Food allergies, list is long, intimidating. Suggestions welcome!

[KatieJ]

I am in a constant struggle for weight loss. My GP sent me to an allergist who specializes in weight loss. Seemed like a wierd combo, but well, not so wierd as you come to understand food intolerance.

 

My elimation food list for 2 weeks is long..and I am really stumped as to what I shall be eating for breakfast.

 

I cannot eat:

 

any grains, including wheat, rice, corn, oats

eggs

dairy

soy

 

 

I can eat fruit only once a day

I can eat most veggies

I can eat protein

I can have nuts

 

So what does breakfast look like?

 

peanut butter frosted blueberries with a slice of turkey?

 

Help!

[Murmer]

Gluten free cereal with almond milk. Find a good health food store and you will discover just how much there is to eat, we got allergy friendly (meaning none of the top 8 most common food allergies) and gluten free goodies there for my milk allergic daughter including cake mix, pancake mix and cookies. I am sure these are not on your diet per say but you will probably find great things to eat that way.

[FairProspects]

Eliminating all the grains is harder, but I would probably try some pancakes made with buckwheat (can you have that?), rice milk and Ener-G egg replacer (soy free, egg free & dairy free egg substitute). You can use all vegetable shortening made by Spectrum that is also dairy free instead of butter (although its not low-cal or anything being that it is palm oil). You can jazz up the pancakes with shredded zucchini or canned pumpkin. I don't know how this works if it is for weight loss, but Maple syrup is on our allergen-free list, so we use that. There are also gluten-free recipes for muffins and such, but I don't know if they eliminate all grains completely.

 

We are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, but we don't eliminate all grains, so I'm not sure how I would accomplish that!

 

ETA: Are you looking to eliminate ALL grains? As in rice and Quinoa too? If that is the case, I'd suggest learning to cook Chinese dishes for breakfast - sauteed Bok Choy and all that.

Edited June 30, 2010 by FairProspects

[athena1277]

Gluten free cereal with almond milk. Find a good health food store and you will discover just how much there is to eat, we got allergy friendly (meaning none of the top 8 most common food allergies) and gluten free goodies there for my milk allergic daughter including cake mix, pancake mix and cookies. I am sure these are not on your diet per say but you will probably find great things to eat that way.

 

GF cereals usually contain some grain - usually corn or oats, so that would probably not work.

[Caryl]

Hi Katie

 

It does feel like there is nothing to eat, doesn't it!

 

I've been on a diet very similar to yours for 4 weeks and after a few tough first days, I feel amazingly better.

 

No grains (none- not just gluten-free), no dairy, no nuts. I can have eggs and some fruit (limited).

 

This is a little less crazy for us because we already are a gluten-free household.

 

Breakfast is tough. Since I can have eggs, I usually have those. I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day (I don't think clearly until after some food and coffee :tongue_smilie:)

For you- how about an omelet made with egg-replacer and some veggies (stir fry gently in a little olive oil)? Can you handle meat in the morning? I sometimes have a bit of lean steak with a pile of veggies for breakfast. How about some sliced nuts, your 1 serving of fruit with a bit of almond milk?

 

Check out the paleo diet sites (just google it) for some more ideas.

 

Be encouraged, tho! I feel so much better I don't even care when the rest of the family is downing my daughter's gluten-free brownies!

[Lisa in Jax]

Hummus and carrots?

Peanut butter and banana?

Dinner leftovers?

Turkey bacon and sliced tomatoes?

 

IMHO, I'd look for protein (not carbs) for breakfast, b/c cereal is not going to keep you full enough to avoid snacking.

 

For lunch, how about a bowl of sushi rice, shrimp, carrots, cucumbers, avocado and Thai chili sauce (which is gfcfsf and has sugar, but is fat-free)? It's filling, but not high calorie if you're careful with your portions of rice and avocado.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

[Karen in CO]

Chicken apple sausages - they are my friend. They are great for breakfast. You will have to seriously increase you veggie intake your you're going to be miserably hungry. Can you have potatoes? Maybe make a hash type dish for breakfast. A large portion of the world eats beans for breakfast - check out breakfast foods from other countires. Peanutbutter and an apple would be a good start in a pinch too.

[Quad Shot Academy]

I think you are going to loose weight. ;)

 

I did an allergy elimination diet for 2 months and it was the best thing I ever did! I found out I am allergic to: soy, dairy, eggs, canola oil, wheat, and gluten. I feel amazing when I stick to this diet and really bad when I don't. When I did my elimination diet I had a hypo-allergenic meal replacement powder though. It really helped. I think it is called: Metagenics Ultra InflamX.

