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Food Allergies

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Started 13 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
Latest reply from gembo
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Wilmington's Cow
Member

I'm currently indulged in a process-of-elimination allergy-hunt. A week into a gluten-free diet and I think I'm feeling better. Last night made gluten-free bread (not bad, but... odd...) and gluten-free gnocchi (perfect, though required some gentler handling). Gluten/wheat-intolerance seems such a hip thing to have - I think I've found the replacement for my fixed gear bike in style-bar conversations...

Most annoying thing is, never had an allergy in my life, then develop something (that's as precise as the docs can be, even after blood tests a wee while back) when I'm generally fitter and healthier than 've ever been.

Pah.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://www.travelglutenfree.co.uk/TGFmap.php

Posted 13 years ago #
wingpig
Member

My sister developed that when she was in her late twenties. At least, as a fairly popular allergy, afflictees are catered for in cafés and supermarkets.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"fairly popular allergy"

Anth won't like that...

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

Young 'un has every allergy going (of the scary anaphylaxis variety) so I'm having to learning to be creative to replicate her nursery menus (today's tortilla, was a slightly thicker crepe for example)

Anyway, one of the best things we've got is a breadmaker (a cheap as chips one from Argos) so you can buy bread mixes and have control of what goes into the bread. For convenience I tend to use the Morrisons Gluten Free bread mix or the Orgran stuff from Real Foods. It's fairly light, but still has that slightly rice flour taste about it.

AFAIK you can use older grains such as amaranth, which don't seem to trigger the reaction. Lots of folk on here are far more artisan bread makers though, so will be able to better advise.

PS, gold standard test for allergies is where they poke a little bit under your skin with a needle and see if a hive appears. Stamp your feet for a referral to get one. Tot came up positive for soy on the bloods, but negative on the skin test (thank goodness).

Best of luck though, it 'aint easy but is a good workout for the brain!

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

As stepdoh says you might want to try some more "ancient" wheat grains like Spelt or Kamut or Einkorn. If you have a milder gluten intolerane I think anecdotaly (and perhaps even scientifically) they are meant to give you less gip.

I've baked with Kamut and Spelt before. Both are quite easy to work with, although slightly different from using "regular" wheat.

I vaguely remember from my period of wanting to be a food scientist and reading a lot of food journo paperbacks that in industrial flour the grain is mechanically separated into its 3 components (germ, starch, gluten) and then blended back in the correct proportions for different flours. The theory was that this affected how the gluten behaved in the flour when you worked it. Or something.

But I don't think grinding your own is achievable for most people. You could try independently milled flour if you can find it, but doubt it is cheap.

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

Ps Anthony, do you have what you made gluten free gnocchi, daughter loved it when we were in Italy (which is great for gluten free stuff, incidentally) but we can't seem to get it here.

Posted 13 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

The Chorleywood process was invented to use low protein British flour for industrial breadmaking. High energy kneading and a variety of flour improvers and enzymes also reduce rising times. According to Andrew Whitley of Bread Matters it is these factors which lead many people to feel bloated and unwell after eating industrial bread.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Still not 100% sure it's a gluten allergy, but after 9 days off the stuff I do think I'm feeling a bit better.

Stepdoh, it was Dove's Farm gluten-free plain flour. The mixture was less 'stretchy' so had to be more careful rolling it out, which took a bit longer than normal. But it worked. And once cooked there's wasn't really much difference (they're more potato than flour anyway...).

Don't know if pasta would work, rolling that out thinly needs the dough to be fairly elastic. I know you can get gluten-free pasta, but I like making my own ravioli. :(

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

Have a bag o' that at home may give it a whirl if I get bored tonight. Although kitchen is so tiny that rolling anything out long is quite tricky.

Real foods is your friend in this case, there's a plethora of stuff to play with there. Oh, and hte Mrs Crimbles breadcrumbs (or cornflakes) are great if you're wanting to crumb anything.

Youngs/Sainsburys/tesco GF fish fingers are as good as the real thing if you're wanting some comfort food.

So does this mean you're cinnabun averse now?

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

For the time being... Yes... :(

Though I was still thinking about suggesting a coffee this coming Friday.

Posted 13 years ago #
Kirst
Member

Sounds like a sensitivity, not an allergy.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Allergy / sensitivity / intolerance... All amounts to the same thing.

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Allergy / sensitivity / intolerance... All amounts to the same thing.

actually, it doesn't. there are still good reasons for avoiding things you have an intolerance or sensitivity for, but neither of those is the same as an allergy, and it is bad practice to conflate them.

