Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Today I will be starting my elimination diet. I still have some questions. I thought about starting the diet with a water fast for a couple of days since I've been exposed to some gluten and sugar (ahem). And then sip on some home made bone broth for a few days before eating solid foods. To kick-start healing my gut basically and clearing out any toxins from the last few days.

So I was wondering how long I should water fast and then broth fast? And how much broth should I drink per day? Also which vegetables are sure to cause no "issues"? I'm eliminating FODMAPs and nightshades. (Ruminant) meat + sweet potatoes perhaps? Are there any rules for reintroducing foods? Except for the 72hour rule of course.

flag	asked Jan 1 2012 at 13:09 Daniel 233●2●10

Nance · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-01 16:52:23Z UTC

Don't forget that if you've eaten foods high in gluten and sugar you're probably in an under-nourished state at the moment.

I find I recover the fastest when I eat nutrient-dense meals rather than fasting. Fasting is for when I am highly nourished and have no need for food.

As soon as I realized I was hungry and starting to feel symptoms of an unhappy GI tract the other day, I switched back to whole foods only. I had some minor GI issues that night but I felt great the second day and never had cravings or symptoms afterward.

On the other hand, if I felt ill or food wasn't appealing to me, I would fast until I felt hungry. When my stomach is off I don't usually enjoy water, so I would drink carbonated water or broth until my stomach settled and I became hungry.

So, I guess my final answer is let your stomach decide.

AndyM · Answer 2 · 2012-01-02 06:30:26Z UTC

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Fasting for detoxification is a gimmick. If you want to fast, fast (no food, no bone broth) for 18-24 hours then start eating normally, or in your case start with your elimination diet.

After 18-24 hours, your GI track will be mostly clear, your liver glycogen will be depleted (thus you'll be starting to break down protein for glucose for your brain.

edited Jan 2 2012 at 6:30

AndyM

answered Jan 1 2012 at 14:25

Matt
36.4k●2●10●69

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Detoxification or not, fasting can be a very useful way of breaking habits and making it easier to avoid sliding further down the sugar slope for those that have issues in that area. And it's also an appropriate way to let the body heal if needed. – AndyM Jan 1 2012 at 16:47

AndyM · Answer 3 · 2012-01-01 16:45:15Z UTC

I wouldn't bother with a 'broth fast'. Water fast as long as you want to and then go back to food. If you're only fasting for a couple of days there's not likely to be too much issue with breaking it with some broth and getting back to (small) solid meals by the end of the day. The rule of thumb is to take as many days as you fasted for to reintroduce solids but you're not really looking at a long fast. Also, a better guide is to go for the nutrients (broth/liver etc.) and eat small amounts. You'll know in a couple of hours if you want to eat more or not.

As for the vegetables, I expect you're familiar with the basics of the elimination diet. I wouldn't say there are any absolute guarantees, but you have the freedom to test everything individually over as much time as you care to take. And there are of course lots of rules, none of which are worth worrying about. At this time of year you should expect to be eating meat and root vegetables, and your body will probably be quite happy with that. The process is more about you learning what your body already knows.

Kicking off elimination diet with a (broth) fast? How to reintroduce?

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