10 Unexpected Benefits of Completing an Elimination Diet

Today I’m featuring my fabulous assistant Katie as the author of this blog post.   Katie recently completed an elimination diet, and I’m so grateful for her willingness to provide you with a glimpse into her own health journey!   In this post, she highlights the unexpected benefits she experienced from completing an elimination diet.  Katie also shares how hesitant she initially was in committing to the Elimination Diet Meal Plan online program, as well as all that she learned once she dove in.  

Let us know your questions in the comments below!  We’d also love to hear about your own experience completing an Elimination Diet.  Is this something you’ve ever done?  If you haven’t yet completed an Elimination Diet to identify your food sensitivities, what’s holding you back?

10 Unexpected Benefits of Completing an Elimination Diet – Blog Post by Katie Ward

I was a patient of Dr. Kimberley’s before I started working as her admin assistant, and I decided to do a food sensitivity blood test during my first naturopathic consultation.  I was experiencing multiple symptoms that could be related food sensitivities, but I couldn’t pinpoint what was causing them. At the time these symptoms included food cravings, anxiety, nasal congestion, bloating, eczema, acne, brain fog, fatigue, digestive issues… you name it, I probably had it!

The findings from the food sensitivity test were shocking to me. I was overwhelmed and felt like there were more foods on the ‘bad’ list than there were on the ‘good’ list, including gluten, dairy, eggs, grains, potatoes, mustard, etc.  I barely even knew what gluten was or how on earth I was supposed to avoid it, and I felt like there was no point in eating anything at all if I couldn’t have mustard and cheese on it! I’ll admit, I didn’t make many of the suggested dietary changes at first because I didn’t know how to cook without including at least one or two things listed as a sensitivity on my report, and it felt like too much effort to even try when I was still wondering if “avoiding food sensitivities” was just something people did to be trendy.

Six months later, I started working in Dr. Kimberley’s practice as her administrative assistant and the Elimination Diet Meal Plan found its way into my life! Although she had initially suggested it to me during our first appointment together, I wasn’t ready to commit at that time.  It wasn’t until I was working in her office and started hearing feedback from other patients that I realized I should find out for myself what all the hype was about!! So, I bit the bullet, committed 100% to completing the diet, and now I want to share my experience with you!

Here are my top 10 unexpected benefits of completing an Elimination Diet:

1. I Don’t Have to Settle for Feeling Just Okay

As it turns out, feeling bloated all day, every day is not normal, and what I thought was an almost unnoticeable bloat every morning is actually very noticeable when it comes back after a period of being completely gone. When I was in the elimination phase of the diet, my usual morning bloat was replaced by a very gratifying feeling of weightlessness, and once that became my new normal, it was almost debilitating (okay, maybe I’m being a tad dramatic) when I ate something that brought it on again. I had no idea that I wasn’t supposed to feel a little uncomfortable and puffy all the time, so this was an amazing discovery!

2. When it Comes to Skin Care, Diet is More Important than Beauty Products

The most obvious physical transformation that I experienced was clear, glowing skin for the first time in my life! Since I was a teenager, I have always had at least one (or seven) pesky blemishes that I could not get rid of, no matter how much money I spent on expensive skin care and facial treatments. With the Elimination Diet, I feel like I’ve found the secret key that everyone with stubborn skin has been looking for… what you put IN your body is more important when it comes to skin health than what you put ON your body. And as a major bonus, fresh veggies are way more affordable than fancy serums!

3. I Have More Energy Without Drinking Coffee

Anyone who’s ever known me is not going to believe me when I say that I’ve almost completely cut out coffee since doing the Elimination Diet! Yes, the girl who used to drink a quad shot Americano just to function by the end of the week. The girl who used to joke about needing a coffee IV drip attached to her desk. I didn’t even let anyone talk to me in mornings until I’d had my cup of joe… and if I’m being honest, the idea of cutting out coffee was the main reason that I didn’t get on board with this diet when Dr. Kimberley first suggested it to me. However, I’m so glad I finally decided to break the habit, because I quickly discovered that coffee only fuels my anxiety, and that I actually have a lot more energy without it!

