Joined Feb, but just started posting...

[Pen]

Although I joined DF in Feb, I only started posting here last week, so I am still a newcomer in that respect. I became 'dairy-free' (I now use goat milk products--milk, yoghurt and cheese, but not butter as it tastes pretty bad!) in February of this year after having received the results of a hair analysis test that told me which foods I was sensitive to. I was told I have Leaky Gut Syndrome and that if I cut out the foods I am sensitive to for a year, the gut would heal. This is the list of 69 foods that I have eliminated from the diet:

Beer, Gin, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, Vodka, Wine (Red), Tea, Tea (Decaffeinated), Coffee, Coffee (Decaffeinated), Cocoa, Albumin (Cow milk protein), Butter (Cow), Casein (Cow milk), Cheese (Cow), Milk (Cow), Yogurt (Cow), Whey (Cow milk), Superheated Vegetable Fat, Onion, Apricot, Avocado, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemon, Mango, Oranges, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Plum, Strawberries, Watermelon, Coconut, Vanilla, Barley, Gluten Flour, Kamut, Malt (Barley), Oats, Rye, Spelt, Wheat (Durum), Wheat (Whole), Wheat Bran, Liquorice, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Caffeine, Chocolate, Monosodium Glutamate, Almond, Pecan, Pine Nut, Walnut (Black), Walnut (English), Cashew Nut, Peanut, Clam, Mustard Seed, Aspartame, Splenda, Sucanat (Raw Sugar), Sugar (Beet), Sugar (Cane), Sweet n Low, White Vinegar.

Surprisingly, after the first (very depressing) day, I found this major change in diet relatively easy. After being on this healthy diet for a few weeks, my skin erupted into an almost-total body rash that lasted about four weeks while my body detoxed. When it cleared, my skin was 100% better than it had ever been before; it was no longer dull and dry, and people started commenting on how wonderful my complexion was. My digestive system transformed and the chronic constipation just disappeared. My abdomen ceased gurgling, bloating and being painful. I have lost about 15 lbs. I suddenly discovered energy that I had not felt in years and for the first time in my life I had the desire to exercise. My foggy head cleared and I could think straight for the first time in years. The discovery of my food sensitivities and the changing of my diet has definitely changed my quality of life. :D

[ellsie]

Wow! What a debut! I am glad this has helped you so much. Please check out albumin though as I am sure that it is from eggs and not milk,it may not matter to your diet though. Good luck!:)

[Pen]

Hi Ellsie

When I first received my 'banned foods' list, I was a little confused as I thought that 'albumin' was egg white. I did some research and discovered there are two similar-sounding words but with different spellings. This is what my dictionary says:

Albumen: egg white.

Albumin: any class of water-soluble proteins found in egg white, milk, blood, etc.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Ellsie. Maybe my original research was incomplete as I think that as soon as I read it was 'albumen' that was egg white, I assumed (always a dangerous thing to do) that 'albumin' was okay. But reading the full definition of 'albumin' (my banned substance) I see it is present in eggs as well as milk. Strangely enough, eggs ('whole egg,' 'egg white,' and 'egg yolk') tested okay in the hair analysis, but I will get my naturopath to check again.

[matt]

great opening thread. good to have you here and feeling happy to participate. normally it's the other way around people arrive post then vanish never to return.

[cnc]

Welcome to the site.
Hope you're going to stick around and pass on information you've got and tell us more about your experiences etc...

[Lan]

Hi there.

Welcome to the site. Any new faces are welcome. If we can ever help, please do not hesitate to ask us.

Take care.

Lan. :D

[Nic]

Hi and welcome!


I'm new here myself, and trying not to be one of those who appears then disappears. There's so much useful stuff here.:)

Nic

[cnc]

Stick around we're not that scary :D

[rebecca c]

Welcome to the site - you've already passed me information I didnt know about the rice milk so I know its going to be good having you posting.:)

[Pen]

When I first went dairy-free in February, I was using rice milk. It was actually through browsing this website that I discovered rice milk was not gluten-free. That information was invaluable to me, and I thank whoever it was who posted that info.

