The Kender Diet
So, for me, there has always been one fairly well-discussed approach to Trich recovery that I've never really attempted, and that's the Kender diet. I've typically avoided it because many foods it has you phase out are some of my absolute favorites (which sort of just validates the potential truth behind the theory...), and I've always been unwilling to really try and give it a go. With all the success I've had lately eliminating soda completely from my diet to help with my running, I've decided it's finally time to give it a shot.
For those who may not know, the back story is that John Kender developed the diet via a series of trial and error tests to help his Trichster daughter, theorizing that the main impetus behind the pulling was food-allergen related.
A quote from Kender: "In general, my hypothesis is that it may be that people inclined to TTM have a natural biochemistry irreversibly inclined towards certain allergic reactions. They are allergic to a normal yeast (Malessizia sp.) that is found in the skin and gut of virtually everyone, but they react to it with itching and irritation and a need to remove the allergen."
Basically, there is a list of good and bad foods that have been vetted over the years from Kender's own experience and online surveys and various Trichsters weighing in. For me, the biggest ones on the bad list are caffeine, sugar, chocolate, and peanuts, and I think I eat enough of them on a weekly basis that it's worth a try to cut them out. Most sites recommend trying to stick with it for at least 1-2 months to try and fully regulate your body and adapt to the system. I think for me, the biggest key to success will be trying to substitute various things for peanut butter/peanuts and chocolate in granola bars and things like that. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress!
For reference, the generally accepted Kender diet list is as follows: