Elimination Diet

Many Hidradenitis Suppurativa sufferers have found that specific foods will cause their flare-ups.  Certain foods for different people are known to cause many harmful symptoms in our body.  Just to name a few, these symptoms could include allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disorders and skin disorders.  I have found that eliminating certain foods from my diet has allowed me to be flare-up free for 1 1/2 years.  Talk to your doctor and see if this is an option for you. 

So what is the elimination diet?  Simply put, it is eliminating certain foods from your diet.  This does not mean you are eliminating these foods permanently, it just means you are "testing" through trial and error which foods may cause a flare-up.  After 28 days or so, you will reintroduce ONE food only.  You will then monitor your symptoms for the next couple of days and so forth.  Reactions to foods can occur within 10 minutes to 48 hours after ingestion.     

How to begin!  Prepare yourself to eliminate specific foods (listed below) for 3-4 weeks.  Get a shopping list together, a journal to record everything you eat and simplify your life by preparing your food in advance. 

Foods to Avoid (or have caused flare-ups in others):

• Refined sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup (this includes baked goods, pastries, pies, cookies, candy, soda, etc.).  Make sure to read ingredient labels because there are a lot of hidden sugars such as fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and dextrose.  Take a look at the 30 code words for sugar. 
• Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, ice-cream, cheese.  Remember to look at the ingredient labels to make sure you are not consuming dairy without realizing it.  Here is a list of dairy ingredients. 
• Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers).  Many HS sufferers have found nightshades to be their trigger food! 
• Wheat/Gluten such as breads, pastas, flour, crackers, etc.
• Soy products such as soybeans, soy sauce  
• Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. 
• Corn is an also known trigger for some.  This includes corn chips, corn tortillas, vegetable oil.
• Coffee 
• Food Additives including preservatives, artificial colors such as caramel color, and artificial flavors. 
• Eggs
• Alcohol
• Fried Foods

What should you eat! 

• Fresh Vegetables such as celery, carrots, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, green beans, cucumber, kale, etc.  Eat a variety of vegetables, but make sure to stay away from the nightshades until you know for sure. 
• Lean white meats such as turkey, fish, chicken.
• Fresh Fruit such as blueberries, apples, grapes, strawberries, cherries, etc.
• Nuts the "Standard Elimination Diet" allows nuts such as walnuts, almonds, etc. unless you have an already known nut allergy.  See EliminationDietRD.com.
• Quinoa, Buckwheat, Brown Rice
• Spices such as garlic, ginger, thyme, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, dill, cinnamon, parsley, sea salt, pepper, etc.
• Foods High in Fiber
• Healthy Fats such as olive oil or coconut oil
• Water.  Drink a lot of water!

My Personal Experience!

It is so unfortunate that what works for one HS sufferer may not work for another.  However, I thought I would share what I have found to work for me.  I am able to eat dairy as long as it is fat-free.  I am too afraid to reintroduce sugar back into my diet.  I figure it is not good for my health anyway so why bother!  I am able to use honey as a substitute if needed.  I am also lucky enough to not be affected by nightshades or wheat.  I eat pasta as long as it is 100% whole wheat.  However, I completely avoid white bread, white rice, white flour, white tortillas, etc.  I can eat soy.  Actually, several of my recipes that I will be posting in this blog contain soy sauce and soybeans.  I can eat all fruit, citrus included, corn, and corn tortillas.  I avoid vegetable oils always and use olive oil instead.  I drink coffee every morning, but I drink it black.  I also make sure to keep myself hydrated!  I can eat eggs, but I was told not to eat more than 4 eggs in a week.  I allow myself to have a few alcoholic beverages on the weekend specifically red wine, champagne (brut) or beer.  Again, I focus on staying hydrated and every morning after I consume alcohol I drink a parsley tea to cleanse.  I eat tons of quinoa as you will see with my posted recipes.  I definitely avoid all fried foods!  I eat lots of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios.  I can even eat peanuts.  I eat a lot of beans including kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans.  I  try to focus on foods that are high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.