Elimination Diet - What Should You Eat and What You Should Not?

If you are looking for an ideal, healthy diet which will help in improving your GI’s or general symptoms, you should opt for an elimination diet. It is an effective dietary approach, which is useful for addressing individual needs along with certain benefits for everyone who undertakes the diet. This diet is especially useful if you suffer from food sensitivities. In the elimination diet, certain food items are eliminated from your diet for a certain period of time. They are slowly reintroduced in your diet after a span of three to four weeks. You should be as restrictive as possible for the diet to produce effective results.

In a good elimination diet, you should cut off food items such as gluten, soy, eggs, dairy, corn, beef, chicken, pork, beans, lentils, citrus fruits, nuts, coffee and several nightshade vegetables. Your diet should primarily compose of rice, meat such as turkey, lamb, or fish, several fruits and vegetables. Food items to include and exclude as part of an elimination diet

Here is a list of the various types of food items, some of which need to be avoided and excluded during an elimination diet:

1. Fruits and vegetables: You should include all forms of fresh fruits. Have fruits raw and have the vegetables in steamed, roasted or sautéed form. Exclude citrus fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.
2. Starch: You should consume rice and buckwheat and avoid corn, barley, spelt, rye and other products which contain high gluten.
3. Legumes: Avoid consuming legumes such as soybean, tempeh, tofu, soya milk, peas, lentils and all forms of beans. Also avoid all types of seeds and nuts.
4. Meat and fish: Consume meats such as turkey, lamb, wild game and fish. Stay away from chicken, pork, eggs, canned meat, sausages, shellfish and soy made meat substitutes.
5. Dairy products:Consume coconut milk and unsweetened rice milk. Do not not consume cow milk, cheese, cream, butter, ice cream, yogurt and non-dairy creamers.
6. Fats: Consume fats such as flax seed oil, coconut oil and cold expeller pressed olive oil. Avoid margarine, butter, mayonnaise, spreads and hydrogenated oils.
7. Beverages: Drink a lot of water and consume herbal teas such as rooibos and peppermint tea. Strictly avoid alcohol, coffee, green tea and soda.
8. Spices and condiments: Include spices such as sea salt, fresh herbs and spices such as oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary and fresh pepper in your diet. Do not consume chocolate, mustard, relish, chutney, soy sauce, vinegar and barbecue sauce.

In case of sweeteners, you should use stevia if required. Avoid using honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, desserts, high fructose corn syrups and white or brown sugar. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.