Food Allergies
*taking a 30 second craft pause here*
My daughter has allergies/sensitivities to dairy, wheat, processed sugars, soy, and possibly eggs and some citrus fruits.
Or as my mom likes to say "She can only eat two things, and one is water.".
Paige is very sensitive to these foods, but luckily her symptoms aren't really life-threatening. Mostly bad eczema, and digestive issues. But it basically means we can't eat anywhere except home, I have to sneak the tasty food while she's napping so she doesn't see it, and I haven't slept through the night once in about 2 1/2 years because she itches so badly.
It might be a long-shot, but I was just wondering if anyone has problems like this, and knows of some good recipes or websites? I'm not the greatest cook anyway, so throw all those restrictions in and....we're eating salad for dinner.
*I would also like to add that our food makers are nuts these days! Why do potato chips need sugar in them? And why does dairy-alternative cheese have milk proteins in it?? OK, I'm done.
That's hectic. I don't have any solutions for you, but one thing I can recommend to try for the eczema is rooibos tea. Not the expensive mix blend you buy in tea shops, but the genuine South African original, plain and simple rooibos. my little guy had bad eczema when he was little and the only thing that helped was to bath him in warm water with a couple tea bags thrown in. Or we would make a solution of the tea, cool it and then dab it on his body with cottonwool. A South African store should have the real deal. It's known as red bush tea in english. Is there a chance Paige will grow out of it?
ReplyDeleteMan, that is tough. I guess, veggie soup, beans, and more veggies. Good Luck. I hope someone sees this who can give you some great recipes.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know yet if she will grow out of it or not. I sure hope so! Thank you for the rooibos tea suggestion, I'll see if I can find some online!
ReplyDeleteI have some allergy issues that have all been solved by finding out one main allergy, I don't know if you and your doctor have talked about it but I have Dermetitis Hepetiformis - a form of the disease Celiac. DH presents itself in a terrible horrible rash all over your body but mainly located in areas that have the most pressure - behind, elbows, knees, etc and awful belly aches. It also causes problems with dairy and other things but the main problem is anything with gluten. Once I took all traces of wheat, oats, barley and rye out of my diet I was able to add all the other allergies back in within about a year (tomatoes, dairy, all nuts, eggs and a few other random reactions here and there.)
ReplyDeleteIf you have already thought of this or been tested just ignore the crazy celiac :)
Hey Disney - my son used to have such horrible itching he would scratch himself bloody. Cutting milk out of his diet pretty much eliminated it, but until we figured that our, we used to douse him in prescription Elidel every night. It was the only thing we could find that healed his skin, and it did so wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteOh wow. That's pretty restrictive, I feel for you. I don't have any advice BUT... I eat a 99% vegan diet and the things that are left when you take out your daughter's restrictions remind me of of a vegan diet. Maybe looking up some vegan recipes will help? I don't eat any animals products and no processed foods. Just lots of vegetables, grains like quinoa, rice and millet, beans and nuts. There are so many amazing vegan sites out there, you can make just about anything with a vegan diet.
ReplyDeleteTwo sites that I LOVE for recipes are:
http://veganyumyum.com/
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
Good luck! I can't imagine how tough that must be for a little one. I will say that when my meat and fast food eating little niece and nephew stay with us, they always love my vegan food, so there's hope!
You may want to check out raw food cookbooks. The beauty is that you don't have to actually keep it raw. But their ingredients are as close to the produce shelves as they can be. They have excellent ways to combine different ingredients. I hope this helps a bit.
ReplyDeleteDisney, I posted your question to my church's healthy living email loop. So far I've received one answer. Others may be forth coming. The ladies in our church are very much into nutrition. Below is the answer I received from Colleen. Hope this helps. Trudy.
ReplyDelete"My advice is that she go see a naturopath or allergist and get some help. She should get references and make good use of her time and money. It's so easy to completely miss something on your own. We found out that our son is actually allergic to peanuts and all this time we never thought to eliminate that. If she can afford it, a naturopath might save her a lot of work and heartache. And digestive enzymes may be helpful. Some naturopaths have techniques to help identify and eliminate allergies or sensitivities. Then once she's really sure what her daughter is sensitive to, she can find recipes. It would be a shame to eliminate something that she is not sensitive to if it is a healthy food that might make cooking easier."
I have 5 children and 2 have severe allergies. My oldest had the worst case of excema and food allergies his doctors had seen. I had been to different cities, doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, etc, etc! Luckliy MOST of our oldest's allegies are gone except peanuts, eggs and dairy. We have epi-pens we carry around everywhere. Make sure you have one too! :)
ReplyDeleteI have learned to cook with soy because he grew out of that allergy. There are ways to make yummy chocolate cakes with vinegar of all things! Trust me, it's delish. Rigid food label reading and drilling everyone who offers your child any food is key. lol!
I know your child has wheat allergies and that was always hard. Do they have true allergies or are they just sensitive? My kids can go into anaphylactic shock if they ingest peanuts. We make pizzas with no cheese, take calcium supplements, cook with soy milk, soy cheese etc.
Have you tried rice milk? Rice pasta? I did alot of googling and grocery shopping at co-ops and places that offered vegan foods.
It is very tough to cook for all 7 of us and try and include something we all can eat together. I have become a short order cook for them and one of our sons who has sensory issues and I'm okay with that!
Sorry for the novel but I know what you are experiencing and the good news is SOME of them might reduce or go away but most likely, as in our case, it never will. When they are old enough they will know how to handle food situations ( our oldest is 16) but for now we have to be the ones to watch out for what they sink their teeth into!
