vegetarian with food allergies....Help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2005
vegetarian with food allergies....Help!
14
Mon, 01-31-2005 - 5:02pm

I am new here and I've become vegetarian recently. I have some problems that I run into. I have major food allergies. This is really putting a damper on my eating choice, but I am doing my best to struggle through at the moment. I can't afford a nutritionist, otherwise I would have already seen one. OK, I am allergic to wheat, soy, all legumes, all nuts, all fish, pork, all melons, eggs, asparagus, & chocolate <- I told the allergist I'll keel over before I give up my cocoa!!. So as you can see, it's been very challenging to say the least. I can have some wheat and some soy (rotation diet) but the legumes, nuts, fish, etc I can't even have a small bit of. What are some good sources for the vitamins my body needs? I take a multivitamin, but I just don't think it's enough. I have been doing alot of cheese things, but I'm sure I will need to eat something other than cheese LOL


I know this is a difficult way, but I feel very strong in my beliefs, I just need to find something that works for me inthe way of food rotation. Any ideas?


 


Heather

 



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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Mon, 01-31-2005 - 9:44pm

I'd like to try to help you but I need some clarification first....
When you say you are allergic to "all legumes" what exactly are you referring to?

Let me know and we'll try to come up with some ideas for you:)

Nathalie

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2004
Mon, 01-31-2005 - 10:03pm

Hi, Heather!

I noticed your user name - avid_beader. Do you make beaded jewelry, by chance? I love to but unfortunately as a poor college student right now, I don`t have much money to put into my habit. :)

I`m sure that there are a lot of very knowledgeable women here that can help you with your problem! Another resource you might want to check out in your search for a healthy vegetarian diet given your considerations is the iVillage message board for "Ask the Healthy Eating Expert" here: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=iv-fbask&nav=start. Registered dietician Lynn Grieger is there to help answer any nutrition questions that you have.

Hope this helps some!

Lena

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2003
Mon, 01-31-2005 - 10:40pm

I *just* got this in my email. Hope it helps!

**********************************************
FOOD ALLERGY SURVIVAL GUIDE
by Vesanto Melina, MS, RD, Jo Stepaniak, MSEd, Dina Aronson, MS, RD

Up until now, it was difficult to find a book that addressed the needs of vegetarians with food allergies. Certainly vegan cookbooks could be used for those with dairy and egg allergies, but what if you were also allergic to soy or wheat? Food Allergy Survival Guide provides extensive information and an excellent recipe collection for those with allergies
or sensitivities to dairy products, eggs, gluten, nuts and peanuts, soy, yeast, fish and shellfish, and wheat.
The book begins with basic information on food sensitivities—what they are, what can trigger them, and how they are tested for. Subsequent chapters include practical cooking and shopping information, nutrition planning, and a discussion of coping emotionally with food sensitivities.
The last half of the book features more than 100 recipes for everything from gluten-free baked goods to soy-free entrées and spreads. All recipes are devoid of common allergens, such as dairy products, eggs, soy, peanuts, and gluten. I'm looking forward to baking for a friend's daughter who can't tolerate gluten. This is the first time I've
seen so many tasty recipes that are both vegan and gluten-free. A detailed nutritional analysis follows each recipe. The book also includes an extensive resource list that will be helpful for tracking down less common ingredients, as well as for learning more about
specific allergies.
If you or someone you care about has food allergies or sensitivities, this is the book to go to.
Food Allergy Survival Guide (ISBN 1-57067-163-X) is published by Healthy Living Publications. It is 384 pages and retails for $19.95. Look for this book in your local bookstore. Reviewed by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD for the Vegetarian Resource Group, www.vrg.org.

Website for Food Allergy Survival Guide is
http://www.foodallergysurvivalguide.com/

This info comes from Vesanto Melina, one of the authors

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2005
Mon, 01-31-2005 - 11:14pm

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am definately going to look into that book!! It sounds like exactly what I need.


Legumes are peanuts, peas, all beans (except green beans), and a couple more items I can't think of right now. Those are the most popular legumes. I do have to say, I never minded the pea or the fish allergy LOL Especially when I was little.


I did show a yeast allergy and gluten, but I do the rotation with those too. I can't have anything real heavy in yeast though. No beer, no wine, or anything fermented. Luckily my grocery store has a nice health food section and have the wheat free, gluten free, etc bread. It doesn't taste too bad either.


You lovely ladies out there are seriously the first ones that have been able to give me some kind of help! I've written to so many Dr's over the net, etc and to different message boards with no responses. I keep looking though and I do use as many substitutes as I can.


On the side note I do create jewelry and religious items. I just love to bead! It IS an expensive hobby but very allergy safe :) My kids love to create things too. I do use alot of plastic or acrylic beads which is very low cost.


Heather





iVillage Member
Registered: 05-04-2004
Sat, 02-19-2005 - 4:26am

Hey Hun,


Just wondering how it's going, and whether you've been able to figure out the diet that works out perfectly for you!


Hugs!














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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2005
Sat, 02-19-2005 - 12:18pm

No, I don't have it down very good still. I contacted PETA but they gave me a list of nutritionists in my area. I don't have any money at the moment to see one. In the meantime, I eat alot of cheese and pasta, and munch on veggies.

Heather



iVillage Member
Registered: 06-21-2003
Sat, 02-19-2005 - 9:30pm

Hi Heather,

Thisby

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2005
Sat, 02-19-2005 - 10:51pm

Please, tell your friend! I can use all the help I can get. :)

I do have an exercise program I do everyday. I have an exercise machine that I love. I do try to eat the lower fat cheeses, but not all of them. I just love the pepper jack one with hot peppers :) I can't have soy straight like that as in soy milk or tofu, I use the margarine with olive oil or corn oil as a base oil. The soy added from there doesn't bother me too bad. Wheat I can have in very small amounts. Like 2 sandwiches a week. No crackers, nothing like that. I use oat flour mixed with rice flour (both brown and white) to make my own breads, cookies, etc. Can't have any nuts and no eggs. I use Ener-G egg replacer for baking.

I didn't realize that there was a special multi vitamin. I take flintstones because my stomach can't handle normal vitamins! I do have a Dr that I am working with as we are narrowing down some pill stabilzers I am allergic to. I do work with an allergist as well, but my regular Dr is not one I want to see unless the insurance makes me! I can't stand her. I am looking for someone new.

Thanks for the link, I will check it out! I am able to tolerate pasta (which is funny because of the whole wheat & egg thing) but I don't have that more than once a week. I have this system I'm starting to work out.

My best friend is Vegan so she helps me all the time with ideas. She had a hard time in the beginning going over to Vegan completely, but now that she's there, she's loves it! I'm sure you'll work over that way pretty fast too.

Heather



iVillage Member
Registered: 06-20-2003
Sat, 02-19-2005 - 11:50pm

I can empathize- I have Celiac Disease, a genetic, autoimmune disorder in which eating gluten (which is in wheat, barley, rye, and oats, as well as things made from them) causes my immune system to attack and destroy my intestines.


I haven't been to a nutritionist, either. I first take a multivitamin daily, and I eat a wide variety of the foods available to me- as well as thanking God that gluten-free pastas, breads, etc now exist. You can find wheat and gluten free foods in health stores and some grocery stores, as well as from sources like the

Jaseann

co-cl-Celiac Disease

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-21-2003
Sun, 02-20-2005 - 8:08am

I'm going to tell my friend to head on over here to give you ideas.

Thisby

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