Carrots, Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Spaghetti Squash, Squash, Onion, Sweet Potato, Beets, Peaches, Banana, Salad, Rice, Turkey, Salmon, Coconut Milk, Coconut Oil, Water, Herbal Teas, Rice Cakes, Kale Chips, Vegetable Broth, Olive Oil

See, not that terrible when you look at all those great options! 

Those first two weeks are your detox weeks, so be prepared for detox side effects.  The biggest foods that your body is going to have trouble letting go of is caffeine and sugar.  It is easy get addicted to caffeine and sugar, and a new study even says that caffeine can cause us to crave sweets.  Wild.  Normally, I would have a cup of coffee in the morning and then drink black unsweet tea throughout the day.  I would also consume ice cream or popcorn at night.  My boyfriend and I definitely like to indulge with desserts at restaurants as well.  I didn’t think that I over consumed caffeine or sweets, but my body felt very differently. 

The first 7 days of detox I was extremely exhausted.  I would end up taking a midday nap because I could not physically keep my eyes open.  I was still having trouble getting a good night sleep, but slowly that started to get better.  By the 8^th day I was going to sleep around 10:30pm, sleeping all night and then waking up with my alarm at 7:30am.  Sticking to a routine is crucial for consistent sleep and I have been sleeping like a baby ever since!  As I mentioned in my last post, I recommend the Calm app and the Sleep Cycle app to help you fall asleep and maintain a schedule.

The first 9 days of the detox I had terrible headaches every day.  I did a little research and learned caffeine causes your blood vessels in the brain to constrict, which slows blood flow.  Reducing or stopping caffeine intake allows blood vessels to open up and increases blood flow to the brain.  This sudden change in blood flow can cause these painful withdrawal headaches.  Fascinating.

Another very important note for this diet is to track your calories and nutrition through an app like MyFitnessPal.  During those first few days I was not sure what I could eat and ended up consuming less than 1000 calories a day.  Once I started using this app, I made sure to eat at least 1200 calories a day and I paid close attention to my protein and vitamin intake daily.  Vegetables actually have a good amount of protein in them, so once I was being cognisant of it, it was much easier.

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