Ask Me Help Desk - Elimination Diet?

Elimination Diet?

I've decided to try a pretty intense elimination diet because I've had some really bad stomach pains for the past 2 years. I thought a simple Google search would give me a pretty straight-forward regimen, but it turns out there are a lot of different "elimination diets" and a lot of different theories. I have the added obstacle of being a vegetarian. I found the linked diet and I think it looks pretty good and thorough.

If anyone knows anything about elimination diets, has done it and has tips, or thinks this one won't be as effective as another one, I would really appreciate any advice. I want to make sure I do this right the first time so I can kick my allergies in the butt once and for all. Thank you :)

Max Drake Vegetarian Elimination Diet

EDIT: This is NOT a diet for weight loss. It's a diet for identifying foods that my body is sensitive to. I was diagnosed with IBS in January and I need to find out what foods cause my symptoms. My question is for someone who knows about elimination diets-will the above linked diet be effective or is there one (for vegetarians) that you could point me to before I start? Thank you!

I see a lot of problems with that even as someone who is NOT a nutritionist.

#1. Its not a balanced diet

#2. Its going to slow down your metabolism, which is NOT what you want in a diet to lose weight.

#3. It does nothing to address the habit changes that need to be made that contributed to the weight gain in the first place.

This isn't to lose weight. I'm underweight as it is, lol.

It's to identify food allergies that cause my stomach to hurt. I was diagnosed with IBS in January, and they said it was due to a food allergy that they couldn't identify (only I could identify it). I thought it was lactose intolerance because when I stopped eating dairy, the pain subsided for a couple weeks. Last night, it was so horrible I couldn't move my legs. The elimination diet is a method people use to identify foods they are sensitive to.

OK... that is totally different then. Good that you went and put that edit in... as it wasn't clear before.

Sounded like a fad diet and it was making you feel bad before you went and explained that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoothy

OK......that is totally different then. Good that you went and put that edit in....as it wasn't clear.

Haha, I understand though. The word "diet" is like the word "fire" in a movie theater.

I'm glad there's an "edit" function here. Sometimes things make more sense to the writer than to the reader.

Did you try eliminating the dairy before or after the IBS diagnosis?

What foods to you eliminate when you cut out dairy? Did you reintroduce it or are you continuing to avoid it? Caffeine can be another source of stomach discomfort for many people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaLC

Did you try eliminating the dairy before or after the IBS diagnosis?

What foods to you eliminate when you cut out dairy? Did you reintroduce it or are you continuing to avoid it? Caffeine can be another source of stomach discomfort for many people.

Hello Doula, thanks for replying.

I cut out dairy after the diagnosis. I was really strict about it-I looked at labels for bread and such, made servers at restaurants interrogate the cooks (which is always fun for servers), and of course cut out cheese, milk, sour cream, etc. It made me feel a lot better for a couple of weeks, but then the pain came back about two weeks ago. I have already been tested for gluten intolerance and thyroid issues, so the next step is eliminating foods.

I do drink coffee-about two cups a day. I actually decided to give the diet I linked a try and today is day 1. So no coffee (and I'm feeling that).

My fingers are crossed that fatty foods make me hurt-because then I would be forced to stay away from french fries!

READ THIS:

http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

My daughter just got diagnosed with colitis. Probably TWO kinds, crohns and ulcerative. We know that Crohns is aggitated by dairy but we're not sure what ulcerative comes from. BUT the doctor did say that it was probably NOT IBS even before the sigmoidoscopy because SHE WAS RAISED ON WHOLE GRAINS. IBS is very controllable and possibly curable by following the elimination diet and closely following what it tells you. Eating REAL food and not IMITATION (overly processed already prepared) food, it helps a bunch. NO sugar. If you can't understand or question any ingredient, DON'T by it. READ labels. Different lectins cause different responses. For example, ricin, from castor beans, causes blood clots and kills very quickly. You will see different groups of elimination diets. Notice also that you will find lectins in dairy products from grain fed animals. Find a doctor that understands Vegetarians AND lectins and ask advice!