#elimination diets to see if i had a food allergy

[eileennatural]

okay strictly speaking idk if tmj actually can cause like literal neurological migraines but when i have a "tmj migraine" i experience all the symptoms that i have with like. regular migraines plus the tmj stuff so. i think thats a reasonable way to refer to the phenomenon

[foldingfittedsheets]

Hey! If you don't mind sharing, I'd be interested to hear more about your chronic illness diagnosis journey (I also get that it can be a private thing!).

I've been struggling for the last 5 or so years with chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle pain and brain fog, and my doctors have checked a bunch of different things. EBV, thyroid, vitamin D, "are you sure you're not just depressed" and they've now gone for ME/CFS. A part of that just doesn't feel right to me because I feel like they should have done more tests or walked me through alternatives before settling! Especially because it fluctuates so much. Sometimes I can't leave the house, sometimes I have to borrow a wheelchair if I'm in a shop, sometimes I can walk 5000 steps??

Love and support for you and your gluten free adventure - potatoes, rice and polenta tend to be pretty good for me when I want something bready! (Doesn't quite hit the spot as well as buttered toast does though...)

My decline was really painfully gradual. I didn’t realize why things were getting so much harder. It manifested first with friction between my beloved because they were frustrated I was always too tired to run little errands myself. I went to the doctor and talked about my fatigue but was assured I was fine. I went on Chinese herbs and they buoyed up my reserves so I could keep functioning.

That went on for months, just getting more and more tired. I’d wake up sobbing because I wasn’t any more rested than I’d gone to bed. I went to a new doctor at that point. I got diagnosed with anemia until my blood work came back normal and then I was told I was fine.

Then I started fainting. My hair was falling out. I went to a different doctor. She ran my blood. I got told I was fine, but that maybe I had a food allergy. She slapped me with a full elimination diet that broke my spirit. I did feel some minor improvement but I wasn’t healthy by any means.

Finally, my good friend who is a doctor said that’s enough. She was in a different state but she was furious that I wasn’t getting any help. She ran my blood on a bunch of different ailment tests that were less well known. She tested for antibodies to EBV. If you have over 20 they consider you to have an active infection.

I had over 700 which is when they stop bothering to count.

I was so chock full of virus I was pound for pound virus by that point.

Then came the hard part. Knowing you’re bursting at the seams with a virus doesn’t make it easy to treat. The virus was living in me, in my cells. Too much of the medication and my body would start siccing it’s defenses against its own tissue.

I went on a bonanza of supplements. There was syrups to boost energy, pills to increase my immune system, antivirals, iron and vitamin D because those were kinda low. It was a three times a day regime of medicines.

My initial dose of antiviral was too high. I experienced a pain unlike what any mortal should bear as a result, dropping to the ground to writhe in agony when it hit. My dosage got lowered and my progress crept along.

I started school sometime in there and barely kept my head afloat above coursework. My stress load from school correlated to how much energy I had and I longed to finish my degree and just prioritize feeling better.

Then things got worse. My original doctor friend let her prescription rights for my state lapse, it didn’t make financial sense to keep them. A different friend from yet another state wrote my antivirals for a while but eventually I needed a new doctor.

I found another, this time a naturopathic doctor like my friends, hoping I’d keep receiving good care in that scope of practice. I didn’t. I had the most painful blood draw of my life in her office, writhing in agony, then didn’t hear back from her. I got ghosted by my doctor. When I pestered her for results she wrote me a script for antivirals but that was all.

I’d find out about eight months later when my health was declining and my friends demanded to see my blood work that my iron had been dangerously low but she hadn’t bothered to tell me. I got on iron supplements and staggered along.

Through precision time management I could budget my functional time into schoolwork then collapse to recuperate. It was working, but barely.

When my scrip on antivirals ran out I hunted once again for a doctor. This time I’d realized that any good care I’d gotten was when I’d made a personal connection with the doctor, a rare privilege not many people got. So I sought out a friend of a friend, someone I’d seen on occasion in the doctory social circle.

I have never been more happy with a doctor. She tested my viral numbers and pronounced herself satisfied that it was in check but was suspicious that although my thyroid numbers always looked normal that something was going on there. She ran more tests and lo. A thyroid imbalance.

Around that time I’d sunk into needing the chair. I stopped functioning, it was almost as bad as my first collapse. And yet again the fun part of getting my thyroid in balance was a delicate balance of making sure I wasn’t taking too much and hurting myself.

That balancing act took about a year to stabilize. I was still so weak from years of fatigue and inactivity. An able bodied person cannot imagine how hard it is to build up from ground zero on all your muscles. And the worst part was any time I felt tired I was terrified I was going to slip back down into the depths of exhaustion.

Then my beloved and I got Wyvern the puppy. And before we realized we had both somehow developed allergies to dogs and had to break our hearts giving him up, he saved me the last time.

Potty training meant I had to get up every two hours to take him out. I didn’t have to walk far but I had to do it consistently. Every single day I’d go to bed aching in every muscle, terrified to wake up. But every day I woke up with energy and was able to do it again.

It was like puppy boot camp, and I was able to go longer and farther every walk. By the time we realized we couldn’t keep him I was mobile again, I hadn’t needed my chair at all. When we said goodbye to him I promised I wouldn’t lose the progress he helped me make.

Now I finally, for the first time in six years, feel healthy again. I can go on long walks, I can run little errands for my beloved, I can fill my days with activity and wake up to do it again the next day. It’s the most amazing thing.

I hope you can stumble upon a doctor who can listen to you and help you. I know how hard things can get, but sometimes they can get better.

[curiousitycollective]

We're slowly getting our diet back to a healthy state after struggling for about a year due to celiac issues and its made us pretty firmly believe that:

1. Fad diets like keto, paleo, and gluten free caught on at least partially (if not mostly) due to the fact that they eliminate common intolerances.

