Yes, another salad dressing. It is summer after all, aaaaand they are just too easy and delicious not to share! Besides, fitting in that big bowl of greens is so much tastier when you have so many wonderful and healthy salad dressings to experiment with. I discovered this fabulously flavorful Sesame-Orange Dressing in the latest issue of Cooking Light. Their version seemed a bit too firey forour tastes, so I toned it down a bit, added some green onions (which melded nicely), thickened the dressing slightly, and doubled the recipe overall. To sweeten the deal, this recipe is low fat (less than 3g of unsaturated fat per serving!), vegan,egg-free, nut-free, soy protein-free,optionally gluten-free, and of course, dairy-free. It goes beautifully over a vegetarian salad of spinach, red bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas (as dished up in the mag) or as I discovered, over a light chicken salad.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Hi Everyone,
I trust you are all having a good week so far. This weeks edition includes some of the best - a mix of interesting, and strangely engaging articles and studies from the past week. One that caught my eye this week was in relation to Pringles chips. It documented the courts findings classifying Pringles chips as potato chips, and therefore liable to the 15% Value Added Tax. Funnily enough (and not suprisingly) Pringles have appealed the ruling stating that their products dont resemble the natural shape of potatoes! If anyone failed to notice - the first ingredient on the back of a pringles container is.Potato! You can follow the rest of the argument and fill yourself in on the details by following the link below.
In addition to the Pringles saga weve found articles linking political preferences to quesy stomachs, an article highlighting the best superfoods for allergy sufferers, and weve also investigated the science behind the dreaded but very prevelant Beer Belly. All this, plus a whole heap more - ENJOY.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

A new study in the May 2009 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows a possible correlation between childhood obesity and later development of atopic symptoms like hay fever, eczema, and food allergies. The study followed 4,000 children and found a clear relationship between BMI (body mass index) percentile and the amount of IgE -- the antibodies responsible for allergic reactions -- circulating in the bloodstream. In this study, the effect was strongest among girls.
What is far less clear, however, is why there should be a relationship between obesity and allergic status. Researchers considered the possibility that levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a protein associated with inflammation, might be related to atopy. In this study there did seem to be higher levels of CRP in children with higher levels of BMI and higher levels of IgE and food allergies, but it is unknown at this time what the cause-effect relationships between these factors is. While this study covered a large population, the researchers caution that different explanations for their findings -- including hormones, intestinal microbes, or some as-yet unknown factor -- may explain the differences among the children studied.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

I tried out a restaurant yesterday called Casa De Luz. It was hard to get to because it's partially hidden behind these large trees and tucked in the back of a yoga facility compound. The way it works is, you buy the meal... there's only one choice each day... and then you get some buffet-style salad and soup and sit down and they bring you out the entree and if you want dessert it's like 3 bucks extra. The whole place is based on the "macrobiotic diet," which I don't know much about, but it seems to be great for my diet. It excludes things like refined sugar, wheat, gluten, dairy, tomatoes, and meat, and offers desserts made with soy and maple syrup, and replaces salt with seaweed flakes and pepper with sesame seeds.

OK, I have to be honest... food is made the way it's made because that's how most people like it. So, when you start replacing salt and sugar and dairy and eggs, things start to taste off - grainy when they should be smoother, nuttier when they should be sweet. So, on that basis, the food at Casa De Luz was not as good as most places you could eat if you didn't adhere to a strict diet. But! As someone who needs an ingredients list of everything they put to their lips - I truly appreciated the style of meal, and even found it tasty. In fact, th ingredients of every dessert item is printed on a sheet and framed above the desserts case, so that was awesome too. I could easily avoid the oats and go for the rice and flax.

In the corner of the restaurant they have a little store selling macrobiotic cookbooks and bulk grains (quinoa, flax, grain, spelt.. etc) and Japanese seasonings (plum sauce, seaweed flakes.. etc) and the like.

Great to know a place like this exists in my home town, even if it is a bit of a drive.

