Tips for transitioning to a new diet?

[Xarata]

My food allergy (soy) has started getting a lot worse I used to just get hives ~50% of the time and I was okay with that. I made a few easy adjustments, but mostly i still ate whatever i wanted. I went about 6 months without any hives and then i went out and had a salad...with greek dressing...and it was BAD. A couple weeks after that I had a peanut butter pie and it was all downhill from there. My stomach gets SO messed up. For DAYS.

I'm starting to have to really change the way I eat which is so not fun. The positive is that things i'm not allowed to have are starting to taste bad to me (icing on cake, cheap chocolate, i never liked mayonnaise...). I'm still on a hunt for an aerosol cooking spray in stores (my job uses vegalene, but i haven't found it for purchase yet. Right now i use a pampered chef kitchen spritzer) and i did find a mayo (vegannaise) and some snack bars (ones that are mostly fruit and nuts with honey). DH does most of the grocery shopping so it is a challenge getting him to pay more attention to the labels (he keeps bringing home jars of nuts with weird ingredients). I know that playing by the rules and adjusting to the new eating habits can only be a lot healthier for me, but right now it's still hard. I miss being able to cheat without feeling nauseous.

I know a lot of you have allergies and can relate. If you have any tips for transitioning to any kind of new diet (I know Andrea eats raw, and several of you eat different ways- paleo diet, vegetarian, vegan, food allergies).

*I have had luck finding things like peanut butter and icecream without soy, and i don't eat much bread (though i love crackers darn it!) and i learned to substitute butter for shortening a long time ago, and make my own salad dressing, but it's the adjustment to denying myself things and eating healthier in general (soy is mostly in unhealthy things to begin with. lol) that i'm having trouble with. I've always been slender so I've never been on a "diet" and i'm just not used to this

[Maeva]

Hmmm...

It would help if you make your current diet more clear. You mentioned a soy allergy, but some of your symptoms are not consistent with allergies. Hives are, but digestive issues can indicate other types of intolerance. And hives can be caused by a permeable gut, which is often the result of consuming grain, legumes, seeds, and processed food.

What do you actually eat in a typical day? Or, say, three days?

[kchalbi]

We eat a primal/paleo diet due to multiple food allergies. Eventually you just get tired of feeling sick, and it gets easier to say no to things! Some people are able to jump right in and overhall their diets, but I found it much less overwhelming to change one thing at a time and see how I felt with it. Gluten went first. Felt a lot better, but still had stomach problems. Getting rid of dairy made a huge difference for me. Eventually I've come to realize that I really don't feel well when I eat corn either. If you try one thing at a time, it might be easier to tell which things you can tolerate and which you can't, and not make it so overwhelming. I definitely recommend the website marksdailyapple.com for a wealth of information and a very supportive community of people with similar situations.

[Xarata]

Maybe half of what I eat is organic. I rarely eat things that come out of box.

The hives were blatantly a soy allergy caused directly from consuming high levels of essentially pure soy- first gradually with pure soy items- soy milk (that was the catalyst at age 21), then buttery topping (which if you didn't know is hydrogenated soybean oil and flavoring. i worked at a movie theater), then store-bought icing (hydrogenated soybean oil and flavoring), so i stopped eating those things. Then it started happening with salad dressing, mayonnaise, and certain peanut butters (all with high concentrations of soy), then at an asian restaurant, then with just about anything that had soy in it (say, ice cream with pistachio paste). Worse if I had alcohol with it, worse if it was the only thing i'd eaten that day.

I only get hives on days that i eat a direct allergen (but i don't always get hives from an allergen, the rate of reaction varies based on environmental factors- like alcohol, food consumption, whether or not the soy was cooked into something or is more of an oil form, and my cycle, etc). If I eat absolutely no soy, i'm generally fine with everything else that i eat (including gluten/dairy/nuts/eggs/etc), but the nausea is also relatively new, it's only been going on for about a month. A girl a work made a peanut butter pie (with reese's peanut butter which is the worst one for me) and i had a slice. It gave me diarrhea for a couple of days and nausea for close to a week. Then I was fine until a week later, i ate a piece of going away cake (with icing on it). The reaction is pretty immediate (within about an hour) with GI problems and nausea and so far is still with things that i'm really allergic to.

