Eating Compliance

One of the next questions that will arise is “how long do I have to follow this diet”. First off, this truly needs to be considered as a life-style change and not a diet. In order to be successful and regain your health, you will need to realize that living with these allergies, and, as such, these food restrictions, is going to be a life-time affair. The stricter you are in compliance of eating free of these allergens, the better your results will be and the more vibrant your health will become.

That being said, just because you have food restrictions does not mean that you can’t enjoy your food. Learning how to manage with these restrictions will take time and patience. You must keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. I can’t tell you how many new vegetables I tried when I was going through my elimination & rotation diet. Some were more of an acquired taste than others, but there are very few that I absolutely did not like, maybe with the exception of kale which to this day I still can’t manage.

As well, if you are comfortable playing in the kitchen, there are some amazing “special” ingredients out there now that will allow you to recreate old favourites and make them your own while still managing your restrictions. Remember, if you are going to experiment with new ingredients, buy in small quantities and only what you need for given recipes, until you know that it is something that you like or that your system will manage. Dealing with food restrictions in 2021 is a whole lot easier than it was 10 or 15 years ago.

Ricki Heller, a Canadian Nutritionist who works with people dealing with Food Restrictions, provides the following thought: “When thinking about how to comply with food restrictions and the impulse to eat “forbidden” foods, I compare it to an alcoholic and alcohol. Just as an alcoholic wouldn’t consider having “just a little drink” as a treat every week, for instance, I never think to have “a little bit” of my own taboo foods. “Just a bit” of sugar or gluten could be disastrous to my health. Plus, I know that a “little bit” could easily turn into a bit more, and a bit more. . . and before long, I’d be back to eating all those unhealthy foods that caused me to become sick in the first place.”