Good luck to you and your family
Marisa
I just e-mailed my friend who has a daughter with some of the same allergies....I hope she'll be able to help you out!
ReplyDeleteTrudy: thank you so much for doing that, how thoughtful!!
ReplyDeleteThat's great advice, too. My dad actually payed for us to take Paige to his Naturopath (who is quite renowned actually!) over in Bellevue, which is how we found out about the allergies. And she did give us some digestive enzymes, as well as some other things to try. It was a great help, I wish I could afford to go back all the time! That was only recently though, so we're still trying to work out all the kinks, and it seems like I discover daily something new that I shouldn't have been giving her. :o) Tough stuff!
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteMy son (who is 10) has life-threatening allergies to dairy and egg and pretty serious (although not life-threatening) ones to beef. So I hear you cluckin'. We've had 10 years to adjust and it's still tough at times. The rest of the kids (we have 5 -- so, the other 4) have no allergies or sensitivities to food at all, thankfully. So, I know lots about the dairy and egg restrictions, but am pretty clueless about the others. I would be happy to "chat" with you about it anytime if you have questions, although I am NOT the cook in the house. My husband has that role around here!
Hang in there!
Blessings,
Shana
(the winner of your amazingly cute brown purse that I get compliments on ALL THE TIME!)
my sister in law's sister has a son with these problems. Can you go with rice flours? I have a friend or two who can't eat regular flours for medical reasons as well and they have said it takes a bit of work but they're finding more and more recipes that don't taste like poo.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my mom has gone to a naturopath who also did acupuncture, and through a few months of crazy diets with occasional appointments for acupuncture they managed to get rid of a lot of her intolerances as well. It sounds crazy but it worked, it also helped a friend of mine who had sugar intolerance as well.
My son and I both have Eosinophilic Esophagitus or EE. You can read more details here http://rootsandwingsco.blogspot.com/2009/05/this-week-is-national-eosinophil.html. One great resource for recipes for very restricted diets is http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/?gclid=CIrQlNmiz50CFSMNDQodNXLerQ. I paid the membership and got access to a lot of recipes for limited diets. It is a tough road. I am right there with you.
ReplyDeleteEmail me if you have any questions. We live severely restricted diets every day.
Anjeanette
My daughter's allergic to milk, almonds, sesame, egg white. Her reaction is pretty much excema too. We treat it with hydrocortisone cream. It's not so bad to elminate foods. But I do notice a spike with itchiness when she's had nuts. We just try to avoid that. I try not to buy anything processed. Fortunately my little one loves rice. We made rice congee and mix in either chicken or fish. We do a lot of stir fried greens in garlic. I suggest picking up a chinese cook book, the stuff your little girl's allergic to is generally not in chinese diets - except for the soy. I was told when we did the allergy panel that most of the food allergies, she will out grow. Good luck!
ReplyDeletegood grief! I actually had to pull out my recipe book to find out things she can eat. You can always try soups and stews, which is especially wonderful when the weather is turning grey.
ReplyDeleteI would look into the different types of flours, so you could still bake treats for her.
I just did a quick search about wheat allergy baking and www.kidswithfoodallerigies.org had a lot of resources for you to look at.
I also might have some good recipes on my cooking site, www.cookingbakingeating.com. The beef stew would work, just cut out the chilis and cayenne pepper and its rather mild. Or even roasted tomato soup.
good luck in your findings!
Hey girl, Kind of comforting I'm not the only one with a napless child :) But, you are in my prayers and so is your little girl.
ReplyDeleteMy son has a lot of these issues, too. He's 9 now. This is what we do and he does really well.
ReplyDeleteEat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. If they have to be frozen go with Cascadian Farms.
Pears, Melons, apples. Greens, lettuces, beans, broccoli
Rice - brown especially - very nutritious - with beans, chicken, beef, veggies - easy to throw together. It's become a staple for us. Rinse your canned beans before cooking - it takes out the "gas" factor. (sorry!)
We eat meat here and it's usually organic or grass fed. No fillers and no antibiotics/hormones which can also contribute to the eczema.
Rice breads/waffles are nice. There are some great brands in the freezer section of a natural food store or area of the supermarket. Best toasted.
Rice noodles in the Thai/Asian section are delicious with olive oil and garlic powder/salt - throw in some chicken.
Use raw sugar - it's brown and hasn't been processed.
We use PURE aloe vera on the red patches. It cools and heals.
Drink TONS of water!! Flushes out the system, in case some of the allergens get in.
I have tons of others if you need. Hope some of this helps!
I love your blog btw!
Kolein Carlson
velvette1216@gmail.com (I didn't know how to post so I added my email here!)
You wouldn't happen to live in Tennessee? We used to live in Bellevue, Tennessee. Now we live in Spring, Texas, in the Houston area.
ReplyDeleteAnnatto color is linked to excema.
ReplyDeleteWe try to eliminate all food dyes & food colors from our daughters diet. It is linked to her behavior problems. When I did research on it I read that Annatto food color is linked to excema. Annatto is in vannilla pudding 7 that sort of thing?
Try these few sites for ideas:
ReplyDeleteStephanie O'Dea's site: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com -- she just published a full cookbook called "Make It Fast-Cook It Slow" based on the site. They are glutin free.
Another is Lemon Ginger Girl:http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/
And another quick, cheap and dietary friendly source is $5 dinners:
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
Best wishes.
Hi....just wanted to echo some of the previous comments. Ultimately you're going to end up learning more than you ever wanted about natural foods and veganism. :) I would recommend to start shopping at Whole Foods if you have one or a local natural-foods store and get familiar with the brands and ingredients.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, there are lots of soy free, dairy free options out there. Plenty of nut based, rice, and hemp alternatives on dairy/soy. Things you can make on your own too...strangely enough - like almond cheese. Since it sounds like she can still eat meat, I would make a "vegan" dish and add meat to it, if you like.