A lot of criticism of the diets note that the foods don't cause issues in healthy people, but there are scores of people with undiagnosed allergies and intolerances who will see their issues resolved and given most of the diets are significantly more well known then anything like celiac or other intolerances it makes sense people wouldn't realize that if they saw a huge health improvement it likely indicates some underlying issue

2. A lot has been said about stuff like raw food diets and it being restrictive in the way of orthorexia but I'd bet at least some people are dealing with something like arfid.

We say this because we have arfid and raw fruits and vegetables are one of our only consistent safe foods, and generally the more processed something is the more likely we'll have issues. In most cases for anything premade or bought there's maybe one or two items from a single brand we can reliably eat (hence the year long saga to find new foods we can actually eat).

The experience of it is like trying to eat something completely inedible like dirt, and it took a long time for us to be comfortable even smelling certain foods that we'd had bad reactions to because of how viscerally uncomfortable the feeling of trying them was.

This isn't a commonly known presentation of arfid and I can see how someone with similar issues would see these diets and feel validated in their experiences.

Hell as someone with arfid I can say a lot of what some of them say about cooked/processed food sounds like what I feel like when my sensory issues with food are set off

Which all is to say we don't think that any criticism of the diets and people who promote them that doesn't at least acknowledge these things is likely to make a huge difference.

Many people are claiming health benefits because they had these benefits and many people are saying certain foods aren't actually food because that's how their body reacts to it.

All of them no but honestly we'd bet a large portion of the people following them do have a health issue that's undiagnosed and treated via diet changes or that causes sensory issues with foods.

-Aisling/Scarlet

[cumaeansibyl]

health and diet (not weight loss) stuff under cut. tl;dr I'm chronically ill now?

around about the time of the panini I started having a lot of fatigue and muscle soreness, and I thought to myself well, I've gotten quite sedentary and I'm stressed the hell out about everything all the time, that's probably what it is

I had a history of mild hypothyroidism but it seemed to have resolved itself around 2013, so I mentioned this to my doctor and she put thyroid testing in all my labs since then, but it was showing up as "subclinical" -- basically one number was normal and the other was high, which is not generally thought to produce symptoms

so I sought allergy testing and shots as another possibility (and learned I'm allergic to cats, lol) and I'm sure that's not not helping, like, I do feel somewhat less stuffy overall, but the fatigue persists

at my last regular blood test I finally hit the hypothyroidism threshold so they prescribed me some medication and also some more detailed followup testing after a month. which found that the medication was working but also that I have incredibly high levels of thyroid enzyme antibodies. which indicates that it's autoimmune (aka Hashimoto's) and also that, even with my thyroid producing the correct amount of things, my immune system is still attacking me. which quite neatly explains the fatigue and muscle soreness that's still persisting! (and also possibly the mild elevation in white blood cells that's been persistent in other tests)

so! Doc says she's seen this in other autoimmune thyroid patients, where the medication gives some relief to the primary symptoms, but there remains this other problem. And her first recommendation is an elimination diet to test the response to three common inflammatory foods: dairy, gluten, and refined sugar. So that's my next 3-6 months spoken for.

now if I'm honest I see a lot of that "inflammatory foods" business from the same kind of people who think the body's full of "toxins" requiring fancy expensive laxative potions to sluice out -- and also I'm sure that like, refined sugar isn't providing any health benefits, but I'm skeptical about the actual chemical differences between that and the "unrefined" stuff (yes I know there are many different sugars but how much difference does it reeeeaaaaallly make once it's in the body)

but as far as I know there's no like. antibody chelation protocols or whatever. so I have to give this a try because if it doesn't do anything then at least we know. I'm not super thrilled about having to go into "good foods vs bad foods" mode, which tends to take me into dark places pretty quickly, but I am hoping to focus more on "these are the good things I can eat lots of" instead of the alternative.

anyway this is requiring some cognitive reframing from "these are real symptoms but it's mainly stress and poor lifestyle choices" to "oh actually I'm sick and have been for some time" which, on the one hand it's incredibly affirming when your doctor says "yes, you do feel terrible and there's a reason!" but on the other hand, whew, that's a lot to take in actually.

(we won't talk about the times when i told myself "this is just how people feel and you're a whiny bastard for not handling it better" because I was mostly sure people don't just feel this bad all the time.)

anyway I only have to go dairy-free first, then take out gluten, and sugar goes last, so that shouldn't be bad -- Charles is lactose intolerant so we've already switched over to some non-dairy options. And I can sort of gradually phase out gluten-containing products as I use up the last of them. Anyone got any pasta recs? That's probably gonna be the heaviest lift for me.

[chronic-gastro-illness-culture]

what do you do if you have different conditions that kinda conflict? like some things that are good for acid reflux aren't good for the ibs I have etc.

A.) The low FODMAP diet for IBS, SIBO & similar disorders is temporary, you shouldn’t have to eliminate many foods long term- unless you potentially have food intolerances/allergies, and the food intolerance/allergy is causing IBS symptoms. If you have to permanently eliminate more than a couple foods to help your IBS symptoms, we strongly urge you to see a doctor about potential intolerance/allergy issues, due to the potential risk of anaphylactic shock.

B.) As for GERD, the diet is a little less forgiving. You’ll have to eat organic food and cut down on fatty and acidic foods, along with foods with caffeine and processed foods, and maybe enjoy them everyone once and while, but you can’t be eating those foods regularly like you did before developing GERD.

There are foods that are “IBS safe” that can trigger GERD, and foods that are “GERD safe” that can trigger IBS. Just try them! Maybe you can have IBS safe foods once or twice a week without triggering your GERD, and maybe there’s a GERD safe food that doesn’t trigger your IBS if it’s prepared a certain way.

This stuff really is just all about trial and error. We keep saying “keep a food diary and keep track of symptoms” because that’s what our: general practitioner, gastroenterologist, and allergy specialist all tell us, upon our initial visit, and every time we ask about eating different foods. They all say: try it and see how it goes. That’s really the only thing you can do. Experiment and see what works for you.

