FOOD ALLERGY: HOW TO CARRY OUT AN EXCLUSION DIET
There are a number of ways in which you can carry out an exclusion diet – that is, a diet in which you leave out foods that you suspect and then reintroduce them to monitor symptoms. Whichever way you go about it, it is important that you do it thoroughly. If you leave a food out of your diet (even if it is only one food), you have to leave it out totally during the testing period to be confident of your results. You may not get clear results if you cheat a bit, or eat ‘just a little’ of something. Only you and your conscience need know what you actually do eat, but be honest with yourself and be prepared to redo the exclusion period if you succumb to temptation.
Be aware also that it can take time to get clear results. You need to leave a food out, wait for a while and then try it again. Even to test one food, it can take up to a few weeks to be absolutely sure about it, and if you are sensitive to a number of foods it can take longer. So be patient and do not be in too much of a hurry – it is better to get good results eventually, than to get confusing results straightaway.
If you are testing for an adult, do not worry overmuch about nutritional balance for the period of exclusion dieting, unless you continue with it for a period of more than a few weeks, or unless you are already in poor health. Providing you are eating a variety of different foods and are in generally good health, leaving out a few foods that are important to general nutrition will not do you permanent harm. Seek advice from a doctor if you are worried.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or thinking of conceiving within the next year, you should not go on an exclusion diet unless a doctor advises.
Working out a diet for a baby or young child should always be done with a doctor’s advice.
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