The meal I had was: carrot and potato soup; raw carrots, beets, cucumbers, and bean sprouts; entree of lentils, brown rice, regular veggies and pickled veggies, and something like collard greens with a zesty purple dressing on top. For dessert I had flan made of soy. I liked the soup the best, but devoured the whole meal (though I had to pick out a couple slender pieces of broccoli and cabbage).

I'm interested to learn more about macrobiotic cooking and see what that's all about.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Its a loaded question for me. Ultimately what I would love more than anything on Mothers Day is something Ill never have; another day with my own beloved mother. She passed away 12 years ago at the young age of 59, and I am still not recovered from it. Who can really recover from losing your biggest cheerleader, strongest advocate, your best friend. My mother was all those things and much more. She was the strongest woman Ive ever known, and as much as I try to match her strength and accomplishments I know I never will. She had walls stacked against her her entire life; surviving a near death stroke, surviving a heart attack, being left to care for and solely support five children with no college education, and then ultimately battling the effects of emphysema before her death. Despite all these setbacks I never ever heard my mother complain about her challenges. She delighted in the beauty of every day life. She always told me that every day we wake up and get out of bed, we have two choices: be happy or be sad. She chose happiness every day no matter what that day presented to her. She was, and still is my hero.
There isnt a day that has gone by since February 7, 2007 that I dont try to dig deep to remember all that she taught me. Its like cramming for a test, trying to remember every detail, every sentence, every word she ever said. When I had my first child who was colicky and had developmental delays, I dug deep to imagine what she might advise me. I dug deep when my second child suffered terrifying allergic reactions and subsequently faced the idea that food could indeed kill my son if were not vigilant. I dug deep when third and fourth children were born, again suffered from various developmental delays and my days became more filled with therapies, doctor appointments, assessments, IEP meetings, 504 Meetings, school meetings, etc.
What it all comes down to are those two choices my mother once said we all have: be happy or be sad. I am not nearly as brave or strong or patient, but I spend every day to at least try to be half the mom she was. Weeks like this past one when I have had to dig deep once again, talking with my childrens school, getting ready for the spring rounds of what I call IEP Season, therapy assessments, neurology appointments, occupation, speech, social and physical therapy I try so hard to remember what being a mother is ultimately about. Oftentimes I seem to complicate matters by thinking I can give 120 percent to everyone. I find myself burned out, tired and impatient. So my mothers words came back into my head about choices; be happy or be sad.
I choose total and unconditional happiness. In fact, it wasnt until I became a mother myself that I really learned what the word unconditional meant. Being a mother is the single most rewarding thing Ive ever done with my life, and if that means I have to wear several different hats over the course of a day, so be it. My four children reward me every day with sense of wonder, innocence and unconditional love. I am profoundly grateful for all that I have.
This Sunday, all I wish for Mothers Day, is to sit and just with my children. No emails, calls, carpools, meetings, therapies, you get the picture. The past few weeks have been especially trying, and sometimes I seem to forget the simplicity of being a mother. But this Mothers Day, and hopefully more days thereafter I will remember.
Hats off to my fellow mamas (whatever hat you seem to be wearing today!) and have a very Happy Mothers Day.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

So, what is this all about?

Well, I've had cystic acne from the age of 13 into adulthood, and need it to stop. I am tired of trying on creams and lotions (I've tried any acne treatment you can probably think of) and none of it worked. I underwent laser treatments, chemical peels, prescribed meds of all shapes and colors, and even desperately found myself trying more colorful suggestions made by various old ladies that gasped in horror at the supermarket when they saw my face. This includes putting mouthwash and toothpaste on my face before bed - um, which totally doesn't work.

Oh, and by the way, don't point out how horrible someone's acne is if you don't even know them. That is just rude - even if you are "trying to help".

