by Dr. Jeremy Fritz
People have become so routine in their daily food choices, eating the same foods regularly, that they don’t realize that certain foods are cause for alarm. Instead they seek medical attention for the various skin, sinus, and/or immune related problems, only to hear that nothing is wrong.
Good news; the solution may start at the table. It is quite common to have delayed immune reactions to certain foods that manifest with the above symptoms and more. An Elimination diet could be helpful in reducing or eliminating many of these concerns. This month, I will continue on the basics of the Elimination/Provocation diet and focus mostly on the implementation. (Please refer back to previous articles for more details on this topic.)
Quick overview:
• Prior to starting, take a week to journal/document all foods eaten within a day and perform for 7 consecutive days.
• Document all physical, behavioral, and emotional concerns to determine a baseline.
• Set a date on the calendar to start the program. (Allow for mental preparation.)
• Plan meals in advance to ensure sticking to the program.
• Involve the whole family in the plan and make the program fun.
Action Steps:
• Eliminate the most common foods that trigger sensitivities: gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy.
• Eliminate for two to four weeks, and then reintroduce each food, one at a time, every 72-96 hours.
• Monitor yourself/children closely for reactions, which can be emotional, behavioral, physical, cognitive, and social.
• If your child reacts, then you know that food needs to be removed from his daily diet.
• When reintroducing a food group (dairy), make sure to journal all symptoms and any changes in behavior for up to 4 days.
• Make sure to also document the time of day and the intensity of reactions.
• If no reactions occur upon reintroduction, still proceed with caution by rotating that food group with a frequency of every 2-3 days to avoid re-reaction.
• After 4-6 weeks, a more regular eating schedule is usually appropriate for the previously offending food.
• When offending foods are found upon reintroduction, remove that food group for another 2-3 months, followed by the above reintroduction plan.
• If certain foods continue to cause a reaction, further investigation is warranted by a qualified practitioner.
Most common foods that trigger sensitivities are: gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy.
Foods to avoid
• ALL processed sugars and sweeteners.
• Grains: Wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, etc.
• Dairy: Milk, cream, cheese, butter, whey. Ghee is OK.
• Eggs or foods that contain eggs (such as mayonnaise)
• Soy: Soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, soy protein, etc.
• ALL processed foods
• Canned foods
Foods to include
• All veggies: Asparagus, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, artichokes, garlic, onions, zucchini, squash, rhubarb, cucumbers, turnips, watercress, etc. ( I realize that many of your children don’t eat any of these, so just try to incorporate as many veggies as possible.).
• Meats: Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, organ meats, etc. Best choices are grass-fed and preferably from a local farm.
• All fruits
• Gluten-free grain: quinoa, tapioca, and sorghum.
• All rice, with a preference toward colored over white.
• Nuts and seeds
• Coconut: Coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream.
• Olives and olive oil
Well, good luck with the process. As most of you are aware, the power of nutrition can not be overemphasized. Our food choices can have a profound impact on the health of all of us. With that being said, it many situations, it is imperative to seek the guidance of a qualified health practitioner, especially when the basics don’t seem to be enough to overcome your child’s concerns. Just be smart with your decisions, and seek help if necessary. Until next time, enjoy each day and continually progress your family into a healthier lifestyle.
Dr. Jeremy Fritz is a board eligible Chiropractic Neurologist with the American Chiropractic Neurology Board, certified as a Clinical Nutritionist by the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutrition, and functional medicine practitioner with an emphasis on Childhood Neurobehavioral and Developmental Disorders. Dr. Fritz is also the Executive Director of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers of Vernon Hills, IL & Mequon WI.
The Brain Balance Program® is an individualized and comprehensive approach to helping children with neuro-behavioral and learning difficulties surmount their unique challenges. This proprietary, non-medical program has been successful in helping hundreds of children reach their physical, social/behavioral health and academic potential. We work with children who suffer with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
For more information, please visit www.BrainBalanceCenters.com.
