08/01/2026
Elimination diets can be incredibly helpful — even lifesaving — especially when someone is reacting badly to a particular food.
😖 Cramping
💨 Diarrhoea
🧠 Brain fog
🔥 Inflammation
Removing the offending food often brings relief.
But here’s the problem I see clinically, over and over again 👇
➡️ The moment that food is reintroduced, the symptoms return.
➡️ The person is right back at Stage 1.
This tells us something important.
Yes, the gut matters — deeply.
But gut symptoms rarely exist in isolation.
We also need to ask:
• Is the autonomic nervous system stuck in a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state?
• Is the body actually able to process and transform nutrition, or is it reacting defensively?
This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a completely different — and often missing — perspective 🌿
In TCM, the Spleen is central to digestion.
Its role is to transport and transform food into usable energy and nourishment.
When the Spleen is weak:
• Foods aren’t properly processed
• Dampness and inflammation build
• Sensitivities and intolerances persist
By supporting the Spleen with the correct herbal formula — often over a surprisingly short period — we frequently see real, lasting improvement, not just symptom avoidance ✨
📘 Dr. Anthony de Pontes has written a detailed blog on this topic, explaining:
• Why elimination diets often fail long-term
• How nervous system dysregulation plays a role
• How TCM approaches food intolerance differently