Time For a Cleanse, or Ready for an Elimination Diet? Here's My Version.

Dec 31, 2025
8 min read

I see this 30-day diet more as anti-inflammatory foods than an "elimination" (don'ts) "diet" (therapy), because these guidelines return you to whole, nutrient-dense foods. They offer you foods to replace the ones that might be driving inflammation in your body. So beyond a list of don'ts, see if you can give true nourishment to yourself.

Why Do an Elimination Diet?

A 30-day elimination diet can be hard to do, but it's free and effective. It's also finite -- just for a month! And here are just some of its potential benefits:

reduce inflammation
improve digestion
strengthen metabolism
recognize food sensitivities
reduce allergic reactions
boost energy
regulate blood sugar
rebalance weight

Food is powerful medicine. No other therapy -- natural or otherwise -- comes close to healing at all these levels. There are different versions of the elimination diet, and this is a comprehensive one based on principles of ancestral health, learning from indigenous customs and evolutionary biology research to maximize nutrient density and reduce inflammation.

If you're ready to start, it’s essential that you commit to these changes for 30 days. Some experts recommend stretching it to 6 weeks if you can do that. By removing the foods that most commonly cause problems, you allow your body to rest and restore from whatever symptoms those foods have been provoking. An occasional "treat" that isn't on this list might trigger various reactions, so keep this month as clean as possible.

After the program, you might be able to reintroduce some of the foods on the “avoid

completely” list in moderation, such as dairy (especially yogurt or kefir), white potatoes, white rice, alcohol, white rice and buckwheat. But for now, it’s in your best interest to eliminate these foods to see how you feel.

What Foods Can I Eat?

EAT LIBERALLY:

A rainbow of vegetables -- eat a daily rainbow, if possible 5-8 servings a day. Mix and match colors and textures. Crucifers (kale, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts), beets, asparagus, alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, shallots), parsley, cilantro, carrots. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and naturally fermented pickles are great.
Mushrooms -- these immune-supporting superfoods can really enhance the taste of any dish you make. Aim for a variety: shiitake, portobello, oyster, wood ear, chanterelle, enoki.
Starchy tubers -- yams, sweet potatoes, yucca, taro, etc.
Healthy fats -- extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter -- this doesn't contains casein or other milk proteins). These fats are minimally processed and have low oxidative properties.
Sea salt and a variety of spices.

And if you eat eggs and meat...

Meat and poultry -- emphasize beef and lamb, but also pork, chicken, turkey, duck and wild game like venison. Organic and free-range is always preferable.
Organ meats -- liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. If you don’t like the taste of liver, a good experiment is to apportion chicken liver in an ice cube tray and freeze them. When you’re making any meat or vegetarian dish, dice up one chicken liver cube and add it to the dish.
Bone broth -- bone broths can balance your intake of muscle meats and organ meats. They're rich in glycine, and amino acids found in collagen, a protein important in maintaining a healthy gut lining. Bone broths are now available at many grocery stores, in refrigerated sections or on the shelf. To make your own bone broth, see this blog.
Fish -- especially fatty fish like wild salmon, mackerel, herring, or sardines. Watch out for too much farmed salmon, which can be higher in some environmental pollutants. Aim for three 6 oz. servings of fatty fish per week to balance your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
Eggs -- preferably free-range and organic. If you have or suspect active autoimmune flares, it'll be best for you to hold off on eggs during this program.

EAT IN MODERATION:

A rainbow of fruits -- aim for 2-4 servings a day. Top choices are blueberries, raspberries, apples, grapefruits, kiwis, and avocados, due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content, and also lower sugar. Favor those over higher sugar fruits like tropical fruits (mangos, pineapple), bananas, and grapes. Dried fruits are also high in sugars.
Processed meats -- sausage, bacon and jerky. Check that they are gluten, sugar and soy free. Organic or free-range meat is preferable.
Nuts and seeds -- a handful per day, preferably soaked or sprouted, or roasted at low temperature (150 degrees). Favor nuts lower in omega-6 oils, like hazelnuts and macadamias, over nuts high in omega-6, like Brazil nuts.
Green beans, sugar peas and snap peas -- although they're technically legumes, they are usually well-tolerated.
Caffeinated beverages, like coffee and black tea -- drink these black, or with coconut milk. If your sleep quality is in any way compromised, put these on your "avoid" list.
Vinegar -- raw apple cider vinegar is especially well tolerated and can boost digestion.
Restaurant food -- the primary challenge with eating out is that restaurants cook with industrial seed/vegetable oils, which can generate inflammation. During this 30-day program, it’s best to do your own cooking, or buy from a trusted source.

AVOID COMPLETELY:

Dairy -- this includes butter, cheese, yogurt, milk, cream, and any dairy product that comes from a cow, goat or sheep. Ghee is okay because all the proteins are removed from it.
Grains -- this includes bread, rice, cereal, oats, or any gluten-free grains like sorghum, teff, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat.
Legumes -- this includes beans of all kinds (soy, black, kidney, pinto), peas, lentils and peanuts. As noted above, green peas and snap peas are ok.
Concentrated sweeteners, real or artificial -- added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, agave, brown rice syrup, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia.
Processed or refined foods -- as a general rule, if it comes in a bag or a box, abstain from it, including highly processed “health foods” like protein powder, energy bars, dairy-free creamers.
Sodas and diet sodas
Alcohol in any form
White potatoes -- these are in the nightshade family, which can cause inflammation in some.
Processed sauces and seasonings -- this includes soy sauce, tamari, and other processed seasonings and sauces (which often have sugar, soy, gluten, or all of the above).

