How u manage your food allergies? Share it!

[iLLucionist]

Year ago I found out I have allergies for gluten AND lactose AND beans. Luckily, I can eat all meats. Luckily iLLucionist likes cooking. So iLLucionist went out and made a whole lot of recipes that just taste normal, but with alternative ingredients (for instance, cream ice with coconut milk instead of cow milk).

How do you guys manage? What did you change? Was it difficult?

Initially, I was like "**** I can't eat nothing no more". Only difficulty now is going to restaurants.

[chyros]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

[iLLucionist]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

Really? Explain. I would be great if I could drink it again.

Most whiskies are only filtered right? And then you should trust the whisky house that they done it properly. Many people in alcohol specialist shops I spoke to said I should avoid whisky.

[tp4tissue]

i just eat alot of rice..  rice all the time.

[tp4tissue]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

Really? Explain. I would be great if I could drink it again.

Most whiskies are only filtered right? And then you should trust the whisky house that they done it properly. Many people in alcohol specialist shops I spoke to said I should avoid whisky.

there's not alot of gluten left in most of these high concentration alcohols,  even if you were celiac,  the reaction would not be severe..

[iLLucionist]

i just eat alot of rice..  rice all the time.

me too. and potatoes

[iLLucionist]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

Really? Explain. I would be great if I could drink it again.

Most whiskies are only filtered right? And then you should trust the whisky house that they done it properly. Many people in alcohol specialist shops I spoke to said I should avoid whisky.

there's not alot of gluten left in most of these high concentration alcohols,  even if you were celiac,  the reaction would not be severe..

well.. that depends. you'd be surprised but real celiacs eating products with "there maybe traces of gluten left" can have VERY SEVERE allergic reactions. Stomach issues, throat swelling up, etc. In addition, I have some undiagnosed auto-immune disease, and that also relates to irritable bowel issues. Basically, auto immune diseases are highly correlated with the lack of an enzyme in the digestion track that breaks down gluten. So the rest product of gluten for people like me triggers auto-immune response and slowly attacks the linings of the intestines. So if I eat low amounts of gluten, this process is only slowed down significantly. //fml

[chyros]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

Really? Explain. I would be great if I could drink it again.

Most whiskies are only filtered right? And then you should trust the whisky house that they done it properly. Many people in alcohol specialist shops I spoke to said I should avoid whisky.

Whiskies are distilled at least twice, and then filtered, sometimes cold. The allergenic compounds are proteins which are not volatile; they don't make it past the distillation phase. One of my colleagues is strongly gluten intolerant, but can drink whisky just fine.

[iLLucionist]

Oh btw, a gluten intolerance doesn't mean you can't drink whisky.

Really? Explain. I would be great if I could drink it again.

Most whiskies are only filtered right? And then you should trust the whisky house that they done it properly. Many people in alcohol specialist shops I spoke to said I should avoid whisky.

Whiskies are distilled at least twice, and then filtered, sometimes cold. The allergenic compounds are proteins which are not volatile; they don't make it past the distillation phase. One of my colleagues is strongly gluten intolerant, but can drink whisky just fine.

Man... you have no idea... this is great news. Time to get me some auchentoshan again!

[nugglets]

Thankfully, I have no known allergies of any kind. Up until seven years ago, I never gave that a second thought. After meeting my girlfriend, I'm reminded every day just how lucky I am.

She has more food allergies than I could possibly list. The "short" list: tomato, potato, garlic, corn, nearly every herb and spice known to man, every type of yeast we can test, alcohol (and any fermented product we've tried), most fish and shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and nearly all other nuts... Apples, bananas, every common berry, avocado... the list goes on and on.

Furthermore, a lot of people are lucky in that they don't necessarily have problems with trace amounts of the problem proteins contaminating other products through shared manufacturing. She gets a reaction, which varies in severity by cause, seemingly no matter how small the residual.

Thankfully, most of her allergies "only" cause severe discomfort, elevated heart rate and nausea/vomiting and not the severe swelling of the throat common with anaphylaxis. So it's rarely life threatening, just very ****ty.

So how do we deal with it? She hasn't had a meal that wasn't cooked by one of us in over five years. Through much trial and error, we've found products that are completely free of her allergens. Any time we're interested in a new product, we contact the manufacturer directly to ask about shared equipment at their facilities to limit the risks. And we've learned the hard way that we need to stay diligent even with products that have been safe in the past, as ingredients and manufacturing/processing can change without warning.