Also, there are many vegans with celiacs disease...meaning wheat free, dairy free and soy free diets! With time you'll find this incredibly easy to deal with and these things tend to change over time too so she might "grow out of it."
Lastly, there are SO many good vegan blogs. Check them out! You're about to love cooking. :)
A website I've recently been reading has lots of good information for raw foods. She also has lots of recipes collections that can be bought and downloaded. Haven't tried any of them yet, but some look delicious! The website is greensmootiegirl.com. Hope this helps!
ReplyDelete-Breanne
Forgive a MAN for reading your blog, but I sew too;) Love the ideas - I have a grand-daughter that I sew for. The symptoms you describe with the little one sound very similar to mine. I have become a type II diabetic and didn't know it for 10 years. it is more than just a sugar/starch issue. The whole body is thrown out of wack. Digestive enzimes provide temporary and partial relief, but things with high fat/cholesterol like eggs, milk, adversly affect the colon which was also disturbed by the diabetes. PS I didn't have all the usual symptoms (so I had to MAKE the Dr do the A1C test). Following a diabetic low carb diet has helped, but obviously nothing can reverse the damage already done (in my case). PPS I don't normally comment on blogs (for security reasons) so I don't have any account. God Bless
ReplyDelete'Grampa Bear'
What about Spelt or Corn?
ReplyDeleteOver here in Germany, you can get pasta and bread made of these at wholefood-stores, and also some drugstores?
I seem to be allergic to wheat, too (at least, only fine flour), but with spelt, some buckwheat and everything else coming out of a wholefood-store, I'm going very fine.
Wouldn't asian meals (selfcooked), with mainly rice and a lot of vegetables, be an option?
Hello. I am a pastor's wife too! We have six children.(two sets of twins.)Ahem.
ReplyDeleteAll six of my children have exzema and food allergies. My very youngest one is the hardest to deal with. She could die if she ingests the tiniest amount of peanuts.
They are allergic to bananas, eggs, melons, chicken, and nuts.
I havven't slept through the night but a handful of times in the past 13 years. You can really tell if they have had a piece of cake(eggs in it) or even pancakes for that matter. The itching and scratching and blood...
Anyway, I have begun grinding my own wheat and making everything from scratch. My husband and I have noticed that if I stop for a week and buy store bought itmes instead of baking that the children get sick. The food that the stores sell prepackaged seem to affect the immune system!
I am feeling for ya! I know waht it is like to not be able to go out to eat with your children because of the food allergies.
I love your blog by the way! I sew too!
Bless You!
De-lurking to suggest you network up with Miryam over at breedingimperfection.blogspot.com. She has two kids with some of the same issues. Her kids are a bit older than your daughter, but she may be able to give you some great pointers.
ReplyDeleteJust sharing the love...
We (mostly) feed our 2 year old a raw vegan diet. There is a great online resource that we use frequently to help pinpoint food related issues with him. It's vegsource.com, there's also foodnsport.com that I like. Hope all gets resolved and you have a happy healthy family!
ReplyDeleteDisney,
ReplyDeleteBelow is another response I received from the church health loop.
Trudy
"Brennan is allergic to citrus and dairy, and Colin is allergic to corn. I know how this mom feels! There's a website, www.kidswithfoodallergies.com that is a great resource that I've found. You need to get a family membership to access most of the recipes and post on the message board, I think it's $25 a year, but it's been a great help to me. They also have scholarships if money is a problem.
A lot of times for snacks we eat fruit, breakfast is usually eggs or oatmeal, lunch is leftovers or spaghetti. Dinner I've cut down to the basics, and we'll eat stir-fry (bell peppers, onion, whatever other veggies I have on hand with rice or angel hair pasta and soy sauce if you can use it- I think there is a mock-soy-sauce available online), or chicken and veggies, with or without another side like baked sweet potatoes or "faux-tatoes"- mashed cauliflower that actually does look and taste a lot like mashed potatoes. Nothing very complex, no casseroles or things that have a lot of ingredients in them, mostly just single-ingredient entrees and sides, seasoned with sea salt and olive oil and maybe some herbs or spices.
Organic alternatives are often safer than non-organic for finding things without allergens in them, as they use more basic ingredients and don't include all of the chemicals that tend to be made from allergens. Also switching to a more or less whole foods diet is the easiest thing to do, and better for everyone, not just the person with food allergies. Health food stores, if you're lucky enough to live somewhere that has them, also have more allergen-free foods than normal grocery stores do.
Vegan cookbooks are a wonderful resource for finding recipes that don't contain milk and/or eggs, and there are a lot of cookbooks now that don't have any of the top 8 allergens in them. Check the library before buying one. I also found The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery very helpful, because it explains a lot about the science behind different aspects of cooking, and gives a lot of substitutions and suggestions and just general information that, even though it isn't designed to be used to manage food allergies, has helped me a lot with my boys.
I can't help too much with the wheat allergy, although I would wonder if she was allergic to wheat or to gluten. If it's a gluten allergy and mom has only eliminated the wheat, that could be causing some of the other foods to look like allergens. We had that problem with Colin before we figured out it was actually corn he was allergic to- since it's so prevalent in conventional food today, we thought he was allergic to apples, and more sensitive to dairy than he really was, and were even considering that he might be allergic to wheat/gluten because eliminating other things wasn't seeming to help.
I hope this has helped somewhat.
-Amanda -_-*"
This is from another lady from my church's health loop.
