Are you reintroducing foods into your diet now you have completed your elimination diet? It can sometimes be tough to know what to do, as you do not want your symptoms to reappear. If you are considering reintroducing foods, it usually means you have completed around 4 weeks of excluding your foods. If there are foods which you would like to try reintroducing so that you can understand whether or not they bring about physical symptoms, then you need to do this gradually. Check out just a couple of our tips below of what TMI Testing think you should do:
Introduce one food at a time
When reintroducing your foods, introduce one food at a time. Please also only add a small portion and quantity of your food. After you have reintroduced one food, say on Day One, you need to then take note of any changes over the two following days (day 2 and 3). You can then take a break on day four, as you may not want to rush introducing your intolerant food items. This is because a reaction to a food intolerance can sometimes take a little bit more time to come about. Here are just some of the symptoms which could come about when you start reintroducing foods:
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Joint Pain
- Headaches
- Bowel Changes
- Bloating
- Brain Fog
- Changes in Energy Levels
If you notice any of these symptoms appearing up to 72 hours later, then it is likely that you have not removed them from your diet for long enough. Repeat the process of reintroducing a food on day 4, so that you can then monitor the symptoms of food intolerance. Reintroducing foods can be time-consuming but it can also be worth it as you aim to alleviate your symptoms.
It may be the case, that when reintroducing your foods, you might start including it every 3-4 days, rather than just on a daily basis. This is one of the best ways to enjoy foods in your diet without consuming large volumes of the meal and causing your symptoms.
If you have so far completed an elimination diet, then you should be immensely proud of what you have achieved. Don’t hesitate to contact TMI Testing if you have any questions about doing an elimination diet.
