Food Allergies

Does anyone else have food allergies? I recently found out that I'm allergic to dairy, gluten and sugar. This is a huge change to my diet and I'm kind of enjoying the challenge, especially since my health will drastically improve. I'm just looking to share ideas on meals.

Wow cool, someone has the same allergies as me. I was discouraged too when he told me I was allergic to fruits, but at the same time I was glad to know what was causing my reactions. It's nice to know I'm not the only person in the world with these allergies. :)

Good luck with your test, let me know how it goes.

-J

bellahartz,

OMG! I just finished reading your post and OMG! You poor thing! Sounds like you were suffering quite a bit! I can't believe how many allergies you had! So you went to an allergy acupuncturist and she cured you? Cured cured? like you never have to worry ever again in your life??

You mean I could get cured too?? :O YAY!!! I'm definitely going to check that out. I am so sick of taking anti histamines too, they're so annoying! The itchiness and the hives drives me crazy! I feel hopeful to know that there's a cure out there. =)

Thank you so much!! :)

-J

Yes ma'am - as long as you don't cheat and you keep the "no exposure for 25 hours" rule in place, I mean CURED FOREVER!  Be sure to read some of the stories on Jill's website and I can tell you from direct experience, this is life-changing.  I'm willing to talk about this until you get annoyed, I'm so amazed.  Non-invasive testing, a small amount of acupuncture needles in you for 30 minutes, and 25 hours of avoidance, and your life is changed.  Your body is no longer fighting your food!

Thank you for your empathy.  It was such a tough time trying to figure out what to avoid and being poorly medicated and afraid, but now my quality of life is so much better.  A few more to go - a tough one, Vitamin A, has a lot of restrictions on what you can eat for the 24 hours.  So many things have Vitamin A!!!  Vitamin C was a tough one too, so folks on this thread with fruit allergies should be tested for that.

Keep your chin up!  There is a better solution than epi-pens and Allegra and allergy shots!!!

B

wow, bellahartz ... i just read your post about the acupuncture .. i have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease which is the allergy to gluten, it looks like that place could cure that as well.

to be honest i have always been a bit leary of acupuncture because i am terrified of needles, but i am willing to try anything because i love pasta and bread to much to give it up forever!

i would need to try and find a location in ny, any idea's?

The needles are really not bad.  They don't hurt anywhere near as much as a shot.  Very tolerable.  If you are really too needle-phobic, I've heard some chiropractors also do allergy elimination.  I don't know how it works or how to find a practitioner, but at least now you know what to ask.

There is a lot of information on this website about the process.  I am a direct person, so I think you should call the office directly and ask Denise (office mgr) if there is an easy way to find a practitioner in your area.  Here's the number: 303-429-HEAL (4325).  I'm sure they can point you in the right direction.

Good luck!

B

I'm allergic to cashews, walnuts, pistachios, pistachios, and all kinds of fish.  When I was younger, I was also allergic to milk, shrimp, seaweed...basically all seafood, I think, except crab.  Somehow they just disappeared as I grew older.  Now, I think I'm getting a little better with fish, being able to eat at least a little bit before getting an allergic reaction.

And yes, acupuncture needles don't really hurt.  It's more like just a little pinch.  I remember I was absolutely terrified of them before.  Then one day, when I was sick, my dad (who's an acupuncturist) just stuck a needle in my foot without telling me, and it didn't even hurt.  Plus, my temperature somehow dropped a degree and a half :)

THIS IS SO STRANGE!!! I am allergic to 95% of the things that you are. I used to work with whales and dolphins...but I developed a sevre allergy to all seafood and was forced to quit. I am also allergic to Pistacios,hazelnut, cashews, ALL seafood ( especially shirmp) grass, dust (of course), and now im starting to think banana and tziki sauce..wierd..i know. I have had the seafood allergy since 2005.  I havent grown out of it yet. I "heard" that ever 7 years, your body go through its life cycle...and that is what causes you to gain allergies..or have them vanish.  I can DEFINATELY relate!

I'm allergic to Stearyl Acid.

Stearyl Acid is the binding agent in 90% of makeup.  It's what makes "Creamy" looking hand soaps, shampoos, and conditioners look that way.  It's derived from tallow (beef fat), palm fruits, soy beans and coconut.  It's an ingredient used in the pasturization process for milk.

I can't eat any of them, save for soy milk, tofu, meat that's been trimmed of fat and grilled, and bananas.  I've had to switch to organic shampoos and conditioners, and clear, antiseptic handsoaps or sanitizer.  I had to replace ALL of my makeup.