Anyway, nothing seemed to work, at least not permanently. For example, I took Doxycyclin in college and that actually stopped the acne, but once I stopped taking the pill, it came back to stay. Recently I've been keeping my acne under pretty good control using the DK Regimen products at acne.org (GREAT site, by the way), but every so often, I get an embarrassing breakout I can't avoid.

Then, I did some browsing on acne related forums and discovered that some lasting acne cases are caused by unknown food allergies, particularly to milk. Inspired by this revelation, and all out of alternatives, I decided to get tested for food allergies at a nearby spa and wellness center. This was done with a simple blood sample that was mailed to a lab for testing.

Well, I got my results back yesterday and boy am I allergic to stuff. I mean, just about everything!! I am a little skeptical of these results, because of how significant they are, but nonetheless, here's what the test says I am extremely allergic to:

Cow's Milk, Yeast (Brewer's and Baker's), Wheat, Tomato, Peas, Oats, Gluten, Coffee, Cauliflower, and Yogurt.

Here is what I am mildly allergic to:

Walnuts, Shrimp, Safflower oil, Rye, Malt, Lettuce, Garlic, Egg White, Crab, Corn, Cocoa, Cheese, Celery, Cashews, Cabbage, Broccoli, Barley, and Asparagus.

I was ordered by my doctor to avoid eating all of the above mentioned foods for one whole month, and watch the effects. As someone who has been eating (no, gorging) on this stuff my whole life, this news is a little disheartening. No, it is very disheartening, and maybe even slightly traumatic, to know that I may not be able to eat chocolate, drink coffee or alcohol, or eat bread again!

Nonetheless, I am still excited about this. I mean, what if this is the answer to my acne problem? What if I could have clear, problem-free skin for the rest of my life? It just might be worth it. Not to mention all the other possible health benefits of de-toxifying my body.

So, for the month of May, 2009, I am to avoid all the mentioned food above, and will be blogging about my experience, with the hope that it might help someone in a similar situation some day.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

The majority of people with food allergies are allergic to one food -- cold comfort to the many readers I hear from who are managing allergies to a half-dozen or more foods. Managing multiple allergies -- depending on what those allergens are -- can be far more complicated than managing just one because the more allergies you have, the bigger the sensation of "what on earth can I eat?". This is especially true if one or more of your allergens is a common food and/or to an allergen that isn't covered by FALCPA (which can make label reading far more difficult).
I have general advice for managing multiple allergies, although circumstances differ greatly for particular lifestyles and combinations of allergens. Read the article, then feel free to share your insights about life with multiple food allergies in the comments or the Food Allergy Forum.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

The majority of people with food allergies are allergic to one food -- cold comfort to the many readers I hear from who are managing allergies to a half-dozen or more foods. Managing multiple allergies -- depending on what those allergens are -- can be far more complicated than managing just one because the more allergies you have, the bigger the sensation of "what on earth can I eat?". This is especially true if one or more of your allergens is a common food and/or to an allergen that isn't covered by FALCPA (which can make label reading far more difficult).
I have general advice for managing multiple allergies, although circumstances differ greatly for particular lifestyles and combinations of allergens. Read the article, then feel free to share your insights about life with multiple food allergies in the comments or the Food Allergy Forum.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Just sitting down to see what comes out, and thought I'd throw a couple pictures in for good measure. That's my kiddos on Easter morning, and how lovely to have a sunny day for a change! The past several Easters around here have been wet and miserable.

I made Ava's dress out of some meeUp fabric that I had sitting around, after I was inspired by a shop on Etsy. I whipped this up on Saturday night (I finished it at 2 am!) and the compliments rolled in all day on Sunday! *wink* Not to toot my own horn or anything...I actually really like the dress, but am a little tired of that fabric. I've been using it for meeUp for quite a while and I think after I'm sold out of it I'll discontinue it and find a different pinky, girly print.

Today was what I call a "coffee day"; cold and damp outside, wearing my Uggs and a sweater inside and drinking a pot of decaf to take the edge off of the chill. Coffee doesn't make me feel that great, but it sure hits the spot in moderation.

