An elimination diet for allergies can be a good alternative to a blood allergy test for identifying the foods that cause your food sensitivity symptoms.  Although this diet can be very difficult to do, many naturopathic medicine professionals believe that if done properly it can be much more accurate than the blood test.

It entails the avoidance of all likely allergic foods for about two to four weeks, after which you start the challenging period consisting of re-introducing the potential allergens into your meal regimen one at a time.  It should be noted that this elimination diet is only for people who have intolerance to food, not for those with true food allergies.

Experts agree that some of the most allergens are the ones listed below and should be avoided when implementing the first part of the elimination diet. This is not a comprehensive list since each person’s body system is different, thus the substance you are sensitive to may vary.  In fact you should not attempt to implement this diet on your own, specially if you have or had in the past an eating disorder or any other illness. Always consult with your doctor before starting a diet.

Dairy, wheat, yeast, tomatoes and all tomato products, corn, peppers, potatoes, eggplant; soybean, corn and peanut oil, sodas, all citrus fruits, soy, peanuts, artificial sweeteners and chemical additives.  Most processed meals contain additives, preservatives and many of the foods mentioned above, so it is best to read labels.  However some labeling is misleading so you may want to eliminate all processed foods during the first part of this diet.

You can eat instead:  rice (except wild rice), millet, quinoa, amaranth, tapioca, rice milk, beans, rice bread, vegetables and fruits (except the ones listed above).  What makes this diet difficult is the fact that most of us are used to eating wheat and  dairy very regularly, but fortunately there are some alternatives available, such as rice bread and drinks.

Food Challenge

If you follow the first part of this diet for four weeks and you don’t experience symptom relief, then it’s most likely that your symptoms are not caused by these foods.  If on the other hand, your symptoms have improved or vanished for five consecutive days, you are now ready to start the challenging part of the diet.

Re-introduce one food at a time and eat it at least for three consecutive days. If you experience any symptoms, stop the challenge and wait until the symptoms stop.  Keep a journal to record your symptoms.  When you have experienced one full day free of symptoms, continue with the next food until you have tried all the suspect foods.

It is believed that one of the main reasons many people develop food allergies is from consuming the same foods every day.  The foods we consume the most are the ones that produce allergies or intolerance, such as wheat and dairy.  For this reason don’t be surprised if you get withdrawal symptoms while implementing the elimination diet.

You can now see what you can expect if you visit an allergist or naturopathic doctor to identify your allergens.  He/She will advise you whether a blood test or a diet is best for you.  As you can see, this can be a difficult diet, but it is achievable and you will feel a lot better after you have identified the culprits and eliminated them from your diet.

Filed under: Allergy Natural Relief

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!