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#1
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Food is becoming like a *major* crisis for me.
Background: I have a ton of allergies, including allergies to dairy, peanut, lobster, hazelnuts, strawberries and probably a couple other things i'm not thinking of right at the moment. When I was pg with dd, I was vegetarian and most of my protein came from milk, macaroni and cheese (with extra cheese and tuna (my one concession, before we knew about tuna) for protein) eggs and soy. That was before I knew about my milk allergy. My daughter was born, and reacted on her first exposures to soy, egg and dairy at 10 months, 1 year and 2 years respectively. She developed her peanut allergy at age 6. I am *sure* that the first three allergies were developed either in-utero or during my breastfeeding time. I am no longer vegetarian. But I'm finding that I have no "default" foods that are easy to prepare. The one I thought might work, whole grain cereal with rice milk, bounced almost immediately the first time I tried it. Because of dd's allergies, I'm trying to limit soy and eggs. But I'm having morning sickness... not as bad as with her, because I'm eating more consistently (I was dead broke then and just could not afford enough food during the first couple months of pg until I got WIC and food stamps), but it's even harder because the "easy" default protein foods (piece of cheese, glass of milk) are off limits, and the soy substitutes are not a good option for every day. Morning sickness feels better quickly if I have a hard candy or something sugarry, but comes back rebounded. If I have protien, I don't feel better as fast, but can maintain longer. The things that are staying down best and longest are frighteningly bad for me. Things like fried chicken and canned tamales. Oh, and I've had the damndest craving for Thom Ka Gai soup...canned, restaurant, doesn't matter. Expensive.... And while I don't mind living on Altoid Sours while I drive across town, I cannot and will not live on sugar all day long just to keep from throwing up. Weird things make me feel less queasy. Sex for one, go figure... Not moving (which is why the sex thing surprised me) seems to help--as long as I'm lying down, I'm pretty much okay. Humming or singing stops the gags instantly, but I can't keep it up for long. I had this great idea that I'd have a wonderful diet during pregnancy and was really on track, having old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast with flax and berries, protein and whole grain bread for lunch, salmon a couple times a week, etc... but that's gone out the window since oatmeal, one of my favorite foods, now makes me gag. Wah. And my tolerance for raw vegetables is much less, and fruit has to be perfect--if it's at all meally it makes me gag and if it's not ripe it makes me gassy. My daughter is making me an egg every morning right now, but even she is saying, "Mom, you can't do this the whole pregnancy"... I feel like I can probably get away with having eggs for the next couple months but I don't know what the heck I'm going to do then! Normally I'm fine with the whole allergy thing... but this is really throwing me for a loop because I can't eat my "default" foods. Right now, what sounds really good is some creamy macaroni and cheese with extra cheese. But I *really* cannot eat dairy, period. And noodles have not been sitting very well. I can't put food next to my bed--it draws ants, and the best thing would be protien and none of the protein foods I can eat can be at room temperature overnight. Today even a chicken leg turned out inedible and I had to give it to my husband. I don't even know why. I broke down tonight and got some soymilk and tofu pate just because they are easy to eat and sit pretty well...but I really do not want to be doing a large quanitity of soy. Argh! This pregnancy is going to end up being very expensive if my "default" foods end up being natural chicken sausages and Thom Ka Gai.... Tasty, but *expensive*. The worst thing... my dad, my sister and I are all excellent cooks, but my dad's remodelling his kitchen and my sister is getting married in less than two months and my house is not air conditioned, so no one wants to cook *anywhere*. Wah. I know what I'm generally *supposed* to be eating... but my pregnant brain is flat out refusing to translate that into practical edible food. I think what I really want is something I can freeze into serving-sizes and prepare in the microwave. We did this with cookie dough (healthy, right? I used non-hydrogenated shortening and organic evaporated cane juice and whole wheat and it's healthy, right???? G) and those have been actually really easy to prepare, but I think I'd like something with more substance and less sugar, because sugar is *really* starting to send me for a loop... I react *very* quickly--nausea goes away, blood sugar spikes, blood sugar crashes, nausea comes back redoubled.... In my normal existance, sugar is NOT a major part of the equation. I'd say my sugar consumption has tripled since I got pg though. Ideas? Jenrose |
