The elimination diet
To begin the elimination diet for intestinal permeability, avoid all
known and suspected food allergens.
For two weeks, also avoid all gluten-containing foods: wheat,
barley, oats, millet, spelt, sourdough, and rye. This includes wheat
four, breads, taco shells, muffins, cereals, pastries, cakes, pizza,
crackers, pasta, oatmeal, pretzels, and other four-based products.
Also avoid all dairy products, including milk, ice cream, cream,
yogurt, and cheese. Butter and eggs are allowed.
Don’t drink any sodas (Coke, Diet Coke, Pepsi, etc.).
Reduce caffeine consumption, including tea (green and herbal tea
is allowed), coffee, chocolate, and cocoa. The less caffeine intake,
the better. To help prevent withdrawal symptoms (headaches,
mood disturbances, and fatigue) slowly wean of caffeine.
Start by eliminating one quarter of daily caffeine consumption.
For example: each serving of coffee, soda, diet soda, tea, and each
chocolate bar equals one caffeine serving. If you consume four
cups of coffee in the morning, three glasses of tea at lunch, and a
diet Coke before dinner, you consume a total of eight servings of
caffeine daily. You should begin by reducing your caffeine serv-
ings by one quarter (which is two servings). So drink six servings
tomorrow instead. After seven days, reduce your caffeine servings
by another quarter. Slowly discontinue caffeine over a manageable
period of time. Not every patient must go of all caffeine; you will
help yourself if you reduce your intake to no more than one or two
caffeine servings a day.
Reintroduction of eliminated food groups
After one month on the elimination diet, start to reintroduce one
eliminated food group at a time. For example, begin by eating a few
servings from the gluten group: pasta, crackers, or bread. Then, for
three days, eat no gluten-containing foods or any other eliminated
food. Keep a journal handy to note any symptoms that occur.
After three days, reintroduce dairy. Have a few glasses of milk or
three slices of cheese. Be sure to eat enough servings to let your
body experience any negative reactions. If after three days of having
challenged a food group, there’s no negative reaction (headaches,
stomach pain, bloating, runny nose, congestion, muscle/joint pain,
low moods, fatigue, etc.), then start to slowly add these items back
into your regular diet.
If you do experience a negative reaction to any food group within
three days of challenging it, discontinue that group for another
month and then repeat the three-day process.
