Good afternoon!
I am chuggin along in the bakery! Today is another very busy day as I prepare for the launch of the new gluten-free and raw Glo bar tonight at 9pm. It is going to be fun! This bar has been a very long time in the making (I tested over 23 trials!), and I am so excited to share it with you. Because the bars are so time intensive, there will be a limited amount available for pre-order tonight. At 9pm EST I will be linking to the bars from OSG.
Last night I heard back from the race director of the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon + 5k! I was surprised at how quickly she got back to me as well as how serious she took the matter. She said that they will be investigating this with the Toronto Police with whom they work closely on all safety and security issues. She is going to get back to me in the near future. I hope that next year’s race will be improved upon regarding the safety of all female runners! No one should have to feel scared or violated during a race.
After several hours of work this morning, it was 2pm before I knew it and I still hadn’t had lunch yet! I threw together the quickest lunch I could with the ingredients I had on hand.
I took some leftover Navy Beans and mix 2 tablespoons of sweet BBQ sauce for a mock ‘baked bean’ effect.
Then I defrosted about 2 cups of mixed veggies…
And I threw together a super quick dried cherry and sunflower seed spinach salad topped with my better than bottled balsamic vinaigrette. We are all out of veggies so it was all I had, but it was quite fun!
I am currently suffering from food baby syndrome. Beans + high-fibre veggies = :ermm:
I discovered that Navy Beans are probably one of my least favourite beans. They just don’t have the flavour that other beans do like black beans or kidney beans! That is why I have been eating them with BBQ sauce.
The Dairy Question
I am always asked what prompted me to go off dairy and decide to become a vegan. While there are many factors that went into the decision (see here for the latest segment in my road to health), one of the reasons that I experimented without dairy was because I have sensitivity to dairy (this is different from an actual allergy to dairy, which I don’t have).
Ever since I was a baby I could not have dairy. It would upset my stomach so much and I would cry and cry and cry when I had milk. As a child and teenager I suffered from really bad stomach pains whenever I ate dairy- especially ice cream, that one was the worst for me!- I would be doubled over in pain when I ate ice cream. I finally decided to see how I fared without dairy. Lactose free dairy products did not seem to help much. Lo and behold, my stomach problems were greatly reduced when I stopped eating dairy.
My stomach is also sensitive to other things like soy (which is why you don’t see me eating tofu much), beans (although I still eat them because I love them!), and high-fibre foods.
What about you, do you have problems digesting certain foods or certain combinations of food? Any intolerances or allergies? How did you adapt to it?
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{ 115 comments… read them below or add one }
i would be seriously upset if i was allergic to dairy…i’m so thankful to not have any food issues (other than mental stuff) and the ability to eat whatever I want. although sometimes that can be a blessing and a curse!
I am slightly lactose intolerant. I can handle dairy, but only in very small doses.
My body also doesn’t like to artificial sweetener Sorbital. When I went off it, suspecting it was what was making me sick, my symptoms cleared up literally in about 24 hours. Crazy!
I used to have a lot of stomach trouble with cheese, milk, and fried foods- I cut back on those things and it made a huge difference. I’ve only recently stopped almost completely eating dairy, and it’s been great so far!
I don’t have any food allergies, but now that I’ve been vegan for a few years I am super sensitive to dairy if I eat it accidentally (which very rarely happens). I’m also pretty sensitive to refined sugar since I don’t have much of that in my diet either.
Excited for the new Glo bars!! Congrats, I know you worked really hard to get those right!
I have no problem digesting anything… thank goodness!
Timely post for me! I just finished a month with almost no dairy (only eating one serving of hard cheese a day, which is a DRASTIC decrease for me). And I’m surprised to discover that I noticed no change. I don’t know what I was expecting! :P I think I’ll still keep the dairy to a minimum, as giant bowl of cottage cheese and yogurt did make me feel kinda puffed out and slow, but it was a valuable experiment for me.
Oddly enough, I can’t digest pineapple AT ALL. My body violently rejects it. I also have a mild intolerance to avocado and kiwi. I also can’t handle certain raw veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. I’ve had allergy tests, blood tests and an ultrasound done and there isn’t anything we can pinpoint it to. It’s not IBS because it doesn’t affect my bowel, it makes me vomit. Aaaaanyways, so now I just avoid those foods.
Hi Susan,
I have recently been diagnosed with a condition called Fructose Malabsorption, which means my body does not have the enzyme to digest Fructose and Fructans. Amongst the foods I cannot eat are onion, apple, pears, wheat (this isn’t the same as gluten intolerance as i can still have oats just not products containing wheat), most tropical fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, large quantities of broccoli, garlic (amongst other things). I am not allergic to dairy however cannot eat most yoghurts because of the fruit syrup content or inulin. Also I’m from Australia and we use cane sugar as our primary sweetener where as in the US and Canada High Fructose Corn Syrup is used in a lot of processed foods and soft drinks, and is a definite problem.
Given the information you have given it might be worth reading a bit more to see if you feel like you fit the symptoms. I’m not a dietician but feel the pain of anyone suffering frustrating digestive, mood and energy problems as i did for many years.
Please find below the Wikipedia link for Fructose Mal,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption
I hope this helps.
after dealing with stomach issues for AGES and my doctor saying it was just IBS and to live with it..I went to a Naturopath and we discovered by body lacks the digestive enzymes for DAIRY and REFINED sugar. I feel your pain!
