Help with Food Allergies!!! - Traverse City,MI

My son is allergic to wheat, dairy and eggs. I remember when we first started the elimination diet, I thought it was the end of the world. Seriously. I was freaking out about what in the world I was going to feed him. The best and easiest way is keep it fresh. Fresh fruit, veggies besides corn) or frozen, chicken, beef. It seems really tough to take it out, but trust me, it does get easier.

I would try shopping or at least looking around at the Whole Foods store or Trader Joes. They have a lot of dairy and corn substitute items. For example, if there isn't an allergy to soy, you can try soy milk. They also make soy cheese and soy yogurt. You can use tapioca flour or rice flour in place of regular wheat or corn flour. They have a ton of options like that out there. I have family with those same allergies, and they are able to eat all of the "same things" they are just made with different ingredients. Good luck

I'm so glad you aksed this question. While we haven't done the allergy testing yet, we have been recommended this same diet, for the same reasons.
I was totally feeling sorry for my self, because really who doesn't eat these things. BUt now I see that there are so many other families that are doing this and surviving just fine.

It will take a little effort on moms part..but it is doable.

You really have to go the "REAL" food, fresh route. Lots of fruits and veggies (no corn obviously), legumes, lean meats. It's all good. A snack of whole wheat pita, or veggies with some humus! (good humus should be chickpeas and olive oil...nothing more, unless you throw in some garlic or roasted red peppers) MMMMMM ... one of my daughters favs. Just think outside the pre-packaged, pre-prepared box.... and all of a sudden a whole world of super yummy food opens up.

another favorite snack of my daughters is homemade guac with veggies. SO good!

2 Avacados
1 chopped tomato
1 minced clove garlic
A dash of cumin
A splash of orange juice
1 tomatillo (if desired)
a handful of chopped cilantro

Mash it all up, or throw it in a food processor and voila... great, nutritious, yummy snack dip. WOOT!

Breakfast you'll have to think outside the box a bit certainly. But who says breakfast HAS to be cereal or eggs?

When foods are reintroduced and you try egg... try JUST the egg YOLKS. The proteins in the egg whites are more harsh then those in the egg yolk, often times it is those proteins in the egg whites people are allergic to.

You've got some great info here from the other ladies. I know it's a bit of an adjustment, but it just takes a little shift in how you think about food.

Good luck!

Hi K., my son is now 3 and he is allergic to milk, wheat, soy, peanuts and shellfish. Go figure..LOL..try to eliminate this from your diet, now thats hard. To answer your question though. There are a lot of rice based products that you can feed your child. They have rice milk but ask the doctor first because its not recommended for children under 5. It can constipate them. I switched to it when my son was 1 and he did fine. As far as snacks go I do dried fruit and rice snacks. Its not a lot for my son but your child doesnt have as many as mine does. Hope this helps a little bit. Also if you do the rice milk just put chocolate syrup in it when you want to make a treat out of it. And remember organic doesnt always mean its allergen free..

There is a great magazine out there called Living Without and it gives all sorts of information about how to work with food allergies. It is really hard at first, but there are many good alternative. Such as coconut milk, rice milk, almond milk in place of cow's milk. It does mean a lot of cooking at home and few meals or snacks out. But your nephew will feel so much better if these foods are causing him problems.

My kids cannot eat dairy, soy or eggs. I know it is hard, but it gets easier as you get used to a new way of eating. Best of luck.

I have a huge list of foods that are dairy free. You'd have to double check about the corn. My son is allergic to dairy and eggs. If you want the list, just send me a PM and I'll send you the list. I know it's hard and seems impossible at first, but trust me, it does get better.

Hi K.,

I'm probably being a little redundant, but I think Whole Foods is the best place to start. There are so many foods there that are geared towards allergies and healthy eating. And the food really is more "whole" - the products usually have just the basic ingredients, no preservatives or artificial anything. Also, there are tons of dairy free options - soy based cheeses, yogurts, even ice cream! Also, rice and almond milk which are really yummy! Good luck to your nephew and his family. Oh, if you have a Trader Joe's near you, they also have some good options!

