It’s been awhile since we had an elimination diet adventure post. Several weeks ago, I started the stage that I was most excited about, food reintroduction. It’s the phase of the elimination diet where you slowly and methodically begin eating the foods that may have been causing our bodies to react negatively.

This part, while fun, has also been very challenging. It’s basically a scientific test and I’ve found that it requires a lot of attention, planning and determination. This is how it’s supposed to go down:

1. Continue eating hypo-allergenic foods from the elimination diet.
2. Take one day and eat 2 – 3 servings of a possibly offending food, e.g. eggs.
3. Note any digestive disturbances throughout the day.
4. Wait 1-4 days and choose another food to try, repeating the process until you’ve tried all possibly offending food groups (wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, sugar and nightshade).

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This elimination diet adventure has both ups and downs , a thrilling rollercoaster I like to call, The Diet Decimator! It’s been both challenging and extremely rewarding. Between the yummy recipes , the cleansing and, most importantly, a notably improved digestion…I could possibly stay on this diet forever!

Ya, ha! Riiiiiight. I could – since necessity calls for creation and these recipes I’m trying are truly deeeelish - I just don’t want to. Truth be told, I’ve cheated almost everyday since starting this extensively restrictive diet. Mind you, they’ve been healthy cheats, like a handful dried fruit and chocolate chips or a small, black organic coffee.

For awhile, I was feeling guilty about cheating because I know I can do this perfectly… under the right circumstances. If all I had to do was this diet? No problem. There would be no stress and therefore no cravings. And doing it perfectly isn’t just my ego talking, Folks, it means the difference between 3 weeks and nearly 3 months!

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Do you have digestive troubles but aren’t ready to visit the doc yet, let alone attempt any major changes in diet or fitness levels? Well, this post is for you!

During my last visit, the Naturopathic Doctor passed on the following pearls of digestive wisdom:

1. Eat sitting down. Ever hear of the flight or fight reaction of the sympathetic nervous system? Well, the phrase, “rest and digest” summarizes the parasympathetic system. When one of these systems is turned on, the other must be off. Sitting while you eat will allow your body to fully focus its energy on digesting the food, properly and quickly. Read the rest of this entry »

So if you’ve been following Live Lighter for the last few weeks, we’ve been on an elimination diet adventure . The Holy Grail in this story is healthy digestion! Come on, I bet you’ve experienced digestive discomfort a time or two.

It’s estimated that approximately 1 in every 5 Canadian has chronic digestive problems. (Source: Canadian Society of Intestinal Research ). So have you ever wondered about your poor digestion?

Here is a 10 minute clip by Paul Check , holistic health expert and founder of the C.H.E.K. Institute, explaining how a healthy digestive system works, some tips in how to achieve it, and what happens when we ignore our digestive problems:

Coconut-almond crusted, organic chicken fingers with spicy homemade mustard dipping sauce (or honey garlic dipping sauce), steamed garlic asparagus and broccoli drizzled with olive oil and finished with fresh ground sea salt and pepper. For dessert, a watermelon-berry fruit smoothie.

How scrumptious does that sound? AND it was an elimination diet-friendly dinner!

Rachael Ray , eat your heart out.

But where did this magnificent meal come from and will I share the recipes with you? But of course, Live Lighter Readers!

Friday nights are a special night in this household. My good friend Krista comes over armed with a smile, some Friday treats and her extraordinary culinary talents. This woman has mad skills in the kitchen, what she can do with appetizers will make your head spin, not to mention she’s the best hostess I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

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So I have to confess, I’m having more trouble with this elimination diet than I thought I would. While I’m finding and trying great recipes, that’s only a small part of making a restrictive diet like this work for you. I was reminded of this when reader Tiffany shared her troubles earlier this week on An Elimination Diet Adventure. My advice to her was given based on my previous experience with cleansing, and while the principals are the same and the tricks will work, two weeks into my elimination diet and I’m still cheating.

The great thing is that I’ve identified the main source of my problems: stress. Right now, I’m experiencing both internal and external types of stress. Internally, any major change in diet or routine is going to stress your body whether you realize it or not. Your body will adjust, it just needs time. You can make this adjustment phase easier with several healthy lifestyle tricks, including the attempt to control as much external stress as possible.

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Did you know that many of us have food allergies or sensitivities to food without even knowing it? Symptoms to food reactions are varied, the most severe resulting in death, but most are subtle, such as gas, an uncomfortable belly or even forgetfulness.

So how do you find out if you have food intolerances and what foods your body dislikes? Well, one way is to go on an elimination diet . This is a super restrictive diet that cuts out all food allergens known to affect some people. This includes:

• Sugar
• Dairy
• Gluten (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats)
• Peanuts, pistachios and cashews
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