ReplyDelete"Trudy,
I don't know how open she is to alternative medicine, but there is a program that tackles allergies. It is more Eastern medicine and my chiropractor does it. I have many friends who have done this for their children and seen their allergies improve and disappear. It is a process and takes several treatments. One friend had 2 children with severe asthma. One doesn't have asthma any more and the younger one is much better - they are still working on the allergies/causes of his asthma. I have a friend who has Crohn's disease, and he's done wonders for her as well.
The website for this is: www.naet.com There are practitioners who have the training to do this listed on the site and you can do a search based on zip codes.
Like I say, this is a sort of weird, off the wall, kind of approach, but I've seen it work wonders.
Millicent"
I feel your pain. My son has food sensitivites (is what they are called if not life threatinging) to soy, dairy and oats. We have tried every cream out there and nothing worked. Although about 10 months ago we got in contact with a local doctor that has a lovely website full of wonderful articles. She will talk to familys on fridays for free. Here is her website: http://www.youandyourchildshealth.org/ We now give our son a probiotic in apple sauce before bed and omega 3's (go fish by dr sears) in the daytime. Dr johnson thought maybe he has leaky gut syndrome and recomended the diet and book by this woman: Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by Natasha Cambell-McBride
ReplyDeleteShe has a lovely website that states her diet that is in the book. The thoughts are that from use of antibiotics and immunizations your body can get a build up of yeast in the intestines and then the food you eat cannot be digested properly. the yeast then travels outside the intestines and takes on the form of something else. Causing problems from skin disorders to asthma and allergies, cronic phatigue syndrome (sp?), etc. so in my son the yeast goes thru the skin to get our of his body and becomes the excema. Do not use petroleum jelly on the skin - it blocks the skin from breathing.
I know all of this can be frusterating. I understand. I have also found whole foods to have some great products for alternative eating. Coconut milk products are a good source of Medium chain fatty acids and my sone loves the milk, kefir and yogurt. You can also find Rice Vegan cheese. It has no soy or dairy. He likes the cheddar flavor the best.
Hope this helps. It has not cured our son but it has helped his symptoms tremendously and his over all health and well being.
G'anna
Hi Disney, I have alot of food sensititivies because of celiac disease. I have had to stay away from soy, sugar, diary and wheat. It can be challenging, I just try to keep it simple and eat veggies, protein and whole grains (quinoa, millet and brown rice). I actually started working for a company that helps people with food allergies, www.Foodfacts.com. The site helps people find foods they can eat, by using a personalized profile that tags allergens they need to avoid (helps find hidden food ingredients too!). You can create shopping lists, find recipes and more. Its a very useful and educational site, and its Free! I reference it all the time.
ReplyDeleteDue to my own personal experience I am beyond passionate about helping others sort through the overwhelming task of finding foods they can eat and enjoy!
I hope this helps you and your little girl!
Try looking at the "Living Without" magazine. I can get it at Whole Foods and Safeway and I suspect it is also available at major booksellers. It does a nice job of introducing recipes that are not full of allergens. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteMeg
Hi Disney, I just stumbled upon your blog from Grosgrain.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found you because my 2 year-old daughter also has food allergies/sensitivities to EVERYTHING (eggs, milk, cheese, soy, yogurt, wheat, gluten, watermelon, garlic, olives, etc...). Check out this website for WONDERFUL gluten-free and egg-free recipes. I wouldn't have survived without this discovery. I had to learn how to bake and cook using alternatives to wheat flours, soy, and other regular ingredients. Let me just say that Xanthum gum has changed my life! I hope you find this useful!
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
Hi Disney,
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to comment here for a bit- I featured you on 30days & saw your comment. Thank you!
I love EVERYTHING you've been doing over here. You have the cutest stuff!!! Keep it up.
Also, my oldest has autism. We did a gluten free/casein free diet for 2 1/2 years. I have loads of cookbooks and recipes if you're interested. It was a huge challenge. And I was like you- I'd eat when he wasn't around. Things have gotten better- better stores, better options. I used to have to drive over an hour to a Whole Foods and now we have one down the street (not that he is no longer on that diet of course. :( Anyway- happy to help if you want it. Email me. And good luck!
Not really any food advice, but I have been trying to find solutions to my daughter's constant scratching from her eczema lately also. Mostly dealing with using more natural cleaners and soaps and using less detergent based products. You can check it out on my blog www.beckyanndesigns.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteDisney! You HAVE TO, HAVE TO, HAVE TO check out KidsWithFoodAllergies.org (KFA). This is a non-profit on-line support group that is governed by a Board of Directors and has a medical advisory board. All of their resources are approved by the medical board. There are also forums for every age group, breastfeeding, specific issues and types of allergies. I can't say enough about how KFA has helped me manage my daughters food allergies. Like your daught, we deal mostly with digestive issues and eczema but now asthma :(. KFA has been a lifesaver for me. You can join KFA free of charge and view posts in the main forum. To access the INCREDIBLE recipe database and get ANSWERS to questions re: the recipes, and access all the forums and everything KFA has to offer, you need to pay the membership fee $25 or apply for a sponsored membership. KFA relies on the membership dues and donations to keep the site running and continue helping the over 17 000 members.
ReplyDeleteDisney, This sounds a lot like my own dietary restrictions due to candidiasis. I have to avoid anything made with yeast as well as refined and natural sugars. So that means so bread, no dairy, limited fruit, etc. Berries are good for me, but citrus tends to be a no-no. I've had to rethink my entire way of eating in the last six months. We do a lot of stir fry now, and I eat tons of salads. (I have to say that I've gotten a lot more creative with salads.)
