A simplified elimination diet is intended to identify food allergies or food sensitivities, according to EveryDiet.org. A simplified elimination diet involves removing all foods that are suspected to cause adverse reactions and then re-introducing them into your diet one by one to monitor your body's reactions. This is different than a modified elimination diet, which calls for eliminating particular classes of foods one at a time, such as gluten-containing foods. Consult your doctor for complete information about elimination diets.
Recommendations
According to the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) Association of America, certain guidelines make a simplified elimination diet successful. For example, start eliminating suspected foods at an appropriate time, not during holidays or other times that are difficult to avoid certain foods. Continue by logging all your reactions to foods in a journal, and then re-introduce these foods and log your reactions again. Follow this process for about two weeks to see how your body responds to each type of food and this will help you discover which foods are causing your reactions. Discuss the process with your health-care provider.
Food Allergy
The body reacts differently to foods that it is sensitive or allergic to, which may make it difficult to designate one from the other. If you have a food allergy, according to DermaHarmony.com, your immune system attacks the food as if it is a foreign toxin. The response involves immunoglobulins. The "E" type of immunoglobulin, or IgE, causes the most powerful allergic response, which may be in the form of an anaphylactic reaction including hives, difficulty breathing or shock. Less severe reactions include sneezing, headaches or runny nose, which are caused by another type of immunoglobulin called IgG.
Food Sensitivity
A food sensitivity is a different reaction from a food allergy. It does not affect the immune system, but it causes uncomfortable or unpleasant symptoms, according to DermaHarmony.com. There are pharmacological and toxic food sensitivities. A pharmacological reaction is to natural compounds such as amines, salicylates, glutamates, or to non-natural substances such as preservatives, emulsifiers, colorings or other additives. A toxic reaction is to contamination by herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and bacteria. Ask your doctor for a list of toxins that may cause food sensitivities.
Foods to Eliminate
When starting the elimination diet, it may be difficult to determine which foods are causing unpleasant reactions in the body because everyone responds differently to food. Queensland Health Dietitian/ Nutritionists recommend removing all foods that most commonly cause reactions, including dairy products that contain lactose and casein; wheat and other products that contain gluten; and eggs, corn, peanuts, tomatoes, shellfish, citrus fruits, sugar, alcohol, coffee, artificial sweeteners, soy and yeast. Once you have eliminated all of these foods from the diet, log your reactions to these foods as you re-introduce them one by one over a two-week period. Consult your health-care provider for more information.
Benefits
Besides helping you discover the foods that are causing your allergies or reactions, the diet will also improve your overall health. According to Elmer M. Cranton, M.D., undergoing the elimination diet for at least one month may help you relieve long-term symptoms of illness, skin rash, fatigue, congestion, digestive tract problems and joint pain that result from food allergies or sensitivities. Additionally, the elimination diet may help to relieve stress on the immune system by giving it time to recover its tolerance to formerly reactive foods. Since substances such as yeast and gluten tend to put stress on the immune system, building your body's resistance to the harmful effects may reduce the severity of food allergies and chemical sensitivity.
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