The Elimination Diet Step 119processed (methylene chloride or ethyl acetate). Also, under current federal
regulations, a product can still contain 2.5% of the original amount of
caffeine and be labeled “decaffeinated.”
Seems tough?
I doubt if it is any worse than feeling ill most of the time. A lot of people
find it surprisingly easy after the withdrawal phase is over. Remember, I
am not suggesting that you eat like this for the rest of your life! It is a test
designed to last ten to fourteen days. At the end of that time you should be
able to draw definite conclusions. Often the results are quicker; maybe as
little as five days. Sometimes, especially with ‘slow’ diseases like arthritis and
eczema, you may need to be prepared to go on for longer.
The important thing is to bear clearly in mind that there are two
stages of elimination dieting.
The first is this short stage, the investigative diet. It is demanding
because you have to leave out a whole bunch of suspects at once. It is of
little use to try and leave out foods one or two at a time. Think of Doris
Rapp’s eight-nails-in-the-shoe trap (page 43). If you pull out seven nails,
you would still limp. You need to pull all eight nails, to get a result.
But once you have eliminated suspect foods and then re-introduced
each one with a proper challenge test, as described in the next chapter, you
will have only a short list of problem foods to avoid. You can stay off
these long-term, by substituting other “safe” foods. This we can call the
maintenance diet. You will find it relatively easy.
A lot of planning may be needed to bring about these changes in
diet. As I say to patients, this will likely change your shopping habits, never
mind your eating habits! It would be wise to locate suppliers of the items
you need before getting started and stock the larder and refrigerator with
entirely safe and allowed foods. I usually also recommend to patients that
they remove from the house all the ‘wrong’ or banned foods: that way there
is less temptation.
This may mean involving others in the household. I cover this topic
of family co-operation later in the book.
You must be strict for it to work
For this exclusion diet to be a valid test you must perform it correctly. It is
no good cheating ‘just a little’. This is not a slimming plan where you can get
away with an occasional indiscretion and still lose weight. Allergens work
against you even in very small quantities: for example, think how minute