I battled asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and respiratory allergies through most of my teen years and early twenties. All symptoms disappeared after I moved to Canada, about 12 years ago. They would flare up whenever I went back to Brazil for a visit but they more or less disappeared. Unfortunately, last summer some of the symptoms have resumed – occasional wheezing, sneezing, chronic cough – and I have been battling them all Fall and Winter. Last week I finally made time to go see a naturopath. I have known, for long, the relationship between food sensibilities (not allergies) and all kinds of illnesses so I wasn’t surprised when my naturopath asked me undertake an elimination diet. The idea is to eliminate all of the most common allergens from my diet and then slowing re-introduce them one by one to see which one causes a reaction. So for the next ten days, I have to follow these rules:
Dairy
- no milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream or goat dairy
Starches
- NO: wheat, spelt, rye, kamut, corn
- YES: brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, sugar-free, gluten-free cereals; yeast free breads made with the above grains; pastas made with above grains; tapioca
Vegetables
- No: nightshades – i.e. tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, peppers; also no corn or mushrooms
- Yes: everything else and sweet potatoes
Fruit
- NO: strawberries, grapes, melons, oranges, grapefruit, dried fruit
- YES: everything else
Animal products
- NO: Pork, bacon, ham; luncheon meats; shellfish; catfish; eggs
- YES: wild cold water ocean fish; poltry; wild meats; organic, pasture-raised red meat
Legumes
- NO: soy
- Yes: chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas
Oils/Fats
- NO: oils, except for:
- Yes: olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed oil, sesame oil, tahini avocado
Condiments
- NO: sugar, honey, maple syrup
- Yes: lemon, herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, homemade mayo
Beverages
- NO: caffeine, alcohol
- Yes : water, herbal teas, unsweetened vegetable and fruit juices
Seeds and nuts
- NO: peanuts, almonds
- Yes: all seed and nut butters except the above
Other
- NO: processed food, food additives, food preservatives, fried foods, yeast
The idea is to follow it for 10 days to two weeks and then start re-introducing one food at a time to see if there’s anything that makes my allergies more likely to flare-up. It may be that the cause is more environmental than food related. There are also connections between stress and grief with asthma and lung issues, which may be interesting to look at in the future since my issues seem to have gotten worse after Alan had his heart attack. Expect to see more recipes following the above guidelines on my food blog!
