Allergy Free Cereals (without breaking the bank)

Yummy and Cheap!

This is a short list of cereals that can be found at Walmart or your local grocery store.  There are TONS of gluten free and allergy-free cereals that are made by specialty allergy-minded food companies but the price skyrockets on those.  My favorite cereal I found, which I will not name, was $6.99 for a 12 ounce bag.  Here are your budget-saving options:

Allergy-Free Tomato-Pepper Sauce

Tomato Pepper Sauce

We all know that cooking allergy-free can leave a dry-taste in your mouth.  Here is a sauce I found that I love to top my vegetables and meat with.  The fact that it takes so little time to make is definitely a plus!!

Ingredients: 

• 4 large tomatoes
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 onion, coarsely choppe
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the tomatoes to the water, and boil until the skin begins to split. Remove from the water, cool under cold running water, and peel off the skin.  

Lactose Intolerance versus Milk Allergy: The true difference.

Lactose does not equal Milk:

There are several different types of food allergy testing.  The majority of physicians use IgE testing.  This is the testing for food allergies :foods that you eat that produce an immediate response after ingestion.   These are allergies with an immediate prophylactic response that can even lead to death.

Food intolerance is found with a completely different test.  This test is the IgG test.  If you are intolerant to a food, you may not have an immediate reaction but it can be affecting your insides without easily pinpointed side-effects.  When you ingest something that you are intolerant to, your body releases antibodies to "fight" this substance.  This is your secondary immune response to the foods.  The IgG testing is what tests for these antibodies.  So even though you may be drinking lactose-free milk, if you are are intolerant to casein which is milk protein that is not removed in just lactose-free milk, then you are still significantly harming your stomach and immune system.  This can lead to leaky gut syndrome which was described in my previous POST.

This is Dr. Charles Parker:
Please take a few minutes to listen.

Allergy-Free Crockpot or Skillet Chicken Cacciatore

Super-Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
Frozen boneless chicken
Frozen chopped spinach
1 large can of tomato and chives
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

This is my meal that I put on at midnight when I have nothing to take to work for lunch the next day.  I throw it all in a crock-pot and turn it on high for 7 hours.

Overactive Bladder link to Gluten Intolerance

Little known Gluten Symptom- Overactive Bladder

According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, one of the eight top food allergens is wheat/gluten.  The others include dairy products, eggs, fish and shellfish, soy, peanuts and tree nuts (like pecans and walnuts).  A reaction from these foods can trigger inflammatory chemicals, like histamine from mast cells, to be released into your body.  The lining of your bladder contains mast cells which have the capacity to release large amounts of inflammatory substances or histamine.  These irritate the bladder and can trigger multiple symptoms.  The symptoms can include but are not limited to:

• Bladder discomfort
• Frequency
• Urgency
• Bed wetting
• Recurrent urinary tract infections
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Interstitial cystitis

Digestion = Immune System Health

You just don't get it:

So if you are like me, a lot of people think you are full of bologna when you try to explain how much better you are feeling after finding out about your food allergies or food intolerance and making the needed changes.  Before the diet change, I was constantly sick, chronically fatigued and had an overactive/irritable bladder.  All of these symptoms have improved, if not completely vanished. 

This is a great video I found from Dr. Vincent Bellonzi explaining the effects of food intake on your digestion which ultimately effects your immune system.

Cookbook Suggestion for Allergy-Free Results

If you have allergens similar or the same as mine, this is the cook book for you!  It has only recipes that are wheat-free, milk-free, egg-free, corn-free, sugar-free, yeast-free.

***Caution: As discussed in my earlier post, wheat-free does not always mean gluten free.  So make sure to look out for the gluten.  Wheat-free foods may still have barley, rye or a derivative which would be unsafe for someone with Celiac Disease, the most common reason for eating Gluten Free.  So make sure you identify those ingredients in the recipe (if there are any at all) and use substitutes.***

I was excited upon finding this book as it contains the yeast allergy which is commonly left out. 

You can check it out at Amazon by clicking the link below.

This book includes:

• Extensive breakfast and dessert chapters
• Updated nutrition information
• New recipes using ingredients such as Kamut flour and quinoa pasta
• How to help allergic children eat right and feel better
• Complete guide to new allergy-free products
• Tips for creating an allergy-free kitchen and home

At a whooping $13.12, with 350 Nature Food recipes, it is well worth the money. 




Hope that helps!!

Allergy Free Skillet Meal

Yummy Sausage Skillet Meal

This meal is fast and tastes great!  

Ingredients: 

2 pounds Italian sausage, (mild or hot), sliced
6 potatoes
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Gluten Intolerance Testing

Gluten Intolerance Is Called Celiac Disease:

Celiac disease: is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

Celiac Disease is linked to many immune related disorders. The best established connection is with type-one diabetes.  Some researchers believe that gluten intolerance can impair mental functioning in some individuals.  Some other illnesses related to Celiac Disease are chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic active hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Allergy-Free Taco Salad

Quick and Easy Dinner Everyone Is Sure To Love!!

