Hello,

I went to a new allergist the other day, and he is very holistic in his approach.  He suggested that I try an elimination diet.  I know that many of you have done this, and I was trying my best to avoid it.  I did avoid it successfully for the past 8 years, but alas, now I must buckle down and behave or be miserable!

So, I was told to try this for a month:  eliminate wheat gluten, dairy, all things fermented, chocolate, no more than 10 oz per day of tea or coffee, and no cheese.  I am allowed to eat fruit, and I can eat vegetable, as long as it has been cooked to help break down the allergens.  I was also told to include probiotics.

Now this is quite a change for me, so I am struggling with the whole NO GLUTEN concept, because the gluten-free bread I brought from the store tastes like cardboard that has laid in a storage shed for a 1000 years.  I would rather not eat it ever again.

I was hoping that this diet would make no difference and that I could go back to eating whatever I wanted.  However, much to my disgruntled attitude, I am actually feeling better darn it!!!

So this means I have to eat healthy and careful and all of that STUFF!!!

Has anyone else done something like this?  What was your experience? And, it you do happen to have a recipe for a fake flour mixture that will make things that DO taste like bread, PLEASE, oh please.... send it to me.  I am dying here without my cookies, muffins, homemade bread and scones.

Geez.  I don't drink or smoke or gamble, or anything else. PLEASE let me have my cookie vices!!!

I did an elimination/rotation diet and cut back severely to 3 low histamine foods and built up slowly when there only when stable. 18 months later and a few sidelines like surgery, I have way more foods I can eat but am still super limited

I did GF for 9 months with no appreciable change, so went back on. Am doing all organic, fresh food. All free of traces of nuts and sulfites.

It is still scary trying new foods as I've had anaphylaxis, but so great to have a building list of safe ones! I can't believe how many triggers I've discovered this way.

GOOD LUCK!

I'm thinking of trying an elimination diet in order to ID any food triggers I have (my reactions don't tend to be immediate, but a day later, so they are hard to figure out).  Based on other people's experience I was thinking of starting out with: no gluten or dairy, low histamine/tyramine, no salicylates.

My question is, if I go on a limited elimination diet, what can I bring to work for lunch?  If everything has to be fresh (no leftovers), and you can't have commercially prepared foods, how do you manage?  Any suggestions would be welcome (I need 3 weeks of menu ideas )

It's all indivdual. Yes difficult to pack lunches but you'll get creative

I started with only bananas and oats and advanced and rotated from there

Now to pack a lunch I can bring bananas, cheese, homemade bread, homemade pasta, fresh fruits that I tolerate etc

I still don't eat leftover meat

I can't drink all tap water, so have to bring my own water from home also.

Takes a lot of time! But I'm thankful to be able to eat