An elimination diet is a temporary protocol to help people identify their food triggers. It involves eliminating foods or food additives for a minimum of 3 weeks followed by a strategic reintroduction phase to see if those foods are contributing to your symptoms. The elimination diet is considered the gold standard for identifying food sensitivities and intolerances.

Potential Benefits of the Elimination Diet

Reduces inflammation
Reduces toxin burden
Identifies food sensitivities, intolerances and triggers
Promotes body awareness of food
Promotes a healthful eating pattern
and more

While an elimination diet is not intended to reduce caloric intake, it is restrictive in nature and IS NOT a forever diet. Restricting the diet for too long is associated with negative changes in gut health and a negative relationship with food.

Food Sensitivities vs Food Intolerances

Food sensitivities and intolerances affect at least 20% of people. However, many are often unaware of their food sensitivities and intolerances, so the number is likely much higher.

Food sensitivities and intolerances can cause a wide range of symptoms including

Constipation
Diarrhea
Wheezing
Headaches
Joint and muscle pain
Eczema
Bloating

Food sensitivities and intolerances are associated with a wide range of health conditions including:

Gastrointestinal
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Intestinal Permeability

Immune/Inflammation
- Autoimmune Disease
- Asthma
- Skin inflammation
- Myalgias
Mood Disorders
- Depression
- ADHD
Headaches & Migraines
& More

Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities often produce a delayed reaction that can occur several hours to 3 days after ingesting the food. The reaction can be ‘dose-dependent’, meaning a reaction may or may not occur based on dose. The response can also occur cumulatively making it challenging to diagnose and understand.

Food Intolerances

A food intolerance usually triggers symptoms within 30 minutes to 3 hours of ingesting the food and can be ‘dose-dependent’. Food intolerances may be from a lack of an enzyme (think lactose intolerance) or a deeper-rooted issue (ie: SIBO, dysbiosis, leaky gut, infection).

Identifying Food Intolerances & Sensitivities

The Elimination Diet

The elimination diet involves an elimination period, where we eliminate likely-problematic foods, followed by a reintroduction phase where we reintroduce them back into the diet one by one. During the reintroduction phase, we must reintroduce each food individually for a period of 72 hours, to give the body enough time to produce a reaction. If the food triggers a reaction, leave it out of the diet and move on to the next food. If it does not produce symptoms, then bring it back into the diet and move on to the next food.

Duration

The elimination phase must be done for at least 3 weeks and, I recommend, no longer than 6. There are different types of elimination diets. The one that is most appropriate for you depends on your symptoms.

Examples include:

Comprehensive Elimination Diet
- Remove Corn, Sesame, Soy, Peanuts, Gluten/Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Caffeine, Alcohol, Added Sugar, Red Meat, Pork
- Eliminates the most common food triggers and foods that may cause inflammation
Basic Elimination Diet
- Remove Corn, Sesame, Soy, Peanuts, Gluten/Wheat, Dairy, Eggs
- Eliminates the most common food triggers.
Low Histamine Diet
- Limit foods high in histamines. This includes alcohol and other fermented beverages, yogurt, saurkraut, kombucha, dried fruits, avocados, eggplant, spinach, processed or smoked meats, and fish & shellfish.
- Recommended for people with symptoms of allergies or migraines.
Nightshades Elimination Diet
- This includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, mushrooms, and peppers.
- Recommended for people with autoimmune symptoms/ conditions
Low FODMAP Diet
- This allows only foods in amounts that are considered low in FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols).
- Recommended for people with IBS

I recommend working with a healthcare provider to navigate the elimination diet, since it is complex, and restrictive. If you are currently chronically constipated, pregnant, or have/had an eating disorder, please check with a healthcare provider before trying the elimination diet.

Are Food Triggers Permanent?

Some food reactions occur due to dysbiosis, blood sugar dysregulation, or leaky gut, for example. This means that food sensitivities and intolerances aren’t always life-long, and may go away if we address the root-cause.

While working with someone to address the root cause, it is recommended to eliminate the problematic food temporarily while implementing strategies to heal the gut. After allowing sufficient time to heal the gut, we can then reintroduce food back in to see if it can be tolerated again. This is typically after 3-6 months.

Identifying Food Sensitivities & Intolerances with the Elimination Diet