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Herein begins the tale of a 3-week odyssey into an….(bum bum bum) elimination diet!
Ever since a trip to India awhile back, my digestion has been plagued by inconsistency. I’ve tried being vegan, omnivorous, seen two naturopaths, seen an acupuncturist, done the antibiotic route….and still had a grumpy gut. Having spent the last while happily in mai tai’s and kona coffee, this seems like a perfect time to do a reset, clean up my act, and see if I can get to the bottom of what ails me.
An elimination diet removes foods that have a tendency to cause digestion issues. Basically, you take away all the trouble makers for three weeks, then add them in one at a time to see if you have a reaction.
Here’s the game plan I’m intending to follow, courtesy of Precision Nutrition:
“To begin with, a good elimination diet will remove gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, pork, beef, chicken, beans/lentils, coffee, citrus fruits, nuts, and nightshade vegetables. That might sound like a lot, but it leaves plenty of options for a relatively satisfying diet comprised primarily of rice, meat (i.e. turkey, fish, lamb), most fruit, and most types of vegetables.
The following table gives an example of what to include and exclude during an elimination diet.”
| Foods to include | Foods to exclude | |
| Fruits | Almost all fresh fruit | Citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, etc) |
| Vegetables | Almost all fresh raw, steamed, sautéed, or roasted vegetables | Tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes (sweet potato and yams are okay) |
| Starch | Rice*, buckwheat* | Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, oats, all gluten-containing products |
| Legumes | Soybeans, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, all beans, peas, lentils | |
| Nuts and seeds | All seeds and nuts | |
| Meat and fish | Fish, turkey, lamb, wild game | Beef, chicken, pork, cold cuts, bacon, hotdogs, canned meat, sausage, shellfish, meat substitutes made from soy |
| Dairy products and milk substitutes | Unsweetened rice milk*, almond milk, coconut milk | Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, non-dairy creamers, eggs |
| Fats | Cold-expeller pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil | Margarine, butter, processed and hydrogenated oils, mayonnaise, spreads |
| Beverages | Drink plenty of fresh water, herbal teas (e.g. rooibos, peppermint, etc.) | Alcohol, caffeine (coffee, black tea, green tea, soda) |
| Spices and condiments | Sea salt, fresh pepper, fresh herbs and spices (i.e. garlic, cumin, dill, ginger, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, turmeric) | Chocolate, ketchup, mustard, relish, chutney, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, vinegar |
| Sweeteners | Stevia (if needed) | White or brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, desserts |
Join if you wish and do your own version..perhaps just eliminating alcohol, refined sugar, and gluten, for example. Time for a good fall cleaning!
Here we go!
Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.
One reply on “Elimination Diet: Prelude”
That is alot of information, Dr. Scott! You should be in the medical research dept.
I can’t believe, I actually read the whole thing. Whoa!