When dairy lurks around every corner…

Who doesn’t love cheese? Not many, I’ll bet. Over the last year, my admission of following a dairy free diet is most often greeted by, “It must be so hard, there’s no way I could ever give up cheese.”

Yeah, it sucks. Thanks. But removing cheese from your diet is the least of your worries when it comes to avoiding your digestive system’s nemesis. Think skimmed milk powder…think lashings of butter…think whey concentrate and casein.

Anything that is processed; you can almost guarantee dairy will creep its way in. Common foods to watch out for include those with flavourings or sauces; processed meats (including seemingly innocent ‘plain’ meat like chicken ‘chunks’) and…sorry to say it…wine.

The best thing you can do is stick to a whole food diet and avoid eating on the go, but that’s not always possible. And let’s face it, you want a social life and the chance to treat yourself every now and then. There’s no reason why eating out should be a thing of the past.

Tip 1. Know your stuff
Don’t rely on other people’s knowledge to keep you safe – even if they work in the food industry. I’ve been caught out many times on this assumption and it’s really not worth it. Educate yourself on all the hidden sources of dairy and carry a list around with you, wherever you go. Godairyfree.org have a particularly comprehensive resource here.

You need to tell food service staff that you’re dairy intolerant from the outset, but you also need to check any potential sources of danger with them.

Don’t worry about feeling like you are stating the obvious because your health is worth more than that. It may sound over the top but even something as simple as checking staff haven’t buttered your ‘dairy free’ sandwich. Yes, from personal experience, mistakes like this do happen.

It’s also worth mentioning that gluten free bread quite often has milk powder in it, yet this doesn’t seem to be common knowledge among food service staff. Another point to check off on your list if it comes to it.

Tip 2. Simplicity is key
This is a lesson I should have learnt long ago – when you’re ordering from the menu, keep it simple. One Sunday morning, a friend and I found ourselves at a very popular cafe, waiting almost an hour to get in. Needless to say, we were famished by the time it came to ordering the food.

I can be a pig at the best of times but, with gluttony in overdrive, I decided the main dish wasn’t enough and went all out on the side order. Say hello to rookie error number 1. Whatever you do, stick to the basic offering – particularly if staff are already changing the order to accommodate your intolerance.

When my main dish came out, it became apparent that the side dish hadn’t been included with my order. So I asked for it again. And therein lies rookie error number 2. Regardless of your original request, stick to what you’re given.

In the chaos of a busy cafe, throwing in a new or non-standard request is never a good idea. It’s generally fine to request dairy free options but steer clear of going outside of the basic offering.  My side dish was rushed through as an additional order and I spent a week getting over the after effects.

Tip 3. Be aware of your surroundings
Any cafe, restaurant or bar where staff are running around like headless chickens should signal big, red alarm bells. Don’t let your hunger get the better of you and ignore all the signs.

I’ve been stung even in places that pride themselves on allergy free dining. On one cafe visit, I had personal service from the manager and hyped up promotion on their allergy free standards, yet I was still served a plate of gluten-fried potatoes.

And sometimes, people behind the scenes just don’t understand the consequences. When I sent back the poisonous potatoes my dish came out a second time, still with remnants. Rather than provide a new, clean plate, kitchen staff had scraped the offending food off in a half-arsed attempt to remedy the situation.

I’m not telling you this to scare you, but you need to have your wits about you and be hyper vigilant wherever you go.

Tip 4. Check, and check again…
As you’ve probably noticed by now, things do get missed, regardless of how reassuring the staff are.

Don’t be afraid to check every ingredient with the waiter if you need to.  While you may have ordered a sandwich without cheese, or a sauce without cream, there are many other things that you need to pick up on.

As I mentioned previously, there are the more obvious mistakes like buttered bread on your dairy free sandwich, and the less obvious like casein and skimmed milk powder creeping into your gluten free bread.

It’s taken some monumental f*** ups for me to accept I need to be embarrassingly neurotic when it comes to checking food risk. And I really do go for it.

Not once, not twice but quite often three times. First when you order; second when the waiter repeats the order and finally when your order arrives (be aware: certain friends will be cringing in the corner by this point). It sounds OCD but your gut will thank you for it.