On a typical day, I either don't eat breakfast or have something small (a piece of fruit, a non-soy snack bar, a small bowl of non-soy cereal with milk), lunch is usually soup (usually non-soy and non-dairy), drink is hot tea and water all day (though i do drink entirely too much fluid and am trying to cut back- by entirely to much i mean close to 200oz per day and yes that can make me gassy), dinner is generally some kind of protein/vegetable combo made at home. I occassionally eat a mini muffin, or a piece of chocolate, a mini bagel, or crackers- all small portions and all of which i'm technically allergic to. Oh, edited to add: most things that have gluten in them also have soy in them, (though lots of things that have soy in them do not have gluten in them)

[egerandi]

Sorry to hear about your issues, it's no fun! The more I cut out, the less I can eat 'normal' as the boyfriend calls it, so it's a pain.

My advice: get some very good appliances and make your own 'processed' foods. You can make your own nut butters, ice cream (based on nut milks or bananas), veganaise (I use cashews and oil for mine, no tofu). You can also incorporate more raw in your diet, even starting with green smoothies, blended salads (as cold soups), etc. A bit of cleanse could be helpful too: fresh juices and colon cleanse with clay and such. I had good results with Dr. Schulze's regimen: you need to get into the toxins your body may be holding onto, no matter how healthy you eat.

I would also recommend elimination diet. It starts you on food which is considered 'clean' into which you gradually add back the common allergens. I don't have a specific one to recommend, but you can find some info on the internet.

Good luck, and let me know if you have more questions!

[karen]

I'm sorry Sam- they hide soy in the strangest places, and I can't imagine always having to look at every single label and pray that "mono and diglycerides" isn't soy derived.

Change is tough...especially when you're used to being able to eat what you'd like most of the time. I got gestational diabetes, and can't really tolerate cow's milk at the moment and had to switch some things around- not fun.

What helped me make the transition was focusing on making sure I ate enough of the right things (protein, fiber, calcium and veggies) and I didn't feel as deprived. I also hit the international aisles at Wegmans so it felt more like an adventure to try new things instead of just taking things away.

I found Mestemacher whole grain bread, and Vegemite that I really love. Vegemite might be a good substitute for soy sauce- it kind of has the same umami thing going on- although my sense of what tastes good is really skewed at the moment (I drink lime juice- can't get enough).

It's always going to be a little frustrating, but you'll find some cool things.

[Xarata]

the ironic thing is that i'm only allergic to american soy Asian soy is almost all fermented. Fermentation is one of the only "real" ways to break down soy. Heat doesn't really work.

When you have a food allergy, your body is identifying a protein in that food as harmful. Certain processes (like fermentation) break down those proteins, so i can actually have soy sauce. I've only ever gotten hives at chinese restaurants (which use more sauces and pastes), never japanese ones.

There's actually also a strand of soy plant where the protein that most people's bodies identify as harmful has been removed from the plant, which could explain some of why sometimes i get hives and sometimes i don't (in addition to environmental factors)

I found veganaise in the organic section last week and they actually make a soy-free one. I don't really like mayonnaise but i was excited to find it anyway (big plans for some soy-free amish macaroni salad lol).

[Springfairy]

So sorry to hear about your allergy, it must be really bad to look out for soy all the time. I was wondering if you had Quorn in the US, it's a British scientist developed brand from the 70s when they were preparing for food shortages in the oil crisis and a great alternative to soy products. Can you eat/do you like seitan? I'm not a huge fan of it but it's an alternative to soy. Replacing soy milk is really easy, soak almonds in cold water overnight (makes the milk more digestible), throw away the soak water, add two-three cups of fresh water, a pinch of salt, some sweetener, maybe a bit of vanilla or cinnamon to a blender, blend and filter (you can use an old nylon stocking or gauze) and use the pulp in cakes, biscuits or soups. You can also make your own soy milk and use it to make your own tofu as you said you were ok with fermented tofu, usually Asian/Japanese supermarkets have the curding agent.

