A beginner's guide to Elimination Diets

Fad detox diets and cleanses have been rightfully criticized by professionals lately, but there is some value in "cleaning up" your nutritional intake.  A carefully planned elimination diet can help reveal food sensitivities and kickstart stubborn fat loss.

If you are experiencing any unwanted symptoms such as skin rashes or breakouts, joint pain, headaches or migraines, difficulty breathing, or weight gain around the middle it could be caused by a food intolerance.  An elimination diet is an easy and affordable way to uncover hidden intolerances without having to pay for an expensive food sensitivity test.

The process is fairly simple.  You'll start by removing the foods people are most commonly sensitive to, as well as the foods that are the hardest to digest and cause the most inflammation:

Remove these foods from your diet for three weeks.  During this time focus on consuming whole, nutrient dense foods, such as meat, vegetables and fruit.  Stay away from processed and packaged foods that contain additives and artificial sweeteners. This may be difficult at first, especially if you are used to snacking on packaged foods and indulging in your favorite dessert nightly.  One of my favorite meals during an elimination diet is lettuce wrap "tacos".  They're quick and easy to make for when you're starving or in a hurry.  (See recipe below.)

After three weeks, slowly begin to reintroduce one food at a time.  The most common sensitivities, gluten, dairy, corn, soy and eggs are good to start with.  On day one of the reintroduction, consume a small amount of the food three times throughout the day.  On days two and three, do not consume the food but watch for any delayed adverse reactions to the food.  A good idea is to keep a journal to track any possible symptoms.  If there are no adverse reactions, feel free to add that food back in to your diet.  If you do experience any unwanted side effects, eliminate that food from your diet for the next three to six months before you try it again.  On day four, add back in another food following the same guidelines.  It will look something like this:

Possible signs of a food intolerance include, but are not limited to:

By eliminating foods you are sensitive to, you may experience positive side effects in your health such as more energy throughout the day (no mid-afternoon crashes) and better mental clarity.  I will warn you though… you may not be pleased with all of the results.  People most often find the foods they crave the most are the ones they are sensitive to.  During my first elimination diet I discovered sugar keeps me up at night and alcohol increases my anxiety.  This wasn't exactly great news for my 23-year-old chocolate-loving self.  On the upside, my sleep improved which lead to better energy throughout the day and I lost the few pounds I'd been struggling to lose over the previous year.

Lettuce wrap tacos:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add your preferred cooking oil (I recommend coconut oil) with chopped peppers, onion, jicama and any other vegetables you choose and season with onion powder, garlic and ginger.  After about five minutes add in ground beef and break it up allowing the meat to cook until brown all the way through.  Other options could include ground turkey, or precooked grilled chicken. Add fresh squeezed limejuice and cilantro before removing the mixture from the pan.  Serve in romaine lettuce leaves or butter lettuce "cups".  Garnish with scallions, sliced cabbage or a homemade guacamole or salsa.

Veronica McNelis is a guest contributor on our Sports Doc blog. For more information, contact Veronica at veronica.mcnelis@gmail.com or visit her website at veronicamcnelis.com.

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