What do you mean I have allergies on top of Celiac?

[Fidissimus]

I have been dealing with a lot of health issues this past year and *finally* found a doctor who thought to test me for food allergies.

I am off the charts allergic to eggs. I'm also allergic to dairy (I suspected dairy, but never eggs!) almonds and (OMG what am I going to eat now) RICE. (Soy is borderline bad too.) Uhg, I feel ill just thinking about it.

I have absolutely been going through a grieving period. No cream for my coffee?! whaaa! No cinnamon bread with cream cheese for breakfast? No more casadias for lunch? No. No. No. I'm so dishartened right now. I know things will get better once I can get some replacement foods in place (working on that tomorrow) but in the meantime I'm kinda not eating... which isn't good. I had two bananas today - one for lunch and one for breakfast. Salmon filet for dinner. That was pretty much it. I feel like I can't eat anything. Sigh. Nothing I'm used to anyway.

Bobs Red Mill has some bread mixes that are bean flour based but of course call for eggs. I picked up some fake egg powder tonight so we'll see how it goes. I can also get my hands on some bean based pasta tomorrow (maybe) but I'll have to see if it has egg or dairy in it...

The bad news? They think it maybe leaky gut. The good news I'll be able to rotate in "offending" foods back in once every four days starting in maybe February or March. (You know the *VERY FIRST* thing I'll do is go get a real latte!) I'll keep ya'll posted on how it goes, but in the meantime I'd really appreciate any survival tips to help me get through breakfasts and lunches. Thanks!
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Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

[celiacmaine-iac]

Sorry to hear about your multiple issues. It's hard enough to get used to a new way of eating, and then to have to do it all over again. Have you thought about checking out some cookbooks on Mediterranean cooking, i.e. Tuscan, etc.? You should be able to find some good ones at Border's or Barnes and Noble. They traditionally use very few of the ingredients that you are sensitive to, and it's good food. Very healthy too. Lots of veggies, herbs, risotto,etc. in those type recipes. Most are also naturally GF, or could easily be converted to GF.

Good luck.
Steph

[aklap]

OH NO Jenn!!! Sorry to hear that.

Once you get this all sorted out, you'll feel much better...hang in there!!
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[celiacmaine-iac]

I was thinking about your breakfast and lunch request. Have you tried Roben Ryberg's, Gluten Free Kitchen cookbook? I really like her buttermilk bread (toasted- it's horrible cold). I wonder if you could replace the buttermilk with rice milk with a little vinegar? It also does not contain egg. A lot of her recipes don't call for eggs at all. From what I've read in this forum a lot of people have problems with her recipes. I haven't had any bad results yet, unless I tampered with the recipe. That might help with the breakfast thing.

Lunch? salads, leftovers... Rice cakes with peanut butter get tiresome VERY fast. I posted a roasted veggie salad in the salad section that is really good. I could eat it every day. I also love Lara Bars, but I think you either love them or hate them. Some contain almonds, so be careful.

Steph

[aklap]

I'm thinking rice cakes are out...I think rice is on Jenn's avoid list now
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[celiacmaine-iac]

whoops! I thought the way she worded it that rice was one of the only things left. Sorry

[mrsppmrxky]

Oh wow! I am so sorry! I know that you are going through that 'lost' phase right now. There are things that you can do. I baked a cake for a lady that could not have RICE. I used Sorghum flour in the place of the rice.

For the milk, that is going to be harder. Is it the Casien that you have a problem with? If so, then goat milk is out. If it is just cow's milk, then you can use goat milk (available at local supermarkets........in the dairy case. Even WalMart has it.) When I have baked with it in the past, you could not tell a difference in the end product from the cow milk.

Coconut milk will change hte texture a little. When I use silk (I know soy) not difference. Rice milk I haven't used.........but you can't have that anyway. LOL I have seen Hazelnut milk or almond milk.

I have a few egg substitutes. Flax can be made into an egg sub. the hint that I recently found was to let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the texture to become slimey like egg.

My aunt used to use beaten bananas as a egg sub in quick breads and pancakes.

The egg substitute has worked in the past for me. (the powder form, but I always had another egg in the mix too.)

If I can think of some other helps then I will drop in and post it.

Keep your chin up. We can do this!!!
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[nancw]

Oh Jenn I feel for you and know your pain. When I found out I was allergic to rice I was in total disbelief. I've learned to get around it, and casein too, but it ain't easy! Rice, I think, is in many supplements/vitamins as well. Eggs - I shudder to think.
You seem to be a savvy, resourceful type - hang in there and hopefully you will be able to rotate some foods back in. I'm not brave enough to do so...yet. If you aren't doing probiotics and bromelein/papaya enzymes, I highly suggest adding them. Sometimes that is the only thing that allows me to eat without any gut weirdness.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[nancw]

Another thing (not that you aren't dealing with enough) if you do have a leaky gut, beans - which are lectins - do not help a leaky gut and make it worse. I've pretty much cut out beans and all grains since my troubles started last summer.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[cruelshoes]

Jen - this just sucks out loud. That is quite a hard list to be allergic to. Don't worry - we will get through this together. You are in the right place, especially with Nancw and Mrs. P as experts in the "allergic to all things" department.

