An elimination diet is a regimen that’s designed to eliminate certain foods to determine if any are negatively impacting someone’s health. Such diets aren’t long-term— usually lasting from a few weeks to a month, generally speaking— to figure out what foods agree and disagree with your body.
After potentially triggering foods (i.e. dairy, gluten, soy, etc.) are taken out of a person’s diet for a certain amount of time, you then reintroduce them to see whether or not they’re bad for your health.There are many different types of elimination diets to pick and choose from. Despite this variety, they all aim to change a person’s health for the better. There are numerous benefits to giving an elimination diet a try. Here’s just a few of them.
It helps decrease symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome
For those who haven’t heard of this condition before, leaky gut syndrome happens when tight junctions in a person’s intestinal lining becomes stretched out. That allows bacteria, toxins and undigested food particles to be passed through the bloodstream. This can cause a lot of painful and uncomfortable inflammation, as well as the malabsorption of many essential nutrients. A lot of foods can make the inflammation of leaky gut syndrome worse. Doing an elimination diet will reduce that inflammation and heal the body’s intestinal lining.
It reduces certain gut-related issues
A lot of foods you consume can negatively impact your gut health in a number of ways. There are short-term symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea and stomach pain. But it can actually go beyond that. If you continue to eat food that upsets your stomach, the long-term consequences can be gastrointestinal distress. The worst part is that you might not even know that it’s something you’re eating until you try an elimination diet. If you find that you’re experiencing a lot of gastrointestinal pain or other similar symptoms, then an elimination diet is something that you should seriously consider trying.
It benefits your skin
Certain food groups have been notorious for aggravating some people’s skin. Eczema— a condition that presents itself as cracked, itchy and red skin— is often worsened by some foods. Other skin conditions include acne, which can multiply exponentially over time from eating certain foods. Dairy and gluten are more often than not the culprits behind making skin conditions worse. However, that may not be the case for you. By following an elimination diet, you’ll be better able to pinpoint what exactly is harming your skin.
Trying out an elimination diet can present plenty of positive benefits for your health. Of course, it’s not something that you should just try on a whim. Ask your doctor or medical professional if it’s right for you and listen to any ideas or concerns they may have for you. You wouldn’t want to do something that accidentally makes you malnourished or sick. After all, the end goal is to improve your health by any and all means necessary.