It is time to put more focus on what can be done to aid the millions of children who suffer from severe food allergies.

I have a number of food allergies and sensitivities. There is a long list of foods and food additives that will give me migraine headaches. Also, I have a condition called Meniere’s Syndrome which I control by severely limiting my intake of sodium. All this has forced me to search out alternative foods and develop my own recipes for things most people take for granted.

Everyone knows what migraine headaches are. Even if you have never had one, you probably know someone who gets them. Briefly, Meniere’s Syndrome is an accumulation of too much fluid in the inner ear causing gradual loss of hearing, ringing in the ears and dizziness. There were days that I could barely stand. The progression of the disease is controlled either by taking antihistamines and diuretics daily or cutting way back on your sodium intake. I have never considered drugs and the damage they can do in the long run to be the best option.

The number of things that I can not let into my body is staggering: milk and anything made from milk; wheat; corn, including corn oil, cornstarch and corn sugars; bananas; strawberries; all citrus fruits; nuts; peanuts; caffeine; chocolate; excess sodium; yeast; environmental fungi; alcohol; artificial sweeteners; artificial colors; artificial flavors; and artificial preservatives. I have spent many years searching out alternatives to some of these items. The others are not really worth the time and effort to me.

Most people these days know about soy and rice “milks”. For most people, these are a good alternative to cow’s milk. I have not tried goat milk, but some people like it. If you do not have to restrict your sodium intake, as I do, these are good alternatives and they come in a variety of flavors. I tried using rice milk for a while, but the high sodium content meant I had to cut back even more in other areas and I finally decided it was not really worth it.

Wheat is a little harder to replace. I believe wheat is used primarily because it has more gluten than any of the other grains, and therefore makes better breads and pastas. Wheat is “gluier” and the end product holds together better.

Substitute flours for wheat are oat (minimal gluten), rye (a little more gluten) and spelt (even more gluten than rye). I use only whole grain flours. The problem is that none of these have all that much gluten. I have discovered that you can substitute any of them in most recipes if you add a little potato starch; about one tablespoon per cup of flour. When using potato starch, you have to add more of whatever liquid you are using because it absorbs moisture like crazy. It acts as a sort of conditioner to hold your dough or batter together better. You can also use tapioca starch in about the same ratio for the same purpose.

Rice flour has no gluten whatsoever and is very difficult to work with, but it can be done. I have a friend who can not have gluten. She uses a combination of rice flour, tapioca flour and tapioca starch in her baked goods.

If you are allergic to corn and love cornbread, corn chips and the like, there is not really much to be done about it. I have learned however, that many allergies to corn are really not to the corn itself, but a product of the way it is stored. Molds generally develop on the corn in storage and these are not usually eliminated before milling. As I noted above, molds give me migraine headaches, and it is thought that molds are the source of the average person’s intolerance to corn. I have not started growing my own corn and I probably never will. But, if you are really determined, you could try that.

There are a lot of other oils out there besides corn oil. I prefer extra virgin olive oil for cooking and light olive oil for baking. The light oil does not have such a strong taste and does not compete with the other flavors you are using. I use it in pancakes, cookies, cakes and quick breads. You can also try canola oil, sunflower seed oil or soy oil. Please, do not use any of the partially hydrogenated oils. Use only oils that are liquid at room temperature. I know for a fact that you can refrigerate olive oil for several days before it becomes semi-solid. You can also refrigerate sesame oil without it becoming solid. Hydrogenated oils are a source of trans-fatty acids and these are very bad for you. They increase the amount of bad cholesterol in your body. They cause clogging of the arteries and can cause type 2 diabetes. They increase the risk of heart disease. Okay, I am done with my newest pet peeve.

In place of cornstarch, try potato starch. Mix it with water, as you would the cornstarch, before adding it to sauces, gravies and soups as a thickener. The result is not quite as clear as with cornstarch, but is perfectly acceptable. If clarity is not an issue and you do not mind a slight grittiness, you may use rice flour as a thickening agent. You do not need to mix it with water first. It has no gluten and will not form unmanageable lumps when added directly to hot soups and sauces. As with cornstarch and potato starch, it does need to be boiling in order to thicken.

Because I have to avoid excessive sodium, I can not use conventional rising agents: baking soda and baking powder. There is an alternative which is potassium bicarbonate. You have to use a little more of it than of the conventional agents; about half again as much usually suffices. Additionally, there is an alternative to table salt. It is potassium chloride. It has a more bitter taste and should not be added after cooking is complete. It works well when cooked into a food, however.