ReplyDeleteFor a convenience snack, one thing I've found that's easy and tastes good is an Ezekial 4:9 sprouted grain tortilla spread with almond butter. YUM! Ezekial 4:9 makes tortillas and breads without using any flour, so they may be okay for your daughter as well. Chicken salad is also an easy meal for me, though you might need to alter the recipe to avoid dairy. Chili also works as an easy meal. Nuts make good munchy food (particularly if they're lightly seasoned), though it can be hard to get kids to eat them.
For recipes, you might check out a candida cookbook, or possibly even a low-glycemic cookbook as a low-glycemic diet would cut out 90% of what she's allergic to.
--Anne
Hey there - we have allergy issues at our home. My daughter is severly allergic to wheat, eggs, and peanuts. We hardly go out - and when we do she can only usually eat french fries and milkshakes. Healthy, I know. I love the gluten-free mommy's blog, but a lot of her recipes include eggs - which we can't have. So . . I cook a lot and experminet a lot. When we go out to eat as a family, we usually go to Sweet Tomatoes - a salad bar, with breads, pastas, and potatoes. She has jello, salad, and loves the baked potatoes. My other kiddos always find something they like.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
I have celiac disease and, when not under control, it causes intolerance's to things other than gluten (like eggs, sugar and dairy). When I can manage to get all of the gluten out of my system, the other sensitivities go away. - Not sure if that helps or not.
ReplyDeleteWe eat a lot of beans, rice, and potatoes - almost everything is from scratch (pot roasts, soups and stews from fresh ingredients). It sounds like Thai food might be safe for your daughter if you have to eat out, or perhaps sushi type foods - like california rolls (as long as you stay away from the soy items). Homemade breads from alternate flours can be just as good as the wheat variety when they are made well.
Good luck! I'm sure all you need are a few good recipes to get you started! :)
PS - allrecipes.com has some great advice and allows you to store your favorites recipes to your profile - it allows you to make notes and changes to them, so if you substitute an ingredient, you can remember what it was that you used. It's really helpful if you have allergies!
I haven't read the other posts but your wee girl sounds a LOT like mine. She is basically gluten, dairy and acid free. The only fruit she can eat are apples and bananas. WE survive on meat,Fruit & Veg (excluding citrus, tomatoes (are they citrus?)grapes, berries etc, nuts,and some gluten and dairy free baking. I got most my recipes from a nz nappy forum of all things. I also smother her with Tui Bee Balme or pawpaw cream for the eczema though it isn't half as bad as when we introduced dairy. I can truly sympathise with you. Good luck
ReplyDeleteHi!!
ReplyDeleteI find your blog throw ‘craft gossip’ and now I check it regularly.
I am sorry for you daughters condition, that’s awful and very stressful.
I’m in Portugal (Europe) and the brands, I’m sure, are different so I cannot recommend any specific brand. But, here is possible to buy products with soy (like milk, cream, butter) ant in that way you can substitute the traditional products of milk and it’s derivates. You actually can made soy hamburgers and I have made pasta with soy too.
You can also substitute chocolate by locust (google says that is the word, i'm trust in it, the word in portuguese is alfarroba). I have made ‘chocolate’ cake with locust flour and it is actually very good.
We have naturist shops dedicate entirely to organics and vegetable products that can substitute what we use in daily bases, maybe you have some in your neighbourhood.
I wish you all the best and that your daughter gets well.
Eduarda
Hi there :-) I stumbled upon your blog and absolutely love your stuff! Am inspired by your skirt dress and found a couple at Goodwill myself - will take pics of the finished product to send to you.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the food allergies, my daughter, who is 5, also has severe allergies, as well as asthma. We found out at Mayo Clinic that she has a fructose allergy - not intollerance, but is basically very sensitive to it and can't digest it very well. This eliminates numerous fruits (except for the tropical fruits that have a high acid content like pinaeapples, oranges, etc.). She can't have honey and when she has any type of jam, it has to be combined w/ something that has a higher glucose content so the fructose is absorbed better (i.e. PB & J). We've also had her on rice milk since she was able to start drinking real milk - we found that the milk causes her eczema to flare up badly. We haven't had any problems, though, with cheese. I wonder if that's because it's processed differently.
Sophie's eczema has been under control for a long time up until these past few months - the backs of her legs are completely raw and itchy - not quite sure what's causing it but may have to resort to the elimination diet soon to find out what it is. I'm wondering if her allergies are mutating into something else.
Blessings to you & your little one and I hope you can figure out what's going on.
Disney,
ReplyDeleteMy little boy also has allergies and had severe eczema when he was a baby. We soaked him in the tub every night and morning for 15-20 minutes WITH A T-SHIRT ON AND SOCKS ON HIS HANDS. It helped SO much to hold moisture against his skin, especially since his upper body was hardly in the water. We would then immediately apply desonide cream 0.05% for face, neck, armpits and groin area and triamcinolone acetonide ointment USP;, 0.1% for any other affected areas. These are both prescription creams, so ask your allergist. Hydrochordizone cream was just NOT working for him. And then to unaffected areas would apply Aquaphor (found in most grocery stores or Walmart), but is pretty greasy feeling, or Vanicream, which does the same thing but is more a lotion, to help seal in the moisture he just absorbed in the tub. Vanicream is not prescription, but I could only get it from a pharmacy. We now only give our son a bath about twice a week and usually he looks GREAT!
Also, there are dairy free margarines you can use in cooking. We use Nucoa (sticks) and Smart Balance Light (spread). For eggs we use 1t baking soda, 1 1/2 T oil and 1 1/2 T water for each egg. Works great in cooking, but my son isn't allergic to wheat, so I'm not sure how it would work with rice flour and gluten-free flour, etc.
