The Elimination Diet Program

Food allergies are common in adults and children, yet are frequently overlooked as the cause of such symptoms as fatigue, sore throat, abdominal pain and headaches.

There are two types of food allergies; Fixed and Masked. Fixed food allergies produce an immediate reaction and typically occur with peanuts, shellfish and eggs. Masked, or hidden, food allergies are harder to detect since a person ingests the food so frequently. Because the reaction is milder, most individuals don't associate a particular food with an allergic reaction.

Symptoms That May Be Caused By Food Allergies

• Infections: Recurrent colds, sore throats, ear infections, yeast infections, sinus infections
• Ear, Nose and Throat: Chronic nasal congestion, postnasal drip, fluid in the ears
• Respiratory: Asthma, chronic cough
• Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion and diarrhea
• Cardiovascular: Rapid heart rate/palpitations
• Dermatologic: Acne, eczema, hives
• Urinary: Frequent urination
• Rheumatologic: Muscle and joint pain
• Neurologic: Migraines and other headaches, anxiety, depression, short-term memory deficit
• General: Fatigue, insomnia,

Note: The disorders mentioned above have more than one cause, but a food allergy is a relatively common and frequently overlooked cause.

The purpose of our Elimination Diet Program is to identify hidden food allergies that may be causing some or many of your symptoms. In a controlled, medically supervised program, common food allergens are completely removed from the diet for two weeks. During this period, the individual is prescribed a responsible, balanced diet restricted to foods such as fruit, vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish, lean meat and grains. After the elimination period, the foods are added back, one at a time, to see if a reaction develops. A direct cause and effect relationship is a signal to individuals, parents and physicians to limit or eliminate particular foods from the diet.

Foods To Avoid

• Dairy Products: Milk and foods containing milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, whey, casein, ice cream
• Wheat: Refined breads, spaghetti, noodles, pasta, flour, baked goods, and gravies
• Corn: Including any product with corn oil, vegetable oil, corn syrup, corn sweetener, dextrose, glucose, corn chips, tortillas, and popcorn
• Eggs: Whites and yolks, and any product containing eggs
• Citrus Fruits: Orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine and foods containing citrus
• Refined Sugars: Table sugar and any foods containing sugar, such as candy, soda, pies, cakes, cookies, etc. (Other names for sugar include sucrose, glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, dried fruit, corn sweetener, fructose, and maltose)
• Honey, Maple or Barley Syrup
• Food Additives: Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners
• Any Food Ingested More Than Three Times Per Week
• Known Allergens: Avoid any food you know you or your child are allergic to, even if it is allowed on this diet.

Read Labels!

Hidden allergens are frequently found in packaged foods. "Flour" usually means wheat; "vegetable oil" may mean corn oil; casein and whey are dairy products. Make sure your vitamins are free of wheat, corn, sugar, citrus, yeast, and artificial colorings. Vary your diet, choosing a wide variety of foods. Do not rely on just a few foods, as you may become allergic to foods you eat every day!

Foods To Eat

• Cereals: Hot cereals like oatmeal or oat bran. Dry cereals like puffed rice or puffed millet, Oatio's (wheat free). May use soy milk that has no corn oil added; also may use almond nut milk. Most of these foods are available in health food stores.
  
• Grains and Flour Products: 100% rice cakes, rice crackers; any 100% rye or spelt bread with no wheat; Oriental noodles, such as 100% buckwheat Soba noodles; soy, rice, potato, buckwheat, and bean flours; cooked whole grains including oats, millet, barley, buckwheat groats (kasha), rice, macaroni, spelt (flour and pasta), brown rice, amaranth, quinoa.
  
• Legumes (beans): Includes soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas, chickpeas, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, string beans, and others. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens. Some cooked beans packaged in glass jars, sold at the health food store, contain no sugar. Read labels. May also use bean dips without sugar, lemon or additives. Canned soups include split pea and lentil soup (without additives.)
  
• Vegetables: Use a wide variety. All vegetables except corn are permitted.
  
• Proteins: Poultry and fowl, fresh fish, such as tuna and salmon, packed in spring water. Shrimp and most canned or packaged shellfish (such as lobster, crab, oysters) may contain sulfites and should be avoided. Canned tuna, salmon and other canned fish are O.K. Beef and pork may be eaten unless specified otherwise. Lamb rarely causes allergic reactions, and may be used even when other meats are restricted. Also recommended are grain/bean casseroles (recipes in vegetarian cookbooks.)
  
• Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds, either raw or roasted without salt or sugar. May also use nut butters from health food stores or from fresh ground nuts (this includes peanut butter if allowed, almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, sesame butter, and sesame tahini.)
  
• Oils and Fats: Sunflower, safflower, olive, sesame, peanut, flaxseed (edible linseed), and soy oils.
  
• Snacks: Any food can be eaten as a snack, any time of day. Also suggested are celery, carrot sticks or other vegetables; fruit in moderation (no citrus); unsalted fresh nuts and seeds; Barbara's Granola Bars (from health food stores); wheat-free cookies (check ingredients.)
  
• Beverages: Herb teas (no lemon or orange); spring water in glass bottles or clear plastic; seltzer (salt free); Perrier; pure fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water); almond nut milk (Nut Quick); soy milk without corn oil (such as Eden Soy Plain); Cafix, Inka and Roma may be used as coffee substitutes. Tap water contains chlorine, fluoride and other potentially allergenic chemicals.
  
• Thickeners: Rice, oat, millet, barley, soy, kruzu or amaranth flours; arrowroot, agar.
  
• Spices and Condiments: Salt in moderation; pepper; herbal spices without preservatives, citrus or sugar; garlic, ginger or onions; catsup and mustard from the health food store (without sugar); wheat-free tamari sauce; Bragg liquid aminos; vitamin C crystals in water as a substitute for lemon juice.
  
• Miscellaneous: Sugar-free spaghetti sauce; fruit jellies without sugar or citrus; soups such as split pea, lentil, turkey/vegetable, etc.

An Elimination Diet is frequently a successful method of testing for food allergies. There are some food allergies, however, which are more difficult to detect and require more sophisticated testing techniques found in an allergy laboratory. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation of your medical history may be necessary to determine the underlying causes of your recurrent symptoms.

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