Angela Dowden is our Pure professional. As an expert nutritionist and a freelance health writer, she has years of experience. In 2001 she was voted Health Writer of the Year. She also writes for the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Evening Standard and is author of 'Are You Getting Enough Vitamins and Minerals'.
Feel free to ask Angela your questions about living a dairy free life. Every month we’ll post a selection, so look out for yours.
This months quesTions and answers
1) I am 53 years old and have IBS, high blood pressure, asthma and an allergy to house dust mite that was diagnosed when I was 18 years old. I take antihistamine daily. Following a blood test for food intolerance six months ago, I have omitted all dairy and egg products from my diet and feel very much better as a result all nasty symptoms after eating have disappeared. I know this is a protein problem as I am not lactose intolerant. However, I now have a permanent itchy rash and cannot seem to get rid of it. I only use organic soaps and shampoo, and am beginning to wonder if intolerance to another food/substance could be causing it. My GP is baffled and has said I'm just "very allergic"! Please, can you offer any suggestions or help? I am approaching desperate... - Anne-Marie
Thanks for your question, and how awful for you to be so itchy all the time, this is a really very unpleasant thing for you to have to deal with. I presume you are also very careful with the washing powder you use, but it may even be worth ditching powder altogether and trying those Eco balls in your wash that claim to remove dirt without any chemicals at all.
The only way to truly check for a food intolerance is via an exclusion diet which is hard to do by yourself as it involves starting with a very restrictive diet of one or two foods you know to be safe for you, and then adding in new foods one at a time whilst analysing any reactions that occur. For the testing of allergies, there are very few reliable methods and in fact both tests - intolerance and allergy - really need to be supervised medically to be done safely and correctly. Getting a referral to a specialist allergy clinic can be difficult as there tends to be long waiting lists and patchy provision through the country, but I would urge you to ask your GP to start this referral process if at all possible. Then at least you will be able to get to the route of your problem. In the meantime you may just have to treat the symptoms with antihistamines and the like, but again talk to your GP or pharmacist to see what fits with the medication you may be already on.
2) What foods should (or shouldn’t) I be eating if I have a problem with my gall bladder (either stones or inflammation). - Lesley
Gallstones are common but usually cause no symptoms. They usually occur when bile, a digestive fluid that helps digest fatty foods, forms stones. Sometimes stones give no symptoms, but other times they cause pain and inflammation which leads to the gallbladder needing to be removed. Diet wise it helps to lose weight if you need to, and to reduce your fat intake. Being vegetarian and cutting down on alcohol intake also reduces the risk of forming gallstones and may help your gallstones not get worse if you take these steps now. However if your gallstones are causing you problems such as pain, jaundice, pancreatitis and inflammation, your doctor may suggest that surgery to remove the gallbladder may be needed.
3) I am lactose intolerant and have been recommended to have a probiotic drink daily to help my digestive system. Can you advise me of ''lactose free'' probiotic drinks? - Jayne
I’m afraid I don’t know of any lactose free probiotic drinks, as they all seem to be dairy-based. However you can look for other probiotic enhanced foods, such as soya yogurt, or foods with added prebiotics such as some breads or breakfast cereals. Prebiotics don’t supply friendly bacteria directly, but help them to grow. Alternatively, take a probiotic supplement which is probably your best bet.
4) I am a breastfeeding mother, and my baby seems to suffer from colic. I read that cutting out on dairy and soya may help, is this true? Can I have goats milk if I go dairy free? - Roisin
One theory is that there is a link between colic and a mother drinking cow's milk (I don’t think we know whether cow’s milk or soya could cause the same problem or not). However this is only a theory, not proven and I would suggest that a greater likelihood is that your baby is himself (or herself) lactase deficient, meaning that he or she finds it difficult to digest your milk. One study suggested that 50 per cent of babies with colic have a lactose intolerance, so I’d suggest your first port of call be to try lactase enzyme drops which you can drop on your baby's tongue before a feed. These are supposed to be entirely safe, but if you are concerned, talk to your GP. If you get no change in your baby's colic with these you could then consider other things like reducing dairy yourself, but it seems sensible to rule out the more likely options first. Though colic is very distressing for both parents and child, all babies do grow out of it in a few months and never suffer any long term damaging effects.
5) What is gluten free bread? - Debbie
Gluten free bread is bread that is made without wheat, barley or rye (the gluten-containing grains). You can now buy one of more versions of gluten free bread at most supermarkets, which is very useful if you have been diagnosed as gluten or wheat intolerant.
6) Can you make successful fairy cakes with vegan margarine? Every time I try to look this question up it comes back as they will be heavy and not moist. - Susy
Yes, we get good results using Pure (all types are vegan) to make fairy cakes, but obviously if you want the whole cake to be vegan then you will need not to use eggs. I’m pleased to say there are many recipes for completely vegan sweet treats on this website (including chocolate cake!), so feel free to browse.
7) I cut dairy out of my diet 2 years ago after suffering since childhood from bowel problems, since going dairy free I no longer suffer which is fantastic. However, I have for years, suffered with nasal problems - blocked sinuses and nose, very often worse after eating. Could it be that I also have a wheat intolerance? I am considering cutting it out, do you think it's worth trying? - Michelle
I can only say it is possible, but to be honest I wouldn’t say it is probable - there are so many other possibilities that could explain sinus symptoms. However it’s not that difficult to cut out wheat without depriving yourself of nutrient these days, with so many wheat-free alternatives available. So yes, if you want to follow this hunch through and see what happens, then go ahead. You’ll need to keep up your fibre intake from non-wheat sources - try porridge, wheat free breads, corn pasta and brown rice. I think if your symptoms don’t improve after completely cutting out wheat for 2-3 weeks you shouldn’t need to bother continuing though. Good luck!