Everyone seems to have really good advice. Good luck!
I didn't read all 44 comments on this, and don't know what others have said, but try gluten free diet, with a supplemental probiotic!!!
ReplyDeleteI would suggest you begin by looking at vegan websites since those will have dairy and eggs eliminated already. Look for coupons for items for dietary needs and watch for sales. Try vegweb.com a vegetarian and vegan site with a search feature. I got 5 pages of results searching for gluten free. It also has an online recipe box feature so if you sign up for an account you can save recipes you like (and organize them with your OWN labels) Finding products like replacement cheese is tricky. Some are lactose free but not vegan as casien is added to help it melt. I think it is silly since I have had a couple brands that melt just fine and are vegan. Look for vegan on the label (will eliminate dairy ingredients) then check for her other allergies. Can she have rice? Some dairy replacement products are made with rice instead of soy. I will look into products more and if I find any to fit her needs I will share them with you. I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI found some links online for you. I hope some of these are helpful. Some link to other sites and blogs. The last one is products that are allergy free. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/techniquessubstitutions/tp/soysubstitutes.htm
http://dairyandsoyfreemom.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/
http://www.bonbongazette.com/
http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/index.php
Thanks for sharing your lovely projects with us!
Rice Dream is a very good milk substitute for drinking, cereal, and baking.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tastethedream.com/products/category/202.php
Try coconut milk too as a substitute for milk in dessert recipes. It works really well for pudding because it's fatty.
When you find a good meal idea and make it and she likes it. Write the name of the meal on an index card and put it in your recipe box. Arrange them into a week's menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinners. When you have three ou can rotate them and just swap out meals for better meals when you have time.
I think that looking for gluten-free food online and in health food (and even grocery) stores will be a good place to start.
Ideas of the top of my head:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal with real maple syrup - can she have that?
Grits
Cornmeal mush - haven't tried this, but it came to mind - can she use all fruit spreads?
http://tomsdomain.com/recipes/mush.htm
Rice pudding - could also be a dessert idea
http://www.recipezaar.com/Dairy-Free-Coconut-Rice-Pudding-59902 - one commenter said that she used honey instead of sugar
Lunch
Lunchmeat rolled around a pickle, sliced fruit
a corn tortilla can sub as bread
black bean dip, tortilla chips, baby carrots
hummus, tortilla chips, fresh raw veggies
gluten/wheat free pasta, spaghetti sauce
Dinner:
simple seasoned meats or fish with seperate rice or potato and veggies
cornmeal fish fried tilapia with mix veggies
Out of time - crying baby - hope this helped!
Hi !
ReplyDeleteFirst of all- I love your blog, bravo !
Second- I didn't read all the comments abovr, sorry, so I might be repeating someone else's thoughts, but regarding food allergies, I wrote a post on my blog, that you're welcome to read. It has A LOT to do with the additives in the food.
check it out under "Chemical Free Kids"
As a long sufferer of eczema, I wanted to let you know about an all-natural cream that helps me sleep through the night. It's called Kukui - and I get mine from a place called Oils of Aloha - I can order it online - It's a Hawaiian cream/lotion that is used for a lot of skin irritations and is made from the Kukui oil that is naturally found in Hawaii. I can't rave about it enough. There is an unscented version on their site, and it's very subtle and comforting. Hope that helps - good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am a long time allergy and ecezma sufferer. I highly recommend using Dove Sensitive Skin body wash only as well as Cetaphil cream (important that you use the cream). Also, if you can try an elimination diet so that you can really pinpoint the issues. I also recommend going to a dermatologist that specializes in allergies. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your child's allergies. I'm a coupon blog reader and on this site: http://gooddealgal.blogspot.com/ the blogger has weekly menus (look towards the top of the page in the middle) with recipes. I know this blogger & her daughter have various food allergies, not sure if it's your daughters same issues but might find some good recipes there.
ReplyDeleteAmy
sorry to hear about your daughter's allergies. My 21 year old started with allergies when she was 2 and I spent years trying to get through meals, snacks etc. I did find some great stuff. Tofutti is a great ice cream, no dairy and no soy etc...she loves it and most of her friends will try to sneak a bite of it. I actually make her special ice cream cakes by melting it down and pouring it in cute molds, adding things like crushed oreos (blue bag regular only) and I make a crust out of the same. Return to the freezer to harden and a few hours later...she has her own cakes. I used to make tons and freeze them so whenever she had a party or special occasion I would bring it along. tofutti has a web site filled with recipes too. (Danielle has allergies to milk proteins and carries an epi-pen.) Also, since your daughter is also allergic to dairy find out from her doctor about cheese....my daughter can have EXTRA Sharp cheddar because it is aged so long all the proteins and dairy are killed off. Most hospitals have nutritionists who are very happy to help and give recipes and advice to you. We use this cheese for everything, sandwiches, homemade pizza etc., rice milk flavored with nestle quik POWDER is a great drink, you have to use the powder not the syrup. there are TONS of store bought things out there...you just have to be diligent in researching for a while, I never changed brands after I found the things she could eat! good luck! Michelle
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI encountered your blog today via Wardrobe Refashion and have been enjoying browsing your posts. :)
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's food allergies and sensitivities! I have several friends with various and similar issues and have a few mild sensitivities myself.
Another source for food ideas and easy recipes that I am actually surprised has not been mentioned yet (unless I missed it) is http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/. All the recipes are kid friendly and good for packed lunches but not necessarily limited to lunch, of course.
I hope your daughter outgrows this and that it gets easier! Now I'm going back to browsing your posts. :)
Hi Disney,
ReplyDeleteI didn't read all of the comments so some of this may be repeats.
