Gluten, milk, yeast and egg intolerances. Any help/advice?

[nadger]

So I've just been diagnosed with a whole raft of allergies (as detailed above) and basically I'm reeling from it all! Food is really important to me, and all I can see is that all the things I like to eat are now going to be off limits!
Does anyone have any experience/advice/recipes they would like to share with me please?
Thanks!

[battered]

Intolerances are not allergies. You can (in the vast majority of cases) still enjoy these things if you are very careful with quantities. Can you have half a pint of milk with breakfast? Perhaps not. A tablespoon of cream on a dessert? Probably yes.

Cut it all out, then reintroduce small quantities and work out your tolerances. You may find a beer is acceptable. We generally manage alcohol consumption after all.

[ClassicMercs]

Your list is somewhat longer than most - to haves one or two - you have my sympathies.

My wife has coeliac disease and there are now more and more products available in the shops with 'free from' sections expanding greatly. At the top end M&S is doing more and more - at a price. But that's the same for all - there is no 'value' section.
Not all ranges get it right - as with all brands. You will find two different bourbon biscuits (as an example) and one will be terrible.

The is the UK Ceoliac group you can join - there are local food fairs (one in York in a weeks time) - there are local Facebook groups that put out the word on where to seek the best meals out etc.

But also - you say you have all these issues - I haven't looked at your profile but assume you are in the UK - your GP could be referring you to the dietician who can help - and you can get prescriptions for some stuff (special flours for example).

And if in doubt - read all the labels. Who would think that some soft drinks (lemonade) might contain wheat !!! This labelling has again taken a step backwards in the last couple of years. Products that used to be labelled as gluten free now contain the ''may contain'' - like nuts - made in the same factory where ...... They can't be bothered so just cover themselves, but in reality most are probably OK for 99.99% of people.

[ZedLeg]

My missus is lactose intolerant. The lactofree cheeses aren't bad, they aren't like a really nice cheese but for day to day stuff it's fine they do a sort of cheddar hard cheese and a softer melty one that's sort of like mozzarella or Monterey Jack. The Pure soy spread is alright as well.

[battered]

ClassicMercs said:

but in reality most are probably OK for 99.99% of people.

As I said earlier, am imtol is not an allergy. I'm intolerant of alcohol, any more than 10 pints of ale and I'm sick and feel like death the next day. :-)

2 pints is fine though. The same will apply to glutem intol, lactose, etc.

This is not the same as manufacturers copping out by saying "made in a factory that handles..." I work in food, actually manufacturing something that is *guaranteed* free from is bloody hard work and expensive. Don't forget you have to do the whole chain for every single ingredient. Easier to just tick the "in the same factory" box.

[Murph7355]

What happens when you eat those things? What prompted the tests? (Along the lines of what battered said - there are some foods that trigger extreme dodginess in me...but am pretty sure none are fatal - thus far obviously - and I've learned to manage the situation).

[BoRED S2upid]

Next step is elmination diets one at a time to see if your more intolerant to one than the other. The tests will pick up the slightest things you may find that dairy is the big one (like me) or gluten. You may find you are fine with more of one less of the other. It's not the end of the world it could take years to nail what your actually intolerant to and what you can and can't eat.

Start with dairy there are so many alternatives on the market now it's very easy loads of different milks to have soya everything even ice cream. Cheese not so much. Eliminate dairy for a few weeks and see how you go.