medical herbalist
Action Research Group
Action research is a method for conducting co-
The main points are that through the participative and democratic process of group
enquiry, we can explore and give voice to our experiences in a way that will lead
us towards practical knowing. This is where our knowing is grounded in our experience,
where our knowing will be more valid -
Elimination Diet Action Research Group
April 2008
Group 1 meetings will be held at the Natural Health Clinic, 39 Cotham Hill, Bristol on Tuesday Evenings at 7pm. There will be five meetings altogether at a total cost of £60. Group 2 meetings will be held at the Folk House on Park Street, at 3pm on Thursday afternoons.
Group 1 Schedule:
Tuesday April 22nd: Introduction meeting
Thursday April 24th: Start elimination diet
Tuesday April 29th: 2nd meeting
Tuesday May 6th: 3rd meeting
Tuesday May 20th: 4th meeting
Tuesday June 3rd: 5th meeting, Finish elimination diet.
Group 2 Schedule:
Thursday April 24th: Introduction meeting -
Thursday May 1st: 2nd meeting
Thursday May 8th: 3rd meeting
Thursday May 22nd: 4th meeting
Thursday June 5th: 5th meeting, Finish elimination diet.
Action Research and Elimination Diets
Most people who decide to partake in an elimination diet notice significant changes in how they are feeling within 10 days. It is not uncommon for people to feel elated at how much energy they have, and at the disappearance of symptoms they have suffered for years. Sometimes these are things that one has become so used to that they only become really apparent once they disappear! I have lost count of the number of people who suddenly rediscovered their sense of smell, or who slept right through the night for the first time in ages and woke up in the morning feeling clear headed and ready to take on the world.
Over the past few years I have helped many of patients by recommending elimination diets, and have been through the whole process myself. During this time some common themes have emerged:
For these reasons I believe that the Action Research approach can help people to fully explore what is going on for them, and to 'crystallise' the information they gain from the process. The central purpose is to give people a much greater chance of succeeding in their journey towards wellness. Also, of course, it should make the whole process a good deal more interesting and enjoyable.
The process does not work if you don’t stick rigidly to the guidelines
Identifying actual allergenss or triggers is not as clear cut as one would hope, as this process is entirely dependent on how systematic you are in observing your own symptom patterns and monitoring your own state of ‘wellness’.
Merely knowing that there are certain foods one is reacting to is often not enough for some people to be able to implement longer term changes in their diet. For most people, our dietary habits are fairly entrenched, and, of course, there are usually other peole to consider.
The very positive benefits felt during the diet process are often forgotten as time progresses, and old habits begin to reassert themselves.
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The Elimination Diets
There are many types of elimination diet on offer. Having done some extensive research into the subject, and through consulting with many experts in the field, I have chosen two tried and tested diets that have consistently delivered the goods. These are based on the immense work and experience of Dr. John Mansfield, a founder of the British Society for Allergy and Environmental Medicine, and Clinical Director of the Burghwood Clinic.
The two diets are very similar in approach, one is for omnivores, the other is for vegetarians and vegans.
Burghwood Clinic Elimination Diet
For Omnivores
(92kb)
Burghwood Clinic Elimination Diet
For Vegetarians and Vegans
(194kb)