Food Allergies and Primal page

[EatThinkBlog]

I started the primal blueprint last October and was successful for 3 months before life happened and a lot of chaos and for a lot of reasons my diet and my excercise slipped on the wayside. I did notice I felt a lot better in those 3 months but I was still having minor digestive issues (okay, not reall minor...) so I went to the doctor and the tests all came, blood, scopes, poking, scanning, prodding to no avail. Then I lost my job so no insurance to continue to 'what's wrong with me' quest.

Fast forward to a month ago, I have a job and insurance and finally am in a place to try this over again and be a bit more successful. Part one was to find a doctor to help me out. My mom had recentl undergone food allergy testing and pushed me to see her doctor and have the same done and so I did. The results were in as of Thursday this week and now.... wow. I'm not even sure how to deal with this. So here I am asking for help!

My allergies are (in over of least to most severe): Yogurt, Milk, Whole Wheat, Whean Gluten, Wheat Giladin, Soy Beans, Almonds, Whey, Duck Eggs, Spelt, Sesame Seeds, Pecans, Bananas, Cranberryies, Chicken Eggs, Bakers Yeast and Peanuts.

The tough one is the Bakers Yeast... it's in EVERYTHING. No cheese, no fermented foods, no dried foods, nothing containing mold, nothing containing vinegar, no wine or beer, no mushrooms, no condiments, no black pepper, no... a lot of things. I found this helpful guide: http://www.womentowomen.com/digestio...stfreediet.pdf

This is where my 'help me with my nutrition!' comes in. What in the world am I supposed to eat to stay primal so I have the enegry I want and achieve the weightloss I need to be healthy? Breakfast was a bunch of veggies and some chicken which was just over 200 calories, I'm just not sure what else I eat that will be calorie dense enough to help.

My doctor says NO eggs of any kind and no tree nuts of any kind for the next 3 months at least and nothing containing yeast of an kind. Eggs and nuts were kinda my go-to for something quick and primal when I needed protein. Now I can't even add a little whey to a smoothie to help with that. Ugh! I'm a little frustrated!

Thoughts? Ideas? I know I can make this work, it's just very overwhelming now.

[jammies]

I think that list of foods to avoid seems very do-able. The basics of primal eating should be meats, fats, veggies and fruits. Lots of people don't eat nuts and dairy. Your diet will be close the diet that people that follow the autoimmune protocol from Robb Wolf.

For fat sources you can make ghee to eliminate any dairy from it, use coconut oil, olive oil, beef tallow, lard, bacon drippings. You have beef, pork, fish, shelfish, and chicken to choose from. There is a pretty unlimited number of options in that combo. It seems you have no limits at all on veggies and can eat most fruit.

Nuts and dairy are sad to give up - like you said they are the utmost in convenience foods. You just have to plan a bit more to make it work. I find having homemade soup in the fridge works great for a convenient food. I also follow Nomnom paleo's suggestion of keep packets of emergency protein in the freezer. I cook a whole chicken and roast one day then shred them and keep them frozen in large single serving bags. If I am in a rush I just grab one and heat it with ghee and frozen veggies for a quick meal. Coconut milk smoothies may be a good quick snack as well.

Good luck. And remember it is probably only for a while that these have to be left behind. You can do just about anything for three months

[noodletoy]

sux about the eggs. i eat some almost everyday.

you still have lots of options as far as animal protein, veggies and fruits go though, and for many, that candida protocol is a temporary restriction until gut flora is repaired and restored to its proper balance. you should start taking a good probiotic immediately. like yesterday.

cooking in batches will save time, money and eliminate the issue of opening of the fridge and "having nothing to eat." pans of roasted chicken legs, roasts, pork shoulder, etc.

[EatThinkBlog]

I think my quest for a deepfreezer has just become urgent... I see a lot of frozen meals in my future.

I really think my big issue right now is just being overwhelemed... and not knowing what to have for breakfast. I had to forcefeed byself some chicken and asparagus. I'm so used to eggs plus whatever I scramble them with it's unreal...