I have a lot of the same allergies/sensitivities as your daughter, only mine result in migraines. The biggest help I had was to see a naturapathic physician. Mine was able to help me determine which foods gave me which reactions (dairy was digestive for example) and to help me figure out a diet that would help.
I don't eat many processes/pre-packaged foods, but I like to cook so that wasn't a big challenge. I suggest trying local or chain natural food stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Alfalfa's. They carry a lot of gluten free products and soy or dairy free ones as well.
It does get easier the more you do it! I just cried when I first found out because I couldn't eat anything in my house, but now it just comes naturally to look at labels and not eat certain things. Especially now that my son has some of the same issues...worrying about him makes it easier for me to be mindful of what I need to not eat.
Hope all the comments help! Good luck!
~Tara
I have food allergies too, soy, corn, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, celery, watermelon (i know, WHO is allergic to the last 2... i just *GOTTA* be different. My daughter is allergic to pork and potatoes.
ReplyDeleteWe are learning to live with these allergies, some of them got worse several years ago. Like another commenter, we have EPI pens stashed and carry one everywhere we go.
We really try not to eat anyone's food except ours (which is a struggle, we love to eat and try new things) ..and theres ONE mexican restaurant that we visit that hasnt given us any problems, so when we REALLY want a treat we go there.
Thanks for this post! i hvae gotten some great info and website resources. It does get frustrating eating the same things over & over.
Hello! I just ran across this post! I'm rather new to your blog. I know what you are going through. When my daughter was born she developed eczema. Through internet research I also learned that food allergies can cause eczema so I started an elimination diet on myself since I was nursing her. I was able to pinpoint all but one of her allergies this way.
ReplyDeleteEventually,when she was old enough we had her tested. She was positive for eggs, dairy, wheat, soy and nuts. I know how difficult it can be to find good recipes. We had to completely change the way we ate. Allergies can be life changing for a family!
A few good websites (don't know if these have been mentioned yet):
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com
glutenfreemommy.com
You may have to make substitutions with sweeteners and hemp milk or coconut milk. Also egg subsitute. A good one you can make from flax- called flax goo. It's 1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp water. Let set until thickened. This is the equivalent of 1 egg.
My daughter has since outgrown her wheat and soy allergies which has been a huge blessing and made life a lot easier!
A few food that were her favorites:
red beans, black beans, avocado or guacamole, rice noodles, sweet potatoes, preservative free lunch meat rolled up.
I don't know if you have a Chick-fil-A in your area. It was the only place we could eat out for a long time. We found our daughter could eat the fries (the peanut oil is refined and OK per our allergist and we never had a problem) We also asked for non-breaded nuggets (I think they cut up a plain chicken filet) and a fruit cup. It was nice to be able to eat our occasionally. Chick-Fil-A also has an allergy listing on their site so you can go there to see if this a possibility for your family.
Gosh, sorry this got so long, but I kept thinking of things that helped us!
Good luck and let me know if you would like more info. I would love to help!
My son is autistic and finding food that he can enjoy during the holidays has always been a nightmare. After a recommendation from someone in one of my support groups, I found out about a Nutrition Coach named Rose Cole, I went to her site and found loads of great gluten free recipes. Please make sure to check it out! http://www.RoseCole.com/HolidayCookBook
ReplyDeleteDisney, '
ReplyDeleteI didn't read all the comments, so forgive me if this is a repeat. My son has multiple disabilities, none of which is allergies, BUT, when he was first born, we went to the Health Department for regular visits with the early intervention program, and they have a registered dietician there. It seems to me that the services are free for children under 5. They can help you with suggestions and recipes.
Good luck. I hope that this is helpful!
Beth
http://www.elanaspantry.com/
ReplyDeleteShe is soooo awesome. I work with a woman who's children have these allergies.
She often gets recipes from elana.
Hi Disney,
ReplyDeleteI know I'm late to the Piece, and probably you have read everything you need to know by now! :)
My DD has 'intolerances/allergies' to Wheat, Gluten, Dairy and Soy.
I found the hardest part was swapping Dairy for something that wasn't Soy Based, or finding Gluten Free items that didn't have Dairy in them etc.
I found, like most ppl have been saying, that hte best thing to do is to cook everything from scratch.
I do a lot of stews in the crockpot, Just layers of meat and veg a bit of GF Chicken Stock and let it go.
We go out to eat when other people do, and I have my own stash of stuff I shouldn't be eating anyway, and I am able to eat all that in front of my DD, its just Mama's and Surreal's. When we are out, again, Surreal has her own 'special' food. I freeze many single portions of things like the stews and GF/DF Tuna Bakes, Spaghetti Bolognaises etc.
I have also taught her, and it works wonderfully at kindy, that if someone gives her an edible item, that hasn't come from her own lunchbox, she is to find someone, being me or an adult like her kindy teacher, and ask them if she can eat said item, before she places it in her mouth.
She's pretty good about it!
Yes we do have the occasional night where she's obviously gotten something she shouldn't have and she has arching/writhing stomach cramps and no sleep... but generally, we've got it pretty under control!.
