[Swimmr]

Ok I did some research today for elimination diets.

However I found contradictories from one site to the next.

Meats That Are Safe:
Lamb, halibut, orange roughy, tuna, snapper, wild salmon, crab, lobster, deer, duck, rabbit, goose, cornish game hens, clams, pheasant.

The contradiction is shellfish; crab, lobster, fish in general

Vegetables That Are Safe:
celery, okra, cucumbers, green peppers, yams, sweet potato, cabbage, squah, asparagus, cauliflower, artichokes, lettuce, carrots, brussel sprouts, spinach.

Contradictions: none found

Fruits That Are Safe:
peaches, pears, apples, raspberries, grapefruit, grapefruit juice (in small amounts), bananas, melons, grapes, kiwi

Contradictions: strawberries, apples, grapes and melon. Grapefruit and any citrus.

Condiments That Are Safe:
gelatin (?), flax seed oil, coconut, 100% carob powder, salt, sweeteners (stevia or honey or maple syrup), jellies (?), jams (?), extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, almond butter, sesame butter.

Nuts That Are Safe:
coconut, hazel nut, almonds and pecans BUT only unshelled natural unprocessed nuts.

Contradictions: All nuts. One website said NO nuts, while the other stated the above listed.


So I found extremely strict ones and then found some that included all of the above foods.

Obvious food to avoid:
vitamins aspirin beer coffee gum milk eggs beef chicken fish* pork wheat strawberries* fruit juice* nuts* cocolate corn tomatoes shellfish* oranges cola's white potato peas beans apples* any legumes

* is the contradictions...need some clarity please.

[Wolicki]

I haven't done the ED yet myself, but have considered it. My understanding is no nuts, dairy, wheat, corn, eggs, shellfish, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers), soy, and other things that obviously give you issues. Hope that helps.

[AliB]

Why not just try the Specific Carb Diet? It's as good an elimination diet as any........

The point with an elimination diet is to remove the foods that are difficult to digest, so most will cut out virtually all grains, starches, sugar and dairy.

Alternatively, just try drinking more water..........give your body the water it needs to be able to digest the difficult foods (see some of my other posts for more info on that).

[Swimmr]

The SFD doesn't give me any clarification at all. It says I can eat legumes...but flours made from legumes is in a list of items to avoid. Two other places I went to research elimination diets said NO legumes at all. That makes no sense to me.

I listed out what the contradictions were hoping maybe I could get an "ok" or a "no." I am still trying t learn all this stuff and I know most on here is too, but maybe one person has a firmer understanding than I do.

I want to do this right and if I keep finding conflicting material I'm just not gonna do it. I will be extremely angry if I go on this diet to find I'm either NOT eating something I should OR eating something I should NOT.

I know that avoiding dairy, soy, grains, etc is essential for this diet, but when I do the research, it doesn't match up from source to source.

I will start this later in the week when I have a firmer grasp on it. I really didn't think the information would be this wishy washy.

[Swimmr]

Oh and I drink a qt almost every two hours...literally. Some days I might not get exactly that...but still, I KNOW I'm drinking plenty when I urinate so much people in my office ask why I have to go so much. On average every 1/2 hour or so. Then the occasions when I absolutely have to hold it...like driving time and running errands doesn't count.

[Swimmr]

Did more researching today, no clarity...I suppose I will have to buy a book for this...sheesh

[GFinDC]

Hi Swimmr,

The idea of an elimination diet can be pretty simple really. You basically eliminate all foods and then add them back in one at a time. That's not real complicated eh? You would want to add basic foods to your diet, not processed foods with lots of ingredients. So say you start with bananas, rice and apples. If you can do these 3 foods for 3 days straight and have no problems, then you could add something new. Maybe add chicken next. And then 2 or 3 days later add something else, like sweet potatoes. Then add something else, like green beans. Then something else etc.. It doesn't take long before you have a long list of foods you are eating. The idea of waiting a couple days is it gives your body time to react to a new food. Some people have delayed reactions to things.

I agree with you there are more complicated elimination diet plans out there. But this is a simple one and works pretty darn well. You can start with any foods you want, just be sure they are foods you don't react to. Or at least foods that you don't think you react to. I have seen some plans where you start with 25 foods and alternate various foods in and out of that list. That seems too complex to me and has too many variables.

