In all seriousness, it’s essential to take note of the foods you’re eating because how you nourish your body has an impact on so many aspects of your health. Just as some foods allow you to feel your best, others may be to blame for bloating, a bad mood, and even headaches or skin flare-ups. Ever notice how processed foods make you feel a bit off? That’s the perfect example of certain ingredients not optimally fueling your body. When it comes to pinpointing exactly which foods are wreaking havoc, however, it can be difficult to come to a conclusion without analyzing your diet and testing various food combinations to find what works. Enter: an elimination diet. “It involves eliminating certain foods for a period of time, say three weeks, and then reintroducing each food, one at a time, to see which food causes symptoms and discomfort,” explains registered dietitian and personal trainer Gabriela Barreto, M.S., R.D., CDN, CSSD, CFSC. This particular method of eating isn’t meant for weight loss, but rather it can help find triggers in your diet that may impede your quality of life. You should also be aware that this is a restrictive diet by nature, and may lead to nutrient deficiencies in the future if followed for longer durations. The process of following an elimination diet is relatively simple. “You want to remove all the foods that you are going to remove at the same time, not one by one. This is necessary to remove all the possible instigating foods for the same period of time,” explains integrative immunologist Heather Moday, M.D. Then, generally two to six weeks later, “you want to reintroduce one food at a time every 36 to 48 hours to assess whether you have a negative reaction,” she says. Of course you should be consulting with a health care professional before making any major changes to your diet so they can guide you on which foods to keep your eye on, as well as which ingredients you can consume in the meantime to ensure you’re still adequately nourishing1 your body. However, there are many foods that you can still consume while following this protocol, as outlined by Barreto: “Individuals with no clinical symptoms related to diet and food consumption do not need to follow an elimination diet,” notes Barreto. “Individuals going through treatments or on medications should consult with the medical team before trying an elimination diet.” Moday also adds that those who struggle with vitamin and mineral deficiencies or are presently underweight should avoid following this eating plan. It’s also worth noting that eliminating foods that don’t need to be removed from your diet may actually have a negative effect on your body over time, as you deprive yourself of vital nutrients. “Recent studies have found that people who eliminate gluten when they don’t need to increase their risk of heart disease,” integrative gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., MSCI, previously shared with mindbodygreen. Eliminating any and all grains can also be harmful to the gut, he adds. This also extends to vegetables that may be causing you stomach discomfort. While it may seem like the natural next step to remove veggies from your diet that are making you feel ill, Bulsiewicz says this may not be the solution. “Digestive distress after eating fiber and plant foods is due to a gut that’s overwhelmed. For some, this is just overdoing it with one big meal. But for most, this is evidence of a damaged gut,” he explains. “You may have been told that this is proof that these foods are causing inflammation. They’re not. It’s just sloppy digestion.” With this, while it should only be followed in the short term, the elimination diet can be incredibly useful for finding foods that sit well while adequately nourishing your body. Your diet controls so much of how you feel6 in the day-to-day, so being intentional with what you’re eating and tuning into what your body needs will help you thrive. Always work with a doctor before removing any major food groups from your diet.
