Elimination Diets Last edited: 09 04 2011 11:11

The main reason for doing an elimination diet is to identify hidden allergies.

These are often foods that are harmful to some individuals, but whose harmful affects are not immediately obvious. Also, the mechanism by which these hidden allergies result in symptoms seems to be quite different from how the more obvious allergic or hypersensivity reactions take place, and is still not fully appreciated or understood. This means that conventional allergy testing –  for example, by looking at blood samples to identify antibodies – is a largely hit and miss affair, and other methods, such as vega testing and kinesiology, which depend entirely on the intuition of the practioner, are really just guesswork, however well informed the practitioner might be.

The fact remains that hidden allergies can cause a lot of problems. I have now firmly come to the conclusion that there are no short cuts to finding out what’s going on. Elimination dieting is the only guaranteed and accurate way of finding out.

Previously I have worked with the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Comprehensive Elimination Diet. Many people have benefited from following this regime, but a common criticism is that it is really geared up for people who are buying food in America.

I am now recommending the Burghwood Clinic’s 4 stage elimination diet. There is an omnivore’s version and a vegetarian version. This has been tried and tested over 30 years, with thousands of people having their lives transformed by sticking rigidly to the instructions, and finding out what was causing their symptoms.

If you are thinking of doing the diet, plan it well in advance first, and psyche yourself up. It’s tough, and its only worth doing if you strictly obey the rules.

What are the symptoms of hidden allergies?

Hidden allergies can produce a variety of symptoms and can affect almost any organ. Often patients report multiple symptoms - such as chronic migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, weight problems, depression, insomnia, constipation, asthma, anxiety, headaches, hyperactive syndrome, diarrhoea, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, skin problems, pre-menstrual syndrome, aches and pains.

Symptoms frequently persist for decades and patients often report that multiple visits to their doctor have not resolved their problems.