Find the Diet that is right for you.

An Elimination Diet is a powerful tool to get to the root of most diseases and disorders. Why? Because most disease begins in the gut. The gut has the highest concentration of immune cells, and the most common thing that the immune cells will react to is food. 

When you are constantly in pain, moody, and fatigued, your body is inflamed. In other words, your immune cells are being irritated by something in your environment. What is the most likely suspect that is irritating you? Surprisingly, it’s your food.

Food has the power to heal, and the power to harm.

Over a typical lifetime, the average person will consume 25 tons of foreign matter through their mouths. This food will pass down their “inner tube of life” otherwise known as the gastrointestinal tract. The cells that line this tube are specifically designed to keep out potentially dangerous food particles and bacteria. Just in case this barrier fails, our body puts over 70% of our entire immune cells directly on the other side of the barrier to neutralize any harmful food proteins or bacteria that make it through. But this system is rarely without its problems. Stress, toxins, bacterial overgrowth, medications, and even the foods themselves can easily damage the cells of the intestinal wall allowing for food particles to come in contact with the multitude of immune cells that reside there. The result is inflammation.   

Odds are that foods you are eating every day are leaving you sick and tired. How do you find out which ones? The Elimination Diet. This foundational tool of Functional Medicine has been used for centuries to discover which foods are making you ill and which ones can make you feel incredible.

Scientific research on Elimination Diets has shown:

  • 100% of Gallbladder disease improved
  • 90% of Rheumatoid Arthritis pain lessened
  • 85% of Migraine sufferers found relief
  • 70% of Mood/Behavior symptoms of ADD were lessened
  • 50% of Skin issues like atopic dermatitis (eczema) got better

Elimination Diet Testimonials

If you are experiencing these symptoms or conditions then it’s time for an Elimination Diet:

  • Weight Gain / Weight Loss
  • Fatigue / Lethargy
  • Foggy Thinking / Memory Issues / Lack of Focus
  • Moodiness / Anxiety / Depression / Racing Thoughts
  • Aggression / Hyperactivity
  • Gas / Diarrhea / Constipation / Bloating / Cramping
  • Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)
  • Reflux (GERD)
  • Recurring Nausea & Vomiting
  • Muscle Pain / Joint Pain / Chronic Pain
  • Headaches / Migraines
  • Sinus Congestion / Chronic Coughing
  • Asthma
  • Skin Rashes / Eczema / Psoriasis / Hives
  • Acne
  • Heart Palpitations / Rapid Pulse / Rapid Breathing
  • Heartburn
  • Numbness / Tingling
  • Seizures
  • Osteoporosis
  • Anemia
  • Autoimmune Disease

How it Works

The Elimination Diet is a simple process of removing all potentially problematic foods from your diet until your symptoms subside—usually a few weeks. Then you slowly reintroduce foods back into your diet, one by one, to see which ones bring your symptoms back. By finding the foods that are behind your suffering, you can completely turn your health around and elevate your quality of life. 

Our Elimination Diet begins with a detox phase to calm the gut and the immune system. This phase consists only of fresh vegetable juices, green smoothies, and pureed vegetable and bone broth soups. Then we move into the elimination phase where you will be consuming an anti-inflammatory diet of foods that normally don't cause an immune reaction in most people. The last phase is the reintroduction phase where you will be challenging foods, one-by-one, for about 2 months beginning with the least reactive foods and ending with the most reactive foods like gluten and dairy. 

Get Started Now!

  1. Order The Elimination Diet Book. The entire process of our elimination diet is outlined clearly and concisely in our new book. Plus, the book contains over 125 delicious, healing recipes! 
  2. Join our Online Support Program. We've put together an amazing resource for you to have total success during your elimination diet. Get access to cooking instruction videos, webinar support with Tom, additional recipes, daily audio MP3 support, and much more! Next LIVE group program begins July 8th, 2017! 
  3. Get started in your kitchen today! Sign up to get access to four FREE elimination diet cooking videos! You'll learn some very tasty (and easy) recipes that can begin the healing process. 