 

I might have more food ideas, but I have to run and cook dinner right now. I just wanted to encourage you that the present suffering will probably be worth it in the long run! Think simple, plain foods and you will be fine! It takes a few days to adjust to the bland flavors, but you will!

:grouphug:

[Julie in AZ]

I'd make a list of the things you can eat and build meals from there.

 

Soy is probably going to be a problem as it's hidden in so many products. My dh had to be soy-free for about 4 months several years ago due to an allergy. He ate mostly plain grilled chicken/meat and steamed veggies.

 

Can you stomach veggies for breakfast? It's a healthy way to start your day.

[Mom0012]

Can you have a little vinegar, mayo and mustard? If so, I would make devilled eggs and then have a big glass of OJ with it for breakfast.

 

Another possibility is that you can make pancakes and baked goods with nut butters and nut flours. Here is a website with some recipe ideas: http://www.scdrecipe.com/recipes-pancake/dutch-pancake/.

 

Lisa

[Jen in PA]

You can make a wonderful substitute for cereal using a mix of nuts and seeds. I like almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, and I usually add fresh or dried fruit but it isn't necessary. Little chunks of candied ginger make a nice addition. :D I use coconut milk, but I imagine that almond milk would also work to top it. I often eat a bowl of black or pinto beans for breakfast, and the suggestion above to combine chicken sausage with potatoes sounds really delicious.

[AspieMel]

Well, think about having non-breakfast items for breakfast.. Like a burger patty and a fruit smoothie... Or tomato soup and pepperoni :) Going without grains is hard, but it can be done. We're gluten/dairy/soy/peanut/corn free here at my house. But we've done the grain free diet as well.. You will feel so much better once you find out what foods your body reacts to!:grouphug:

[Chrystal]

Vegan yogurt made from almond or hemp milk with fruit. Sausages (make sure they don't contain any fillers made from grain), peanut butter with apples or celery, grape salad made with dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream, bacon (make sure it's gluten free), grilled fish and veggies, grapefruit sections, fruit salad, etc...

[amey311]

Quinoa is officially a seed, so you might want to ask if you can eat that (it's also gluten free, but clearly this diet isn't just about gluten if you're not allowed rice). You could make hot cereal from that like you would oatmeal with hemp milk or almond milk (assuming those drinks don't also contain things that are on your banned list) or just water. I've made oatmeal with an apple cinnamon tea (brewed the tea and then used the liquid to make the oatmeal), so that might be an option to get some flavor into a hot cereal.

 

aside from that, it sounds like savories for a while.

[elizabeth]

An allergist that is an MD ?? Or a non MD allergist? I am completely unfamiliar with this concept of intolerance.

[Soror]

My diet here is gluten, dairy, soy, sugar/grain free, limited fruit- so similiar. I am of the paleo persausion and found I just feel better eating this way. The toughest thing to me about your diet would be egg-free a lot of paleo alternatives use egg. There is coconut and almond flour for baked goods but without eggs it makes it hard to find any recipes. I would keep b-fasts simple- meat and your fruit for the day. Lunch a big salad w/ some meat or beans/and or nuts for some protein and supper same basic idea. Make sure to get plenty of good fats. Be aware at first that if you were a big carb addict that you will likely go into a 'carb flu' which is no fun.

[Jennifer in MI]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I don't have specific suggestions, but I understand. I've been trying to come up with ideas for you and I see others have better ideas than I! Soy is HARD!!!!! My d.s. had many allergies as a little one. Soy was the hardest as it's in everything.

 

Sounds like you need to hire a cook! (Just kidding! But, it was how I felt after hearing the "list" from my d.s.' allergist!) So for now, more :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Amy in KS]

My favorite breakfast! Get a handful of walnuts (high in omega 3) and a handful of blueberries (fresh is much better than frozen). It is surprisingly good and keeps me full until lunch!

[rafiki]

.

[KatieJ]

I knew you guys would have tons of suggestions. Thanks for all the hugs and support! Really awesome, I feel a tad better about things after reading your replies.

 

FOr now I can not have any type of grain, including rice and quinoa. No potatoes for now either. (I asked) Well he did say an occaional sweet potato, so I am thinking that would taste pretty good in the am.

I can handle meat in the morning, I just usually don't. I prefer whole grain cereal or steel cut oats.