Do you find eating a lot of raw veggies bothers you?
Interesting! I have personally been struggling with stomach issues – it seems that almost everything upsets my stomach/digestive system. I also did the allergy testing, blood tests, ultrasound…. nothing. Doctors keep telling me “it’s just stress” – maybe I should see a Naturopath too!! Thanks for mentioning that!
Try it for sure! That’s what they were telling me for years, and when my symptoms worsened slightly it went from “you have anxiety, deal with it” to “you have IBS, deal with it.” I really have faith in Naturopaths now! I have eliminated dairy/sugar for about 2-3 weeks already my symptoms are improving muchly :)
Oh that is awesome! I am definitely going to check it out. :)
Thank you!!
What type of test did the natropath do for that? Sounds interesting!
Eating lots of raw veggies does bother my stomach at times
She just pricked my ear lobe and sent the blood to a lab for testing! I got the results in about 3 weeks
I do not have any food allergies, but I’ve always had an aversion to milk & most dairy products.
No food issues, thankfully. I try to keep my dairy intake to a minimum though. I’ve also cut soda out of my life and have noticed huge improvements in how I feel and how my skin looks.
I’m glad that you reported the issue of the creepy man. Hopefully it was a very innocent matter, but it’s not right that you have to question your own safety during an event.
I have a dairy intolerance. It makes me break out!
I am lactose intolerant and have spent most of my life not eating dairy so it is no biggie for me. It explains why I never found it that hard to become vegan (although I do eat eggs now and occassionally fish – so I am not anything really – a dairy free pescatarian??? :))
I am also very sensitive to onions, garlic, lettuce, cukes and capsicum (only when it’s raw though). I could never be a raw vegan. I’d be burping all the time ;)
Large quantities of dairy products are rough for me. Sometimes it’s not an immediate stomach ache but I feel like they digest slowly? I’ve avoided dairy in the days preceding my long runs and for this week before I run a marathon. It seems like it’s working, no bad need-to-stop-and-walk-ASAP type of stomach problems lately. I don’t know if I will cut it out entirely (a bit of yogurt or a slice of cheese has a different effect than cream sauce or ice cream!) but definitely reduce it.
I don’t think this an allergy but onions really upset my stomach which is depressing because I love onions especially grilled onions so sometimes (ie last night) I tempt fate and eat them. And then I pay the price (today)…it may or may not been worth it ;) The cherries on your salad are such a fantastic idea!
I’m glad that the lady in charge of the race responded so quickly to you! I agree that no one should feel uncomfortable during a race from spectators.
I’m mildly lactose intolerance, so while I can eat dairy products without fear of severe pain or anything like that, they don’t always agree with my stomach (i.e. I get gassy! lol). I handle yogurt and eggs the best of all dairy. I’ve been trying to reduce my dairy consumption over the past few months, and I do feel better overall. But I will never become a vegan or give up dairy completely. I just love my ice cream and cheese and fro yo way too much for that to ever happen. The most I can do is to reduce consumption, so that’s what I’m doing. I eat dairy in moderation, and that’s what works for me!
My stomach gets really un-happy with me when I eat fried (or otherwise greasy) food. Other than that, I don’t really have food sensitivities, fortunately.
As for navy beans- I am a big fan of them and other white beans (cannellini and great northern, to be specific) because I think they take on the flavors of whatever you cook them with. I particularly like to stew white beans and Kale together and I also like to add diced green chiles, cumin, and cayenne to make white bean chili!
I’m allergic and intollerant to dairy and I’m also sensitive to soy. It was hard when I was younger because the dairy-free products were not very good but thankfully they have greatly improved! While I don’t make these products a staple in my life I do like that I can have things like dairy free butter, cheese and ice cream.
I feel ya on the dairy sensitivity…it was kind of easy for me to cut it out since I’ve never been a super cheese fan. It was just hard to give up greek yogurt since I loved the texture and amount of protein that meant long staying power. I grew up drinking a lot of milk and then in my late teens and early 20’s I felt sick after drinking it or having it in cereal. I don’t miss it all now and can’t imagine drinking a glass since I love almond milk so much!
I eat dairy but I continue to be impressed and thankful to live in the time that we do, where there are so many dairy-free options that are readily available! To find both almond milk and rice milk at the local grocery story is something you wouldn’t find even 10 years.
I’ve had “tummy issues” most of my life…even as a kid. Foods, esp. high fiber ones, really effect me – I am careful not to eat them in excess when I am out and about because more than likely…I will end up miserable, doubled over and feeling self-conscious. Though my tummy has been sensitive – oddly enough dairy has not been a big issue for me.
I have one allergy that I know of, and it’s kiwi. Funny thing is, kiwi was one of the first fruit I started eating as a teenager, when I had no idea what fruit and veggies were ;-)
And a few years later, my allergy broke out unfortunately.
I love dairy but I found that if I eat too much of the stuff it just ruins my bowel’s mood (let’s leave it at this). I cut down dairy to max one serving a day, if at all, and things seem to be a bit better. I also found out that eating dairy at breakfast or lunch is ok, but at dinner it’s a no-go, so I do my best to avoid this.
i don’t have IBS but my bowel is definitely sensitive, I still need to work out what food / food combinations trigger my pains.
