| Food allergies and sensitivities cause a wide range | | | | have more than one ingredient/are packaged, |
| of symptoms, and sometimes not even doctors | | | | such as a breaded chicken breast. Eating |
| will connect a particular symptom to a food | | | | packaged foods or foods that have inseparable |
| allergy or sensitivity. Some people suffer their | | | | ingredients, such as breaded chicken, makes it |
| entire lives without knowing that the cause is | | | | impossible to know if a reaction was caused by |
| certain ingredients that are acting as secret | | | | the chicken, or by the flour in the breading, or by |
| poisons in their bodies. Elimination diets are | | | | the milk in the breading, or by some other |
| commonly used in the process of identifying food | | | | ingredient. |
| allergies and sensitivities. It is a non-invasive and | | | | After a particular food has been added with no |
| inexpensive way to identify possible offending | | | | reaction, it can be combined with other foods that |
| foods. | | | | have elicited no reaction. For example, if chicken |
| It is always wise to talk with your doctor or | | | | causes no problems, if pepper causes no |
| other medical practitioner before trying an | | | | problems, and if lemon causes no problems, then |
| elimination diet to look for food allergies or | | | | lemon-pepper chicken can be added back to the |
| sensitivities. Your practitioner is the only one who | | | | menu. |
| can give you medical advice. I am not a medical | | | | Add one food back to your diet every other day |
| practitioner, and the information contained here is | | | | (or at the rate your doctor recommends), and |
| not medical advice, but for informational and | | | | watch for any change in how you feel. Make note |
| educational purposes. You may also want to | | | | of any changes in any symptoms. Evaluate your |
| schedule an appointment for six weeks from that | | | | symptoms each time you add another food. |
| time, so you can discuss any results you see | | | | Continue to avoid highly-allergenic foods such as |
| during the elimination diet. Your doctor may want | | | | wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and |
| to run some tests, like blood work, to be sure | | | | egg for now. If you know that you are allergic to |
| you're healthy enough before you begin. Your | | | | a particular food, do not eat it at any point in the |
| doctor may also have advice about being sure | | | | elimination diet. If any food causes problems, |
| you're getting enough nutrients while you are on | | | | make note of that food, and ask your doctor |
| the elimination diet. Follow your doctor's | | | | about it at your next visit. |
| recommendations. | | | | After four weeks, add dairy (one food every |
| Before you begin to eliminate any foods, write in | | | | other day, just like with the others), and |
| your notebook/journal. You might want to make | | | | remember to watch for any changes. Then start |
| a chart to make it easy to compare results, but | | | | adding the other highly-allergenic foods, one at a |
| that's not necessary. Make a list of each of the | | | | time, at a rate of no faster than one new food |
| medical symptoms you have, how severe each | | | | every three days. Be sure to note any change in |
| one is, and how often you suffer from each one. | | | | symptoms, including how you feel and your |
| After taking good notes, begin the elimination diet. | | | | moods. Observe your under-eye area carefully, as |
| For at least one week, eat only foods that are | | | | any change there is a strong indicator of food |
| unlikely to cause allergic reactions. Examples are | | | | allergies. Discuss your research with your doctor. |
| apples, apricots, grapes, asparagus, broccoli, | | | | Your doctor may recommend medical tests, and |
| turkey and rice. If you notice an improvement in | | | | if you appear to be allergic or sensitive, may |
| any of your symptoms, make note of it in your | | | | recommend a special diet. A gluten-free, |
| notebook or journal. | | | | casein-free diet is used frequently for wheat and |
| After at least a week, take note of each of your | | | | dairy allergies, as well as food sensitivities and |
| symptoms again. Begin adding foods to your diet, | | | | intolerances. A GFCF diet is safe for those with |
| one at a time. These must be individual foods, | | | | diabetes and many other conditions. |
| such as a plain chicken breast, not foods that | | | | |