We know that can be scary when you can get as severely and suddenly sick as you can with chronic gastro illness, and Eating The Wrong Thing can have horrible consequences, which makes Being Wrong Scary. But we found if you modify your diet and have good, strong healthy baseline, it���s okay to test the waters. You should have some safe foods on hand in case It Gets Bad Again, but trying One Food for One Meal to see how it goes isn’t going to make you as sick as when you had these disorders and were blindly eating anything, unaware of what you were doing to your body, and how your body was reacting to it, you know?

Now that you know what’s going on, you can much better control and manage the symptoms. 💚

[brigittas-writing-nook]

Allergies in Pets

"Allergies in Pets" Disclaimer: None of the information provided in these posts should be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before trying recommendations or if you have concern Some posts may contain affiliate or third-party links. About 15-20 years ago, my sister had two dogs, Akila and Sasha. Sasha, a malamute, was older than Aki, a shiba inu/American eskimo mix, and was therefore the instigator in most of their shenanigans, especially around food. One day, Sasha helped Aki get a hold of a couple of pieces of ham (or pork chop, my memory is fuzzy on this), and they each proceeded to chow down. Then Aki’s came right back up. And that was the day we discovered that dogs (and other animals) can be allergic and intolerant of certain foods. Did you know your pets can have food allergies and sensitivities? Yeah, it was a surprise to us, too. Let’s dive into today’s topic: Pets and their allergies. 10% OFF at RawPawsPetFood.com! use code: RawTake10

What’s the difference between an allergy and a sensitivity?

Time is the difference. Intolerances and sensitivities take longer to present themselves, while allergies usually show up within a few hours to a couple of days. Also, sensitivities aren’t connected to the immune system, while allergies are.

Common allergic reactions

When dogs or cats have food allergies, their immune system is reacting like human’s do (I went into that in detail in an earlier post). The immune system thinks certain foods are an invading disease (even though they aren’t) and attacks them, causing a histamine response. And, while pets can have anaphylaxis as a response, here are more common reactions.

Allergic dermatitis

That’s a fancy term (and by “fancy” I really mean “medical”) for itchy skin. It can happen everywhere on the body. For cats, it’s more common to see it on the head or neck. On dogs, however, allergic dermatitis appears more often on the ears, paws, hind quarters, or stomach.

Hives

You remember those nasty bumps we talked about a few posts back? Yup! Dogs and cats can have them, too. They show up easier on dogs, especially the short-haired variety and can show up within 6-24 hours after eating the allergen. Cats, on the other hand, can take longer to develop hives, and they can be harder to see. If you see your pets scratching the same spot repeatedly, get them checked out. All that scratching can lead to hair loss and potential infection if they break the skin.

Digestive issues

Just like us humans, dogs and cats can experience digestion issue because of an allergy. Symptoms can include gas, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Swollen face

Swelling skin is uncomfortable. If your pet experiences this reaction, you’ll see it most on the lips, eyelids, or ears/ear flaps. Take them to the vet to see what treatment they recommend.

Chronic ear or paw infections

The title pretty much describes itself here. An important note, though, is this: if your pet is experiencing this symptom repeatedly, definitely check to determine whether the issue is a food allergy or a sensitivity.

Common allergens in cats and dogs

Since this is a food allergy post, those allergens are the ones we’re going to cover here. Other factors like fleas and bees can cause some of the above reactions, but we’re not going there today.

Common allergens

- Chicken - Beef - Eggs - Fish (this if more common for cats) - Dairy products (yes, even for cats…especially for cats)

Less common allergens

- Corn - Wheat - Rice - Barley - Oats FREE Meal Plan for Your Budget - $59 Value at RawPawsPetFood.com

What do I do if I suspect an allergy?

Contact your vet and schedule an appointment. If the pet is in distress (vomiting, severe diarrhea, or difficulty breathing), go to an emergency vet and follow up with your regular vet. Your pet’s doctor will probably have you do an elimination diet (there isn’t a scratch test for pets) and try to narrow down the potential culprits. Once they discover the issue, they can set up a treatment plan that may include a diet change and perhaps some medication to ease symptoms. However, keep the emergency vets number in case an emergency occurs. That’s all for today. Have you had a pet with a food allergy or sensitivity? I would love to hear your story. Next time, we’re going to talk about food allergy tips for Independence Day (in the US). Be safe. Eat safe. And savor life! Want to receive posts in your email? Subscribe below. Read the full article

[meditating-dog-lover]

Skin update

Since I applied my steroid and tacrolimus ointments last week I have not had any itchiness nor flaring and my skin looks clearer.

I've been taking my supplements consistently. And I just had a followup appointment.

I was told to continue with the antimicrobial supplements for an additional few weeks. I was also told to keep these supplements for the future if I do get flareups to kill any responsible bacteria.

I was also told to continue taking the gut supplements (the digestive enzyme, probiotics, and the liquid gut support). It does end up being a lot of supplements and want to cut down to 1 gut supplement. So I'll do that in the future after speaking with my doctor.

I was also told to cut out eggs for a few weeks because I tested for high sensitivity against egg whites. I can do with some food elimination diets, but I cannot eliminate bread, dairy (cheese), coffee, or dark chocolate. Those are too hard. I'll eliminate other stuff. I've cut out tomatoes for 3 weeks in the past, I can do the same with eggs. Not just eggs, but also stuff containing eggs like mayo and baked goods. I'll do that until the end of the month and I'll see how I feel.

I was also recommended to do a food and environmental allergy test. I'll look into doing that because my blood work shows I have high levels of immunoglobulin E and eosinophils. I'm not sure what I could be allergic to, hopefully not a food I enjoy. I don't want to restrict because I don't want another ed. If it's environmental I'll simply get an allergy shot. If I'm not allergic to anything, even better.

So for now, I'm going to cut out eggs, continue the antimicrobials for 2 more weeks, take the other 3 gut health supplements until I see my doctor again, and to do an allergy test. I'll look around for an allergist who would be willing to do the test.