I just found out about 6 months ago I’m very lactose intolerant so it made my quest to give up dairy easy. I get bad bloating, gas and tummy aches from dairy. I’ve fallen in love with almond milk. I’m also sensitive to wheat so I have branched out to more grains instead of all the wheat bread i did. I’ve learned to like the gluten free brown rice wraps and quinoa, kasha etc.. I still occasionally have a sandwich on my fav ezekiel bread. I heard that some people that are wheat sensitive can handle spelt so I thought about giving spelt bread a try. I do alot of sandwiches and wraps for lunch.
Oh goodness, I know the feeling that you speak of! Intolerance sucks. I’m glad you’ve found other options that work for you.
I’m intolerant to avocados. It is awful, I LOVE guacamole so! Sometimes I eat it even though I know it will give me stomach cramps.
One of my brothers is allergic to nuts, eggs, chocolate, and seafood. We used to think he was also allergic to wheat, but that turned out to just be an intolerance. I’m very glad you’ve highlighted that there is a difference between being allergic to something or intolerant to it. A lot of people say they are allergic, but they actually mean intolerant.
I witnessed my brother have an allergic reaction when I was 15 and he was 11. He always asks at restaurants and cookouts if what he’s eating has been cooked in nut oils. He asked our cousin, who was grilling, and our cousin said there were no nuts involved. My brother took one bite of a bratwurst and within seconds, he broke out into hives, said “I don’t feel well”, and then started gasping as his airways closed. Just thinking about it I start tearing up, it was SO scary. It was 10 years ago and he is happy and healthy now, my parents raced him to the hospital and he has carried an epipen with him ever since. Our cousin really didn’t realize the oil he was using to cook with was peanut based. I come from a very large family (4 brothers, 2 sisters) and no one has allergies besides him.
Just getting caught up on your news…
Wahoo! NEW PR!! I KNEW you could do it. Great job Angela, you should be SO proud.
I hate my allergies. I have gone to an allergy dr for years and have been on allergy shots, which never really did anything so it was a waste of my time in my opinion. According to the blood work my primary dr and my allergy dr did, I’m allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, and most fish. Also, my body believes that the raw fruits and vegetables that I eat are pet dander, which I am allergic to, so for the most part my foods have to always be cooked. Another thing that sucks is being allergic to strawberries and all melons. When it comes to be summer and everyone is eating watermelons like crazy, I can never enjoy them! I never really adapted until recently when I finally moved out of my parents house. They would always say that I am over reacting, that the foods I have been eating my entire life I was allergic to and I’m not dead so it’s not a big deal. Now that I live on my own without my parents, I noticed that once I cut out most of the foods I’m allergic to, I feel better and look better. I have more energy because I’m not in constant pain or having problems breathing. It is a pain sometimes to try and avoid all my allergies, for the most part none of them are severe, so I still drink almond milk (even though I’m technically allergic to almonds) and I can have some products that contain soy. It’s basically just picking and choosing based on what I am really allergic to or not so much and how it makes me feel. Its all about listening to my body and how it reacts to the things I eat!!!
I am intolerant of whey. Not all dairy, but if it has whey it in, I’m toast.
I can eat beans and cruciferous veggies, but too much and again, no good!
I can’t eat fried food or citrus as my stomach will burn like crazy.
No fun! But luckily, there are a lot of other really yummy foods I can eat.
My body reacts poorly to apples if I eat too many or I eat them alone, so I limit them and always have a cracker or such thing with it. No clue why. I also react poorly to black tea, but I drink it anyways – though I also try to limit my caffeine.
My tolerance for refined sugar has gone way down in the last few months. I’m actually quite fine with that, since I love eating healthy anyway :-)
Garlic kills me. I double over in pain if I eat it. Just about everyone I tell this to remarks that there’s no such thing as a garlic allergy–that I’m just a faker or insane. It’s actually kind of annoying considering how much my stomach hurts when I accidentally have some.
Me too! And same with my cousin. In our mid-20s we started having issues with garlic.
Cetain soy products, dairy, and oils can also be tricky for me too.
Garlic is another one for me!
I’m allergic to peanuts and nuts (except almonds) and, to put it less than eloquently, it SUCKS lol! It’s really hard for me to eat out at restaurants or at friends’ houses and I can pretty much forget about ever getting to enjoy desserts while eating out. :( I guess the upside is that it forces me to be more healthy!
After many years of doctors telling me I had ulcers (at 16 years old?!!), when I was 24 a new doctor finally sent me to a specialist who diagnosed me with Celiac Disease after putting me on an ulcer diet of all the carbs I could eat, I thought I was going to die. That was 9 years ago, and I’ve felt SO much better since! Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from easy, but now that I know how to properly fuel my body, I find the gf life to be the best thing I have had to do. Makes me eat much cleaner. Plus gf options are far better (almost too good!) now more than ever. Including the Glo Bars! I’m counting the minutes until they are available tonight! :)
I don’t have any major allergies or intolerances – and I consider myself very lucky! However, my husband doesn’t tolerate high fiber foods well at all.
I hear ya! I stopped eating meat and most dairy when I was a child because it hurt my stomach so bad. I didn’t even realize I was labeling myself as a vegan/vegetarian at that age, I just couldn’t eat the stuff!
Since I completely and officially cut out all dairy I have seen such a huge improvement in my digestive track. It’s amazing.