Here is a list of the top 8 allergens from Mayo Clinic.com. You would not want to start your diet with any of these 8 foods.

Top 8 allergens Mayo Clinic

* Milk
* Eggs
* Peanuts
* Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
* Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
* Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
* Soy
* Wheat

Here is some info from Wiki on other allergies:

Wiki More Rare Allergies

More rare food allergies

Likelihood of allergy can increase with exposure[citation needed]. For example, rice allergy is more common in East Asia where rice forms a large part of the diet.[13]

In Central Europe, celery allergy is more common. In Japan, allergy to buckwheat flour, used for Soba noodles, is more common.

Red meat allergy is extremely rare in the general population, but a geographic cluster of people allergic to red meat has been observed in Sydney, Australia.[14] There appears to be a possible association between localised reaction to tick bite and the development of red meat allergy.

Fruit allergies exist, such as to apples, pears, jackfruit, strawberries, etc.

Corn allergy may also be prevalent in many populations, although it may be difficult to recognize in areas such as the United States and Canada where corn derivatives are common in the food supply.[15]

Another thing you will see discussed is a rotation diet. Some people follow rotation diets where they don't eat the same thing 2 days running. The idea being that food intolerances can develop from constant exposure to a food. The too much of a good thing theory.

[Swimmr]

GFinDC, on Nov 2 2009, 11:22 PM, said:

Hi Swimmr,

The idea of an elimination diet can be pretty simple really. You basically eliminate all foods and then add them back in one at a time. That's not real complicated eh? You would want to add basic foods to your diet, not processed foods with lots of ingredients. So say you start with bananas, rice and apples. If you can do these 3 foods for 3 days straight and have no problems, then you could add something new. Maybe add chicken next. And then 2 or 3 days later add something else, like sweet potatoes. Then add something else, like green beans. Then something else etc.. It doesn't take long before you have a long list of foods you are eating. The idea of waiting a couple days is it gives your body time to react to a new food. Some people have delayed reactions to things.

I agree with you there are more complicated elimination diet plans out there. But this is a simple one and works pretty darn well. You can start with any foods you want, just be sure they are foods you don't react to. Or at least foods that you don't think you react to. I have seen some plans where you start with 25 foods and alternate various foods in and out of that list. That seems too complex to me and has too many variables.

Here is a list of the top 8 allergens from Mayo Clinic.com. You would not want to start your diet with any of these 8 foods.

Top 8 allergens Mayo Clinic

* Milk
* Eggs
* Peanuts
* Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
* Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
* Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
* Soy
* Wheat

Here is some info from Wiki on other allergies:

Wiki More Rare Allergies

More rare food allergies

Likelihood of allergy can increase with exposure[citation needed]. For example, rice allergy is more common in East Asia where rice forms a large part of the diet.[13]

In Central Europe, celery allergy is more common. In Japan, allergy to buckwheat flour, used for Soba noodles, is more common.

Red meat allergy is extremely rare in the general population, but a geographic cluster of people allergic to red meat has been observed in Sydney, Australia.[14] There appears to be a possible association between localised reaction to tick bite and the development of red meat allergy.

Fruit allergies exist, such as to apples, pears, jackfruit, strawberries, etc.

Corn allergy may also be prevalent in many populations, although it may be difficult to recognize in areas such as the United States and Canada where corn derivatives are common in the food supply.[15]

Another thing you will see discussed is a rotation diet. Some people follow rotation diets where they don't eat the same thing 2 days running. The idea being that food intolerances can develop from constant exposure to a food. The too much of a good thing theory.

Thankyou. I know I seem like a broke record. I'm going to buy a book today. I didn't think I would have to, ya know?

So today I am trying to start it...

With my history in bodybuilding, my competition diets usually consisted of only chicken and broccoli, chicken and brown rice, or chicken and sweet potato. After my pm workout, but before 8pm I would have 6 oz of sirloin with green veggies. This diet plus the addition of exercise would literally melt the weight off. I would always have to incorporate protein shakes. Little did I know I was hurting myself with these. I would still lose weight, but would always feel so gross after gulping down the glutenous concoction. Now I understand why. Also I was allowed one cheat meal a month. That cheat meal would usually be a pancake with butter, syrup, and bacon. No wonder I'd be sick.