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

If you have certain health conditions, the basic program above may need further modification.

If you have arthritis, autoimmune disease and severe gut issues: in addition to the above, also eliminate nightshades and eggs. Nightshades include potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, pepinos, pimentos, paprika and cayenne pepper. Nightshades have compounds called alkaloids that can cause inflammation and worsen joint pain in susceptible people. Eggs contain proteins that are common allergens.

If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia, or if you are wanting to lose weight: limit your portions of fruit and starchy vegetables. The total amount eaten each day should equal roughly 400 calories per day of glucose, which is the amount contained in 2 servings of low-glycemic fruit (berries) and two servings of starch (like sweet potato, taro, yucca).

If you have fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings or depression: eliminate

coffee, tea, and all caffeine (this means dark chocolate, too). Caffeine

stimulates the brain and the adrenals, and can worsen all of these conditions. Once your health imbalances have improved, you can try adding them back in moderation.

HOW DO I DO IT?

This program will be a dramatic change for many of you. The best way is to do your prep-work before starting your elimination diet. Also, choose a timeframe when you have limited or no travel, or away from holidays or special occasions.

PREPARATION is key to doing this successfully.

Copy the list of foods to eat liberally and in moderation from above, and head to the grocery store, farmer’s market, butcher, or wherever you shop. Buy in bulk when possible, and stock up for the next week or two. A lot of the foods can be frozen or refrigerated.

Focus on what to eat and what not to eat. There are no calories to count, or special ratios to calculate or food combinations to consider. Just eat the foods on your "ok" list, and don’t eat the ones that aren’t.

WHEN WILL I GET RESULTS?

For some, you'll experience a lightness and clarity in your body from the first day.

For others, the initial days might be hard. Your body might go through a withdrawal period. Sugar and wheat in particular can act like addictive substances in the body, and you may notice symptoms like mood swings, strong cravings, irritability and fatigue as your body adjusts to life without them. At some point, usually about a week in, you'll start feeling better than you did before you began the program.

Your energy may improve, your skin may clear up, your digestion may smooth out, your sleep may get deeper, your moods stabilize. Many will start shedding or gaining some pounds, depending on what you need.

Aches, pains, and mysterious symptoms like brain fog that you’ve had for ages, seemingly miraculously, often begin to improve.

SOME COMMON PITFALLS

Skimping -- during the 30-day period, any falling off the diet can muddle the impact, because the inconsistency doesn’t give your immune system time to calm down. It’s not worth it. A piece of bread or a slice of pizza could restart the inflammatory process and make it hard to discern what's what. If you can stick this initial period out, it will get easier. Tip: connect to your body, rather than feeling like this is punishment.
Fearing fats and oils -- a common mistake on this program is not eating enough healthy fats. You’re eliminating a lot of foods from your diet (bread, grains, beans, etc.), and you have to replace those energy sources with something. Healthy fats are that something. Healthy fats don’t make you fat or inflamed. Processed vegetable oils are often the culprit.
Obsessing -- relax and play into these 30 days as much as possible. Relax the urge to overanalyze what you’re eating. Enjoy your food. Make cooking fun and leave time to savor your creations. Find some recipes that look appealing to you.
Not planning ahead -- if you know you’re eating out with friends, choose a restaurant that can better accommodate your needs. Check their menu online, or ask if they can accommodate food allergies (a restaurant that can do this can easily adjust to the elimination diet guidelines). If you're traveling or on a work day trip, pack plenty of snacks, like fruit or nuts. Avoid situations where you’re starving or the opposite, eating a bagel and cream cheese because that's all that is available. This is all very doable, but it requires some planning and foresight.
Lack of support -- making big changes is hard, and the more support you have, the easier it will go. See if you can enlist your partner, family member, or a good friend to do this challenge together. They may not be eager to join, but they may feel better in the end, too. Also invite friends over to cook with you. Connect with others online following this approach. Ask questions. Learn from others who've done this before.

HOW DO I REINTRODUCE FOODS WHEN I AM DONE W/ THE 4-6 WEEK ELIMINATION PHASE?

After your 4-6 week period, you may choose to slowly reintroduce foods. Ideally, this happens by trying one group of foods at a time, every 3 days. This allows you to observe any recurrence of symptoms or not, anything from a flare-up of old symptoms to fatigue, sinus or throat congestion, bowel symptoms, aches, or attention issues. If any of those symptoms develop, eliminate that food group and move on to the next one.

If you're sensitive to gluten, dairy, and/or soy, generally it will be best to eliminate those for a longer period of time, and work with a functional/integrative medicine provider or functional nutritionist on how to proceed next.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS, RECIPES, AND RESOURCES