Fruit and veg is very expensive in my house!, its most of what S eats! :)
HTH,
Nyssa
Hi I have been pouring over your blog from most recent post all the way to this and just HAD to stop here and leave a suggestion for your beautiful daughters skin itching : 0 If someone else has already suggested this let me apologize ahead of time, I scrolled through the earlier suggestions and dont think I have seen it but I HAVE been on your blog for about 3 or 4 hours now and my brain doesnt compute as well at 3am! Heh Heh I remember being little and my brother having ALOT of similar issues and when we would go to the pediatrician, my Great Aunt who was a nurse there would always take us into the "inventory closet" and give us baggies of kid medical goodies, our vitamins, band aids, soap, etc etc etc Anyways the one thing I will never forget was her giving us "peppermint lotion" which was really just a product called Sarna Lotion!! Now as a adult, it doesnt smell so much like peppermint as it does mint medicine'ey lotion (not bad mind you, just unique) It seemed to do wonders for my brother and even now I still use it just because the smell is so nostalgic to that memory! So maybe this might help, It is VERY inexpensive(under 10 bucks) and they sell it Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Target and the like!! Also kinda funny but I have a 3 lb Yorkie who scratches constantly and my mom gave me a thing of Aveeno Oatmeal Bath Packet that was used for my nephew and it worked wonders on the nephew and the canine! Good Luck and thanks for setting such a wonderful example as a woman, wife, mother, christian, and such a artistic inspiration! God Bless
ReplyDeleteI have very similar food allergies myself, with the same reactions. The gluten free gormet (http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Gourmet-Living-without-Revised/dp/0805064842) is a cook book I found about 8 years ago and I've been living by it ever since. Best pizza dough recipe! I've also found that I can use regular recipes by learning what substitutes for what. Xantham gum and arrow root are excellent things to have on hand. BTW I love your blog. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm gluten free, and my mom makes me stuff from this site: http://www.elanaspantry.com/
ReplyDeleteOh, and than if you've ever heard of the store Trader Joe's and have one in your area, they have lots of gluten free things, like: pasta noodles. You can go to the site here: http://www.traderjoes.com/ to see if they have one in your area.
Hope that can help you.
~ Hanne-col
Hi, Disney -- another pastor's wife here, who just Stumbled Upon your charming blog and saw this post...
ReplyDeleteI created a little recipe blog called The Happy Belly Bakery to keep track of the baked goods my husband concocted when we were strictly wheat- and dairy-free. You can find it at www.thehappybellybakery.blogspot.com. Hope it's useful!
Hi, I really like your blog. Which is funny, 'cause I'm not too ruffly myself...
ReplyDeleteI am an adult (27) and am no gluten-lactose. I got very sick about 6 years ago and a dietician gave me a similarly restricted diet to your daughter's (now I can eat more). I probably had issues from a young age because I had lots of oatmeal or coal tar baths and couldn't use soap too much because of my eczema.
For great non-wheat related grains: quinoa (warm on the side or cold like a coucous salad), buckwheat (pancakes! crepes! Make these 'sweet' or savoury, like with turkey and asparagus in them--these are incredibly easy-- I just add salt, water, and you'll probably need a binder to act like one egg. I call it 'sarrasin', the French name, because it is in the rhubarb family and not at all related to wheat--keeps people from getting as confused...), corn/polenta (if she can eat it?), wild rice (not really rice, and buy this broken for a cheaper option and faster cook time), and, of course, brown rice (lots of options on brown rice pasta now if you look hard enough, as in, shop at 3 different grocery stores by bus to get speciality products...). You also have: amaranth, potato, yucca, manioc, chickpea/gram flours, etc... etc...
Oh, and if your husband is Korean, he'd know of those yummy semi-translucent sweet potato noodles! Mmm!
For baked goods: go German! Old European recipes feature lots of ground nut cookies and tortes. These taste yummy and, with a bit of orange rind and some chocolate and spices, don't need a lot of sugar added to them. These baked goods are expensive, but when you have a restricted diet, you eat dessert much much less frequently than other people. Makes birthday cakes that much more exciting and delicious!
For 'milks': almond or rice work. They brown more in cooking, so beware.
Great brand of products: Bob's Redmill. They even have oats that I can eat!
I have this one recipe that I love because it is healthy and delicious and easy to digest: take zucchini and carrots and peel them into 'noodles'. Choose a meat if you want and cut it into little pieces. Make up a peanut sauce (try throwing together stuff like PB, rice vinegar, salt, garlic, ginger, chili or sri sri sauce, etc... I use a little wheat-free tamari, so I am thinking outside the soy box to find something that would make the deliciousness for you.), marinate your meat, cook it up, when it's done, add the 'noodles' and cook until you like how they feel. (Add carrots first if you're worried about mushy.) This is based off a recipe in a series from Maggie Pannell. Her book, "Allergy-free cooking", was the first one I got when I got sick. Not all the recipes are awesome, but it's a good start.
The greatest thing about having eating restrictions that your daughter will see later on in life is: you don't eat bad food. The foods I eat are all real, and, if I weren't naturally skinny, I'd probably appreciate that the diet keeps you from ending up like most women, with massive food issues, massive weight worries and obsessions, calorie counting, etc... (Which I think are silly, annoying, and best avoided. Truth be told, if you eat only REAL food, you never have to think of this.)
If you are having problems finding ingredients for your daughter or safe foods, check out a children's hospital (maybe an adult one too?). In Toronto (I'm Canadian), Sick Kid's Hospital has a store for parents to get all sorts of dietary safe foods for their kids, from swallowing issues, diabetes, restricted protein-diets, etc... I doubt it's the only hospital that thinks of this. My mom used to load up the freezer with things like pie crusts and safe leaveners.
I know this is an old post, but I hope some of this is helpful. Wow. Sorry, long comment.
i havent read all the comments but wanted to say my son (2yrs) is pretty much the same as Paige allergic to most foods and gets bad eczema but what i found is if i cover him in sudacream from head to toe then put his pjs on he can sleep without waking up due to the itch its so thick so he gets a good night sleep since i discovered this x
ReplyDelete