And, speaking of moderation, I gave up sweets for Lent (which I've done for several years) AND I've been watching my grain intake AND I've been getting up at 6:30 every morning and excercising instead of putting it off till later in the afternoon. SO...I've lost a couple pounds...SO I might not look like a beached whale in spandex this summer if I keep it up!!! I'd like to continue with the no sweets thing, but there are some birthdays coming up, which makes it hard.

Marvin just got back from his yearly trip on "tax night" to the post office that's open late on the other side of town. I can't believe he does this to himself every year! He is always so tired and miserable the next day. In his defense, though, this year a miracle occured and he was working on taxes in January and was about 2/3 of the way finished. When he went back to open up the file last weekend to finish, it was completely deleted! ARRRRGH! He had to start over...poor guy!

I'm running a giveaway this week over at Peanut Butter and Pickles for an adorable little girls hat, come and check it out and see if you can win!

I'll put up the second part of my "no cheese post" before the end of the week...I mostly wrote all that stuff to remind me why we don't eat dairy, it's easy for me to figure out something once and say I don't do it, but I often forget the reasons why. So read along if you wish!

Ok, I don't normally do this sort of rambling, non-specific post. I kinda feel like I'm on the phone with a friend at the end of the day or something! So, friends, do ya like this kind of chatty post?.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Its spring break season in most parts of the country. Our schools spring break is this week and it seems that my little village 14 miles north of Chicago is abandoned. Most families around here escape the lingering chill and head to warmer climates like Arizona, Cancun, Florida and Hawaii. We have yet to take that week long, get away from everything type of vacation. We tried booking our first ever Disney vacation (with all those amazing tips from all of you I was really excited) but it was apparent that I was a slow in getting the flights booked and driving would take too long given how much time we had off. So Disney will have to wait until summer. But I hear that is the off season and I should get an even better deal then.
We also pondered Arizona since I used to live there and still have so many wonderful friends and family there.  But the tab for six flights was too much to stomach, at least for this year. Besides, I have to admit that I have yet to take my food allergic son John on a flights a hurdle I will have to cross at some point but it still concerns me nonetheless.
So we decided make the the majority of our spring break a Staycation. Our children of course complained, that all their friends were going somewhere warm and sunny. That got us thinkingt water parks warm and sunny too? We can wander around in our shorts and flip flops there too, right? When we proposed a weekend away to the self proclaimed Water Park Capital of the World in the Wisconsin Dells our children were all for it (especially my 2 and 3 year old because they like to yell at just about anything).
Our plan was to stay for the weekend in a condo like room with a fully equipped kitchen so we could prepare meals in the room. For the sake of cost and sanity I would do this even if we werent dealing with food allergies. I cant imagine getting them all ready to eat breakfast out every morning, or even lunch. Eating out with very young children was never my idea of relaxing fun. I brought food from home (including bread because so many brands have milk in them) and it was great to let the kids snack and eat their meals in our room. We dined out for dinner twice, but not without the checking, and double checking of ingredients, cross contamination practices, etc. We ended up eating at the same restaurant two nights in a row, because we had a great experience and trusted the manager understood the seriousness of Johns allergies.
That got me thinking to the report released last week at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, saying that food allergies can alter a familys vacation plans. More than 400 food allergic families filled out a questionnaire about travelling with food allergies. Researchers found that 68 percent of respondents limited where they vacationed and a third avoided specific types of transportation (such as ships and planes). The report also pointed out the concern about quality medical care and appropriate facilities nearby. Finally, nearly all the respondents said they would not consider vacationing in a remote location such as China, Japan, India and other foreign countries.
I fall right in line with those people. I wish I could get past my fear of travelling abroad as a family and show John the world. Maybe some day I will, and maybe some day well find a cure for food allergies all these issues will just go away. But in the meantime I look forward to vacationing in allergy aware destinations as well as vacationing the old fashioned way; long, adventurous and memorable road trips with our children. No, its not Hawaii or the Bahamas but it is still wonderful in its own right. I hope you all have a great time with your own families this springwhether its a vacation or a staycation.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Well... everyone thinks they are famous, but really I just revamped the back of the Toll house chocolate chip recipe with shortening, less salt, and my favorite chocolate chips. I also use dairy free carob chips for my son's cookies, and milk chocolate chips for everyone else. If you are wanting to impress someone, I SWEAR by Ghirardelli brand milk chocolate jumbo chips. I hate using any other kind- they are divine and well worth the price. Here's a trick that we do in my home so that we don't eat them all at once. Bake up as many as you want for that night, then roll the rest into individual drops, stick them on a baking sheet or a casserole dish and stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, you can then dump all of the balls into a freezer ziplock and store them in your freezer without them clumping together. I will usually make a whole batch without chocolate chips, or with carob chips and then just label the ziplock "Scott's cookies". Then anytime we are eating a cookie he can't have, I'll pop a few of his into the oven. Sidenote: You might laugh at the 7/8 cup of shortening, but I learned in my food science class from college that technically if you are substituting shortening or margarine for 1 cup of true butter, you are suppose to use 7/8 cup. And it works, trust me.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Product Description

