Finding your food sensitivities.

 2014 and 2015 for me is all about 1 project. A feature film documentary on food allergies, sensitivities and intolerance. Now that I'm way out of the closet about my own food reactions, I wanted to find answers to why this is becoming more prevalent. Is it because wheat, corn, soy, dairy and eggs are in EVERYTHING? Is it because of all the genetic modification in food production? What are we doing about this epidemic? IS it an epidemic? And what about the food label debate? What do we put on labels so that we know what's in our food? I think the real question is WHY do we need labels at all on food. Why are there ingredients that we don't know what the chemical properties are, what's in them, or how to pronounce them? And how does most of the country still not know the difference between healthy food and not healthy food? Oh, so many questions. I'm interviewing doctors, lecturers, authors, editors, farmers, politicians and advocates to get to the bottom of this. And what I'm finding is: more questions.

Because of this journey, I've recently been getting a lot of questions from people about how to start an elimination diet to look for food reactions. It seems overwhelming and depressing to avoid gluten or corn all together. I agree. And after my original testing, I had a LONG list of foods to avoid. There was absolutely nothing left in my kitchen that I could eat. And I didn't even know where to begin. Especially because at the time, I didn't know how to cook. That's since been remedied. I HAD to learn to be a great cook. Because I couldn't buy packaged food anymore. This was maybe 14 years ago. Nothing said, "gluten free" on it at that time. Nothing had food labels. So I had to stick to real produce, and real proteins. And so should you.

"WHY should I look for your own food sensitivities?"

• You may have reactions you don't realize are coming from the food you eat. Do you have headaches, bad skin, congestion, IBS, brain fog, lethargy, Fibromyalgia, joint pain, nightmares, anxiety, depression, acid reflux, etc? You name it. It can be related to food. I interviewed Dr. Stephen Wangen. He said that if you take your pet to the veterinarian, the first question they ask is, "What did your pet eat?" So why don't our doctors automatically ask us that too? 

"I don't eat a lot of corn, breads or pasta. So I don't eat much corn or wheat. I don't eat tofu. Etc."

• I hate to tell you, but there are thousands of items in the grocery store and pharmacy that contain wheat, corn, soy, dairy and eggs that you're probably eating every day. You take vitamins? You take aspirin? You eat ANYTHING that comes out of a box? Do you eat conventionally produced proteins? They're all eating genetically modified corn and wheat as their main feed source. Even if you aren't eating something that looks like a loaf of bread, you're still probably eating at least a trace amount of wheat at every meal. If you're eating fast food, or food that you didn't make from scratch, you most certainly are. All soups, all salad dressings, all breading, etc etc. 

"How can I avoid it all? And where do I start?"

• Educate yourself. Shop at your local farmer's market and start asking questions about how food is raised. Start cooking food from scratch. Stop eating anything out of a box. Look at the list of foods that contain gluten, corn, or whatever you're trying to avoid. You need to completely avoid the food for weeks at least. And THEN you can try one tiny amount, and wait at least 4 days to see if you have a reaction. Every person is different. You may be able to handle a bite of something once a week, but not every day. You might be able to eat spelt, but not semolina. It's trial and error. But start avoiding 1 major group and stick with it religiously. And perhaps you'll notice your energy changes. Your skin clears. Your headaches go away. There are a ton of resources and support groups. Use them. Or ask me. I'm here for you too. 

And check out Living Without Gluten and More Magazine and Delight Gluten Free Magazine. Fantastic resources. 

Headache help, questions answered

Recently, several people have asked me about headaches. So I thought maybe I should share my response. In good health, Tamar

Headaches generally fall into 3 categories:
tension
migraine
cluster

1. cluster headaches are the most rare, they are the most severe, and can last for 30 seconds in bursts up to days.

     2. Migraine headaches have several triggers, and the easiest way to control them (other than really great prescription drugs), is to find the triggers and eliminate them. I'll get back to that. But one of the triggers can be tension headaches.

    3. Tension headaches are caused by tight muscles. But here's the thing, tight muscles can come from SO many things:

• sleeping/sitting in the wrong position (over stressing a muscle, knocking a vertebra out of line)
• stress and literally tightening your muscles from not relaxing or breathing (extremely common in NY)
• eye strain (which could be from staring at a computer, or TV, or reading in low light, or being in bright sunlight)
• trigger points (super tight knots in any muscle which pulls on fascia.) NOTE: Trigger points can be latent or active. Active ones you feel from the outside and from the inside. They hurt when you push on them. Latent ones may be more buried and only flare up when they want to. To release a trigger point, you put direct pressure on it (with a thumb or tool) til there's a pain of about 6 or 7 (on a 1 to 10 scale) and simply hold it til the pain goes away. There could be many small trigger points on the scalp or in the neck/shoulders.