And so any time we're away from home for an extended period, we bring her "safe" food and bottled water. When we go on vacation, we stay at places that have a kitchen and bring our own cookware and ingredients. A few times this wasn't an option, I rented a commercial kitchen for a few hours to prepare meals. Once, I talked the chef at the hotel into letting me use a small area of their kitchen.

As someone who loves cooking, it was very difficult at first. I made a lot of mistakes. But over time, I've gotten used to it and have found what works and what doesn't when making substitutions. It's something we both have to be constantly aware of and plan around.

[fanpeople]

I just manage my food allergies by not having any. I am medically fluid so i choose not to have any

[xtrafrood]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

[tp4tissue]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

[iLLucionist]

Thankfully, I have no known allergies of any kind. Up until seven years ago, I never gave that a second thought. After meeting my girlfriend, I'm reminded every day just how lucky I am.

She has more food allergies than I could possibly list. The "short" list: tomato, potato, garlic, corn, nearly every herb and spice known to man, every type of yeast we can test, alcohol (and any fermented product we've tried), most fish and shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and nearly all other nuts... Apples, bananas, every common berry, avocado... the list goes on and on.

Furthermore, a lot of people are lucky in that they don't necessarily have problems with trace amounts of the problem proteins contaminating other products through shared manufacturing. She gets a reaction, which varies in severity by cause, seemingly no matter how small the residual.

Thankfully, most of her allergies "only" cause severe discomfort, elevated heart rate and nausea/vomiting and not the severe swelling of the throat common with anaphylaxis. So it's rarely life threatening, just very ****ty.

So how do we deal with it? She hasn't had a meal that wasn't cooked by one of us in over five years. Through much trial and error, we've found products that are completely free of her allergens. Any time we're interested in a new product, we contact the manufacturer directly to ask about shared equipment at their facilities to limit the risks. And we've learned the hard way that we need to stay diligent even with products that have been safe in the past, as ingredients and manufacturing/processing can change without warning.

And so any time we're away from home for an extended period, we bring her "safe" food and bottled water. When we go on vacation, we stay at places that have a kitchen and bring our own cookware and ingredients. A few times this wasn't an option, I rented a commercial kitchen for a few hours to prepare meals. Once, I talked the chef at the hotel into letting me use a small area of their kitchen.

As someone who loves cooking, it was very difficult at first. I made a lot of mistakes. But over time, I've gotten used to it and have found what works and what doesn't when making substitutions. It's something we both have to be constantly aware of and plan around.

My diet isn't THAT extreme fortunately. There is a lot that I cannot have, but fortunately I can make up for it in other departments. No gluten / lactose but fortunately shell fish / meat / potatoes. Ideally no yeast, but then there is baking soda and banana as rising agent (is that how you call yeast-like products in English?).

I am very much into cooking, I like to believe I am a "mini gordon ramsay", but then almost vegan. I want to make a cookbook to have "normal recipes" with adjusted ingredients, and just have software where you can enter allergies and adjusted recipes THAT TASTE GOOD pop up. You know, with high quality instructions and pictures.

[xtrafrood]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

It's so tasty tho

[iLLucionist]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

It's so tasty tho

Never seen it around here... are there any typical brands?

[xtrafrood]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

It's so tasty tho

Never seen it around here... are there any typical brands?

I've tried 365, West Soy, and Silk. I guess Silk is #4 on Huffingtons's The Best Soy Milk list but that's my favorite so far. West Soy can be bought at the dollar store and that one is #2 so idk, it's fine I guess. Sorry, I'm afraid I fail at veganism or vegetarianism. I don't experience crippling pain when I consume dairy but it does cause my throat to swell.

[tp4tissue]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

It's so tasty tho

Never seen it around here... are there any typical brands?

I've tried 365, West Soy, and Silk. I guess Silk is #4 on Huffingtons's The Best Soy Milk list but that's my favorite so far. West Soy can be bought at the dollar store and that one is #2 so idk, it's fine I guess. Sorry, I'm afraid I fail at veganism or vegetarianism. I don't experience crippling pain when I consume dairy but it does cause my throat to swell.

I think the secret to silk is probably carrageenan..  they must use it in a precise way to get that texture..

[xtrafrood]

Silk Chocolate soy milk

I really like the silk.. but it's too xpensive for me to buy all the time..   i could not replicate the texture even though i own a vitamix..


