Most people think that the best way to plan your elimination diet is to use lists from a trusted source. But that is not all you can use. An important resource lies in what you can find out from your own family. You may get information that helps you decide what main foods you should reduce or minimise from the beginning. If you or your brothers or sisters, or your parents’ generation, had trouble with dairy in infancy then it makes sense that you should minimise dairy. But if no-one in the … [Read more...]
There are two diet directions for IBS. How do you decide if you might be FODMAPS intolerant, or food chemical intolerant?
When you are diagnosed with IBS you may think that everyone with IBS has similar symptoms, but each person’s pattern of IBS is individual. That individual pattern can give you clues as to the diet direction to take. Symptoms Where bloating is present FODMAPS intolerance must be considered. Your bloating may be followed by distressing distension which may increase until pain spasms occur. Bloating really interferes with your life as you need to cope with variation in clothes sizing over a … [Read more...]
Eczema happening within minutes
Question: If I eat a food and I get itchy within a few minutes, is that a reaction and is that food possibly an offender? Joan, thank you so much for your articles. I am in the middle of an elimination diet now for my eczema and am worried about the reintroduction phase. My eczema, which is mostly on my chin, is not yet healed (but is much better). Dear Lauren, Investigating your diet means lots of thinking about all the possible happenings. Following are some: Any symptoms that happen … [Read more...]
Understanding chemicals in food and medicines
Jamie asks how we can understand chemicals in food and chemicals in medications, and using pain killers and antihistamines. He has similar symptoms to others who write to this site and wonders if one of his antidepressants may have caused them. Dear Jamie, Chemicals in our lives are complex! Many chemicals in food and medicines and food do what they are supposed to do with no problems. Those in food provide nutrition and flavour. All medications, including alternative health ones, change some … [Read more...]
The Patient-Centred Diamond Plan
The diagram below shows my "diamond" structure for patient-centred treatment. Download as a PDF here. … [Read more...]
The dietitian was no help to me!
“The dietitian was no help to me! I needed to have my story and symptoms understood, a diet that was clear, with eating plans to suit all of my family, with recipes we can manage easily, and foods we liked, as well as a good commercial food list, and most of all I wanted the symptoms to get better. Diets should be easy shouldn’t they? Those with allergy tests can have clear diets. Why not those on a low chemical elimination diet?” I have heard this comment at public meetings about managing … [Read more...]
Managing a low salicylate, low chemical, limited wheat and dairy diet in Asia
Managing a low chemical, limited wheat and dairy diet in Asia is much more than just having lists of foods that fit the diet. And there are no ingredient lists, and you can’t guess what the ingredients might be in some made up foods. You may be provided with a large variety of food choices in hotels or on a cruise. They look wonderful. You are forced to manage the whole experience of choosing food in a new way. You started your diet at home and gradually found the variety of allowed foods you … [Read more...]