Questions For Those That Have Done An Elimination Diet

[cahill]

I have questions for those that have done an elimination diet.

Something is still an issue .If i am being honest it just feels like food ,in general ,, is an issue ..

I am considering doing an elimination diet.

1.. can i use lamb or turkey ??,, chicken is not agreeing with me so I am wondering about the turkey ,but am not sure I can get/afford lamb

2.. how did the elimination diet work for you?? Where you able to pin point food issues ??

3 were you able to tolerate that much rice??

any tips or suggestions ???

*edit to add**

i do eat a lot of legumes. It would be very important to determine whither I can tolerate legumes or not. I dont tolerate most meats nor do i digest meat well

[modiddly16]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't be able to try other meats,but I don't have an issue with chicken or turkey. Surprisingly, some lamb isn't that expensive...if you can find it.It's definitely worth a shot! The only other question I can really answer is that rice typically is good for you and tolerated by many celiacs. I've never needed to do an elimination diet but I believe its best to avoid overly processed foods and cut out large food groups at time like dairy or soy or corn and start from there! Good luck!

[mercury6]

I have questions for those that have done an elimination diet.

Something is still an issue .If i am being honest it just feels like food ,in general ,, is an issue ..

I am considering doing an elimination diet.

1.. can i use lamb or turkey ??,, chicken is not agreeing with me so I am wondering about the turkey ,but am not sure I can get/afford lamb

2.. how did the elimination diet work for you?? Where you able to pin point food issues ??

3 were you able to tolerate that much rice??

any tips or suggestions ???

*edit to add**

i do eat a lot of legumes. It would be very important to determine whither I can tolerate legumes or not. I dont tolerate most meats nor do i digest meat well

Hi. I'm not celiac, but I do suffer from several food intolerances. For me it was alot of trial and error. Have you consulted with an allergist? Although allergists can't pinpoint a food intolerance, they can identify a food allergy. It may help. I came up with reactions to carrots, tree nuts, black beans and lentils, so that eliminated many suspect foods. You may want to start with the top eight allergens, which is what I eventually did. And just because you don't have an allergic response, doesn't mean you can tolerate that food. I eliminated gluten, felt much better for a while, then had other health problems, so I took soy out and those issues resolved. More lingering problems, and it was lactose, then eggs. Recently, I've taken meat out of my diet, not because I react badly to it, but because I think it will help ease my digestion. I'm constantly tweaking my diet to feel better. What works for me may not benefit you. Everyone is different. Limiting and rotating foods for short periods makes it easier to figure out. Try to stay away from processed foods and read labels and good luck.

[LivesIntheSun]

It may be that you are not actually intolerant to rice as such, rather that it sends your blood sugar wild. That is certainly the case for me, if I have rice at lunchtime for example I want to sleep all afternoon and I feel generally lousy. It seems that a lot of us are struggling with a variety of factors- food intolerances, hypoglycemia, candida... It's a hell of a mission trying to balance them all.

I avoid most 'gluten-free' foods because they're too starchy and they don't make me feel good, along with all grains (including rice), sugar, honey, even fruit.

Just an alternative idea as to why rice might not agree with you.

[ravenwoodglass]

It was a doctor guided elimination diet that finally lead to my diagnosis. I was told to drop all beverages except water and use no spices other than salt, no coffee or tea, butter or margarine. My doctor started me out with 5 foods that I didn't usually eat. For me that was sweet potatoes, rice, peas, turkey and pineapple (I ended up dropping the pineapple as I had stomach pain after eating it). Your starting foods might be different but you should make sure your plate is colorful to get the best nutrition. I was to wait until my symptoms were better and then start adding one food at a time for a week. The food had to be in 'pure' form, for example when I added wheat I used cream of wheat. He said that intolerance reactions are often delayed so to make sure it was a full week before adding anything else. If I reacted, and boy did I 3 days after adding wheat, I was to drop that food and wait until the reaction subsided until adding another.

I hope this was helpful. If you have an allergist who will help with intolerances that IMHO is the best way to go. I had to fill out forms with my typical diet and how often I ate stuff and he did testing for true allergies before making my diet plan. Was I happy with the starting diet, no since it included mainly foods that I frankly couldn't stand, but he explained that I was less likely to react to items that I rarely ate. If you don't often eat sweet potatoes you might want to consider including them in your starting point since they are loaded with vitamins and are a good source of soluable and insoluable fiber as well as carbs.