People have become so routine in their daily food choices, eating the same foods regularly, that they don’t realize that certain foods are cause for alarm. Instead they seek medical attention for the various skin, sinus, and/or immune related problems, only to hear that nothing is wrong.
Good news; the solution may start at the table. It is quite common to have delayed immune reactions to certain foods that manifest with the above symptoms and more. An Elimination diet could be helpful in reducing or eliminating many of these concerns. This month, I will continue on the basics of the Elimination/Provocation diet and focus mostly on the implementation. (Please refer back to previous articles for more details on this topic.)
Quick overview:
• Prior to starting, take a week to journal/document all foods eaten within a day and perform for 7 consecutive days.
• Document all physical, behavioral, and emotional concerns to determine a baseline.
• Set a date on the calendar to start the program. (Allow for mental preparation.)
• Plan meals in advance to ensure sticking to the program.
• Involve the whole family in the plan and make the program fun.
Action Steps:
• Eliminate the most common foods that trigger sensitivities: gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy.
• Eliminate for two to four weeks, and then reintroduce each food, one at a time, every 72-96 hours.
• Monitor yourself/children closely for reactions, which can be emotional, behavioral, physical, cognitive, and social.
• If your child reacts, then you know that food needs to be removed from his daily diet.
• When reintroducing a food group (dairy), make sure to journal all symptoms and any changes in behavior for up to 4 days.
• Make sure to also document the time of day and the intensity of reactions.
• If no reactions occur upon reintroduction, still proceed with caution by rotating that food group with a frequency of every 2-3 days to avoid re-reaction.
• After 4-6 weeks, a more regular eating schedule is usually appropriate for the previously offending food.
• When offending foods are found upon reintroduction, remove that food group for another 2-3 months, followed by the above reintroduction plan.
• If certain foods continue to cause a reaction, further investigation is warranted by a qualified practitioner.
Most common foods that trigger sensitivities are: gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy.
Foods to avoid
• ALL processed sugars and sweeteners.
• Grains: Wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, etc.
• Dairy: Milk, cream, cheese, butter, whey. Ghee is OK.
• Eggs or foods that contain eggs (such as mayonnaise)
• Soy: Soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, soy protein, etc.
• ALL processed foods
• Canned foods
Foods to include
• All veggies: Asparagus, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, artichokes, garlic, onions, zucchini, squash, rhubarb, cucumbers, turnips, watercress, etc. ( I realize that many of your children don’t eat any of these, so just try to incorporate as many veggies as possible.).
• Meats: Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, organ meats, etc. Best choices are grass-fed and preferably from a local farm.
• All fruits
• Gluten-free grain: quinoa, tapioca, and sorghum.
• All rice, with a preference toward colored over white.
• Nuts and seeds
• Coconut: Coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream.
• Olives and olive oil
Well, good luck with the process. As most of you are aware, the power of nutrition can not be overemphasized. Our food choices can have a profound impact on the health of all of us. With that being said, it many situations, it is imperative to seek the guidance of a qualified health practitioner, especially when the basics don’t seem to be enough to overcome your child’s concerns. Just be smart with your decisions, and seek help if necessary. Until next time, enjoy each day and continually progress your family into a healthier lifestyle.
Dr. Jeremy Fritz is a board eligible Chiropractic Neurologist with the American Chiropractic Neurology Board, certified as a Clinical Nutritionist by the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutrition, and functional medicine practitioner with an emphasis on Childhood Neurobehavioral and Developmental Disorders. Dr. Fritz is also the Executive Director of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers of Vernon Hills, IL & Mequon WI.
The Brain Balance Program® is an individualized and comprehensive approach to helping children with neuro-behavioral and learning difficulties surmount their unique challenges. This proprietary, non-medical program has been successful in helping hundreds of children reach their physical, social/behavioral health and academic potential. We work with children who suffer with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
For more information, please visit www.BrainBalanceCenters.com.
