2017 Have You Tried the Elimination Diet

Happy New Years to all what a wonderful time to be alive, most people have loose weight and work out more as their top New Years Resolution. And as many of these go down in the dark primodial detritus of lost hopes dreams and ambitions, i propose to you a new solution. 2017 have you tried the elimination diet, i picked up this editorial from Onit fitness and simply thought it would be a great find to share with my Shapin America loyalist.

please read, implement and enjoy...

elimination diet to find your own path to getting healthy and lean for 2017.

“What should I be eating?” It’s a question even an educated fitness-seeker like you probably still asks from time to time. With all the conflicting information out there about nutrition, it’s hard to know which foods are good for you and which are doing harm. The answer is that “healthy” food is highly individual. Your friend might do well on dairy, but even a cup of yogurt sends you running to the bathroom. Maybe your brother can eat a loaf of bread and stay energized, but one slice makes you sleepy. The truth is, only your body can decide what it needs to run optimally. And a sure fire way to be sure it reaches a decision is to follow an elimination diet.

Long used to reveal food hypersensitivities and intolerances—without having to order a costly blood test—elimination diets remove all potential allergens and irritants from your menu so that your gut can heal. Then you begin to slowly reintroduce one suspicious food at a time and see how your body responds to it. Follow this guide to setting up an elimination diet, and discover once and for all what you should be eating for health and performance.

What to Cut

A reaction to food due to an allergen is called a hypersensitivity, and it can manifest in many ways. You can suffer gastrointestinal distress (bloating, gas, or stomach pain), joint pain, brain fog, or fatigue—all signs that your immune system is fighting to keep what it perceives as a threatening foreign body at bay. (There’s also anaphylactic shock, an extreme reaction that can send you to the hospital.) Most of these hypersensitivities will come from foods containing gluten, dairy, or sugar.

Gluten

Gluten

This is the protein portion of wheat and wheat-related foods that often proves difficult for people to digest. Gluten-containing foods include most major grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, oats (unless they’re certified gluten-free), and beer.

Furthermore, personal care products like shampoo, lotions, makeups, and toothpaste have been known to have some gluten and can be problematic to come in contact with even if you’re not ingesting them. Finally, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and some kinds of gum can pack a gluten punch, so beware.

Dairy

Dairy

When milk is heated for pasteurization, proteins can aggregate to form new, larger protein-like structures that cause an allergic response. In the case of lactose intolerance, it’s not an allergy (hypersensitivity) but an actual intolerance, usually as a result of genetics. We’re all born with the ability to produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the lactose in milk. But as we grow out of infancy and stop drinking breast milk, we produce less of it. In fact, only about 30% of people descended from northern Europe contain the gene that allows them to produce sufficient lactase, so it’s highly probable that dairy foods will be problematic for you.

Dairy includes milk, cream, yogurt, cheese, spreads (sour cream, cream cheese, etc.), and butter. Unfortunately, cutting out dairy means cutting out the nutritious calcium that is so abundant in it. You should make sure to eat other foods that are calcium-rich to see that you still get enough. These include bok choy, sardines, and black-strap molasses (make sure it’s gluten-free), and fortified, unsweetened rice milk

Sugar

Sugar

Is it really necessary to explain why this needs to go too? That sweet, sticky, deliciousness is, unfortunately, the bane of human health. For one thing, it’s already in every processed food, so you’ve likely had an ocean of it throughout your lifetime already, and for another, it interferes with immune function, increases inflammation, and promotes insulin resistance. It’s time to give it a rest. Get rid of condiments (like ketchup and barbecue sauce), candy, honey, and syrup, as well as any processed foods you’ve been indulging in. Note that sugar is not healthy for anyone, and should therefore not be added back to the diet later on. This doesn’t mean you can’t have it at all, but you must avoid it going forward, and don’t let it back in any form until after you’ve tested a wide range of foods.

How To Diet

When you’re ready to begin the diet, tell your friends and family and try to gain their support. We won’t sugarcoat it (literally): this diet is bland, at least until you begin adding foods back in. You need people around you who will be supportive and not lead you down the path of temptation. Nevertheless, you don’t have to starve yourself. Meat, fish, vegetables, oils, herbal teas, and natural sweeteners (such as stevia) are all permitted.

Cut the gluten, dairy, and sugar foods out for at least two weeks—six weeks is ideal. Then add one food back and eat it by itself. Stick with that one additional food for three days straight and see how you feel. If you get gassy, bloated, fatigued, foggy, or you notice any difference in bowel movements or have any aches or pains; that food is not for you. If you feel fine, you can add another food back in. Keep going until you figure out what your healthy diet is.

The Elimination Diet Shopping List

The Elimination Diet Shopping List

Protein

● Wild Caught Salmon
● Wild or farmed Tilapia
● Organic, pasture-raised Eggs
● Lean Ground Turkey
● Organic, hormone/antibiotic-free, chicken
● Ground Beef
● Ground Bison
● Grass Fed/Finished Steaks
● Pork Chops
● Venison or Other Wild Game Meats

Complex Carbohydrates

● Sweet potato
● Squash
● Yams

Vegetables

At least 2 cups per day from the cruciferous family (aids in detoxification)

● Artichokes
● Beets
● Bok choy
● Broccoli
● Brussels Sprouts
● Cabbage
● Carrots
● Cauliflower
● Celery
● Cucumbers
● Garlic
● Kale
● Kohlrabi
● Leeks
● Lettuce
● Mustard greens
● Onions
● Parsley
● Radishes
● Shallots
● Spinach
● Turnips
● Water chestnuts
● Watercress
● Zucchini.

