What if every meal was a step toward feeling better? In our modern world, food can often feel like the enemy, but what we eat is a powerful tool for our health. It’s not just about calories or nutrients; it’s about understanding how certain foods can either calm or ignite inflammation in your body.

Think of it like this, your body is unique. Just because a certain food is considered “healthy,” it doesn’t mean it works for you. One person’s superfood can be another person’s trigger. The key is to become a detective and find out what your personal body loves and what it doesn’t.

One simple way to start is by keeping a food and symptom journal. For one week, write down everything you eat and drink, and note how you feel afterwards. Do you have a headache? Feel bloated? Are you tired or experiencing joint pain? You might start to see a pattern you never noticed before.

For a deeper approach, you can try an elimination and reintroduction process. This involves temporarily removing common culprits like gluten or dairy and then carefully adding them back one at a time. It’s a powerful way to listen to your body and see how it reacts.

By shifting your mindset from a rigid diet to a personal health tool, you can start using food as your ally. And when you know what works for you, every meal becomes a choice that supports your well-being.

While everyone’s body is different, certain foods are known to cause inflammation in many people. These are the usual suspects we often start with in an elimination process. 

They include –

• Gluten. Found in wheat, barley, and rye, gluten can be a major inflammatory trigger, even for those without celiac disease.
• Dairy. Many people have trouble digesting the proteins and sugars (lactose) in dairy, leading to digestive issues, skin problems, and inflammation.
• Sugar. Processed sugars and high-fructose corn syrup can feed harmful bacteria in your gut and drive inflammation throughout your body.
• Soy. A common allergen, soy can also be a hormone disruptor for some people.

The Power of an Elimination & Reintroduction Process

The goal isn’t to cut out these foods forever. The point of this process is to give your body a break from potential triggers so that you can clearly see its response when you reintroduce them.

Phase 1 Elimination (usually 3-4 weeks) 

During this phase, you temporarily remove the most common inflammatory foods from your diet. The aim is to calm your system and give it a chance to reset. As your body heals, you may notice symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or joint pain start to disappear.

Phase 2 Reintroduction 

After the elimination phase, you slowly and methodically reintroduce one food at a time. You’ll add a single food back into your diet for a few days while paying close attention to any symptoms. If you don’t feel a difference, that food is likely safe for you. If a symptom returns, you’ve just identified a personal “no” food.

Why This Works

This method empowers you to become your own health expert. Instead of following a generic diet, you’re creating a personalised roadmap for your body. This allows you to eat a wide variety of nourishing foods while avoiding the specific ones that cause you trouble. It’s about finding freedom through knowledge.

By shifting your mindset from a rigid diet to a personal health tool, you can start using food as your ally. And when you know what works for you, every meal becomes a choice that supports your well-being.If you would like support in understanding what foods work for you, look at our Functional Foundation Programme HERE . Our group sessions can help you start understanding what truly works for you and your unique body.