How serious are food intolerances?

[Junegoddess]

How bad would it be for me to go ahead and eat eggs? That's my real question, but for the sake of science, we could be more general. I'm sure it all depends on a hundred things. Like, I'm intolerant to dairy, too, but wouldn't consider chugging milk. It makes me too sick. I'm not classic Celiac, just gluten-intolerant, but once again, there's no way in Hades it's working it's way back on the menu. Especially not while pregnant.

But... eggs... it took a long time to figure out that I kinda sorta probably have a problem with eggs. It's a subtle reaction... I get a little tired sometimes... maybe some brain fog. I seem to have no trouble eating them as an ingredient, like in cookies or such, unless I have a LOT of cookies over several days, but then again... who knows if it's the eggs I'm reacting to there? Maybe it's the sugar? It's such a guessing game.

I'm pregnant. Eggs have good stuff in them. I NEED protein, especially for breakfast. I can't have coconut, either, although that's another vague one for me that always has me wondering... so that rules out coconut muffins. I desperately need to eat fewer carbs- my blood sugars are inching up into danger zones. An omelet for breakfast would be marvelous.

But at what price? Would it hurt the baby? Would it raise my inflammation level? Would it possibly somehow trigger auto-immune trouble? I am not allergic to eggs, just intolerant. How serious is that?

Maybe if I just ate them twice a week or so? There aren't many other good sources for choline....

Gluten, dairy, and soy are such big reactions for me, so I don't waste any time wondering. (Well, I still waste some time pining for dairy, but I'm pretty sure it's hopeless.) Eggs (and coconut) aren't so convincing. I just don't know. I'm hoping someone here does.

[PaulaJoAnne]

I guess it would depend on why you are intolerent of eggs.
Take my aunt for example. She cannot eat eggs unless the chickens have been fed a soy free diet.
Add to that the possibility of it being the whites that are causing the problem.
Those have enzyme inhibitors in them.

You can get tested to see if you are allergic to say, and you could also skin test an egg white to see what happens, rather then ingesting one. Personally, I am banking on the soy in the eggs as being the issue.

ETA: Since you say that you are only intolerant of dairy, have you tried just eating butter and cream? No lactose in those.
What about raw milk?

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by PaulaJoAnne

I guess it would depend on why you are intolerent of eggs.
Take my aunt for example. She cannot eat eggs unless the chickens have been fed a soy free diet.
Add to that the possibility of it being the whites that are causing the problem.
Those have enzyme inhibitors in them.

You can get tested to see if you are allergic to say, and you could also skin test an egg white to see what happens, rather then ingesting one. Personally, I am banking on the soy in the eggs as being the issue.

ETA: Since you say that you are only intolerant of dairy, have you tried just eating butter and cream? No lactose in those.
What about raw milk?

oh that's a very good point!!

[Junegoddess]

Originally Posted by PaulaJoAnne

Personally, I am banking on the soy in the eggs as being the issue.

ETA: Since you say that you are only intolerant of dairy, have you tried just eating butter and cream? No lactose in those.
What about raw milk?

Well, I tried eggs from all sorts of different sources. I never interviewed the farmers to find out if they were soy-free, but I had backyard eggs from free range chickens. I even tried duck and goose eggs. Seemed to react to all of them. I tried just yolks, reacted to those too, it seemed.

And butter seems to be fine, but not cream or raw milk. Not even raw goat milk.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by PaulaJoAnne

ETA: Since you say that you are only intolerant of dairy, have you tried just eating butter and cream? No lactose in those.
What about raw milk?

A dairy intolerance has absolutely nothing to do with lactose- and butter, cream, or raw milk are NOT ok to eat with a dairy allergy/intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a completely different issue. (Sorry if I'm short, but I see that suggested ALL.THE.TIME in this forum for people with dairy allergies, and it's really frustrating.) Some people with intolerances may be able to handle those things in small amounts, but that certainly is not the norm and I wouldn't suggest it for reasons listed below.

I do agree about the chicken's diet thought. Except that it is near impossible to find 100% pastured chicken eggs. Seriously- I've looked and looked. All the farmer's I've talked to feed at least some grain to supplement, and I haven't found one yet that doesn't include some corn and soy (DD is intolerant of both.)




It's a hard call. Few things I've learned:
- Eating your trigger will cause inflammation in your body, even if you don't see it.
- The inflammation will cause irritation/damage to your gut- this really is the biggest problem if you're pregnant. If your gut is leaky, then proteins from what you're eating are going directly into your bloodstream rather than being filtered out. That means they're going directly to your growing babe, which could cause it to become sensitized to foods as well. For that reason, I would recommend avoiding all trigger foods AND working hard at gut healing during pregnancy. You have a much better chance of your LO not having food allergies that way.