Elimination Diet Articles from Whole Life Nutrition

How to Heal Gallbladder Disease

by Tom Malterre | 79 comments

Over the last 3 decades, there has been a 20% surge in people suffering from gallbladder disease. It is estimated that 20-25 million Americans (10-15% of the population) have gallbladder complications (primarily from gallstones) that lead to 1.8 million hospital visits and $6.2 billion dollars in health care costs every year. Unfortunately, 10-33% of people who get their gallbladder removed never resolve their symptoms of gallbladder disease. Read more about How to Heal Gallbladder Disease

Elimination Diet Resources

by Alissa Segersten | 95 comments

Here you will find the essential documents we mention in our book, Please download them, print, use a 3-hole puncher, and add them all to a special binder. For the Journal, we recommend printing off about 60 pages of the third page in the document in order to have a full journal to write in. Add this to your binder or use a separate binder just for your Elimination Diet Journal. Read more about Elimination Diet Resources

Why 95% of People Fail on Gluten-Free Diets

by Tom Malterre | 2 comments

After seeing thousands of people in clinical practice, I would estimate that 95% of those who try to go on a gluten-free diet fail. For many of them, it’s not their fault. They follow all the guidelines of eating gluten-free foods like rice, oats, lentils, millet, and sorghum. They find amazing gluten-free cookie recipes with arrowroot and tapioca starch. All the while, they are ingesting tiny amounts of gluten containing grains. How does this happen? It’s called cross-contamination and it is far more common than you would imagine.  Read more about Why 95% of People Fail on Gluten-Free Diets

The Elimination Diet Book is Here!

by Tom Malterre | 10 comments

As a functional medicine nutritionist, I’ve watched thousands of people have their symptoms melt away on The Elimination Diet...skin problems, mood issues, gut disorders, headaches, chronic pain, and more. By simply (and deliciously) modifying their diets, people just like you are reversing their conditions and eliminating their most troublesome symptoms. In fact, many people continue to improve so much that they no longer need their medications! Read more about The Elimination Diet Book is Here!

7 Steps to Heal your Migraines

by Tom Malterre | 7 comments

Through my clinical practice, I have found that eliminating trigger foods is the fastest route to healing. While working on my recent book, The Elimination Diet, I examined research explaining how food sensitivity and intolerance reactions can increase stress, alter hormones, and drastically effect the production of energy in each and every cell—the other three primary triggers for migraines! Read more about 7 Steps to Heal your Migraines

Recipes from Whole Life Nutrition

Sunny Sunflower Seed Burgers

by Alissa Segersten | 1 comments

Try this meatless recipe as an alternative to hamburgers. In fact, this recipe is one of our children's favorites! They like to eat them with ketchup, a lettuce salad, sliced avocado, and homemade lacto-fermented dill pickles. These tasty nut-free, vegan burgers can also be wrapped in lettuce leaves (instead of using a bun) and used during phase 2 of our Elimination Diet.  Read more about Sunny Sunflower Seed Burgers

How To Crack Open a Young Coconut

by Tom Malterre | 2 comments

When you are feeling wilted and tired, nothing seems to hydrate better than the water from a fresh, young coconut. This is because it contains minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that allow for water to pass through cellular pumps and hydrate your cells. Not to mention, the flavor of fresh young coconut water is absolutely delicious! Learn how to crack open a fresh coconut in this short video.  Read more about How To Crack Open a Young Coconut

Summer Vegetable Spaghetti

by Alissa Segersten | 2 comments

I like to make this sauce toward the end of summer when there is an abundance of vegetables needing to be used. You can freeze the sauce in pint-size jars for future use. I prefer to serve the sauce over baked spaghetti squash, but my children prefer brown rice noodles—either way it’s a nutrient-dense meal! Read more about Summer Vegetable Spaghetti

Nighttime Tea Recipe

by Alissa Segersten | 1 comments

Sleeping well is key to proper digestion and detoxification. When we don’t sleep our bodies produce more inflammatory chemicals. This can lead to a leaky gut, as well as pain and inflammation throughout the body. This tea calms the nervous system and helps prepare the body for a deep sleep.  Read more about Nighttime Tea Recipe

How to Make Broccoli Sprouts

by Tom Malterre | 45 comments

Broccoli sprouts contain a chemical called sulforaphane which is one of the most potent antioxidants and detoxification substances that we know of. These have been shown to greatly reduce the risk of stomach, bladder, colo-rectal, and breast cancer. Just add about 1/4 cup a day to your diet and watch your health change! Read more about How to Make Broccoli Sprouts

