Food Intolerance Test

[meep]

I've booked myself in for a Food Intolerance Test at the local natural beauty treatement place. They do all sorts of amazing things, like a Floatation Tank, facials etc. as well as colonic irrigation ( :? ) and the Food Intolerance Test was quite reasonably priced compared to others I've looked at.

My suspicions are Wheat Intolerance, and also maybe Dairy Intolerance (not a full-blown allergy of either). I have been severly lacking in energy recently, and often get a rash on my legs, as well as headaches, mood swings (which I put down to the contraceptive pill, but since changing it 5 times think it may not be), and severe bloating and upset stomach on a regular basis.

Also, if I ever binge on dairy (such as cheese on crackers, or a few cups of hot chocolate) I get large, hard lumps on my chin that aren't normal spots, and also an extremely upset stomach (I just love cheese too much).

So fingers crossed something comes out of this, and there is a definite way for me to fight the fatigue, bloating and upset tum!

I have been avoiding this for about a year as I love bread, cakes, cheese and PASTA far too much, and I know if I get tested I would be foolish not to cut out wheat from my diet; so I've been living in not-so-blissful ignorance and have decided to bite the bullet.

Appointment is next Monday! Am sorely tempted to eat a huge pizza tonight in a sort of final farewell, or rebellion!

[angieh]

Well done for booking the appointment meep! I have a friend with gluten intolerance who has cut out mostly all wheat products. It is a terrible wrench initially I am sure but as you start to feel lots better I am sure that you will find it's worth it. Still, let's not jump the gun (I'm good at that!) and see what the tests flag up.

[meep]

Thanks Angie! I have been quite excited at the thought of having lots more energy, and no more bloatedness or IBS-like symptoms; I'm terrible for jumping the gun too! But I do feel as though all symptoms point toward something food related, mainly because after eating I'm always really sleepy and about 95% of time suffer bad bloating (I'm quite skinny and look about 5 months pregnant after most meals) and upset tummy on a regular basis. To be rid of that, I would gladgly give up wheat!

A few years ago I went on a specialy tailored diet to combat a chronic yeast infection: no dairy, no sugar (including fructose from fruit), no yeast. I was on it for 3 months. THe first month was almost impossibly hard! I am a huge sugar addict, so cutting out sugar was really tough. I used to dream about eating chocolate cake and then in the dream afterwards I'd feel guilty as I knew I shouldn't have! But I managed it. So I hope I have the will-power to see through cutting out wheat too, although this would be for life!

[yola]

Meep - that's interesting! We are plagued by allergies/intollerances in our household. I have nut/sesame allergy OH is gluten intollerant and my 2 year old is dairy intollerant. The 5 year old will eat anything and everything :roll:

I only have wheat-based bread for Dominik, all other bread, crackers, pasta etc are rye/corn etc. and to be honest I really don't have a problem with that. Corn pasta is much lighter than the wheat one and tastes no different. Just needs less cooking that the wheat one, that's all.

Good luck, I hope you get to the bottom of your tiredness and lethargy. As an aside, have you considered thyroid/parathyroid problems? I was tired and also excessively thirsty for years and it was eventually identified as overactive parathyroids/ Subsequent removal completely solved the problem!!

[meep]

Wow, Yola, you must be a very skilled cook who can simultaneously multi-task several different meals! And thanks so much for info on corn pasta etc. I'm a bit lost when it comes to non-wheat alternatives. Great to know there's a pasta one out there!

Food allergies aside, my family are quite allergic too (the women anyway). As a kid I suffered terrible hay fever and animal-hair allergies, although these have gone down slightly as I've gotten older. Hay fever is still the worst. My mum has the most sensitive skin, and can only use Persil Non-Bio or she breaks out in a rash. But I think I get my food allergies from my dad, as my mum has a stomach of steel much like your 5 year old!

I hadn't considered thyroid problems, thanks for flagging that! To be honest, it doesn't feel like exhuastion so much as lethargy, if that makes sense? Rather than being really lacking in energy to move I more feel lazy and sluggish... But if the food intolerance tests come back ok, I'll head to the doctor to get my bloods taken. Fingers crossed!

[meep]

So I had my food intolerance test this morning, and it all makes so much sense now!

She asked me lots of questions about my diet, lifestyle, energy levels, memory etc. and whilst I was talking she said it sounded like my blood sugar levels were all over the place. I've got an incredibly sweet tooth, and am quite a wee lass (very wee), and I need to eat every 3 hours or so, or I get very hot, shaky, absolutely starving and woozy. Then when I eat I get am immediate energy dump. Also, in the mornings I told her I just can't seem to wake up properly no matter how good a nights sleep I had before. She said it does sound like my blood sugars are shooting up and down, which regardless of food intolerances, will have caused my lethargy and lack of energy.

So after chatting, she did the 'test'. I held a metal pole which was connected to a box. I held out my other hand and she touched the end of my finger with a little rod that was also attached to the box. When she touched the rod to my finger, a little dial on the box whirred round to 'full' (like a speedometer) on a car, and it made a whirring, electricity sound. She then placed individual vials of different allergens into a box, that was also attached to the main box, and pressed the rod against me finger for each one. She did this for quite a while. She did say that this method is known to be 85% effective, so it isn't foolproof, but is a great start for sussing out what foods might not agree with you.

It turns out I have an intolerance to the following (not an allergy but an intollerance):

- wheat
- yeast (brewer and bakers)
- Plaice (just plaice, not all fish!)
- Soya
- Mixed Pollens
- Cat & Dog Fur (!!)

