Try An Elimination Diet For Unexplained Symptoms
Do you ever feel like something is off with your body but can’t put your finger on it? You may have a food intolerance or sensitivity. If you are experiencing digestive discomfort, aches, pains, or headaches, you might be experiencing reactions to food you eat. The best way to confirm that is to try an elimination diet.
You’ll start by removing certain foods from your diet — the foods that are well-known for causing symptoms. Then, you’ll reintroduce the foods you eliminate one at a time and take note of any symptoms. The full process takes about six weeks, and if you have a food sensitivity or intolerance, you’ll be able to see which food is causing your body distress so that you can avoid it.
The Way Elimination Diets Work
There are two phases to an elimination diet. The first is elimination, where you completely remove foods that could trigger the symptoms you’re experiencing for 2 to 3 weeks. Dairy, nuts, wheat, gluten, eggs, and seafood are commonly known allergens that should be eliminated.
After that, you’ll reintroduce the foods you eliminated one at a time. You’ll eat a couple servings of that particular food. Then observe your body’s response for 2 to 3 days.
Common symptoms of food sensitivities and intolerances are rashes or changes in the skin, pains in the joints, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, bloating, and stomach pain or cramps. When you don’t have any symptoms after reintroducing a certain food group, you can safely continue to eat it. But if you notice these symptoms, you’ve found a trigger food and can now work to keep it out of your diet.
Continue to reintroduce eliminated foods one at a time to identify any trigger foods.
How Elimination Diets Help
When you consume foods that cause a reaction in your body, your immune system mounts an attack. Repeatedly eating those foods prompts ongoing immune response, which causes ongoing inflammation that can lead to other issues.
It can significantly benefit you to determine if something you’re eating is to blame for the way you feel. Those that eliminate foods that cause reactions start feeling better within days, and in weeks, they can feel completely reborn.
Benefits include:
- Your uncomfortable bloating will dissipate.
- Your skin will look radiant and healthy.
- You won’t need coffee to give you energy in the morning.
- You may lose weight naturally by ridding any problem foods from your diet.
- You may experience less menstrual discomfort (and who doesn’t want less pain?)
Food intolerances and sensitivities are more common than you think. If you uncover some intolerances or sensitivities, know that you are not alone. Knowing which foods set you off is a valuable asset. Choosing an elimination diet can help you find out what’s going on with your body and take steps to restore balance.