4. I Do Not Have to Eat Less Food To Lose Weight, I Just Have to Eat the Right Food

One of the most unexpected, but very much welcome, changes I saw from completing this diet was the weight I released after I stopped feeding my body the foods it didn’t agree with! Within the first week I was already down the first few pounds that I had been struggling with for months. And not only that, but the difference was immediately noticeable when I looked in the mirror because, as I mentioned before, I was also rid of all of that belly bloat!

5. I Can Decrease My PMS Symptoms Naturally

Another unexpected change I found was a decrease in PMS-related symptoms. My usually crippling cramps were almost non-existent, I didn’t suffer from any gross stomach issues (ladies, you know what I’m talking about) and my mood was much more manageable! I’m not sure if this was all due to continuing to follow the meal plans and therefore not giving into my cravings for salty snacks and chocolate cake, or if my body was just much better able to handle the extra stress because it wasn’t having to deal with any inflammation from fighting food sensitivities. Either way, this was a huge win for me!

6. Meal Planning is Literally Life Changing

Having a plan for what you’re going to be eating throughout the week is a total game changer! I was the Queen of winging it with my meals, and then ‘accidentally’ ordering a pizza for dinner once a week, or skipping lunch and then snacking my way through the day until I wasn’t even hungry for dinner until 9 or 10 at night. Not only did having a meal plan to follow help me stay on track with healthy food choices, but it saved me so much money because I wasn’t making extra trips to the grocery store during the week and wandering up and down the aisles, buying random snacks along the way.

Even now that I’m no longer using the meal plans from the elimination diet, I still make sure I have a detailed meal plan for the week before I hit the grocery store every Sunday.  Many of those plans include my favourite recipes from the Elimination Diet Meal Plan, like Creamy Red Curry Lentil Pasta and Chia Seed Cereal!

7. Sugar Cravings Are Not An Inevitable Part of the Day

Although I often crave sugar while I am consuming my regular diet, I actually didn’t crave sugar at all once I got over the hump of not overloading on carbs and having dessert every day.  I’m sure this had me on a wild blood sugar roller coaster ride! I am usually a crazy candy monster (just ask my step-kids who have to hide their candy from me), but the sweetness of the fruit in my cereal and having apples as snacks during the day totally did it for me once I got my blood sugar under control.

8. Food is For Fuel, Not Just For Fun

I discovered that I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. Not in the sense that I had a serious eating disorder, but I was definitely eating as a hobby and using food to reward myself, instead of using food to fuel my body the way that it’s supposed to. This became very noticeable when I found myself getting extremely cranky that I couldn’t have a snack when I was bored, or a treat after a long day. The bright side is, this forced me to find other ways to manage those emotions that didn’t involve eating foods that weren’t good for me. This realization alone was worth the effort it took to stay on track with the meal plans, and has forever changed the way I view food!

9. Avoiding Alcohol Can Be as Easy Said as Done

I’ve realized that I can totally still have a nice, fun dinner out with friends without alcohol! I am a big lover of cocktails, and as it turns out, most restaurants now have an extensive list of mocktails made with soda water, fruits, herbs, and vinegars that are just as enjoyable as those containing alcohol. And wow, was it ever wonderful to wake up on Sunday mornings feeling my best instead of having a crap sleep (which happens even if I only have one drink) and a hangover! 

10. One Positive Change Leads to Many Positive Changes

One of the biggest benefits of completing the Elimination Diet Meal Plan, was that the positive changes I made in my diet created a natural ripple effect that resulted in multiple other healthy life changes! Being mindful of my food choices was empowering, and it inspired me to exercise more, make more time for personal development, and find more joy in each day! 

Figuring out my food sensitivities hasn’t meant that I can never eat pizza or pasta, which to be honest are both still some of my favourite foods. Instead, I’m working on cooking with the ingredients that leave me feeling my best during the week and still having some flexibility to dine-out and to include these other options on the weekend.  This balance is working well for me!

If you’re on the fence about completing an Elimination Diet to identify your food sensitivities, let this be the push you need to take the leap! I feel remarkably better on a day-to-day basis, and so much more in control of my body and my health.  Now that I’ve completed the Elimination Diet Meal Plan I’ve been able to eat in a way that helps me to thrive.  I have so much more energy, clearer skin and better digestion. What’s not to love!?

xo, Katie

Let us know your questions in the comments below!  We’d also love to hear about your own experience completing an Elimination Diet.  Is this something you’ve ever done?