I'm wondering if some of you can give me some advice today, please?
As I shared in my last post, when we came home with Hailee and Harper two years ago, Hailee was ridiculously tiny and severely malnourished. We had every test under the sun done on her to find any hidden "issues" which may have accounted for just why she was as small as she was--other than sheer neglect. One of those tests were blood tests to pick up any allergies she may have. We tested twice.
Hailee's doctor in Virginia assured me repeatedly that everything was "normal" and there was nothing to be alarmed about.
As we have journeyed along, Hailee has definitely gained some weight--albeit extremely slowly. Some children who come home from Third World countries in similar conditions thrive very quickly. They often double in weight within weeks. That has not been the case with our Hailee. It has taken two years and four months for her to double in weight. She is now seven years and four months old, and she has just hit thirty pounds on the scale. She is very, very little.
For the last few weeks I have had a nagging feeling that something was just not right. Thankfully, we are blessed with the most amazing family doctor here. He specializes in functional medicine and gets to the root of why illness, lack of growth, or any other issue is happening, before just treating the condition with another medicine. I appreciate that a lot! We, as a family, are very conservative on medication. We eat healthily and use medication only when absolutely necessary.
Together with our doctor, we felt led to doing some very detailed allergy testing on Hailee. We felt confident that the test results would be very accurate based on his experience and the lab he uses.
Last Tuesday we got the results. As soon as I looked at the graphs on the paperwork our doctor gave me and saw the bright red lines, I knew!
Hailee is HIGHLY allergic to wheat, dairy and peanuts!
She is also in the "high" category for numerous other foods. Thankfully, nothing environmental.
The testing showed that she is so very deficient in Vitamin D and many other things--even with taking supplements every day.
Her body is completely unable to absorb good nutrition!
Oh my goodness! Being highly allergic to all three of those things has been wreaking havoc on her little body. It all makes perfect sense--her very dry skin, cracked nails, constant scratching, hair that will not grow, her body's inability to grow quicker. When the body cannot process nutrition properly, nothing works as it should!
So, I'm a mama on a mission. Everything must change, and Hailee is starting on a gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free diet. Yikes!
I'm wondering if those of you who have walked this road would be willing to share your expertise with me? I looked online and there is SO much information--it's hard to decipher where to even begin!
~~~ What are some excellent books?
~~~ Can you recommend good websites?
~~~ What has worked for your family when only one person is intolerant? Is there a way to simplify things with meal preparation when only one person is on a strict diet?
~~~ Where can I find great gluten-free/dairy-free recipes?
We have started Hailee on some high-quality supplements. The plan right now is to have her on a very strict diet for 3-4 months, and then to re-test and see what the results are.
As challenging as it is going to be, I am so excited to finally have some answers--to help Hailee become as healthy and as strong as she can be is such a blessing for me as her mother. I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing us to this point. I realize that this is not the easiest thing to deal with, but I am so up for the challenge! Anything to help our darling Hailee to heal and grow.
We have very realistic expectations regarding Hailee's growth. Having been confined to a crib for the first five years of her life, having had zero sunlight or adequate nutrition, we know that Hailee will more than likely never be the size of a normal seven year old. And that's okay. We only want her to be as healthy as she can possibly be.
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks!
So thankful that we finally know how to help our little precious.
29 sweet thoughts from friends:
As a Registered Dietitian (RD), PLEASE, PLEASE make sure you seek the advice of an RD and not a 'nutritionist'. They will be able to help you immensely with the food allergies as well as vitamin deficiencies, types of foods and supplements to take, etc. To find one in your area (or someone who can find you an RD in your area) go to eatright.org and in the top right hand corner click on 'find a registered dietitian'. If you can't find one, please email me (tiffany@anothertexasfamily.com) and I can put you into contact with one in CO.
My husband has Celiacs (gluten allergy) and a dairy intolerance. I have to admit when we first found this out, (we also went through a lot of trials with doctors before he was diagnosed) it was extremely hard, I even remember crying in the grocery store when trying to find food he could took in his lunch. HOWEVER, God is good and definitely answered our prayers! Within the last 6-10 months more and more food companies are coming out with GF (gluten free) items or at least labeling their products GF or DF if they are gluten and dairy free.