Part cookbookwith more than 120 enticing recipespart culinary history, part inquiry into the evolution of an industry, Milk is a one-of-a-kind book that will forever change the way we think about dairy products.

Anne Mendelson, author of Stand Facing the Stove, first explores the earliest Old World homes of yogurt and kindred fermented products made primarily from sheeps and goats milk and soured as a natural consequence of climate. Out of this ancient heritage from lands that include Greece, Bosnia, Turkey, Israel, Persia, Afghanistan, and India, she mines a rich source of culinary traditions.

Mendelson then takes us on a journey through the lands that traditionally only consumed milk fresh from the cowwhat she calls the Northwestern Cow Belt (northern Europe, Great Britain, North America). She shows us how milk reached such prominence in our diet in the nineteenth century that it led to the current practice of overbreeding cows and overprocessing dairy products. Her lucid explanation of the chemical intricacies of milk and the simple home experiments she encourages us to try are a revelation of how pure milk products should really taste.

The delightfully wide-ranging recipes that follow are grouped according to the main dairy ingredient: fresh milk and cream, yogurt, cultured milk and cream, butter and true buttermilk, fresh cheeses. We learn how to make luscious Clotted Cream, magical Lemon Curd, that beautiful quasi-cheese Mascarpone, as well as homemade yogurt, sour cream, true buttermilk, and homemade butter. She gives us comfort foods such as Milk Toast and Cream of Tomato Soup alongside Panir and Chhenna from India. Here, too, are old favorites like Herring with Sour Cream Sauce, Beef Stroganoff, a New Englandish Clam Chowder, and the elegant Russian Easter dessert, Paskha. And there are drinks for every season, from Turkish Ayran and Indian Lassis to Batidos (Latin American milkshakes) and an authentic hot chocolate.

This illuminating book will be an essential part of any food lovers collection and is bound to win converts determined to restore the purity of flavor to our First Food.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

We have been living with food allergy restrictions for 9 years and gluten-free for 5 years now and it can make birthday celebrations pretty tough sometimes, especially if you have kids to please.  We dont go out for meals often because most places just cant accomodate all of my sons different food allergies.
 
