Elimination Diet Protocol

The goal of an elimination diet is to reduce inflammation, detox the digestive system, and reset our gut. Once we have healed our system, we can begin reintroducing foods to see what triggers an inflammatory response. Symptoms can vary widely. The common ones include: stomach or bowel inflammation, headaches, hives, itching, concentration problems, brain fog, unusual tiredness, or flu-like aches.

The first 3 days will be the hardest so keep that in mind and make sure to plan out your meals and have some extra food prepped. Eat simply and cook simply – don’t try to overcomplicate things. Try to eat a good variety of foods, especially vegetables and try not to exceed 3 cups of fruit per day.

This is not a weight loss program, you do NOT need to track what you are eating but you should make a point to journal how you are feeling, the good and bad! This is especially important when we start reintroducing foods.

Not only is it important to eliminate inflammatory foods but also inflammatory cooking devices and utensils. Here is a link to my favorite affordable and non-toxic cookware: CAROTE COOKWARE

ELIMINATION PHASE

Along with the diet portion here are a few other things we will do to help heal the gut:

• 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar w/ cup of water before big meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) OR (since this isn’t the most palatable) you can take an ACV capsule before each big meal OR get a digestive enzyme that has betaine HCL and take before each big meal.

• Digestive Enzyme before big meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) – I recommend the brand Pure Encapsulations, they have some with and without betaine HCL depending on your preference.

• Chew your food at least 10 times before you swallow!

• Daily Probiotic – look for a spore-based probiotic

WHAT CAN/CAN’T YOU EAT?

NO gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, shellfish, corn or corn byproducts, eggs, nightshades, fatty/processed meats, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, poor quality oils, any foods that cause a known reaction.

YES! You can have ALL of this! Except if any of them cause a known reaction to you! In which case, they should also be eliminated.

MEATS: Try to seek out pastured/grass fed sources

• Beef

• Bison

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Duck

• Fish (wild caught)

• Lamb

• Pork (not cured)

• Wild Game

• Water-packed canned tuna (watch for soy)

• Offal

• Bone broth

VEGETABLES: NO Nightshades

• Arugula

• Asparagus

• Avocado

• Beets

• Bok Choy

• Broccoli

• Brussel Sprouts

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Carrot

• Celery

• Chard

• Chives

• Choy Sum

• Cucumber

• Endive

• Ginger

• Green Onion

• Herbs

• Lettuce

• Olives

• Onions

• Okra

• Parsnip

• Kabocha Squash

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Mushrooms

• Radish

• Rutabaga

• Seaweed

• Spinach

• Squash

• Sweet potatoes

• Water Chestnuts

• Yams

• Zucchini

FRUITS:

• Apple

• Apricot

• Banana

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Cantaloupe

• Cherries

• Coconut

• Cranberries

• Dates

• Dragon Fruit

• Grapes

• Grapefruit

• Kiwi

• Lemon (limit)

• Lime (limit)

• Mango

• Nectarine

• Papaya

• Passionfruit

• Peaches

• Pear

• Pineapple

• Prunes

• Raisins

• Raspberry

• Rhubarb

• Star fruit

• Strawberry

GRAINS/NUTS/SEEDS:

• Arrowroot

• Amaranth

• Baking Soda

• Brazil nuts

• Buckwheat

• Cassava Flour

• Chai seeds

• Coconut flour

• Flax Seeds

• Millet

• Walnuts

• Quinoa

• Rice – brown preferred

• Rice Flour

• Tapioca

• Teff

OILS/FATS:

• Avocado oil

• Grass fed ghee

• Flax seed oil

• Olive oil

• Coconut oil

DAIRY SUBSTITUTES:

• Rice milk

• Coconut milk

SPICES/HERBS/VINEGARS:

• Apple Cider

• Balsamic vinegar

• Basil

• Black pepper

• Cinnamon

• Cloves

• Cumin

• Dandelion

• Dill

• Dry mustard

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Nutmeg

• Oregano

• Parsley

• Red wine vinegar

• Rice vinegar

• Rosemary

• Sage

• Sea salt

• Tarragon

• Thyme

• Turmeric

• Pure vanilla extract

CEREALS/PASTAS/SNACKS

• Cream of rice

• Puffed Rice

• Puffed Millet

• Rice Pasta

• Rice crackers or cakes (check additives)

SWEETENERS

• Agave nectar

• Pure Honey

• Molasses

• Pure Maple Syrup

• Rice Syrup

BEVERAGES/TEAS

• Herbal teas without additives or stevia

• Water

LIFESTYLE

• Limit or eliminate unnecessary (not prescribed by a doctor) medications such as NSAID’s and PPI’s.

• Limit plastic use and try to use natural products (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, lotions)

• Drink 100 oz of water daily

• Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep. Make sure your room is dark and cold and no electronics an hour before bed

• Do 30 minutes of stress relieving activity daily. This can be anything from watching a cooking show to stretching to meditation to playing guitar. Just find something to do that is not stressful and eases your mind.

• Do 30 minutes of walking/activity daily. Try to keep this low impact.

• Get outside for 30 minutes daily to get some fresh air and vitamin D.

REINTRODUCTION PHASE

How long before you should reintroduce foods? The answer is, it depends. However, the minimum time you should stay in the elimination phase is 21 days. You should work with a coach to best determine this and how to go about reintroducing foods. Below is the way that I suggest reintroductions.

After 21-30 days on ELIMINATION phase, you may begin reintroducing foods in stages, slowly over a 3-day period as follows:

Day one = Small amount of ONE food at one meal – journal reaction.

Day two = If no symptoms, double amount – journal reaction

Day three = If no symptoms, double amount again – journal reaction

*Only add food back if it did not cause any symptoms, otherwise remove it again (forever or at least until the end of elimination diet).

STAGE 1 FOODS

• Egg yolks

• High quality seed and nut oils (sesame or almond)

• Legumes with edible pods (green beans, scarlet runner beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, etc.)

STAGE 2 FOODS

• Seeds and nuts

• Occasional coffee and caffeinated teas

• Egg whites

• Oranges

• Cocoa

• Grass-fed butter

STAGE 3 FOODS

• Bell/Sweet peppers

• Coffee and caffeinated teas

• Paprika

• Eggplant

• Grass-fed cream

• Fermented dairy

• lentils, split peas, and garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)

STAGE 4 FOODS

• Chili peppers and nightshade spices

• Tomatoes

• Potatoes

• Grass fed whole milk and cheese

• Alcohol in small quantities

• Gluten-free grains (corn, oats, etc.)

• Traditionally prepared or fermented legumes

• Shellfish

STAGE 5 FOODS

• Foods you are allergic to or have a history of strong reactions to

Good luck and feel free to reach out with any questions you might have! liz@cognition-nutrition.com