My favorite cookbook is called "Cooking for Isaiah" by Silvana Nardone, the author is editor in chief of "Every Day with Rachel Ray" and all the recipes are gluten and dairy free!! I use this cookbook multiple times throughout the week and it includes a HUGE variety of recipes for all three meals, dessert, side dishes, salads, and much more! It also has a recipe for an all purpose gluten free flour blend and pancake mix which can be used for everything from home-made bread to cookies.
As for cooking meals, GF and DF shoppers are told to stay on the outside grocery aisles (meats, fruits and veggies) :], but we live in MI and our main grocery store is Meijer, which carries a lot of gluten free food. You can find GF noodles, (all different varieties to use in lasagna, spaghetti, alfredo, etc), which is great because my husband loves his italian meals! Also, corn tortillas and corn tortilla chips are GF so those are nice for the mexican cuisines like enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. If a recipe calls for bread crumbs (meatloaf, meatballs) I usually use crushed up rice chex cereal or rice crispy cereal I am not on a strict GF or DF diet and I don't mind eating GF or DF with my husband, in fact I usually can't tell the difference in most of the things I make. Health food stores also carry non-dairy cheese and icecream (made from almond milk, soy milk, or rice milk) , I had asked the sales clerk before first buying either of those items which brand was the best and they were very helpful. Also, rice milk, soy milk, and almond milk can be substituted in any recipe for regular milk and will usually have the same consistency and effect.
http://www.gygi.com/blog/2012/07/20/gluten-free-baking-the-conversion-chart/
The website above has a gluten free conversion chart, with the four gluten-free ingredients you need to make a flour blend to use as a substitute in regular recipes, which is very helpful in everyday cooking.
Hopefully this wasn't overwhelming, but we're praying for you and your family, it's definitely a big adjustment at first but I know Hailee will be feeling much better on her new diet! You guys are an awesome testimony of living by faith not by sight! If you have any more questions or anything feel free to facebook message me.
-Amanda Avery
My son has anaphylaxis to dairy and eggs. We have an epi-pen and if he eats dairy or eggs (or something containing them) his throat closes up. He'd had it since he was 1, he's now almost 3.
Thankfully it's just dairy and eggs!
Lots of fruit, veggies, whole foods. It can be hard to make meals, but I'll use non-dairy margarine or soy milk is a good alternative for cooking (although our boy drinks almond milk). Tonight for example we had chicken, yellow and red peppers and onion cooked in BBQ sauce and then put on a tortilla-the rest of us added some cheese, he obviously did not have cheese.
It takes some getting used to. Figure out a handful of things she can have, and go from there. Thankfully there are lots of very conscious grocery stores now.
I have someone in my church who's daughter is allergic to numerous things, including wheat, dairy, eggs. She has a great blog!
http://notmissingathing.blogspot.com/
My son has anaphylaxis to dairy and eggs. We have an epi-pen and if he eats dairy or eggs (or something containing them) his throat closes up. He'd had it since he was 1, he's now almost 3.
Thankfully it's just dairy and eggs!
Lots of fruit, veggies, whole foods. It can be hard to make meals, but I'll use non-dairy margarine or soy milk is a good alternative for cooking (although our boy drinks almond milk). Tonight for example we had chicken, yellow and red peppers and onion cooked in BBQ sauce and then put on a tortilla-the rest of us added some cheese, he obviously did not have cheese.
It takes some getting used to. Figure out a handful of things she can have, and go from there. Thankfully there are lots of very conscious grocery stores now.
I have someone in my church who's daughter is allergic to numerous things, including wheat, dairy, eggs. She has a great blog!
http://notmissingathing.blogspot.com/
My son (3 years old) has had anaphylaxis allergies to dairy and egg since he was 1. It can be overwhelming at first, especially because he literally would die if he had them and didn’t get his epi-pen injection.
We have other children and making meals can be difficult. Using whole foods, vegetables, fruits, meat and then adding on is helpful. For example tonight we had chicken, onion, red and yellow peppers cooked in BBQ sauce, then wrapped in a tortilla. The rest of us had some cheese on it. He didn’t.
Find what she can have and go from there. Fortunately there are a lot of very conscious grocery stores, or at least most stores have sections of more allergy friendly products. Learn how to read the labels.
