Elimination Diet

What is it?

An eating plan that omits a food or group of foods believed to cause an adverse food reaction, often referred to as a “food intolerance”
By removing certain foods for a period of time and then reintroducing them during a “challenge” period, you can learn which foods are causing/worsening symptoms
Most often, the foods you eat most often/struggle to give up are the foods you should try to avoid consuming

Top 10 FOODs that can contribute to inflammation include:

Elimination Diet Process
1. Prepare Yourself

Determine if this is a good time to undertake a major diet modification
2-4 wks is the timeframe you must commit to
If you accidentally eat one of the foods, you will have to restart the diet
Work with a healthcare practitioner to learn which foods might be causing problems
Keep a food tracker for a week, listing the foods you eat and keeping track of the symptoms you have throughout the day

*A complimentary food and symptom tracker is available for PHS Canada members

2. Take Action

Begin the elimination diet and follow it without any exceptions
Check ingredient labels so if, for example, you are avoiding dairy, you don’t eat anything with whey, casein or lactose in it
Eating out is not recommended unless the restaurant can provide you with a full ingredient list

3. Challenge

If your symptoms have not improved in 2 wks, continue the diet for an additional 2 wks
If your symptoms have not improved by the end of 4 wks, stop the diet and decide whether you would like to try the diet with a different combination of foods
If your symptoms have improved for at least 5 days, begin to challenge your body with the eliminated foods, one food at a time
Use the purest form of the food available
Add a new food back in every 3 days to ensure your symptoms have time to return if they are going to
Eat a small amount on day 1 of re-introduction, twice the amount on day 2, and an even larger portion on day 3, as some foods may be tolerated in small amounts
If a symptom returns, remove the food from the diet, make a note in the food tracker and place that food on the “allergic” list
If you are unsure if you reacted to a food, remove it from your diet and re-test it in 4-5 days
If a food does not cause symptoms, it is unlikely to be a problem food and can eventually be added back into your diet once you’ve completed the food challenges

Elimination Diet Calendar

4. Prepare your New Diet