Elimination Diet Challenge

Join to Learn Practical way to implement Elimination diet in your Patients

An elimination diet is an eating plan that omits a food or group of foods believed to cause an adverse food reaction, often referred to as a “food intolerance.” By removing certain foods for a period of time and then reintroducing them during a “challenge” period, you can learn which foods are causing symptoms or making them worse. We often think of reactions to food as being a rapid allergic reaction, such as when a person has an anaphylactic reaction to eating peanuts and their throat swells up. However, there are other ways our bodies can react to foods that may not be so immediate, and may or may not be tied to an immune system response. Food intolerances may be triggered by various natural compounds found in foods (natural sugars or proteins)

After the three-week elimination period, a personalized food reintroduction is the next step. Reintroduction involves adding back one food at a time to observe whether that food causes symptoms. Foods that continue to cause symptoms (physical, mental, or emotional) are avoided for an additional three to six months, then reintroduction is attempted again. Once the body has healed, some foods which initially caused symptoms may be tolerated and added back into the diet.

The Elimination Diet is a short-term food plan. Healing the gut and being able to eat a wide variety of whole foods are the ultimate goals of the Elimination Diet. A diet with a wide variety of whole foods helps ensure that your body gets all essential nutrients, and this is especially important for anyone interested in improving their overall health.

Health concerns that have failed to respond to other treatments may improve after completing IFM’s Elimination Diet. Specific foods may be related to a long list of health conditions, including digestive problems, headaches, chronic sinus drainage, low energy, depression, mood swings, eczema, skin irritations, joint aches, asthma, weight gain, and others. Many suffer from these symptoms for long periods of time without realizing the connection to food. It isn’t until a food is eliminated from the diet, that the connection with symptoms can be made. IFM’s Elimination Diet firstly removes common food triggers, then helps you identify specific foods that may be causing ongoing symptoms through a personalized food reintroduction.