A woman from my church has a daughter with several food allergies including wheat, dairy and eggs, she had a very useful blog:
http://notmissingathing.blogspot.com/
Awesome GFCF recipes on this blog. The momma who writes it has also adopted several kiddos with special needs:
Coffeegfcf.blogspot.com
I also found out I'm intolerant to all dairy/gluten in March. I've found it easier to use vegan recipes. Many of them are already gluten free or have options to make them gluten free. My favorite blog/books is the Happy Herbivore. You can add meat to any of them of course.
And she will feel sooooo much better! You should see changes within a week or two. Sometimes there is a bit of withdrawal with gluten.
Take a look at the book Practical Paleo. It has specific menus that you're looking for. All dairy free, gluten free and legume free. Lots of GREAT info. The related website is Balanced Bites. There are shopping lists for the recipes from the book there. Also, nutritional advice. She has a podcast, too.
My life has changed since switching over. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
http://geneticroulettemovie.com/
This is a fascinating and frightening in-depth look at the many side effects of GMOs in our food supply. It is free to watch for, I think, just one more day.
Our daughter with DS has had many gut and skin issues for most of her life. Even though I've been well aware of GM foods for the last couple of years, and mostly avoided them, it's only been recently that I have snapped to full attention and we have been avoiding them at all cost.
We've been GMO free for about three months and there has been a noticeable difference in ALL of us. How I wish I had started this sooner!
Jeffery Smith is the guru of GM, very knowledgeable and trustworthy. This film will be a good intro for you, though I must warn you, you will want to scream at the injustice that has been intentionally done to innocent people. Thankfully, we have a big and loving God who is setting up for us our True country of which He will rule and reign!
God bless you as you seek the truth!
Pamelas gluten free all purpose mix is amazing! Great taste and results with everything I have made. Deliciously G Free by Elizabeth Hasselbeck is wonderful! I could go on and on but these two things have been my saving grace :-) So glad you finally know what Hailee is living with. Thankfully gluten free has come a long way!
Pamelas gluten free all purpose mix is amazing! Great taste and results with everything I have made. Deliciously G Free by Elizabeth Hasselbeck is wonderful! I could go on and on but these two things have been my saving grace :-) So glad you finally know what Hailee is living with. Thankfully gluten free has come a long way!
Look into the GAPS diet with books by Dr.Natasha Campbell McBride. This diet will eliminate allergens while helping her body to heal and recover. You can also find lots of blogs wih people documenting how they do the diet with one person or the whole family and how their bodies heal. It is amazing!
Hello dear Adeye
I follow along but don't oftne comment.(sorry):). We just recieved the diagnosis of many many allergies for our nine year old (after many doctors and much prayer trying to figure out what was wrong with her...) we actually heard from some online fellow conservative Christian homeschoolers abut some alternative treatment, which we tried. It seems to be working...Sammy was highly allergic to eggs dairy including goats milk gluten beef lamb lentils beans peas nuts...oh my it was overwhelming. However...the treatment although costly and outside the mainstream medical...has helped. She now eats everything...has gained weight (she had gotten very thin) skin is clear, headaches and brain fog gone..et. Anyway...if you want you can email me at mdhovdestad@gmail.com. Imnot offended if u aren't interested..I just know it was a blessing to me when I was told:). Wishing you the best and praise God for clear answers!!! Darci :)
Hello dear Adeye
I follow along but don't oftne comment.(sorry):). We just recieved the diagnosis of many many allergies for our nine year old (after many doctors and much prayer trying to figure out what was wrong with her...) we actually heard from some online fellow conservative Christian homeschoolers abut some alternative treatment, which we tried. It seems to be working...Sammy was highly allergic to eggs dairy including goats milk gluten beef lamb lentils beans peas nuts...oh my it was overwhelming. However...the treatment although costly and outside the mainstream medical...has helped. She now eats everything...has gained weight (she had gotten very thin) skin is clear, headaches and brain fog gone..et. Anyway...if you want you can email me at mdhovdestad@gmail.com. Imnot offended if u aren't interested..I just know it was a blessing to me when I was told:). Wishing you the best and praise God for clear answers!!! Darci :)
I'll be curious to read your comments, our 5 month old has just been tested and she is allergic to Peanuts, Eggs, Wheat, Soy. Looking to the future...and what in the world we're going to feed her!