This has been the biggest change for me recently - and I apologize as I don't seem particularly eloquent right now, but I felt like I wanted to contribute :)

mfhammack, I have to ask (as my boss is also allergic to gluten), what does this mean diet-wise?  What foods are you working with now?  I'd love to trim some of the gluten in my diet (and be able to prepare foods for potlucks that my boss can eat!)

After suffering from joint pain, bloating and rashes for a couple of years, I was finally diagnosed with a food allergy, though it was unclear whether it was to casein, wheat or eggs. So after doing a reduction diet it became really clear that it was dairy products. As soon as I had anything with casein my rash would come back within hours.

So it was really good to figure it out, because I just feel so much better now having eliminated dairy from my diet. I don't find it too hard (although my attempt to eat as little meat as possible went down the drain - I don't deal well with a near-to vegan diet!) An amazing side effect was my weight loss. At first I thought it was simply the lack of saturated fat after taking all dairy products out. But I found out that many people suffering from food allergies drastically lose weight when they've found out about the allergy. (At least those who had weight problems - I know many people lose an unhealthy amount of weight due to allergies). But what has happened with me is quite extraordinary - I have had problems with my weight for years, always yoyo-ing. If I wanted to keep weight down I had to eat really really tiny portions of everything. Those days are over, since I've met my target weight I've kept it without any problems whatsoever, I am not counting calories and I am not denying myself anything (other than, well, dairy.) But I eat normal to big portions and I'm keeping my weight to the nearest 100grams!

One thing I find difficult is the eating out thing. While I've learned that the best option is a big salad with balsamico and olive oil rather than house dressing, I often 'accidently' eat something that has dairy in it. And each time it happens, my reaction is more severe. The months of dairy-free have sensitized me so much that when I have even a trace of casein, I get the most unbearable stomach cramps and start to feel dizzy and weak. That didn't happen to that degree before. Maybe someone else has had a similar experience? But all in all I am SO happy I figured out what was wrong with me, I feel so much more healthy overall!

Bellahartz acupuncture sessions (though I've never had acupuncture to cure my allergies) is probably as effective as she says it is! :) I've always leaned towards Eastern Medicine whenever I'm sick or feel a little off.  Their field (which is so unlike Western Medicine), solves problems at the source.  Western Medicine just covers up the symptoms most of the time. 

I myself am allergic to gluten and dairy.  I didn't know about this until my freshman year in high school (5 years ago) when injured myself in dance class.  Every doctor I went to said that it was just my weight, but when I went to a doctor in Oriental Medicine he discovered I had these allergies.  All the gluten and sugars I was eating was "gumming up" my system and literally breaking down my body.  In fact, the doctor explained that it was virtually impossible for me to lose weight because of my allergies.

Another thing my doctor explained to me is that just because I'm not allergic to a certain food doesn't mean that it's good for my body.  I should avoid sugar, carbs excluding rice, soda, coffee, oats, and the list goes on. 

I believe that the best solution for anyone who is allergic to gluten, dairy, sugar, etc., is to see a doctor in Oriental Medicine.  And eat LOTS of meat and vegetables.  Anything that a caveman/woman would eat, eat it!

My daughter has a sensitivity to gluten and I am suspecting that I also have it or have celiac disease. I am always struggling with bloating and feeling sick after eating a meal especialy with eating wheat or oats. I went in for a blood test this week to see if it shows up positive for celiac. I have not received the test results yet.

I don't know what I will do if it doesn't show up as Celiac. I read in a magazine that if you are celiac negative than don't go on a gluten free diet unless you will stick with it and never go back to eating gluten in the future.

It is encouraging to see that there are other people out there with the same allergies.

How did some of you find out that you are allergic to sugar? Is it that you get sick after eating fruit or is it that you are diabetic?

Ipanda50, the thing is that I was actually tested negative for celiac's too.  I stay away from gluten because my body is happy without it.  Whatever makes your body happy and feel great, do it, gluten or no.  Don't follow a magazine's advice when you can be following how you feel. 

I do eat bread from time to time, and it's not like anything bad is going to happen when I do.  In fact, I had a pancake today and felt fine! :) My doctor said that I should be following a gluten free and dairy free diet around 80% of the time.  The remaining 20% I indulge in a small piece of bread or a cookie.  That 20% helps my body remember that those foods exist too, and they shouldn't be forgotten. 

Hope this helps!

I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, cucumbers, beets, and sensitive to legumes and citrus fruit.  I have never tested positive for any of these allergies.  Two allergists and about eight ER visits later I finally got someone to concede that the anaphalactic shock wasn't a figment of my imagination. 

We aren't allergic to similar things, but I'll tell you what my biggest allergy related issue is when it comes to... eating in general.  That is boredom.  I eat the same foods over and over and over because I know they're safe.  Just remember to mix it up when you're planning your meals.