Total Body Conditioning Workout

Dax Moy's Elimination Diet

In February I went on an Dax Moy's Elimination Diet for 4 weeks. I stopped eating cows milk, certain foods containing wheat and gluten, alcohol and caffeine. Before starting this diet I had no apparent food intolerance's apart from occasional heart burn/indigestion after large meals.

I started by emptying out my cupboards of all the banned foods and so I got rid of all my cereal, bread, pasta and milk so I wouldn't be tempted. I then went shopping and stocked up on fruit and vegetables, nuts, meat, fish, eggs, soya milk etc, etc.

The first week was quite difficult and my main concern was whether I could consume the enough calories to support my very active lifestyle. The answer was...just about! I converted to soya milk which was quite foul at first but it's amazing how quickly you're body gets used to different tastes. I experimented with some 'gluten and wheat free' products; the bread was hard and stale but the pasta was fine once you mix it with some sauce.

A typical day would involve a high-protein breakfast including egg and wheat free porridge. Then I would normally snack on fruit until lunch, when I usually had tuna or chicken salad. For dinner I used to have rice or baked potato with meat or fish.

Obviously there were times when it was difficult to avoid foods from the banned list. After one meal out I had an upset stomach for a few days - I think my curry sauce contained some wheat.

Before I started this elimination diet I felt that I had a well-balanced diet with room for improvement in certain areas. The first thing I noticed was that my flatulence was greatly reduced and my bowel movements were a lot more stable. The condition of my skin improved and I had no ulcers or blisters for the month I was dieting. I experienced hardly any digestive discomfort even though I was eating large quantities, and I never felt full or bloated.

I did not want to loose weight and so I did keep my calorie intake HIGH but had I not I would almost certainly lost. My body fat percentage did reduce and my exercise levels meant that I increased muscle tone and definition.

Since coming off the diet I have continued to eliminate certain foods from my diet. I don't eat pasta and bread any more, I eat 75% soya milk and only have semi-skimmed on cereal, which I have also cut down on. I learned a lot about what foods agree with my body and what foods don't. I have divided food into 3 categories; foods that I can consume freely, foods which I have to moderate intake and food which I should consume rarely.

All in all it has been a really positive experience my general health and well-being has improved greatly. I would recommend you give it a try, especially if you have suspected food intolerance.

Click here to find out more about Dax Moy's Elimination Diet

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Focus on: Food Intolerance

It has been estimated that around 45% of the UK population suffer from adverse reactions from the food they eat. Common symptoms include nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, indigestion, IBS, headaches, skin problems and lethargy, to name a few.

Allergy v Intolerance

It can take less than an hour for an allergic reaction to take affect and may result in vomiting, diarrhoea and skin rashes. Food intolerance can go undetected for long periods of time because individuals rarely attribute their symptoms to the type of foods they eat on a regular basis.

Types of food intolerance

There are many foods that people can be intolerant to but the most common are milk (lactose - sugar), gluten, wheat and certain food preservatives. In the UK and Ireland 5 in 100 people are lactose intolerant. This is caused by a shortage the enzyme lactase, which is needed to breakdown lactose in the gut.

Wheat and gluten intolerance is very common and if severe enough can cause coeliac disease. This is caused by an inflammation if the lining of the small intestine which disrupt digestion.

Implications for exercise

Adequate nutrition and digestive health is vital if you are to maintain an active, exercise-filled lifestyle. As previously stated food intolerances can leave you feeling tired, bloated and lethargic, making it very difficult to exercise. Foods that individuals are intolerant to may be their main source of energy for exercise or may be essential for recovery after exercise.

Identifying food intolerance

If your symptoms lead you to suspect that you have food intolerance then there are several courses of action. Firstly you can pay for a blood test that is an accurate but expensive way of identifying foods that produce certain reactions in the body. However, this may not identify all intolerances.

A more pro-active way of diagnosing food intolerance is to eliminate different food groups from your diet for a period of 4-6 weeks. It is recommended that you consult a health professional before starting an elimination diet.

Buying food

If you are on an elimination diet it is vital that you remove all traces of the food group in question. Therefore it is vital to check food labels carefully. Since 2005 the European Union have required that all labels should state whether they contain certain foods, including nuts, eggs, wheat and gluten.

If your eating out then pre-warn the restaurant that you have special dietary requirements and then inform the waitress or waiter again when you arrive.

For more information about food intolerance visit the British Nutrition Foundation on http://www.nutrition.org.uk/