When tension headaches go on too long, they can cause migraines. Migraines are classified as any headache that lasts a long time. They're usually one sided and throbby. They can cause nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. I know. I get them.

Massage is extremely helpful to control headaches. If it's a tension headache, it's easily helped by the right massage. However, if it's a migraine headache, you generally don't want to massage because it may make it worse. The idea is to learn how to breathe, take care of yourself, and have relaxed muscles all the time, so you don't get tension headaches. That's where massage is best...as preventative medicine. If you want to massage yourself, or a friend in pain, be sure to check out my blog entry: Massage For Loved Ones.

Also, I find different medicines will work for different kinds of headaches, and then only if you catch it early.  You may have to play around to find the right one.

Triggers: There are a lot of triggers for migraines, other than a tension headache that's gone on too long.

• sunlight
• lowlight
• visual disturbances (video games, tv shows/films that are handheld camera are AWFUL)
• riding in cars/trains, especially bumpy or twisty ones
• caffeine (but can also help with migraines)
• chocolate
• milk of cow, sheep or goat.
• bananas, strawberries, eggs, beef, pork
• gluten, corn, soy, nuts

Some home remedies for migraines (again, you have to catch it early):

• almonds
• put the inside of a banana peel on your head (the potasium may help)
• vitamin C (NOT to be taken with any other blood thinners like Advil/aspirin)
• massage
• putting your heads and/or feet into a basin of VERY hot water. It pulls the blood away from your head.
• coffee or any caffeinated drink
• a nap in a comfortable position
• cold compress (or hot) on the forehead/over eyes
• deep breathing of fresh air and looking at far distances.  

Some stories:
 The worst migraine of my life came when I saw the film, "The Wrestler". The film is shot handheld and extremely shaky. About 15 minutes into the film I thought, oh no, I'm getting a migraine. I took a pill. But it was already too late. Instead of leaving or averting my eyes (which I now do quite often in hand held films), I kept watching. That migraine lasted 3 days and I was really nauseous the whole time.

 My mom used to get migraines. Until she noticed that what she got BEFORE the migraine was a sort of aura/visual disturbance. So now, when she sees the aura, she drinks some caffeinated coffee, breathes, relaxes, and usually she doesn't get the headache.

 The best thing is to write down all food and activities so that when you get a migraine, you can find the pattern. And here's the rub: migraines can come as late as 4 days after the food trigger. Eg: I have a ton of food "allergies" (really intolerance, I don't go into anaphylactic shock). If I have one bite of ice cream, I'll probably be OK. If I have a bowl of ice cream, I may get a migraine 4 days later. And if I have a little milk for 4 days straight, then a few days later I'll be in so much pain, and it's going to last for days. It builds up in your system.

FOOD ALLERGIES:  (and see my THINGS I DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT for more food allergy info)
My mom is allergic to corn, which is in EVERYTHING. White vinegar is made from corn. Baking powder,powdered sugar, vegetable oil, "natural flavorings". You name it. She has a TERRIBLE time eating out or finding products that are properly labeled. And if she eats something with a trace of corn in it, it sets off her allergic reaction and makes her react to many, many more things. Chickens are corn fed. Beef can be corn fed. Fish can be corn fed. Vitamins and...antihistamines for allergies...have corn in it. Awful. So...the more you read, the more you know, but the more frustrating it can be.

Generally, whatever you eat the MOST, is what your body may become allergic to. Wheat, corn, soy, eggs, milk are in almost EVERYTHING. So take some cooking classes, find some headache support websites, and learn to cook from the outside aisles of the grocery store. If it's in a box...don't eat it. It will change your life. The day I got my blood test results, I panicked. I literally couldn't think of one thing to eat or make that didn't have something I was allergic to. I threw out everything in my kitchen. I ate a handful of blueberries (which I now know...I'm allergic to). Then I started taking cooking classes to learn how to cook from scratch so that I can control what I eat. I travel with food. I stock up on food. I have lists of places I can eat when traveling. It's a pain. But it helps.

Allergy Free Pantry

Here is my resource list (from CaptainPurple.com's links page) for all your special diet needs. Be sure and check the ingredients on every package before you buy it!

SPECIAL DIETS:   any links you don't see, let me know! And email me for more info on food intolerances/allergies.

PLACES TO ORDER:

http://www.glutenfree.com/

http://www.glutenfreemall.com/

http://www.glutino.com/english/interieur/index.cfm?myMenu=products

http://edwardandsons.com

http://www.mrsleeperspasta.com/

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Products_frames.html

http://whatnowheat.com/    No food products.

http://enjoylifefoods.com/

http://shopbydiet.com/

http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=express

   all kinds of stuff for baking, supplies, flours, dried fruits, everything.