Sadly, there is no real replacement for what yeast does. That is why I make only quick breads. When making quick breads from alternative flours, use more like two tablespoons of potato starch per cup of flour. I have actually managed to make a quick bread that will hold together well enough to be toasted. The more homogenous the batter, the better it will hold together. So mix it well and if you are adding chunks of fruit or pine nuts, etc., you might want to add even a little more potato starch.

Another alternative to the standard bread product is flat bread. You can go wild with your imagination with these. My current favorite is made with spelt flour, rye flour, olive oil, a little honey, and dill weed and onion powder. Add enough water so that you can roll it into a ball. Flatten it and cook it in a frying pan. The easiest way to flatten it is with a tortilla press.

Everybody loves hamburgers. I am no exception. But, I want mine on a bun. To do that I make a sort of unsweetened, thick and fluffy pancake. Even my husband will eat them. Pancakes are easier than most people think. You do not have to buy a packaged mix to have good pancakes. I use spelt flour, oat flour, potato starch, egg and olive oil, and twice as much rising agent as usual for the buns. For the pancakes, I also add a little sugar (cane only) and vanilla. Both are cooked on a griddle.

Pasta. I absolutely love pasta. Luckily there are a number of companies making spelt and rice pastas. Some of the rice pastas hold together better than others when you boil them. I tried quite a few before I found the brand I like most. Best of all, you can get them in all sorts of shapes. Because spelt has gluten, it makes a good pasta that holds together well during boiling. There are also corn pastas. Before I determined that corn was one of my migraine triggers, I tried corn pastas. I don’t recommend them. They do not hold together at all well during boiling.

If you like nuts and peanuts, there are no really very good substitutes. I have come to enjoy pine nuts and sunflower seeds, however. I use them in baking and sautéing. You can also toast them in a frying pan with a little olive oil before adding as a garnish or putting them in a salad.

It has all been and adventure; one that I have actually enjoyed. Although, in the beginning it was disheartening. Because of my dietary restrictions, I have become a much better cook and, I believe, considerably healthier. I make all my food from scratch and have absolute control over what goes into my body. I am not letting fast food restaurants or packaged food manufacturers decide what I should eat.

My point is this; if you have had to restrict your diet for one reason or another, your life is not over. You have just embarked on a new adventure. Give it a chance and it may take you to some place wonderful.

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Food allergies and sensitivities seem to be on the rise. Either that, or there are just more and more people who are aware of what is causing their ill health.

Back in the 80’s, I was one of those people who scoffed at the claims of some people regarding environmental sensitivities. At that time the focus was on dyes, inks, fragrances and environmental pollutants. Many of the people featured in news articles and documentaries were reduced to living in tents or “bubbles”. I thought they were all a little bit “nuts”. Then I became one. It sure taught me a thing or two.

The list of things that I must avoid is daunting: milk in all its forms; wheat in all its forms; corn, which includes corn oil, corn starch and corn sugars; bananas, all citrus fruit; strawberries; chocolate; caffeine; nuts; peanuts; yeast; mushrooms and environmental fungi; artificial sweeteners; artificial colors; artificial flavors; preservatives; alcohol, whether taken internally or inhaled as in a hairspray; and all artificial fragrances and quite a few natural ones. All of the above items give me migraine headaches. I had the migraines every day for about four years before I figured it all out. I have to severely limit my salt intake due to having Meniere’s Syndrome, which is too much fluid pressure in the inner ear. It causes extreme dizziness, ringing in the ears and gradual loss of hearing.

Because of all of these limitations, I have had to find alternatives to the things that most people take for granted. I have spent a lot of years researching food allergies and sensitivities and the alternatives. I would like to present you with some of the recipes I have developed for some of my favorite foods.

When I was young, my mother made the most wonderful ginger cookies. She used white wheat flour, butter, Crisco, salt and baking soda as well as a few other ingredients that I can still use. So, if gluten is not a problem for you, here is my ginger cookie recipe:

1 ¾ cups whole grain spelt flour or oat flour
½ cup brown cane sugar
½ cup refined cane sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup light olive oil
4 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon potassium bicarbonate (rising agent)
¼ teaspoon clove
Water
Unwashed, raw sugar with large crystals

Pre-heat oven to 370°

In a large bowl, mix olive oil, sugar, brown sugar and molasses. Add the ginger, cinnamon and clove. Then add the flour and the rising agent. If it looks too loose or oily, add a little more flour until it doesn’t. If you add too much flour and it becomes to dry to hold together, add a little water. It should not stick to your hands.