Tip 5. Choose your drinks carefully…
If you’re trying to heal your gut then, strictly speaking, alcohol should be off limits. But, my personal opinion is that gut healing is not just about what you eat or drink. It’s about finding a way to manage your stress levels and not beating yourself up every second because you feel you have to lead a 100% virtuous life. 

I gave up alcohol completely for four months and while I still recommend you cut it out if you can, don’t judge yourself too harshly if you want to treat yourself to a drink or two in small doses.

When ordering wine, you need to make sure that you’re ordering allergy friendly brands. I was distraught to find that wine is often contaminated with dairy yet most manufacturers don’t add this to the label. ‘Criminal’, you say? I hear you.

However, all is not lost – I live by the Barnivore resource which allows you to check what is and isn’t safe. It’s not totally comprehensive but it’s a start. Particular brands to avoid include Echo Falls, Banrock Station, Hardys and Kumala. As for buying your own wine, the Co-operative is, apparently, a good brand to choose as they clearly list wines that are vegan (see their list here). 

Dine free
That’s about it – I hope this helps. Whatever you do, please don’t let the fear of standing out get in the way of putting all your safety checks into place – this has been my biggest challenge so far. Just remember to have faith in your convictions and enjoy everything the world has to offer.

 

Facing up to food intolerance

I LOVE food. I have always loved food, I think about food 24/7 and not just for nourishment. Food is so much more than nourishment; it’s so much more than survival.

Food is a science; it’s an expression of culture; it’s the glue that holds communities together. It’s an economic driver in hardship and prosperity and it’s what we spurn or turn to in times of need; it’s our comfort blanket on a cold rainy day and a social stimulant for like minded people. Food is the substance through which we nurture and heal our bodies, and it offers a creative outlet for the inner artiste.

When one is deprived of food, the implications can be far wider than a lack of sustenance or malnourishment. Having spent a lifetime of eating, sleeping and talking food, I found myself in the position, just over a year ago, of saying goodbye to some of my favourite foods after intolerance hit me.

In a world where people are becoming ever pickier about what they eat, restaurants are becoming more accommodating of special requirements. The downside is that those serving you never know whether your demands are driven by desire or need, and on entry into this world of dietary restrictions, I felt incessantly judged by all those around me.

Coming to terms with intolerance will most likely involve a process of “Why now? Why me?” You’ll find it hard to stop yourself from feeling bitter and twisted every time you’re out with friends indulging in all the things you can’t have. You’ll resent the lack of gratitude, evident from leftovers abandoned on their plate.

Perhaps, you’ll feel sorry for yourself that you’ve lost a part of your identity – previously a culinary explorer you’re now resigned to nitpicking at every dish thrown your way. And you’ll feel apologetic every time you eat out – deconstructing the menu and quibbling with the waiter.

These feelings are all normal, and they are part of the grieving process. “Grief about food?!” many will roll their eyes, but it’s more than just swapping your morning toast for scrambled eggs.

Changing your diet at the drop of a hat is no easy task, but there are a few things I discovered along the way…

Food intolerance doesn’t have to be ever-lasting
Food intolerance is quite often a sign that something is not right. This doesn’t mean it has to last forever. Your body may simply be trying to tell you that it’s not happy and it needs a break; it needs some extra love and care to get better.  During my journey, I spoke to a lot of people who had previously given up gluten due to intolerance only to reintroduce it at a later stage.

When things were at their worst for me, I seemed to develop intolerances left, right and centre. The big blow came when I had one of my favourite stand-by meals containing a healthy dose of avocado. I vividly remember laying on my bed consumed by the undulating waves of nausea and pain, thinking “Why? Of all the things you could take away from me, why my beloved avo?!”

I refused to believe it at first but after repeatedly failed attempts to nurture myself with this delicious fruit I realised it was time to let go…Now, I still have restrictions but avocado is not one of them. So remember, it’s not the be all and end all.

Reframe the problem
As with most challenges in life, it’s all about how you frame it. Looking back, I can see that these changes marked the start of a new journey for me. There have been plenty of peaks and troughs along the way, but ultimately it has been a positively life-changing experience.

At a time when all you can see are things being stripped away, you need to step back and question what else is opening up. This is your chance to learn more about yourself; find new challenges to tackle and things to enjoy.