I'd experimented with other diets just two years ago while preparing for a show. The beginning of the diet had more variety, but basically had the same caloric count, same carb count and same protein count. There was salmon and cottage cheese and almonds...a bagel...and of course chicken.

I am going to use my knowledge from all that to help me with this. I will be prepared for the cravings and the withdrawals...thus able to control it better.

[Swimmr]

Day 1 (before I buy a book)

Since I know I don't have issues with almonds or walnuts, I bought some last night at my whole foods store.
I also bought Candida Freedom, Candida Digest, and Inulin which is a prebiotic.

I am taking my Cranberry, Vitamin D, my Multivitamin, Pre/Probiotic, and Inulin. This is a total of 6 pills and 1 tsp of the Inulin powder.

Breakfast: Banana with 1 serving of almonds...which is I believe around 15 to 20 almonds.

For Snacks I will eat either another banana or a really soft pear with the skin peeled off. I have nuts too.

Lunch: Last night I baked a chicken with squash, carrots, celery (cut small), mushrooms, and onion. There is two cloves of crushed garlic and some basil for taste. I covered it all in plain water. Baked for 1 hr 10 min.

Snack same as before

Dinner: Salmon fillet and a baked sweet potato with cinnamon. God I love my cinnamon and sugar and butter, but just cinnamon is fine I think.

Any criticism welcome.

Oh and I'm drinking ONLY half the amount of coffee I usually do. I can't just quit cold turkey. I am a graphic designer, I can't function with the severity of the withdrawal headaches. I find weaning myself off is MUCH more efficient. Granted I probably should have been doing this already so by today I wouldn't be drinking any. But...I procrastinated.

[GFinDC]

Hi Swimmr,

It's good to get started eh? I tried a count of your items and it seems like you are at 20 or more foods, supplements, or drinks today. That's quite a few things in your diet to try and identify one item that is causing a problem. Your body only has one gut, so when you put that many items in it each day and then have a reaction, how could you pick out the one that caused it? Not really easy to do that.

If you are willing to start with 3 items only, then you can have a chance to get through the discovery phase quicker. You need to consider everything, and I mean everything as a potential problem. That includes any vitamins, supplements, drinks candy, medicines, veggies, nuts, meats etc that you are gobbling down. If it goes in your mouth it should be eliminated as a problem, before you assume it is safe for your body. I started with a bag of apples and salt. I did that for 2 days and then added rice. A couple days later I added chicken and black pepper. You just keep going like that adding things every day or 2 and note your body reactions. It is not hard to figure out really. If you have a food that you think is a problem you could hold off on adding that for while. When you add an item that makes you feel bad you put it on your list of things to avoid. That's really all there is to it. Easy-peasy!

If you are going to stop coffee as part of the elimination diet (which you should), I suggest you do that first and then start the elimination diet after you are used to being without the caffeine. Caffeine has a big effect on how your body functions and you don't want to confuse caffeine withdrawal symptoms with other reactions.

Even after you have a big list of foods that you eat, it is good to only had 1 new food at a time. Any more than that and you are back at the guessing games stage. But at least you would only have the list of new items you added that day to consider.

[Swimmr]

Well thankyou so much for your input.

I am almost 99% certain I am tolerant with the veggies I have in my chicken. I mean I suppose I should consider that I could be intolerant to celery or mushrooms. I didn't eat salmon tonight. I ate chicken and the mixed vegetables again.

I will cut it down though to just chicken and carrots then tomorrow through Sunday. I went the rest of today without any coffee. I am pretty sure I will be ok.

So that makes two chicken thighs, mixed veggies consisting of celery, mushroom, onion, carrot, and squash. Two bananas and a serving of almonds. That is it.

I have no stomach problems, no gas, no headaches so far.

As far as my medicines/vitamins...um...I have to have these. Doc said no missed days on my multi and vitamin D. Also the pre/probiotic and the enzyme that helps get rid of candida. I was told it's best to go ahead and start it so that when I start adding more foods I'll be able to digest it better if in fact I am not intolerant instead of being mislead into thinking I'm intolerant to something I'm not. Made sense to me.

Soooo tomorrow will be chicken and carrots and banana.

I can see this is going to be ALOT harder than I thought.

