What is an Elimination Diet?
If you have found that some foods cause your irritable bowel symptoms to get worse then you really should do an elimination diet. Let me warn you – its not easy! It took me just over a year to complete but I was determined to do it properly and it has really paid off.
First you need to go on a detox for a while until you have no symptoms at all. If you still get symptoms (and there is no stress factor or other trigger) then it is likely that diet is not a huge factor in causing symptoms.
Then you gradually add one food at a time over a period of 3 days and monitor any reactions. Note that this isn’t one food type such as dairy but one specific food – like eggs for example or chicken. I would recommend seeing a dietitian before you start this and make sure that you are taking supplements if neccesary. You really need a professional to check regularly how things are going. My dietitian gave me a plan of action to I knew what food I had to try and in what order – the order is important.
These are my diaries of the various foods I tested and my own experience with each.
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