#2
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Are you on B6? I know going on it helped me with the nausea some, so I could
get some food down and keep it down. Eating about 8 times a day also helped, a little at a time. So did (worst case scenerio) phenergan, but I almost never took it because I can't believe that something which knocks me almost unconcious at the lowest dosage doesn't also drug the baby! As far as specific foods, maybe your midwife has some suggestions? Mine suggested liquid protein supplements early on, since I was having trouble eating most protein (the smell while cooking seemed to do me in), but I think they tend to be dairy based. I hope you find something soon. For me, things got better at about 12 weeks, but that first few months was horrible. |
#3
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
"Jenrose" wrote in message news Food is becoming like a *major* crisis for me. Background: I have a ton of allergies, including allergies to dairy, peanut, lobster, hazelnuts, strawberries and probably a couple other things i'm not thinking of right at the moment. snip Ideas? A couple of months after my daughter was born, she started to react to foods in my diet, so I ended up doing a really extensive elimination diet, so I have a pretty good idea of what you are going through. Some of the snacks that I have found quick and easy a seed butters (sesame seed, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed) on rice cakes or whole wheat bread hummus with crackers or on rice cakes sliced meat from last night's dinner avocado on rice cakes fruit smoothies - banana, pear, peach, berries, or any combination of fruit that you like, flax seed oil, rice milk - blend. This hides the nasty rice milk taste and you can get an entire day's worth of fruit into one smoothie. If you want it creamier, freeze the banana first. trail mix - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, prunes puffed millet cereal with rice milk, maple syrup and berries - millet is much higher in protein than most grains A good book that you might want to look at is "Freedom from Allergy Cookbook" by Ronald Greenburg, MD and Angela Nori. They have some recipes, but the more useful part of the book is the section on how to prevent allergies. In the 4th Edition, they even have a section on pregnancy and how to try to avoid allergies from developing for the baby. One of the things they suggest is a rotation diet. You eat a great variety of foods, but within a 4 day rotation cycle, so you aren't dependent on any one food or food family. And a website that I really like is http://www.foodyoucaneat.com/ There are lots of recipes there that are submitted by allergy sufferers. It is another good place to get ideas from. When you sign up, you put in all your allergies, then when you search the recipes, all the ones containing your allergens are filtered out automatically. Anyway, I hope it gets better for you. The worst thing is feeling hungry and not knowing what you can eat! Stacey |
#4
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Jenrose wrote:
I broke down tonight and got some soymilk and tofu pate just because they are easy to eat and sit pretty well...but I really do not want to be doing a large quanitity of soy. Tofu is made differently from things like soy nuggets (and they use different parts of the bean, too). Maybe that will make you feel better, but I wouldn't know. If tofu works for you, I would eat more of it. Personally, I loooooooove tofu. :-) I especially love it fried. mmmmmmm Can you try fruits and veggies with more protein or fat content? I'm thinking of things like avocadoes, which are very filling. Are you allergic to coconut? It's the fattiest naturally occuring thing on the planet. Although protein is better than fat, fat will do if you can't get something with lots of protein. (also, you do need a certain amount of fat in the diet, although not a lot) Argh! This pregnancy is going to end up being very expensive if my "default" foods end up being natural chicken sausages and Thom Ka Gai.... Tasty, but *expensive*. The worst thing... my dad, my sister and I are all excellent cooks, but my dad's remodelling his kitchen and my sister is getting married in less than two months and my house is not air conditioned, so