We use a book: The Gluten free Gourmet bakes bread: by Betty Haggman. It has been a great help in south africa where we don't get all the mixes you have. She tells you how to make gf flour by combining certain flours.I use her mixtures with recipes I get on glutenfreeda. The fact that Hailee is difficient in nutrients, might indicate that she has Celiac disease (can be confirmed with biopsy) if a person has CD- the vili in the intestine lies flat aginst the wall, and is then unable to absorb nutrients. Therefore the difficiency. My hasband was annemicn even though he regularly ate red meat. I still feel the best way to test is to exclude it from your diet. 2 of my sons teste negative for gluten allergy, but now that we've taken gluten out of there diet, all the sniffs are gone. Hope this helps a bit. I've seen you asked about juice plus--I've read very good things about it. Unfortunately not availeble in SA so I can try it.
Oh, this makes so much sense (that she's had allergies all along). Our son, Adam, used to be allergic to so many things. Now, it's just peanuts (he has a life threatening allergy to peanuts) and soy (much less severe, but still can't have certain things). I'm surprised that Hailey has been able to have anything with peanuts. Usually, if you have a peanut allergy, you would know it. I'd actually recommend that none of you eat peanuts if you think her allergy is fairly bad. We don't have anything with peanuts in our house and none of us ever eat anything with peanuts. At least that one is not as difficult. Gluten is certainly tougher. I have friends who have gluten allergies. I'll check with them on some suggestions they may have.
I have been a long time reader, but have never posted. Thank you for sharing your life with us! You are often brought to my mind to pray for. When it comes to gluten free, check out The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen http://www.nourishingmeals.com/
She has gluten-free recipes made with wholesome, healthy foods. There are so many great recipes! My favorite gluten free food is Quinoa. It is so versatile and I make it using my rice cooker.
You may also find some inspiration at http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/
God bless!
Heidi Joy
They say nothing happens without a purpose. A few weeks ago I found your blog in a post on one of my friend's Facebook pages. I read the post, was inspired, and immediately added your feed to my blog reader. Then I got this post this morning.
My brother had severe allergies as a baby. Wheat was the worst, but there were many others. My older son had severe eczema as a baby, and has the biggest list of food allergies his pediatrician has ever seen. So I think I'm qualified to help a little. I'm going to email you my phone number. If you want you can send me yours. I could talk as early as this afternoon.
My 18 month old is allergic to dairy. She drinks coconut milk and coconut water, mixed or not. I also use coconut oil a lot in cooking. Look it up, coconut and all it's products are extremely nutritious.I know how you feel, I remember first learning to cook for her, I kept forgetting.
Oh Adeye, as stressful and overwhelming the allergy thing is (I too am gluten/dairy/nut free) I am so happy you finally have a diagnosis!! I have been praying that Hailee would finally be diagnosed (and actually I had commented in another post regarding Harper a very ling time ago). I just felt in my heart of hearts there was a gluten/celiac thing there. Please, if you have any questions email me at anytime. I don't have any cookbooks or websites but I do have brands that are free of those allergens and more. And I'm sure I could help with recipes. Please please email me so we can talk at length. All 5 of my kids have allergies/sensitivities as well. We have tried everything from seperate shelves and appliances (toaster) to an allergy free house!!
Crockpot365.blogspot.com is all gluten free.
I have a cousin who has been gluten free for many years and she loves a series of cookbooks, "Gluten Free Gourmet" by Bette Hagman!
Hej Adeye,
My advice for breakfast: teaspoon of the following dried herbs (which have very good nutritional and healing value): cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, sweet pepper and half teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Tablespoon of coconut oil and olive oil, 2 tablespoons of linseed oil. 2 tablespoons of linseed, 1 tablespoon of sesame seed and sunflower seed and chia seed. Couple of almonds and walnuts. 1 apple in pieces. 1 orange freshly pressed.
With an immersion blender make everything smooth and juicy.
You can add more fruit like strawberry and raspberry or whatever she is not allergic to or vary with it.
This really is full of nutritions and tastes very good!
I can live all morning on this.
It may seem like a lot of work, but I mix the herbs together (buy them organic in bulk) and make a mix of the dry ingredients for a couple of days in advance, so you only have to add the oil and fruit on the day itself.
All of the oil is very healthy and good for her skin, hair and intestines!
Blessings from the Netherlands,
Ellen
This comment stream has become such a blessing to so many people, including your family! I was diagnosed with gluten, dairy, and chocolate allergies (the worst three things for a woman, I know!) about 5 months ago. Not only has God made a way for me to be spiritually alive, but I now know what it is like to by physically alive! He always provides.
