ELIMINATION DIET:

THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, AND THE SURPRISING HEALTH PROBLEMS YOU MIGHT SOLVE
Ailments like asthma, migraines, mood disorders, and skin problems could be the result of a food sensitivity. Here’s how to suss it out.

FOOD SENSITIVITIES WREAK GI HAVOC TELLTALE SIGNS OF GI DYSFUNCTION

Eating foods you’re sensitive to can throw off gut bacteria and enzymes, • Constipation • Gas • Heartburn symptoms
causing vicious cycles of poor digestion, infection, and inflammation. • Loose stools or diarrhea • Bloating • Foul smelling stool
• Burning in stomach • Undigested food in stool • Nausea
• Bad breath
Decreased stomach acid
Rapid or delayed movement of food Unfortunately, being free of GI symptoms doesn’t mean you have no food sensitivities.
through digestive tract
Poor nutrient absorption
Damaged gut cells
UNHEALTHY GUT: A DOMINO EFFECT
Low immunity from invading pathogens
Problems in the GI tract can ultimately disturb hormonal, metabolic,
Microbial imbalance/infection
and immune functions, potentially leading to:
Decreased nutrient synthesis
Brain fog
Increased inflammatory proteins Asthma and allergies
Intestinal permeability Autoimmune disorders
Skin conditions
Arthritis
Heart disease
HOW TO DO AN ELIMINATION DIET Neurodegenerative disease
Mood disorders
ADD/ADHD
Cutting out certain foods for awhile can help you detect dietary sensitivities you Narcolepsy
weren’t aware of. Use this chart as a guide for your elimination diet, which Addiction
should last three to four weeks. Migraines
Kidney problems

Foods to Eat Foods to EliminatE

HOW TO REINTRODUCE THE FOODS

Almost all fresh fruit FRUITS Citrus fruits

Almost all fresh raw,
steamed, sautéed, VEGETABLES
or roasted vegetables
Rice*, buckwheat*
After the elimination period, reintroduce a single food group* for one day only, then monitor your symptoms for two days.
Continue this process for a few weeks to determine what may be causing issues.
Tomatoes, eggplant,
white potatoes
FOLLOW THIS
PROCESS PRECISELY TO FIGURE OUT
Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, IF YOU HAVE ANY FOOD SENSITIVITIES.
STARCH kamut, rye, oats, all
gluten-containing products
WEEK 1

Soybeans, tofu, tempeh, WEEK 2 ELIMINATION PHASE

LEGUMES soy milk, all beans, WEEK 3
peas, lentils
WEEK 4
MONITOR YOUR MONITOR YOUR
SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS

WEEK 5 MONITOR YOUR

SYMPTOMS
MONITOR YOUR
SYMPTOMS

NUTS AND All nuts and seeds

SEEDS WEEK 6 MONITOR YOUR
SYMPTOMS
MONITOR YOUR
SYMPTOMS

Beef, chicken, pork, eggs,

cold cuts, bacon, hotdogs,
Fish, turkey, lamb, MEAT AND canned meat, sausage,
wild game FISH shellfish, meat substitutes *The fewer foods you introduce in a given day, the more likely you are to pinpoint sensitivities
made from soy (but the longer the process will take).

DAIRY Milk, cheese, cottage

Unsweetened rice milk*, PRODUCTS cheese, cream, yogurt,
coconut milk AND MILK butter, ice cream, SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR
SUBSTITUTES non-dairy creamers
During reintroduction, pay attention to how you’re feeling.
Cold-expeller pressed Margarine, butter, Write down any changes you notice, whether positive or negative.
olive oil, flaxseed oil, FATS processed and
coconut oil hydrogenated oils,
mayonnaise, spreads
SIGNS OF FOOD SENSITIVITY INCLUDE:
Drink plenty of fresh water, Alcohol, caffeine
herbal teas (e.g. rooibos, (coffee,black tea, green
• Insomnia • Brain fog • Sinus or other respiratory issues
BEVERAGES
peppermint, etc.) tea, soda) • Fatigue • Skin breakouts or rashes • Marked increase in energy
• Joint pain • Headaches (this can actually be a physical
Sea salt, fresh pepper,
fresh herbs and spices Chocolate, ketchup, mustard, sign of stress)
SPICES AND relish, chutney, soy sauce, • Bloating • Bowel changes or GI pain
(i.e. garlic, cumin, dill,
ginger, oregano, parsley, CONDIMENTS barbecue sauce, vinegar
rosemary, thyme, turmeric)

White or brown sugar, TIPS FOR SUCCESS

honey, maple syrup, corn
Stevia (if needed) SWEETENERS
syrup, high fructose corn
syrup, desserts SHOPPING LIST

*May also be removed if you suspect specific sensitivity to grains.

ALSO CONSIDER ELIMINATING ANY FOODS YOU EAT VERY FREQUENTLY.

CONSTANT EXPOSURE CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE YOU TO DEVELOP A SENSITIVITY. CLEAN OUT KEEP
PREPARE: YOUR KITCHEN: A JOURNAL:
People who spend the week prior to an Get rid of foods that Writing down symptoms,
HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH AN ELIMINATION DIET? elimination diet shopping for the right aren’t part of your energy and mood throughout the
FOR KIDS, THE PROCESS SHOULD ONLY LAST SEVEN TO 10 DAYS. foods and looking up recipes do far elimination phase. day can help you identify patterns
better than those who jump right into it. related to the food you eat.

For the full article explaining this infographic:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/elimination-diet