On the other hand- nutrition is very important during pregnancy. So if you can't find a way to replace those nutrients, then maybe eating them occasionally will be important to you.

[crunchy_mama]

I am the same w/ eggs myself. I have never confirmed anything via testing and only have some suspicions some times. It is my understanding that even w/ backyard chickens they will have soy in the feed unless they are personally mixing the feed. It is weird my egg issue is just as you describe it sometimes seems to make me tired. But I also have to wonder if it is a blood sugar sometimes as it seems if it is eggs and meat it is less of a concern as it only seems sometimes that I have to watch that I am intaking plenty of protein at the same time. I know eggs have protein but generally I need meat. I have had some dairy myself lately as my nursling just weaned but keeping it to low lactose items as I have always believed my issue was lactose although it certainly is NOT the case with the kids they have a casein intolerance. I have never noticed a huge dairy reaction but some yeast issues, but I am not certain that it is just dairy's general yeast issues or my own problem. I am just winging things though here.

[mama2leila]

Maybe this seems silly, but how about getting out of "regular breakfast ideas" (which could include bacon and sausage: if non-confined, and humanely raised and fed can be a fine source of morning protein), and having bone broth soups, meat, fish for breakfast? I wouldn't eat foods you have intolerances too because of the risk of giving your child your sensitivites.

[PaulaJoAnne]

[QUOTE=changingseasons;13838811]A dairy intolerance has absolutely nothing to do with lactose- and butter, cream, or raw milk are NOT ok to eat with a dairy allergy/intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a completely different issue. QUOTE]

Well, my father has a severe milk allergy, be it raw or not, and he can eat all the butter and cream that he wants, as well as lactose free cheese.
That is why I suggest at least checking it out.

We also have a number of farmers in our area that do not feed soy in any form to the chickens. I realize it may not be something that has panned out for you, but it does not hold true for everyone.

[Junegoddess]

I will ask around for some local soy-free eggs. Heck, I could offer to pay a ridiculous amount for them, if they end up working for me. It'd be worth it. I can't have my own chickens... yet... but if someone else would feed theirs soy-free for me....

Soy is such an irritating allergy. Of all the things I'm allergic to, it's the most-annoying, because it hides everywhere. And, from what I've read, it's rather unusual to be allergic to the oil from an allergen... it's usually the protein that causes problems. My daughter is allergic to peanuts, but is ok with peanut oil. I'm allergic to coconut, but am ok with coconut oil. I'm allergic to soy, and soybean oil makes me sick as a dog. That's weird. I'm ok with that... I don't *want* to eat soybean oil, but.. it's still weird.

So I could totally see how soy in chicken feed could get me. The stuff is insidious. How long would a chicken need to be soy-free before their eggs would be ok, I wonder?

I don't want my gut leaking while pregnant. I never had the chance to get tested, to see if I was all healed up or not. Is that a test that is still accurate while pregnant? I was also hoping for some adrenal and thyroid testing before I got knocked up... but... whoopsie.

[nicolelynn]

I tested a 4 out of 5 reaction to eggs on a IgG blood test, but I do not react at ALL to them in real life. I took them out of my diet and felt no better. I added them back and felt no worse. Infact, I have MORE energy now.

There are a LOT of ideas out there about food sensitivities/leaky gut. My head is still swimming from it all. I am leaning towards the idea that IgG blood tests are not all that useful, elimination/challenges are much more accurate. You need to listen to your own body and gut so to speak. I decided for me eggs are fine. Each person is different though as to what foods are healing or harmful to them.

[MamaMamaMama!]

What about quail eggs, have you considered trying those?

[Junegoddess]

Originally Posted by MamaMamaMama!

What about quail eggs, have you considered trying those?

I don't think I have a source for quail eggs. I haven't ever tried them.

Nicolelynn- I didn't get any kind of testing done. I just wondered why I was having my usual food reaction symptoms every now and then, and last summer I was pretty sure I'd narrowed it down to eggs. I tried a few different sources before I declared myself allergic to all chicken eggs. Then I tried duck and goose, after about 6 months off eggs, and seemed to react to them, too.

It such a gray area, though... if I turned bright purple or got hit with diarrhea or my whole head stuffed up with snot or... broke out in hives. That would be a clear message. "No eggs for you, missy." But my symptoms are brain fog, tiredness, crankiness.. so vague. And I get them from other things still, without ever managing to narrow it down to a specific food!! So, I'm avoiding healthful eggs, but eating something else that apparently I shouldn't.