[the2amrevolution]

If you aren't eating things with a variety of nutrients, you'll probably still want to eat and you'll probably feel like shit. This can be solved with a multivitamin and a cheeseburger or something if all you've had is candy, cake, bread, etc. basic carbohydrates.

If your gut is messed up, see how adding fiber works for you. it being in powder or bar form is fine or you can get it via veggies, whatever works for you. If you have terrible gas, bloating, or further gut problems, then fiber isn't for you, and you probably have something else you're sensitive to causing the issue. It could be a medication or it could be something in your food, so eat normally and record what you had and what symptoms you had that day.

I get a migraine and diarrhea anytime I have pork, including if my food just absorbed a little bacon grease from the same cook top. My mom is sensitive to wheat. My dad is lactose intolerant. My brother hasn't tried to figure his out.

I was eating pepperoni pizza regularly and was on a medication that was stimulating my intestinal muscles. I was on the toilet a lot, and I was hungry a lot. My blood sugar got all messed up because my body was sending more and more insulin in an attempt to get as much as it could from my food before it left my system, because the breakdown of fats and proteins was slower than my intestinal movement. I developed pre-diabetes and acanthosis nigricans on the back of my neck. Stopped taking that medication and eliminated pork from my diet, and my blood sugar problems have reversed. I also lost some weight because my body wasn't desperately clinging to all the sugar from my food in hopes of converting it to fat and other needs. Some of my correct medications/supplements became more effective because they finished absorbing in the intestines, not the stomach. I stopped taking an appetite suppressant medication I had been given because my doctor had no explanation for my constant hunger, but doctors also had no answer for my GI distress until an MCAS familiar doctor asked if my migraines also came with nausea and diarrhea and asked what triggered my reflux (all are a histamine reaction, like an allergy, but not anaphylaxis). Going off the medication wasn't because of my GI problems, discovering that it was contributing was a side benefit.

If a specific food makes you feel bad, don't eat it. If you don't like something, don't eat it. If you feel guilty about wanting to eat it, eat it anyway. If you are hungry all the time but getting your vitamins, minerals, and macros (like, at all, not specific percentages of them), then something is going on medically that needs to be addressed. If you have chronic GI problems, migraines, reflux, eczema, etc, try to figure out a food that may be triggering it. You don't have to do an elimination diet, you can just start with one thing and see if you have symptoms when you eat it. I knew I had reflux after a lot of pork, I didn't realize even blended in pepperoni was bothering me that much because it didn't cause reflux. Then I realized the more pork I'd had over the course of a week, the more likely I'd have a migraine that week. Recently I felt kind of gross after eating a certain candy I don't usually have, but fine after some other candy. I compared ingredients, and the most obvious difference was in food coloring. I continued eating whatever I felt like, glancing at packaging to make note of any of that food color. When I had that food color, I marked down the date and any sort of change in symptoms I had that day. after a few days of eating that food coloring, and half of those days having no change in symptoms, I eliminated that as a possible trigger.

If you don't have any digestive problems or you have identified what triggers your symptoms and removed them from your diet, and you get at least some off all of your vitamins, minerals, and macros, it shouldn't be hard to eat intuitively. Full sugar soda/sugary drinks may still be a bit of an issue, but, if you don't have ADHD/aren't dopamine seeking, then you may lose the taste for those as well. From that point, you'll probably lose some weight. How much will depend on you activity level. If you find you want to lose more, then the only way to do that healthily is to move more. Cutting out food will not work. An active hobby will, for as long as you keep up that activity level. There's a level where you will be more active than before but not necessarily want to eat more, but if you are eating intuitively, you'll only eat the amount more you need for your activity anyway.

The range of weight you find yourself at while intuitively eating, regardless of your activity level, is your "healthy weight." Exercise is important for muscles and joints to be and remain healthy, but that doesn't have to be rigorous. It can be two or three 15 minute walks each day and some body weight exercises for strength. You may get enough walking at work, and you may get enough lifting at work as well, depending on your job. Beyond that is mostly going to be bonus unless it's specific physical therapy exercises you need for an injury or medical condition.

There is a bottom limit of how much someone can eat before their body thinks they are starving. At that point, not only are you most likely to binge eat in response to your restriction, but you will only lose weight via activity, and that weight will include muscle mass. If you are eating enough, you don't lose muscle mass without decreasing your activity level. If you put a fat person who is fat because they cannot increase their activity level (due to disability) on a restrictive diet that is lower calorie than their bottom limit, they are more likely to die before they become thin because of the damage to their muscles. They will metabolize their heart muscle into cardiac arrest. This also will happen with high activity, low calorie diets below a person's base metabolic rate.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO EAT

Body: :)

Person: *starts restricting sugar*

Body: Oh, haha. Could I have some sugar soon? I actually need that to live.

Person: *stops eating carbohydrates since they're "just sugar"*

Body: Hey, uh- haha. Seriously though like I really need that.

Person: *stops eating certain fruits and vegetables that are higher in sugar than others*

Body: What are you doing?! I need sugar!!! Please!!!

Person: *stops eating sugar entirely*

Body: *screams*

Person: Man, I can't stop thinking about sugar. I crave it all the time. I'm so glad I don't give in to my cravings or else I would be eating sugar 24/7. The only possible reason I uncontrollably want sugary things is because my body cannot be trusted.

