What’s An Elimination Diet And Should You Be Doing It?
As we inch closer and closer to the new year, diets and weight loss plans are all the rave, even more than usual. From the keto to paleo to going vegetarian or vegan, a lot of us are getting serious about not just slimming down but getting healthy… for good. We've had an "a-ha moment" that it's not just about looking a certain way for social media but living a healthy lifestyle we can proud of in private.
One of the popular (and realistic) ways lots of women are getting their health on track is with the elimination diet. If you've tried any other diet and feel like you're at your wit's end, or you're researching for the first time to see what's best for you and your body, the elimination diet could be a win for your body. But not in the way you think. Whatever you go for, we always advise you to speak with your physician before taking the plunge with any dietary changes.
What You Need To Know About The Elimination Diet
What Is The Elimination Diet?
Before you go cleaning out your refrigerator and pantry, it's important to know that while it has the word diet in it, the elimination diet is unlike any other food-restriction plan.
Its purpose is to identify which foods and/or food groups trigger problems for your body like diarrhea, bloating, constipation, nausea, eczema, and even skin breakouts. It involves removing certain types of foods, and possibly even complete food groups, from your diet. The foods you eliminate (i.e. milk/dairy, peanuts, starches) are usually ones that cause certain issues like allergies or other discomforts.
How Do You Get Started With The Elimination Diet?
Shutterstock
Please keep in mind that this type of dieting is typically suggested by a professional (especially if you have a suspected food allergy). You also don't want to eliminate too many food groups at once as this could cause a deficiency in your nutrition.
According to Healthline, the key is to eliminate foods that you (and your doctor) believe can cause intolerances in your body for 2-3 weeks to see if you recognize any changes. Then, slowly but surely reintroduce these foods back into your diet one at a time in 2-3 day timeframes. As you do this, watch out for any triggers that you previously had that may be making their way back. Some of the common symptoms are headaches and migraines, fatigue, bloating, cramps, changes in bowel movements and trouble sleeping. If none of your triggers come back up, feel free to move on to the next food/food group. On the flip side, if your intolerances do return, then you've just identified what has been causing your body discomfort.
Should I Try A Basic Elimination Diet, The Full Elimination Diet, Or The Low FODMAP Diet?
There are actually a few different types of elimination diets you can choose from. The basic elimination diet includes removing gluten and dairy from your diet, then reintroducing them again to see how your body responds. Some can still eat gluten and dairy afterward, depending on their body, and some decide to stay away from gluten for the long haul.
A full elimination diet removes eggs, shellfish, soy, and related products, as well as corn and tree nuts, while a nightshade elimination diet eliminates nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, paprika, and chili peppers.
There is also the Low FODMAP that deals with irritable bowel syndrome. It eliminates lots of dairy products, dried fruit, most vegetables, coffee, tea, and juices. What you can eat on this elimination diet is meats, chicken, fish, eggs, cold cuts, hard cheeses, mozzarella, sherbert, nuts, and some fruits like oranges, bananas, and melon.
The specific carbohydrate diet calls for a LOT of discipline as you'd have to remove all grains, specific legumes (like soybeans and chickpeas), a majority of dairy products, root vegetables, canned and processed meats, and starches. While it calls for more discipline than others might, it could help with digestive issues in a major way. At the same time, because the list is so vast, you definitely want to talk to your doctor before taking it on.
So…What Do I Get Out Of Doing The Elimination Diet?
Shutterstock
Along with realizing what triggers could be stopping you from living and feeling your best, taking on a proper healthy elimination diet in the right way can have a few other advantages such as easier digestion and clearer skin (depending on the diet you tried and the trigger you had before). Though the pot at the end of the rainbow isn't weight loss, it can jumpstart your body on its journey to embracing a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
How To Stan For Your Newly Vegan Homegirl Like She's Beyoncé
10 Black Foodie Influencers You Need To Follow Right Now
8 Essential Buddha Bowl Recipes That Will Satisfy All Your Cravings
The Trendy Diets That Celebs Like Beyonce & Halle Berry Are Co-Signing
Featured image by Shutterstock.
