why i don’t use elimination diets in my practice
If you’ve struggled with gut symptoms at any point in your life, chances are you blamed dairy, sugar, or carbs for your chronic bloating and constipation. I know personally when I was at my lowest point with my gut the first thing I tried was cutting out dairy and even going vegetarian. I’d convinced myself I had a food problem, not a gut problem. As it turns out my elimination strategy didn’t really pan out and I was left with the same chronic symptoms as before.
I have clients come to me often with the same strategy. They’ve tried eliminating all sorts of food groups just to feel the exact same. Some even have food sensitivity panels run just for their doctor to tell them to cut out dairy and all their problems will be solved. I wish it were as simple as that but it’s not.
So let’s break down exactly why I don’t like using elimination diets and what you can do to heal your gut instead.
Why elimination diets don’t work
Let’s make one thing clear, you didn’t just wake up one day with a dairy or gluten sensitivity. Your gut health is intricately involved in how you digest + process certain foods. If you feel like you all of a sudden can’t eat cheese without turning into a balloon, it’s not the cheese.
So what would be causing all the symptoms you feel after eating cheese?
LEAKY GUT
First let’s get an understanding of healthy gut function…
Our intestines are lined with a mucosal barrier that protects our gut from the outside world. Without this barrier anything we consume (good or bad) can make its way into the blood stream and enter general circulation- a BIG problem if it’s something like a parasite or pathogen. This mucosal barrier is produced by tight junctions known as intestinal epithelial cells. At the tips of epithelial cells are microvilli, hair-like projections that closely resemble an inflatable blow up on a used car lot (you know the wormy looking thing that bobs around). These microvilli are responsible for nutrient absorption- pulling nutrients in and sending into the bloodstream to general circulation.
Underneath this layer of epithelial cells is the lamina propria, otherwise known as the immune system or “2nd brain” of the body. The lamina propria is a direct line to our bloodstream and even our brain. Protecting the lamina propria is key to healthy gut + immune function.
The diagram below illustrates how epithelial cells form tight junctions to protect the lamina propria below. Notice the tips of the epithelial cells, these are the microvilli previously discussed. The outer mucus layer filters through everything that enters our body and sends it through to the inner mucus layer for absorption as needed.
Image courtesy of https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-018-0126-x
Now when gut function becomes compromised…
Our mucosal barrier can get damaged very easily through every day life. Things like antibiotics, medications like birth control, alcohol, blood sugar dysregulation, toxin exposure, food antigens, and stress all weigh heavily on healthy gut function. Over time our mucosal barrier slowly disintegrates and leaves us with little protection to the outside world.
Food antigens and toxins attach themselves to micro villi causing nutrient absorption + processing issues. Epithelial cells lose their tightly wound junctions and begin to separate exposing the lamina propria to anything we ingest. Our immune system can become activated as a result making us more susceptible to food sensitivities.
The below diagram illustrates how leaky gut breaks up these tight junctions and allows pathogens + other bad guys to pass through.
Image courtesy of Dr. Axe
When leaky gut is present our gut can become inflamed and trigger an immune response throughout the body. This inflammatory response is what triggers new or worsened food sensitivities.
Where conventional medicine goes wrong…
I’ve talked with so many people now who had food sensitivity testing done at their doctor because of chronic GI symptoms. In my opinion, this testing can be helpful but not necessary to understand gut function. I feel like most doctors use this testing to get a quick answer for why their patient feels so bad but not dig any further to see what might be triggering these sensitivities. Sure we should remove any foods from our diet that are known triggers (like if you break out in hives after a splash of milk in your coffee) but the ultimate goal should be to heal the gut + reintroduce previous trigger foods back into our diet. The solution should not be to cut out anything bad and hope for the best. I also want to mention food sensitivity tests measure your reactivity at a specific point in time. Your “level” of reactivity can change with time but ultimately it all ties back to your overall gut health.
It's similar to our immune system during cold and flu season. You don’t want to avoid all the germs as your body won’t be prepared if you ultimately get sick. What you want to do is build up your immune system so if you are exposed to illness, your body has a plan of attack in place. The same is true for your gut and food sensitivities.
For most people cutting out “trigger” foods might bring short term relief but more often than not the symptoms come crawling back a few months later. This is why taking a root cause approach is so important. We need to understand WHY this is happening in the first place in order to properly address + heal the gut. Only looking at food sensitivities is like trying to put a puzzle together with only half of the pieces.
how to heal your gut the right way
First let’s cover the basics…
Before we try to heal our gut we need to ensure the foundations are in place. Think of our body like a house- a strong foundation is key to a well built house, without it things will crumble.