Take about a tablespoon and a half of dough in your hands and form it into a ball. Roll the ball around in the raw sugar and place on an ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet. They will spread out, so only place about 12 balls per average sized cookie sheet. About ¾ of the way through baking, the tops start to crack.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Be a little careful as you remove them from the sheet to a cooling rack. They do not hold together really well until they have cooled. It will make at least 2 dozen, maybe more.

I have been told by countless people that these are the best ginger cookies they have ever eaten.

Another treat I dearly love are pancakes. I would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. Actually, I have, but not all on the same day.

The trick with pancakes is to get them to hold together well. Also, to make them “gluey” enough to hold the gas produced by the rising agent so that they are nice and fluffy. Spelt and oat flours do not have nearly as much gluten as does wheat flour. The potato starch mentioned in the following recipe acts as a conditioner for the batter and the flax seed meal acts as the “glue”.

1 cup whole grain spelt flour
½ cup whole grain oat flour (or use all oat flour)
¼ cup light olive oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons refined cane sugar (or raw sugar)
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 tablespoon flax seed meal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons potassium bicarbonate (rising agent, if sodium is not a problem, use baking soda)
Water

Mix the egg, olive oil, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add the flours, potato starch, flax seed meal and rising agent. Stir. It will be very thick. Add water by 1/3 cups until you have the consistency you desire. Cook on a non-stick griddle over medium heat until they are golden brown.

Because oat flour and potato starch soak up a lot of water, the batter tends to thicken as it sits between batches. It may be necessary to add a little water as you go.

I make smallish pancakes by pouring the batter by ¼ cupfuls onto the hot griddle. I get about a dozen from this recipe.

I like my pancakes best served with 100% maple syrup or a little locally produced honey. Do not toss out the leftovers (if you have any). Just store them in the refrigerator. When you are in the mood for a quick snack, pop a couple in the toaster. Yum! I am always hoping there will be some pancakes left over.

I hope you enjoy my first foray into presenting some alternative recipes. Be creative with your food and do not be afraid of failure. Cooking might be chemistry, but it is not rocket science.

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You can be intolerant to a food to which you are not “allergic”. Food intolerance or sensitivity is much more common that food allergy. It estimated that somewhere between 6-10% of people are allergic to a food or foods but between 30-60% of people are intolerant to one or more foods or the additives or chemicals in food.

Food allergy testing will be negative if you are not allergic even though you are intolerant or sensitive to a food, additive or chemical. Food allergy is an abnormal immune response or reaction to a food protein. It is due to the same response to inhaled pollens or allergens. It results when the body makes a specific type antibody or immunoglobulin, known as IgE, to a food. When the food is eaten the IgE antibody recognizes the food protein as foreign and triggers the release of chemicals, especially histamine, from allergy cells in the body. This results in characteristic symptoms of swelling, itching, rash or hives, wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, low blood pressure and rarely death when the food is eaten.

Testing for food allergy consists of blood tests for the IgE antibodies (RAST) or the presence of a hive like reactions produced from histamine released at the site of skin prick, injection or patch contact with the food. The many food reactions that are not due to an allergic immune response involving IgE or histamine will have normal RAST IgE antibody levels and negative skin testing. Some of these food sensitivity or intolerance reactions are due to other antibodies such as IgA, IgM, or IgG. These antibodies may be detected in the blood, stool or saliva though such tests are not as well validated, accepted or available, especially in the U.S.

Diet treatments involving elimination of foods based on elevated IgG, IgM or IgA antibodies in the blood, evacuated stool samples, saliva or intestinal fluid retrieved from the body have shown mixed or to moderate success in people with rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. The most well understood but still under recognized autoimmune food sensitivity with a genetic basis is gluten sensitivity, also known as Celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is much more common than Celiac disease but even less well recognized. Lactose intolerance is the most common food intolerance and often confused with the second most common food sensitivity, cow’s milk protein or casein sensitivity. Gluten free casein free diet is now commonly employed as a treatment for autism. The medical community has generally been slow to accept gluten free casein free diet for autism, considering it unproven, though there is substantial scientific and experiential data to support this safe and often dramatically effective treatment.

Testing for IgG antibodies to foods in the blood is available from a few commercial laboratories. Saliva IgA antibody testing for foods is also available through several laboratories. These tests are generally not universally by health insurance and are often rejected as not valid or reliable by many doctors. Stool testing for IgA antibodies to gluten, tissue transglutaminase, dietary yeast, cow’s milk protein (casein), soy, and chicken egg is available from Enterolab. This laboratory does not contract with any health insurance and most will not reimburse for the cost of testing. Most doctors either are unaware of this testing and either don’t accept the tests as valid or don’t know how to interpret the results.

