As a certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, we are trained to listen deeply and seek the root cause of the issue. We know that no two bodies are exactly alike and therefore what works for one may not work for another. This is true for many things, including foods and the effects they may have in the body. It is a real challenge trying to figure out which foods are your friends and which are your enemy. The Elimination Diet is a path to self discovery to find your true allies in the food world and transform your health.
After searching for years and feeling frustrated trying one type of diet or another, the Functional Medicine approach to getting to the root of my imbalance made all the difference. I felt like I was missing something but there were too many pieces to figure out what was triggering the inflammation. I have been eating organic nutrient dense foods and being mindful of staying healthy and yet my body told a different story. I needed to put science on my side and do the work to solve the puzzle and get well.
To start, I needed to get an idea of which foods may be the culprit to my problems. A quick way to get a rundown about food reactivity is to do a blood test. I did a panel that tested 100 foods from the convenience of my home using Everlywell. I am sure there are other great labs out there too, this one was recommended to me and was very affordable and easy to use. With that assessment, I had a list of foods that have been show to cause sensitivity and started with that list as potential suspects to my health woes.
To get more specific, for me, chicken, turkey and oats will also be excluded in addition to the usual dairy, soy, corn, wheat, gluten, eggs, beef, pork, shellfish and added sugar. Due to joint pain in my shoulder, I am also reducing nightshades which include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant to just once or twice a week at most. After 30 days without these foods, I hope to notice a reduction in inflammation and pain in my shoulder, better digestion, more energy and positivity due to less irritants in my system. I am excited to see how this experiment goes and will need to use my creativity, flexibility and patience as I adapt my cooking and eating.
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