The wheat was what I most suspected, but yeast was more of a surprise, although I guess almost all wheat based products have yeast in them so I wasn't distinguishing. So that means I can't have bread, or even non-wheat breads, like corn bread, due to the yeast.

I don't really eat plaice, so no big deal. Same with Soya. Mixed pollens is my hay fever. I had to laugh when she said cat and dog fur, as I did have bad allergies to all furry animals as a kid but these have gotten better. And when I first got Darcy and Minsky I was a bit allergic but am entirely used to them and don't get allergic at all now. But still :roll:

So, this means I need to cut out all:

- breads
- wheat pasta
- cous cous
- buns, caks and biscuits
- pizza
- some breakfast cereals
- gravy
- batter
- some soups (they use flour to thicken)

That was just for food intollerances. She also suggested, due to my low energy levels and really crazy blood sugar levels, to cut out all caffine (I normally have 2 - 3 cups of tea a day, and one coffee-house coffee a week), which could also be contributing to my upset tum, and also cut out...*drum roll* chocolate :shock: :shock:

This isn't so much for food intolerance but to do with my energy levels. She explained how to digest chocolate the body needs to use Zinc, and lack of Zinc is a major factor in low energy. It also draws calcium out the bones, and as I'm quite wee and there is ostereopeorsis (sp?) in the family, it's best not to contribute to this.

So that means, mainly, I'm now having no pasta, bread, chocolate, tea, or coffee!! I have been on a 3 month diet before where I cut out all sugar, so I know I can do this again, but this time it will be for longer - maybe forever! It also turns out that green tea has caffine in it which I didn't know, as I always used to use it as an alternative to normal tea for lack of caffine. So I went and bought nettle tea instead as an alternative so I can still have a hot drink. It's ookkk but definately no Earl Grey :roll:

I am determined to go with this, and cut out all she recommended. It should take a month for the full effect to be felt, but I am so excited at the propsect of feeling refreshed and not half-dead in the mornings.

Oh, I also need to not have beer or wine, but that isn't is a problem as I'm not a big drinker. I admitedly like a glass of white wine but apparently I can still have vodka or bacardi which suits me fine!

I'm thinking of keeping a blog online tracking what i eat, how I feel, and how I get on; if anyone's interested I can give them the link!

So I had my first proper gluten free lunch today: spiced carrot and parsnip soup from the local Soup Deli (delicious!); oatcakes with humus, a banana, and then some gluten-free fruit cake which was actually delicious! (It's by the Village Bakery).

Fingers crossed this will work! I've got a bit of a headache now, I think from lack of caffine but I also have a bit of a cold. Here's hoping in a months time I'll be bouncing off the walls with energy :)

[dinahsmum]

It will be interesting to see how you progress on this
Porridge for breakfast tomorrow then?

[angieh]

Hi meep! Well, your lunch sounds lovely and I do hope that you manage to keep with the diet. If you do decide to do a blog, please send me the link as I would be interested in keeping up with your progress!

By the way I am sure that you can get decaf ordinary tea, coffee and green tea.

But no chocolate? :cat25

[meep]

Thanks DM and Angie! I actually havent thought about breakfast at all; oops! Normally it's toast or cereal, will need to pick some up from the shop!

I've just set the blog up now but yet to post anything; will post the link when I have :) I love that little crying cat icon, sums up my sentiments about chocolate entirely!!

I'll also pick up some decaf tea hopefully, and I do have other herbal teas, like chamomile, which are nice :)

Now, to go home and work out what's for dinner and breakfast!

[dandysmom]

Wow, what a really strict regimen! I hope for the sake of your health you'll do well on it. Yola may have some good tips about alternate foods...didn't she mention a wheat-free pasta? And I know there are gluten-free blueberry muffins..our Whole Foods has them. Good luck!!!

[yola]

Here's a link for you meep . . . http://www.wheatanddairyfree.com/

Worth noting, Mrs Crimble's gluten-free range of cakes are to die for. They're listed on that website but our Waitrose do them and they're superb - relatively low-fat too :D

[meep]

Thanks so much for the link Yola :) i'll have a look through that now whilst having my lunch! And so glad to know there are yummy wheat-free cakes! :D Although if they have raising agent yeast, I may need to avoid in them, in my first 'cleansing' month at least.

Thanks again!

[meep]

I've just looked now, Yola, and a lot of Mrs. Crimble's cakes are also yeast free :D I may just have to order some ;)

I really appreciate the advice and hints & tips, thanks!

[yola]

I've just looked now, Yola, and a lot of Mrs. Crimble's cakes are also yeast free :D I may just have to order some ;)

I really appreciate the advice and hints & tips, thanks!

Go for it girl! Trust me, it's actually quite liberating discovering all these different foods - ones you'd expect are 'marginal and unappetising' and actually seriously tasty!

It's also nice to know that you can survive and thrive without being bound by food-mafia convention . . . . OK, I'll get off my soapbox now . .

Oh, and try quinoa (keenwah). Dr Gillian McKeith used to rave about it in her programmes; it's a kind of slightly crunchier cous cous, but with no wheat, gluten or yeast in sight.

[meep]

I'll order some up tomorrow Yola ;) And it is exciting to know I'm not limited as much as I though. The fruit cake I got y'day really is as delicious as any other I've tasted. Lack of chocolate is going to hit me the hardest but I've given it up before, and those Mrs. Crimble Macaroons look like they could fill a hole quite easily ;)

Also, I've started up my blog with an uber long first entry:

http://alifewithoutwheat.wordpress.com/

Just my ramblings! Should be useful for me to look back on in a month or two's time to see how my attitudes, and symptoms, have changed! Enjoy ;)