[jammies]

I think my quest for a deepfreezer has just become urgent... I see a lot of frozen meals in my future.

I really think my big issue right now is just being overwhelemed... and not knowing what to have for breakfast. I had to forcefeed byself some chicken and asparagus. I'm so used to eggs plus whatever I scramble them with it's unreal...

Soup is really nice for breakfast. There are lots of threads around on breakfast ideas without eggs. But you will get used to it. I have been egg, nut, and dairy free for 2 years. I often fast through breakfast and then have an early lunch. Just forget the idea of traditional breakfast!

[longing2bfit]

MY DH does not like 'food' before work so I make him a dairy free smoothie using coconut cream (the thickened milk after refrigerating a can of golden star)and avocado and pure vanilla plus a little raw honey when he wants it sweeter. It's very filling and along with a couple of grass fed lean ground beef patties that I season to taste like sausage he is is good until dinner! Just add some sage and quality salt and pepper to ground beef and you have an amazing 'sausage'. simple and fast. Good luck. Do you own a crockpot? If so just throw chunks of meat in before you leave and maybe some root veggies and tada good to go

[solstice]

sounds like you have candida issues with that list of trigger foods. Second trying to get on a good probiotic. Two I would recommend are Threelac and Kyodophilus!

[Crabbcakes]

Hi EatThinkBlog!

I know the overwhelming feeling. I have a daughter who needs to be grain-free/ legume-free /dairy-free /added-sugar-free /starchy-veggie-free /clean diet. I KNOW you will sort this out. If I can, you can, seriously.

I have a lot of thoughts for you, and these are not in any particular order:

-I read the link. The link has an error in it: sauerkraut, for example, is not yeast-fermented. It is lactic-acid bacteria fermented. So if you read carefully about foods that are lactic-acid bacteria fermented, you should be able to have those.

-instead of whey protein powder, there is such a thing as "pea protein" powder. I used to use it in my vegetarian days. It digested very well. I think NOW Foods puts a plain one out. Google around a little, I know there are a number out there - it is getting more popular.

-jammies makes excellent suggestions. I would also really take one day and roast a ton of meat. According to your list, you do not have any meat restrictions. Get whatever sounds tasty and make a pile of packets!

-if I combine your allergy list, it boils down to: eggs, dairy, tree nuts, wheat and its cousins (spelt), 2 fruits (bananas and cranberries), 2 legumes (soy and peanuts), sesame, and yeast-containing foods. There is still a lot to eat, even though you are in shock. If you are Primal, the grains and beans are out anyway. This sounds like a straight-Primal diet.

-I would just take a legal pad and write what you still CAN have. It will make you feel better. I did it with my difficult diet daughter. Just pick several from your CAN HAVE list, and there is dinner! Here - I made one for you...

Meats: beef, bison, pork, bacon, chicken, cornish hen, turkey, duck, goose, deer (venison)...
Fish: catfish, bass, salmon, trout, cod, tilapia, bluefish, herring, sole, crappie, halibut, anchovy, tuna, whiting...
Seafood: squid, octopus, scallops, abalone, shrimp, lobster, clam, crab, crawfish, mussels...
Fats: ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, tallow (beef), lard (pork), bacon drippings, any collected meat drippings
Seeds: sunflower, pumpkin - ask about pine nuts (they are technically different from tree nuts)
Fruits: blackberries, blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, plums, grapes, peaches, kiwis, mangos, pineapple...
Veggies: THE VEGGIE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER
Fresh Herbs: rosemary, thyme, dill, parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, marjoram...
Dairy replacement: coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut manna, coconut fat (the stuff that floats on top of coconut milk)
Vinegar replacement: all citrus

Good Luck on your quest to be healthy! I really, truly, know this is a blow, but at my house we consider it a blessing in disguise... because unlike the Primal, which others consider optional, your restrictions are doctor-ordered, and as such, you will get no grief from friends and relatives about not eating their food...