A life lesson
In my case, there was a long period of time where I had to cut out dairy, gluten, caffeine, alcohol and sugar. I needed to see what I was reacting to, and give my gut space and time to recover.

No more glasses of wine on a sunny evening, or Saturday morning lattes the next day. For someone who saw indulgence and social togetherness go hand in hand, this whole experience made me realise that I had spent my life using consumption to try and make more of social moments – even though the magic was already there in front of me.

Simple things like going for a walk rather than sitting in a restaurant became very special. Through mindfulness practice, I learnt to appreciate simply being in the company of friends – no accessories required.

Get creative
All of that said…I will always remain a foodie at heart. Now with a slightly different approach, I decided to don my foodie hat and get creative in the kitchen.

At the time i was still struggling with fatigue so an active social life wasn’t an option. I spent days racking up the pinterest posts on healing a leaky gut and almost every day my housemate would come back from work to find me mixing up some new allergy free treat in the kitchen.

Whether it was a steaming hot bowl of nutrient dense broth or hacking away at a failed attempt for coconut courgette bread, there was always some weird and wonderful thing going on in there. It really was a time for discovery, and I constantly surprised myself with these delicious new creations.

Out the other side
So now here I am. While I’m still that person who carries their ticklist of what they can and can’t eat, I’m no stranger to interrogating the waiter and I have no qualms in doing so. I no longer feel guilty, nor am I a victim.

And neither are you. When one thing is taken, something else will appear.

We may not remember this all too often, but life is in a constant state of flux. If you look back on your life you’ll know there have been unexpected developments around every corner – some good, some not so good. Take this as just another bump in the road that may well lead on to bigger and better things.

A little bit of what you fancy…

Today’s post is inspired by an afternoon of gluttony gone mad. I’ve always loved food but I’ve always known when to stop, and I’ve never had a sweet tooth. But when things started to go wrong with my health, one of the first things I noticed was an insatiable appetite for sugar. I was a demon… fantasising about chocolate and cakes all day, every day; determined to get my sugar fix at whatever cost.

Life became a cycle of self-torture and bingeing. Binges were always followed by melancholia and resignation; once the rules were broken it was pointless stopping there so I’d set out to cram as much junk into my body as I could. Every day was a fresh start, but when things were at their worst, every day was a fail.

After one particularly impressive feat, I remember laying there in a food coma, full of self-loathing. I hated myself for this and I hated how it made me feel. Every time I ate sugar, my poor belly would bloat to new levels I didn’t think humanely possible; and in my mind I was a fat, frumpy pig.

Why am I sharing this?
This is in the past now, and I’m grateful to have experienced it as part of my journey. But for you, you may be going through this very cycle right now and I want you to know that it is okay. It is all okay – every little bit of it.

There’s absolutely no need to berate yourself. Avoiding self-judgement is hard because of the way it makes you feel and the fact that most people simply can’t understand.

When I started to realise something was wrong, no one else took it seriously. If people can’t relate to your experience, it’s hard for them to understand that it’s more than just being weak-willed. Some will believe that there’s no problem and you’re just being too hard on yourself.

On my attempt to cut out the evil sugar, friends and family would tell me to lighten up and ‘treat myself’, I even found cakes hidden in my bags from crafty friends who didn’t realise the extent of the problem at that point.

But binge-eating is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of an imbalance that needs to be fixed, and that could be psychological, physical or emotional.

By the time I officially said goodbye to sugar, I was used to the all too familiar saying ‘a little bit of what you fancy does you good’.  But for me, I couldn’t trust myself; my gut was compromised and for some reason, something inside just kept screaming out for more. So, armed with my meditation practice and some other tools, I embarked on an anti-candida/elimination diet.

That’s when the shit really hit the fan; when the true beast was unleashed. All the ailments and symptoms I’d experienced over the past months – they came back ten-fold. I later discovered this was what is known as a Herxheimer reaction.

Luckily I also had the support of my naturopath.  If I didn’t have that personal source of encouragement and reassurance I’m not sure I would have stuck to it.