no one wants to cook *anywhere*. Wah. I know what I'm generally *supposed* to be eating... but my pregnant brain is flat out refusing to translate that into practical edible food. I think what I really want is something I can freeze into serving-sizes and prepare in the microwave. We did this with cookie dough (healthy, right? I used non-hydrogenated shortening and organic evaporated cane juice and whole wheat and it's healthy, right???? G) and those have been actually really easy to prepare, but I think I'd like something with more substance and less sugar, because sugar is *really* starting to send me for a loop... I react *very* quickly--nausea goes away, blood sugar spikes, blood sugar crashes, nausea comes back redoubled.... In my normal existance, sugar is NOT a major part of the equation. I'd say my sugar consumption has tripled since I got pg though. Ideas? I hate to tell you this, but the best food for me when I had nausea (that was all I got for M/S) was french fries. A few mouthfuls of fries (didn't even require a full order, so I would go and get a kid's size order, or just cook a few in the oven) in the morning and I would be cured for the day. Foods high in starch really helped me a lot, so noodles and rice were also in. I know that you weren't getting a good result with noodles, though. Maybe try rice dishes? |
#5
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Jenrose wrote:
My daughter is making me an egg every morning right now, but even she is saying, "Mom, you can't do this the whole pregnancy"... I feel like I can probably get away with having eggs for the next couple months but I don't know what the heck I'm going to do then! I could eat eggs every day for years ;-) Other things that might work for you that I love.... Soups. I love soup! Beef barley, chicken noodle, potato (you could make it in chicken broth instead of milk), bean soup. All favorites of mine. Chili if you like spicy. I actually cut up hot peppers in bean soup and it is great. Soups are pretty easy to freeze. Spaghetti is good and easy to freeze. Since noodles are iffy you might not like that suggestion! Rice - can't hardly make rice I don't like ;-D. Chinese is good but I'm not sure if there are things in it you can't have. Chicken and rice, Hamburger and rice. Add veggies, peppers, onions, herbs and spices to taste. Beans of all varieties. If you need food near your bed you could put some deli meat sandwiches with 12 grain bread in a cooler next to your bed. Turkey breast is a good protein source. If you use those refreezable things and don't open it until you need it, the cooler will keep them overnight I think. Or freeze milk jugs with water - they last forever and you have an ice cold drink as they thaw ;-) I think Tuna and Salmon have a lot of protein. You could buy the tuna in a bag and keep in next to your bed. It doesn't need to be rinsed and you could open and eat with crackers. I think the mercury is a concern so it still has to be limited. The unopened Tuna is no concern and I'd put the crackers in a zip lock to prevent ants. How about those energy bars? I don't know much about them but I know they have protein and I'm sure they have sugar so they might work well for the nausea. Personally, I didn't care what I ate as long as it settled the nausea. I should have bought stock in snickers, hee. I also had to eat very frequently or I'd get to nauseous to eat. Good luck and hopefully you'll soon enter a blissful second trimester where everything under the sun seems like something that should be eaten! -- Nikki |
#6
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Jenrose wrote:
This pregnancy is going to end up being very expensive if my "default" foods end up being natural chicken sausages and Thom Ka Gai.... Tasty, but *expensive*. Tom Ka Gai is the one with coconut milk, right? I've made homemade, and it comes out pretty darn good, and not expensive. Phoebe |
#7
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
"Donna Metler" wrote in message .. . Are you on B6? I know going on it helped me with the nausea some, so I could get some food down and keep it down. Eating about 8 times a day also helped, a little at a time. So did (worst case scenerio) phenergan, but I almost never took it because I can't believe that something which knocks me almost unconcious at the lowest dosage doesn't also drug the baby! I do take a b-complex and eat at least 8 times per day. Wouldn't take a drug for it--I'm not throwing up that much. As far as specific foods, maybe your midwife has some suggestions? Mine suggested liquid protein supplements early on, since I was having trouble eating most protein (the smell while cooking seemed to do me in), but I think they tend to be dairy based. I can eat protein, I just can't cook it. Fortunately, we've got a lot of other people who can cook it... I hope you find something soon. For me, things got better at about 12 weeks, but that first few months was horrible. With dd, it didn't get better until close to 20 weeks. Jenrose |