Here are a copule of resources that might make things easier.

Here is a thread with ideas on replacing eggs. It takes some doing, but it can be done in most cases.

No need to do without your quesadillas. You could do corn tortillas, or here are some tortilla ideas:
La Tortilla Factory- Made out of Teff. There is both a light and dark version. We liked the dark one better.
Healthy Hemp - I haven't had these, so I can't say how good they taste.

Since rice is out, and with it rice cakes, try corn thins. They are so good with peanut butter or chicken salad.

I got a new book called Gluten Free without Rice. It has some new ideas for cooking with non-traditional flours. I haven't explored it much yet. Maybe you could get it from the library or something.

Quinoa or buckwheat can be used to make a great pilaf. You could also try millet that way too.

Pacific Foods has lots of different nut and grain based milks that might work for you.

Hang in there. It'll be OK.
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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

[forinajoy]

Jen, sooo sorry about these new allergies, but glad that they have found the problem. Ina is also completely dairy free and about a year ago we removed soy...so to some small extent I feel your pain and frustration....I agree with Colleen, if corn is not a problem then you have alot of corn options....corn muffins, corn chips, corn tortillas....the biggie you will miss is milk, there is not really a good substitute for cheese, esp if you cannot do soy...I use almond or coconut milk for baking.....Dairyfree is a good potato based milk substitute, but it contains no protein, so Ina cannot drink alot of that (she has alot of blood sugar fluctutations)

Breakfast suggestions: corn muffins (use an egg substitute) with sausage or bacon (either separate or stirred into the batter prior to baking)...corn muffins with jelly, corn pancakes or waffles (again egg sub) I have heard of people using flax as an egg sub but have never tried it

Lunch suggestions: homemade vegetable soups, stews or chili, make up large batches to have on hand at all times (this is a lifesaver for Ina) or corn tortillas topped with avacado, beans, lettuce and salsa...these tortillas can be soft or crispy or you can use tortilla chips. Also, Ina likes corn pasta. taco salad without the cheese (lettuce, grilled chicken, avacado, tomato, bell peppers, balck olives, onion, and topped with a dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and a dash of tobasco)

I hope this helps...
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Connie, mom to Ina, 13 y/o with CD

[Fidissimus]

Thanks everyone for the good ideas!

Today was rough... but I'm all hormonal and haven't really eaten too much of anything since last year so I hope I can just chalk it up to that. I had my good cry(s) and then went to the little GF grocery store up the road and felt so much better afterwards. I was pretty disheartened, sad and frustrated this morning. I ate my banana but it wasn't satisfying. I miss my coffee! I miss my "easy" comfort foods. I want them back! (Okay tantrum over)

So just to clarify I am allergic to all forms of diary (lactose, casein and even scored poorly on goats milk - so that's off the list too). I am allergic to almonds and rice. Eggs whites and yokes were off the chart. If you got over 300 it's bad really and you shouldn't eat them, I scored 1900.

So I managed to find a bean based bread mix (yay Bob's Red Mill) but it called for one egg and enough egg whites to fill up 3/4 cups. That's a lot of egg! I used the egg replacer. The loaf looked very pretty when I was done (*love* the bread machine) but I had two slices tonight and I just want to chuck the whole thing. Gah! It went down rough and now there's this weird metallically taste in my mouth I can't get rid of. I'm definitely going to have to look into other forms of egg replacements (like the flax seed idea - Mrs.P how does that work exactly?) I also think I may have to find a different bread mix/recipe so I don't have to use so many "eggs". (I picked up an Anna's mix - that one's next on the list to try)

Steph thanks for the Mediterranean food idea - I'll have to look into some of those types of dishes. I do have this recipe for a spicy Italian country chicken dish that I haven't made in ages. But really the savory dinners I'm not having too much trouble with - meat, potato/corn, veggie = golden. It's breakfast and easy lunches I can take to work with me that I'm trying to figure out. I can't have the rice cakes or any of the Lara Bars except cashew now... all the rest have almonds in them. I did find some buckwheat hot breakfast cereal so I'll have to give that a try.

