Elimination diet is a method to detect food intolerance. There are 3 different elimination diets which a person can follow to detect food intolerance. In this diets some/all foods are eliminated for a specific period of time. Gradually the foods will be reintroduced in the diet. Any of the following symptoms can indicate food intolerance: weight gain and fluctuation in weight; digestive disturbances like diarrhoea, constipation, wind; cravings; fatigue/lethargy; palpitations; shaking. There are many other symptoms which can lead to food intolerance, some of which may occur only to one person.

Here is one type of elimination diet:

For a period between 4 and 7 days only the following should be consumed:

1. Bottled spring water
2. Enema or Epsom salts if prone constipation
3. No other food or drink is allowed

It is very hard to follow this diet but the results appear fast. Within four or five days should be an improvement if the intolerance is the cause of the symptoms.

After an elimination diet the foods should be introduced gradually. First, a list of “safe” and “unsafe” foods should be drawn up. The process has to be carefully planned. There are 20 different foods to test. Each foodstuff has to be tested separately and completely. Intolerance to milk does not mean intolerance to butter and cheese too. Wheat should be tested separately to the other cereals and not as a component of bread. Bread consists yeast and other substances that can trigger intolerance. Intolerance to white wheat flour does not mean intolerance to wholemeal.

All process of re-introducing could take up to two month.

At the beginning is better to introduce foods that are less common associated with intolerance or allergy.

In the case of elimination diets 1 and 2, when some foods are aloud to be eaten, the process of re-introducing is as follow:

1. Selection of “whole” or “single” range of food
2. One large portion of the chosen food on it’s own
3. Waiting for a period up to eight hours to observe the reactions
4. If no reaction, a second portion to be eaten to double check
5. Taking Epsom salts if intolerance occur and avoid the substance again
6. Observing rating pulse before and during 11/12 hours after eating