Recent Posts by happywheather

Topic: Allergy Support Group / I'm new here

Sure thing. I also forgot to mention that this cookbook has optional ways to substitute for sugar, as well.

Also FYI, you might try using only organic sugar. I have found I have a sensitivity toward some non-organic sugar (possibly contaminated with another allergen at the factory?), but seem to be okay with organic sugar.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / everything's bothering me!

AllieK—Is it possible for someone to have vitamin D toxicity even if their blood tests show them to be in the normal/low range?

Topic: New Allergy Requests / Guar gum

I read on Wikepedia that guar gum is the ground endosperm/seed of the guar bean. I seem to be allergic to it, which is not surprising, as I am allergic to most other types of seeds. This binder is found in SO many foods! Glad I know to avoid it now, but it’s hard to rule out in an “allergen” list. Has anyone else found they are allergic to guar gum?

Topic: New Allergy Requests / separate egg whites and egg yolks

I agree! I had also suggested this distinction in an earlier post a couple of months ago. Some people may be able to tolerate either the yolk or the white, but not the other.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / I'm new here

Kbaby’s mom—my favorite cookbook is “Cooking Allergy Free” by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. The book offers options for gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free recipes. For more recommendations, you can click on the “Recipes” tab on this website, then look towards the bottom of the left-hand side for “Suggested Cookbooks”.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / anyone also have short gut syndrome??

wiretree—No, the scratch test is absolutely not the “gold standard”. The scratch test is a good place to start pointing you in the direction of some or your allergy food-groups, but by no means can it be considered fool-proof. If you want to go more in-depth, your allergist can also do an injection-type test, which is likely to catch more allergies than the scratch test. I have not tried this myself, but it is an option. They can also do a blood test to determine if you have certain types of allergies.

Otherwise, you may want to try an elimination diet, in which you eat VERY basic foods for at least a couple of weeks (like rice, chicken, a few vegetables, no seasonings), then gradually add in ONE new food item at a time for a few days, to see if you have a reaction. This can be a time-consuming process, but may be helpful.

Topic: Looking for Recipe / fructose intolerance

You might try blue-agave nectar in place of honey or syrup. It has a slightly lighter flavor and texture, and works well as a sweetener. Also, sorghum molasses is available at some health-food stores as a substitute for regular molasses. You may want to double-check first to make sure your eight-year-old is not allergic to either of these items.

Topic: Looking for Recipe / Pizza please!

Rice-based cheese is available at some health-food stores. It’s a little pricey, but can be a nice treat!

Topic: New Allergy Requests / Allspice/Arrowroot

For the sake of background understanding, could you explain what the relationship is between allspice and arrowroot—are they derived from the same plant?

Topic: New Allergy Requests / Tapioca

Arrowroot flour is a good substitute for tapioca flour, as it has nearly the same consistency. Arrowroot flour can also be used a thickener in place of cornstarch.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / wheat allergy question

dgmwbiz—You can try substituting wheat-free flour in normal recipes, but you will also need to add approximately 1 tsp. plain gelatin powder or xantham gum per cup of flour to make the recipe hold together without crumbling. Also, you will find that each type of wheat-free flour has a different texture, and may work better in some recipes than others (a combo flour works best). Likewise, you would need to experiment with different ratios of gelatin/xantham gum for the desired consistency in each recipe.

As for soy sauce, see if your local health-food store carries “San-J” brand Organic Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce. This is an awesome replacement for normal soy sauce!

Topic: Allergy Support Group / Something to put over rice??

shadler26—using chicken broth in place of water, as puddlejump suggested, is a yummy way to cook brown rice! If you do not have any broth on hand, you can also try using plain water, but adding 1/8 tsp. salt + 1/8 tsp. garlic/onion powder per serving to the water prior to cooking. Then after the rice is cooked, mix in 1 tsp. olive oil per serving.

Also, if you cannot find wheat-free spaghetti/pasta, you may want to check the Asian section of your local grocery store. They usually have Thai rice noodles of different sizes, which work great for dishes like stroganoff, chicken-noodle soup, etc.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / Weight loss due to food allergies?

Is your weight loss due to your avoidance of the allergens themselves? If so, it can be quite normal to lose excess weight once the allergens are omitted from your diet and cleared out of your body, along with your having a more restricted diet now and naturally eating fewer calories. However, if the weight loss is due to your still experiencing some “symptoms” even after eliminating all known allergens, then it could be the case that you still have some undetected allergens. At the same time, I have heard of some people with these symptoms having an actual IBD, which can be extremely serious if not treated with the proper medications. You may want to ask your GI about this just to be safe. This suggestion may not even apply to your situation, but it’s important to make sure you are being properly treated for whatever you are experiencing.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / newly diagnosed - tons of allergies