Testing for mediator release (MRT) testing looks for an evidence of release of chemical mediators from immune blood cells triggered by foods, additives or chemicals. The presence of such a reaction is presumed to indicate sensitivity to such foods, additives or chemicals that can produce various symptoms and when substances producing such reactions are avoided or eliminated symptoms are suppose to improve significantly or resolve. MRT is available commercially through Signet Diagnostic Corporation (www.nowleap.com). Several insurance carriers pay for at least a portion of the cost of this testing however because it is considered “out of network” for most plans patients are usually responsible for payment of the service. Some carriers consider the testing “experimental” or not validated and therefore do not cover the testing.

The principle of MRT testing is that certain foods, additives and chemicals are capable of triggering non-allergy immune-based reactions. These reactions release various immune chemical mediators into the blood. If an immune reaction is triggered and these mediators are released, changes occur in the ratio of solids (cells) to liquid (blood serum) that can be measured. The white blood cells and platelets shrink and the volume of the liquid increases. The degree of change can be measured and reported as mild or moderate to severe corresponding with the degree of sensitivity to that particular food, additive or chemical.

Signet claims success with reducing or eliminating a myriad of symptoms or conditions including migraines, headaches, autistic behavior, anxiety, depression, ADD, sinus and ear, nose and throat problems, irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting syndromes, Celiac, chronic stomach aches, bladder problems, fibromyalgia, arthritis, eczema, hives, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The testing includes a comprehensive color report booklet containing a results specific diet plan with detailed information supplemented with several hours of personalized counseling from a dietician.

Of all the food intolerance or sensitivity testing MRT is the most broad and comprehensive. It looks for actual reaction produced by the body in response to foods or chemicals. Signet provides testing for 150 foods or chemicals (123 foods and 27 chemicals) including nitrates, nitrites, MSG and various food dyes. The limitation of all these tests is lack of universal acceptance by physicians and coverage by insurance. However, for those with suspected intolerance to foods or chemicals in whom available testing is negative or indeterminate, such testing can be quite helpful.

The Food Doc, Dr. Scot Lewey, is an expert medical doctor specializing in digestive diseases and food related illness, especially food allergies, celiac disease and colitis. Dr. Lewey’s expert reputation as the Food Doc is established by a foundation of formal training in internal medicine, pediatrics, and gastroenterology (diseases of the digestive tract), his personal and family experience with gluten and milk sensitivity, and over two decades as a practicing physician, clinical researcher, author and speaker. Access this expert knowledge online today at www.thefooddoc.com

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Wheat was not always a part of human diet and it is a fact that wheat has been grown by people only for the last few thousand years. As a comparison, people were eating meat, fruits and vegetables for a much longer time period. Many researchers claim that this is the reason that so many people around the world suffer from something known as wheat intolerance.

It has been recently published that around 15% of all human have wheat intolerance, but experts say that the real number is a lot higher and that the patients just don’t know that they are patients and that they do suffer from wheat intolerance.

Wheat intolerance shows itself through a number of different symptoms which could also be blamed on many other allergies, diseases or other food intolerances. Some of the most common complaints include sleepiness, bloating, flatulence, fluid retention and swelling of limbs or joints. In extreme intolerance cases you may even suffer from extreme fatigue, depression and obesity and if left untreated it may even develop into diabetes or Celiac Disease. Once other diseases have resulted, you will have to be in medical care for the rest of your life. This makes it important to recognize symptoms and find the cause. A wheat intolerance is hard to diagnose because it shares symptoms with many other ailments, but once it has been diagnosed it is easy to relieve and even reverse symptoms. Although it may sound simple to just leave wheat out of your diet, as many people with a wheat allergy or wheat intolerance would know it is not.

Wheat is not just found in breads and anything else with flour, but also used as a sauce thickening agent, in soups, ice cream and even sausage. This makes it necessary to carefully read all food labels and that is quite a task in the beginning. This does, however, become easier with time and the simplest way to get your grocery shopping done quickly is to stick with basic foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat and leave out the sauces.

Joel has worked in the food and fashion industry for many years, and loves to write about. He also has a passion about helping people on a wheat free diet due to their wheat intolerance or wheat allergy. Read about it Wheat Intolerance on his blog.

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