I stopped buying processed food a while ago and usually set aside an afternoon or an evening to prepare some food in advance for the week, I make a raw cake or some other raw sweet, cook lots of quinoa, dry some vegetable or fruit leather pancakes or wraps, make a big pot of soup etc, so I only have to add raw or steamed veggies and blend a quick sauce for a veggie bowl. I also started to grow a few vegetables (microgreens, salads) and some herbs in the windowsill (hopefully graduating to the garden next year). Avocados and mushrooms are great for cravings as well as roasted aioli sauce (from a whole garlic bulb).

[tardis]

Aw, I'm sorry, too, to hear about your issues. Food allergies/intolerances are incredibly frustrating to deal with. As someone who has Celiac Disease along with intolerances to dairy (casein), soy, and rice, I know what you're going through. When I was diagnosed with Celiac a few years ago, I immediately lost the big three all at the same time: gluten, dairy, and soy. The first time I went to the grocery store to buy food for my new diet, I ended up leaving in tears (without any food) because I was just so frustrated.

I'll echo the suggestions to go unprocessed. Especially in the beginning. Do as much as you can with whole foods. Proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Get your body in good shape. Sometimes with intolerances, it can take weeks for everything to right itself. While you're healing, start doing your research. I spent hours and hours and hours on the Internet, teaching myself about the differences between allergies and intolerances, learning how to identify ingredients, and figuring out how other people with these issues feed themselves. There are forums you can read to get help. Celiac.com is amazing even if you don't have gluten issues, these people have dealt with every food issue under the sun and they can teach you everything you need to know about reading food labels and navigating ingredient lists. Celiacs have to be super vigilant about everything we eat and touch so we generally know how to breakdown an ingredient list.

Then you can start looking for healthy, processed alternatives. A whole diet is always better but we sometimes need other things to fill the gaps during the day. I found a great dairy-free, soy-free coconut milk yogurt (So Delicious brand) that I eat with dark chocolate covered almonds (Blue Diamond) for breakfast every morning. Almond milk or coconut milk goes in my coffee. I like Silk brand but So Delicious is good too. Nuts (Planters brand clearly labels their packaging) can make a good snack. Larabars are amazing in a pinch and they're free of the three big allergens. And I keep a couple boxes of General Mills gluten-free cereals in the house for times when I'm in a hurry and need to grab a handful. Everything is unprocessed and prepared myself. Fruit and veggie smoothies are easy and safe. I can't speak to stuff like peanut butter and mayo because I just gave up on sandwiches. Most breads have stuff I can't eat anyway. For ice cream, So Delicious makes coconut milk ice cream that is dairy and soy free and is incredible. Very rich tasting and a little healthier than its dairy cousin. The peanut butter and chocolate kind is so good I have to limit how often I buy it. Oh, and Earth Balance makes a good dairy-free, soy-free butter that works as a great cooking oil. It melts immediately and tastes great.

The most important thing is to educate yourself. Unfortunately in this country, companies are not required to label what goes into their products. It can be rip-your-hair-out tedious. They can put minute amounts of gluten or soy in their foods without declaring as such on the label. They can use derivatives without saying exactly what it's derived from. But after awhile, you'll get good at figuring out what you're looking at and it won't be so overwhelming. (Pro tip: Kraft and all its smaller companies clearly label their packaging for all major allergens so if you're desperate for a processed food, look to them first. They'll declare it on the packaging.) You might have to call some companies and wrangle information out of them. And don't forget about the joys of shared facilities/lines in processing the foods. I've found that I'm not super sensitive to shared line stuff but I still try to avoid it as a rule. And watch out for anything else you might use: cleansers, soaps, makeup. I imagine you get most of that stuff from Karen so you should be safe there but if you ever wander into a drugstore, be careful what you're buying. I've found actual dairy in shampoos before.

