1. Eliminate common sources of sensitivity for 7 days: wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn (don’t forget high fructose corn syrup!).
I can hear you saying it: "Um, what exactly is left to eat?" The answer is gluten-free whole grains, beans/legumes, and tons of vegetables. Meat should be avoided, if at all possible, because we simply don't know what the animals have been raised on or what type of cross-contamination has occurred. The more elements you can control, the more accurate your results.
Gluten-free grains include amaranth, buckwheat (it actually has nothing to do with wheat), millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice (actually not rice at all, but that's another story). Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are often contaminated in the manufacturing process. So, if you can, find oats that are certified 'Gluten-free',
The reason that this works as a light detox is because you've basically got no choice but to eliminate every type of processed food. The nature of this requires an iron-clad control over what you're putting in your mouth and manufactured products are generally not going to allow that.
2. On the eighth day, add in ONE of the common allergens. (e.g. wheat) Start with your number one suspect.
3. Each day, add another allergen into your diet, paying very specific attention to your body’s reaction. Sensitivity to a food will be apparent: bloating, fatigue or other negative reactions may occur, often shortly after a meal with that particular food. It could, however, happen a few hours later, so give yourself time.
4. If you feel like you've solved the mystery, you can stop at that food and go back to a regular diet. If not, keep going until all common allergens have been tested. Sometimes sensitivities occur with less common foods, like citrus, so if there is an item that you usually consume on a regular basis and suspect might be causing problems, include it in the experiment.
Good luck! If you discover a sensitivity:
The Delicious Wisdom Recipe Club includes information on common allergens with our recipes. Use this information to get more creative with your cooking while avoiding your food sensitivity. Always check labels on your ingredients, as these are only guidelines.
If you're thinking its going to be a really miserable and deprived week:
Again, this takes some willpower, but you will be able to use the result as tool for years to come. And eating this cleanly will probably make you feel pretty good, so think of that.
If you've got a question:
Questions@DeliciousWisdom.net We're here to help.
