Food is important for staying strong and keeping healthy, but there can be times when it upsets your body and thyroid condition. Learn about elimination diets, and how they can help you figure out what isn’t working for you.
The thyroid is a small gland found at the base of your neck, and it is responsible for balancing the hormones that control your bodily functions.
Eating the right foods is key to managing your thyroid health and condition, which can be accomplished by eating healthful and nutritious foods as well as following an anti-inflammatory diet.
However, what is healthy for someone else may cause adverse reactions in your body and it is important to figure out what isn’t working for you so you can cut it out of your diet. Elimination diets are very helpful in this way in that they can pinpoint exactly what foods are causing the physical symptoms of your thyroid condition.
This article will cover the following topics:
- What is an elimination diet?
- Commonly eliminated foods
- Tips for managing your elimination diet
What Is An Elimination Diet?
An elimination diet is a process of cutting out a specific food item/type at a time and monitoring any alterations in health or symptoms following the change. Generally, people try elimination diets if they find that they are allergic to something they are eating, but are unsure as to what could be causing their flare-ups. Some signs that you may have a food sensitivity/allergy include:
- Brain fog
- Nausea
- Rashes and acne
- Bloating and related digestive issues
- Joint and muscle pain as well as
- Headaches.
These symptoms are also commonly associated with various thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism and could be exacerbated by certain types of inflammatory foods. Understanding the relationship between what you eat and how they affect these symptoms can help you to mitigate, if not eliminate, these symptoms.
Commonly Eliminated Foods
Dairy
Dairy is commonly eliminated as lactose intolerance leads to intestinal discomfort and inflammation in a significant portion of the global population; current estimates show that more than 65% of people have some form of difficulty in processing milk-derived sugar.
That being said, eliminating dairy completely is a double-edged sword – fortified milk products represent a significant dietary source of Vitamin D and calcium. Cutting out dairy completely thus predisposes many people to a shortage of these nutrients. Therefore, before making any changes to your diet, consult your doctor.
Gluten
Over the past decade, awareness surrounding gluten insensitivity has steadily increased. While some of this concern is just chatter, many people find relief when they eliminate gluten from their diet.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity can occur in anyone and may cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain as well as joint pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, you may find it useful to eliminate wheat grains from your diet temporarily to see if gluten is responsible.
FODMAP
FODMAP refers to fermentable short-chain carbohydrates (sugars), which are found abundantly in many fruits, legumes, grains, and alcohols, and are often poorly absorbed by the small intestine. Typically, the FODMAP elimination diet can last anywhere between 8 to 12 weeks.
It is usually recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but it can also be helpful for people who experience other kinds of digestive issues and chronic inflammation as in thyroiditis.
(FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols).
Tips For Managing Your Elimination Diet
Plan Ahead
Because these elimination diets involve cutting out certain foods over a considerable length of time, the most important part of starting an elimination diet is to first consult your doctor. Suddenly cutting out foods without appropriate planning can lead to:
- Inadequate nutrition → Suddenly cutting out large groups of food or important sources of nutrients for extended periods of time can prevent your body from accessing appropriate levels of the nutrients it needs to function properly. You may find that your immune system is compromised due to a lack of proper minerals and vitamins, which means that you can get sick more easily and be unable to shake flu, colds, and other infectious diseases for longer than normal.
- Digestive difficulty → Cutting out groups of food without appropriate planning or macronutrient substitution can lead to difficulty digesting your food and absorbing any nutrients. If you do not consume enough daily fiber, for example, you may become constipated
- Trouble sticking to the diet → Sticking yourself into this diet plan without proper advance planning can make it difficult for you to successfully eliminate certain foods for an appropriate amount of time. Say for example that you are trying to eliminate potato chips and other fried food, which you generally consume as a late-night snack. By quitting cold turkey without thinking of a substitute, you may be tempted to eat these foods during your elimination phase, or even develop worse eating habits to fill your cravings.
Keep A Food Journal
The whole point of the elimination diet is to track how any changes in your food consumption affect your symptoms. As such, you should be prepared to note down your eating habits as well as your physical reactions diligently after commencing this diet.
This is useful as there can be a significant delay between eating certain food and observing a physical change. If you are tracking your physical symptoms over several weeks and notice a change, you can go through your food journal and try to identify the culprit even though it may not seem obviously linked.
Try to Keep Everything Else Constant
As with the scientific method, it is important that everything other than the independent variable is kept constant in order to determine how any experimental changes affect the dependent variable.
In this case, the independent variable is the incorporation or elimination of a certain food group, which affects the dependent variable which is your presentation of symptoms. If you are making other significant changes in your life like living in an unprecedented environment, trying out a different exercise regime, or trying new body care products, it can be difficult to tie any changes you observe in your symptoms strictly to the changes you make in your diet.
Key Takeaways
- The thyroid is a small gland found at the base of your neck, and it is responsible for balancing the hormones that control your bodily functions.
- Eating the right foods is key to managing your thyroid health and condition, which can be accomplished by eating healthful and nutritious foods as well as following an anti-inflammatory diet.
- Elimination diets are very helpful in this way in that they can pinpoint exactly what foods are causing the physical symptoms of your thyroid condition.
- An elimination diet is a process of cutting out a specific food item/type at a time and monitoring any alterations in health or symptoms following the change.
- Some commonly eliminated groups in this diet include dairy, gluten, and FODMAP-contain foods.
- If you plan on trying an elimination diet, consider planning ahead, keeping a food journal, and keeping everything else constant.
By helping you track your diet, your medications as well as your symptoms, the ThyForLife app can assist you in managing your thyroid condition and understanding how your lifestyle impacts your health.
FAQs
An elimination diet involves removing specific foods or food groups from your diet for a set period to identify potential food sensitivities or allergies. By gradually reintroducing eliminated foods, individuals can pinpoint which ones trigger adverse reactions, such as digestive issues or skin problems, helping them tailor their diet to better suit their needs.
The duration of an elimination diet can vary depending on individual needs and health goals. While some elimination diets may last for a few weeks, others might extend up to several months. It’s essential to follow guidance from healthcare professionals or registered dietitians to ensure a safe and effective approach to the elimination process.
Commonly eliminated foods during an elimination diet include gluten-containing grains (such as wheat, barley, and rye), dairy products, soy, eggs, nuts, and certain types of seafood. These foods are often associated with allergies or sensitivities and are potential triggers for adverse reactions in some individuals.
While elimination diets can be beneficial for identifying food sensitivities, there are potential drawbacks to consider. Restricting certain foods or food groups may lead to nutrient deficiencies if not carefully planned. Additionally, eliminating too many foods at once can make it challenging to maintain a balanced diet. It’s crucial to work with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to develop a personalized elimination plan and ensure nutritional adequacy throughout the process.
