New member

[pauline a]

Hi everyone Iv'e just been told I have to go on dairy & gluten free diet I have been going to hospital for twoand half years to get this far. On the 6/11/03 Iwas told Ineeded the diet and would be refered to dietican in two weeks.After waiting 3 weeks I made enquiries to be told there is a waiting list of 12 weeks which I was put on 1/12/03. I have now deceiced I can't wait any longer so will be trying to go it alone from 1/1/04 will keep you updated on my progress :thumbsup:

[Pam]

Hi Pauline

Welcome to the site and good luck with your new diet. Hopefully the improvements in your health with make all the hard work worthwhile. I don't know much about gluten free living as I only have to deal with dairy free. It is a learning curve which seems like a very steep one to start with and you will find that shopping and planning meals takes so much longer as you stand and read all the labels. It does get easier in time though and you will learn to be a much more inventive cook.

Waiting for an appointment to come through is really frustrating and you don't always get all the answers when you get there. I wasn't really impressed with our dietician but she did at least give me a list of all the things to avoid. I have found the internet and support groups like this much more valuable. Feel free to ask any questions.

Pam

[Lan]

Hi there all,

Hello Pauline and welcome to the site. I hope that you find us useful. I know how hard it can be waiting for appointments etcetera. I agree with Pam in that I found more information by myself, than off the dietician.

It took me 2 years to get diagnosed as no-one would believe me, and then 4 years with a dietician who I only saw for 2 of those 4 years.

Your best bet for information is to use sites like this on the internet, you could also try contacting Allergy UK and the suppliers on this website.

If you would like to send a personal message to me then please feel free, but please note that I to am only dairy free.

I have noted that most allergy free foods i.e from Tescos/Sainsburys/Health Food Shops are gluten dairy and wheat free all in one. They seem to do it this way, but please always check ingredients before buying and consuming.

Kind Regards and Good Luck,


Lan
(Website Owner) :D

[pauline a]

Hi Lan & Pam Thanks for your welcome I have just done my first diet day, and today I went shopping as you say it is a nightmare but I am now stocked up for the following week. The gluten free diet isn't to bad but with the dairyfree combined does seem hard to cope with, but I will get there its got to be easyier than coping with all the symptoms like you Lan I have found people don't believe there is any thing wrong even Doctors my first Doctor kept telling me it was stress!! But i am now under two consutants that are really concerned and are there for me at last. Will keep you posted , and Happy New Year to everyone.

[astra]

hi pam :)

wooo my first post on here! i'll do a new post in a sec to explain what i'm all about! lolz.

i read your post, and thought i'd let you know that my sis in law is going through the same as you - has been told that she is lactose intolerant - so hence she is now on dairy free (unfortunately she doesn't get on very well with soya products either, but can take them in very small amounts) she's taken forgranted that this means egg free too, will chat to her about that again as soon as i can, as although i am a vegan and would count eggs as classed as 'dairy', from what i have read of intolerance and allergies over the last week or so (am sure i've got enough info for a book!!) eggs don't seem to be counted as dairy, so a grey area. am sure she'd get on a lot easier if she could eat eggs, even if only in small amounts as part of the ingredients to something. i know that that is my main problem as a vegan - finding stuff that has no egg or egg white in it >.< (she is also deadly allergic to pork - so her food choices are limited even more!)

anyway. if you would like to send me ur email via a pm, i spent hours yesterday finding recipes for her, mainly for bread, cookies and cakes etc as this is what she is missing most, i'd be happy to pass them on to you too :) (and anyone else that might be interested) i also have a list of websites that i need to re-check and tidy up, when i have done that i'll post them on a new thread here :) at least my hours of work can help someone other than my relative :)

good luck with the new lifestyle, and remember it is only as complicated as you make it, there are plenty of good fresh foods out there, it is only when we get on to the convenience and packaged foods that we run into trouble!

soya milk really does take some getting used to, i wouldn't be without it now, having tried all the brands tho, am happy buying the cheapest! usually 65p a litre, and i make sure that i use a litre to myself in a week, i also use the strawberry and chocolate flavoured ones for a change :)

soya milk and coffee don't seem to mix.. i managed to work out a nifty trick to get the two to mix, and my sis in law ended up doing a demonstration at an alpro demonstration weekend last week!! basically, make coffee in one cup.. soya milk goes in another, pour coffee from it's cup into the soya one. something to do with the temperature difference, anyway.. try it! it works!! am now able to enjoy coffee with 'milk' again after going *months* without!! some teas need this treatment too, dunno why, but the 'cheaper' own supermarket brands seem to be fine, and never curdle (unless starting to go off!!!!) :D

chocolate substitute.. good old fashioned cocoa!! great for flavouring cakes etc with for that all important fix! someone here mentioned dark chocolate.. mmmm has always been my favourite anyway! and for your information.. after eights are totally vegan!! *drool*

eek and did you know that gravy granules and stock cubes have wheat in them? only the knorr brands are wheat free (as far as i know)