Try not to get too frustrated. You WILL figure this out even if it seems overwhelming at first. And there are so, so many people out there who have to go through this. Food intolerances and allergies are exploding because of the way we've been eating in the modern world. Eventually, the companies will have to come around and throw us a bone but until then, there are oodles of resources out there to help you figure out what you can and can't eat. Before you know it, it'll be second nature and, like you said, you'll lose your taste for the things you can't eat as you develop a taste for the things you can. Just never be afraid to ask questions and seek out the help you need.

[Xarata]

UPDATE:

I had an allergic reaction every day for 2 months straight...actually i still do, but i know why...

I was on antibiotics again...and this onecaused an allergy to being cold which took me a long time to figure out. I got full body hives (we're talking face, neck, chest, torso, arms, legs, palms of my hands, soles of my feet, inside my ears full-body here) itchy as all hell and unsightly too. It took maybe 2 weeks for the worst of it to pass but i still got it in waves, in the car, shopping, at friend's houses, and especially at work- but oddly almost never at home. I went on an allergy elimination diet (pretty close to vegan for awhile) and for my 2 days off of work on that diet (about a week in), my skin was okay. I thought it was working. I will admit that my stomach felt a lot better on that diet but oh how miserable it was that first week (if you didn't know, I'm a waitress, try eliminating the main 8 allergens from your diet and then working a 13 hour day in a restaurant). Then I went back to work, and the rash came back. Every day I'd get to work and the rash would blaze bright on my arms and itch on my legs from the time i got there until i walked out the door, where it would promptly disappear in the 5 minute summer hot drive home. It took 2-3 weeks before I figured out that the rash was only appearing (with a vengeance mind you- a very very uncomfortable vengeance) when I was in heavily air conditioned environments (i don't use ac in my house), and on a whim I googled being allergic to the cold. The allergy test for that one is easy, put something frozen to your skin for ~5minutes and wait for the rash. It took maybe 5 minutes to appear after removing the frozen glass from my arm but sure enough the red dots appeared in a glass shaped band on my arm and stayed for close to an hour before my skin was warm enough for them to fade.

I did find some great brands while on that diet (like bora bora bars which are soy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. Also discovered gluten-free, soy-free Puffin rice puff cereal flavored with honey) and reminded myself that i actually really like rice cakes (my mom used to give them to us as kids). I'm pretty much back to eating the way I used to eat (almost nothing from a box unless it's allergen friendly). I did try some soy-free chocolate and some brand of raw nutrition bar. The first thing I let myself have again as i reintroduced food was peanutbutter (jif naturals is soy-free and still tastes great btw. I've been buying it for years).

My body did adapt as the weeks went on and the diet got less difficult, especially since i ate vegan the first week and got to reintroduce meat later. I do still indulge in the occassional plate of french fries, and sweet things in general are difficult to deny myself (i can deny myself the cake slathered in soy-frosting, but i really like laffy taffy). One of the great things that diet accomplished was finally getting through to DH about reading labels and what a big deal buying the wrong thing can be for me.

I also finally took the time to watch food inc and the fact that the soy industry is controlled by a single-entity monopoly (Monsanto, the makers of round-up weed killer and manufacturers of genetically-modified round-up-resistant soy bean seed) explained a lot to me. I had always assumed that soy, like every industry had at least a small handful of competitors for the industry. The knowledge that it's monopolized and i developed what is considered a kid-allergy (that most kids grow out of) in my twenties means a lot to me. I take it seriously. Having done as much research into the effects of soy on your body, the soy-movement in America is really disturbing to me. While there are still foods that i could probably be considered intolerant of (one's that give me gas and upset my stomach if i eat them in large quantities), i don't think i have any other food allergies. I still get a rash on my arms every day that i go to work, which promptly disappears when i leave the building.

I have adapted, and for the most part i'm happy with my adaptations- i love nuts, seeds, freeze-dried peaches, organic fruit rollups, and homemade salsa. though i do still make the conscience decision to cheat (usually for things that contain artificial or natural flavoring or coloring rather than pure soy items which i politely decline).

It is funny as a waitress- a waitress with a food allergy at that- the number of allergies i accommodate for people everyday and the way they address them, and how many of them talk to me like i couldn't possibly understand.