Eleven Diets for Addressing Chronic Health Conditions
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Confused about how undiscovered food sensitivities might impact your gut health, autoimmune disease or other chronic health problem? On this episode, learn about different elimination protocols and other special diets, including the conditions they address and how they show up in lab work.
Lindsey Parsons, your host, helps clients solve gut issues and reverse autoimmune disease naturally. She’s a Certified Health Coach at High Desert Health in Tucson, Arizona. She coaches clients locally and nationwide. You can also follow Lindsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest or reach her via email at lindsey@highdeserthealthcoaching.com to set up a free 30-minute Gut Healing Breakthrough Session.
Suggestion for listening: Pay attention to foods that you may have reacted to in the past, and whether they fall under one diet’s elimination list. You can also find each of the diets I talk about and the corresponding foods to avoid below, and you’ll get more detail when I post my blog next week. Join my newsletter list to make sure you get informed when that’s released.
Low-oxalate website with recipes and a chart of oxalates in various foods
Trying Low Oxalates Facebook group
| Diet | Foods to Eliminate, Reduce or Avoid |
| Gluten-free | Gluten, wheat (including kamut, einkorn, and semolina), barley, spelt, triticale, rye found in bread, pasta, cereals, baked goods, snack foods, sauces (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Hoisin sauce, marinades, salad dressings), beer, couscous, soups, bouillon* (and much more) *Unless labeled gluten-free |
| Grain-free | All grains, including ones traditionally considered gluten-free, like corn, rice, millet oats, amaranth, wild rice, fonio, job’s tears, sorghum, millet and teff |
| Anti-inflammatory diet | Added sugars, fried foods, partially hydrogenated oils, ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, and desserts). Depending on the source, recommendations also include reducing or excluding red meat, saturated fat, processed meats, gluten, dairy, soy and/or processed seed oils. |
| Basic elimination diet | Gluten, added sugar, dairy, soy, caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and seed oils. Reintroduce each item (except low-quality processed foods and seed oils, which you shouldn’t reintroduce at all) alone for a couple of days, eating at least 2 servings each day until you feel a bad reaction or if not, wait a couple more days for any delayed reaction. Move to Paleo or AIP if your symptoms don’t improve. |
| Paleo | All processed foods, alcohol, dairy (except clarified butter or ghee), all grains, starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas, factory farmed meats, beans and legumes, including peanuts and soy, refined or processed sweeteners, and processed seed oils |
| AIP | Paleo diet plus further elimination of eggs, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, chilies, eggplant, tomatillo, goji berries and ashwagandha), seeds, nuts, ghee, chocolate, caffeine and seed-derived and nightshade-based spices. |
| Low oxalate | Beer, beets, beans, berries, coffee, dark green vegetables, nuts, oranges, spinach, soy milk, soda, tofu, wheat bran, sweet potatoes, black tea and rhubarb; reduce oxalates by 5-10% each month |
| Low histamine | Avocados, eggplant, tomatoes, sauerkraut, papaya, pineapple, dried fruit, strawberries, citrus, all nuts and peanuts, fermented dairy products (like yogurt and kefir), coconut yogurt, aged cheese, cured or old meats, shellfish, smoked fish, soy sauce, miso, mayo, pickles and olives, sauerkraut, kimchi, relish, soy sauce/tamari, chickpeas, soybeans, aged cheese, chocolate, alcohol, energy drinks, black and green tea and leftovers |
| Sulfite-free | Molasses, jams and jellies, guacamole, gelatin, fruit and vegetable juices, fish, shellfish, dried fruits and vegetables, deli meat, condiments, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, bottled lemon and lime juices and concentrates, alcoholic and nonalcoholic cider, wine, sparkling wine and vinegar* *Sulfite levels will vary for all these foods |
| Salicylate-free | Tangerines, pineapples, oranges, most berries, many herbs and spices (including cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, oregano, turmeric, and mint), nectarines, green apples, black tea, asparagus, and all dried fruits and fruit juices. Many household items, toiletries and drugs contain substantial amounts of salicylates or salicylic acid, including aspirin and other NSAIDS, wart and callus removers, topical creams, toothpaste, soaps and cleansers, shaving cream, shampoos and conditioners, muscle-pain creams mouthwash, lozenges, hair products, fragrances, detergents, cosmetics, cleaning products, chewing gun, bubble baths, breath mints, Alka-Seltzer, air fresheners, acne produces, drugs for IBD, and supplements containing willow tree bark extract. |
| Low-sulfur | For CBS mutation: 70% fat, 10-20% carbohydrates and 10-15% protein (under 50 grams/day) and remove garlic, onions, cruciferous veggies, eggs, legumes, and all protein-rich dairy. (Dr. Jockers recommendations) For hydrogen sulfide SIBO: Avoid animal foods and dairy for 3-4 weeks, low fat, only olive, avocado and coconut oils and avoid sulfur-containing vegetables (list above) if they cause symptoms (Lucy Mailing, Ph.D.’s recommendations) |
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Credits:
Thank you to SoundDot for the music on the podcast: Royalty Free Music.
Thanks to Grace Sanford, my Producer and Marketing Strategist, for her help with the content and production of this episode.