My children have a host of food allergies...DON'T GET DISCOURAGED!!!! I read my way through the grocery store, and I ask alot of questions! When you are there, ask to speak to a grocery supervisor about ordering things for you...do some research on line to see what companies make corn-free products and then tell the grocers (not the stockers!!!) what to have in stock. Even if they won't make space on the shelves for it, they can get the shipments in just for you. You may have to pay for it by the box, but it is a way to get products for your hephew. Also, we use alot of potato...it is a good starch, very palatable for kids, and in its many forms can be used to replace more commonly used grains. I even make a veggie mush stuff with instant potatoes for my son...Potato flakes can be added to ground beef to make meatloaf, etc. Also, load up with rice and rice-based cereals. Really, get ready to spend alot of money! Buying for sweet allergy kids can really cost alot, but it is worth it. Try specialty stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc., even just once in a while to get ideas for foods without his trouble spots. We use Rice Dream rice "milk" and use it in recipes and in cups. My kids drink the plain stuff, but they do offer chocolate or vanilla. If you can't find it in the refrigerated section (by the soy milk...which might be a good option too!), then look for it on the shelves in the organic section. (My kids can't have dairy or soy, so Rice Dream has been good for us...I just checked the label...NO CORN!) Best wishes for your new venture... P.S. My son has eczema and it is now controlled, but I just wanted to send out the warning that even if he is kept from all food that bothers it, it may still linger or come back. That is just part of the allergy/asthma/eczema trilogy! (My son doesn't have asthma, but still gets random eczema that we see a dermatologist for...NOTHING else helped.) I just wanted to put that out there, because I blamed myself for so long, like that I was missing something or giving him something he shouldn't have, and when I learned that it might still be there, I was much relieved! (I wanted to cry with relief!) We have good prescription creams that work for him...

K.,

My son has 7 food intolerances which include corn and cow dairy products. Skippy peanut butter has a natural line with no dairy solids or corn products - just palm oil, salt, and sugar. Meijer has an organic line that is also free of dairy and corn. Expect to pay a bit more for these foods than you normally would, but I have found having a healthy, happy child is worth any price!

For other substitutions, take a look at your health food store. They may have some products that you haven't seen in your local mega-mart that may give you ideas. Don't fall for the "natural" labeling, I have found corn products to be present in foods with this label.

Spaghetti sauce - Meijer has an organic line that does not include corn syrup, only sugar. But, watch out for some of the varieties in this line, they may include milk products.

Good luck! If you have any questions about specific substitutions please feel free to email me at
____@____.com

Have a great day!

-C..

The only one of those I experienced was the milk. So that was simple enough - lactose free milk (like soy) for drinking or mixing with...and she loved yogurt (there's the dairy) so for her to be able to eat it, we just gave her some gas medicine. Her's was mostly that her little body just didn't know how to get rid of the bubbles that built up and would just let them roll in her tummy.
We have since grown out of it and she's learned how to expel the build up.

Good luck! I do know of some lines of foods without alot of allergy inducers in it - I can't remember the line off the top of my head, but they made things that were nut/milk/msg/etc free - all natural but without the major allergen inducers in it. I'll look for it and see if I can write down the name of the manufacturer.

Go to internet groups of parents with autistic children on a gluten free casein free diet -- that will be your BEST resource. Casein = milk protein. A lot of children on a GFCF diet are also sensitive to corn. You'll find a lot of good ideas from moms who are trying to feed very picky children on a limited diet.

tacanow.org

Yahoo group: GFCFKids

My daughter's eczema is related to a DELAYED food allergy to wheat, milk, mozzarella cheese, gluten, casein, soy, sunflower, pineapple, and when we have "tested" the foods on that list (which happened accidentally -- she got a piece of pizza and ate it so quickly we could not stop her), we saw the eczema return on DAY 5 after she ate the pizza. On day 3 and day 4, we saw behavioral reactions in tantrums and meltdowns and a lot of frustration from her.

US Biotek (it may be US Bioteck or US Biotech, I need to look at our results for sure) did delayed food allergy testing that has been EXTREMELY helpful.

Removing those foods was amazing--the horrible eczema disappeared in about 3 days.

