Well, I am here to tell you that test EXISTS and, better yet, it’s FREE!!
This test can help determine if your headaches, joint pains, brain fog, chronic fatigue, heartburn, upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation, weight gain, rashes, anxiety, and decreased mood are caused by consuming certain foods. Amazing huh?
Well, on with it you say…what is the name of this incredible test??
Drum roll, please….
It’s the Elimination Diet!!
This diet is not your average diet, because it’s actually not a “diet” at all. “It’s not about calories, fats, carbs, or portions control. It’s not about depriving yourself of your favorite food or punishing yourself. It’s about creating new awareness of how the foods you eat make you feel”. – Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, authors of The Elimination Diet. (Great book, highly recommend it).
Our bodies are fueled every day by the foods we eat. The foods we take in offer macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals which feed our bodies trillions of cells, help regulate hormone production and immune response, and are used to produce the energy we need to keep us healthy and moving.
What you eat every day, every meal determines how you feel. Some foods can make you feel bad, while others boost your energy, increase your metabolism, improve your mood, and even clear up your skin.
The key to feeling good is finding which foods are irritating to your body and remove them. Common trigger foods include, but are not limited to, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, peanuts, tree nuts, nightshades, and shellfish.
When we constantly consume foods that trigger an inflammatory reaction and subsequent immune response, our body is basically fighting to protect itself every time the food(s) is consumed. Our intestines take the brunt of it, but eventually, this bleeds over to a system-wide effect.
Initially, our inflamed bodies will talk to us by providing subtle hints something isn’t quite right, these signs can be difficult to pick up, but over time our body begins to yell at us…hello migraine headaches!
Since we don’t typically eat just one food item at a time, it can be difficult to figure out which foods are causing your joints to ache, your skin to rash or breakout, the forgetfulness, gas, bloating, etc. Sadly, most people live with these symptoms for years, only being prescribed Band-Aid medications to help reduce or mask these unwanted ailments instead of looking for the “root cause” of the problem. Over time, this chronic inflammation and increased immune reaction can lead to chronic illnesses such as autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and even the “C” word…cancer.
Functional Medicine’s main focus is revealing the “root cause”, the “why”. Why does one patient suffer migraine headaches, fatigue, and bloating, while another suffers from joint pain and depression?
The Elimination diet is the main tool Functional Medicine practitioners use to help patient’s dig deeper to find the “why” behind their unwanted symptoms.
As Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, once said, “Health begins in the Gut”. Unfortunately, most modern medical practitioners aren’t taught to stop and ask: What do you eat every day?
The elimination diet helps patients familiarize themselves with their bodies by becoming aware of it’s response to certain foods. The protocol consists of an elimination phase and a reintroduction phase. By removing certain foods for a relatively short period of time, when you bring them back in one by one you will be able to determine which foods are causing your nagging symptoms.
During the elimination phase of the diet, what foods are initially removed depends on YOU! Yep, this diet is not a one size fits all. When you work with a Functional Medicine practitioner, your history, symptoms, physical exam, and lab work will determine which type of elimination diet will serve YOU the best!
By the end of the reintroduction phase, you will have learned exactly what foods to stay away from and which foods you can go nuts on! Pretty simple really.
While the thought of removing foods usually leads to the question, “Well then, what will I eat?”, Functional Medicine practitioners have many resources to help guide patients along the way, some even have a health and nutrition coach patients can work with 1 on 1. This team approach is vital for patient success during the elimination diet.
While going through an elimination diet is not easy, you can stay motivated through the process by remembering the overarching goal of feeling better. The goals of clearing your mind, calming your gut, reducing or eliminating pain, increasing your energy, controlling weight gain, and clearing up your skin. Knowing that you CAN feel better and live your best life is the most important motivating factor for anyone who lives with pain and discomfort every day.
Remember, you can feel better and we are here to help!
If any of the above sounds like you, book your complimentary 20-minute phone consultation to see if we can help you feel better!!