I think I do have some of these issues, but my problem is that since I’m omnivore, I’m not sure what it is that makes me feel yucky…I don’t consume much dairy except yogurt, but I have no idea if it’s the wheat, dairy, soy, nuts, high-fiber veggies, or meat that I eat on an almost daily basis. I also don’t know how to go about figuring this out.
I have some issues also and I have no idea what it is. So, today in fact, I started a food journal. Keeping track of what I am eating and how I feel each day. Hopefully, this will help me figure out which foods are causing me problems. Reading all of the comments has helped me a lot because I never suspected foods like avocado.
When I was younger I was allergic to EVERYTHING! Wheat, eggs, dairy and lots of other random things. The eggs were the worst, if I ate anything that had so much as touched an egg, I would have a migraine for days. My brother had the same allergies, but for him it just caused insomnia, and extreme whining. We had to cut out everything all at once and it was HARD! Especially because back then there werent many alternatives. Fortunately, we both grew out of our allergies. These days Im ok with just about everything, but I have to be careful about eggs. I can eat them, but if I go too crazy the migraines come back.
I recently took an allergy test due to what the doctors thought was arthritis in my foot. I found out that I am intolerant to all dairy, sheep’s cheese, black pepper, cherries and gaur gum, to name the hardest ones to deal with. Luckily my husband and family have been really there for me in taking these foods out of my diet and getting in the habit of reading labels. I eat healthier, feel great and my symptoms of arthritis are gone, so I can not complain. However I can not really eat out right now and that sucks!
I have Celiac so I’m forced to be gluten free & i’m allergic to dairy. I have to eat acidic fruits in small quantities…No soy. And I’m getting tested for eggs, corn, beans…hahaha and I don’t really eat meat (as a choice/I don’t like cooking raw meat). :) But yep, food allergies, and intolerances rule most of my trips to the grocery store!
At least I’m not allergic to nuts!!! hahah I live off nuts, nut butter, nut based bars! When can we order the GF bars!??? :) I’m from Ontario and have been anxious awaiting to be able to order them!!!
I have a really hard time with dairy too. it makes my stomach hurt something awful. I Love cheese though so much that I dont know how i’d fair without it. I’ve been debating it though…
do you have any tips for someone who wants to trial vegan for a while?
my advice is to start slow and don’t try and cut everythough out at once. Try one thing a week and start slow :)
I don’t have any food intolerances or allergies that I know of…but I’d love to get tested one day! I always read articles that say that SO many people have food allergies they just aren’t aware of. Interesting!
That salad looks so good. Well all that food looks good!
I am allergic to mangoes because the oils on the skin are in the same family as poison ivy, to which I am also allergic. I haven’t touched any part of a mango in 10 years so it’s very possible that I’m not allergic to the actual fruit inside and just don’t know it.
Otherwise I seem to have a relatively steel-esque stomach, which is fortunate as I love to eat a wide variety of foods.
I suffered from dairy and peanut issues when I was young too, but never would want to admit it because I loved those foods. But as I got older I could not take feeling sick anymore, so decided my health was more important. I wanted to live life again, so cutting certain foods out of my diet was the best thing I could do for myself. I am still healing but much better.
Oh wow. I just made the choc covered raisins . . . amazing! I didn’t have any coconut oil, but they still turned out delish. Also, I melted the choc over the stove, because I read an interesting post on kimberlysnyder.net about the dangers of the microwave! It’s definitely worth a read if you rely on the microwave. :) Thanks again for sharing
I noticed that my stomachaches went away when I started to limit my dairy and gluten intake. I didn’t do this on purpose, but almond milk just tasted better than regular milk, and many of my recipes don’t include a lot of cheese. As soon as I went home and had to drink milk my stomachaches came back.
Hello there!
I have celiac disease so am gluten intolerant, and am also dairy intolerant and have been since I was a child. I also have IBS so have trouble digesting fruits, soy and nuts (but continue to eat them!). Gosh, that seems alot but it’s really not a problem :)
I was “diagnosed” with a slight wheat/dairy intolerance as well as IBS when I was in college and for a couple years afterwards. The doctor told me it was stress and to find ways to reduce the excess stress in my life. I started doing yoga and my “issues” are nonexistent at the moment. I’m convinced it will come in spurts in my life. I credit not only yoga, but also a cleaner diet. No more beer binges and processed foods. But it’s taken a couple years to get my body back on track. I’m able to eat wheat, but often icecream gives me gas! But it doesn’t make me throw up like it used to!
I don’t really have any food allergies or sensitivities but I am suspicious that dairy makes me break out. But I love my yogurt oh so much..
I believe I’m dairy intolerant. It seems to give me sinus infections and headaches. I’ve cut way back on my dairy consumption and it has really helped. But I can’t seem to kick it completely and anytime I eat some dairy I wake up the next day with a stuffy head.
Just last summer, at the age of 21, I developed a lactose intolerance. I loved yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream and the list goes on. It definitely has been a challenge not having these items in my diet anymore, but it’s worth it to not feel bloated and get sick to my stomach. Another item I’ve noticed a serious sensitivity to is artificial sweeteners like splenda. With how bad these sweeteners are for you, it’s probably for the best that my body rejects them!
i have some minor ones (bananas, avocados and such), but they would never keep me away from the foods. my husband, on the other hand, has a dairy and whey allergy. this means epi-pens in hand, at all times. he also, as we found out the other night, has an extreme fish allergy…that only happens some times and not others….we found this out in the ER after a bite of fish. ;)
I am so glad you posed this question! I can totally relate to the food baby syndrome and have suffered from that for years after eating high fiber foods (beans, cabbage, broccoli, etc.). And then? In December 2009, I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Honestly, it has changed my life b/c I have learned what to eat (specifically eat soluble fiber like bread, pasta or oats) and when (before any raw veggies, or high insoluble fiber foods like cabbage, beans, etc.). I can honestly say that I rarely have the lovely bloated stomach! I am sensitive to beef, dairy and insoluble fiber foods (beans, cabbage, broccoli, etc.) but now that I am learning how/when to eat them…I feel like I am on the path to healthy (and no more food baby stomach!)
