Foods to Avoid and Why
The goal of an elimination diet is to remove foods that the body may have a hard time tolerating. Some of the most notorious foods that the body has trouble with are nuts, corn, soy, wheat, alcohol, dairy, refined sugar, citrus fruits, nightshade vegetables, foods containing gluten, pork, eggs, and seafood.
The basic elimination diet is as simple as this: no gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, fast food, or alcohol for 23 days.
But the best elimination diets are the most restricting, because the more triggers you remove, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to discover which foods trigger your uncomfortable symptoms.
Foods to avoid on an all-out elimination diet include:
-Citrus fruits
-Nightshade vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, white potatoes, cayenne pepper, and paprika
-Nuts and seeds
-Legumes: beans, lentils, peas, and soy-based products
-Starchy foods: wheat, barley, corn, spelt, rye, oats
-Meat and fish: cold cuts, processed meats, pork, eggs, shellfish
-Dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream
-Fats: butter, margarine, hydrogenated oils, mayonnaise, spreads
-Beverages: alcohol, coffee, black tea, soda, energy drinks
-Spices and condiments: soy sauce, relish, ketchup, chutney, BBQ sauce, vinegar
-Sweets: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, desserts and chocolate
I know, this is a lot! If the complete elimination plan doesn’t sound plausible for you, start with the simple stuff -gluten, dairy, eggs, alcohol, processed foods!
Do a little research on your own about what you CAN eat. Soon I’ll be sharing some ideas for putting together delicious and nutritious meals that are elimination diet-friendly!
How are you feeling about all this? Scared? Overwhelmed?