 

I can have almonds, but I had forgotten about almond milk. He really wants me to limit fruit for now, and no juice , only what would be included in an orange, but berries are ok and an occasional banana. I guess I have to figure out smoothies that way. And I definately will check into vegan yogurt.

 

No, I can't have beans for now.

Nor can I have eggs.

 

I will check into the Enger G egg replacer.

I do have a wonderful health food store close by and am pretty familiar with a soy free diet, but rice and oats? I just hope we can "prove" that I can add some of these things back in.

 

Yes, he is an MD allergist. He started out as an ENT and figured out that most things he was treating were allergies. He still is an allergist and I had some skin testing done 2 weeks ago. I reacted to all 13 things, but corn and chocolate not as serverely as the rest. (There is hope for chocholate again one day!) None of them were severe, so I probably will be able to add some things back in a couple weeks. He mostly thinks we will prove that Milk and Wheat are the worst for me, but we'll see. I have decided this is really complicated and I will start it after the holiday is over next week and will work on getting more veggies and protein in the house over the weekend.

[MamaBearTeacher]

steak and vegetables

potatoes

sweet potatoes

fruit and veggie smoothie

celery with peanut butter or another nut butter

baked goods made of nut flours

 

Aim to have a good combination of protein, carbohydrate and fresh fruit or veggies, with an emphasis on the protein so that you keep your energy and don't get hungry quickly. This sounds healthy.

[Whereneverever]

I knew you guys would have tons of suggestions. Thanks for all the hugs and support! Really awesome, I feel a tad better about things after reading your replies.

 

FOr now I can not have any type of grain, including rice and quinoa. No potatoes for now either. (I asked) Well he did say an occaional sweet potato, so I am thinking that would taste pretty good in the am.

I can handle meat in the morning, I just usually don't. I prefer whole grain cereal or steel cut oats.

 

I can have almonds, but I had forgotten about almond milk. He really wants me to limit fruit for now, and no juice , only what would be included in an orange, but berries are ok and an occasional banana. I guess I have to figure out smoothies that way. And I definately will check into vegan yogurt.

 

No, I can't have beans for now.

Nor can I have eggs.

 

I will check into the Enger G egg replacer.

I do have a wonderful health food store close by and am pretty familiar with a soy free diet, but rice and oats? I just hope we can "prove" that I can add some of these things back in.

 

Yes, he is an MD allergist. He started out as an ENT and figured out that most things he was treating were allergies. He still is an allergist and I had some skin testing done 2 weeks ago. I reacted to all 13 things, but corn and chocolate not as serverely as the rest. (There is hope for chocholate again one day!) None of them were severe, so I probably will be able to add some things back in a couple weeks. He mostly thinks we will prove that Milk and Wheat are the worst for me, but we'll see. I have decided this is really complicated and I will start it after the holiday is over next week and will work on getting more veggies and protein in the house over the weekend.

 

Would insurance pay for seeing a nutritionist? That might be a good way to map out what you can eat, when, and in what quantities.

[Wyndie]

My children have to avoid everything on your list plus nuts; but they can have grains at night. For breakfast they have:

 

Fruit smoothie with hemp powder thrown in for protein. Basically fruit juice, fresh fruits, aloe juice, hemp powder, xylitol, goji berries, avocado, cinnamon, vanilla.

OR meat and veggies. I clean the veggies the night before so they are ready to toss in the pan first thing.

 

I often have hummus and celery or apples and sunbutter (from sunflower seeds) for breakfast.

 

Making sure you get plenty of good healthy fats. That will help you feel like you're not starving. Olive oil on your salads, sautee your veggies in coconut oil, avocado when you're hungry. All those things will help you make it through. :)

[Diana B]

I would not want to be there - I would have a hard time cutting out dairy and eggs! I'm working on highly limiting my grains, but keeping the eggs and dairy!

 

But I suggest celery with peanut butter. And coconut milk is a good replacement for dairy! And coconut would be really good for keeping you full (considering there isn't much you can eat! :D) See the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat.

[jplain]

Focus on getting meat and vegetables at every meal.

Eat dinner leftovers, make chicken salad, etc.

After a while it won't seem so bad!

 

I do eat some dairy and eggs, but otherwise the diet you've been prescribed is what my husband and I have been eating since November, plus we don't eat sweeteners, except when we went on vacation and I had a grain-free dessert every day. I have to go easy on nuts though, as I seem to have a mild sensitivity to them if I overindulge (itchy neck). I do not regret for a second the changes I've made to my diet. It is second nature now, and I never feel deprived.

