Vegan Elimination Diet: A Guide To Getting Started

A vegan elimination diet is a short-term dietary change that can help identify food intolerances and alleviate digestive issues and other symptoms. It involves removing common allergens and inflammatory foods, such as dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, and alcohol, for a period of around 23 days, before gradually reintroducing them while monitoring for any reactions. This process can help determine which foods may be triggering sensitivities and allow for a more permanent dietary adjustment to improve overall health.

Identify food intolerances and sensitivities

A vegan elimination diet can help identify food intolerances and sensitivities. This process involves removing foods that may be causing digestive issues or other common symptoms and then slowly reintroducing them while monitoring for any adverse reactions. It is important to note that food intolerances are different from food allergies, which can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

• Consult a healthcare professional: Before starting an elimination diet, it is crucial to consult a medical professional or a registered dietitian. They can guide you through the process, ensure you are not at risk of nutritional deficiencies, and rule out any underlying medical conditions.
• Identify potential triggers: Work with your healthcare provider to identify the foods that may be triggering your symptoms. Common triggers include dairy, eggs, tree nuts, wheat, gluten, soy, citrus fruits, nightshade vegetables, legumes, starchy foods, and food additives.
• Eliminate possible triggers: Remove the identified trigger foods from your diet for a period of 2-8 weeks. During this elimination phase, keep a food journal to document what you eat and any symptoms you experience.
• Reintroduce foods one at a time: After the elimination phase, slowly reintroduce the eliminated foods back into your diet, one at a time. Allow at least 3 days between each reintroduction to monitor for any adverse reactions.
• Identify trigger foods: If you experience symptoms after reintroducing a particular food, then you have identified a trigger food. Remove it from your diet to prevent future discomfort.
• Repeat as needed: You may need to repeat the elimination and reintroduction process multiple times to identify all your trigger foods.

It is important to note that an elimination diet should be tailored to your specific needs and symptoms. Always consult a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.

Eliminate non-health-supporting foods and additives

A vegan elimination diet is a short-term method that helps identify foods your body can't tolerate well and removes them from your diet. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting an elimination diet, as you could have a serious medical problem that requires other treatment.

• Consult with a healthcare professional: They can guide you in determining which foods are likely to be your trigger foods and creating a tailored elimination plan.
• Remove possible triggers from your diet: Work with a professional to identify and remove foods you suspect your body can't tolerate and those that cause uncomfortable symptoms. This may include:

• All dairy foods and eggs
• Meat, chicken, and fish
• Emulsifiers from processed foods
• Salt and high-salt condiments
• Citrus fruits
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes
• Starchy foods like wheat, barley, corn, and oats
• Fats like butter, margarine, and mayonnaise
• Beverages like alcohol, coffee, and black tea
• Spices and condiments like sauces, relish, and mustard
• Sugar and sweets, including honey, maple syrup, and chocolate

• Follow the prescribed diet for one to two months: It takes time for your body to respond and identify the trigger foods.
• Keep a food journal: Document not only what you eat but also any symptoms, moods, and colours of the foods you're eating. Include information on your sleep and stress management as these can impact food issues.
• Slowly add each food back into your diet one at a time: Work with your healthcare provider to gradually reintroduce eliminated foods while monitoring for any adverse reactions.

Remember, elimination diets are restrictive, and it's important to seek advice from your doctor or dietitian to ensure you're getting adequate nutrition.

Transition to a starch-based diet

Transitioning to a starch-based diet is the second stage of a reverse elimination diet. This stage involves replacing foods that damage the gut or promote the growth of inflammatory microbes with increased quantities of low-FODMAP starchy foods.

During this stage, you should eat:

• Potatoes, with limited quantities of sweet potatoes
• Brown rice, millet, and buckwheat (whole grains or pasta well cooked)
• Hold off on quinoa, bread, and other yeast products
• Cooked rolled oats unless poorly tolerated
• Tofu in small quantities
• Cooked vegetables (lettuce may be eaten raw)
• Low-FODMAP fruits, including bananas
• Limit nuts and seeds to 1 tablespoon/10g per day

The starch-based diet is not a strict elimination diet, but rather a transition phase before the reverse elimination stage.

Reintroduce foods

Reintroducing foods is the fourth step in the elimination diet process. After 23 days of eliminating the usual suspects, you can start to reintroduce foods back into your diet. On day 24, choose one thing you eliminated—for example, gluten, dairy, or eggs—but not more than one. Observe how you feel over the next 48 hours. If you have no reaction after two days, eat that same food again and notice how you feel. From there, it’s up to you whether or not to re-incorporate that food into your diet regularly. Once you’ve made a call on the first food you reintroduce, pick another one and follow the same steps.

It is important to reintroduce foods in a graduated fashion over several months. If a particular food always brings back symptoms, then perhaps back off that item and work on others instead. Legumes are worth persevering with, even if that means starting with a teaspoon per day and freezing the remainder for subsequent days. Low-stress days with no important events may be times to up the ante on reintroducing foods, while busy days with stressful events may be times to take a step back.

Reintroducing foods is a process of trial and error, and it is important to listen to your body and observe any changes, whether expected or unexpected.

Continue to listen to your body

Listen to your body and be mindful of its responses to the food you eat. This is key to the success of your vegan elimination diet.

After the initial period of food elimination, you will begin to reintroduce foods. This is a gradual process, and it is important to be aware of how your body is reacting to each new food. If you experience symptoms, stop eating that food. You probably have a sensitivity to it.

It is important to be mindful of the connection between food and your body. You may find it helpful to keep a food journal, recording what you eat and how it makes you feel. This can help you identify any patterns and problem foods.

Be aware of your visceral sensations. If you are hypervigilant to these, it may be helpful to use mindfulness techniques to reduce this.

Remember, everyone's body is different, and there are no universally 'safe' foods. A food that causes bloating one day may be tolerated the next. It is a process of discovery and learning about your body and its unique responses.

Frequently asked questions