Posted 13 years ago #
Kirst
Member

No, allergies, sensitivities and intolerances are different. Allergies are potentially fatal - for example peanut allergies. Sensitivities and intolerances can cause discomfort and distress, but you won't die of them.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

So when paeople say that hayfever is a pollen allergy what they actually means is that it's a sensitivity?

"... and it is bad practice to conflate them."

I'm just a Joe Bloggs punter! I didn't know! 'Sensitivity' definitely makes it sound like a touchy-feely trend, so I'll use intolerance from now on... ;)

Posted 13 years ago #
Kirst
Member

No, it's an allergy. Most people will never die of it but it could cause a fatal asthma attack. (This is the excuse I use for not cleaning - my dust allergy could cause a fatal asthma attack so I'm better just leaving the dust undisturbed).

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

...are they not just all variations on a histamatic reaction though, just is stronger in some folks than others?

Gluten/wheat is a funny one though, makes daughter throw up rather than the scary hivey, wheezy reach for the piriton reaction that she gets from dairy/egg/nuts.

As far as I know it mostly causes a lower level of reaction/intolerance than other things.

Posted 13 years ago #
Nelly
Member

Mother in law just diagnosed.
A couple of websites:-

http://www.coeliac.org.uk

http://www.glutafin.co.uk or http://www.juvela.co.uk for bread, pasta, pizza bases, biscuits, different flours, etc

If you are going abroad - http://www.dietarycard.com

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"the menu is entirely adaptable to anyone who may have any food allergies, gluten free for example."

http://www.black-bos.com

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

My eldest had a dairy intolerance as baby - manifested as eczema. We were at the dermatologist and discussed soya. She said most people intolerant to dairy also intolerant to soya milk - which was interesting. Things ticked along until one day years later she climbed up on the units and helped herself to some mixed nuts, many which were fine (including peanuts) until she ate a brazil nut - ended up with heid the size of a beach ball.

The primary school here is nut free because of the huge number of children with allergies. One teacher I know moved up from school in Leith where no one had any allergies. ??

Has there been a big shift in our diet, do we know more about allergies/intolerances now than say 30 years ago, or is it to do with big increases in central heating and cars? [this might be more the asthma which my eldest also has]. Getting rid of central heating reduces dusting and stops floorboards warping but you then need to get a scullery maid and a big enough cupboard for her to live in.

Posted 13 years ago #
PS
Member

Kids don't eat dirt and worms anymore. It's a shame.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

@PS - yes it appears to be cappucinos, hot chocolates, fruit smoothies, pain au chocolat etc - where did that come from?

Posted 13 years ago #
Instography
Member

I've forgotten most of what I read about gluten when I was more obsessed with bread making than I am now but the essence of it seemed to be that slow fermentation - sourdough - allowed the chemistry to work in a way that made sourdough bread more palatable to people with gluten intolerance (respectable source on dodgy forum). It's tastier anyway.

Also might be worth experimenting with different mixes of flours - replacing most of the wheat flour with spelt or other grains (barley flour has a nice nutty flavour to it). You might find that reducing the proportion of white flour will give you a nice workable dough that is tolerable.

Posted 13 years ago #
Instography
Member

Another reference to the same study with more details. The comments at the end are quite interesting too. Although the study used a specialised sourdough, the comments suggest that a normal sourdough can be tolerated by some people with celiacs so might also be tolerable for less serious wheat intolerance.

Reference.

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

How did the school deal with your child's allergies Gembo, it's a bit of a fear for me as daughter will be going into Primary in a year or so. Nursery is very good, but there seems something a bit more unregulated at school.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Stepdoh - indeed a fear as kids swap play pieces, love peanut butter and jeely pieces etc. In what some may see as a sledgehammer to crack a nut [pardon atrocious pun] the school implemented a blanket ban on nuts. Dean Park Primary School, Balerno is a Nut Free Zone. A lot of effort put into the policy, teachers reminding the pupils to tell their mummies and daddies not to give them nuts in lunch box. Signs up like road signs No Nuts [with diagonal stripe]. As with many things in the school, they have done a thorough job and put time and effort in. Chapeau to them.

One issue - , the school has a number of epi-pens and will phone you when they are out of date. I believe there have been developments in some of that medication that makes it easier to administer but still a worry if anyone ever had to use the epi-pen. There can be training for staff in this but it is a tricky issue.

Posted 13 years ago #

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