After I'd been off coconut for a year I decided to retest myself. Munched some plain ol' dried coconut flakes. From Tropical Traditions, no less, so... good stuff. No reaction. Munched some more. No reaction. Ate some cookies my mom made with coconut flour. Big obvious brain fog. So, I decided to stay off coconut again until I felt good and normal long enough that I felt I could test again. Really seems it wasn't the coconut... or maybe not coconut by it's self. Like... I'm allergic to coconut + sugar?? I don't know. :

[kjbrown92]

Are you still keeping a food journal? It sounds like it would be a great idea for you.

On the allergy forum someone was just talking about being okay with some coconut products, but not others. Not sure the mechanics of that one.

I'd say if you want to do an egg trial again, and note any changes. If you don't feel different, then maybe you have healed enough that you can have them again. I also recommend doing some other breakfast meats for a good protein. Buckwheat is also a protein (hot buckwheat cereal or granola). I've made myself a hot cup of bone broth for breakfast too. Heck, I've even had sauerkraut for breakfast. So don't hold yourself to "standard" breakfasts.

Food elimination/challenge is the gold standard for food intolerance testing (and even food allergy testing). None of the tests are 100% accurate, unfortunately.

[Junegoddess]

Now I'm craving milk!! Waaaaaaaahhh!!

I really really want to guzzle a big glass of cold milk.

Even before I fully realized that I'm allergic/intolerant of dairy, I generally didn't drink milk because it made me feel sick. I'd eat cheese and other dairy products, because those didn't make me feel as bad (and no, it wasn't just a lactose thing), but not milk. Well, when I was pregnant with my last son, I got my hands on raw milk for the first time... and drank it by the quart with no obvious effects. The moment he was born, however, I could no longer tolerate the milk. (I had my dh sneak me some milk in the hospital, thinking it'd be really good for me... made me sick and snotty.) I have no idea why I had some sort of magical pregnancy grace on my food allergy, but that's the way it seemed.

I wonder if maybe I'm lucky again?? I just don't want to spend the rest of the day feeling icky... but cravings often mean something, don't they?

I ought to be getting plenty of calcium. I was given a prescription for Caltrate D, because I'm on heparin, plus I eat almonds and chicken broth and even drink mineral water. So I don't think my body is screaming for calcium. But it IS screaming for milk.

[crunchy_mama]

Junegoddess- I have had HELLACIOUS dairy cravings since being pregnant. Like your going to gnaw your arm off have to have it. I trialed it a bit back but it was a bad trial as dh got me some yucky store yogurt w/ all kinds of nasty. I have been trying again w/ no ill effect and Lily has weaned so I don't have to worry about her. I never drank milk either, but I saw choco milk in the store yesterday and I had to restrain. I have always stuck to things like yogurt and cheese, I feel it was more of a lactose issue.

I was actually going to ressurrect the thread as I was wondering about the proteins passing- I was thinking that this was more of a concern in the 3rd trimester- It doesn't seem there is a lot of info on this though.

So- I am having my yogurt and keifir , butter and cheese currently. I am thinking I will be trying to get some raw milk to make my own yogurt again. I want to trial some raw milk w/ the kids as well as they have been off for a while now again.

Anyway, rambling now- but you know what else I have noticed? I am actually feeling more full more easily and a lot more satisfied these days and feeling the need to eat less in a good way.

[crunchy_mama]

I had a few more thoughts as well. We know that cravings can be bad-ie people going off caffeine and sugar have crazy cravings- which we know doesn;t mean they need it. But also lots of prego veg's crave meat and I don't think that is accidental.

So- anyway- I am continuing to eat some dairy as I said I am not having any symptoms- of course I know they could show up still. I will reconsider at the 3rd trimester. And continue to keep an eye on my body!

[Junegoddess]

Ok, well... dinner is easy tonight, so if I'm half brain-dead from milk, I'll probably be able to either foist it off on dh or handle it myself...

I'm seriously considering testing out a small (I'll try to keep it small) glass of raw goat milk.

I also have raw cow cream... which would, theoretically, have less of the offending proteins in it. And also sounds really freakin' good.

Maybe the first step should be the cream.

And of course I'll cross my fingers and toes. Eating reasonably-low-carb would be much easier with milk products...

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by Junegoddess

I'm seriously considering testing out a small (I'll try to keep it small) glass of raw goat milk.

I also have raw cow cream... which would, theoretically, have less of the offending proteins in it. And also sounds really freakin' good.

Maybe the first step should be the cream.

If you do try the dairy, drink it at room temperature, the proteins are much easier to digest than straight from the fridge.