I love following your blog because you’re a vegan runner like me, but never saw any mention of tummy trouble, I’m sorry to hear you’re one of the many women who do! All through my childhood I would get ferocious tummy pains for days on end, which my medical parents said was just trapped wind. I went off food a lot in my teens because of the sore tummies and I took a lot of painkillers for my period pains. I went vegan and ate more, and my tummy hated all that fibre, so I stopped being vegan, and then for a few years I suffered the bloatiness of lactose intolerance (probably). Going dairy free when I discovered dairy was a problem for me was what got me thinking about veganism again. When I realised dairy was making me feel sick and giving me severe constipation, I just quit and didn’t bother getting tested to see if it was an allergy or intolerance. I suspect an allergy because even low lactose dairy made me feel awful. My asthma and eczema got a bit better too but my tummy trouble never completely disappeared. Now I think I might be gluten intolerant, and that may have been why I have trouble with dairy.
I, and a lot of other IBS bloggers out there, find eating large quantities a problem- especially those high in fibre, which are more frequent in a healthy, vegan diet than in the SADiet. How do you manage tummy upsetting foods with the need to eat plenty to fuel your workouts/running? I’ve always been a slow eater, but I do find taking loads of time to really chew my food helps (I learnt this from reading macrobiotic literature).
I do find eating smaller meals more frequently helps rather than large meals!
I do not have any dairy allergies (or other food allergies for that matter), but since I’ve consciously watched my dairy intakes (maybe getting 2-3 servings a week), I’ve noticed how much better I’ve felt. My skin is clear, my digestion has improved, and I rarely suffer from bloating anymore. I just feel more alert and overal healthier. It has definitely been a positive change.
I, too, have a sensitivity to dairy, and it is one of the major contributors for my push toward a vegan diet. Now high-raw and vegan, I have found that many of my stomach issues have subsided. However, I must be careful of onions, tomatoes and black beans. They can be a little rough on my stomach — a sad thing because I love Mexican inspired food. :-P
I have an iron stomach so imagine my surprise when I started getting sharp stomach pains and terrible bloating on a regular basis. Took a little while for me to realize that I’d get them shortly after drinking a green monster. As a vegetarian, I was impressed by this tasty way to sneak iron-rich spinach into my diet. Unfortunately the spinach was the culprit. Since I didn’t eat it much before, I’d never had any issues. When I started having it on a regular basis something must have triggered the sensitivity. Once I eliminated the spinach, all my problems disappeared. I’ve just started throwing some romaine in my smoothies to give it a little nutritional boost since it’s an easy way to get some extra veggies.
I have no problem digesting anything. I limit my dairy, though, and don’t eat meat for ethical reasons only.
Thankfully I do not have any intolerances…except of course the natural effect of eating lots of veggies and beans *heehee, but because I have been vegan for about 5 months now I am sure that if I ate dairy it would have an ill effect…On a different note, my husband has a weird intolerance to milk and milk products, when he consumes them he get extremely hyper (and annoying) especially on soft serve! anyone else experiance this? He still eats cheese and ice cream (drinks soy milk though)
I’m allergic to shellfish! I go through anaphalactic (spelling!) shock when I eat it, which means I don’t go near them, because my throat/lungs will close up (fun stuff!) I have the pleasure of carrying an epi-pen wherever I go:)
My mum, me and all 6 of my siblings are have an intolerance to avocado. All of us LOVE avocado but we each suffer with differing levels of stomach pain and other unpleasantness. My father does not have any sensitivity to avocado. We had an avocado tree in our backyard and my very favorite childhood food memory is waiting for my father to get home from work then we would walk the yard together checking all the fruit trees and the vegetable garden. We always ended at the avocado tree so if one was ripe we would pick it and go inside to make guacamole. Then we would sit on the back lanai and eat fresh, delicious guacamole. It always made me sick but I loved it so much and I especially loved the time with my dad.
So glad they responded to your inquiry and are taking it seriously! That is definitely NOT ok, hope it all works out well :)
I too am sensitive/intolerant to both dairy and soy! After being vegetarian for 15 years and vegan for 4 (excluding this past year), I finally saw a dietitian about my extreme exhaustion, bloating, cramps and gas problems. She had my eliminate soy first and later dairy – and all (seriously, ALL) those issues disappeared within a week. Now I am back on dairy to “test” the theory – and am having those old problems come back :( I guess that proves it!
I also just found out my entire dad’s side of the family is lactose intolerant – go figure! I think I actually gave myself a soy intolerance through overconsumption – I have been consuming tons of soy for years! I don’t have a problem giving up dairy, but I miss tofu and Braggs liquid aminos.