[pablice]

How I Lost 30 Pounds Following a Dairy-Free Keto Diet - My Story

What Is the Dairy-Free Keto Diet? The Dairy-Free Keto diet is based on a high-fat, low-carb eating plan that avoids dairy products due to their lactose content. The focus of the diet is to limit carbohydrates and consume greater amounts of healthy fats found in plant-based foods. This type of diet can help reduce inflammation and promote weight loss while providing a good source of essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, and the B vitamins. It is important to note that dairy-free keto diets are safe and can be used by anyone - no matter their dietary background. It is important to consult with a nutritionist if making major dietary changes or if there are any allergy considerations. With the right knowledge and guidance, the dairy-free keto diet can be followed without any problems. How I Got Started on the Diet I began my journey into the dairy-free keto diet after discovering the health benefits I could gain from it. I read up on the basics of the diet, such as the specific breakdown of fat, protein, and carbohydrates I should be consuming and the need to stay away from dairy and processed food. After researching, I was ready to start the journey and felt confident that I could reach my ultimate goal of healthy weight loss. Getting started on the diet was surprisingly easy and I was living completely dairy-free within a week of starting the diet. I found it very easy to substitute dairy out of my diet and was impressed by the delicious alternatives available. I was amazed at how quickly and simply I was able to adjust to the diet. I found the transition to be quite manageable and was encouraged by my initial success. My Initial Results When I started my journey on the dairy-free keto diet, I was expecting quick results. I found that I started losing weight fairly quickly just by changing my diet and incorporating regular exercise. My energy levels increased and I was able to stick with the diet for longer because I felt better. My body composition also changed significantly, with fat melting away. I lost inches off my waist and also saw increased muscle definition. All of this progress happened without me having to resort to extreme calorie restriction or long hours in the gym. It was a significant overall improvement in my health and physique. Challenges I Faced Along the Way At first, I was intimidated by the idea of following this diet. The thought of giving up dairy felt daunting, since I had included dairy in my diet for most of my adult life. I was also intimidated by the strenuous exercise requirements for the diet. I had never been much of an exercise enthusiast and wasn't sure I could commit to the increased regimen. I discovered that even the small changes to my diet and exercise had an impact. Eliminating dairy products and increasing exercise proved to be far easier than I had anticipated. I was able to adjust my diet with a few modifications. I replaced my usual dairy products with low-carb, dairy-free alternatives when necessary. I also started adding more low-carb vegetables and healthy fats to my meals. I was surprised by how well my body responded to the dietary changes and I started to see steady progress. What I Learned About Nutrition I realized that nutrition is an incredibly important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Eating the right nutrients can help you feel energized, stay strong, and even help ward off illnesses. I developed an understanding of what food makes up a balanced meal, as well as which ingredients can help to create a healthier lifestyle. I also learned the importance of drinking plenty of water every day and of limiting my intake of processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats. I also came to understand the importance of timing for meals. Eating my breakfast within an hour or so of waking up, making lunch the biggest meal of the day, and having a light dinner instead of overeating late at night had a big impact on my health. I found that these strategies helped to keep me feeling energized and ready to tackle whatever my day brought. How I Adjusted My Diet to Reach My Goal In order to reach my goal and lose weight, I needed to change the way I was eating. I decided to reduce my carbohydrates by cutting out processed foods and replacing them with healthy, whole food options that were high in fat and fiber. I also replaced my unhealthy snacks with ketogenic-friendly options like nuts, seeds, and avocado. I also incorporated intermittent fasting and implemented this lifestyle consistently so that I can maximize my progress and maintain the progress I have made. Finally, I made sure to drink plenty of water and take B vitamins and electrolytes to help my body replenish its nutrients. This allowed me to remain energized and pushing through the keto diet even when I started to feel fatigued or cravings hit. By being mindful and strategic about my nutrition, I was able to achieve my desired results and continue my journey towards my overall health goals. What My 30-Pound Weight Loss Has Meant to Me Since I first started on my dairy-free keto diet, I’ve lost 30 pounds and the transformation has been life-changing. Before this, I never thought I’d be able to stick to a diet and eat such healthy, whole food meals. And with the newfound confidence and energy, I’ve finally found activities I enjoy doing. I’m not out of the woods yet - I still have more weight to lose - however the journey thus far has been incredibly rewarding. Losing the weight wasn’t the end goal, but rather the means to an end. After 30 pounds, I finally found the courage to try new things and step outside of my comfort zone. I know I can do this and that is the biggest shift of all. My Tips for Succeeding on a Dairy-Free Keto Diet The key to success with the dairy-free keto diet is preparation. Failing to plan is planning to fail, as they say. Before starting the dairy-free keto diet, it’s important to spend some time researching recipes, familiarizing yourself with the foods you can eat, and getting your kitchen stocked with the right ingredients. Taking the time to plan out your meals and snacks will help set you up for success and make sure you have the right ingredients on hand for when hunger strikes. Another key tip for succeeding on a dairy-free keto diet is finding healthy, dairy-free options of your favorite foods. There are so many alternatives to dairy now that can make your favorite meals just as delicious. For example, there are plant-based milks, yogurts and cheeses. Use these to your advantage when coming up with meal plans so you don't get bored of your food. What is the Dairy-Free Keto Diet? The Dairy-Free Keto Diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that eliminates all dairy products. The goal of this diet is to reduce carbs and increase healthful fats to promote weight loss, improve overall health, and decrease risk for certain diseases and conditions. How did you get started on the diet? I started the Dairy-Free Keto Diet after researching and learning more about the health benefits associated with it. I then consulted with a nutritionist who helped me create a meal plan and develop an exercise regimen. What were your initial results? After following the Dairy-Free Keto Diet for just a few weeks, I noticed a difference in my energy levels and my overall health. After a few months, I had lost a total of 30 pounds. What challenges did you face along the way? One of the biggest challenges I faced along the way was finding dairy-free alternatives to my favorite foods and snacks. I also had to be diligent about counting my macros and tracking my progress. What did you learn about nutrition? Through my journey, I learned that nutrition is not only about counting calories, but also about eating the right foods and getting the right amount of nutrients. By focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, I was able to reach my weight loss goals. How did you adjust your diet to reach your goal? Initially, I had to give up some of my favorite dairy-filled foods, but I was able to find delicious dairy-free alternatives. I also made sure to eat a balanced diet and to count my macros in order to stay on track with my goals. What has your 30-pound weight loss meant for you? My 30-pound weight loss has meant far more than just a number on the scale. I have more energy, I'm more confident in myself, and I have a much healthier relationship with food. What tips do you have for succeeding on a Dairy-Free Keto Diet? My advice for succeeding on a Dairy-Free Keto Diet is to stay committed, find delicious dairy-free alternatives, and track your progress. It’s also important to focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods and consult with a nutritionist to ensure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients. Read the full article

