The modified elimination diet to put an end to inflammation!

teacup wrote:A modified elimination diet removes every possible allergen/inflammation-causing food, for a few weeks then you re-introduce foods and see if you notice inflammation.

Has anyone gone on an elimination diet?

What do you'all think of this one: http://www.ecopolitan.com/health-services/eco-healing/214-modified-elimination-diet

It removes every "possible" thing, for instance you have oranges, coffee, chocolate, butter and eggs as foods to avoid (food i did not usually think of as inflammatory, but for some people they are).

Code:

http://nutritiondata.self.com

Code:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2446/2

A true elimination diet is very rigorous and needs to be implemented under the direction of a physician often in consultation with a dietitian or nutritionist. For the elimination diet to be useful, the patient must follow the diet strictly. Cheating invalidates the results

For 2–3 weeks, a person on the elimination diet eats only the following foods (This list may be modified by the physician):

* grains: rice and rice products, sago, tapioca, buckwheat products, millet products
* proteins: veal, lamb, chicken, turkey, rabbit, tuna, bream, whiting, dried peas, lentils
* fruit: peeled pears, peeled apples, pawpaw
* vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, parsley, bamboo shoots, celery, cabbage
* sweeteners and seasonings: sugar, maple syrup, sunflower oil, safflower oil, salt, garlic
* beverages: water, fresh pear juice

The individual must avoid all medicines containing aspirin (salicylates) and food colorings. After several weeks on these restricted foods, one new food is introduced in larger than normal amounts. This is the challenge food, and it is eaten for three days in a row. If no symptoms appear, the dieter continues to eat that food in normal amounts and adds another challenge food. If symptoms appear, the challenge food is stopped immediately and no new challenge food is introduced until symptoms disappear. During this time the dieter keeps a food journal, writing down everything that is eaten and any symptoms, either physical or emotional, that appear. It can take 2 to 3 months to work through all challenge foods.

Modified elimination diets are used to diagnose and treat food allergies and sensitivities, according to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC). A modified elimination diet is a process that can take several weeks or months to produce results. This type of diet should only be done under the supervision of a physician due to the number of foods that are restricted.

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Foods should be eliminated for a minimum of two weeks without exception. The UWHC says reading food labels and ingredient lists are essential during this phase of the diet because whole foods and foods with eliminated ingredients should be restricted. Allergy symptoms should be monitored and may worsen during the first few days of the diet before they improve, according to the UWHC.

Challenge

Challenging the diet involves reintroducing restricted foods after two weeks of total avoidance. During the challenge phase, new foods are added back to the diet every three days, according to the UWHC. Foods should be added in small amounts while allergy symptoms are carefully monitored. The UWHC says if a food does not cause symptoms, it probably isn't an allergen or problem food. Foods that worsen allergy symptoms should be avoided for at least four to six months before being retested or restricted indefinitely. Test foods should only be added one at a time. After a food has been tested, it should be re-removed from the diet before the next food is introduced even if it does not produce symptoms of an allergy.

You may experience withdrawal symptoms and strong cravings during the first week or two on the diet. Paradoxically, withdrawal and cravings are also symptoms of food allergy. After a few weeks of elimination, cravings for the offending foods will disappear. Cravings are not related to nutritional factors. Foods allowed on this diet are highly nutritious, although inconvenient, and this diet is fully adequate to support good health.

This dietary elimination program will help to uncover what you may be reacting to, often without suspecting it. Favorite foods that you think are needed for wellbeing may surprisingly be causing symptoms of illness. After a period of avoidance, the immune system can develop tolerance to previously reactive foods. Throughout life, this type of food program can help to develop a long-term food plan that minimizes symptoms—with periodic modification and least disruption to lifestyle.

By eliminating yeast from the body with antifungal medicines and remaining on this diet for several months, previously reactive foods may subsequently be tolerated. (Although allergies to wheat, corn, milk, chocolate, cola, sugar and chemical additives may remain fixed, if used more than occasionally. An effective program is to take medications to reduce the yeast burden in the body while following this diet, and then continue on the diet for an additional month after those medications are stopped. That will allow the immune system to rest and recover some reserve. Reducing yeast lowers a fixed cause of immune stress, allowing more reserve and better tolerance for other things. Eliminated foods can subsequently be added back, one at a time, carefully observing for recurrence of allergic symptoms. Gluten grains (especially wheat), corn, and dairy products should be withheld until last, because long-term fixed allergies to those items are common.

It is not necessary to eat everything allowed, only to avoid everything not allowed. In addition to the instructions below, avoid anything that you previously ate more than once each week, even if otherwise allowed. For example, if you crave bananas and eat them frequently, eliminate them. And if you snack regularly on almonds, eliminate them too. If you suspect sensitivity to any of the allowed foods, eliminate those as well. Every person is different and there is a wide variability in tolerance.