Elimination & Detox Diet – Getting Started

Today I started the 28-Day Elimination Diet from Whole Life Nutrition. I’m doing this for a couple of reasons:

  1. To start eating healthier – less sugar mostly.
  2. To determine if I have any food sensitivities or intolerances.

I hope you’ll join me in this diet as together we can be more successful.

**Before you start this diet, it’s important to note that for 28 days you must refrain from all alcohol, coffee, and cigarettes.

To get started, take a look at Whole Life Nutrition’s Elimination Diet overview.  There are five phases in my opinion, although the book lists them as three:

  • Getting Started (Days 1-2, “Green” Smoothies only)
  • Phase 1 (Days 3-9, Eating solid, hypo-allergenic foods from an approved list. Wild caught salmon, lentils, mung and adzuki beans are ok and good sources of protein during this phase.)
  • Phase 2(Days 10-15, Adding lemons, limes, and gluten-free tamari back into diet one at a time)
  • Phase 3 (Days 16-28, Adding nightshade veggies, poultry, tree nuts, and soy products back into diet one at a time)
  • Final Food Challenge (Adding the following foods back in to your diet at your discretion: eggs, dairy, gluten, oats, corn, and yeast one at a time. Of course there are other items you can add too, like red meat for example.)

Stock your pantry for success

To guarantee success it’s important to be prepared, which means stocking your pantries and refrigerators with everything you’ll need for at least one week at a time. Take a look at this Recipe List for each phase and use this to make your grocery list.

My refrigerator stocked with Getting Started and Phase One goodies.

What about those sweet cravings?

If you have a sweet tooth like me, try this recipe for Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles which is allowed after the Getting Started phase ends on day 3. Also, you’ll be eating plenty of yummy fruits to help keep sweet cravings at bay.

My tips with day one underway

  • Buy 2x the amount of fruits and veggies you think you’ll need. I already need to head back the store and I’ve only made three smoothies so far.
  • Don’t forget to buy organic – otherwise you’ll douse your body with harmful pesticides and such.
  • Purchase organic apple juice with filtered water and apples – nothing else. I’ve used this to partially substitute for water in some of the smoothie recipes and it gives them a richer flavor.
  • Use RIPE fruit. I bought my fruit yesterday and it’s definitely not ripe enough. I’m having trouble with lack of flavor and really pulpy smoothies.
  • Speaking of pulp, I’m using a regular blender. Maybe a Vitamix would be better, but I’ve never tried one.
  • Bathroom – be sure to know where the closest bathroom is at all times. The first two days are a detox/cleanse. You know what that means!

Recipe reviews – “Getting Started” Phase

  • Minty Green Smoothie – page 97 (from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook)
    • Refreshing and light – a good smoothie to have on hand for variety.
  • Cabbage and Cranberry Smoothie – page 98
    • Very fruity and tasty. I like this one as it’s more like the smoothie’s I’m used to.
  • Tom’s Fruity Medicine Chest Smoothie – page 99
    • Good, but very green tasting. This was not a good choice to start the morning with. Maybe better for lunch.

Click here for some online recipes for the Getting Started green smoothie phase.  Scroll down to the “Getting Started” section.

Stay tuned for more Elimination Diet updates in the following days…….

13 Comments

  1. Novice Natural Mama on May 29, 2012 at 9:39 am

    This is so helpful. I’m doing an elimination diet right now for what appears to be my infant daughter’s allergic reaction to something I’m eating. Thanks for the tips!! Here’s my post on what we’re doing for ours: https://www.wholeparentingfamily.com/?p=4542

    • Jennifer on May 29, 2012 at 11:22 am

      I just read your post and commented. I totally understand your motivation to figure it all out as soon as possible. We had to put my son on an elimination diet too, not easy, but wow, once you find the food triggers, words cannot begin to explain how ridiculously overjoyed you’ll be. Good luck!

  2. Jenny Meredith on August 3, 2012 at 11:13 am

    Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. I have been searching tirelessly for instructions on how long each phase lasts. It seems the site itself has great information and covers everything except this very important point! If I hadn’t found your blog, I would have probably been doing each phase for 28 days each. Ugh. That would have been awful. Thanks for the links and info. I’m getting started today because i’m desperate to get rid of my chronic fatigue.

    • Jennifer on August 3, 2012 at 12:17 pm

      Hi Jenny – I’m so glad the post was helpful! I’m going to post an update on my diet here in the next week, so keep a look out. I can tell you that during phase 1 and 2 my fatigue was completely gone and I felt AMAZING! Full of energy and just really good. Now, at the end, I’m feeling really tired again. I’m blaming it on cane and refined sugars and chocolate for now. Also, I notice gluten really drags me down too. Good luck! I hope you find the results you’re looking for. It’s a hard diet, but so worth it! Jennifer

    • Jennifer on August 3, 2012 at 12:17 pm

      One more note – their cook book really outlines the stages well. You may want to buy it as there are also some great recipes!

      • Jenny Meredith on August 3, 2012 at 9:36 pm

        Thank you! I plan to do that. I’d really like their newest edition though. So, day one has been a little rough, but not as bad as I thought. I think tomorrow might be bad but hopefully the rest of the days will only get better. The options are pretty limited and I’m trying to figure out how to keep enough calories in my diet this week. I really don’t need to lose weight, I just want to feel better! I still nurse my 14 m/o once a day, so I decided to skip the initial smoothie fast.

        • Jennifer on August 6, 2012 at 10:42 am

          Totally understand about the smoothie stage. I only lasted one day. I think the other phases are more important anyway. Good luck!

  3. Kathy on January 5, 2013 at 12:41 am

    I’m just finishing day 4. Doing great so far…a little headache on day 2. I was just wondering about melons (canteloupe, watermelon…don’t see any mention. I ordered the book but haven’t received it yet. Does it mention melons?

    • Jennifer on January 5, 2013 at 8:51 am

      Good for you! I’m sure you’ll find lots of food sensitivities! I’d stay away from melon as long as you can. I know several people that it irritates. I think we waited until the end to introduce it, but I cannot recall.

  4. Lucinda on January 2, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    When do you reintroduce fish?

    • Jennifer on January 6, 2014 at 10:20 am

      HI Lucinda – I don’t recall in the book when to introduce fish, but I believe it can be done anytime as long as you remove it from the diet for a couple of weeks first. Jennifer

  5. Katie on October 26, 2016 at 3:58 pm

    Hi!
    Thanks for the share. I’m about to start elim diet in less than a week and am just preparing for it right now. I see on phase 1 (days 3-9) it says wild caught salmon.
    Something I’m slightly confused on, is then in the comments you say can eat salmon any time but make sure to cut it out for a few weeks first. Is there a cut out phase that is before phase 1? Because day 3 would obviously not be enough time to cut it out and re add it. Just trying to do it right!!

    Thanks for your help

    • Jennifer Roberge on October 28, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Hi Katie –

      Wow, I just don’t remember – that was a while back. I’d suggest going over to the Whole Nutrition Kitchen website for more information. BUT, my gut tells me that you should remove all fish for the first part of the diet and then add it back in to see if you can handle it. If you can, eat up on that wild salmon – so good for you!

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