How to Survive an Elimination Diet ; How to Survive the Repairvite Elimination Diet

How to Survive an Elimination Diet ; How to Survive the Repairvite Elimination Diet

There are lots of different ways to conduct an elimination diet whether it be as simple as eliminating one single food group such as dairy, or very strict eliminating multiple entire food groups. I have experience with both. In this post I am going to be explaining how to do a very specific diet plan that is used in conjunction with a supplement called Repairvite. Now you may have ended up here not knowing anything about Repairvite, or maybe you've just been prescribed this diet and supplement (or something similar) from your doctor. Either way the goal is health. No matter what reason you're trying to do an elimination, I can only assume it's to improve your health in some way. So let's move forward with that notion in mind.

The biggest challenge that I've faced with an elimination diet is giving up my favorite comfort foods. Those go to foods that I always crave and reach for when I need a quick meal or nights when I just want to eat something that tastes good. What I've learned from doing a strict elimination is that simplicity is the key to success. Making meals uncomplicated and quick to prepare takes a lot of the stress out of deciding what to eat. When you're hungry but can't figure out what to eat, cravings for those comfort foods can be really strong. Being prepared and knowing ahead of time what your meals and snacks are going to be will help keep the hunger and cravings away.

I'll provide you with the foods to eat and foods to avoid lists that I was given when I purchased the Repairvite supplement. You may have a different list depending on who you're working with or if you're doing this on your own. If you don't already have a list then I recommend using the one I am providing. The real focus should be on the foods to eat list. I have struggled myself with focusing too much on that dreaded foods to avoid list. It can make you feel like you can't eat "anything". The most important thing to remember is that you can eat so many things. And those things are all great for your body.

The first time I did the full Repairvite diet it was 30 days of hell. I've tried to do it multiple times over the past 2 years but I've failed time and time again. Why? Because I wasn't prepared. I just tried to jump into it with my pantry and fridge full of all the foods I wasn't going to allow myself to eat. At the end of the day this is voluntary. You have to make the choice of what you put into your body. Making those choices can be really difficult when you've got all those tempting foods at every turn.

1. Find a home for your unwanted food. Whether you decide to eat everything in your pantry before you do this diet or donate it, the first step is to get the food out of your reach.

2. Stock up. Now that you've cleaned out your kitchen it's time to stock it back up. With all the goodies to help heal your body. Start small with this step, don't go out and buy $300 worth of food hoping to make gourmet meals every night. Plan for a few days out and I highly suggest planning to eat left overs. This will save you lots of time and help keep you from being overly hungry. Cooking in batches and portioning out the food for several days will help you be prepared for success and to prevent over eating if that's an issue for you.

3. Plan. Plan your meals for at least 2 days but not more than 5. Don't overdo it and end up wasting a lot of food. I usually try to give myself about 3 days of eating the same things before I start to get tired of it and want to move on to something different. Depending on your preferences you can adjust how you do your cooking. If you have lots of free time each day to prepare fully fresh meals focus on that. If you're busy m-f but have plenty of time on the weekend to spend a few hours making large batches and storing it (freezing it even, if you like), then do that. Do what works best for you on this step. Just make sure you do have a plan so you don't find yourself scrambling for food and making a stop at the drive-thru on the way home, since you have nothing prepared for dinner. Keeping an inventory of the foods you have on hand can be really helpful. Once you've eaten all of an item then cross it off your list. And deciding what foods you'll be eating on certain days can take a lot of the guess work out of it.

This step is really important in the beginning as you get used to what foods you should and shouldn't be eating.  As you get used to knowing what to eat you'll stop focusing on what you can't eat and eventually it will become natural to just choose the good foods without thinking too long. Planning ahead will be less important and you can get back to your usual groove.

4. Prepare. Prepare your food. You can do this according to how you plan to cook through out the week. If you're going to be cooking daily then just decide what meals you'll have each day of the week and then plan to cook them on that day. You can chop veggies and meats ahead of time and portion them out for the day so cooking is a breeze.. If you're going to cook in batches get all your supplies together and cook those large batches of food, then portion them off for a few days worth of meals. This step is important to make sure you're not stranded without a safe meal. Make sure to try and overlap what you have left with preparing the next batch so you don't run out and get desparate.

5. Eat. Now that you've planned what you're eating, and you've prepared it, fresh or from that Tupperware container, it's time to eat. Eat your meal knowing that you're eating for health. Enjoy these foods because over time hopefully you'll forget about whatever food you eliminated. Your body will start to feel better and going back to those comfort foods won't be so comforting after all. You'll want to reach for that food that's going to make your body feel good and your mind will follow.

Now that you've got the steps for how to conduct this elimination you're probably interested in what to eat while you're doing it. Check out my next post for a detailed list of foods and some suggestions on how to make meals that are simple and satisfying.