Elimination Diets and Re-introducing foods

Golfingail · Post by **Golfingail** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:24 am

I've been doing the elimination diet now for 2+ weeks and am feeling really great for the first time in years! Am wondering how long it is recommended to stay strictly to this plan before trying to re-introduce a food to see if I can tolerate it or not.

Post by **tex** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:10 am

Hi Gail,

Theoretically, if you are in remission by way of a true elimination diet (a very restrictive diet), then you should be far enough along to be able to reintroduce and test foods. It's best to start with a small to moderate amount of only one new food at a time, and if you don't see any negative signs, then the second day increase the dosage slightly, and again, if all seems well, then the third day eat more. If you don't react by the third day, you should be home free.

It's best to not experiment with raw or unpeeled vegetables or fruits until you have at least several more months of healing behind you. And that applies to significant sources of sugar, also, and all artificial sweeteners.

You seem to be making very good progress. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you, and you should be fine.

Tex

Golfingail · Post by **Golfingail** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:01 pm

I'm going to take my sweet time about adding foods that's for sure. Nothing tastes as good as feeling good does!!
:cool:

Thanks for your advice!

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:48 pm

Tex,

How do you know when you're truly in 'remission'? I believe there are certain symptoms that lessen for a period of time in an order? I think you mentioned this once, but I don't remember what was said.

Thank you!

patc73 · Post by **patc73** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:59 pm

I've found that even after feeling good for several months in a row, I can still have a flare if I don't follow the rules of "moderation in everything". Too much of any one food that I usually tolerate can push me over the edge. And obviously, even in remission, some foods are complete "no-no"s.

Pat

Golfingail · Post by **Golfingail** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:22 pm

After naively thinking I had it figured out after just 2 short weeks, I had a flare this afternoon that said, hey you are just a baby in this journey...... crap. (Pun intended.) Sigh.

DJ · Post by DJ » Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:31 pm

Hi Gail, Flares are part of the educational process. They guide us

It sounds like you are on a very good path!

My parents had a place in the forest of Ocala for years. It's a nice place. Lucky you.

DJ

Post by **tex** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:17 pm

Linda wrote:Tex,

How do you know when you're truly in 'remission'? I believe there are certain symptoms that lessen for a period of time in an order? I think you mentioned this once, but I don't remember what was said.

Thank you!

In my case, as others have pointed out, recovery was a rather drawn-out process, but I knew by the big improvement that I experienced after I finally squeezed my diet down to a few simple foods, that I was in what I would call "conditional" remission. IOW, as others have pointed out, I still had occasional relapses, but as time went on, they became fewer and farther between, and the reactions were shorter and less severe. While I didn't necessarily feel "cured", most of the time I felt pretty good. The persistent fatigue slowly faded away, and eventually even the brain fog stopped recurring.

This went on for roughly a year or so, and then one day I woke up and had an epiphany when I realized that I hadn't had a reaction in a long time, and I felt better than I had felt in probably at least 15 or 20 years. At the time, it was the most incredible feeling in the world, and probably only someone who has actually experienced it can truly understand what it's like. I felt as though I had finally successfully clawed my way out of a pit of darkness, misery, and loneliness, back into the sunlight and civilization. That sounds kind of melodramatic, but believe it or not, it describes how I actually felt.

The path to recovery is almost never smooth and direct, and it's littered with discarded theories and remedies that didn't work. But it does lead back to the light, if we stay the course. Heck, if it were easy, even our doctors could tell us how to do it.

Tex

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:10 am

Thanks, Tex. I am still waiting for more normal stools. They are not pencil like anymore, but more fat (kindergarten) crayon-like (I was an elementary teacher, haha), most of the time.....if I get stressed, they go back to pencil thin. I believe Gabes mentioned that would be a sign of continued inflammation. I do feel more like myself, and the brain fog is very minimal, but the fatigue remains (although, not as severe as it was last year).
So, all in all I think things are progressing at a turtles pace, of course, for me, and I will be thankful for that progress.

Enjoy Tuesday!

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:20 pm

Progress is progress, no matter how slow. It's great to hear that the diet is working for you Gail. Be patient. The longer you can hang with your current diet the better. It takes time for the damage to heal. I waited 6 months, but we are all different. I have had many flares along the way, but like Tex said, they are few and far between…. and I usually "earned" them each time :)

Leah