 

Don't be afraid of fat. You need fat for energy when you eliminate starchy carbs. Basically, your body can run on fat or on carbs, so if you're eliminating most carbs, you need to make sure you're getting enough fat. I personally believe the healthiest fats come from meat, ghee (butter clarified to remove the proteins) and coconut. You may feel icky for a few days, but once you're out on the other side of carb withdrawal, you'll be fine. And you WON'T gain weight doing this. I was already quite slim, but I lost another 5 pounds when I cut out starches and upped my fat intake.

 

Can you eat coconut? Coconut chips (large flakes) and/or coconut butter might be a nice addition to your list of foods. If you can eat coconut, you should be able to cook with coconut oil. Some are more strongly flavored than others, so Google the brands you have available before buying, to read reviews.

 

Bacon fat saved from cooking bacon is nice for sauteing veggies. If you can find Niman Ranch brand bacon, it is antibiotic and hormone free. Trader Joe's carries it.

 

Ghee (clarified butter) may also be a possibility. Dairy allergies are specific to casein and/or whey, and both are removed from ghee. But ask about that first, as your allergist may feel your allergy to milk is too severe, and/or he may wish you to wait on introducing ghee.

 

Good luck!

[Ellie]

Sounds as if Atkins will be your friend for awhile. There's nothing wrong with having a hamburger for breakfast. :-)

[naturegirl7]

We live with major food allergies here (peanut, soy, treenuts, most seeds, all gluten grains, rice, all dairy, eggs, squash veggies, nightshade family veggies, and melons/tropical fruits and sugar - until recently also laurel family and banana free too)

 

At first I was in shock and panic - WHAT am I going to eat?! Will my child EVER be "normal" and have "normal" kid experiences....Now i laugh when people ask about his allergies and respond with "OMG WHAT do you feed him?!" There is sooo much we can still eat, so much we have added to our diet, so much I have learned about food (and my personal, emotional relationship with food).

 

Honestly we are all much much healthier as a result of DS's food allergies. I was BFing when he was diagnosis (his first anaphylaxis reaction was at 18 mos from merely touching PB) and was NOT going to wean over it. I did the elimination diet for 2 MONTHS. You honestly are supposed to do the elimination diet until you reach "baseline" (symptom free) and that generally is 2-3 weeks. It can be longer. We initially saw major improvement with the diet changes (ear infection magically cleared in 3 days after 2 months of treatment not working, sleeping better, tummy symptoms better, etc) but then hit a wall. And then starting getting worse again after week 5-6. My gut told me that something I was eating was bothering him, so I opted for the blood test at that point - turns out he was allergic to rice, avacado, and all the squash veggies - the main basis for the elimination diet!!! Pulled those out and BAM! truly incredible results. Then we learned to do a rotation diet with the foods we had left and all the new foods we found.

As an added bonus - I started feeling better. My IBS (which reared its ugly head atleast 5 times a week desppite meds) DISAPPEARED. Migraines - GONE. energy level up, immune system up. Lost a ton of weight with no effort at all.

 

We are going the natural route to treat/manage teh food allergies- and it is working well for us. This last year we have added about 8 foods back into DS diet with great success! We have a great chiropractor (think of your brain as the master computer - it cant send info to the digestive system or the immune system if is "blocked" with subluxations). We have an awesome acupunturist/traditional chinese medicine doc. And about 6 months ago, we added a homeopath/kinesiologist to the list. We also take nutritional supplements to help repair the "leaky gut" that caused the allergies to begin with.

 

Check out the askdrsears.com website for lots of really great info on the elimination diet and food allergies and leaky gut - applies to adults and kiddos the same. Also this may sound odd - but check out the Eating for Your Blood Type books, specifically the one about food allergies - it sounds wacky but all our foods were listed there! Alot of other food allergies people I know also had it match up with the book. MDC has a wealth of info on food allergies and healing your gut too.

Edited July 1, 2010 by naturegirl7

[naturegirl7]

Back to food -

 

Rice crispy cereal with fruit (get the GF - gluten free version)

Gluten free oatmeal (GF to avoid the X contamination) - you can also coat this with a little honey or agave and toast it up for some great granola

Buckwheat hot cereal (I did not like it but alot of people love it)

Rice bread/rolls/crackers etc (again GF) Try the Sami's or Deland bread if you can find it - yummy,not dry. Toast with fruit makes for a tasty breakfast

Bobs Red Mill - anything GF really. BUt the GF pancake mix is a staple here.

Enjoy Life cereal, cereal bars, cookies, chocolate chips, chocolate bars (heaven!!!)

