Need to try an elimination diet... what to eat?

[crunchy_mommy]

I'm vegan & already avoid HFCS, artificial colors & flavors, refined sugars, etc. The foods I currently eat most regularly are:

corn, rice, quinoa
most vegetables & fruits (allergic to kiwi, pomegranate, & mango)
beans
some soy & whole wheat
nuts (allergic to cashews)
cocoa
spices
olive oil

So I'd like to come up with an elimination diet that I could actually maintain long enough to see results (I feel like I'll just get hungry & give up... and I can't stand bland foods!)

I'm assuming rice & quinoa are 'safe'...

What about fruits & veggies? Are there any that are not likely to cause reactions? Could I use things like coconut milk, vinegar, olive oil, etc? Can I use spices?

I feel like I can only summon up the strength to do this once, for maybe a week, and I'm nursing a constantly BF'ing toddler so I need to keep my strength up (and blood sugar stable).

ETA: How about supplements? I'm currently a bunch... they are all gluten-free and yeast-free but I know one contains coconut oil & some have herbs or fruit extracts...

[mamafish9]

I think you're asking the impossible. Most elimination diets last longer than a week - even if you get right to baseline, you need to add foods back in slowly.

In your situation, I'd try eliminating the top 4 intolerances - dairy, soy, gluten, corn, and see where that leaves you. Supplements are often sources of trace stuff you'd never guess - if you post links to what you are taking, people can help you identify potential allergen/intolerances.

Is this an elimination diet for you or your nursling?

And the key to not starving is FAT. Lots and lots and lots of fat.

[joliebebe]

I think it can be done, you would have to nut out where to get the important nutrients you and your baby need while you are on the diet. I second the advice for extra fat- its the only thing that keeps me feeling full and satisfied and not jumping all over the place. Coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil and soaked nut butters can be great if your not avoiding nuts.

Depending on the allergen, it can often take 3-6 weeks to even begin to see an improvement (although some people do notice an improvement earlier than that) and much longer to heal the gut if damage has been done, as is often the case behind allergies.

GAPS might be a good place to start, although you would have to cut out the animal foods, but the basic idea is applicable.

Because you (hopefully) wont be on the diet forever a little blandness and boringness may be unavoidable in your case. 3-6 weeks isnt really that long, when you are seeing results and being enthused by them.

I eliminated dairy recently (we are TF lacto-veg) and boy it was hard for about 4 days, after which I didnt really crave milk and butter as much, and it was much easier after about 1 week.

If you suspect multiple allergens, its wise to cut them all out, as it ultimately shortens the length of time it takes to see any change, although its often the most difficult way to go.

[joliebebe]

Dairy, wheat, soy, corn, nightshades-tomatoes eggplants peppers, citrus are all quite common.

Brown rice, quinoa, courgette, pumpkin, millet, buckwheat, apples, pears are pretty 'safe'.

[crunchy_mommy]

OK maybe I should clarify some... this is an elimination diet for me, not DS... and I know it will take longer than a week but I was hoping to start adding foods back in by the second week because I know I will be sooo hungry!! Is that unrealistic? I guess I assumed by the end of a week on just rice etc. I would know if it was a dietary issue, but are you thinking I'd need to wait longer than a week to see results?

I don't really want to eliminate one food at a time, I've been going in circles with that forever... so how would a plan like this look:

Week 1: brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin, apples, pears, zucchini, olive oil, coconut milk
Week 2, if feeling better: add in nuts & seeds

Then gradually add in more fruits & veggies (putting off soy, corn, and wheat as long as possible)

Is there anything else I could include in week 1?

I think I will just stop the supplements as well when I start this...

[mamafish9]

I think you're going to have a serious lack of protein there. It's really, really challenging to be vegan and eliminating foods - unfortunately, many of the good vegan protein sources on on the list of foods most likely to be allergenic/intoleranced. Especially when you're nursing, I think you'd be hurting on that ED.

Have you been off the top 4 intolerance foods (dairy, gluten, soy, corn) at the same time, for 3-4 weeks?