Ingredients:

1 pound turkey meat (you can use hamburger meat if you want to cut out the healthy part)

1 bag of Spinach 

1 can of tomatoes and chives (or you can use fresh cut tomatoes)

1 minced red pepper

1/2 chopped onion (or add onion to taste)

Freshly ground pepper (season to your taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Intolerant-Me

Food Allergy versus Food Intolerance:

If I wanted to be completely accurate, I would have to change the name of my blog to "Intolerant Me."  The reason I named it as I did is that most people have never heard of food intolerance.  I know I had never heard of it and never had a reason to research food allergies, intolerance or sensitivities.  In my mind, if you had a food allergy, you went into anaphylactic shock after eating, starting throwing up, breaking out or swelling all over your body.  Quite the specific picture, I know.

Food intolerance is very easily overlooked.  I have always been "sickly," for lack of a better word.  When the doctor asked me how many times I have had strep throat and I said three or four times a year, I wish I had a picture his face.  His personal opinion was that the number I stated should have been in my lifetime and not in a single year.  I attributed a lot of the food intolerance symptoms to just not taking a multivitamin or stress.  Ignoring a food intolerance can make you feel ill and affect your long-term health.

Yummy Coffee Without Milk!

Don't like your coffee black?  Who does?

There are a few brands of creamer I have found.  I love coffee so I thought I would share :)

"Mocha Mix"
Ingredients:  Water, Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil (Adds A Trivial Amount of Saturated Fat), Contains 2% or less of the Following: Distilled Monoglycerides, Soy Protein Isolate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Beta Carotene (Color).

Get Your Flavor On (A quick reference guide of Spices)

Spice Guide:

• Allspice: spice (whole or ground)  
• Description: Dark-brown, pea-size berries from the evergreen pimento tree. Also called Jamaica pepper. Pungent flavor that resembles a sweet mixture of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.  
• Uses: Sausages and braised meats, poached fish, breads, cakes, cookies, stewed fruits, pies, puddings.               
• Anise Seed: spice (whole or ground)  
• Description: Small green-brown, comma-shaped seeds. Member of the parsley family. Sweet licorice flavor.  

Sweet Tooth Survival

If you read my previous post, the L-Glutamine is known to reduce sugar cravings.  This post is for the other times:

Lucy's Cookies: 

These are one of my favorite allergy-free cookies. They are made in a dedicated bakery so there is no cross-contamination.  There are four different kinds.  They are all very crispy and delicious.




These are my favorite!  

Heal your insides

As with any blog, not limited to mine, please contact your doctor before taking advice from anyone or any document. 

If you are like me and didn't find out about your food intolerance until later in life, chances are your stomach and small intestine are in a mess.  The reason I got tested for food intolerance was being constantly sick.  My immune system was shot.  This eventually turned into low energy, upset stomach, rashes and even feeling short of breath.  All of these symptoms, I related to depression or anxiety.  There are a lot of symptoms of other disease/disorder or illness that look similar to food allergy/intolerance.  Here are the symptoms to look out for: 

Food Allergy:

Baker's/Brewer's Yeast

This is definitely the hardest intolerance to deal with.  It is my highest allergy which I get physically sick from if I ingest.  Also, it is the allergen that I am having the hardest time finding information on.  I will give you everything I have found so far.  Hopefully, I can post later with loads of information.

Foods that MAY contain Baker's or Brewer's yeast:
Aged meats (sausage, bacon, etc.)
Alcohol
Any baked good with baker’s yeast (pizza dough, bread, etc., including most sourdough breads)
Anything fermented (vinegar, alcohol, bean paste, soy sauce, etc.)
B Vitamins, unless stated that they are not from yeast

Label Reading: Egg

When reading the ingredients on the label, here are Ingredients to Avoid:
albumin
egg (white, yolk, dried, powdered, solids)
egg substitutes          
eggnog                         
globulin
lecithin
livetin                         
lysozyme                     
mayonnaise                  
meringue               
ovalbumin
ovoglobulin
ovomucin  
ovomucoid
ovovitellin                   
Simplesse
vitellin

Note:  Watch for eggs in desserts (especially those with shiny glaze), baked products, pastas (egg noodles), pancake mixes, custard or hollandaise sauces.

Label Reading: Dairy/Lactose

Label reading for Dairy is a little more complicated than one may think.  I was a big coffee drinker.  My company supplies non-dairy creamer which I grabbed:

No big deal right?  That was an easy replacement.

Check this out:

Label Reading: Gluten/Wheat

When reading the ingredients on the label, here are Ingredients To Avoid:

all-purpose flour

bulgar  

bran

bread crumbs

cake flour

couscous

cracker meal

durum

durum flour

enriched flour

Starvation Sensation?

When you are first starting out and re-learning how to eat, sometimes it is hard to get that "I'm full" feeling; especially if you are craving foods that you cannot have. This is what I used during those times.


