The #1 Ultimate Guide to Food Sensitivities & Elimination Diet

Elimination diets don't exactly sound like the greatest thing in the world, but if you're struggling with digestive issues, they can change your life especially if you are suffering from food sensitivities. You might wonder how to do a food elimination diet to help get rid of inflammation? Let's discuss food intolerances and how to identify and manage them if you have been suffering from digestive gut health issues, skin issues like acne flares or eczema. Plus I answer the ever popular question, "Do food sensitivites cause acne"?

Your body is wise. Small signals, like bloating, fatigue, or skin changes, are not random. They're gentle nudges asking for deeper support.

When we listen early, we empower our body to heal with grace.

Perhaps you have noticed inflammation within your body, or you suffer from digestive issues after eating certain foods. How do you get to the root of an issue if you can never pinpoint the cause? You don't. That's why millions of people live with illness unnecessarily every day.

Because they never took the time to discover that perhaps their thyroid problems would improve by removing gluten from their diet. Or their IBS might get significantly better with a dairy-free diet. It's important to take responsibility for your own health if you want to feel good, and figuring out if you suffer from common food intolerances is the foundational journey you must take to decipher what works and what doesn't. 

🤧 Understanding Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies

Many people experience discomfort after eating certain foods, but how do you know if it's a food sensitivity, intolerance, or a true allergy?

While food allergies trigger an immediate immune response, often causing severe reactions like hives or anaphylaxis, food sensitivities and intolerances typically cause delayed symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, acne, inflammation, and digestive distress. Understanding the difference is key to managing your health and on the path to unlocking radiant, glowing, clear skin.

⁉️ Why Do I Have So Many Food Sensitivities?

They can develop due to various factors, including gut health imbalances, chronic stress, environmental toxins, poor diet, and overconsumption of certain foods.

A major contributor is leaky gut syndrome, where the intestinal lining becomes permeable, allowing undigested food particles to enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response. Over time, this can lead to chronic inflammation and an increasing number of intolerances.

🩺 Common Food Sensitivities and Their Symptoms

With an elimination diet, you can effectively pinpoint the foods that lead to systemic inflammation. Utilizing an elimination diet can significantly reduce the likelihood of future skin problems. Some of the most common food sensitivities include:

• Gluten (fatigue, bloating, skin issues, brain fog).
• Dairy (digestive discomfort, acne, sinus congestion).
• Soy (bloating, hormone imbalance, joint pain).
• Eggs (eczema, digestive issues, headaches).
• Corn (bloating, inflammation, joint pain).
• Nuts (digestive distress, hives, headaches).
• Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes) (joint pain, inflammation, skin flare-ups).

Testing for food intolerances allows you to take control of your health and dietary choices.

🍞 Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms

Gluten sensitivity is one of the most common and misunderstood food intolerances. Symptoms can include bloating, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, and skin issues like acne or eczema. Unlike celiac disease, gluten sensitivity does not cause intestinal damage but can still lead to chronic inflammation and discomfort.

💖 Can Food Sensitivities Cause Acne and Eczema?

Many people find that an elimination diet helps clarify which foods fuel inflammation and which foods are best for anti-inflammatory hormonal acne plan?

Yes! Food sensitivities can trigger systemic inflammation, leading to skin issues such as acne and eczema.

For example, dairy and gluten are commonly linked to acne breakouts, while sugar and processed foods can exacerbate inflammation. Identifying and eliminating trigger foods can help clear up stubborn skin problems.

❓How to Get Tested for Food Sensitivities

There are several ways to test for food intolerances, including:

• Elimination Diet - The gold standard for identifying food intolerances. Removing common trigger foods for 3-4 weeks and then reintroducing them one at a time helps pinpoint problematic foods.
• Food Sensitivity Blood Tests - Tests like IgG or IgA panels can help detect immune reactions to certain foods, though results should be used as guidance rather than definitive proof.
• Gut Health Tests - Comprehensive stool tests can identify gut imbalances, leaky gut, and bacterial overgrowth, all of which contribute to food sensitivities.

🥗 How To Start An Elimination Diet? 

Certain foods trigger more negative reactions than others. The elimination diet gets rid of common food allergens for a month.

Typically, the foods you don't eat for that time frame include these.

