Weight loss with gluten, salicylate and other allergy

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I'm trying to lose weight, but find it hard to have a wide variety of healthy meals with my food allergies.
They are
- Gluten
- Salicylate
- Nitrates (cured meats)
- Artificial Anitoxidants (preservatives)

So I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners, most fruits and vegetables and lots of easy protein options.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I eat a tonne of cabbage, green beans, fish (both fresh, smoked and tinned), quinoa etc, but there's only so much one person can think of.

Any help appreciated!

Replies

  • tayla78
    tayla78 Posts: 25 Member
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    Hi, how are you going with your food ideas? I have been put on a very restricted diet due to my son's allergies. Have you tried buckwheat? I have been having buckwheat pancakes with golden syrup. It is about the closet thing to a treat I can have!
  • Featherweighttt
    Featherweighttt Posts: 23 Member
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    I was getting really good with it, but then developed a stomach ulcer :(

    I LOVE BUCKWHEAT! I use it as a porridge substitute, soak the grouts overnight, rinse, and then boil with milk and vanilla essence. You can blend it with cashews for a smoother consistency if you don't like the chewiness of the grain itself.

    For a treat for your son (and possibly you!) try honey-free honeycomb free of all common allergens:
    1/2 Cup sugar
    2 TBS Golden syrup
    2 TSP Water
    1 TSP Bicarb soda

    Grease a tin, put sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. bring to the boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly add bicarb soda and pour into the tin. Do NOT move the tin while it sets, jusutally takes 10 minutes. Then break into pieces.

    Also if he is allowed, carob can be a good sweet treat. It's nothing like chocolate but I like it on it's own merits. I get unsweetened carob buttons that are pure carob mixed with cocoa butter. I melt it and dip homemade meringues (egg white, corn starch, sea salt + icing sugar) and they are amazing.

    A lot of my recipes are form an Australian book entitled 'Friendly Food' published by Murdoch Books and written by Australia's top allergy experts :)
  • tayla78
    tayla78 Posts: 25 Member
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    Ooh, your honeycomb idea sounds yummy!! I am definitely going to try it for me (my son is too young, only 8 months old).

    Thanks for the book idea, I'll check it out.

    I'm struggling with the buckwheat and things as I can't add anything to them, no forms of milk are ok so far :-(
  • Featherweighttt
    Featherweighttt Posts: 23 Member
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    Have you tried plain rice milk? It's fairly unpleasant but I don't think babies would know much different! Milk could be an issue because of lactose or milk protein allergy, soy allergy, gluten allergy (it's in most soy milks!, I never knew why it was making me so sick as I have no soy issue) and things like almond milk are high in salicylates.
  • tayla78
    tayla78 Posts: 25 Member
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    We are on a very restricted diet at the moment trying to determine what he is actually allergic to. So I am not allowed to have rice or rice milk :-(
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    We are on a very restricted diet at the moment trying to determine what he is actually allergic to. So I am not allowed to have rice or rice milk :-(

    wouldn't they do an allergy test? My son is allergic to dairy and egg and when he was little they did a blood test, although the doctor now does skin prick tests even on very little babies.
  • Featherweighttt
    Featherweighttt Posts: 23 Member
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    food allergies/intolerances are now most often treated with elimination diets and reintroductions to determine exactly what chemical you are allergic to, skin pricks are only useful for anaphylaxis type allergies. I've never even had one because they didn't think it would work on me and I'm 19!
  • dkcrooby
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    Hi,

    My daughter is allergic to loads. Salicylates, egg, dairy, peanuts, sulphites, colours, preservatives and strangely, lentils. Luckily she can have a small amount of wheat. Oh it's so hard finding new things for her to eat so I can sympathise with you both.

    I'm afraid I'm not much help. I came across this thread searching for new recipes for my daughter (9).

    She has mainly, pasta, fish fingers, peas, potato, rice, meat, chicken, cashews and hazelnuts. All very plain.

    Featherweight, how do you have your cabbage? Do you boil it? And do you add anything to it?

    Tayla, my daughter was 9 months old when I had to stop breastfeeding her because she was reacting to my milk. It was a lot of trial and error but we were also so grateful that the dietician we saw was Australian and knew about salicylate intolerance. It may be worth looking it up to see if it could help?
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    food allergies/intolerances are now most often treated with elimination diets and reintroductions to determine exactly what chemical you are allergic to, skin pricks are only useful for anaphylaxis type allergies. I've never even had one because they didn't think it would work on me and I'm 19!

    Are they allergies or intolerances? How were the allergies determined then? Skin pricks and blood tests test determine whether there is an antibody reaction to an otherwise normal substance. Intolerance are a whole different kettle of fish, but you did say that you were allergic to them, not intolerant.
  • Featherweighttt
    Featherweighttt Posts: 23 Member
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    Gluten, nitrate and antioxidants are allergies. Salicylate is an intolerance, and I'm lactose sensitive.
    The gluten was a genetic screening and gastroscopy (ditto for lactose), nitrate was determined after I was given a small dose (after having avoided it for a very long time being a vegetarian for a considerable period of time, and antioxidant was an unfortunate oversight when I accidentally ingested it and required an injection to stop it.
  • Featherweighttt
    Featherweighttt Posts: 23 Member
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    dkcrooby I usually steam it (just in the microwave) with peas and green beans as a side. I've had it raw in bean salads and such but I enjoy it much more steamed with salt.
  • kori0424
    kori0424 Posts: 25 Member
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    Hi I'm also gluten intolerant and trying to be vegan and I love thus mac n cheese alternative!
    http://detoxinista.com/2011/01/move-over-kraft/
  • dkcrooby
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    Thanks Featherweight. :-)