- 7 Things To Know Before Starting An Elimination Diet Plan | SELF ›
- 9 Tips to Survive an Elimination Diet | One Medical ›
- Elimination Diet ›
- The Simple Elimination Diet That Could Change Your Life Forever ›
- What's an Elimination Diet? ›
- How to Do an Elimination Diet, and Why Everyone Needs to Do One ›
- Elimination Diet and Food Challenge Test for Diagnosing Allergies ›
- An elimination diet ›
- How to Do an Elimination Diet and Why ›
Charmaine Patterson is a journalist, lifestyle blogger, and a lover of all things pop culture. While she has much experience in covering top entertainment news stories, she aims to share her everyday life experiences, old and new, with other women who can relate, laugh, and love along with her. Follow Char on Twitter @charjpatterson, Instagram @charpatterson, and keep up with her journey at CharJPatterson.com .
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Is It Ever Okay To Share Your Friends' Business With Your Partner? Maybe.
The older we get, the more we communicate our boundaries. With age, we also more clearly understand those boundaries and how to effectively, and immediately speak on them confidently. For many years, I remained connected with a friend whose boyfriend would always come to me and call me "lonely" or mention a discussion I had only had in private with her.
Back then, not only was it that anything I said to her in confidence was being reiterated without my permission. But there was also the sass of that man to repeat tidbits of our conversations back to me coupled with her audacity not to check him then and there whenever he did. But, as a much older adult, I realize people can’t do what they don’t know, and based on her choice of partner – it now seems to be a given that boundaries and respect weren’t two things that were high on her list of priorities…respectfully.
We stayed friends for many years, and honestly, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it had her man kept his mouth shut. I’m about to tell on myself when I say, “I thought we were all doing that? I thought we were all telling our man the tea at the end of our days?” I mean, I don’t have a man 90 percent of the time – so more often than not the secrets have been safe, but like?!
But, I’ve since seen several online posts in passing that suggest this is actually against the girl code – leaving me to feel validated but also guilty for my acts of treason. I thought it would be safe to get some more insight from an expert as listening to internet rhetoric can, at times, be overrated.
According to Dr. Ayanna Abrams, a licensed clinical psychologist, it depends. "It depends on four relationships – not just the one with your friend. This answer depends on your friendship, your partnership, your friend's relationship with your partner, and your relationship to the shared information.”
Dr. Abrams went on to provide a list of questions that can help us better understand if what you want to share with your partner is information your man is even qualified to know. Here is the list of questions that Dr. Abrams suggests you use as a flowchart of sorts:
1. What is my relationship with this friend?
How close are we? What stage of friendship are we in? Is this vulnerable information that feels particularly intimate or difficult for them to share? Did my friend ask me not to share?
2. What's my relationship with my partner?
What do I know about them and how do they hold information about me or the people in my life? Have they shown respect for people's privacy or do I know that they sometimes have trouble with privacy/secrets?
3. How does the shared information affect me?
Does it overjoy me, upset me, might it impact me and I'm anxious about it? (This could help determine what information you're sharing–are you sharing context for how it impacts you or are you sharing it as gossip?)
4. Is this information something that I believe my friend wouldn't mind my partner knowing?
Do they have any connection to each other (or is it strained or fairly distant?)
5. What's motivating me to share?
Do I need support, am I trying to connect with my partner through sharing things that happen to me within other relationships? Do we have a practice of sharing what's going on with our friends? How do I feel about sharing this information with anyone?
What can seem harmless to us may be a cause for immediate termination for others. This is a great opportunity to point out the importance of communicating and setting boundaries in all relationships, early and often. This is often recommended in romantic relationships but it can solve a lot of the issues stemming from miscommunication in platonic relationships as well.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by RgStudio/Getty Images