#8
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
"Nikki" wrote in message ... Jenrose wrote: My daughter is making me an egg every morning right now, but even she is saying, "Mom, you can't do this the whole pregnancy"... I feel like I can probably get away with having eggs for the next couple months but I don't know what the heck I'm going to do then! I could eat eggs every day for years ;-) Other things that might work for you that I love.... Soups. I love soup! Beef barley, chicken noodle, potato (you could make it in chicken broth instead of milk), bean soup. All favorites of mine. Chili if you like spicy. I actually cut up hot peppers in bean soup and it is great. Soups are pretty easy to freeze. One of my favorite non-pregnant things is lentil soup. But I *cannot* eat it while pg. Dunno why--but it bounces almost instantly *and* gives me heartburn. So sad. Chicken noodle sounds really good actually. Spaghetti is good and easy to freeze. Since noodles are iffy you might not like that suggestion! I did make a big pot of whole wheat spag a week ago--that was pretty good. Rice - can't hardly make rice I don't like ;-D. Chinese is good but I'm not sure if there are things in it you can't have. Chicken and rice, Hamburger and rice. Add veggies, peppers, onions, herbs and spices to taste. Beans of all varieties. If you need food near your bed you could put some deli meat sandwiches with 12 grain bread in a cooler next to your bed. Finding affordable nitrite-free deli meats is just about impossible for me... Turkey breast is a good protein source. I *really* want to see if I can get an organic turkey and freeze it in parts. If you use those refreezable things and don't open it until you need it, the cooler will keep them overnight I think. Or freeze milk jugs with water - they last forever and you have an ice cold drink as they thaw ;-) We actually have a plug-in cooler... hmmmm... I think Tuna and Salmon have a lot of protein. You could buy the tuna in a bag and keep in next to your bed. \ Can't eat that much tuna pg. Salmon..yes..but can't afford it bagged. We get canned for $1 for 16 oz though. dd eats half. It doesn't need to be rinsed and you could open and eat with crackers. I think the mercury is a concern so it still has to be limited. The unopened Tuna is no concern and I'd put the crackers in a zip lock to prevent ants. Fish stuff--I can eat it, but I have to be up enough to get the can/bag/whatever out of the house promptly afterwards or the smell gets me. How about those energy bars? I don't know much about them but I know they have protein and I'm sure they have sugar so they might work well for the nausea. Personally, I didn't care what I ate as long as it settled the nausea. I should have bought stock in snickers, hee. I also had to eat very frequently or I'd get to nauseous to eat. Most energy bars are dairy or soy or peanut or all of the above. And high in sugar... if I wanted to eat sugar, I'd just live on the cookie dough in my freezer..g Good luck and hopefully you'll soon enter a blissful second trimester where everything under the sun seems like something that should be eaten! lol! I can't wait... Jenrose |
#9
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message ... Jenrose wrote: This pregnancy is going to end up being very expensive if my "default" foods end up being natural chicken sausages and Thom Ka Gai.... Tasty, but *expensive*. Tom Ka Gai is the one with coconut milk, right? I've made homemade, and it comes out pretty darn good, and not expensive. The last time I made it at home, it cost me like $30 for the ingredients...now I did end up making three times as much as the restaurant stuff at $10 per pot, but still... it was good, but not so good that I'd rather it than have someone else make it! I think it's the galangal root, lime leaves, lemongrass and fish stuff that really pushed the cost up. Jenrose |
#10
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allergy food crisis... wah! help!
Nikki wrote:
How about those energy bars? I don't know much about them but I know they I got hooked on energy bars for a while, and I found that they eventually got really hard on the stomach. Just personal experience, though. Also, they killed my jaw. :-( Some of them are really tough to chew. Some are nice and soft, but those killed the stomach even more. |
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