Comments

Hi I have just finished the detox part of the diet, I have planned what I shall be eating for the next 12 days of elimination and am looking towards reintroducing foods. I eat a lot of vegan foods (not exclusively) and was wondering when I could reintroduce lentils and chickpeas as they are not mentioned in the book. Thanks

by Mandy on Tue, 07/11/2017 - 11:50pm

My children and I have been on the diet for a week and they are getting gasser after eating certain meals. I am also getting bloated after certain meals. Plus we all still have excess mucus. Do I need to go low fodmap maps? We have no major issues, just want to end the constant nasal issues and custom our diet. We have always ate clean so surprised they may have gut imbalances. Do you have a section for low fodmaps? There are not very many recipes in the book. Thanks!

by sandra didier on Mon, 07/31/2017 - 7:53am

Hi! I'm an ultra marathon runner and need a substantial amount of calories every day while training. How should I tailor the diet to my needs?

by Brooke on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 11:10pm

Hi! I'm an ultra marathon runner and need a substantial amount of calories every day while training. How should I tailor the diet to my needs?

by Brooke on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 11:11pm

Hi there, I bought your book in hard copy and in it several times you refer to downloadable PDFs on this website that we can print out with the Yes/No food lists. Where are they?
Thanks!! I LOVE your work. I've been using and recommending Whole Life Nutrition to people for years. Bless you - you changed my life!

by Susan on Mon, 01/01/2018 - 7:32pm

I have been having symptoms of gallbladder disease for a few months now, all tests are coming back normal though and the pain is worsening. I am faced with surgery or trying to heal on my own. Do you have people this has actually healed gallbladder disease for?

by Sarah on Thu, 01/04/2018 - 10:20am

I am in phase 2 and am wondering if I can eat (canned) wild caught tuna or sardines. I don't see those foods on either the Yes or No lists. Thanks for your insight.

by Phyllis on Thu, 09/06/2018 - 6:19pm

Can I have marine collagen supplement while on phase 2 of elimination diet?

by Lorena on Sat, 02/16/2019 - 11:47am

Hello, Starting the diet this week. I also want to get back into exercising. Wanted to know if there is a type of pre/post workout protein you recommend?

by Diana on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 6:01am

I've been on the elimination diet for a couple of weeks, and according to the plan in the book, I should be starting the reintroduction phase about now. While I've seen a small amount of improvement of my symptoms, I still experience a lot of bloating and irregular bowel movements. Would it be beneficial to continue with phase two for another week or two? I'm concerned that I haven't seen the quick improvements mentioned throughout the book.

by Jacob on Fri, 05/24/2019 - 5:38am

How can affect Candida autoimmune disease? and elimination diet can help? Or it is neccesary anifungical medication
Tzandra

by Tzandra Fuchs on Sun, 06/23/2019 - 10:39am

Hi, in your book you have a creamy rice cereal. You say to use sprouted rice. Do you have to dry it in the oven after sprouting it so you can gringo it into a meal? I am at a loss. Thanks a lot for your answer!

by Harmony on Sat, 08/24/2019 - 1:07am

Hello!
I started the elimination diet 13 days ago. I included the 2 days detox. However I am feeling really worse. I have terrible stomach pains. Is it normal? Should I keep with the diet? I do not see the point anymore to move to phase 3 since I am not feeling better.... I hope for your comments. Thanks.

by Clara Botero on Sun, 02/02/2020 - 9:31am

I am on day 5 of the elimination diet and having leg cramps. I feel as though I may need some electrolytes. Do you have any suggestions on what I should drink/eat or do. Thanks.

by Sarah on Fri, 02/21/2020 - 8:46am

Hi, I'm about to go on the Elimination journey.
I see no chocolate which I totally understand. However, I don't see any mention of raw (organic) cocao powder being ok or not...
Can you help me out?
Thanks

by ilya on Tue, 08/25/2020 - 3:06pm

Is avocado oil safe during the Elimination Diet stage 2? Also, I was going to eat a kiwi today and noticed that it is not on the safe list. I don't believe it is a citrus fruit, so would that be okay to eat? Better yet, do you have a place where we can search for foods to see if they are okay or not? I have the list printed, but it doesn't seem to be exhaustive as that would be nearly impossible! Thank you so much for any help you can give!

by Ashley on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 1:09pm

In the downloadable PDF documents, one says: "Follow the detailed information in the Quick Start Guide for more of what to do during the 30 days before you begin your Elimination Diet." Would this be the same as Ch. 5 in the book? If no, where do I find it?

Thanks!

Ritva

by Ritva LaFlower on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 8:01am

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