Elimination diet.
Nov 21, 2011 19:56:33 GMT
Post by Charlie Arnold on Nov 21, 2011 19:56:33 GMT
This is a very tedious method of diagnosis but can be very effective. I did it in the end when Meg was 4 to get to the bottom of what was going on and after doing it convinced the docs to take me seriously about a fructose problem, they then did the breath test at last and she blew the graph by registering 124 after an hour!!! oooooops they said.
There are many different ways of doing an elimination diet depending on your reason to do it, for FM, wheat or dairy this is the easiest way to do it. It is boring and longwinded but stick with it and you should get some really positive answers.
Don't do it if you have a really busy time as you will be very limited nutritionally for a while as well as possible detox symptoms.
Design a diary as you will need to keep a clear note of everything you try and the reaction. keep a note of how your tummy feels, energy levels, urine and bowel output, sleep and any other symptoms you feel you are displaying. You should get a reaction fairly quickly if you have something you react to but you may need to use it to check back what you have tried or common pattern in reactions.
Drink plenty of fresh water during the tests to flush your system and keep you hydrated. Maybe cut back over a week before on things like tea, coffee and other things you have alot of to lessen your withdrawal symptoms.
The classic elimination diet is lamb and pear but the lamb gets very greasy after a few days and of course with FM pears are out so the best base to do is rice and chicken or turkey.
For four days eat white rice boiled in water or chicken stock (homemade with nothing but water in it. The best way is to boil your chicken carcass in water for over an hour, leave bones in until cooled then seive and store.)
Meg had boiled plain white rice for breakfast. She then had chicken chunks boiled with rice for lunch and supper.
After 4 days I noticed her bloating was decreasing and her diarhea was improving.
I then started by swapping rice for old white potatoes to the lunch meal. It is best to add the new item at lunch so you don't end up with a reaction just before bed.
Leave 2 days between each new item added. If you have a reaction go back to rice and chicken for a couple of days till symptoms settle back down then carry on with everything that is safe so far.
You could then try milk as this opens up your energy sources if it is ok. Try a small drink of milk mid morning and see what happens. Luckily Meg was OK with this so I could then make milky rice for breakfast etc. If you react to milk then that counts all dairy out. Detox again then try vegetables.
Start with FM safest ones like carrots, or celery. I would wait a while with tomato as many seem to have salicylate sensativity too.
Then try a few safe fruits. By now you shoud have a more varied diet option.
Now, if it is going well you can start testing whether it really is FM by adding a less safe vegetable or fruit or maybe test wheat now.
Again, each time you have a reaction make sure you detox to clear your system. Make a list of foods you like and plan when to try them, add in red meat and fish at some stage, also egg. do processed meat quite far down the list as the chances are the processing stage has added something many are sensative ie preservatives.
By now you will be glowing with health and should have a positive answer. If you haven't had any reactions you will have lost a few stone but don't have a food intolerance!!!!
I remember with Meg, dairy was fine but the diarhea started the instant vegetables were added and when I retried with fruit, and the screaming night pains so that was a big fat YES to a fructose problem.
Hope this makes sense. Good luck to all.
There are many different ways of doing an elimination diet depending on your reason to do it, for FM, wheat or dairy this is the easiest way to do it. It is boring and longwinded but stick with it and you should get some really positive answers.
Don't do it if you have a really busy time as you will be very limited nutritionally for a while as well as possible detox symptoms.
Design a diary as you will need to keep a clear note of everything you try and the reaction. keep a note of how your tummy feels, energy levels, urine and bowel output, sleep and any other symptoms you feel you are displaying. You should get a reaction fairly quickly if you have something you react to but you may need to use it to check back what you have tried or common pattern in reactions.
Drink plenty of fresh water during the tests to flush your system and keep you hydrated. Maybe cut back over a week before on things like tea, coffee and other things you have alot of to lessen your withdrawal symptoms.
The classic elimination diet is lamb and pear but the lamb gets very greasy after a few days and of course with FM pears are out so the best base to do is rice and chicken or turkey.
For four days eat white rice boiled in water or chicken stock (homemade with nothing but water in it. The best way is to boil your chicken carcass in water for over an hour, leave bones in until cooled then seive and store.)
Meg had boiled plain white rice for breakfast. She then had chicken chunks boiled with rice for lunch and supper.
After 4 days I noticed her bloating was decreasing and her diarhea was improving.
I then started by swapping rice for old white potatoes to the lunch meal. It is best to add the new item at lunch so you don't end up with a reaction just before bed.
Leave 2 days between each new item added. If you have a reaction go back to rice and chicken for a couple of days till symptoms settle back down then carry on with everything that is safe so far.
You could then try milk as this opens up your energy sources if it is ok. Try a small drink of milk mid morning and see what happens. Luckily Meg was OK with this so I could then make milky rice for breakfast etc. If you react to milk then that counts all dairy out. Detox again then try vegetables.
Start with FM safest ones like carrots, or celery. I would wait a while with tomato as many seem to have salicylate sensativity too.
Then try a few safe fruits. By now you shoud have a more varied diet option.
Now, if it is going well you can start testing whether it really is FM by adding a less safe vegetable or fruit or maybe test wheat now.
Again, each time you have a reaction make sure you detox to clear your system. Make a list of foods you like and plan when to try them, add in red meat and fish at some stage, also egg. do processed meat quite far down the list as the chances are the processing stage has added something many are sensative ie preservatives.
By now you will be glowing with health and should have a positive answer. If you haven't had any reactions you will have lost a few stone but don't have a food intolerance!!!!
I remember with Meg, dairy was fine but the diarhea started the instant vegetables were added and when I retried with fruit, and the screaming night pains so that was a big fat YES to a fructose problem.
Hope this makes sense. Good luck to all.