[gf_soph]

Hi

I don't want to make things harder than they already are for you, but I was recently on an elimination diet. It's a lot harsher than a lot of ones I have seen, but it has been designed and tested by the RPA (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital) here in Sydney over a number of years, and seems to be a widely accepted method here.

If you don't get clear answers from the diet you have started you could try this version, it's very hard to do but you will know you're not missing anything! They have a cookbook called 'friendly food' based on the diet, and was very useful. The website http://www.fedupwith...fo/failsafe.htm is also helpful.

It looks particularly at 3 groups of chemicals - amines, salycates and glutamates, as well as removing many things depending on levels of symptoms - I ended up gluten free (was already), soy free, dairy free, legume free (for me as I had identified this earlier). No preservatives or additives allowed either. The only fruit they allowed was pears, and there was no onions and garlic involved. No herbs or spices. The only nuts allowed was 10 cashew a day. I don't have the rest of the details to hand as I switched to another diet after a while and there's a lot to remember.

I hope your diet gives you the answers you are looking for!
Sophie

[Swimmr]

Thankyou Sophie!



I woke up extremely hungry this morning...

Might be a bit TMI, but every morning around 6am I have my bowel movement...not had it yet.

All in all I feel relatively alert this morning. That's a good sign.

[ksymonds84]

Swimmr, on Nov 5 2009, 04:08 AM, said:

Thankyou Sophie!



I woke up extremely hungry this morning...

Might be a bit TMI, but every morning around 6am I have my bowel movement...not had it yet.

All in all I feel relatively alert this morning. That's a good sign.

glad you are feeling good so far this morning! One thing to keep in mind if you think maybe soy and symptoms pop up today or tomorrow, is to check your vitamins and supplements for soy. I had to get rid of almost all of mine because of soy. You will laugh but I take the the childrens gummy vites because they have no dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, or artificial colors ect and they give me a full days supply of vitamin D. I chew 2 in the morning and sometimes take a third in the evening if I haven't ate as well as I should (I try to get most of my vitamins from food). There are grown up vitamins you can buy online free of soy but this I can get at grocery stores and a big supply at Sams. Hope it continues to go well for you today, keeping my fingers crossed that you figure it out, I know how much a pain in the butt it can be with not knowing what is upsetting you.

[Swimmr]

ksymonds84, on Nov 5 2009, 08:33 AM, said:

glad you are feeling good so far this morning! One thing to keep in mind if you think maybe soy and symptoms pop up today or tomorrow, is to check your vitamins and supplements for soy. I had to get rid of almost all of mine because of soy. You will laugh but I take the the childrens gummy vites because they have no dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, or artificial colors ect and they give me a full days supply of vitamin D. I chew 2 in the morning and sometimes take a third in the evening if I haven't ate as well as I should (I try to get most of my vitamins from food). There are grown up vitamins you can buy online free of soy but this I can get at grocery stores and a big supply at Sams. Hope it continues to go well for you today, keeping my fingers crossed that you figure it out, I know how much a pain in the butt it can be with not knowing what is upsetting you.

Yes thankyou Children's vitamins always taste yummy, MMmmm...making me hungry. Stupid coworkers all ordered chinese today.

Update!

I'm freakin HUNGRY. I ate two banana's already today...and at 10:30 had to eat half my lunch which is chicken and carrots. I don't know about later...all I have is pears. I am not supposed to add those yet.

Notes/Symptoms/Observations:
To let ya'll know, my bowel movement was so much more tolerable than usual. It was more solid AND it sank...kinda gross, I know, but I heard that when your poop floats and is foamy-ish, it's not a good sign. Mine hardly ever sinks and is always solid-ish/foamish.

Having mild caffeine withdrawal headache...but tolerable.

Last night I had some mild gas, but it wasn't painful and didn't smell at all, so that is good too.

I have some thoughts. Usually my diet doesn't consist of much out of the ordinary. My opinion is that the culprit is one of the following: Coffee Mate creamer (includes soy and casein), grits (corn), Extra Creamy Cool Whip in my coffee (includes cream and casein), rice, or my yogurt (which I know is ok). So since yesterday I've not had ANY of those things. My poop is different. One of those things is causing my problem.

My mother thinks it's the soy. I think it's either soy or casein.

Can someone explain to me how casein isn't considered dairy? It's a derivative of milk, but I don't understand how it can come from milk but be considered lactose free and dairy free (referring to coffee mate creamer).