# How do we do an elimination diet?



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Generally is pick a few foods to start with that you think are pretty safe (usually one starch, one protien and one vegetable and/or one fruit)If that diet seems to eliminate symptoms (or whatever you start with...some people like to start with the BRAT diet which is bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) and then add one thing back at a time, eat the start diet + whatever you add and after a couple of days evaluate the new food and add to the "safe" or "not safe" list. As you add each new food you can continue to eat everythin in the start diet and all foods you added to the safe list.If you have a few foods that you are pretty certain are your problem foods you can just eliminate those from the diet and eat everything else and if that makes things better after a few days then start from there and add back. If it doesn't help then cut some more out of the diet for a few days.The more varied you start with the less bored you will get, so alot depends on how good you can be on a very restricted diet for how long.K.


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## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

Im not gluten or wheat intolerent but there are things I need to test , but how, do we eat bland and add one thing at a time? Do we keep eating those things if they are safe and try a 2nd one, etc?


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## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

what about spices etc?


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## mcrosby (Dec 11, 2003)

I have noticed your post for a couple of days now and although I don't have an answer, I wanted you to know that I care and hope someone can help you soon. I have discussed this problem with my doctor in the past and he said it is a long drawn out process. You have to go off food for awhile and then introduce one food at a time and see how you react preferably only that food. Then try another food by itself and see what happens but if you eat more than one thing at a time you wouldn't know which ones you react to. I know there is a person in our area that does tests on people to see if they are allergic to gluton, milk, eggs etc. almost in the same manner as an allergist does only she concentrates more on foods rather then environmental products like, weeds, trees, mold. Maybe you could find someone like that in your area. I know this woman is an herbalist so maybe check under that title.


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

First, you isolate those foods that you feel sure are safe for you to eat. Eat only those foods for 3 days. (These are usually the 'white'diet--white bread, white rice, white meat chicken--all really bland, low residue foods as well as bananas & applesauce and only water. No added fats or sugars. You will feel pretty dragged out) By the third day, you should be having no stomach trouble. Low residue foods leave little for a bm, so don't be concerned if you don't 'go' as you think is normal. If you are still having gut problems, continue this regimen for several days more. You want to totally relax the gut and let it heal a bit by not stressing it. Second, add a small portion of a food you are fairly sure is not offensive. Small as in 1/4 c per day for several days. The point is to see how your system reacts to this particular food. If after 3 days your system is still okay, add a new food and continue in this manner until you can tell what foods to avoid completely, which to consume carefully, and which you can indulge in. Don't start off with foods that tend to be hard on your system, like spicy or gassy foods. Then you'll have to go back to square one and let your system recover before moving on. Start out slow. don't be too concerned with bm's--the only thing you want to find out is what irritates and starts the D and what can be safely eaten. Now that the process is laid out, let me tell you that many people with ibs-d have tried this and arrived at the conclusion that 1)some foods are always safe, 2)some foods are always a mistake, and 3)sometimes you eat a safe food and have a blowout/eat an unsafe food and tolerate it well. That's the rub with ibs, you can never know 100% for sure if it'll getcha or when. Do the best you can, study the board and your body for what sounds reasonable, have whatever tests run that your doc recommends, keep immodium and wipes on hand for emergencies, and, when you get to the end of your rope--TIE A KNOT IN IT!


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

This book explains the concepts and gives instructions for an elimination diet.FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE, Professor Jonathan Brostoff, MD, Stephen Challacombe, MD (NEW 2002) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/070...product-details ï¿½ Hardcover: 1120 pages ï¿½ Publisher: W B Saunders Co; ISBN: 0702020389; 2nd edition (August 9, 2002)


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## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

bump


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I would add the spices back one at a time as well (or keep to a limited group that you believe are safe) until you get a fairly good sense of what is your safe diet then add them back.You might do the diet unspiced and see if adding a limited group of spices back doesn't bother you (salt shouldn't be a problem). But I would try to keep spices limited until you have a pretty good idea of what works for you. But if you really like something (like you put garlic in almost everything) I would do that as one of the first add back foods and check that it is safe.K.


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## pear_fairy (Feb 4, 2004)

No help but I was wondering the same thing! Hopefully someone here can give some info.~Steph


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## Arnie W (Oct 22, 2003)

I guess there are various ways of doing an elimination diet, but I would start bland and try to get yourself as symptom-free as possible. If the food that you have introduced does not worsen, or bring on, symptoms, you should be able to continue eating it and then introduce something else. If you get sudden increase in symptoms, you will probably be able to work out what it was.I try to keep tabs on my stress levels too, as they might be setting things off. At the moment I am introducing only one thing at a time, otherwise it gets too confusing when you have to work out which one it was that brought on the gas, bloating, D, etc.Also, it pays to document everything that goes into your body. It mightn't have been the banana you ate, but the sleeping tablet, the pain relief, the viagra, the multivitamin or whatever, that made the symptoms rear up. Who said it was going to be easy?!Lucky you if you are gluten-free.I hope that makes sense. I am just going out so am rushing things a bit. I'd be interested in what others have to say.


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## Jan LEAP RD (May 19, 2002)

I also recommend Brostoff's book. However, if your elimination diet doesn't provide the answers for you, sometimes blood testing (mediator release tesing --www.nowleap.com for more info) followed by an elimation diet designed SPECIFICALLY for you makes the whole process easier.


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