Advice For How To Do An Elimination Diet

[hopefulinmybody]

Hi everyone! Once again I am amazed by the depth of knowledge in this community. I just visited this topic area for the first time now that I have identified food intolerances and leaky gut as something I should look into. I've been gluten-free for seven months since my biopsy showed moderate to severe damage and I still feel frequently tired, get about 1 cold per week, and have muscle weakness. I am thinking it is getting to be time to look into other food intolerances. I visited a clinic that I am not sure if I trust and they also suggested doing a stool test to look for parasites and saliva testing to look at adrenal function.

My main question: Can you recommend a website or a plan to do the elimination diet? Obviously it is daunting to strip down to a few foods and I would like to read up about this before I come up with my plan.

And also curious if you have heard about whether it is effective to look for parasites in stool testing and at adrenal function.

Thank you!!

[Skylark]

Mine was simple. Lamb, white rice, and lettuce for two weeks. It's a classic allergy elimination and how I figured out I couldn't eat wheat, rye, or barley.

I have considered trying this food chemical intolerance diet. Open Original Shared Link

As far as adrenal function, be CAREFUL. There is a lot of alternative medicine garbage out there right now on "adrenal fatigue" and some alternative practitioners will make you a lot sicker with cortisol to "treat" it. It's reasonable to be tested for Addison's disease, or perhaps full-blown adrenal exhaustion but don't accept a fad "adrenal fatigue" diagnosis. Also, if they claim they can meaningfully test your cortisol from one saliva sample, run screaming! Cortisol has a daily rhythm and you have to test it multiple times to get valid levels.

Thyroid issues should be ruled out before adrenal. The thryoid directs the adrenals and if you've got thyroid trouble like so many celiacs, getting your thyroid working will sort out any mild adrenal problems. Hint: weakness, immunosuppression and fatigue are classic thyroid symptoms. I bet your skin is dry and your hands are cold too.

I don't know much about stool testing. I think it's a standard diagnostic test to pick up amoebal diseases and giardia.

[hopefulinmybody]

Thanks Skylark. I will check this diet. Wow, eating lamb, white rice, and lettuce for two weeks seems intense. Were you able to carry on with life as usual? I suppose it's easier in some sense because you only shop for three things and cook two. And then after this you introduced one food or food group after the next?

There is a lot of noise about adrenal function. The test they would have me to do samples the saliva over 4 times during a day.

Re: thyroid. Years ago my T3 was low and doctors tried to move it with hormone but it didn't move. Now my TSH is normal and the doctor says that is adequate as a read and all we need to know. Do you have any knowledge about whether a TSH is enough to gauge thyroid function? I definitely have weakness, fatigue, and frequent colds (immunosuppression).

Thank you!!

Mine was simple. Lamb, white rice, and lettuce for two weeks. It's a classic allergy elimination and how I figured out I couldn't eat wheat, rye, or barley.

I have considered trying this food chemical intolerance diet. Open Original Shared Link

As far as adrenal function, be CAREFUL. There is a lot of alternative medicine garbage out there right now on "adrenal fatigue" and some alternative practitioners will make you a lot sicker with cortisol to "treat" it. It's reasonable to be tested for Addison's disease, or perhaps full-blown adrenal exhaustion but don't accept a fad "adrenal fatigue" diagnosis. Also, if they claim they can meaningfully test your cortisol from one saliva sample, run screaming! Cortisol has a daily rhythm and you have to test it multiple times to get valid levels.

Thyroid issues should be ruled out before adrenal. The thryoid directs the adrenals and if you've got thyroid trouble like so many celiacs, getting your thyroid working will sort out any mild adrenal problems. Hint: weakness, immunosuppression and fatigue are classic thyroid symptoms. I bet your skin is dry and your hands are cold too.

I don't know much about stool testing. I think it's a standard diagnostic test to pick up amoebal diseases and giardia.

[Skylark]

Re: thyroid. Years ago my T3 was low and doctors tried to move it with hormone but it didn't move. Now my TSH is normal and the doctor says that is adequate as a read and all we need to know. Do you have any knowledge about whether a TSH is enough to gauge thyroid function? I definitely have weakness, fatigue, and frequent colds (immunosuppression).

It is possible to have normal TSH and T4, but low T3. There are a few people who do not convert T4 to T3 correctly. It's a relatively rare problem, but you already had a low T3 reading so it's worth considering. You might ask for total T3 and free T3.

The three-food elimination wasn't a big deal. I made a leg of lamb and sliced it. Then I took a container of lamb and rice to warm and a salad for lunch at work. I usually skip breakfast. I was desperate and the stomachaches and chronic D stopped fast enough that I knew I was onto something.

[burdee]

There is a lot of noise about adrenal function. The test they would have me to do samples the saliva over 4 times during a day.

Re: thyroid. Years ago my T3 was low and doctors tried to move it with hormone but it didn't move. Now my TSH is normal and the doctor says that is adequate as a read and all we need to know. Do you have any knowledge about whether a TSH is enough to gauge thyroid function? I definitely have weakness, fatigue, and frequent colds (immunosuppression).

I'm one of those 'rare' people who don't easily convert T4 to T3. So my free T4 lab result was normal, but my free T3 test was below normal range. I take a T3 supplement twice daily (generic liothyronine), as well as a T4 (Levoxyl) supplement once daily. I had frequent colds, low body temperature, fatigue and constipation before I got on T3 plus T4. T4 alone didn't resolve my constipation or fatigue, but it raised my body temp slightly.

Has your doc tested your Hashimoto's antibodies (TPOab test)? Your other thyroid indices can be normal, while your TPOab is high (you want it low normal). Eventually the Hashi's antibodies will damage your thyroid enough to lower your other thyroid indices (t4, t3). However, abstaining from gluten can also somewhat prevent further Hashi's damage.

IF you resolve your other symptoms, but still have immunosuppression symptoms, you might have adrenal issues. (My doc thinks I may have adrenal problems, because I've been on T3/T4 meds for over a year and all my other symptoms have resolved. However, her clinic uses urine tests, NOT stool tests. I've had stool tests for allergies and gluten intolerance (Enterolab) and for gut bugs (bacteria, parasites and fungus), but never for adrenal issues.

[Skylark]

Alas, strict gluten free does not necessarily prevent Hashi's damage or even lower antibody titers. I know this the hard way.