[hollandorks]

helllllooo i've been gluten free because i'm intolerant at the very least and currently in the middle of getting tested for celiac disease. I'm here to bestow some ✨️knowledge✨️

testing -

So, I've know I am gluten intolerant since I was at least in my teens. I had a family practitioner tell me I'm intolerant because I have bad eczema (comorbid with celiac) and basically told me to lay off the gluten. I went GF in 2020 and didn't go back.

recently, i went into my gastroenterologist to complain of heartburn and was trying to get on prilosec rx so i could have insurance cover it. I mentioned I am GF and I mentioned some comorbidities and they scheduled me for a celiac blood test and a upper endoscopy.

you can mention it to your doctor. at the very least, you can ask for the celiac blood test. they'll probably want a metabolic panel anyway if you are visiting the gastroenterologist for the first time. you don't want to stop eating gluten until after the blood test is done because it picks up the antibodies caused by the reaction to gluten (i had to eat gluten again for a month before my test) if there is no gluten in your system, it'll skew the test. If you aren't concerned about celiac testing, then you can go gluten free and see if it helps you out! I was going to try out GF for a month but i ended up feeling so much better after a couple of weeks i just stopped eating gluten lol

GF diet -

There are GF alternatives for pretty much everything so when you decide to quit, there is Udi's brand for most breads. you'll find those in the frozen food aisle near the garlic bread. Udi's is what most restaurants stock too if they have GF options.

For pasta, there is Barilla. Barilla is my fave brand for GF pasta. Texturally, pasta was the hardest to find a substitute for but Barilla is the closest. The only drawback is it doesn't reheat very well. Pho noodles (the skinny glass ones) are made out of rice and are naturally GF as well.

Bob's Red Mill and Pillsbury make the best GF 1:1 flours for baking. I prefer Pillsbury for sweets and Bob's for rouxs and savory doughs like bread. Pillbury also has a really REALLY good GF pizza dough kit.

Besides that, there are bunch of GF recipes on the internet. you can also look for recipes labeled atkins because that is a carb elimination diet so they usually don't include any bread or sub out bread with like vegetables (like spaghetti squash pasta or cheese crisps instead of crackers) Steer clear of products/recipes labeled keto, however. That's also a carb elimination diet but all the labels i look at still have gluten in them in some way.

I can give you some chain restaurants that do GF if you want! I don't want to overload you with info.

i hope this helps and i hope that I didn't overstep in anyway! i saw your post and I know going GF is daunting but it is definitely doable! 🫶

Oh my gosh this is so helpful!!! Thank you!!

I definitely want to do the testing for celiac so that's all very good to know (I have some other blood work I need done so maybe I can just like throw that in??). Can you tell me why they required an upper endoscopy? I had one done in like 2017 for something unrelated but everything came back clear (so basically I don't want to have to do that again if I don't have to 😂)

Thanks sooo much for the food and brand info too. I already use Barilla regular pasta so the switch should hopefully be easy! I'd love some info on chain restaurants too if you don't mind!

Also my last question is like.....if it's not an allergy then is the only way to be sure just to eliminate it?? (I mostly have GI symptoms, no allergy or eczema stuff and so far my doctor is just shrugging and saying it's probably IBS, but it definitely does not act like IBS)

[grahamstoney]

My Cleaner Does Comedy

New Post has been published on https://grahamstoney.com/drama/cleaner-does-comedy

My Cleaner Does Comedy

Ah, the humble clothes peg. A million and one household uses. Open pretty much any box of anything in my house and what you’ll find is a clothes peg ensuring the continued freshness of the delicious contents.

Speaking of delicious contents, I’m currently on one of those food sensitivities/allergy elimination diets where you eliminate anything with any flavor from your diet and then you start reintroducing foods to see what you’re sensitive to, starting with your nut-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, meat-free, taste-free vegan crap.

So I was sitting at my breakfast table the other day eating my cardboard-flavored buckwheat pancakes when I looked up and I saw this: Hello, I’m a clothes peg. See, I’d had the cleaner in the day before and she’d left me this little note. I’m like, oh my God, now my cleaner’s doing comedy. I don’t even know when she did it. Like, I was here the whole time playing my drums, and at some point during the day while she was cleaning she’s thought to pen this little note and stick it to my box of lentils.

Now, I’m not exactly sure how to interpret this because the punctuation is a little ambiguous. Is it, “Hello, I’m a clothes peg”? Or is it, “Hello. I’m a clothes peg”? Or is it, “Hello… I’m a clothes peg!”? Well, I’m not really sure. But what I do know is that now my cleaner’s doing comedy. What’s she going to do next, burst into song and turn into a musical? I’ll have a look and I’ll keep you posted.

[hydrokineticlapis]

THIS. And the fact that people can have diseases that are related to their allergies is also important!

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) is a good example of this, and it can be near impossible to tell which food allergy worsens your condition, since the most common food allergies are not the only food someone can be allergic to.

It's absolutely crucial to accommodate people when it comes to food. They deserve to eat in a way that doesn't fucking destroy their insides.

My hot take is that actually food allergies are a disability and more people need to realize that. The amount of research people with food allergies have to do when they want to go visit places but arent sure if they’ll have access to any food there is insane. Allergy friendly food is almost ALWAYS incredibly expensive in stores bc of all those fucking fad diets that like yoga instructors and middle age soccer moms make popular. And on top of the price, it is so hard to FIND! Almost evrry grocery store ive been to has a tiny ass allergy section that is almost always near empty. Plus what about people who don’t have the money to pay 10$ for a loaf of bread? You go to starbucks and non-dairy milks are like 70 cents extra? People are definitely out there buying and eating stuff that is destroying their digestive systems because they have no other choice. I am begging people to stop pretending that catering to people’s food allergies is elitist and not worth is. We need to make these options openly available.

[wolfeyedwitch]

I wish healthcare, and specifically healthcare insurance, was set up better. I have possible food allergies and an elimination diet was inconclusive, so my primary wants me to see an allergist.

