The Elimination Diet: Discovering Food Sensitivities and Reclaiming Your Health

Have you ever felt like your body just isn’t working the way it should—but you can’t quite figure out why? From brain fog and bloating to skin rashes and joint pain, your symptoms could be telling you something important: your body may be reacting to the very foods you’re eating every day.

The Elimination Diet is a transformative nutritional protocol designed to help you identify which foods may be burdening your body. By removing common food triggers and allowing your system to rest and reset, you give your body the opportunity to detoxify, reduce inflammation, restore balance, and ultimately feel better than you have in years.

Is Your Body Trying to Tell You Something?

You may be experiencing symptoms that seem unrelated—but together they point toward food sensitivities, inflammation, or an overloaded detox system. Here’s what that might look like:

Brain & Mood

• Brain fog, poor memory

• Mood swings, anxiety, depression

• Lightheadedness or dizziness

• ADHD, ODD, DMDD, Autism Spectrum symptoms

• Insomnia, PMDD

• Headaches or migraines

Mouth, Nose, Throat & Chest

• Asthma or shortness of breath

• Nasal congestion or persistent runny nose

• Chronic cough

• Rapid heartbeat

• "Lump in throat" sensation

Digestive & Hormonal Symptoms

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Bloating, gas, constipation

• Stomach cramps or abdominal pain

• Irregular periods or infertility

Muscles, Joints & Limbs

• Joint pain or stiffness

• Muscle aches or weakness

• Numbness or tingling

• Swelling in hands or feet

• Fatigue and low stamina

Skin Issues

• Hives, rashes, eczema, psoriasis

• Chronic itching

• Pale or bluish skin tone

Why Try an Elimination Diet?

Every day, we’re exposed to inflammatory foods, environmental chemicals, and stressors that can overload our systems. The Elimination Diet gives your body the break it needs by temporarily removing the most common culprits of chronic inflammation and immune activation, including:

• Gluten

• Dairy

• Soy

• Corn

• Eggs

• Refined sugar

• Alcohol

• Caffeine (optional, but often helpful)

You can further personalize your plan with food sensitivity testing to guide your choices with more precision.

How It Works

1. Remove Suspected Trigger Foods

   Eliminate the top offenders for at least 3 weeks. This includes reading all food labels carefully—even small amounts of trigger foods can cause symptoms to persist.

2. Listen to Your Body

   During this phase, you should start to notice shifts: clearer thinking, better digestion, more energy, improved mood, and fewer aches and pains.

3. Reintroduce Foods Carefully

   One food at a time, spaced 4 days apart, reintroduce eliminated items. Track your body’s responses closely in a journal.

4. Discover & Heal

   If you react to a food, you’ve likely found a sensitivity. From there, you can work with a practitioner on a gut healing protocol to reduce your reactivity and support long-term health.

What If Nothing Changes?

If you don’t notice any change in symptoms within three weeks, it doesn’t necessarily mean the diet isn’t working. You may:

• Not have food sensitivities as the root cause

• Need additional support for liver detoxification or gut microbiome imbalances

• Be unknowingly consuming hidden triggers

That’s where deeper testing and professional guidance can help.

What to Expect (and How to Prepare)

It’s common to experience some detox-like symptoms in the first week, including fatigue, headaches, irritability, or digestive changes. These typically fade quickly and can be signs that your body is adjusting and starting to heal.

Helpful Tips for a Smooth Start:

• Clean out your kitchen and stock up with compliant foods

• Batch cook simple meals like chicken-vegetable soup or sheet-pan dinners

• Eat regularly—three meals per day with protein, fiber, and healthy fats

• Drink plenty of water: Aim for half your body weight in ounces daily

• Taper caffeine if needed to prevent withdrawal

• Use quality oils (cold-pressed olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee)

• Avoid leftovers if you’re sensitive to histamines

Reintroduction: A Key to Long-Term Awareness

Once your elimination phase is complete, the reintroduction process is where the real discovery happens. Here’s how:

• Introduce one food at a time, eating it 1–2 times in one day

• Avoid that food and all others on the eliminated list for 3–4 days

• Track your body’s reaction in a journal

• If no symptoms arise, keep that food in your rotation and move on

Food sensitivities can be subtle and delayed—so go slow and be mindful.

Empower Yourself Through Awareness

The Elimination Diet is more than a temporary food plan. It’s a journey of self-awareness and a tool for lifelong health. By discovering how your body truly responds to food, you’ll feel more energized, clear-headed, and in control of your wellness.

Ready for Support?

At Purely Rooted Nutrition and Wellness, we specialize in helping people uncover hidden food sensitivities and restore balance to the body. We offer personalized support and advanced food sensitivity testing (covering 250 foods) to make your journey more effective and empowering.

Bottom line: The symptoms you’re living with could be coming from the foods you eat every day. The Elimination Diet can help you break the cycle, heal your body, and create a sustainable path to optimal health.

You don’t have to do it alone—we’re here to help.

Healing Foods