If you’re struggling with digestive issues, unexplained fatigue, or skin flare-ups, food sensitivities might be the culprit. One of the most effective ways to pinpoint food triggers is through an elimination diet. This gold-standard method helps identify sensitivities and intolerances, leading to improved energy, mood, and overall well-being.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the elimination diet process, from preparation to reintroduction, so you can get to the root of your symptoms and start feeling better.
What is an Elimination Diet?
An elimination diet involves removing certain foods from your diet and reintroducing them later to see if they trigger any adverse reactions. The goal is to identify food sensitivities (immune responses) and food intolerances (digestive issues). Unlike food allergies, which can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms, sensitivities and intolerances lead to more subtle but chronic issues like bloating, headaches, fatigue, and skin problems.
Common triggers include dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, and corn, but sensitivities can vary widely.
Benefits of an Elimination Diet
Identifying and avoiding trigger foods can lead to:
Improved gut health: less bloating, regular bowel movements
Increased energy levels
Clearer skin
Better mental clarity and mood
Relief from chronic symptoms like joint pain or headaches
Steps to Doing an Elimination Diet
Step 1: Preparation
Before starting, it’s important to decide which foods to eliminate. If you already suspect certain foods, such as eggs or gluten, those should be on the list. Keeping a food and symptom diary can help in identifying potential triggers. Alternatively, you can remove the most common triggers (gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn) or use food sensitivity testing as a guide.
Pro Tip: Consult a healthcare professional if you’re unsure where to start or want to avoid eliminating too many foods. Cutting out too many foods can harm gut health by reducing microbiome diversity.
Step 2: Elimination Phase
The elimination phase involves completely removing potential trigger foods from your diet for 4-6 weeks. This allows your immune system to reset and your gut to heal, making it easier to identify triggers when you reintroduce them later.
During this phase, stick to a whole-food, minimally processed diet. Avoid drastic changes to your diet outside of eliminating these foods, however, as doing so may complicate identifying food triggers during reintroduction.
Tips for Success:
Be consistent. Even a small amount of a trigger food can throw off results.
Plan meals in advance to avoid accidentally eating an eliminated food.
Step 3: Reintroduction Phase
After the elimination phase, it’s time to slowly reintroduce each food group, one at a time. This phase is crucial for identifying which foods cause symptoms.
How to Reintroduce Foods:
Add back one food group at a time, no faster than one food group per week.
Track both immediate symptoms (like bloating or diarrhea) and delayed reactions (such as skin rashes or fatigue). Use your symptom diary to record everything.
Example Schedule:
Introduce dairy on Monday, then monitor for symptoms until Wednesday.
If no symptoms appear, test dairy again on Thursday, then monitor until Saturday.
If symptoms occur, wait until they resolve before testing another food.
Tips for Success:
Use normal portion sizes when testing, such as 1 bowl of yogurt or 2 scrambled eggs.
Test each food group twice to confirm the sensitivity.
If results are difficult to interpret, try testing different foods within the same food group to tease out specific sensitivities, such as trying yogurt then cheese for dairy.
Step 4: Identifying Triggers
Once you’ve reintroduced all the eliminated foods, analyze your symptom diary to see if any specific foods triggered your symptoms. There are two main types of reactions to look for:
Digestive: nausea, vomiting, indigestion, bloating, diarrhea and constipation
These are typically shortly after ingestion
Systemic: fatigue, brain fog, mood changes like anxiety and depression, skin rashes, muscle and joint pain, headaches
These are typically delayed (1-3 days)
If a food triggers significant symptoms, it’s best to eliminate it from your diet completely. For milder reactions, consider whether you can tolerate occasional consumption or if eliminating it entirely would benefit your overall health. Some individuals are able to tolerate small amounts of trigger foods when eaten infrequently.
When to Seek Professional Guidance
If you notice that many foods are causing reactions, this could indicate underlying gut health issues. Working with a healthcare provider can help you address these root causes, improving your tolerance over time.
It is also best to work with a healthcare provider if you have severe food allergies or other chronic health conditions, as more care should be taken before making significant dietary changes.
Working with a naturopathic doctor, functional medicine doctor, or nutritionist can be particularly helpful as these professionals are typically well-trained in recommending dietary modifications.
Check out this study that took a look at elimination diets that were self-led v. done with a provider. It found that that elimination diets done with the support of a provider were more successful and lead to longer-term benefits!
Tips for Success
Timing: Begin your elimination diet when you have the time and energy, and are in a stable situation. Avoid starting during busy periods, times of stress or while traveling.
Meal Prep/Planning: Planning ahead ensures you have easy access to compliant meals. Consider alternatives like non-dairy yogurts or gluten-free grains to replace trigger foods. You can also plan alternatives, like having oatmeal instead of yogurt, to allow for greater variety in your meals.
Cravings: Avoid keeping trigger foods in your home during the process to reduce the temptation.
Social Situations: Let friends and family know about your dietary changes so they can accommodate you, if possible. Bring your own food to social events, and check restaurant menus in advance to plan accordingly.
Conclusion
An elimination diet is a powerful tool for identifying food sensitivities and improving your health. By following the steps outlined in this guide—preparation, elimination, reintroduction, and identifying triggers—you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how your body reacts to specific foods. With this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about what to eat, leading to improved digestion, better energy, and overall wellness.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, working with a naturopathic doctor or nutritionist can offer valuable guidance. Ready to start your journey to better health? Reach out today for personalized support in creating your elimination diet plan!
Disclaimer
The information provided in this blog and throughout the website is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice. The content is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. This blog does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other professional health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen or starting new treatments, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of something that you have read on this blog, website or in any linked materials. Your individual needs and circumstances should be evaluated by a medical professional to ensure safe and appropriate care. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or call for emergency medical help on the nearest telephone immediately.