170 Diet Wise
two on the elimination diet and then your symptoms returned, and then the
same thing happened with a simple rotation diet, you must place yourself
in the category of those quick to develop new food reactions. In effect, you
are an extremely sensitive person, intolerant of foods and, by inference, of
chemicals also.
Your task will be to work out a rotation diet based on the principle
of ‘One food, one meal.’ This may sound drastically restrictive, and in fact
it is; but in almost all situations it is better than feeling ill. It will keep you
fairly skinny – but if you feel well again, do you really care? Besides, if you
have followed the book so far and understand about food addiction you
will realize that being plump or ‘meaty’ is far from being healthy. This is
especially true of babies, where round, chubby features and a ruddy glow
are so much admired. It is a totally false standard of health.
No one wants you to be emaciated, but there is a happy weight for
you which is doubtless lower than your friends think it should be. Don’t let
them worry you with ignorant concern.
I’ve prepared below a sample of this kind of diet. This time it is
rotated through four days. Spring water is permitted at any time. Moreover,
you may be able to tolerate one cup of herb tea, but this must also be
rotated (there are many varieties to choose from).
Paste a copy of your final workable diet on the door to the
refrigerator, or somewhere in the kitchen, to serve as a reminder. It is
surprising how quickly you learn it by heart.
Problems with the rotation diet
It is possible for your tolerance of a food to break down, even on a rotation
diet. This could be caused by extra stress or an acute illness, or by exposure
to some other type of toxin, such as a gas leak or chemical spraying. It is
unfortunate if this happens, but very important that you know how to deal
with it. The key to this is planning ahead. As soon as you succeed in making
the rotation diet work for you – that is, as soon as your symptoms subside
and stay that way – at once begin testing to identify new and useful foods.
Don’t wait until the problem arrives before solving it; be ready.
After a week on the diet, all other foods are now unmasked. You can
test one or two, following the usual procedure. Any that you find safe can
be held in reserve in case you need them. You don’t need many, especially
if you pick items from rare families that will fit more or less anywhere into
the rotation without cutting across the scheme. Don’t spend too much time
experimenting if it makes you ill; concentrate on maintaining your well-