Maggianos is different and we love them for it.  I discovered Maggianos about 4 years ago and we are so very thankful to them.  Maggianos is an Italian restaurant that serves fresh and delicious RICE pasta.  Thats right, fresh gluten-free pasta at a nice restaurant.  But, I love them because they get it.  They understand how serious food allergies are and they really listen.  So, here is how we dine at Maggianos and how you can be successful too if you are nervous about dining out with food allergies or Celiac Disease.
We always make a reservation and tell them to make a note of my sons food allergies.  We typically try to go during a slower dining time like 3:00 p.m. but last night we had a family birthday to celebrate and with school and Tae Kwon Do schedules we arranged to get there at 6:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night and they still did a great job.  When you inform the hostess about a food allergy, they sit you close to the kitchen because the chef personally comes out to speak with you about your allergies.  Thats right, a chef comes out to our table every time we visit and interviews me about what my boys can and cant eat.  We then come up with a safe recipe together and the chef goes back in the kitchen and makes it himself.  Sometimes, the chef even personally delivers the meal to our table and makes sure the boys like what he has come up with.  I am told Maggianos uses separate pans for allergy dishes and separate water to avoid cross-contamination.  They also flag the ticket order with a yellow sheet that says ALLERGY ALERT!  And the best part is my two young sons LOVE the rice pasta we order from Maggianos every single time.  So, last night we had another successful, relaxing evening and were able to celebrate my oldest son turning 9 years old at Maggianos in Denver.  It was one of his greatest gifts of the day.  
Have you tried dining gluten-free at Maggianos or do you have any other restarant suggestions?  I would love to hear them.  Share your thoughts here.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