Thanks Mrs.P.... you're right. Finding a decent "milk" is turning out to be a pain. I just want cream in my coffee again, ya know? I've picked up a few different kinds and will give them a shot. One is a soy creamer, another is I think called Dairifree? and is potato! I also picked up some coconut milk but I can't imagine that would taste too good in coffee. I'll try them all and hope at least one of them will work for me. It'd be nice to cook with them as well. I noticed that everything I've tried baking is pretty "bleh" using just water (and no butter, sigh). I've looked for the Hazelnut milk but haven't seen it yet and can't do the almond milk as that's on my no-no list. I bet the Hazelnut milk would be good in my coffee... I'm going to have to make a serious effort to locate some of that.

Nancw, you're right, rice is in everything. It's silly. So are eggs or egg whites, especially GF foods. But the crazy thing is I don't notice a "reaction" when I eat any of these foods! It feels like the equivalent of being a silent celiac. But I wonder if at the beginning of next month when I'm supposed to start rotating these foods back in, if I'll "really" feel it. Like when you go off gluten for a while then get glutened a year later and your reaction is 10x worse then when you were first dx'd. If so, I'm in a heap o' trouble! Please, please, please do not suggest I can't eat beans too! Yer killin' me! So how do beans make leaky gut worse? (BTW my doc is not entirely sure that's the problem) It would be good to look into anyway.

Colleen, thanks for the "sucks out loud" comment. It was one of the few times I smiled at anything today. And I forgot you can use plain knox gelatin as an egg substitute! Yay! Yay! Yay! (Cause that egg replacer stuff I tried today was nasty!) Oh for the quesadillas I was thinking more along the lines of no cheese - I've got corn tortillas in the fridge (use 'em with the hotdogs! ) The Healthy Hemp one's are um, "healthy" tasting. Very high in fiber and "earthy". They're good when paired with the right thing but best done in small doses if you get my drift! Your book recommendation looks good. I'll have to hit up PaperbackSwap.com since I have credits there to see if I can't get it for "free".

Forinajoy, thanks for the words of encouragement. I actually had refried beans with corn, salsa, avocado and hot sauce for lunch today and used corn chips to dip into it. At least I can still have corn - whew! I found some of the DariyFree you mentioned and picked it up. I have yet to try it. But I'm making coffee tomorrow and giving it a whorl then. I can't use almond milk (can't have almonds) but I'm keeping my eye out for Hazelnut milk. (Will have to keep it away from DH as he is allergic to it!)

So thanks all! I'll check back in and let you know how it's going. Tomorrow I'm going to do a big kitchen cleaning and get myself organized and hopefully things will go a little smoother from there on out.
_________________
Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

[nancw]

Hi Jenn,

Beans are lectins. One of the reasons beans are so good at "cleaning you out" is that they scrape the insides of your intestines, creating mucous to help things slide along. In a healthy gut, the cells that are scraped (damaged) immediately replace themselves and all is well. In a damaged gut these cells do not replace themselves as quickly and the leaky gut becomes, well, leakier, allowing not-fully-digested food particles into the bloodstream, creating the autimmune response we all know and love.

Beans are one thing that I am ready to test drive again. Last summer I was eating lots of rice, beans, cheese, salsa (peppers/tomatoes= nightshades) and I think this was part of the reason why I ended up with so many food issues all at once. I wasn't rotating my foods and my gut let me know that wasn't ok.

I know what you mean about rice and no reaction. I didn't notice any reaction to rice except glycemic crashes from white rice, until I really paid attention and would get those "stomach rolls" after eating rice cakes, brown rice, Enjoy Life bars. Now I can notice a slight reaction when using my sublingual zinc supplements that contain brown rice syrup. Same with yeast - never noticed a reaction until I started avoiding it, and now I react quite strongly. It does seem to follow the same pattern as going GF, and developing stronger reactions to a glutening/CC.

I was checking out hemp milk the other day - it think it contained rice syrup, so that was a no-no. The hemp tortillas are good with meat but not with everything, as you have noticed. They are a little bitter, but quite good for you.

Keep eating no matter what. I find that when I don't want to eat the probiotics and enzymes help so much as to make me fear my food less.

Take care!
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[cruelshoes]

Jenn - here's another cookbook resource for you: The ultimate uncheese cookbook. I had it out of the library recently, and lots of the recipes looked good. Many of the recipes were naturally GF. I never got around to trying anything before I had to return it, but it is worth a try. I don't know how it would fit with your other new intollerances, but you might give it a try.
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

[mrsppmrxky]

Here is what I found on the flax to replace and egg. 1 TB of flax meal in with 3 TB of water. mix and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until it becomes more of a consistency like an egg before you add it to the recipe.

While I was in the Health Food store today, I was thinking about you as I went down the aisle. I see you already mention Hazlenut milk. LOL I did see HEMP milk and it said GF on the lable. I didn't see anything else in it that was on your 'no no' list, so this might be a baking ingredient you could use..............You could put it in brownies and see if you feel 'funny' afterwards. LOL
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