• Gluten 
• Grains
• Dairy
• Sugar and Sweeteners (except stevia). 
• Processed foods
• Alcohol
• Caffeine 
• Citrus Fruits
• Nightshade Vegetables (tomato, peppers, and eggplant). 
• Nuts and Seeds 
• Soy
• Meat with Nitrites 

🪜 The Elimination Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Remove Common Triggers - Eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, nuts, nightshades, processed foods, and sugar for at least 3-4 weeks.
2. Track Your Symptoms - Use a food journal like my Gut Feelings 90-Day Food Journal to document what you eat and any symptoms that arise.
3. Reintroduce Foods One at a Time - After the elimination phase, reintroduce one food every 3-5 days and observe any reactions.
4. Listen to Your Body - If symptoms return, that food may be a sensitivity.

📔 How to Track Symptoms with a Food Journal

Tracking symptoms is crucial in identifying food intolerances. My Gut Feelings 90-Day Food Journal helps you:

• Record daily meals and snacks.
• Log digestive reactions, skin changes, energy levels, and mood.
• Spot patterns and hidden triggers.

By consistently tracking, you can uncover which foods support your health and which ones cause issues.

Not all elimination diets are the same, and you don't necessarily have to remove all these foods. Once you've eliminated these foods for a month, you start to reintroduce them into your diet one by one. By adding a new food back to your diet every 1-3 days, you can get a clear idea of how that food affects you. 

Writing about your physical and emotional reaction in a food journal will help you track what works and what doesn't. Journaling your uncomfortable digestive symptoms is the beginning to discover what foods are triggering for you.

It's crucial to remember that an elimination diet is just the beginning of understanding your body. Certain protocols can clarify which foods truly benefit your gut health.

By the end of this process, you should have a clear idea of the foods that trigger or exacerbate whatever health conditions you're dealing with. 

👀 Negative Signs, Symptoms, And Reactions To Watch For On An Elimination Diet! 

• Soreness/Joint pain 
• Digestive Distress - ex. Constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.
• Insomnia
• Mood Changes
• Brain Fog
• Trouble Breathing
• Excess Mucous
• Headaches
• Breakouts/Skin Problems

😬 Food Sensitivities and Anxiety

Did you know that food sensitivities can also impact mental health? Research shows that inflammation triggered by food intolerances can contribute to anxiety, brain fog, and mood swings. A balanced diet that supports gut health is essential for emotional well-being.

⏭️ Next Steps To Better Gut & Skin Health

Ultimately, an elimination diet empowers you to make informed dietary decisions. Through food sensitivities testing, you can discover how specific foods impact your health.

Food sensitivities can impact your digestion, skin, mood, and overall health. By identifying triggers through testing and tracking, you can make empowered dietary choices.

Using an elimination diet and tools like the Gut Feelings 90-Day Food Journal, you can gain clarity on which foods nourish your body and which ones cause harm. Healing your gut is the key to reducing food sensitivities and living a healthier, symptom-free life.

Ready to take control of your gut health? Start tracking your symptoms with the Gut Feelings 90-Day Food Journal today!

If you've been wondering what's going on with your body, I would definitely suggest testing for food sensitivities to start with. Before you create a route to get to your health destination, you need a map. Consult with your personal health care provider or functional health doctor to begin the testing process.

Start by ordering my Gut Feelings 90-Day Food Journal today and take that data straight to your health care provider. From there, they can begin the testing process and begin a nutrition program to begin to heal your body.

Also, you might also be interested in reading:

• Why I Fell in Love with Digestive Enzymes
• Foods That Do and Don't Contain Gluten

📗 Additional Resources

Also, for further reading and guidance on how to support your gut health, check out some of my resources below.

Suspect you have gut imbalance or simply want to improve your gut and hormone health. Download my guide, 10 Simple Ways To Support Your Gut Health Naturally

- Program: Join my Restore Your Gut Health Fundamentals Program. Register today.

- Meal Plan: Want a simple recipe guide and gut healthy meal plan packed with the key to help get your gut health back on track? Order this meal plan and recipes inside the Gut Health Reset Meal Plan.

- Group Support: Join my Featured Nutrition Challenge. All seasonal nutrition challenges come with a meal plan, recipe guide, grocery shopping list, and a seasonal featured nutrition theme.

Or join me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/EatYourNutrition where I'll share more information, tips, and recipes to help you live a happier, healthier life.

🗣️ Let's Discuss Food Sensitivities and Your Diet!

I would love to hear if you have struggled with food sensitivities and how this has impacted your health. Did you do the elimination diet to help with inflammation within your body? Let me know in the comments section below.

You can also connect with me @EatYourNutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva