Can the allergy elimination diet help you
find out what's wrong?

Is an elimination diet your next step?

Okay, so you know that you're sick, and that you suspect that you might be allergic to food of some kind. But how in the world are you supposed to find out what? It's not like you ever eat just one ingredient in complete isolation! Is there some way to find out what foods bother you, without going through extensive and painful medical tests? For many people the answers to these questions lie in an elimination diet.

This is especially the case if full blown celiac disease has been ruled out by your doctor through means of the celiac blood tests and/or a gastroscopy.

IF YOU SUSPECT CELIAC, and have not had these tests yet, then please do not cut foods containing gluten out of your diet! If you do, the test results may not be accurate.

Elimination Diet

What is an Elimination Diet?

As the name suggests, this diet involves temporally eliminating certain foods from your daily menu, with the purpose of determining which item causes health difficulties for you. If, for example you think you may be allergic to milk products and after eliminating them from your diet you begin to feel better, that could be a good indication of a possible link. While additional tests may need to be performed, the elimination diet will have proved useful.

How does it work?

Thankfully, this diet is not at all painful and only slightly inconvenient. It involves several specific steps that your doctor will help you to take.

Evaluate your symptoms Before you start the diet, write down every symptom that you are experiencing. Then share your list with your doctor. This will help you both to gauge how the diet affects your symptoms and overall health.
Back to the basics The first step in discovering if there is a food that you are allergic to, or have an intolerance for, is cutting your diet down to the foods that are least common allergens, which would normally include lamb and rice. This diet will seem very restrictive, since it will cut out many everyday foods such as nuts, milk and grain products, as well as a number of fruits and vegetables. Your doctor may prescribe a dietary supplement to ensure that you receive the necessary nutrients during these tests.
Keep a record In a notebook, make detailed notes about exactly how you feel during each day of the diet. keep your doctor advised of any changes that you experience.
Wait If you go several days without any symptoms then you start off knowing that the basic foods you are eating do not contain any ingredients that you are allergic to.
Re-introduce foods one at a time Under the direction of your doctor, you will begin to add the potential allergens back into your diet, one at a time.
You may start, for example, with bread. If you eat a few slices and symptoms return, you can be pretty sure that one or more of the ingredients in bread is the culprit, for at least some of your problems. If you, however, have no returning symptoms after eating bread for a few days, then you may assume that you do not have a gluten intolerance or allergy. Time to move on to the next potential allergen.
Consult with your Doctor Depending on how the different foods affect you, your doctor will help you to make decisions about the next step to take.

The Elimination Diet is certainly not flawless. While it can certainly shed light on different foods that cause you to be sick, it cannot determine the severity of the condition. Neither can it indicate any complications associated with the allergy. Additional tests may be needed to give more specific information about treatment needs.

Your doctor will help you to take the next step in getting healthy. But, as always, it is wise to learn as much as you possibly can about your options so that you can stay as healthy and in-control as possible.