* http://www.allergygrocery.com    can search by allergy

http://www.food4celiacs.com    to order a range of food

if you're in the CT area, check out:

http://shaynabsandthepickle.com   get the Wendy's! Now you can order online!

glutenfreeexpert.com

Allrecipes.com has a gluten free section!

foodnetwork.com just search for gluten free/dairy free, etc.

epicurious.com   just search for gluten free/dairy free, etc.

http://gfgreatbakes.com

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/       blog

http://www.samisbakery.com/products/breads/ best breads!

http://byebyegluti.com has all kinds of pasta/gnocchi/pizza to try.

http://bobandruths.com   trips/cruises for gluten free people!

http://aglutenfreeguide.com    awesome blog with all kinds of help.

http://www.foodallergybuddy.com/ (can get free allergy cards to pass out)

http://bakeryonmain.com

schar.com breads, rolls, baked goods. Can’t find elsewhere yet?

Soy jerkey original flavor, yummy.

http://www.veganessentials.com/ (they have sharkies!)

http://www.veganstore.com/index-store.html?parentid=2&deptid=17063

http://www.sheltons.com/ turkey jerkey, yummy.  Available at Fairway

Contespasta.com frozen markets.

http://www.samisbakery.com/products/breads/  best breads!

http://www.katzglutenfree.com/   my new favorite bread products! (contains egg)

You can search for gluten free (or any free) recipes at foodnetwork.com, epicurious.com, morethangourmet.com or any other recipe site! 

Thanksgiving For Food Allergies

I know it's a little early, but I can not believe that Thanksgiving is 2 months away. And all this talk of food allergies suggests I should give away some of my secrets for a successful Thanksgiving meal for you and all your restricted diets friends and family.

Every year my boyfriend and I do Thanksgiving for a bunch of our, "orphan" friends. About 14-16 people in our small apt and even smaller kitchen. We cook all but the desserts ourselves. Here's the challenge:

•  I'm allergic to wheat, milk, eggs, and chocolate.

•  I have 2 friends lactose free.

•  1 friend who doesn't eat pork.

•  at least 1 vegetarian.

•  We've had a vegan join us one year.

• And a vegetarian friend who was on a sugar free diet.

When the email invites go out, I ask for all food restrictions. Then we work around what we can and can't do, making sure there are plenty of food choices for everyone.
 The turkey gets made without butter. Just oil.
 We make 2 kinds of stuffing (one Gluten Free, one not). The prep is the same and then divided into 2 pans with different bread.
 My boyfriend made homemade ravioli for the vegetarians, whole wheat for the Sugar Free one.
 One year, we made 3 gravies: 1 regular, 1 gluten free, 1 vegan from mushrooms (make ahead).
 He makes homemade crescent rolls, white and wheat. I eat a gluten free version.
 I made a ton of vegan veggies and salad, to make up for the uber fattening ones he makes with a ton of butter and sugar. (I like roasted veggies like brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus).

That way, you have plenty of choice, no one feels deprived, and if you want to eat healthily, you can. The guests bring desserts and by the time I'm done eating, I'm not tempted by the chocolate...I'm too full.

Some party tips:

• If you're making a buffet table, the day before, line up the hot pads and utensils with a little post it saying each dish. Then you know where each dish will go, what utensils you need, and if you have enough room. 
• Do prepping in stages. Our kitchen is tiny, so I make all veggies the night before, cooked to about 90%. Then at the last minute, I microwave them to heat them through, cooking the rest of the way. That way, I'm not using the oven when my boyfriend needs it and everything's hot at once. 
• On the buffet, always put healthy items first. That way people fill up on the good stuff, and hopefully only eat a little of the more decadent food. 
• Throughout the year, we save the take out containers so that at the end of Thanksgiving, we can give away some leftovers to our guests, and the container doesn't need to come back. Otherwise, freeze some if you have too much. Don't eat the same dishes for a week! 
• and the biggest tip: MAKE LISTS! Make time lines for cooking and setting up. Leave room in your schedule to prepare so you're not stressed out. And always allow for extra time.

If you haven't seen my 1 minute pitch on youtube, please watch here!
share, comment, LIKE and spread the word please.
And please read the ingredients of your food. If you don't know what something is...don't eat it. 

I think it's important that someone with food allergies tells the host, in advance (for Thanksgiving, at least 2 weeks in advance) what the allergies are. No one wants to hurt someone else, or limit them, or embarrass them. So email or call them and offer to bring dishes for everyone, that you know you can safely eat. Communication is key. And education is important. So eat up! And very happy Thanksgiving. 

