Elimination diet may not sound like fun, but if you’re struggling with digestive issues, they can change your life. How do you get to the root of an issue if you can never pinpoint the cause? You don’t.

It’s important to take responsibility for your own health if you want to feel good, and the elimination diet is the foundational journey you must take to decipher what works and what doesn’t.

Love content like this? Then you’ll love my awesome weekly newsletter, The Arthritis Coach Insider! Subscribe at: https://biggifraley.com/insider

[0:08] Elimination Diet may not sound like fun but,
if you’re struggling with digestive issues, they can change your life. How do you get to the root cause of an issue if you can never pinpoint the cause?
Well, you don’t.
It’s important to take responsibility for your own health if you want to feel good and the Elimination Diet is the foundational journey you must take to decipher what works and what doesn’t.

[0:41] Music.

[0:49] Hi, my name is Biggi Fraley. I am The Arthritis Coach. Welcome to the show!
Now, did you know that millions of people live with illness unnecessarily everyday?
It’s because they never took the time to discover that perhaps their thyroid problems would improve by removing gluten from their diet, or their IBS might get significantly better with a dairy-free diet.

[1:19] When you realize that your digestion is much less than optimal and you feel terrible, it is time to do something about it.
I got to that point about a decade ago when I began experiencing symptoms like gas,
bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and even sharp cramp like pains in my lower abdomen on a regular basis.
I knew I needed a reliable way to find out why this was happening and more importantly what was causing my discomfort.
That’s when I found out about the Elimination Diet.

[1:59] The Elimination Diet is an approach to figuring out which foods you are sensitive to so that you can eat mindfully and keep your digestive symptoms at bay.
You see, the gut is where the majority of your immune system lives, and is even considered the second brain in your body.
So, it is important to keep it healthy, and keep things running smoothly.

[2:27] In the Elimination Diet you start by eliminating common culprits of digestive upset and common food allergens.
You dial down your daily meals and snacks so that you’re only eating real, nourishing foods, that will not hurt your gut. In fact,
you can begin to heal your gut with a proper Elimination Diet. So, how do you do an Elimination Diet?
Certain foods trigger more negative reactions than others. The Elimination Diet gets rid of common food allergens for a month.
Typically, the categories of food you don’t eat for that time frame include: grains,
while the foundation of the food pyramid for decades, it has now been discovered that many people have a hard time digesting grains, including corn.
Second, processed foods. There are many toxic chemicals like MSG,
artificial colors and flavorings, and other undesirable ingredients like GMOs, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup in processed food that can impede digestion
and even cause disease.

[3:44] Next, high-glycemic foods. Large amounts of starches and added sugars can feed bacterial overgrowth and other gut dysbiosis problems.
Glutens and fructans. Found in many grains, gluten has been found to be one of the causes of leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune diseases.
Fructans are found in FODMAPS, which a short chain carbohydrates, and can also feed those bad bugs in your gut.

[4:20] Unrefined oils. Corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and the like can cause inflammation throughout your body.
Next, feedlot meats and dairy.

[4:34] Meats and dairy from the conventional food system are full of hormones, antibiotics, and even poison such as arsenic.
Eggs, peanuts, and shellfish are all common food allergens.

[4:50] Nightshade vegetables, which are plants in the nightshade family such as tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes and bell peppers,
are generally thought to be an important part of a healthy diet, but one key ingredient in all of these foods has the potential to cause serious got issues.
Naturally occurring glycoalkaloids found in all nightshades have been shown to lead to intestinal inflammation and the condition known as leaky gut in mice,
causing concerns about their effects on the human digestive tract.
Soy. Most of the soy be consume today is genetically modified and processed in ways that makes it less than ideal for our bodies.
Studies have shown that a diet high in soy products can have rapid large-scale negative effects on gut
bacteria, particularly,
lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, two strains of bacteria that are incredibly important for microbial health.

[6:01] And last, we got other got irritants like caffeine and alcohol that can wreak havoc on your gut.
Avoid these while you’re healing.
Now, once you’ve eliminated these foods for a month, you start to reintroduce them into your diet one by one.
I suggest starting slow.

[6:27] By adding a new food back to your diet every 3 days, you can get a clear idea of how that food is affecting you.
There is a 3-3 guideline for adding foods back into your diet.
Do not conclude a food causes symptoms unless symptoms occur within 3 days of eating the food and occur consistently on three separate occasions after eating it.
Writing about your physical and emotional reaction in a food journal will help you track what works and what doesn’t.
By the end of that process you should have a good idea of the foods that trigger or exacerbate whatever health conditions you’re dealing with.
Here are some negative reactions to watch for: soreness and joint pain,
digestive distress, like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.,
insomnia, mood changes, brain fog, trouble breathing,

[7:32] excess mucus, headaches, and breakouts or other skin problems.
If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with your body I would definitely suggest an Elimination Diet to start with.
Eventually, you will come up with a plan that your body will love.
Everyone is different, and finding your own unique way of eating to feel good will change your life! All right,
that’s it for today. If you enjoyed the show, please, do share on your favorite social media outlets,
and please make sure to tune in next week, but remember I’ve put the live video streams on hold for now, but will continue to release new podcast episodes every Wednesday at 4 a.m. Pacific,
on your favorite podcast channel.
So, thank you so much for tuning in, and I’m looking forward to talking to you next week. Bye, bye.