We’ve never been more overwhelmed with healthy dietary trends than at present. With the wide array of nutritional regimens including paleo, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, macrobiotic, vegetarian, pescatarian, ketogenic, Mediterranean etc. one can but feel confused when choosing the right one to follow. However, a number of health experts and nutritionists agree that the elimination diet is the most beneficial one. This diet plan is long-term and is rather considered as food-as-medicine plan for life. It requires removing certain foods for a few weeks, and focusing on consuming nutritious foods instead. This diet plan provides long-term health benefits such as increased energy, improved digestion, improved sleep quality, and clearer skin, just to name a few.
These are the top 10 benefits the elimination diet provides:
1. Calm inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to a number of serious health issues including weight gain, chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and even cancer.
In order to treat these health problems successfully, the patient must first eliminate the root cause, i.e. inflammation. This can easily be achieved with the elimination diet, i.e. by removing triggering foods.
2. Boost your energy.
Lack of energy, difficulty waking up in the morning, chronic fatigue
during the day, and energy crashes in the afternoon are all triggered by
certain foods. Eliminating these foods from your diet for a minimum of
two months will significantly increase your energy levels and boost your
brain function.
3. Pinpoint your food intolerances.
Feeling bloated, fatigued or having brain fog after eating certain foods is an indicator that your body is intolerant to this food. By taking these foods out of your system, you’ll help your body function at an optimal level.
4. Find out the foods that work for your body.
Aside from eliminating the triggers, you should also focus on foods that make your body function properly. These are actually the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.
5. Create a food plan that works just for you.
One of the greatest benefits of the elimination diet is that it helps you identify which foods work for your body and which don’t. This is very individual as foods that are beneficial for some people may cause issues in others. The elimination diet will help you create a food-as-medicine plan fit just for you.
6. Start healing your gut.
According to Hippocrates, the father of medicine, “All disease begins in the gut.” Even modern research has linked most chronic health problems with underlying gut problems like leaky gut syndrome. The elimination diet promotes a gut-healing process because the top gut damagers are being removed while the body is only fed gut-healing foods.
7. Boost your immune system.
Another important benefit of this dietary regimen is that it boosts immune system function, meaning it strengthens your system and improves overall health. This is particularly important if you’re prone to viral infections or are struggling with an autoimmune condition.
8. Decrease intake of processed foods.
Today we all know that processed foods are devoid of nutrients and lead to a wide array of health problems of all kinds including hypertension, obesity, diabetes.
An elimination diet is the perfect way to jump-start clean eating and focus on healthy, healing foods.
9. Give your body some TLC.
The elimination diet is not an actual diet as it focuses on creating sustainable food-as-medicine plan that heals your body and protects it from illness.
10. Become more mindful of the foods you eat.
Starvation diets are never health beneficial. They may give temporary results, but are never good in the long run. The human body depends on healthy nutrient-rich food for proper function. Paying more attention to what you eat will benefit you on many levels.