[dilettantesteph]

I found an elimination diet very helpful. Even now I only add one food every week. In a way I am still doing an elimination diet. If chicken bothers you, turkey probably will too. I'd try lamb. Are you eating Lundberg rice? Some others can have wheat cc. I think I read here about someone finding a wheat berry in their rice.

[RideAllWays]

The one my doctor put me on was turkey, potatoes, rice, canned peaches, and spinach.

[cahill]

I was able to find Lamb and at a reasonable price(( it was on sale ))

I have eliminated alot all ready,,gluten,,soy , corn, nightshades and most grains,, but there is still somthing and hopefuly doing the elimination diet will pin point whatever it is

Thanks everyone

[shopgirl]

I was able to find Lamb and at a reasonable price(( it was on sale ))

I have eliminated alot all ready,,gluten,,soy , corn, nightshades and most grains,, but there is still somthing and hopefuly doing the elimination diet will pin point whatever it is

Thanks everyone

Dairy?

[cahill]

Dairy?

I was dairy free long before I went gluten free,,BUT I did add it back about 6 months into being gluten free...Dairy does seem to be a hit or miss kinda thing. Skim milk doesnt bother me but cheese OH BOY.

I will be really really sad if dairy has to go

[gf-soph]

The thing about elimination diets is that there is no single way to do it. I had several false starts before hitting on the right combination for me, and it's taken months. My diet includes dairy and soy, which are big nos for a lot of people, so i do appreciate that it's an individual thing.

Some general advice is - keep it simple, start off with a few foods only, and be prepared to change things if need be.

Definitely keep a detailed food diary, with everything you eat and all symptoms you feel, no matter how minor or unrelated they may seem.

Be on the lookout for delayed reactions, which could be several days later, or buildup reactions of groups of chemicals. This is what makes the food diary indispensable. The diet I have been doing concentrates on chemical groups called salicylates, amines and glutamate, and these can be found in many foods. I have also had to follow FODMAP guidelines. If you are interested, search for those terms in this site and i'm sure you'll find plenty.

I have seen a dietician a few times during the process, they can be very useful if they have the expertise. It's worth a thought if you're not able to hit on a combination that works for you.

And some anecdotal advice - if there is anything you feel you can't give up, or any food you are very very drawn to, it has to go in the initial phase. All the things I've had very strong cravings for (sugary junk food gives me insomnia, and gluten - well, I used to say bread was my crack!) or have a strong on-off relationship with (eggs for me, i since found out i react very badly) have turned out to be nasty for me, so any foods like that for you should be suspect and you should test them carefully.

Re dairy, if you're relatively ok with milk but not with cheese, look in to casein and amines as possible culprits. If you think it might be an amine problem, both milk and 'raw' cheese (ricotta, marscapone, cream cheese) are fine for amines, and then the levels get very high in ripened cheeses like brie or cheddar. Also consider that you may have a problem with lots of dairy, but might be ok with smaller amounts.

Good luck, it can be a long road but it can really work. I'm over 6 months in, but I have a health and quality of life that I couldn't imagine 6 months ago.

[cahill]

The thing about elimination diets is that there is no single way to do it. I had several false starts before hitting on the right combination for me, and it's taken months. My diet includes dairy and soy, which are big nos for a lot of people, so i do appreciate that it's an individual thing.

Some general advice is - keep it simple, start off with a few foods only, and be prepared to change things if need be.

Definitely keep a detailed food diary, with everything you eat and all symptoms you feel, no matter how minor or unrelated they may seem.

Be on the lookout for delayed reactions, which could be several days later, or buildup reactions of groups of chemicals. This is what makes the food diary indispensable. The diet I have been doing concentrates on chemical groups called salicylates, amines and glutamate, and these can be found in many foods. I have also had to follow FODMAP guidelines. If you are interested, search for those terms in this site and i'm sure you'll find plenty.

I have seen a dietician a few times during the process, they can be very useful if they have the expertise. It's worth a thought if you're not able to hit on a combination that works for you.

And some anecdotal advice - if there is anything you feel you can't give up, or any food you are very very drawn to, it has to go in the initial phase. All the things I've had very strong cravings for (sugary junk food gives me insomnia, and gluten - well, I used to say bread was my crack!) or have a strong on-off relationship with (eggs for me, i since found out i react very badly) have turned out to be nasty for me, so any foods like that for you should be suspect and you should test them carefully.