My previous post Trust in the Lunchroom prompted some great questions about keeping your child with food allergies safe in the lunchroom. I empathized with all of your comments, and thought it might be helpful to share my personal experience in my sons school. I agonized over the first day of First Grade from the time my son was diagnosed with his life threatening food allergies. I visualized Boy in the Bubble and total exclusion from his peanut butter eating peers. I recall just putting it out of my mind as I had bigger fish to fry; the preschool snack time.
But then that day came last August as my son started First Grade.  For years I assumed my son would never ever touch cafeteria food because of the cross contamination issue. Anyone familiar with the Sabrina Shannon story understands why we as parents are so fearful of this. But I had to find out once and for all if this was going to be the case his entire elementary, middle school and high school life.
Two weeks before school started I scheduled a meeting with the school nurse, principal, the school districts director of food service and the head chef (I call her Chef Lady). I wanted to understand the schools protocol for handling food service for those with food allergies as well as their emergency action plan in the event of an allergic reaction. To be clear, my school district is widely recognized as forward thinking about food allergies. The school nurse makes sure every food allergic child has an allergy action plan. But the lunchroom policy wasnt as great. Epipens were not allowed in the lunchroom and it was previously understood that if a child experienced an allergic reaction then the lunchroom staff would promptly notify the school nurse down the hall. Again, anyone familiar with Sabrina Shannon knows this plan of action isnt good enough and leaves room for error.
In accordance with my sons 504 Plan, I required the school to designate ONE person to hold Johns Epipen IN the lunchroom. She is trained for what symptoms to look for, (physcial and verbal cues, ie. saying his throat is scratchy, mouth hurts, hives on or near face, excessive coughing, etc. ) and to take immediate action with the Epipen, next call 911, then call the nurse to call me. Plain and simple. I questioned why the school never previously allowed these life saving devices in the lunchroom as it seemed like a no brainer to have one there (as opposed to a cabinet in the nurses office). I also made sure that John knows exactly who to go to if he feels he is having a reaction.
As with most school lunchrooms John sits at a peanut free table. I used to visualize him sitting alone at this table, maybe with one or two other kids. Sadly, there are lots of kids at this table, as evidenced by the huge upswing in peanut allergies the past 10 years alone. This only reinforces the belief that the incidence of food allergies is increasing.  John never feels alone and has more than a few friends there.
Now for the tough part; ordering cafeteria food. As I said before I never thought this would be an option due to the severity of Johns multiple allergies. I flat out said no way, no how is he ever going to order food. Then John told me how much he really really really wished he could order a couple of his favorite foods. Turkey and soy nut butter sandwiches every day does get a little monotonous, after all. I had to think long and hard about this and wasnt sure I could ever comfortably say yes. But out of respect for him I had to find out for sure (it also has a little to do with the former reporter in me, I can never let something go unless I find out myself).
During the August meeting with the school we discussed the menu at length. I determined which foods I though might be safe (like baked chicken breast on whole wheat, plain pasta or sloppy joes) and asked for an extensive ingredient list of each. Then I requested the phone numbers and contacts of the food vendors who supplied the foods so they could release an allergen statement and listing of ingredients. I also had a long discussion with the director and Chef Lady about cross contamination issues and how to safely prepare a tray of food for John that wouldnt in any way get in contact with other potential allergens. In addition,  the one or two times a month John orders lunch I physically go to the school cafeteria that morning, recheck the ingredient labels and reinforce the food preparation techniques that will need to be used that day to avoid cross contamination (ie, no buttering of pasta, no sharing of food utensils, etc.) Finally, John only goes to the kitchen for his special tray to ensure that he is indeed getting the allergen free lunch.
Even with all these extra steps I still worry, and probably always will. But it is important to teach John that its OK to eat out, with the appropriate precautions taken. There will be a day he wont be sitting at my dining room table, and the sooner he learns how to advocate for himself the better. But believe me, I will be watching him like a hawk until that day comes.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Q. I have had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) for several years and luckily, though various fertility treatments, was able to conceive and give birth to two beautiful boys (ages 5 and 2).  Since my youngest was born via C-section, I had been having abdominal pain, cramping, intermittent diarrhea, etc.  I had never had gastro problems before this.  Last month, I had a laparoscopy that found endometriosis/adenomiosis/ovarian cysts, all of which were cauterized. I continued to be extremely fatigued, losing weight, diarrhea, etc., so on a whim I had a blood test for celiac that was suggested months earlier by my gastro.  Of course, it was positive.  I am just coming to grips with all this right now.  I am unable to work because I am in the bathroom half the day, on my heating pad for the continued back pain from the laparoscopy, and always exhausted.  My family is going on the gluten-free diet to see if that helps me feel better and I am going to have my allergist check me for other food allergies and for a Candida albicans yeast allergy (the allergist found earlier last year that I had virtually no immunity to any strep infection strains and after a pneumonia vaccine shot, the numbers improved - I had been having 8-10 sinus infections a year, flu/bronchitis twice in the past 3 years, and various other weird infections requiring multiple rounds of antibiotics).
My question is - are all of these (PCOS, endometriosis, celiac) related? Are there good resources on these diseases if they are or people who actually have all 3? I feel like every few months I find out something new about myself, so I feel like I flit from problem to problem instead of addressing a larger cause.
