When I got clean from drug addiction at 20 years old, I did not have the resources to heal with all the tests that are out there so I did an elimination diet. Here is how I did it, and this is why I am free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, peanuts, hydrogenated oils, refined sugars and artificial ingredients.
Stop eating all common allergen or sensitive foods for about three weeks. This would include gluten, dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, citrus fruits, hydrogenated oils, and added sugars. Sometimes people have to also eliminate alcohol, caffeine and vegetables from the nightshade family. Removing foods is the key step in an elimination diet, as you will begin to figure out unknown allergies or sensitivities. During this time, carefully read food labels to make sure you’re really avoiding even trace amounts of these foods. This will come in handy when you begin reintroducing the foods later on.
After three weeks, reintroduce one food group at a time. Eat the suspicious food daily if you can for about one to two weeks, and record your symptoms. Notice any changes in symptoms between the elimination phase and the reintroduction phase. If symptoms return after beginning to eat one of the suspicious foods, you can confirm that this food is a trigger by eliminating it once again. The goal is to see if the symptoms clear up once again when the food is removed. You can see that the process is a bit of trial and error, but it shouldn’t take more than four to six weeks to pinpoint foods that can finally improve your symptoms for good.
If you do have the resources there are a lot of tests to do to make this process quicker and easier, but remember that not all tests can decipher what’s going on in your body like your intuition. Food allergy testing is the best choice, and very easy to get done at your local chiropractor or medical professional.