Re dairy, if you're relatively ok with milk but not with cheese, look in to casein and amines as possible culprits. If you think it might be an amine problem, both milk and 'raw' cheese (ricotta, marscapone, cream cheese) are fine for amines, and then the levels get very high in ripened cheeses like brie or cheddar. Also consider that you may have a problem with lots of dairy, but might be ok with smaller amounts.

Good luck, it can be a long road but it can really work. I'm over 6 months in, but I have a health and quality of life that I couldn't imagine 6 months ago.

LOL, yep corn was my crack, I fought tooth and nail to keep it in my diet,,but as you say It turned out to be a MAJOR issue ...

Dairy is one that i will take special care in reintroducing.

I am on my own in this (( with the exception of you great people)) my insurance is crap and the doctors i have seen are LESS than knowledgeable.

The one common thread i have found in the foods i am having issues with is large amounts of Lecithin. I also have to take care with the amount of iodine I consume ,,,since both are naturally occurring in the human body and necessary for life I feel like my body is allergic to or intolerant of its self

[Skylark]

I did lamb, rice, and lettuce for two weeks. I wouldn't go with turkey if you think you're sensitive to chicken. I afforded the lamb by buying a roast on sale one week and lamb shanks on sale at a different store the next week. I didn't have problems at the time tolerating all the rice, but I was so sick any diet change turned out to be an improvement.

My diet worked pretty well. I was able to figure out an intolerance to wheat, soy, and cow dairy (goat/sheep was OK). What I missed was a sensitivity to rye and barley. I don't react with the obvious stomachache I was getting from wheat, soy, and dairy. I just get low-level constant GI problems that I can't tie to any particular meal.

After I had been eating wheat/dairy/soy free for a couple months I got the idea of trying Atkins to lose a few pounds. I stopped eating the pure rye bread and crackers and within a few days the last of my remaining digestive issues cleared up. I connected the dots... wheat - rye - barley - gluten ... CELIAC!

Eventually my soy and dairy intolerance cleared up and now I eat gluten-free with no real other dietary restrictions.

[cahill]

I woke up this morning CRAVING eggs and milk sooooo I am kinda thinkin I know where i am headed with this

When you reintroduced eggs did you do egg whites one week and the yolks later?? or all at once? does it matter with eggs ??

** this is important for me because I need to keep as much non-meat protein in my diet as i can**

[gf-soph]

I woke up this morning CRAVING eggs and milk sooooo I am kinda thinkin I know where i am headed with this

When you reintroduced eggs did you do egg whites one week and the yolks later?? or all at once? does it matter with eggs ??

** this is important for me because I need to keep as much non-meat protein in my diet as i can**

I just wanted to see if I could provoke a reaction so jumped in and had a couple of eggs in a meal, and reacted with flushing and dizziness as well as delayed gastric problems. I haven't got back to specifically testing it yet.

Reintroduction - egg whites alone are higher in amines than the same amount of whole egg, so I would suggest trying the yolk first, then egg white. I think you can react to them differently anyway, but i'm out of my depth a little there. With a lot of these intolerances you can often find some amount that you can tolerate, so you might not have to cut it out totally.

If you suspect amines, be careful about how you store and cook your lamb. Amines increase with the breakdown of the meat, so you want to eat it as fresh as possible. Also, don't brown the meat, as this also increases the levels. It's also possible to react to some amines and not others, so there are different types in meat compared to chocolate and bananas, so it can be complex to work out.

You could also look into sulphites as a possible problem, as I've seen that linked to egg problems. Also, it might be good to try the eggs with other food, or cooked in a gentle way.

[T.H.]

on top of the amine issue, you can be allergic to just egg whites or just egg yolks, yeah.

