How to Identify Food Triggers in Individuals with Chronic Health Issues

Food Sensitivity Testing and Elimination diets are both popular methods for identifying food triggers in individuals with chronic health issues.

Energized, satisfied, and comfortable. This is how you should feel after enjoying a meal or snack. 

If you find yourself feeling uncomfortably full, bloated, and just not right… maybe it's time to look into what foods might not be working well for you right  now. Food sensitivity testing and elimination diets are both very well known methods for identifying food triggers in individuals struggling with GI issues. While both methods can be effective, there are several reasons why food sensitivity testing just might be a better option for you! 

Food sensitivity testing is overall more efficient than an elimination diet. Elimination diets are rather straightforward in terms of the name “elimination”...  Typically they involve removing certain foods from the diet for several weeks and then slowly reintroducing them one at a time to see if any symptoms occur. This can be quite the prolonged process and can take several months to FINALLY complete. Food sensitivity testing, on the other hand, can be done in a matter of days to weeks, and can identify specific food triggers more precisely than trying to “DIY” it at home. 

Elimination diets rely on self-reported symptoms, which can be difficult to interpret given the nature of how food sensitivities work. Symptoms from food sensitivities can be ‘delayed’, appearing up to 3 days after eating an offending food. They can also be ‘dose dependent’, meaning a small amount of a food might not bother you, while a larger portion will. 

If you are still having trouble deciding  on which method to choose, this might just be your determining factor… elimination diet can be quite restrictive. They involve cutting out whole food groups such as gluten or dairy, while you are completely unsure of whether they are even a problem for you. Why waste the time and  joy of not eating what you want, thinking it could be a sensitivity instead of knowing it for sure. Long-term restriction can also lead to many other health concerns  and leave you undernourished. 

Food sensitivity testing will identify specific food triggers quickly and efficiently, allowing us to work together and find a balanced, healthy, and enjoyable plan that is personalized to you! This means no guessing at trigger foods, eliminating whole food groups, or long-term eliminations of the foods you love. 

Here at Rethink Nutrition we offer a one-on-one dietitian-led program that gets to the root cause of your GI issues once and for all, so you can stop planning your life around your symptoms, and start experiencing real relief. Read more about our 90-Day Food Sensitivity and Gut Repair Program.