A. Endometriosis is a completely independent condition, but PCOS and celiac are related.  Treatment of the endometriosis should be explored with your gynecologist.  The gluten-free diet should help with the other problems, but remember that celiac disease is an inherited condition, so youve had this all your life, only to be unmasked by the C-sections.  Thus, it will be several months before youll see a major benefit of the diet.
Q. Can endometriosis be made worse by celiac disease?
A. There is no doubt that untreated celiac disease can lead to an excessive sensitization of the enteric nerves, and thus augment any pain that might arise from endometriosis. Endometrial implants on the outer surface of the gut are surrounded by connective tissue-as a way of encasing these abnormal tissues. That process can also involve the intestinal muscles and nerves, and, when activated by the immune cells in the celiac patient, the painful sensation is enhanced. I see this also in IBS and IBD and coexisting endometriosis. When I control the inflammation with gut anti-inflammatory drugs, the pain improves. Other than that, these are two independent phenomena that often interact, and one should not consider celiac disease as a cause or effect of endometriosis.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Q. I have had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) for several years and luckily, though various fertility treatments, was able to conceive and give birth to two beautiful boys (ages 5 and 2).  Since my youngest was born via C-section, I had been having abdominal pain, cramping, intermittent diarrhea, etc.  I had never had gastro problems before this.  Last month, I had a laparoscopy that found endometriosis/adenomiosis/ovarian cysts, all of which were cauterized. I continued to be extremely fatigued, losing weight, diarrhea, etc., so on a whim I had a blood test for celiac that was suggested months earlier by my gastro.  Of course, it was positive.  I am just coming to grips with all this right now.  I am unable to work because I am in the bathroom half the day, on my heating pad for the continued back pain from the laparoscopy, and always exhausted.  My family is going on the gluten-free diet to see if that helps me feel better and I am going to have my allergist check me for other food allergies and for a Candida albicans yeast allergy (the allergist found earlier last year that I had virtually no immunity to any strep infection strains and after a pneumonia vaccine shot, the numbers improved - I had been having 8-10 sinus infections a year, flu/bronchitis twice in the past 3 years, and various other weird infections requiring multiple rounds of antibiotics).
My question is - are all of these (PCOS, endometriosis, celiac) related? Are there good resources on these diseases if they are or people who actually have all 3? I feel like every few months I find out something new about myself, so I feel like I flit from problem to problem instead of addressing a larger cause.
A. Endometriosis is a completely independent condition, but PCOS and celiac are related.  Treatment of the endometriosis should be explored with your gynecologist.  The gluten-free diet should help with the other problems, but remember that celiac disease is an inherited condition, so youve had this all your life, only to be unmasked by the C-sections.  Thus, it will be several months before youll see a major benefit of the diet.
Q. Can endometriosis be made worse by celiac disease?
A. There is no doubt that untreated celiac disease can lead to an excessive sensitization of the enteric nerves, and thus augment any pain that might arise from endometriosis. Endometrial implants on the outer surface of the gut are surrounded by connective tissue-as a way of encasing these abnormal tissues. That process can also involve the intestinal muscles and nerves, and, when activated by the immune cells in the celiac patient, the painful sensation is enhanced. I see this also in IBS and IBD and coexisting endometriosis. When I control the inflammation with gut anti-inflammatory drugs, the pain improves. Other than that, these are two independent phenomena that often interact, and one should not consider celiac disease as a cause or effect of endometriosis.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Just a couple of days ago I reported on this years round up of dairy-free / vegan chocolate Easter bunnies, but I actually received a visit from one of these adorable, milk-free, edible creatures. And this wasnt your run of the mill chocolate rabbit this was a decadent chocolate bunny that stood over 6-inches high and came baring a gift of a decorated chocolate Easter egg with dark chocolate accents. While I try not to play favorites, Premium Chocolatiers jumped to the head of the class with this delicious and unique bunny.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Last year was the official inauguration (on this website) of the dairy-free chocolate Easter bunny. And, while it would have been exciting to see just one or two varieties arrive on the scene for the festivities, I was almost overwhelmed with options. Just a few years ago I was sure that chocolate bunnies would never again enter my food radar. But today,those dairy-free chocolates (in true bunny fashion) are multiplying before my very eyes! Nowvegans, gluten-free / casein-free dieters, lactose intolerant consumers, and even those withmultiple food allergies can literally take their pick. You think I am exaggerating.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

Last year was the official inauguration (on this website) of the dairy-free chocolate Easter bunny. And, while it would have been exciting to see just one or two varieties arrive on the scene for the festivities, I was almost overwhelmed with options. Just a few years ago I was sure that chocolate bunnies would never again enter my food radar. But today,those dairy-free chocolates (in true bunny fashion) are multiplying before my very eyes! Nowvegans, gluten-free / casein-free dieters, lactose intolerant consumers, and even those withmultiple food allergies can literally take their pick. You think I am exaggerating.

Similar posts: dairy allergies

My father about three years ago developed the same problem. I know that it is uncommon for adults to develop this kind of allergy. Yet, we cannot eat cheese, and I know that there is very little lactose in hard cheese such as cheddar. The only snag we have found in tracking the problem down is that it is more common for adults to develop lactose intolerance than milk allergy. It is virtually impossible to find anything on milk allergy in adults. Is it even possible. This problem, whatever it is, is brand new for me, and about three years old for my father. Any suggestions. We are at a loss.

Similar posts: dairy allergies