[cahill]

It has been almost a week since I started. Lamb,sweet potatos,peaches, peas and rice have been on the menu. Other than withdraw from coffee(( I had ALMOST cut it completely out before starting))I am starting to feel PRETTY GREAT

At first I was very eager to start adding back foods,, But to be honest I am very apprehensive now that I am feeling better.I dont ever want to feel that crappy again. The foods that I feel may be an issue are moving waayyyyyy to the bottom of the list

Thanks for the great info and support ,,,you guys are the BEST

[gf-soph]

It has been almost a week since I started. Lamb,sweet potatos,peaches, peas and rice have been on the menu. Other than withdraw from coffee(( I had ALMOST cut it completely out before starting))I am starting to feel PRETTY GREAT

At first I was very eager to start adding back foods,, But to be honest I am very apprehensive now that I am feeling better.I dont ever want to feel that crappy again. The foods that I feel may be an issue are moving waayyyyyy to the bottom of the list

Thanks for the great info and support ,,,you guys are the BEST

Nice work! It's important to keep the 2 goals in mind - feel better, and find a way to a diet that is as nutritious and well rounded as possible. I know how it feels like to be apprehensive about feeling bad again, but if you can feel this much better in a week don't be too afraid to have a few bad days from a reaction.

Well done, and keep us updated.

[Skylark]

That's great that you're feeling better!

Now, take your time adding things back. Give a couple days between new foods to notice delayed reactions. Good luck sorting out what's causing trouble!

[MsMissy]

For me the choice would be no brainer....I'm highly allergic to Sheep!

As for Elimination diets, i have tried them. A food journal is a great tool. Just buy a comp book and write down what you eat and how you feel. I started mine with plain oatmeal (which now i know is sometimes contaminated with gluten....i had thought i was safe at the time.) Add back foods one at a time. Eat a little bite the first day, if you dont have any trouble, eat a half a serving the next day, still no trouble, eat a full serving the next. If you feel good add the food to your safe list, write a safe list at the back of the notebook...it helps if you have any anxiety issues.

Personally i have been doing this for months, but as my stress levels have been though the roof. I havent been adding things in much, i havent felt ive had the luxury to have a reaction. Too much needs done, too many people rely on me to take care of them, so I often put myself on the back burner so to speak.

right now my entire diet is corn, apples, chex, rice, chicken, skim milk, pears, and turkey. (and occasionally grapes) I just started to add citrus fruits back in *crosses fingers* i hope they are OK.

[jenngolightly]

I have questions for those that have done an elimination diet.

Something is still an issue .If i am being honest it just feels like food ,in general ,, is an issue ..

I am considering doing an elimination diet.

1.. can i use lamb or turkey ??,, chicken is not agreeing with me so I am wondering about the turkey ,but am not sure I can get/afford lamb

2.. how did the elimination diet work for you?? Where you able to pin point food issues ??

3 were you able to tolerate that much rice??

any tips or suggestions ???

*edit to add**

i do eat a lot of legumes. It would be very important to determine whither I can tolerate legumes or not. I dont tolerate most meats nor do i digest meat well

Whatever you do, make sure you're getting enough fiber and water while doing the elimination diet. I goofed last week and ended up in ER. I've been a very good girl on my elimination diet for 9 months, but circumstances changed over the last couple of months which made me hungry so I added rice in about 3 weeks ago - at the expense of eating all my leafy greens and other high-fiber foods. I wasn't drinking enough water, either. Legumes and other starches are good for you, but your digestive track needs fiber in order to work properly. Make sure you add in green or bright colored veggies in the beginning of your diet.

[cahill]

Whatever you do, make sure you're getting enough fiber and water while doing the elimination diet. I goofed last week and ended up in ER. I've been a very good girl on my elimination diet for 9 months, but circumstances changed over the last couple of months which made me hungry so I added rice in about 3 weeks ago - at the expense of eating all my leafy greens and other high-fiber foods. I wasn't drinking enough water, either. Legumes and other starches are good for you, but your digestive track needs fiber in order to work properly. Make sure you add in green or bright colored veggies in the beginning of your diet.

Thanks Jenn,, I have been eating more veggies than I EVER have

Unfortunately I reacted very strongly to legumes when I tried to reintroduced them. I am concerned about that because Legumes have made up a large portion of protein in my diet for a very long time.

[cahill]

Personally i have been doing this for months, but as my stress levels have been though the roof. I havent been adding things in much, i havent felt ive had the luxury to have a reaction.

Luckily, i had a 3 day weekend when i added back legumes. My reaction to them put me in bed/bathroom for 2 days and I am just now starting to recover. I dont know how many times i can deliberately do that to my self so my food list may be quite limited for quite some time to come

A great benefit to doing this elimination diet that I didnt think about, maybe just coincidence , My DH is starting to heal

My bloating has gone down so much that i am in pants two sizes smaller then I was at Christmas time