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Are you eating all the healthy food but still not losing weight and feeling your best? Did you know that even wholesome, healthy foods can leave some people feeling bloated, achy and tired? The reason, food sensitivities. After completing a food sensitivity blood test, I tested those results through the Elimination Diet Meal Plan. If you’ve thought about testing your food sensitivities this Elimination Diet Meal Plan review will give you all the information you need as far as what to expect along with my experience and results.
Food Sensitivity Testing
In an effort to try and uncover what was causing some of my husband’s digestive issues we decided to do the Food Sensitivity Blood Test through Everlywell. I wasn’t really having any issues myself but thought it would be interesting. The test itself was quite simple to do and we were able to use our Flexible Spending Account to pay for it.
A few weeks later we got our results back. We were a little disappointed because my husband’s results came back with zero high or moderate reactivities. What?!? Instead I’m the one who showed high & moderate reactivities. My high reactivities are Chia Seed & Brewers Yeast. My moderate reactivity is Green Pea.
Brewers Yeast is used in making vinegar, soy sauce and some wines. Which makes sense to me because I sometimes feel funky after eating those things.
Chia Seed & Green Pea are top ingredients in my daily shake. No! I really do love my Shakeology. I did learn that regular Shakeology contains Chia Seed but Vegan does not. Which explains why regular Shakeology affects my digestive system so much. Vegan Shakeology does contain Pea Protein though and I didn’t want to stop using it. Change is hard.
So after we got the results we just sat on them for a while. Honestly, taking the blood test didn’t help us solve any of my husband’s digestive issues. But it made me curious about my newly discovered issues.
I started thinking about doing an elimination diet. I read the information on EverlyWell about elimination diets. Did a little searching on Pinterest. And just got really overwhelmed. So I put it off but I kept thinking about it.
A Plan to Follow
After much searching I finally found a plan to follow. I was so excited when I found the Elimination Diet Meal Plan! The program takes you step by step through an elimination diet. I love the way everything is planned and organized. It’s just like I would do it. There are smoothies for breakfast and leftovers for lunch.
The program is designed by naturopathic doctor Kimberley O’Brien of Healthy Life Redesign.
How Long Does It Take To Do An Elimination Diet
The program is broken down into three phases over seven weeks. The first phase is an elimination phase where the most common food allergens are removed from your diet. This phase also works well as a cleanse. But don’t worry, you still get to eat plenty of food.
The second phase is a level one reintroduction phase. During this phase you reintroduce foods that generally have low reactivity. If you tolerate the foods during this phase you may continue to eat them during the second phase.
The third phase reintroduces foods that most commonly lead to immune reactivity and inflammation.
The plan lays out exactly what days you reintroduce and test foods. Plus, it tells you exactly what to eat and includes delicious recipes.
When Should You Start
The truth is, there is never a really good time. There is always going to be something. But if you want something bad enough you’ll find a way to make it work.
Ideally, you should plan to do your elimination diet when you don’t have any events or vacations on your schedule. I had a work trip during the middle of our elimination diet. I stayed on plan for the first couple of days but was off by the end. When we returned from our trip I just went back and did a few days of eating in the elimination phase and then picked back up where I left off.
If you do get off track you can always go back to the elimination phase and then start reintroducing foods wherever you left off.
What’s Included
The Elimination Diet Meal Plan is an online program. When you purchase the program you get access to:
- 70+ Recipes
- 7 Weeks of Regular & Vegan Meal Plans
- Weekly Grocery Lists
- Ingredient Guides
- Elimination & Reintroduction Guides
- Symptom Tracking Forms
- Videos
- Motivational Weekly Emails
Elimination Diet Recipes
What do you eat on an elimination diet meal plan? All sorts of delicious, healthy, whole foods.
To be honest, there is a lot of chopping involved. I don’t think I’ve ever peeled and chopped so many carrots in my life. Pre-chopped veggies from the grocery store make meal prep faster & easier.
I also never thought I’d be the person that makes their own cereal or salad dressing. But I did and it was delicious. The cereal is so good and easy to make my husband continued to make his own after we completed the program. One thing my husband commented on during the process is that he enjoyed that I’ve got so many new delicious, healthy recipes to add to the rotation.
There were a few recipes that I wasn’t sure I would like but was pleasantly surprised once we tried them. I suggest trying them all at least once. Then you can make adjustments as necessary.
Here are our favorite recipes from the Elimination Diet Meal Plan:
Breakfast
- Seedy Cereal with Blueberries
- Sweet Potato Scramble
Snacks
- Apple & Sun Butter
- Maple Cinnamon Seed Bar
- Carrots & Guacamole
- Trail Mix
Lunch & Dinner
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Garden Quinoa Salad
- Crunchy Kale Salad
Elimination Diet Meal Plan Results
I really enjoyed going through the Elimination Diet Meal Plan. The way the plan is designed is very educational. The tracker was useful in really thinking about foods and their effects. The program really helped me understand how and why my body reacts to different foods. I also gained a more defined awareness of the differences in the make up of foods.
Now instead of blanketed thoughts like “carbs make me bloated,” I know how specific types of carbs affect me. For example, I have no problem with potatoes but grains like pasta cause bloating for me.
It’s changed the way I meal plan. Since I now know the foods I should avoid or only have occasionally I use them sparingly on my meal plan.
I did lose weight during the elimination diet which was a positive side effect. I was also less bloated, except when introducing foods that didn’t agree with me. During the elimination phase I also experienced an increase in energy.
Another thing I gained from the Elimination Diet Meal Plan is a number of healthy, delicious recipes. I’ve already made several multiple times.
If you want more details on our elimination diet experience be sure to check out my Elimination Diet Meal Plan Journal post.
I hope you found this Elimination Diet Meal Plan review helpful. I am a huge fan of the program and it’s recipes. Use my link to start identifying your food sensitivities and transforming your health now!