How the process should go:

Primary refers me to an allergist

I call the allergist to set up an appointment

I go see the allergist.

That's it. That's literally how simple it should be.

How the process is actually going:

Primary refers me to an allergist

I call the allergist to set up an appointment

The lovely lady on the phone says that unfortunately that office doesn't take my insurance

I say no problem, I'll pay out of pocket

She informs me that it will be $200-350 for just the appointment, with the testing that is almost certain to happen costing another $11 per stick for skin testing. (I have 7 allergens needing testing, and I think they do multiple strengths to see just how much is needed for you to react)

I say yikes, thank you for informing me of that, I don't want to make an appointment at this time

I go back to my primary and say hi that allergist wasn't covered by my insurance could you please refer me to one that is

My doctor's staff informs me that it's my job to find which doctors are covered by my insurance and that they can't do that, and I should contact them again when I had names of local allergists that my insurance will cover

I boggle at that for a while and then go fuck it I think I just won't see an allergist, I'm not having any kind of change on this elimination diet anyway so I probably don't have allergies so what's the point

I end the elimination diet and celebrate the end of it by eating plenty of gluten and dairy, two of the things I was restricted from.

I get abdominal pain.

The abdominal pain is still here the next day.

I think yeah maybe I should actually see an allergist about this, at least skin testing will give more definitive answers and I can ask what the heck kind of symptoms even happen with this because I'm Confused and my primary didn't go into a ton of detail.

That's where I'm at. I still need to 1) look up who's covered by my insurance, and 2) contact my doc to get a referral to someone covered by my insurance, and then 3) actually make that appointment.

Screw all of this. I'm torn between wanting this to actually be something because then it's a concrete answer for some of my problems, and wanting this not to be anything because I desperately do not want to give up dairy and gluten. My diet is weird enough as it is, but I've been relatively stable on it, and now I'm messing with it and it's just. Complicated.

[sweetfirebird]

I can't figure out if the way I just feel... not good... lately is a result of stress or getting older (or getting older + stress) or an actual Thing. And I have American health care so going repeatedly to the doctors to try to convince them to test me for a Thing (or Things) would be enormously expensive and, you know, American health care for regular people is a lot of HMOs telling you to get more exercise or to *maybe* go to therapy (which they won't pay for), so that's out as an option really.

I feel... okay. I should say. I can still do my stretches (I need to do more though). My thoughts are much clearer than they were even just two weeks ago (that was the stress, I think, unless I had Covid in January despite all the RATs telling me I didn't, and that was post-Covid brain fog). But I also... don't feel *well* in ways idk how I would even begin to explain to a doctor.

Anyone else got this?

I am going to try some elimination diet stuff to see if any of it is food-based (allergies or not, getting older does weird stuff to what foods your body will tolerate, sadly) and up my exercising and see how it goes. I've also been trying to make sure I get sunlight each day, just for a little bit.

Maybe it's just good old-fashioned depression? hmm

[thebibliosphere]

if you have the time and capacity I would greatly appreciate some chronic health advice! I'm also someone who deals with the clusterfuck of problems that is MCAS (and POTS and EDS and immune deficiency...) and I'm wondering what drew you to an organic diet to treat MCAS? its really hard for me to find reliable information on if and why it works, but I've seen several mentions within the MCAS community about it.

I've been Struggling to keep my MCAS symptoms in check, and they keep escalating (severe asthma flares, burning in my mouth while consuming things, and bleeding sores suddenly appearing in my mouth and taking forever to heal, along with all the typical MCAS symptoms just short of anaphylaxis) so at this point I'm willing to try anything that might help 😭 I do have an allergy/immunology doctor, but a lot of their focus lately has been trying to treat my immune deficiency, so I haven't gotten much info on how to handle this. any advice or info you can point me towards would be greatly appreciated.

So, I was prescribed an all organic diet by my allergist before we new I had MCAS because during a bout of testing to try and figure out what the hell was going on, I had two different skin reactions to corn. One was organic corn, and my body was completely fine. The other was regular corn and my body broke out in hives. I wasn’t told which was which, or even what they were testing, in order to prevent any possible psycho symptomatic reactions. My then allergist, who I honestly miss cause he was way more competent and 💯% less of an ass than the one I have now, looked at that, looked at all my other problems and went “well that’s weird”, and summarily prescribed me an all organic diet to see if it would help.

It did, and it was concluded that my body was reacting to the minute trace amounts of synthetic pesticide (probably glysophate) found in non-organic foods. I emphasize synthetic, because organic foods still use organic pesticides, which are also not that great for the environment or people due to lack of FDA regulation, but when your choices are death now or potential cancer in 40 years, you take what you can get. He also hypothesized that because I grew up in the UK/Europe where pesticide use in general is more heavily regulated, as are preservatives, that that was also what was making me ill.

Some five years later and we fast forward to now, and we do indeed know that pesticides and preservatives can be mast cell disorder triggers. Even more natural ways of preserving foods (like fermenting) can be a mast cell dysfunction trigger due to histamine intolerance. The more you know 🌈 ⭐️

Which is also something to consider. Not everyone with MCAS has histamine intolerance, just like how not everyone with HIT has MCAS, but the two often go hand in hand. If you haven’t tried a low histamine elimination diet, it might be worthwhile to see if it helps. I do urge caution though, as a low histamine diet is extremely dangerous long term due to lack of nutrients, and it should ideally be done under the guidance of a doctor for no more than 4 weeks. I was left on a low histamine diet for almost two years by a negligent doctor, and almost starved to death. Also with things like MCAS and HIT the goal is to gradually build your list of tolerated foods back up, not to keep eliminating them, as that is the only way to heal. You need to get your body to a good baseline for healing, then try to get as much nutrients back into your diet as possible. And before anyone jumps in to recommend feeding tubes as they’ve done in the past: feeding tubes should be an absolute last resort when all other options have been exhausted. They are also no guarantee against anaphylaxis and have other complications that can be fatal, so it is imperative to try and avoid them at all costs.