I am a little envious of the people who commented saying they have “iron stomachs and no issues digesting different foods”. I have always had problems with digestion and have seen a huge improvement since becoming vegan 5 months ago. Like you Angela, I still have some problems with high fiber veggies, beans and grains when I eat a lot of them, but I love them all too much to give them up! I can definitely relate to your “food baby” and experience that fairly often.
Another celiac in the house! It’s been two and 1/2 years and I’m STILL adjusting. Pre-diagnosis, I was one of those “eat whatever I want without thinking about it” type of people, and now I have to plan everything! The food restrictions aren’t the bad part; you get used to that. It’s the planning everything that sucks. I’m trying, but I generally don’t enjoy it.
I have a question about the GF globars, which I’d love to try… What measures do you take to prevent cross-contamination?
All the info can be found here: http://globakery.com/Cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=43
I have a wheat intolerance which has been difficult at times. However, loving cooking has certainly helped as I have been able to experiment with so many other grains!
Oh yes, I can’t handle gluten or soy. I do eat dairy but only lactose free. Almond cheese and lactose free cottage cheese are about it. I’ll have to order some of your GF GLO bars! Congrats!!
I got tested recently for food allergies. I have a “mild” allergy to peanuts and wheat. Which is weird because I’ve never had problems eating those foods!
honestly sugar makes me so sick if I have a lot of it. chocolate (tear) makes me sick. Anything other then full cream dairy, too much fruit. But I have been tested heaps and I have learned that it’s really about listening to your body and not eating crap.
Hey! Wow this post just screamed “KERRY”. I am the QUEEN of food intolerances. I literally recently started my own blog so I can vent about it and basically create dishses for those that struggle with similar allergies to me. I have devoted an entire page to my extensive list…dairy, wheat, soy, nuts, tree fruits, carrots, celery, etc….the list seriously goes on!!
This is why I LOVE the blogging world. It forces me to get creative in the kitchen, it has honestly changed my life : )
I self diagnosed that I was lactose intolerant. I had some cheese and crackers one day for lunch a year ago and had such stomach pains I couldn’t stand up. I cut out dairy and my stomach began to feel normal for the first time in 5 or so years, but not quite. So a lady at the local health food store said maybe cut out gluten too. So for 3 or so months I was gluten and dairy free. I felt FABULOUS! One night in March, I had a horrible stomachache that randomly hit and kept me up, and at 2 in the morning went into the ER. I ended up having my gall bladder taken out the next day. They said that dairy can irritate an aggravated gall bladder.
Since then I have tried to eat dairy and gluten and it just doesn’t suit me. I no longer crave cheese, and use this delicious vegan cheese when I want that cheesy taste. I do eat some gluten now, but I avoid it when I can. And now I no longer eat meat. I feel healthier than I ever have!
lol food baby syndrome!! Ohhh, it happens to the best of us ;)
I have a slight lactose intolerance. I can handle it fine with cereal and cheese/yogurt dont affect me but I can’t drink it straight without severe stomach pains. Soy milk does the same thing. There’s only one type of regular milk I can have (Hood Smart Calorie Countdown since it’s ultra-ultra pasterized) and one type of soy milk (8th continent original) that I can handle. All the others make me ill. It’s kind of strange..
Ack, I have SO many digestive problems. Mainly from meat, dairy, processed soy, large amounts of nuts and large amounts of beans. I still eat some (low fat, organic) dairy, a bit of processed soy but not much, and I limit the amount of beans & nuts I eat. But it is HARD! Still, I do it because I feel SO much better when I do! :)
xo
K
Great post – I have some issues with dairy (strangely its not all dairy – just some) cheese in particular, especially if its baked or creamy (ie. fettucine alfredo) is not my friend. I also love spicy food but can’t tolerate it very well. Its really relieving to read all the comments of people with food intolerances, it makes me feel a little more normal.
When I was younger I was allergic to dairy, citrus, and shellfish, but I grew out of them.
I’m still sensitive to dairy though.
Also, if I have too much sugar my mouth is very sore the next day.
Even though I wouldn’t consider myself allergic to certain foods, if I eat really poorly (fried foods, pies, cakes, etc.) for more than 2 days I feel ill.
One of my really good friends has colitis so she’s adjusted her diet similarly to someone with celiac.
I have crohns disease so there are a lot of things my body can not handle – I cannot eat salad and I love salad. I also cannot eat high fiber foods including beans and some vegetables. I also cannot eat certain fruits like apples and pears. I do not have diary for the most part, the same with gluten. It sounds very limiting and sometimes it is but for the most part I have learned to create healthy meals and snacks that taste great and minimize my pain.
I have crohn’s too! I think of myself as food-intolerant most of the time… it’s really hard to find a healthy balance with this disease. The only time I can eat whatever I want is when I’m on steroids!
It’s interesting to read all the people who are sensitive to dairy. I always knew that most Asians were sensitive to dairy. But I just read “Animal Vegetable Miracle” and I didn’t realize that the ability to digest dairy is a result of a genetic mutation. Thus, a majority of people of Northern European Descent can digest it, but Asians, (esp southeast Asians), Latinos, and a variety of other groups cannot digest it. Something like only 30% of Latinos and 5% of Asians.
My good friend is Latina, and she’s always had problems with dairy. Now I know why!
I have so many food sensitivities and intolerance. I can’t eat meat for that reason so I became a vegetarian. I limit my dairy to once a day but I love my eggs so I can’t completely go vegan. But I’m extremely limited in my diet due to my IBS.
