The Elimination Diet for Good Gut Health
“With all these elimination diets, will the only thing I can eat be an egg?!”
There is so much information out there about what to eat. Coupled with the rising costs of goods, including food, it can feel justified to skip the healthy (and often more expensive) fresh fruit and vegetables for pre-cut, frozen, packaged and processed foods that are more convenient and promise more nutritional bang for your buck. It seems like everyone is doing it, and that makes it normal and acceptable. Human beings are biologically programmed to accept and adhere to social norms, meaning the behaviours and values of the people in your social group strongly influence your decisions. This includes how we see food and consumption; we tend to follow the cues of the people we listen to and hang out with, assuming that if it’s working for them, it’ll be the same for us.
But there are a few hidden costs to making the ‘convenient’ choice, and the first is what it will do to your energy levels and digestive health.
We used to think of food purely from the perspective of nutrition, so we tested foods in a lab for calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, and then labeled our food to decide how to make good choices. But we missed two important points:
Food now means more than just nutrition thanks to the microbiome. We are outnumbered by the microbes in our gut by over 150 times, and we need them to be in good condition to digest our meals, make essential nutrients, activate our genes and support our immune health. An imbalanced microbiome is a major driver of inflammation, which can show up as diabetes, IBS, autoimmune conditions, and psychiatric conditions like ADHD and depression. One of the main ways we get these microbes is through fresh, whole foods; ultraprocessed, preserved, frozen and canned food does not have the diversity of healthy bacteria that we need. In fact, sugar, salt and additives encourage the growth of bad bacteria which can turn the microbiome from friend to foe. Make it a point to read the ingredients list, especially when you buy packaged food, snacks and even ‘health’ foods. For example, sugar comes in lots of interesting names, often ending with a ‘ose’ like sucrose, maltose, glucose, lactose, fructose, as well as other things that sound healthy like cane sugar and exotic like golden syrup. All sugar that adds up to more than what we need.
Digestion is key, not just nutrition. The healthiest plate of food is only as useful as what you can break down and absorb; after that, everything is junk. Gut issues like gas, bloating, constipation, heartburn, loose bowels and food sensitivities are caused by incomplete digestion, which means not all your food is broken down and passed out of the body as a bowel movement. This semi-digested food ferments in the gut as it sits in a hot, wet climate, and breeds the bad bacteria which causes inflammation. And some of the things we simply cannot digest are the chemicals in our ‘convenience’ foods, which have complicated names listed on the ingredients list like:
BHA and BHT (found in more cereals; affects ADHD, ADD and asthma);
Sodium Benzoate’s (found in fruit juices; affects asthma, stomach aches, headaches and hyperactivity);
Sulfites (found in wine and beer, canned vegetables, gravy, potato chips; affects asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions);
Cochineal and carmines (often labeled as ‘no artificial colours’ in biscuits and baked goods; affects asthma, anaphylaxis and dermatitis);
Monosodium Glutamate, MSG (also called yeast extract; affects mood, depression, behavioural issues, headaches and learning difficulties).
Emulsifiers like xanthan gum, pectin and lecithin (found in mayonnaise, chocolate, peanut butter, sauces, ice cream; affects irritable bowels, inflammation, cholesterol, weight gain).
While it’s a shame how common, and even legal, these chemicals are, they are everywhere, and the way to avoid them is to prioritise whole foods, read the label and consume with caution. And also, heal your gut, which encourages your body to metabolise junk and reduce overall inflammation. Instead of cutting out the good stuff like wheat, dairy, carbs, good quality fat, etc, try starting with processed foods and additives to save money on medical bills, supplements, sick days and stress.
“Nature is pleased with simplicity.”
