I haven't tried a specific elimination diet, but I do know that a few months ago I gave up sugar and gluten and felt better than ever. Sadly, during a vacation trip to the beach I fell off the wagon and am back to eating anything/everything and feel like a blob again. Why I can't get back to something that I know makes me feel good is beyond me!

Interesting. In my own case, I've read that anyone with an autoimmunity disorder (I have hypothyroidism) should avoid gluten and soy. I was doing well avoiding those until recently when my husband passed away and I started eating mindlessly; now I'm trying to get back on the wagon. I'm also (semi) trying to stick to a paleo diet but eating all that meat just doesn't seem like it would be a good thing, esp. with my high cholesterol tendencies (can be related to hypothyroidism according to my reading.) Also trying to avoid sugar but those sweets keep calling to me. Egg whites......hmm. Never heard that those could cause problems but worth a try.

Thanks for posting this!

I understand what the premise is. Most of those things have been talked about for years.
For the average person though, one who feels fine eating everything, exactly what am I going to be feeling if I give up these foods? Then, when you reintroduce them, I am not sure what happens.
My daughter's friend gave up gluten and her complexion cleared. So, I see a correlation here, but not so with the soy, sugar etc.
Is this for people with specific heath issues?

For the average person though, one who feels fine eating everything, exactly what am I going to be feeling if I give up these foods?

If you feel fine, why bother? In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But I would say it's worth trying for anyone who doesn't feel as well as they would like to.

Another thought, Ellen . . . I don't know how old you are, but many people seem to do just fine eating whatever, but then at some point don't tolerate certain foods as well as they used to. Their digestion gets quirky, they lack energy, and so on. My severe allergy to solanine (in all the nightshade vegetables and a few other things) didn't start until I was in my thirties, and has gotten progressively worse.

Momrox, I have a tendency toward high cholesterol too, but have kept it in check by being very careful about saturated fats, plus eating oat bran. I've eaten oat bran (raw or cooked) every day for years. I just had my cholesterol checked, and it was 168. That's good for me.

Now I have to do better with triglycerides, which are inching up. They're just borderline, though--nothing like the dangerously high numbers I had years ago, before I gave up sugar and lowered my carb intake. When I was stricter about carbs than I am now, my numbers were excellent.

I'm sorry about your husband. I'm a widow too, and have to guard against mindless eating. It slips in....

I just came across this website with info on JJ Virgin's approach. I'm sure there are loads of other resources too.

Sounds a lot like "The False Fat Diet" By Elson Haas. I tried doing the food elimination in that book and had very good results... felt wonderful after about 10 days, but we had unexpected out of town guests and I went off the diet... never went back on even though I am convinced there was something to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: False Fat Info

We have given up dairy products, except for the occasional pat of butter (on whole wheat toast). Hubby drinks Califa brand Coconut Almond Milk, and uses Califa brand Unsweetened Almond Milk on cereal. I drink SO Delicious brand Vanilla Coconut Milk and also use it on cereal. Compare the nutritional values of those milks to cow's milk (nonfat, lowfat, and/or whole milk) -- the almond milk and coconut milk are so much better for you. And don't get wrapped up in the "cow's milk has more protein than coconut or almond milk." The protein in cow's milk is casein -- a known carcinogen. (And not a carcinogen as in "drink 65 gallons a day every day for 748 years and you may get cancer." -- it's seriously bad.)

We also buy the SO Delicious brand of coconut milk yogurt and Greek yogurt, as well as their coconut milk ice cream. You'd be surprised at how good it is, and how many flavors there are!

julie, you're not alone. I lose weight instantly, so why not stay on the wagon? I dunno. I love sugar, I guess. And it loves me too, hanging out and on me all the time.

I have been trying to cut back on sugar. Lately I really notice a sudden drop in energy after eating something sugary. I am so suddenly tired, I have to take a nap. Eating less sugar had made a difference for me plus I was stunned to get on the scale yesterday and see that I was down five pounds. I try not to weigh myself very often, once a month at most.

I am sure I'd be better off by eliminating other foods from my diet, but I don't. I used to put Splenda on my cereal and I have stopped that, but I still drink a can of Diet Coke every day, mostly for the caffeine jolt.

tell you right now as for the corn and corn products you really really have to read labels...the funny thing? this isn't new to me...back in the 1970's, one of the kids pal was acting out, ect? mom took him dr/center, and that was one of the items he told her to remove...that's when we found out about food coloring in frozen peas! ect... but he did a 180, and changed....

and the Feingold (think that's the name) diet same time.. so virgin isn't doing anything new ...

I did try the J.J. Virgin elimination program, not for weight loss but in hopes that I would feel better,

After the elimination of the seven foods I did feel better and lost a few pounds.

Trying each again, one by one, I decided that gluten and too much sugar were not good for my particular system. The other five don't seem to cause me problems, but I still don't consume much of them.

I learned to eat a lot more greens and vegetables during the diet, and continue to eat larger amounts now.

I think there's a lot to be said for trying an elimination diet to find out what adversely affects us individually. I'm sure we'd all be healthier consuming a lot less of those 7 foods, but I wonder why the worst offender isn't mentioned: GMO's?

I know I feel much better when I cut out refined carbs, like sugar and white flour. But I also try to eat organic as much as possible, not only to avoid ingesting pesticides, but to eliminate GMO's.

And I wish I could find almond milk without carrageenan. The only brand I have come across is Whole Foods "365" brand. It makes it more difficult to have a wholesome diet when supposedly healthy foods have unhealthy additives.