Ancient harvest quinoa - the flake are awesome for hot cereal, muffins, cookies, breading, or breadcrumb subs. The pasta is corn and quinoa based though, so you may want to hold off and use it as a challenge once you are finished and think corn is fine - Otherwise there is a ton of good rice pastas out there - just don't cook it the full recommended time or it will be mushy and nasty. Rinsing in hot water also helps.

 

There is soy based milk/yogurt/cheese/icecream - but they have casien in them (a milk protein) and you should avoid soy anyway while on the diet. You can try the rice subs but again you want to be careful - look for the ones labeled VEGAN or it will have casein. We LOVE the coconut milk based products - kefir, yogurt, etc Diaya is a tasty cheese sub that is allergen free and vegan - made from pea protein and tapicoa mainly.

 

EnerG egg replacer is GREAT - replace in pancake mix, meatballs, cake mixes, basically anything.

 

Applegate farms and Garret County/wellshire Farms make a bunch of convience products like deli meat, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, etc that is GF, SF, DF.

 

There are some great options too for snacks - lots and lots of GF and vegan options for chips, crackers, candies, cookies, etc.

 

 

It takes some getting used to and some planning early on - but it does get easier. The first few weeks are hellish, the first 6 months are really the hardest, but by the end of the first year you will feel like you got it down and start expanding and experimenting - We are 3.5 years into it now and I have found subs for EVERYTHING. Granted almost everything is homemade, but that is nice too. Get to control what goes into the food, it is healthier, and it gives me a chance to get into the kitchen with DS.

 

GL - and feel free to PM me if you want books recs or recipes or anything :)

[naturegirl7]

Also to maximize digestion - pair specific food together. Some foods are more acid and otehr are more alk - and they digest differently.

 

Best to eat simple sugars like fruit first thing in the am - clears out yoru system and is gentle on the tummy after a night of fasting. After 30 mins, then progress to more complex carbs such as cereals, toast, etc or veggies.

Do not eat fruit and protein together as they can't digest well together - especially if you have digestion issues to start with...

If you have fruit later in the day, make it atleast 2 hrs after any other food (to give the other food time to clear thru the stomach first).

 

Protein and carbs tend to digest well together, but if you are having major issues, you may need to eat protein by itself. Carbs and veggies go really well together.

 

I have found if we follow these general rules, we feel better. I mainly only worry about the fruit in the am only thing though.

[naturegirl7]

I posted another post with lots of food recs but it is missing.... :*(

[KatieJ]

Sounds as if Atkins will be your friend for awhile. There's nothing wrong with having a hamburger for breakfast. :-)

 

My Dr. is an avid Atkins fan and yes, my list is pretty much an Atkins list without the soy, eggs and dairy!

 

Mr. Dr. met Atkins before he died. He found out then that Atkins was doing skin testing in his office to help figure out trigger foods for those who were plateauing. He recently talked with someone who worked for Atkins and found out more about that process and how they treated folks.

[KatieJ]

I posted another post with lots of food recs but it is missing.... :*(

 

Thank you for all your posts. But really, if you don't eat protein with fruit, and you don't eat it with veggies, and I am allowed no carbs at this point I have to eat it all alone?????

[jplain]

Talk to your doctor about food combining, ie. eating certain foods in combindation, and avoiding other combinations. As restricted as your diet is right now, he might discourage you from piling on additional rules for the time being. If you do decide that you're having trouble digesting certain foods, ask your doctor about adding digestive enzyme supplements. I've not had success with them, but I know others who swear by them.

 

For now, my advice is to just keep it simple. Focus on meat and veggies at every meal.

Eat to satiety, even if it seems like more meat than you're accustomed to eating.

Don't skip meals! At the beginning of low carbing, often hunger diminishes, but try to at least have a small lunch.

And try not to get discouraged or overwhelmed. Healing is worth it!

 

:grouphug:

Edited July 1, 2010 by jplain

[Ellie]

Thank you for all your posts. But really, if you don't eat protein with fruit, and you don't eat it with veggies, and I am allowed no carbs at this point I have to eat it all alone?????

I wouldn't worry about "pairing foods." Just follow your Atkins plan and you'll be fine.

[emubird]

http://forums.delphiforums.com/AvoidingCorn

 

I know this group is supposed to be specifically for avoiding corn, but there are a number of people there who have multiple allergies (often to things you've been instructed not to eat.) They might be a great resource for both ideas on what to eat and other websites and groups that might be helpful.