Here are the foundations for a healthy gut-
Diet: eating a whole food, protein rich diet is essential to healthy gut function and overall health. Aim for 30+ grams of protein with each meal for satiety and blood sugar stability. Look for organic, grass-fed, and/or pasture raised meats for the best quality and taste. I always recommend buying organic when available but if you can’t find it or it’s not in budget don’t sweat. For non-organic fruits + veggies soak them in warm water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda to help clean any residue off. Limit processed foods as much as possible and avoid sugary snacks and drinks. My general rule of thumb is shop the outer aisles of the store (like produce, meat, dairy) and avoid the junk in the middle. For some of the more common food sensitivities like dairy, try grass-fed or raw milk. Some people find that less processed dairy doesn’t have the same reaction as conventional.
Sleep: can’t live without it! My general recommendation is 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Ladies we need even more around our menstrual cycle, new studies have shown we need up to 10 hours of sleep per night around that time of the month. When we sleep our organs get a “refresh” and many essential jobs are completed. Staying up too late or waking too early can disrupt these jobs. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep try to limit any blue light exposure at least an hour before bed. If you can’t avoid it, get a pair of blue light glasses to filter the effects. Try reading, journaling, light stretching, or breathing exercises before bed to send your body into parasympathetic mode or “rest and digest”.
Exercise: you need to move your body daily ideally for 30-60 minutes. Don’t overthink it, go for a walk around the park during lunch or hit the gym a few days a week after work. Recent studies have shown active women with at least 3 hours of exercise per week had greater gut microbiota diversity compared to those with a sedentary lifestyle (PMID: 30883471.). Exercise is great but don’t overdo it! Tons of cardio or HIIT (high intensity interval training) can send our body into a stress response and trigger cortisol. Under a stress response digestion slows and our gut lining can become compromised.
Stress: as mentioned above, a stress response triggers cortisol in the body and sets us off into “fight or flight” mode. Now we will never be without stress in our life but we can control how our body responds to it. Nervous system regulation is key to stress management- it houses both our parasympathetic (chill) and sympathetic (stress) systems. When we are in a chronic stress response we can get stuck in sympathetic mode and become more sensitive to moments of stress. Regulating our nervous system can help during a stress response + also help us get out of one. Things like meditation, breathing exercises, yoga/stretching, therapy, time with loved ones, and spending time in nature can all help press that “reset” button we need from time to time.
Now that you’ve got the basics…
Some quick + easy tools to support gut function-
Aloe juice- a couple tablespoons of aloe juice first thing in the morning can help relieve heartburn, indigestion, and even help you go to the bathroom
Ginger- incorporating ginger (fresh or powder) can help overall GI inflammation and constipation
Warm lemon water + sea salt- I like to have a cup of warm lemon water with a pinch of Celtic grey salt in the morning to help support digestion for the day.
Castor oil packs- typically used over the liver to help stimulate blood flow + support function. You can put the pack over your stomach to help with bloating + going to the bathroom.
Fermented foods- sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables are a great way to get a dose of natural probiotics and support bacteria diversity in the gut.
Where functional testing can help…
Sometimes just doing the basics isn’t enough and we need extra support to heal our gut. I love using functional testing to understand the WHY and find answers clients have been waiting years to hear. If you can’t get a handle on your gut symptoms no matter what you do I would consider the below tests.
GI-Map: arguably one of my favorite tests for understanding overall gut function, good + bad bacteria, parasites, candida, fat digestion, liver health, digestive enzymes, immune health, and more. If I could only run one lab it would be this one.
Example from a GI-Map report of a client with reactions to dairy. Good bacteria levels were low overall indicating leaky gut is likely present.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA): mineral testing is a great way to understand overall mineral status + the presence of heavy metals. Minerals are the spark plugs for our cells, they basically tell our body how to operate. Some minerals, like sodium, regulate stomach acid which is a key component to digestion and overall gut function.
Organic Acids (OAT): for some clients, especially those with known mold exposure, I recommend running an organic acids test. Mold wrecks havoc on our whole body and can sometimes be to blame for chronic gut issues. I highly recommend this test if you suffer from allergies, skin issues, and get sick often.
long story short…
While food sensitivity tests and elimination diets can be helpful short term, it’s not a permanent fix and should be done in tandem with further gut testing + targeted protocols. If you feel stuck in a never ending cycle of cutting out foods just to feel the exact same as before, there IS a better way and I can show you how.
Inside my 6 month 1-1 program, Revive + Restore, we work to get a complete picture of your gut health through functional testing. We use the GI-Map and HTMA to understand overall gut function + mineral status. Using those results as a framework, you’ll receive customized targeted supplement protocols to help heal your gut for good. This program also includes personalized meal plans to help you further reach your goals, no diets required.
I created this program based off my own experiences trying to heal my gut. This comprehensive, root cause approach looks at the big picture of your health and understands that each system of the body is interconnected and never works alone. If you’re ready to break up with your symptoms for good and get back to living life on your terms, comment “GUT” below or fill out my contact form to get in touch with me.
In health,
Grace
*The information disclosed here is meant to be educational. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any illness or disease. Always consult with a trusted health provider before starting a new regimen.