Trust me, you will have no regrets moving your entire family to a gluten-free diet. Yes, it will be difficult at first, and you will go through a valley where you feel like "you can't eat anything," but you will come out of it! I began to notice changes in my health after just being gf for 1 week, that's it! After a month, my bronchitis (which i had had for over 5 years) was gone. poof! Doctors before were saying that I had asthma...really? Obviously not. I had been struggling with "IBS" for my entire life. no more! (except with the occasional mess up). The list of healing goes on, but you get the idea.
It is worth it! I no longer even feel like it's a sacrifice. I know every time I choose to eat whole, from the earth, organic, non-processed foods; I am taking one step closer to getting a taste of Eden.
A few bits of advice/thoughts from a rookie:
1. forget eating out for awhile (its just demoralizing, scary, and confusing) you can start to explore once you've learned more about eating with your food allergies and optional restaurants.
2. play the couponing game or buy in bulk
3. I eat a lot (and I mean A LOT) of fruits, veggies, potatoes, and rice
4. like others have said, change it up; use a spaghetti squash (its really cool!) instead of pasta or other creative substitutes
5. i stinkin LOVE almond milk
6. there really is no good substitute for cheese (which of course was my fav) but daiya seems to be the best, only its made from soy
7. Kinnikinik brand stuff i have tried has been good for quick meals (such as pizza or pie crust premade)
8. sorbet makes a good substitute when that craving for icecream hits. (coconut icecream is really good too)
On a side note, I come from a large family too. I am the oldest of 11 kids. Us three oldest were home grown and the other 8 have been adopted; most of whom have special needs. One of the newest home is struggling with some of the exact same issues from malnutrition so we completely relate! Reading your blog is very inspiring and I am sure it will be a blessing to my mom to know that there are other moms out there dealing with the same things! So, thank you for sharing your family's experiences and what God is doing in you and through you.
My daughter who is 14 was just found out to be highly allergice to wheat/dairy/tree nuts/peanuts/fresh fruit/soy and some others. I can not wait to keep checking back for all the info your readers give. I am clueless on what to feed her. At the age of 14 it is hard to break habits as well. She took a cupcake at school the other day and her throat closed right up.
I think you are getting some great advice so far - avoid all soy products. Stick to traditional preparation of foods and you will quickly find some great websites. Also, consider Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil for your little ones. It will GREATLY help make up for some of their nutritional deficiencies if they are unable to digest some foods :]
Hallelujah Acres "Diet" http://www.hacres.com/ + gluten-free is working very well for us. I still cook organic meat 2-4 times a week for My Man and the 3 oldest boys. (My DH was raised on a dairy farm and doesn't want to give up his organic whole milk, cheese or 1/2&1/2.) If you've already been eating healthy and cook from scratch it's not that hard to transition. Let me just say, it's not cheap. You really do get what you pay for. We are a middle class family of 7 living on 1 income. We live paycheck to paycheck w/ no government assistance and the Lord always provides.
Products our kids actually LOVE:
-Hodgsons GF waffle & pancake mix. This is the only one my husband can "choke" down. lol (We mix our own too, using 3 of Bob's Red Mill GF flours. Our kids aren't picky eaters yet NONE of them can handle the taste of the GF flour mixes that use garbonzo bean flour. We all love chickpeas on our salads though. :)
-So Delicious Coconut Milk original flavor (Our kids don't care for the unsweetened or the vanilla.)
-Blue Diamond Almond Milk (Try all 3 flavors if you haven't already.)
-Tinkyada noodles (The secret to enjoying it's delicious taste and texture-DO NOT overcook.)
-Earth Balance SOY-FREE (red container)
-Cherry Lara Bars
-Yummy Earth lollipops
-Organic Dates plain or stuffed w/ Coconut BUTTER
-"sherbert"-homemade by blending frozen fruit and a little coconut milk
-Barley Max Mint or Berry (It IS GF. It's harvested from the young
shoots before the gluten develops. It is a LIVING food! Yes, it's
expensive but we pinch pennies in other areas because of it's high
nutritional value.)
Since we live out in the country, I buy many groceries off Amazon. We just happen to be doing a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card (AND $25 to RR) on our blog this month. 4 free entries. : ) Shameless plug or not so shameless since our goal is to help as many orphans as possible until the Lord returns.
Angie R.
7lookingup.blogspot.com
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