With an HIT diet and competent medical supervision, I’ve gone from being able to eat 2 things to 21 in the last year. Still not a huge amount, but it’s huge progress for me, considering my body was reacting to tap water at one point. Still does sometimes, so I recommend looking into filters that remove trace amounts of chlorine from the water, for both drinking and bathing. You can get shower filters that attach to the head for like $30 and it can help with skin reactions/eczema like symptoms. I do not recommend full house systems that filter via the pipes, as the treatments used in water are actually essential for preventing things like pipe corosion or mold build up, but filtering from the faucets/shower heads is a good idea.

Which brings me onto things like skin products and household items. With MCAS, there can be any number of things that trigger us that in turn make our bodies primed to react to everything and anything we put into it. A lot of household cleaners, especially scented things, are mast cell dysfunction triggers. Tide washing detergent, for example, absolutely murders my throat if I breathe the scent in. We had friends come to stay recently to help with our basement demolition, and the smell of their laundry detergent made my throat swell and my eyes burn. It also helped me realize that yeah, actually, switching to all free and clear products for all of our household needs has Substantially reduced my overall reactions, including to foods. I now avoid anything scented, yes including essential oils, because essential oils can be triggers for anyone, not just folks with mast cell issues. Natural doesn’t mean safe. Nor does it mean shit to MCAS where some people can eat potato chips just fine, but can’t eat healthier things like fruit or veg because our mast cells have gone wonky and mistake certain proteins for allergies, whether we have a true IgE allergy or not.

Unfortunately, this does mean we end up incredibly deficient in many vitamins and nutrients, and supplements are necessary for our survival and recovery. Re: the mouth sores and bleeding, if no one has tested your b12 levels along with a homocysteine test, get that done asap. I had mouth sores for up to six months before we found out I had severe pernicious anemia and was on the verge of death. Low folate and low iron can also cause tongue/mouth burning, and those things go hand in hand with b12 deficiency. (And most foods that are high in b12 are often off-limits to people with HIT/MCAS. EDS also means we don’t absorb them as well from the gut, so it’s a good thing to check regardless) if it's not that, try looking at things like your toothpaste/mouthwash. Try avoiding toothpaste with SLS in them; see if that helps. Sensodyne is a good brand that makes an effort to avoid SLS but double-check the ingredients. I can't use any mouthwashes, so I make a point of doing salt water rinses when I remember. Some people also use oil pulling as an alternative to conventional mouthwash.

Unfortunately, MCAS is one size fits no one disorder, so the only way to get a handle on it is to find out what works for you. It makes things very overwhelming, but I hope some of the above is helpful and proves useful to you. Best of luck, and if you've got any more questions hmu, I'll try to help where I can 💖

[pandaspansawareness]

This study shows how many adolescents with Depression have food sensitivities. It found that over 80% of adolescents with depression in the study had some form of food sensitivity. Only  13.04% of the control group had these food sensitivities.

  https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../pii/S1672022919300968...Study Reference: Tao, R., Fu, Z. and Xiao, L. (2019). Chronic Food Antigen-specific IgG-mediated Hypersensitivity Reaction as A Risk Factor for Adolescent Depressive Disorder. Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, [online] 17(2), pp.183–189. 

Another important study relevant to the topic of food sensitivities in psychiatric conditions is this one: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/5/548/htmIt found that 64% of subjects from the Major Depressive Disorder group experienced 'IgG food hyperreactivity'. Karakula-Juchnowicz, et al (2018). The Food-Specific Serum IgG Reactivity in Major Depressive Disorder Patients, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients and Healthy Controls. Nutrients, 10(5), p.548. (CC BY license)

The study found that those with Major Depressive Disorder had more IgG reacting against Broccoli, Gluten, Garlic, Horseradish, Milk, Rye, and Celery. Some people were reacting to vegetables. This shows that sometimes looking after your wellbeing isn't as simple as having a healthy diet (though it's important), but is also about finding out how your unique body reacts to certain foods. 

There are many studies showing that people with certain psychiatric conditions appear to have higher rates of food sensitivities (which usually seem to be IgG mediated.) There have also been case studies about people with conditions such as Depression & Schizophrenia experiencing symptom reduction when food sensitivities are eliminated from the diet. It is really important to note that everyone has different food sensitivities. Eg. One person may be sensitive to gluten, and another sensitive to dairy, citrus fruits, sunflower seeds, etc. 

This brings me onto the question... If numerous studies show how people with certain psychiatric conditions often have food sensitivities, why are food sensitivities (specifically IgG delayed sensitivities) not routinely tested for in mental health clinics?

 Food sensitivities impact me immensely. Food dyes trigger rages, dairy impacted my tics, and sunflower oil would trigger nausea and loss of sensation. Infections also have this sort of impact on me. More research needs to be done in this area. 

We need to understand why so many people with psychiatric conditions have food sensitivities, and why some people report a reduction in psychiatric symptoms when these sensitivities are eliminated from the diet. 

The immune system has been found to play a role in many mental illnesses. Many mental illness cases have a biomedical cause. You cannot truly support a person's mental health unless you also consider and address the underlying physical components. It is a lot more than just 'a chemical imbalance', you have to ask 'what causes the imbalance? It also goes beyond genetics. A person may have a genetic predisposition to reacting to certain foods (and/or infections) in a way which impacts the brain. 

Food sensitivities are not always an underlying issue for everyone, but people deserve to be made aware that there is a chance that food sensitivities may be impacting them. IgG mediated food sensitivities are unlikely to show up on conventional allergy tests. Conventional allergy tests often check for immediate reaction allergies (IgE) but IgG sensitivities are more delayed. The IgG tests often need to be paid for out of pocket and searched for online.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical professional, this is NOT to be used as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified physician, this is to be used for educational purposes only. For medical advice, please see a medical practitioner. I do NOT claim to treat, cure or mitigate any condition. The studies referenced in this post are under creative commons licensing.