Recent studies from around the world demonstrate that we're developing food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances faster than ever. “And it may be the number-one reason our best efforts to get healthy keep failing,” says Vincent Pedre, MD. “When we make a point to eat more foods we think are great for us – like yogurt or salmon – we are able to inadvertently trigger system-wide inflammation that blocks weight reduction, speeds aging, and drives disease.”
The good news: “It's simple to identify and avoid your reactive foods. Next, weight loss and health improvements are rapid,” promises food sensitivity expert and author of The Metabolism Plan (Buy on Amazon, $16.98) Lyn-Genet Recitas. “Everything from energy and eczema to autoimmune problems improve.” And ladies report losing as much as 16.6 pounds in five days!
Experts agree probably the most accurate test is definitely an elimination diet. That means you'll remove potentially problematic foods – like wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, farm-raised fish, deli meats, beans, asparagus, and grapefruit – for a short period, “then reintroduce them individually, gauging your own body's response,” explains Dr. Pedre, who writes much more about it in the mega-selling book Happy Gut (Buy on Amazon, $15.49).
Signs you've eaten something inflammatory: itchy throat or skin, red cheeks, stuffed nose, headaches, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, or weight gain. “Most people lose half one pound a day once they give up eating inflammatory foods, so gaining even a tenth of the pound is significant,” says Recitas, who suggests daily morning weigh-ins. See indications of a reaction? Avoid that food; otherwise, appreciate it freely. (You can retest foods later to see if your reaction improves as your digestive tract heals.)
Recent Yale research confirms diets that eliminate an individual's reactive foods are highly effective at reducing inflammation. And tests at Baylor University in Texas discovered that 98 percent of people that stopped eating reactive foods lost significant body fat! Plus, as weight pours off, many chronic problems driven or worsened by inflammation – “IBS, arthritis, diabetes and many more,” says Recitas – start to disappear.
Tip: Intense exercise causes inflammation while gentle being active is soothing – so go easy! “It'll actually assist you to slim down faster,” says Recitas.
The Happy Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet plan – Sample Day
This basic menu is made around foods that Recitas finds seldom cause negative reactions. Apply it a couple of days to calm your system, then pick one potentially inflammatory food to test, adding a little serving – like 3 ounces of beef or 1 cup of brown rice – at any sitting.
No reaction? Then add the meals to your menus as frequently as you desire. Any itching, tingling, redness, headache, tummy trouble, gas, bloat, diarrhea, brain fog, fatigue, or even a smidge of putting on weight is really a sign to prevent the food. Of course, get a doctor's okay to try any new plan.
Breakfast
Unsweetened goat milk yogurt or coconut milk yogurt with sliced peaches (or any stone fruit), blueberries (or any berry except strawberries). If you want, top with shredded coconut or pumpkin seeds.
Lunch
A large bowl of greens topped with your choice of grilled lamb, chickpeas, onions, carrots, zucchini, beets, feta cheese and/or sunflower seeds; dress with olive oil, vinegar, and herbs.
Snacks
Sliced apple or pear with almond butter or sunflower butter. You may also enjoy baby carrots drizzled with avocado pureed with lemon juice and seasonings to taste.
Dinner
Grilled chicken and yams prepared with essential olive oil; enjoy having a side salad of leafy greens, onions, and carrots dressed with essential olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings to taste.
Carrot Cake Energy Bombs
A tasty snack or dessert, Recitas' treats are made from ingredients that rarely cause reactions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 2 Tbs. almond butter
- 1 /8 cup chopped candied ginger
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 11/2 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice
