Elimination Diet-Week 3 Using the Inflammation Spectrum Book

Here is the roundup of what I ate during the third week of this elimination diet! It’s very similar to the autoimmune protocol, but follows The Inflammation Spectrum book.

If you haven’t checked out the previous two posts, read Elimination Diet- Week 1 for details on what this elimination diet is and why I’m doing it and Elimination Diet Week 2 for more meal ideas.

8 Week Elimination Diet Plan

If you don’t have time to check out my previous two posts, here is a quick summary!

After reading Dr. Will Cole’s Inflammation Spectrum book and taking the inflammation quiz, it showed I have inflammation in a slew of areas. The top two were in the brain/nervous system and the hormonal (endocrine) system.

In order to see if food is at the core of these problems I’ve decided to follow his 8 week plan, which is a lot like the autoimmune protocol (AIP) elimination diet.

What I’ve eliminated for 8 weeks

1. grains
2. dairy
3. added sweeteners (all sugar)
4. inflammatory oils (vegetable oils)
5. legumes (lentils, beans, peanuts, soy)
6. nuts and seeds
7. eggs
8. nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, sweet and hot peppers, white potatoes, eggplant, goji berries)
9. coffee (sob)
10. alcohol

Week 3 Meals

Morning tea (7:00am)

This week I started each morning with warm lemon water and 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Next, I enjoyed a Pique tea. This week I drank their Jasmine green tea.

Breakfast (8:30am)

Green Avocado Smoothie (repeated all week).
I adapted this smoothie by replacing the chia seeds with psyllium husk powder (for fiber) and used water instead of the macadamia milk. I added cilantro this week for something extra! Yum!

Morning Snack

The days I’m not really active in the mornings, I skip a morning snack to allow my body to keep my blood sugar balanced. The days that I work out I grab a handful of berries as a bridge snack to tie me over until lunch.

Lunch (between 11:30 and 12:30)

1. Monday– Grilled chicken salad with strawberries.
2. Tuesday- Same salad as Monday
3. Wednesday- canned salmon salad with cucumbers, avocado, arugula and a homemade tortilla shell. Topped with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
4. Thursday- same salad as Wednesday.
5. Friday- leftover chicken from the baked chicken I made Wednesday night, sweet potato rounds and steamed broccoli.
6. Saturday- Grilled chicken salad with strawberries and avocado
7. Sunday- tuna salad with red onion, avocado and cucumbers. Topped with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

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Dinner (between 5:30 and 6:00)

1. Monday– Chicken zoodle soup. I used the recipe from Dr. Will Cole’s Inflammation Spectrum book. It was really good!!
2. Tuesday- Leftover soup, chicken tacos with pineapple “salsa”, side of mashed cauliflower.
3. Wednesday- Baked a whole chicken. Ate chicken, steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries.
4. Thursday- leftover baked chicken, asparagus, roasted cauliflower and carrots.
5. Friday- chicken tacos on homemade tortilla shells, broccoli
6. Saturday- burgers, sweet potato fries, asparagus
7. Sunday- Salmon, sauerkraut and stir fry using summer squash, asparagus, cauliflower rice, onion and coconut aminos.

Evening magnesium (7:30)

Every night before bed I drink warm water with lemon and magnesium powder. It helps me sleep better at night and is supposed to help quite my mind before bed… it USUALLY works.

Other Snacks

Sauteed apple with cinnamon.

Homemade “ice cream.” I mixed a can of unsweetened coconut milk with a handful of frozen strawberries and a pinch of sea salt in a blender, then froze it for about an hour. I scooped it like you would ice cream, and it was delicious!!!

Baked kale chips

How I feel after week 3

(During this time I’ll be tracking energy levels, acne, bloating, cravings and sleep.)

1. Energy- my energy is still lower than I was hoping. I’m having trouble falling asleep still, which might have to do more with what I’m doing before bed. Working on this!!!
2. Acne- It started getting better this week, but then got bad again! I’m supposed to start my period soon, so that may be part of it…
3. Bloating– The bloating is getting so much better! My stomach feels great in the morning and then is usually bloated again in the evening. I still think it is something I’m eating that my body doesn’t love. Onions? Garlic? FODMAP issues? Before I started this I was bloated ALL the time, so feeling good in the morning and most of the day is a huge improvement!
4. Cravings- I was craving sweets this week, so I made “ice cream” and sauteed apples with cinnamon. Both were delicious.
5. Sleep- Trouble falling asleep. Taking extra magnesium helps, but I NEED to limit screen time before bed, which is tough for me!

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