Unconventional Vegetables

● Sea Vegetables
● Kelp noodles
● Kimchi
● Raw Fermented Sauerkraut

Fruits (limit to 1-3 servings per day)

● All berries, especially blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries
● Apples
● Apricots
● Avocadoes
● Berries
● Cherries
● Grapefruit
● Grapes
● Lemons
● Oranges
● Peaches
● Plums

Oils

● Coconut Oil (safe for cooking)
● Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use for salad dressings)
● Grass Fed, Raw Butter or Ghee (safe for cooking)

Herbs/ Spices/ Condiments

● Cinnamon
● Cloves
● Cumin
● Oregano
● Garlic
● Cayenne Pepper
● Sea Salt
● Rosemary
● Sage
● Basil
● Thyme
● Turmeric
● Mustard
● Apple Cider Vinegar
● Olives
● Organic Salsa with no added preservatives

Beverages

● Mineral water
● Spring water
● Herbal teas
● Coconut milk

Organic Coconut Products

● Coconut butter
● Coconut mana
● Coconut cream
● Coconut flakes (unsweetened)
● Coconut yogurt (unsweetened

Age Defying Foods for 2016

One of the great age defying foods of our time is by far Tuna, packed with omega-3 fatty acids to help keep your heart healthy and may provide protection against Alzheimers disease.

Almonds are another wonderful source of age defying satisfaction. If you are looking to slow down the years you can take in almonds by the handful or toss them into your salad and oatmeal, your body will thank you. Almonds are packed full with Vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps defend against sun damage, keeps your arteries free from dangerous free-radicals, and protects against heart disease and Diabetes. They are also rich ini omega-6 fatty acids to help with improving the texture of hair and skin.

Leafy Greens, dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and swiss chard are packed with anti-aging nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body craves for younger looking hair and skin. For example Swiss chard is rich in beta-carotene, and antioxidant that is converted to the essential Vitamin A that your body requires for skin growth and cell repair. Leafy greens are also a great source of vitamin C, which is essential for production of collagen, which is necessary for keeping your skin firm and protecting cells from free radical damage.

Dark Chocolate, Yes Yes Yes you can eat chocolate for health reasons. It is important though that you keep in mind it needs to be dark chocolate and not the processed high fructose corn syrup version. Dark Chocolate contains high levels of cocoa flavanols and phytonutrient compounds that provide the beneficial antioxidant effects. When consumed in moderation, the flavonols found in dark chocolate improve the blood flow to the brain, which helps to boost your cognitive function and the phytonutrients keeps your blood pressure low and your arteries flexible.














Beans, particularly black beans, will help to significantly decrease the risk of a heart attack. Black beans are full of anthocyanin, which can improve brain function, White beans are super rich in calcium and protein, both of which help you have strong healthy bones which may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Beans are loaded with healthy fats, magnesium, folate, B Vitamins and fiber.


Avocado, often get a bad rap for being high in fat and calories, but the monounsaturated fats are actually the good fats, they help deliver the good cholesterol your body needs. Avocados are also rich in folate that helps to lower levels of homocysteine, which can interfere with the flow of blood through the blood vessels. There are many properties found d in avocados that make them extra beneficial for the skin, including amino acids and antioxidants to help reduce inflammation, skin aging and to reduce age spots.

Gren Tea is a delicious way to give your anti aging diet an added boost. Green tea has been used by Chinese for over 4000 years for its medicinal properties. It has extremely high levels of catechin, an antioxidant that seeks out and destroys free radicals, which helps to detoxify cancer allergies stroke and arthritis as well as improve the overall function of the immune system. Not only will drinking green tea help to prevent sun damage, but it may also reverse the effects of sun damage.














Sweet Potatoes, which are often confused with yams, are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. This superfood contains antioxidants, to help prevent your skin from aging and beta carotene for bright, healthy eyes. Sweet potatoes also contain glutathione, an antioxidant that may enhance the health of your immune system and boost metabolism as well as protect against Parkinsons, Alzheimers, heart attack, stroke and liver disease. Eating half of a small sweet potato each day may actually decrease the appearance of wrinkles.

Berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, are chock full of anti-aging antioxidants that help prevent a range of diseases from cancer to heart disease. The antioxidants and nutrients found in blueberries fight wrinkles, relieve muscle soreness, maintain memory sharpness and protect your joints from wear and tear, Raspberries help your body eliminate free radicals that may damage your cells and cause premature aging of the skin.

Quinoa, of all the grains, quinoa provides the best source of complete protein. It is rich with potassium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc and B vitamins. Quinoa is an anti-aging powerhouse that helps keep your skin, teeth, hair, nails and bones strong as well as provides protection against high blood pressure, migraines and diabetes. Quinoa is the perfect grain for those who are allergic to gluten, because it is completely gluten-free and can replace rice in any dish.

Flax Seeds are rich in fiber and protein, as well as an amazing amount of Omega-3 acids which help to get rid of age spots and fine lines in your skin. Sprinkle ground flax seed over your yogurt, salads and/or oatmeal to improve your digestive system, reduce high cholesterol and improve skin appearance.

Carrots are spiked with lots of Vitamin A and carotenoids that not only are great for vision but help keep your skin smooth and acne free. Vitamin prevents an overproduction of cells in your skins outer layer, which means there are fewer dead cells to mix sedum that clogs pores, so you have fewer acne breakouts. The carotenoids are fat soluble compounds that help reduce the risk of cancers and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

Turmeric add a little spice to your life to help fight inflammation, reduce the risk of Alzheimers and fight certain cancers. Eating foods that are spiced with turmeric will provide anti-inflammatory effects to help alleviate joint pain and reduce acne causing inflammation.

So next time you pass through your local farmers market or grocery store keep in mind that many of the fruits and vegetables you are passing by are packed with anti aging properties that will help keep you healthy from the inside out.