Now, those nasty cravings are a thing of the past.  But don’t get me wrong, I haven’t nailed it completely. And if, God forbid, I make one little slip  into ‘processed food’ territory, whether it’s something as seemingly innocent as a Nakd bar or packet of salted nuts, I WILL go to town. Luckily I’m strong enough to avoid chocolate and refined sugar; I’m far too fearful of the consequences.

If you’re fresh onto this road you can read about the tools and techniques that got me through this tough time. It’s not smooth sailing, it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but hopefully it will help you on your way to a healthier appetite and more manageable level of hunger control.

 

Grow your gut flora

If you’re on that mind-boggling path of gut healing you’ll already know that it’s a minefield out there. A plethora of websites that give 101 reasons for why your gut is in poor health; an array of autoimmune and healing diets; all with convincing arguments of why you should follow their advice, and a vast selection of supplements, pills and potions that promise you a quick fix.

Probiotics are widely publicised in the field of gut healing. Yes they’re controversial – some people will tell you that they’re pointless; that the good guys will die before they get a chance to flourish.  But there’s no doubt that the majority of us with gut issues are in need of a more diverse or well-populated ecosystem. And there are probiotics out there that can help.

But which genus or strain of bacteria does your gut need? If you’re depleted in bifidobacteria, taking a probiotic rich in Lactobacillus is not necessarily going to help. You can find out who is living in your gut by supporting the British Gut project. For a donation of £75 they send you a sample kit which you can return, ready for a breakdown of your microbial garden.
Once you know where the problem lies, you’re better placed to decide which approach is right for you.

Feeding your garden
If you have an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria then it might be worth trying an anti-candida or Body Ecology diet. I’ve long been an advocate of GAPS, and many of you reading this will be a fan of the FODMAP diet. But it’s not a one size fits all. FODMAP and GAPS may bring many digestively challenged peeps success, but when it comes to growing our inner gardens it’s not necessarily going to work for me and it might not be right for you.

Nurturing Bifidus
If you start to explore the world of prebiotics, you’ll soon find that bifidobacteria thrive on starch resistant foods. These are foods excluded from GAPS so it certainly made me question whether I’d been starving my bifidobacteria all this time.

Bifidobacteria are known as the ‘shy’ group of bacteria. You won’t really find them in fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, so if you’re hoping to fix your problems with these sources you might want to think again. There’s no way you should exclude them from your diet because fermented foods are a must, just don’t expect them to be the answer.

Take it easy on your body
If you’re gut is really damaged you’ll also need to take baby steps. When I first started on this mission of rebuilding my gut flora, I went full steam ahead, getting through kombucha, sauerkraut and kefir like it was going out of fashion. It’s no wonder that I scored a personal best on bloating…take it slow please!

And consider your intolerances. It’s a slow and painful process but using an elimination diet to identify any intolerances is a good starting point. After an extensive period of using the elimination diet, I went for Vega testing. It really was a last resort; there’s a lot of controversy around it and I’m not entirely convinced of its reliability, but I do know people who have benefited, so it’s your call.

A new action plan

So all things considered, I’ve developed a new strategy to try and grow my precious gut flora. Who knows if it will work but if you suffer from chronic constipation or IBS-C (depleted bifidobacteria is very common in people with IBS), I’m sharing it here in case you want to test the waters too…

Lauren’s bifidus action plan…

• Take a daily probiotic proven to set up camp in the gut (I’ve chosen Symprove). My line of thinking here is that by building a strong community of good bacteria they’ll help more bifidus species to grow.
• Take a probiotic rich in bifidobacteria (I’ve chosen Optibac) ten minutes after Symprove
• Feed your bifidobacteria like a King (more on this later but notable foods include bone broth, starch resistant veg like cold potatoes, sources of fructooligosaccharides like honey and yoghurt if you can tolerate it)
• Practice mindfulness every day – this is very important! If possible, do it morning and evening. I have my iPad by my bedside with earphones so there are no excuses! As soon as I wake up, the earphones are in for ten minutes and in they go again when I get home from work!

I certainly can’t guarantee results – it’s a lucky lotto, so even if it doesn’t work for me, maybe it will work for you. One important note here – if you have any suspicion that you have a candida infection or overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, steer clear of the foods I mention above as you’ll only serve to feed the bad guys.