'I Stopped Eating Eggs For 2 Weeks—Here's What Happened'

I've always been a healthy eater. Never drank soda, cooked from scratch, and avoided processed foods. So I was skeptical that the elimination diet in the The Whole Body Cure program—a new health plan from Prevention that focuses on healing inflammation by identifying food sensitivities—could help me. But I was desperate: For the past 5 years, I've had joint pain in my knees and my hips so severe that it would wake me out of a sound sleep. At just 47 years old, it hurt just to put my feet on the floor in the morning, and lying down was horrible. 

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I was shocked at how wrong I was about the diet. The diet—which involves eliminating all foods except protein shakes, vegetables, and fruits for two weeks, and then adding foods back slowly to see if there is a reaction—really forced me to pay attention to what I'm eating and to how the food affects me. As the first 2 weeks of the elimination diet progressed, I realized my knees didn't hurt anymore. And, I was amazed that when I ate a food after the elimination period, I could suddenly experience a symptom that I hadn't had for weeks. 

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Like eggs. In the past I would often eat three eggs a day. But they were one of the foods I gave up on the elimination diet. When I started eating them again, I couldn't believe the effect: The very first day I added the eggs back into my diet, I developed a headache, I had heartburn, and my joint pain returned. When the symptoms continued the next day, my husband pointed out that eggs were not agreeing with me. So I stopped eating eggs, and within half a day, my symptoms were gone. 

I thought a food sensitivity or intolerance would only cause GI issues or maybe allergy symptoms like hives, and it does for some people. But I found out that the exact symptoms I was having—headache, heartburn, and joint pain—were classic symptoms of a food intolerance. I've since followed up with my own doctor, and learned that I have an intolerance to albumin, which is found in egg whites. 

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If I use eggs at all now, it's very sparingly, like in an egg bath for zucchini chips. I've drastically cut back on snacking, and I always think about what I'm eating before I eat it, both of which have contributed to losing 18 pounds and 12.5 inches.  

Overall, I have lots more energy since I've started The Whole Body Cure plan, and I want to put it to good use. I enjoy biking, walking, and yoga. My goal is to lose a few more pounds, and then my daughter and I are going to do a 5K together. I haven't felt this good in 15 years.

This article is adapted from The Whole Body Cure, a new book from Dr. Corey Kirshner with the editors of Prevention and Catherine Knepper. The breakthrough program teaches you how to prevent and reverse disease, eliminate pain, and lose weight for good!). 

The article I Stopped Eating Eggs For 2 Weeks, And Here's What Happened originally appeared on Prevention.