Advice for being yeast, egg, dairy and wheat free

Newme2014

Hi, I've spent all day googling but am just confusing myself so hoping you friendly people can throw some advice my way

A few years ago I realised I had to cut out wheat from my diet as it made me feel very ill, it was a struggle but I did it and my symptoms stopped. Couple of years later symptoms crept back and it turned out I also needed to cut out dairy (even lacto free made me ill). Had a few symptom free months. Then late last year I started getting mild symptoms but pretty much ignored it and just thought I'd maybe accidentally eaten wheat or dairy. But after a few really bad turns I'd had enough, I had no idea where to start with what to cut out next so took a York test.
It's come back to say I am showing
borderline reactions to
Acai berry, beetroot, egg white, sesame seed, wheat
Reactive to
Yeast, cows milk, rooibos, hemp

Now the wheat and the milk I'm used to and I was going to do a clean eating diet to see if that helped but apparently even some fruit and veg have yeast on them. I have no idea where to start.

Anybody in a similar situation got any ideas?

ballisticbrian

I feel for you. Gluten free alone is bad enough as it's in just about everything. I trialled that and milk free together since last August. Lost 2 stone unintentionally because I simply couldn't find anything to eat. I am now switching over to BODMAP, and have made a few mistakes, ballsed up my diet a bit here and there while travelling. Travelling is nearly impossible on the diet you mention. There's a few specific forums out there is you do some googling and some interesting youtube lectures to watch. Good luck.

Newme2014

Thanks ballistic, there's just so much conflicting info out there I'm totally Google eyed

j.e.j.

Are you basically self-diagnosing?

The prevailing scientific view is that food intolerance tests are not trustworthy.

If you're following medical advice, fine, but I wouldn't restrict the diet to the extent that you are, without seeing a doctor or registered dietician, as you could end up deficient in nutrients.

theoretica

If dairy is showing up as reactive then according to the theory of the York test you haven't managed to cut it totally out of your diet. Do you eat rooibos and hemp? How do you get on with goats milk?

Which leaves yeast, mainly. I find I too react to that - marmite and its relatives are easy to avoid, soup stock cubes and powders are evil as are some gravy ones, and a surprising number of crisp flavours get avoided. I suspect some alcoholic drinks of being too yeasty too. I find I muddle on pretty much OK with those out of my diet. I avoided dried fruit, washed berries well and cut down on sugar for a few weeks, but found no difference when I brought them back. A little commercial bread seems fine too - it has so little yeast. The wrong soup stock and I definitely know it.

theoretica

j.e.j. wrote: »

I wouldn't restrict the diet to the extent that you are, without seeing a doctor or registered dietician, as you could end up deficient in nutrients.

It is of course true that a restricted diet can lead to malnutrition, but to put it in context the country is full of people who have decided on their diets without the input of a dietician. Many of the diets have restrictions such as low fat, vegetarian or don't like greens. And very many people's diets are appallingly bad. On the other hand there are plenty of world diets without the things in Newme's list. I think that everyone should put thought into their nutrition, but it usually isn't complicated enough to require a professional and that someone who has already made a close link between their diet and their health is more, rather than less, likely to think about it.

pathtofreedom

Ask your doctor to have a referal to get allergy testing and for a dietician to go through fodmap. The fodmap diet should help figure out what you react to or not.

Depending on your symptoms it might be worth looking into mast cell actvation disorder, but that is very rare and is a different low histermine diet sometimes combined with fodmap as well.

Newme2014

Thanks, I went to my doctor with the wheat issue and was ignored. I went back about the dairy and was sent for the wrong tests. I went back again and finally got referred to a gastroenterologist who only seems interested in sending me for tests for coeliac. So yes I pretty much have been doing this by myself as I've had no choice. As for allergy testing, I don't have an allergy, I have intolerances and the only way to diagnose those is to remove them from the diet and see if the symptoms go. Having no idea where to start removing I had the York test, maybe it's not 100% reliable but it's given me a place to start. I'm moving soon so will hopefully have a more helpful Dr that will refer me to people that will actually help.

Theoretica, I've cut out all forms of dairy including goats milk as I had no idea if it was just cows milk, whole cows milk, milk protein or lactose that was the issue. Once I've stopped getting symptoms and I'm feeling better I'll try adding a few bits in

pathtofreedom

Did you have a look at fodmap? This is a diet to help you figure out intolerances in a more controlled way by restricting foods then slowing reintroducing them to see what causes the reactions. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a dietican for this.

Newme2014

Hi Path, my gp seems pretty uninterested in helping, I asked for a referral but they just seem to want to test for Coeliacs which to be honest I really don't want as I'd need to eat wheat based foods for 6 weeks before an endoscopy and the pain that wheat foods cause leaves me curled in a ball crying and unable to move after even fairly small amounts.
So until I get the new gp (fingers crossed sometime in March/April) I'm just doing this myself. Though the York test gives me 2 free nutritionist appointments so will be able to ask them for advice and help. I'll start by cutting out the listed foods and just see where that gets me.
I've not had anything with yeast in for a few days and the symptoms have already started to ease a bit. I have cheated and had a small slice of free from cake that has egg in it but couldn't face throwing everything in the bin and I just couldn't stop eating everything I enjoy in one go, I've already had to give up so much stuff my head couldn't cope so I'm just phasing it out while I get used to the new diet. By the end of the week though I should be on a clean diet.

BouncingBean

Firstly don't trust anything you find it Google. Searching Google or most other search engines will leave you misinformed and confused. There is no barrier for entry to end up in Googles search engine. Visit peer reviewed medical journals.

I'm a vegan so pretty much don't have most of the stuff you mentioned. Though I love my wheat, gluten and yeast. There are lots of gluten free, yeast free, dairy free recipes on YouTube and the like, both for meat eaters and veggies. You can still get all your vital nutrition, and thrive, on such a diet, you just need to be mindful.

I suspect your GP wants to send you for a proper medical investigation because food 'sensitivities' have become a bit of a dubious area full of pseudo science, and just plain bad science. Also some people who think they are intolerant to various foods have other things like IBS. I suspect he will want to rule these things out, hence the tests.

I suspect those 2 'free' appointments to a 'nutritionist' will end up as a hard sell. I suspect they will tell you that you have this and that wrong so you pay for more stuff. They will probably play on your misery and 'understand' your pain, and you will finally feel like you have found hope away from your suffering. They will listen to you and pay you attention - unlike your over worked, and rather perfunctory NHS doctor. It's all to make you a paying customer.

Be wary, and good luck. Hope it works out.