I am still trying to figure out what causes my stomach issues! I have given up meat and it helped, but still have issues. I am afraid I might have a problem with dairy (afraid because I LOVE cheese) so I am giving that up for a week and see what happens.
Love your blog!
Hard cheeses are much easier to digest than soft ones. You may find that while you cannot tolerate milk and some cheeses you can tolerate others. Likewise goat and sheep products are also quite easy to digest. I cannot tolerate milk but can tolerate goat milk and cheese and sheep cheese.
Hi, I just wanted to say that I just recently started reading your blog, and it’s been really inspirational to me!
I have a lot of food sensitivities unfortunately, but I learn to live without! I have problems with dairy, meats, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners. I love being vegan though, and I love how I feel now that I have eliminated those foods from my diet.
I have a gluten intolerance, but recently it is getting so much easier to buy gluten free things ! Stores seem to be stocking up and paying more attention to people’s dietary needs.
I love making fake baked beans with BBQ sauce!!
I have a lot of digestive problems, but haven’t been able to narrow it down to one or any specific foods. :(
Jenn
I am severly lalctose intolerant and have been for over 10 years. Lactaid milk and Lactaid pills do not work for me. Additionally, I suffer from IBS, take daily medication for it, and am limited in what I can eat due to my sensitivies.
Though this is my first time posting, I am an avid reader. I am drawn to your blog due in big part to these dietary restrictions that I have. My dietary issues coupled with my anxiety, have actually led me to develop a form of eating disorder…not due to fear of gaining weight, but from fear of getting sick from the food I eat…which I have become so accustomed to over the years. Your openness about your past disordered thinking around food is very refreshing. It is encouraging to hear about how you have used your past thinking to change your eating habits and your whole lifestyle into such a healthy and delicious one! I have always wanted to comment but didn’t know what to say. When I saw your post today, I knew I had to respond! Thank you so much for your encouraging and motivating words. :)
My husband is allergic to dairy, which is different than being lactose intolerant. We have to check EVERYTHING for milk, milkfat, casein, or whey. I am constantly amazed at how often food companies change their ingredients without warning. We’ve found granola bars, butter and cake frosting that he could eat, then the next time we went to buy them the ingredients changed! It can be awfully frustrating.
One of my best friends has this. He drank white wine and ended up having to use his injection pen and a trip to the emergency room. He has to be so careful because it truly is life threatening.
I am definitely sensitive to dairy. My dad, when I was about 11 or 12, decided that our family wasn’t drinking milk anymore, because it isn’t good for us, he said. I was outraged, but I got used to it and since then I feel sick when I drink milk.
I have had stomach cramps and skin issues for a long time now, and only recently did I discover that it probably has something to do with the amount of milk I drink (up to 1 L a day sometimes! :S). I’ve been lucky and found a new love for almond milk which definitely makes my life easier. I’m slowly but surely switching over to a vegetarian eating style to see if that helps also.
One glass of red will quite often help tummy problems:)
I too, have struggled with stomach issues all of my life. I chalked it up to stress & anxiety. But now I’m in a different place. My stress and anxiety is very low, so I figured it had to be some sort of food intolerance.
A few months ago I started a food journal to try to figure out what triggered my stomachaches. I discovered so far, I have issues with onions, beans, cucumbers, and anything that’s high in fiber.
I find that greasy fried foods give me indigestion… then again: I’m not a teenager anymore! lol
I’m glad the race director got back to you about that! I would have been so weirded out by that!
Hi Angela! I’m Kelsey; I’m new to your blog but I am absolutely in love with it! Is that weird? I don’t know, but seriously, it’s so awesome. Everything you make looks incredible. I’ve been experimenting with veganism for these past few months (I eat vegan 98% of the time and only have dairy occasionally. It upsets my stomach.) and your blog always gives me great ideas, so thank you. :)
I can’t wait to read more!
Kelsey
Nice to meet you! :) I am glad you enjoy the blog, thank you.
I’m a bit sensitive to fats – anything greasy really upsets my stomach, and even nuts make me slightly gurgly! That’s the only intolerance I can really think of. Oh, and dairy makes me uncomfortable sometimes :S I think dairy is a problem (of varying degrees) for a lot of people! Is it because of the lactose? I wonder why…
Wei-Wei
I’m lucky not to have any allergies, but now I have to watch my cholesterol levels a bit :S
I have a really annoying wheat intolerance – it doesn’t really affect my stomach too much but it does make my muscles so so SO painful and makes me really tired (I have a thing called Fibromyalgia and wheat makes it a gazillion times worse). I find it really frustrating because wheat is in so many things especially eating out so I have to choose between vegetarian and wheat free or vegan but with wheat… I’d love to go back to full veganess but I end up feeling so miserable and restricted without wheat that I can never manage to go the whole way.
are you sure you don’t have IBS? I found out I do and switching to a Vegan diet has helped tremendously. The hard part is the protein question for vegans (which most point to beans) and they are terribly hard on an IBS stomach… just a thought to maybe look into in the future :)
Yes my doc did mention that I could have IBS. Is there a test for it?
No test unfortunately (except to rule out other nonrelated allergies and diseases). There’s actually much skepticism about IBS, but I find that the more I understand how the ordering of foods, types of nutrients, and quality of whole foods effect my stomach, the better I am able to handle it and keep it under control. (Although I do think that doctors can abuse the diagnosis and overlook other problems– symptoms vary from digestive problems to upset stomach irritation.)