[alexx]

Hi and welcome! :)
I too am fairly new - the Yorktest bloodtest diagnosed me as severely intolerant to dairy including goat and ewe products, and kidney beans, of all things!
So compared with a lot of people my diet is fairly simple. I too am finding I have loads more energy; before I was always so apathetic/lethargic but now I actively want to walk and/or run around. odd isn't it?

[cnc]

No, most people seem to have noticed an increase in energy. I don't suffer from the energy slump I used to have in the afternoon (I always wanted a sleep in the afternoon), but am quite awake all day now.
The more people who are posint the more information that's avaliable to us all, which can only be a good thing!

[Copper]

I have the smallest amount of lactolite milk in my coffee every day. I am still a tired person :( Maybe I have other allergies or intolerances to find. Having said that I don't sleep properly at night - I seem to wake up at least twice a night.

[alexx]

that's tough on you Copper :(
I still don't sleep all that well, but I seem to need less - I am sure I am using less energy trying to digest the indigestible, hence more energetic in the day!

[cnc]

I used to sleep really well, but am waking up several times during the night now. It might be that I've gone from 5.30 starts, to not having to be up so early, but my body hasn't quite worked it out yet.
I always sleep better if I've got some fresh air during the day.
Do you drink a lot of coffee Copper?

[Copper]

The maximum number of cups I drink in a day is 3. Is that too much do you think? I drink hot chocolate, G & B, made with water and a hint of lactolite milk. Yes it is an aquired taste. I am allergic to tea :(

[cnc]

I'm assuming thats meant to say G &B, Copper! :D Chocolate has quite a lot of caffeine in it as well, so the combination of hot chocolate (I'm assuming this is a couple a day) and the coffee, so the overall caffeine intake might not agree with your system.
I'm not really sure about the amount of caffeine you're meant to have a day, as I don't drink tea or coffee, but it might be something to consider.....

[Copper]

Yes it is G&B I have edited it twice now!!!! Mind you some of my waking up in the night is due to the "funny age" - not a lot I can do about that I think. I am not going down the HRT route and in any case I have had 6 years of this, so I must be near the end now.

[rebecca c]

I am getting very tired in the day again too Copper. I think it is because I am currently working hard fighting the pollen off. I stopped taking the steroid inhalers for a little while and my face stopped going red completely, but I've been wheezy again and had to start again. Since christmas I've had several bouts of bad tummy upsets which I think were chocolate, but cant be sure as it takes a few days to have an affect. the lack of treats available to me does get me down, but I'd rather be well than risk it.


The good thing which I think has always saved me from much worse problems is that I sleep well most of the time.

[matt]

recommendation is that if you are sensitive to caffeine then anything after midday can be detrimental to good sleep!! switch to decaff the expensive ones are just as good.

[Copper]

I slept really well last night but I am still tired. I spent 5 hours yesterday afternoon sorting out my mother's fish pond. My back is killing me now. Maybe I need a good work out daily.

[cnc]

Well manual labour/ exercise should tire you out so then you should be able to sleep better. I've been feeling a bit better since getting out on the river a few times a week again.

[matt]

got any good plants from the pond as just set up a small one in my garden! all it's got is a red water lilly.

[Copper]

The plants were left out on the side and I have to clear them up today :( I expect that they have all dried out now. She only had marigolds and iris. The water lillies went back in to her pond. My mother's pond has a large number of leeches - yuk. I might be a biologist but I just can't stand leeches.

Matt you need to put in some oxygenating plants - elodea or Canadian pond weed to you. I am sure that you know that already though. My mother has 28 fish in her pond!!! Her water was clear until we set to but I expect it is fine now. My pond is much smaller and has about 6 fish in it which explains why the water is always green. When the fish die I am not going to replace them. I can then leave the net off (cat is an expert fisher) and have the damsel flies and frogs back.

[matt]

well my pond's already had a visit from a damsel fly and a dragon fly. and as expected is beginning to go a little green, i think that's inevitable really. the only fish are minnows thta a certain little girl fished out of a local stream. keep the mosquitos down but not as much hassle as goldfish.

[Lan]

Hi Matt,

Glad to hear the pond is coming on well. When are we going to see some photos?

Lan. :bleh::bleh::bleh:

[matt]

soon. only just got the camera. so maybe today you never know.