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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!
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1) I am currently on a fat free dairy free diet due to possibly gallstones and I was wondering whether goats cheese was an dairy free alternative? - Julie
Goats’ cheese is a dairy product, but (rather obviously from the name!), it’s from a goat rather than a cow. Some people with a cows’ milk allergy can tolerate goats’ milk, but often this isn’t the case because of a cross-reactivity between the two. Both cows’ and goats’ milk contain lactose so neither is suitable if you are intolerant to this sugar.
However your question seems to relate to whether goats’ cheese would fit into a diet suitable for someone with gallstones. On average, goats’ cheese contains around 25 per cent fat, which is lower fat than some cheeses like Cheddar (35 per cent fat), but is still a high fat food. It’s impossible and unwise to cut fat out of your diet altogether, so small amounts of goats’ cheese may still be okay for you, but I would take advice from your doctor or dietitian on your particular circumstances.
2) Can you tell me about certain foods which can help prevent digestive discomfort? - Karen
If you are having digestive problems, it would be worth seeing your GP for a check up and diagnosis. Often when you have digestive discomfort it can be the removal of certain foods from the diet that can give relief, rather than the addition of “soothing” ones. Some people can be particularly sensitive to the discomforting effects of wind production and can benefit from cutting down on common gas producers such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beans and fizzy drinks. There’s also the possibility that your digestive discomfort is caused by an intolerance to a common food such as dairy or wheat; to discover whether such a link exists, try keeping a food and symptom diary. If your digestive discomfort improves, try removing the suspect food for a while and if improvements are noted, go back to your GP. If you suffer with nausea and bloating, try including fennel and ginger in your diet for symptomatic relief, and perhaps try a daily probiotic drink.
3) My daughter is now 2 years 7 months. Once she stopped breastfeeding at the age of 6 months she developed very severe eczema on her face, permanently red and bleeding after naps. We found out that she was allergic to dairy and eggs. Her skin is now perfect. I tried introducing eggs in a dairy free biscuit and she reacted. I would like to know what the best way to try introducing dairy. She’s fine with goats’ milk. Are milk fat, lactose and whey all fundamentally the same or could she be allergic to some and not others? - Vicky
At this age and with reactions to both eggs and milk, it’s likely that your daughter has an allergy to a protein fraction in these foods. However a cows’ milk allergy often disappears around the age of three. I’d get the go ahead from your GP first, but provided you are advised it is okay I would suggest giving your daughter just a few sips of cows milk to start with and monitor her reaction from there. Even if there is a reaction now she may be okay in another year’s time.
Incidentally lactose, milk fat and whey are all different. People don’t normally have a problem with milk fat and if lactose intolerance were an issue for your daughter, she would react to goats’ milk as well as cows’ milk as lactose occurs in both. The casein protein fraction in cows’ milk is similar to that of goats’ milk, but the whey proteins are different.
4) Is acne one of the symptoms of dairy intolerance? I’ve been told by doctors that dairy products don’t cause acne & I have not been able to find anything to suggest that it does. However, when I eat butter or milk chocolate my acne flares up or gets worse if it is already present. - Tricia
A study that’s just been published this January does seem to show a link between dairy and acne (though in this case the study was done in teenage boys and only found a positive association between intake of skim milk and acne). Also, the study did not adjust for steroid use or other lifestyle factors that may affect occurrence of acne so the results are tentative. If you are experiencing a link between acne and dairy yourself, I’d expect for you also to experience problems with milk and cheese. The researchers surmise that dairy products contain hormonal constituents in sufficient quantities to have biological effects.
5) My grandson suffered from gastric reflux as a baby (so did his mother) and was prescribed Gaviscon in his bottles, which cleared it up for a while. He is now 3 years old and has started to get stomach cramps & diarrhoea when he has full fat milk, ice cream or yoghurt. His teeth are also rotten despite rigorous dental hygiene & the dentist has suggested that the acid reflux has caused this. His mother still suffers from Gastric Reflux after eating certain foods & my nephew who is now 30 has recently been diagnosed with Crohn''s Disease & although he did not suffer from Gastric Reflux as a child he was the same small build as my grandson & suffered with the same dental problem. I also have a brother who had Gastric Reflux as a child & he suffered a bout of Ulcerated Colitis while taking his University Exams. Am I right to be concerned that my grandson may be prone to developing Crohns Disease as he gets older & what testing can be done to diagnose this & can it be prevented through adjusting his diet? - Deborah
I don’t know of a link between gastric reflux as a baby and Crohn’s in later life, though there does seem to be a significant pattern of both conditions in your family. I do know there is a genetic tendency towards Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, so with your family history, your grandson is likely to be at a higher risk of developing the disease. At the moment his symptoms seem more likely to be due to a lactose intolerance (or a dairy allergy), but there are several possibilities, and potential for diagnostic confusion, so your daughter should take your grandson along to the GP and discuss his symptoms.
6) We have just signed a Premiership footballer who needs to eat Gluten Free. Just wondering what is the best food to give him and what to avoid? - Kathryne
The foods to avoid are wheat, rye and barley which can cause very unpleasant symptoms for those who are gluten intolerant, Oats are usually okay though, and there are many gluten free recipes on this site if you need some tasty meals ideas that would be suitable. What you don’t want to do is to inadvertently cut down on carbohydrates just because you are cutting out wheat. Good carbs for people who are gluten intolerant include potatoes, rice and porridge oats, as well as wheat-free bread and pasta alternatives.
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1) Help, I have just found out I have a dairy intolerance and I manage ok for snacks during the day but I need some meal ideas for when I get in from work that are healthy and dairy free. Can you help?