Hi K.,

Food allergies are a difficult thing to deal with! How about cutting up veggies for him? Avocados, cooked carrots, squash, beans, peas. There's recipes you could probably find online to make your own crackers. Can he eat oats? If you blend 1 cup oats and 1 cup water in a blender and bake on low until done, that's an idea (I've done this before for myself, but with salt and seasoning added. You can cut up fruit, too, bananas, apples or applesauce, berries, etc.

Hope that's helpful,
C.

Check out your local health food store. My son is lactose inrolerant and also gluten intolerant. At first life was tough, we figured it out when he was 1- all he ate was friut, veggies, and chicken! Atfer a few trips to the health food store, and reading the labels on EVERYTHING! we are getting much better. There are cookies and treats made with rice that will probably work for you. Look on-line as well there are a lot of mail order places that will help, even Amazon has a health food section full of options. I have never had to cut out corn, and I'm sure it will be tough, but it is really worth it!! My son went from not sleeping and constant crying to sleeping through the night and being a normal happy little guy- what a difference when their tummy doesn't hurt :)

I also have a dairy free list (but not corn free). PM me if you want it.

A.

There are soy products that don't have dairy in them for things like cheese and sour cream type stuff. You have to become a label reader and find brands that don't have corn products in them. This is a hard allergy, but common. Try a health food store, they carry specialty stuff like gluten free etc...

Eat lots of fruits and veggies, fresh ones, so they don't have a syrup on them. Rice and beans are simple foods that are complete protein and very nutritious (most of the world exists on these foods). Keep it as little processed as possible and you should be fine, processed foods are high in corn and dairy products.

I have a friend who went through this and I discovered that "Whole Foods" stores have lists and will help you shop. If you take in your shopping list, they will help you find substitutes that are corn and dairy free. Or, you can just request a list of products that they sell that are corn and dairy free, you go to the service desk to get this. I think that it might be available online also, but won't be store specific. Good luck.

Hi K.,

My eldest son, who is now 11, as diagnosed with many allergies when he was younger. He had upper-respiratory issues as well as horrible eczema. He was told to avoid many many things, that one really can't avoid, was given allergy medication as well as several steroid creams for his eczema. Through research, I learned that one of the things that leads to eczema is formaldehyde. When looking on a product label, you look for Q-15 or quaternium 15. It is best to avoid products with this ingredient as it is one of the leading causes. You will find it in things that you would never suspect. (it is used as a preservative, b/c it is so inexpensive) You may still have to watch diet, but we had remarkable success just switching all of our household/personal care products over. Hope this helps.

It could be something else triggering the ecsema and food allergies. It could also be he could have his favorites if they were organic and not processed and containing a lot of preservatives and additives.

My acupuncturist's youngest had exsema and had gotten it through nursing, actually. So it was the acupuncturist who was inadvertently causing it. She treated herself and the baby herbally with good results. She's at Breathing Waters in Plymouth if you want to recommend it.

Hello K., All 3 of my kids had severe allergies. The good side is your nephew doesn't have asthma due to it. Corn was not an allergin I dealt with, but my son was so allergic to milk and soy that I had to go back to nursing him after 4 months of weening him. He was able to drink goats milk for a while, but because he was so young and had to have so much, he develped an allergy to that also. Meat, vegitables, and fruit are the foods to stick with. Try soy milk, but be careful of not giving him too much or too often, soy is a legume and related to the peanut. Go organic if the buget allows. Good luck.

My family is alergic to gluten, it causes skin proplems for my daughter & husband, a lot of other symptioms or me. I know how overwhelming food allergies can feel. I get through that by being planning everything as best as I can. I have to make alot of our food from scratch (prepackaged foods that are allergin free are $$).
The first thing is learning all the things to aviod, like cassin is a dairy protine and can be found in some altertinitive cheeses.
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/ is a web site for kids w/ food alergies, they have a section for receipies as well. I love cooking and try to think of our food restrictions in a happy light. It's a cooking challange, I'm up for it. It helps be avoid unhealthy foods and weight gain over the holidays - I didn't gain a lb from christmas cookies- I actualy lost weight. I did have to lug a lot of food with us to all the holiday parties, and it took some serious planning to make sure I was on the ball. But the way we choose to think of it makes a big difference. And your kid will learn that best from example.
I'd be happy to help w/ converting your boys favorities into non dairy cornfree dishes he can have.
E nergy brand has a egg replacer for bakeing thats not to $$ and is easy to use.
xanthan gum, arrowroot powder, or gar gum can be used as a thickener replacing corn starch. And you can find them all at a healthfood store.
Good luck! A. H