It probably requires an extremely powerful high sheer mixer.. or maybe a bonding agent/ coagulant of some sort.


either way,   Chiral suspension is way out of my league , tp4 don't know chemistry.. ///cry..

It's so tasty tho

Never seen it around here... are there any typical brands?

I've tried 365, West Soy, and Silk. I guess Silk is #4 on Huffingtons's The Best Soy Milk list but that's my favorite so far. West Soy can be bought at the dollar store and that one is #2 so idk, it's fine I guess. Sorry, I'm afraid I fail at veganism or vegetarianism. I don't experience crippling pain when I consume dairy but it does cause my throat to swell.

I think the secret to silk is probably carrageenan..  they must use it in a precise way to get that texture..

I wish I cared enough to know more about why certain soy milk has certain textures. I care mostly about the chocolate taste, Vitamin D, and the dash of Magnesium that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. You can trust me, totally a scientist

[tp4tissue]

I wish I cared enough to know more about why certain soy milk has certain textures. I care mostly about the chocolate taste, Vitamin D, and the dash of Magnesium that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. You can trust me, totally a scientist

I don't trust most people to be motivated by personal accumulation and greed.

From there, I deduce what you're truly after..


--Overall-- these people I like,  because they are fundamentally simple minded and are straight-forwardly manipulable, negotiation is simple.


It's the do-gooders that put me on edge.

[xtrafrood]

I wish I cared enough to know more about why certain soy milk has certain textures. I care mostly about the chocolate taste, Vitamin D, and the dash of Magnesium that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. You can trust me, totally a scientist

I don't trust most people to be motivated by personal accumulation and greed.

From there, I deduce what you're truly after..


--Overall-- these people I like,  because they are fundamentally simple minded and are straight-forwardly manipulable, negotiation is simple.


It's the do-gooders that put me on edge.

I think you posted this in the wrong thread tp4..

[tp4tissue]

I think you posted this in the wrong thread tp4..

I must've read something in the corner of my eye, and just went off..

apologies, mertx

[xtrafrood]

I think you posted this in the wrong thread tp4..

I must've read something in the corner of my eye, and just went off..

apologies, mertx

dang

[nugglets]

I want to make a cookbook to have "normal recipes" with adjusted ingredients, and just have software where you can enter allergies and adjusted recipes THAT TASTE GOOD pop up. You know, with high quality instructions and pictures.

The software part in particular would be really great. I end up having to google for safe substitutions quite often, even now, and only about half of them work well without negatively changing texture/taste. It's a lot of trial and error.

I'm not sure if they ship worldwide or not, but Vitacost has been a great way to find allergen free products for us. They have search filters for quite a few allergens, including some of the far less common ones. It's been a nice resource that we can use as a starting point to contacting the companies for further information.

One upside to my years of practice working around allergens is that I am the only person, aside from his mother, who is allowed to cook for my nephew now as well. He has a severe peanut allergy and they know that anything I make will not only be made from safe ingredients, but also made in a safe environment. And his mother is kind of a **** cook, so it feels good making him good food or bringing him fresh treats =)

[iLLucionist]

I want to make a cookbook to have "normal recipes" with adjusted ingredients, and just have software where you can enter allergies and adjusted recipes THAT TASTE GOOD pop up. You know, with high quality instructions and pictures.

The software part in particular would be really great. I end up having to google for safe substitutions quite often, even now, and only about half of them work well without negatively changing texture/taste. It's a lot of trial and error.

Me too. There's these blogs that pretend to be vegan, but then they just use crap substitutes and go yolo it's so easy. It just doesn't work that way.

[quote author=nugglets link=topic=89227.msg2414676#msg2414676
I'm not sure if they ship worldwide or not, but Vitacost has been a great way to find allergen free products for us. They have search filters for quite a few allergens, including some of the far less common ones. It's been a nice resource that we can use as a starting point to contacting the companies for further information.
[/quote]

Great info, I should check it out. Thanks!

[quote author=nugglets link=topic=89227.msg2414676#msg2414676
One upside to my years of practice working around allergens is that I am the only person, aside from his mother, who is allowed to cook for my nephew now as well. He has a severe peanut allergy and they know that anything I make will not only be made from safe ingredients, but also made in a safe environment. And his mother is kind of a **** cook, so it feels good making him good food or bringing him fresh treats =)
[/quote]

I can imagine. Keep up the good work!