The problem with EDs (and I've been on one ...) is that any food can be reactive. My DS reacted to salicylates, so on an ED very similar to yours, he reacted to the zucchini, coconut, apples, and olive oil.

What are your symptoms? Sometimes nutrient deficiencies can be the issue...

[joliebebe]

What about lentils for protein? soaked of course. Quinoa is also one of the few plant sources of complete protien. Mung dhal is also very good source of plant protein and tolerated easily by most (its used in cleansing Ayurvedic diets and tolerated by all the 'doshas'-body constitutions)

Yes you would definately have to do it for longer than a week to notice any change and you might not see any change until 2-3 weeks. But seeing as its for you and not your baby, then you dont have to wait until its out of your milk and baby's system, as thats why b/f elim diets take much longer.

[crunchy_mommy]

Hmm I was hoping I could get away with doing it for only a week.

Maybe I can start by going soy & gluten free again -- I did that before with mixed results but I hadn't thought to eliminate corn as well & in fact relied on it more heavily since I was GF. So SF/GF & corn-free (and I've already been dairy-free for years)... That might at least be a little more manageable although I'm anxious to just get all this over with & start feeling better which is why I was thinking eliminate everything.

Originally Posted by mamafish9

What are your symptoms? Sometimes nutrient deficiencies can be the issue...

Actually nutritional deficiencies is one of my symptoms (despite having dietary sources of the nutrients) and I've been supplementing vitamin D, magnesium, B12 w/ B-complex, iron, & selenium for several months now with no improvement in symptoms -- I'm really thinking malabsorption is at play here, possibly related to allergy/intolerance.

My main symptom is debilitating fatigue (I spend 15-20 hours a day in bed) but I also have issues with frequent headaches, nausea, random aches & pains, etc. Plus oral allergies to the foods I mentioned in my OP -- those are new, never had any overt food reactions until a couple years ago right around when the fatigue started. I feel like my immune system is just not functioning properly (and I always seem to have a high WBC)... Only time I felt good was 2nd-3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

[mamafish9]

My personal opinion is that corn is awful unless you have rock solid digestion. Honestly, I'd pull that out first, it's an issue for most people in this forum. And it's insidious, it's in everything.

Have you been doing sublingual B12? If not, I'd try that ASAP, it can definitely be a serious issue for vegans, especially if you're having digestion/absorption issues.

Do you get pink pee if you eat beets? Or see food in your poop? Those would both be signs of low stomach acid, in which case supping zinc can really help (and using digestive enzymes in the meantime). My son went very rapidly downhill when he got zinc deficient - his digestion bombed, he got low in a bunch of other nutrients, he suddenly had a ton of food reactions, etc...

[babygirlie]

Honestly? I did boiled chicken and plain white rice. No seasonings san salt and pepper. I was VERY sick though. and then after a few weeks I would add one thing. When I messed up I would always go back to chicken and rice. I actually had that today. It became a habit lol. Oh and distilled water because lord know what comes out of the tap makes my bladder in severe pain

[joliebebe]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy

My main symptom is debilitating fatigue (I spend 15-20 hours a day in bed) but I also have issues with frequent headaches, nausea, random aches & pains, etc. Plus oral allergies to the foods I mentioned in my OP -- those are new, never had any overt food reactions until a couple years ago right around when the fatigue started. I feel like my immune system is just not functioning properly (and I always seem to have a high WBC)... Only time I felt good was 2nd-3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

What about the possibility of candida overgrowth as this can often precipitate food 'allergies' by causing a leaky gut syndrome where partially digested food passes through your compromised gut lining.

I just found out yesterday that I have this!!! The course of treatment I have been prescribed is sugar free, dairy free and gluten free diet (those two things my body was reacting to) and antifungals and probitics to get the yeast under control. So I dont have food allergies per se, just a leaky gut thing happening. In fact I was passing antibodies along through my milk to my baby and it has been upsetting his system too ( I was suspecting him to have have food allergies lol)

Could be something to consider if your digestion has been a bit off- gassy, constipated/loose, very tired/exhaustion, mood swings, stress etc.
Pregnancy can be very demanding on the body and enough to tip the balance.