I don't know about the food allergies,but I can help with the excema. Eucerin cream is the best over-the-counter for excema. My son had it also,and I get it when stressed.

Hi K.

I know it seems overwhelming. We just found out 4 weeks ago through a blood test that my 7 year old daughter is highly sensitive to wheat, eggs and cow's milk/dairy...talk about a limited diet! And her being 7 years old has been a challenge since she basically lived on pasta/olive oil, mac and cheese, and dairy in every form! I am just lucky that she happens to like fruits/veggies or she would have nothing left to eat. The good news for your nephew and my daughter is that these are sensitivities and not allergies. They are not dangerous and can actually have a good chance of being eliminated if the proper avoidance diet is followed for a long enough period of time.

The best bet is to introduce your nephew to a lot of fruits and veggies and "pure" foods that are not processed. Since your nephew is not allergic to wheat/gluten...he has more options than you may think. Grocery shopping should be done at stores where they sell items made from simple ingredients (ie bread made from flour, yeast, salt and water)...or offer labels/brands that advertise what the items are free of. Whole Foods offers many items an 18 month old might like in their gluten free area (many labels read NO DAIRY, CORN, SOY, GLUTEN, etc. right on the front). It is essential to read labels, but your sister will get used to it. Cooking from scratch is also a key to surviving this time. Corn is in way too many things that are prepackaged. And the cooking does not have to be complicated. For example, pancakes can easily be made from flour, baking powder, sugar, egg and rice milk (replacing regular milk)...and then they can be frozen with wax paper to separate them so that they can be easily available at all times. I have always been big on freezing, but it is now extremely helpful to always have something on hand in the freezer when there are sensitivities involved. And really the best way to address it is to offer foods that are free from corn/dairy naturally...fruits, veggies, fish, meats, good breads, sorbets, etc. Because imitation cheese (for example) is just plain nasty. And as far as fun kid-friendly food goes, Whole foods offers a huge selection (ie chicken nuggets) that are free from corn/dairy. Bell and Evans offers fantastic frozen chicken nuggets...just don't get the gluten free because it has corn (and unfortunately for us, egg too).
The most important thing to remember...and a lesson for all of us to take from this...is to not overdo any one main ingredient. Sensitivities can occur do to an overload on the body (ie having an ingredient every day/many times per day...like most kids).But when you can't have a certain food anymore, it is sometimes easy to start replacing that food with a new "overload" food. So try to keep variety in his diet. Also, when he reintroduces the food (after a minimum of 4 weeks but optimally between 60-90 days for best possible odds of beating the sensitivity), he should try just one of the foods one day (not overdoing it that day), and then none of that food the next. He should continue on this every other day routine with for about a week. If no 'symtoms' occur, then try the next reactive food in the same every other day fashion. And if he beats the sensitivity, just always keep 'moderation' in mind. I know that is my plan because if we are so lucky as to eliminate her sensitivities, I will do what I can to never have to do this again!
Lastly, I would be cautious about soy. Where corn used to be the most common food in almost all processed foods, I feel like soy is getting up there too. Read labels, you will be amazed. Also, soy's phytoestrogens could possibly disrupt a child's natural development process. The jury still seems to be out, so I err on the side of caution. Because my daughter's menu is so ridiculously limited, I do allow about 2 chocolate soy milk drink boxes per week, but I am nervous to go much beyond that.
Hope that some of my babbling will be helpful.
Best of luck!

Oh man I am sorry! My nephew was allergic to corn, his favorite food was corn. He outgrew his but for a while there finding food without corn was a total pain. I would check at health food stores to see if they can help.