Everyone has that emergency moment when you are running late and starving.  So you grab a candy bar or swing through a drive-through, which no longer is an easy option.  So this protein drink became my favorite quick fix.  I use this most days for breakfast.  It is a protein powder called Spiru-Tein.  You can find this online or at most GNC stores.  Be careful.  Most protein powders contain milk or milk protects.  This is the only one I found that does not contain any of my allergies.  It does contain soy.

It is a meal substitute and  has all your daily vitamins.  You can mix it with juice or milk.  There are lots of different flavors.  It comes with a scooper that is measured for every eight ounces of liquid.  This makes the container last a long time.  I use a blender with the chocolate and soy milk.  Yes, sometimes I even add some Rice Dream Ice-cream for a no-milkshake. 

Common Sense $$$ Saving Tips for Allergy-Friendly Shopping

If you are like me you have realized that grocery shopping with food allergies can get expensive.  Fortunately, it makes eating out less common which saves money.  

I'm sure we have all walked into an organic or "allergy friendly" grocery store and gone wild because there are so many foods there that we can actually eat.   We aren't walking down aisle after aisle reading labels and getting frustrated.  It is easy to let that get the best of you.

The most important thing is to buy everything you can at your everyday grocery store.  Specialty grocers are typically more expensive all around which makes one-stop shopping a hole in your wallet.  If you stick to the perimeters of your everyday grocery store, it will take the frustration out and also save you some money.

Allergy Cooking Aides

Before finding out about my food intolerances, processed foods were my thing.  I'm sure this is true with most insanely busy people or people that have no interest in being a gourmet chef.  You come home from work, pop a pre-made lasagna in the oven and wait an hour.  Now, all you have to do is call the kids for dinner.

I have a small kitchen so I'm not big on appliances but I have found some incredibly useful.  So here are my four recommendations:

• Food Steamer.  This is the particular one I bought; although there are many different kinds and sizes.  For my kitchen, this was small enough but also big enough to hold everything I need at once.  It comes with a rice holder which eliminates the need to also buy a rice cooker.  This cooks your food and keeps it nice and moist in the meantime.  You can use it to make a stir-fry without having to stand and "stir-fry" it.  You put your food in, set the timer and don't worry about it. It has a guide on which foods take how much time, etc.  Once the time is up, it switches over to a hold-warm mode.  So if you are in the shower, it does not dry out your food.  This is one of my favorite ways of cooking because everything stays moist.  I put my rice on the bottom in the rice container, surround that container with vegetables, put my meat on top with more vegetables and that's it.  You can always heat up your sauce while the steamer is going. My favorite is Trader

Two Birds with One Stone (Gluten Free = Wheat Free)

If you have an allergy to gluten and wheat, I always find that's a good place to start.  They are usually the clearest-marked products so they are easily identifiable.  Once you knock out these two, the other allergies are easier to identify.  

Wikipedia:   A gluten-free diet is a diet free  of gluten (Yes, I know). Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often hidden under "dextrin". A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease, the related condition dermatitis herpetiformis, and wheat allergy.

Buying a Gluten-free food will ALWAYS be wheat free.   HOWEVER, this does not go both ways.  Wheat-free foods may still have barley, rye or a derivative which would be unsafe for someone with Celiac Disease, the most common reason for eating Gluten Free.

Also, just because an item is in the 'Organic Section' of your grocery store does not mean it is gluten free.  You must look for symbol such as one shown in my previous post.  If there is no symbol and you are not sure, here is a great list of gluten-free ingredients:  Safe ingredients: Alphabetically listed

Here is a list of helpful resources:

Gluten Free Groceries by State:

Grocery Store List One

Food Symbols

The ‘gluten free’ symbol means that the product inside the packaging does not contain wheat extracts. Some people are sensitive or even allergic to such extracts. Therefore, clear labeling is required.

Simple Replacements for Simple Things

Bread: If you aren’t allergic to yeast, there are plenty of gluten-free (all gluten free products are also wheat free) breads that you can find in the organic section of most grocery stores. There are also gluten-free wraps, pizza crusts, rolls, etc.

If yeast is an issue, especially Baker’s yeast, then bread is not out of the question. There are yeast free/gluten free breads that you can find such as a tapioca loaf. Personally, I didn’t like the taste or texture.


My replacement for bread….... Lettuce! 
Now, I know it sounds kooky; but imagine getting a wrap without the wrap. That’s basically all it is.

Step One

I was recently diagnosed with food allergies to baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, gluten/wheat, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt, egg and kidney beans.  If you have just found out that you have one or more of these allergies, I can relate to how you are feeling.  

First off, don’t panic.  Go buy the biggest steak you can find, grill it up and feast.  Never look up information on your allergies while hungry.  This can be dangerous to your mental health.  Secondly, Relax!!  You can still eat.

Obviously, a nutritionist is your best option; but who has money for that?   I'm a big fan of Google but even that can be overwhelming at first.  I tried that for hours along with crying my eyes out.  So following a nutritionist's advise,I bought the book called "Food Allergy Survival Guide." 
It saved dinner.