But hey, I can’t really argue with a syndrome which advocates: moderate consumption of food (aka not bingeing– especially for me in overcoming my ED), no fried and overly fatty foods, no fake sugars, etc…. I take it for the best! My body guiding me towards better nutrition and health!
Thank you for the great info! I think there is a lot of skepticism about IBS because part of the claims are that it is psychosomatic and I think a lot of people have a hard time wrapping their head about the mind body connection. Funny that you mentioned fake sugars- those gave me horrible stomach cramps. When I cut them out I was doing much better. High fat foods also do it for me. I think my doc may have been right with his assumption.
I’m intolerant to chemical preservatives, dyes, and artificial sweeteners. Although I cant pinpoint which exact ones, whenever I eat a food product that has been chemically altered my stomach blows up like a balloon – very uncomfortable.
I saw a nutritionist who said that this is becoming more common in the general population. Wether it is a result of a personal threshold for these chemicals or something genetic, she isnt certain, however people seem to be developing these over time. Maybe my college years filled with preservative-filled junk food and crystal lite did me in.
It took a few weeks of adding and subtracting foods from my diet and keeping a food/symptom journal (at the suggestion of a nutritionist) to realize that my body just likes me so much more when I eat real foods (surprise surprise). At first it was a challenge, especially when eating out. I have to be very cautious about sauces and dressings. People also dont understand and they think I’m being a food snob, but, I feel so much better on my new eating plan. If anything my diet is healthier and I’ve forced myself to be more creative in preparing my meals – fruity balsamic vinegars anyone?
Uhh, I am allergic to dairy, soy and gluten and I’m vegetarian!! It’s definitely a challenge!! Nearly impossible to eat out anywhere… oh well. Also, I’m very sensitive to sugar- even from fruits. I eat really healthy at least!!
Wow, I’ve got some catching up to do and deliveries to make! I have been so swamped with work, birthday, etc.
Your food presentation is so amazing to me. I love the pics you take of your foods because it makes them look so good!!!
OMG, do I have an intolerance to dairy and Thank God to Almond Breeze and Temp Hemp products! Lactaid doesn’t even do the trick for me. I still can’t get to the point where I can completely stop eating cheeses and yogurts and every now and then ice cream, however, cheese and yogurt don’t affect me as much as ice cream and whole milk. I become almost deathly ill, stomach cramps and the whole nine yds! I did purchase coconut milk yogurt and soy yogurt on Mon. to see how I do with those and if I like them. Haven’t tried them yet but will soon. Another intolerance or allergy I have are legumes and certain veggies, but I can just overcome that because I love any type of beans except for lima and all veggies as well.
Yes! I have fibromyalgia, vasovagal syncope, possibly epilepsy, terrible migraines & a pretty bad case of Sensory Processing Disorder. I was raised on a very processed, sugar-infused diet without knowing any better. (I actually thought I didn’t like food, because I hadn’t had REAL FOOD! lol) I had a doctor take me off gluten, dairy, red meat, white potatoes/rice, refined sugar & a good many other things…
When I’m very good on my diet… especially if i can afford to go organic for a while, my symptoms are far more manageable & my life is way more normal! It is really important!
That’s why I’m soooooo grateful for blogs like yours that are teaching me how to cook wonderful-tasting nutrient-dense type meals that often don’t include extra ingredients I can’t have! So, thank you!!!!! =)
One HUGE tip that helps me is JUICING. I even have some really healthy foods that seem to cause me trouble… like lentils & quinoa…(I know, sad, right? =/) which I can’t resist because I really do need the protein sometimes… so when I do splurge or if I go on vacation with family & end up on a terrible diet… I try to juice as soon as possible… beet/carrot/apple… Enough juice seems to get the muck out & help me get back to my life again.
I definitely think it is critical to good health to stay on the diet that suits you… As someone who will probably never live a normal life or be independent due to some of these problems… I always hope people take care of their good health & listen to their body’s signals before it’s too late to do much about it!
i actually have a crazy aversion to meat. I was medicated for IBS for soooo long and then I stopped eating meat (for other reasons) and within the month my life long condition was gone. I also am insulin resistant so pasta, potatoes and soy don’t agree with me. Just within the last 6 months or so, after 13 years of feeling great, something’s not feeling right. This led me to your site. my doctor has me doing the ellimination diet. I have already found tree nuts are NOT OK for me to eat. Dairy and seitan seem to be causing some issues. It hasn’t just been my stomach, it’s also been monthly migraines. Hopefully this can all be figured out. It has before! :-) our bodies change as we age I guess.
I am new to being a vegan. I feel like everything I have been eating has made me sooooo gassy and bloated. I’m miserable. I’ve been eating a lot of raw veggies for the health benefits. The other night I made lentil burritos, and last night I made navy bean balls (used as meatballs). I don’t eat gluten because of allergies. I don’t eat dairy for the same reason. If I’m allergic to veggies I’m screwed. Maybe I just need to cook my veggies. I am just tired of being so gassy and bloated. The main reason I chose to go Vegan was for health reasons as well as to help all my stomach issues. This is week two, and I still feel the same. I am going to the bathroom everyday…but I look like I’m 6 months pregnant. Not exactly the look I am going for in a bikini this summer UGH. HELP.