Things I don't like to Talk About, Topic 1: Food allergies

My mom is allergic to corn. I talk about it all the time because it’s rare and people need to know this can happen to them, and why it’s happening. My mom, in her 50’s, suddenly became allergic to corn. Technically, it’s a food “intolerance” because she gets hives, headaches and such, but she doesn’t go into anaphylactic shock. At least so far. But she does wear a medic alert bracelet because most common medicines have some form of corn in them. Even a simple saline drip or aspirin can contain small amounts. Also vitamins, antihistamines, and most food. And the ingredient list won’t say, “corn”. It’ll say “natural flavors”, “vegetable oil”, or any number of extremely common ingredients that one would never know is made, or can be made, from corn. She has to be extremely careful, clear on communicating in restaurants, and constantly calls food companies to try and find out if she can get a more detailed list of ingredients when they’re vague on packaging.

 I said she developed this later in life. She grew up eating corn and everything else. One day, when I was young, she shucked a lot of corn, ate some, and had accidentally rubbed her eye. Shortly after, her mouth and eye swelled up to look like the elephant man and it was crystal clear what she was allergic to. She feels, that because corn is in everything, that she and millions more people will eventually become resistant to it. Allergies are sometimes thought of as a type of autoimmune trigger that your body starts to fight  trace pathogens that are in your system. Homeopathy and vaccinations are similar principles And my friend, corn is constantly in YOUR system.  That”s why I believe food allergies are becoming a lot more common, and/or a lot more recognized.

  Unless I know someone else I’m talking to has food allergies, I generally try to avoid talking about mine. About 9 years ago I got tested and realized that I was intolerant to a ton of foods. And I realized pretty quickly that I always had been.

 For example, chocolate. I love chocolate. I love the flavor. I don’t need a candy bar. But I grew up on Ovaltine, hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream, shakes and brownies. I probably had a little cocoa powder every day of my life. Until I realized that the constant, intense, depression I had my whole life…was from chocolate. Yup. I get severe nightmares, crying fits, pimples, and a lot more sudden and uncontrollable reactions to chocolate.

 Also wheat. Wheat’s in everything too. Hidden. The same as corn. You name it, it may have wheat in it. (Wheat allergy is similar to a Gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. All wheat has gluten, but not all gluten is wheat). Luckily, trace amounts don’t bother me, unless I have it every day. But if I ate a bran muffin, I might end up in the hospital.

 I also have issues with cow’s milk, some nuts, some fruits, some beef, some pork, some spices, eggs, and lobster (one of my favorites). So that means a regular pizza slice with pepperoni could make me incredibly sick, for days. I get headaches, stomach trauma, dark circles under my eyes, congestion, depression, and anxiety (that’s a common, and relatively unpublicized reaction to Gluten). Sounds fun doesn’t it?!

 Every morning as a kid, I got pretty stomach ill. I was having panic attacks without knowing it. But it happened every single morning before going to school. My mom thought it might be caused by food, and tried to make my breakfast “simple” by giving me a piece of toast with butter, Ovaltine with milk and a raw egg. If you read the above paragraphs, you’ll see that’s basically everything I’m allergic too. She didn’t know any better. No one knew what it was.

 But we know now.

 I don’t talk about it much because, 1) I don’t really like talking about myself, especially in any way that sounds like a, “poor me” scenario or whining. 2) It's sort of embarrassing to me for some reason. And 3) I don’t want people to worry about me when choosing a place to eat, or what to make. But that does present problems.

 Now, I find more and more that people are gluten free, or lactose intolerant, or avoiding high mercury fish, or or or. And then, I’m eager to share all my research and some of my favorite food finds or recipes.

 Gluten Free living has become cache. I don’t understand that. Choosing to be Gluten Free is not a fun, easy, or healthy lifestyle choice. It’s a huge pain in the neck. If you’re NOT intolerant to gluten, there’s simply no reason to avoid it. It’s not healthier and it definitely will NOT help you lose weight. Most of the “gluten free” products you see are a lot higher in calories than their normal equivalent, and certainly most are a lot lighter in taste, although that’s changing.

 What’s my point to come-out-of-the-food allergy closet? I want YOU to pay attention to your food. I want you to pay attention to the food industry. Do not buy engineered food. Do not eat things that aren’t ACTUALLY food. Do not eat products with corn and wheat and milk and soy (the most common hidden ingredients) every single day. Or you too may someday be on the hunt for gluten free, dairy free, taste free pizza with twice the calories of a normal slice.

 For a resource guide, check the LINKS page of http://CaptainPurple.com, where I put a lot of my favorite links to order GF food. And Living Without Magazine, which helps people with food allergies live a more normal lifestyle.

 Education is power. And you are what you eat.

Be well. Tamar