These days you may hear all about the common use of elimination diets to help improve how you feel. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, whatever-free…it may sound like a simplistic approach to some, but those who have undertaken the task know that it can be a lot easier said than done!
Elimination Diet Challenges:
- Losing a Loved One: For starters, you most likely eliminate the food or the food group that you love the most or is most prominent in your diet. For instance, someone with gastrointestinal complaints is often told to remove gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye as well as high lactose dairy products like milk, ice cream, and certain cheeses. That translates to “Goodbye” pizza, chocolate chip cookies, cereal with milk, and definitely most Italian pasta dishes!
- High-Maintenance, Boring Hermit Crab: Elimination diets are also a challenge because when it comes to eating out, socializing, and convenience, they never seem to be on our team! No one wants to feel like a high-maintenance, boring hermit crab for a few weeks while trying out one of these restrictive diet plans. Common foods consumed in social settings and on-the-go are often removed during elimination diets including high fructose corn syrup and processed sugar, soy and soy containing products, eggs, or even grains and dairy.
- Uncharted Territory: Lastly, these diets are pretty tough because you may have to completely learn how to use new and unfamiliar ingredients. It can feel rather intimidating to show up to the grocery store with a list of foods that you can barely pronounce, let alone find, let alone know how to incorporate into your meals and snacks! Quinoa. Amaranth. Coconut aminos. Kefir. Spirulina. You get the picture. No one wants that feeling of spending half your paycheck and half your day trying to find these obscure ingredients and praying they don’t end up rotting away when you inevitably end up lacking the time and energy to learn all about them.
Okay, so we know now that elimination diets are not for the weak…but often we prescribe them for those who are undergoing various health challenges and may not have the energy to put the plan into place! Luckily, Food Sensitivity Solutions (FSS) is here to make this process much easier for you to actually implement.
At FSS, we provide testing, education, and support for those with issues related to food sensitivities. Now, let me briefly explain how each of these components makes your life and your experience on an elimination diet much easier and stress-free!
Testing:
By providing comprehensive blood testing to assess for your food sensitivities, what once may have felt like an arbitrary plan will now confidently remove the right foods for you during your elimination diet. Maybe gluten isn’t a problem for you, but rice is! Maybe fruits and vegetables are the culprits over soy and dairy! Who knows? With the MRT test, we are able to provide you with a clear list of foods to avoid for a set period of time without all of the confusion.
Education:
This may be the most important component of what FSS provides! Between our free blog content and our paid membership site, clients gain access to top-notch nutrition education material all related to food sensitivities. As Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDNs), we are certified to provide you the most accurate and up-to-date information on this topic. We never stop learning on this topic and spreading the wealth to our clients and followers!
Now, how does education help make the elimination diet process easier? We believe that knowledge is power! We educate you the foods to avoid (and why), foods to incorporate (and why), how to use foods in new and exciting ways, tips on recipes and acceptable product recommendations, and fill you in on the science of immunology and adverse food reactions. By understanding the basics you’ll feel more confident in your ability to implement the diet plan.
Support:
No man is an island. We and the rest our FSS community are here to offer you the support you need during this challenging time. Hear from other people across the nation in our Facebook support group who have gone through the program and learn first hand the tips they used for their success. Talk to us directly during your appointments to go over any specific challenges you encountered while on the diet. From start to finish, we are here for you.
Is It Worth the Trouble?
So, no one said this would be easy…but I can promise you it is worth it. When you finally experience the relief you are looking for just by changing the foods you are eating, you’ll know for sure that this was the right program to put your energy towards. We have helped hundreds of clients to successfully follow elimination diets. To learn more about our services please visit www.foodsensitivitysolutions.com.
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