kkenney3: Yes, your anaphylactic reactions sound very scary to experience, and I can see how the fear of potentially having a reaction can become debilitating in itself! Please keep in mind that some of your anxiety, heart palpitations, scary thought patterns, etc. may in part be side effects of the medications you are taking, and/or side effects from your allergies themselves. In addition, blood-sugar drops can really affect your mental and emotional patterns. In consideration of the types of food allergies you have, as well as your diabetic condition, I would highly recommend you NOT go vegan/vegetarian, as many of the foods you might eat on a vegan/vegetarian diet are ones you are allergic to, and which could cause blood-sugar instability if not balanced with adequate protein. You may instead wish to consider focusing on moderate amounts of organic, high-quality chicken and beef (not ground meat, as this may contain fillers) at each meal, combined with organic vegetables and fruits that you know you can tolerate, and perhaps organic brown rice. If you can stick with a simple diet long enough to clear out your system from residual allergens, you may eventually be able to add a few more foods (that are not on your anaphylactic list) to your palate without having severe reactions. As for a spiritual alternative to “driving yourself nuts”, try prayer: whatever your current beliefs may be, you can still ask God to show you who He is, why this is happening, and how He wants to work with you through this trial. Have hope!

Topic: New Allergy Requests / Nightshades

I found an interesting article on the topic of nightshade vegetables. Please see below:

http://www.trustedhands.com/content/id267.html

Topic: New Allergy Requests / egg

I believe it would be helpful to have an option under the “egg” heading to differentiate between egg white and egg yolk. Many people are not allergic to the entire egg, but only a portion. It can make a big difference in some recipes to be able to incorporate an egg white/yolk.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / Salt & Oil substitutes, esp. in bread

fetlock, you’ve got a tough combo! You might try the Sesmark brand’s brown rice crackers, unsalted, which I believe have basically just rice flour and water(they do not contain sesame, despite the name). Holgrain brand also makes a cracker that is strictly brown rice and water (I believe salt-free).

If you’re still interested in a cracker recipe, I may be able to work on one for you. However, please advise if you can tolerate the following ingredients:

-baking soda
-cream of tartar
-lemon juice
-garlic
-tapioca
-xantham gum
-gelatin
-molasses
-honey

Topic: Looking for Recipe / Gluten-free, egg-free sandwich bread

Okay, so nobody’s posted yet, meaning I am probably not the only one who has difficulty finding a recipe! I have been experimenting, though, and am possibly on my way to a winning recipe—stay tuned…

Topic: Looking for Recipe / Soy Free Teriyaki Recipe

I’ve never tried this before, but just a thought—maybe you could mix beef bouillion (soy-free) with water, but use double the concentration of bouillion to make it a stronger concentration. Then add a small amout of molasses to give it the slightly-sweet teriyaki-like flavor. You may even add a touch of rice vinegar if it seems to need a “fermented” flavor. Good luck!

Topic: Allergy Support Group / wheat allergy question

The best substitute for bread and cookies is…bread and cookies. You just need to stock your kitchen pantry with gluten-free flours and other “magic” cooking ingredients, instead of the wheat flour. Buy yourself a good gluten-free cookbook, and have fun experimenting! If you don’t have time to make bread, you could try using gluten-free tortillas (brown rice or corn) to make roll-ups for your daughter to eat—they can be even more fun than sandwiches! In place of cookies, you can buy mini rice cakes from the grocery store in flavors like apple-cinnamon, caramel, and chocolate (but check ingredients for possible artificial sweeteners). They’re the perfect size for kids, and they still feel like a treat.

Topic: Allergy Support Group / Is there an egg-less flu vaccine?

Great info! Thanks, mel. Maybe in another year or so I will try egg whites again.

Come to think of it, I believe I had also gotten a yellow-fever vaccine about 7-8 years ago, a few years prior to my multi-allergy outbreak. But I still plan to avoid the flu shot for life. I really almost never get sick, unless it’s due to a rare bout with food poisoning. Taking a daily cal-mag-zinc supplement, along with vitamin C, seems to keep the bugs away.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Topic: Allergy Support Group / Is there an egg-less flu vaccine?

Wow, mel, that’s awesome that your egg allergy seems to have disappeared! Was it a true allergy, or an intolerance? And can you think of any specific factor(s) that might have contributed to its disappearance?

Topic: Website Problems and Requests / Cookbook Recommendations

Thanks!

Topic: Website Problems and Requests / Cookbook Recommendations

Hello wlrdq,

Thank you for the information. I actually have tried several times (on different days) to click on “Add an item to this list” hyperlink, and absolutely nothing happens. Perhaps the computer I am using has a block on it.

At any rate, I would like to recommend the following cookbook. In particular, it has some fabulous gluten-free bread recipes that can also be made free (optional) of dairy, egg, and refined sugar.

Title: Cooking Free
Author: Carol Fenster, Ph.D.

Topic: Website Problems and Requests / Cookbook Recommendations

On the “Recommended Cookbooks” feature, I can view it but cannot add any recommendations of my own, as the hyperlink does not seem to work. Do I have to be part of Facebook to use this feature?