- Sharon Mitchell
Simple meals are the way to go to make sure your meals are dairy free. And they don’t have to be complicated or long winded - try penne pasta with a low fat tomato sauce, grilled chicken and broccoli, a simple stir fry using whatever chopped veg you have available, a handful of peanuts and a dash of soy sauce, or grilled lean steak with potatoes and veg. Obviously the ingredients you’ll need to avoid are milk, butter and cream, but this isn't simple if you are buying your own ingredients and cooking form scratch. Of course there's there’s nothing wrong with having the occasional ready meal or bottled sauce but look for those that state clearly they are dairy free. There is also a wonderful bank of dairy free recipes on this site which will give you inspiration long after you’ve exhausted the few ideas I’ve given you here.
2) My baby is 6 months old and has a dairy intolerance (when I introduced formula milk at 5 months he got eczema quite badly) The Health Visitor suggested it could be a dairy intolerance so we cut out cows’ milk based formula and tried soya formula and it cleared. He is currently on SMA Wysoy and I am in the process of weaning him. Could you please advise whether Pure would be ok to use for him when cooking meals? Also, is there a salt free variety? - Lessa Woolnough
Yes it will be fine to use Pure for cooking your baby’s meals - it’s okay to mash a little Pure spread into pureed veg for example or to use the spread for baking. There isn’t a salt free variety, but Pure Sunflower and Pure Soya are both less than 1% salt and these are the products I would recommend for an under one year old.
3) I have IBS and so many foods seem to set it off - I am worried about not getting enough fibre/vitamins in my diet. Things I cannot eat include nuts/seeds, pulses and all veg except carrots. I also have lactose intolerance. It seems that if anything is healthy - I cannot tolerate it!
- Denise Bolshaw
Oh dear, what a miserable situation for you. The problem with IBS is that it’s such an individual condition - people’s symptoms can vary so much and even within one individual, what “sets off” the condition or what can be tolerated can change over time. For now, it seems like you are going through a particularly bad patch, and you need to be careful with what you eat. One thing that will really help is tackling your dairy problem, as a food intolerance that isn’t addressed is sure to make your symptoms worse. The recipes and information on this site will help you do that, and over time you may find that this helps the IBS symptoms to improve.
It also pays to tackle your stress level, to eat small but regular meals and try to slowly but surely increase your intake of fibre which usually improves the IBS condition (though introducing fibre too abruptly can cause more problems than it solves). Good sources to try are wholemeal bread (finely milled without seeds or grains), wholewheat pasta, porridge and brown rice.
Though you may not be able to tolerate whole fruits or vegetables, you may be able to take them in a well pureed soup or smoothie so this could be another way to sneak them in. If you need dairy free recipes there are plenty on this site. Similarly if you find wheat is, or becomes, a problem there are gluten free options here too.
4) I’ve just been diagnosed as dairy intolerant & also with Coeliac Disease. I've heard that some products are available on prescription. Can you let me know how I can find out whether I'm entitled to this & what products are available? - Nicky Browne
People who are medically diagnosed with coeliac disease can get staples such as bread, pasta and flour mixes on prescription which you can organise with your GP (see our links page for the coeliac charity website address to find a list of prescribable gluten-free foods). Nothing similar exists on prescription for dairy free foods, but you should find it relatively easier (and not so expensive) to find dairy free options. There’s a range of dairy and gluten free recipes on this site to make life easier for you!
5) I'm trying to avoid dairy but really miss chocolate. I've heard that dark chocolate is dairy free - is this really true? - Yvette Campbell
Yes, dark chocolate really is dairy free so you don’t have to worry about tucking in! On the plus side, darker chocolate is also higher in magnesium, iron and antioxidants than milk. But it’s still very important to go easy, as chocolate is high in calories and saturated fat. An ideal intake that balances benefit and risk seems to be around 30g a day.
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1) My daughter has been very poorly with gastro-enteritis recently, and she often complains of stomach cramps. She also seems to experience sickness and diarrhoea much more than before, and I’ve started to notice that this is aggravated when she drinks milk. She's never had an issue with dairy before at all, but is it possible to ‘catch’ a dairy intolerance on the back of a bout of illness like this? - Anne
Although lactose intolerance is mainly present in the adult population, temporary lactose intolerance can occur in babies and young children following gastro-enteritis or other forms of infection affecting the intestinal tract. This is known as “secondary lactose intolerance”, and symptoms normally disappear when the intestinal wall has recovered from the injury, normally within 2-4 weeks. By trying to give your daughter milk and other dairy products during this time you are probably inadvertently prolonging the condition. I’d advise that you take her off milk for at least a month before gradually reintroducing it. Hopefully your daughter will then have redeveloped a tolerance for milk, but if not, you may need to consider removing dairy from her diet long term.
2) My 3 year old son has always suffered from eczema, and my GP recently advised that I try cutting all products containing cow's milk protein from his diet. I've stopped giving him milk but the symptoms seem to have stayed the same. Can you please tell me whether cow's milk protein could be hidden in any other foods I might still be feeding him? - Rachel
This could mean that you three year old’s eczema is not related to cow’s milk at all, or that you still need to do some work to eliminate all cow's milk protein from his diet. It’s important to continue working in conjunction with your doctor, but on the basis that even a tiny amount of cow’s protein allergen can cause problems, it’s worth checking the other foods you are giving him, because as you have guessed this protein can crop up in other foods. It pays to check labels and avoid those that state they contain dairy (many supermarkets provide this as useful information for people with allergies on their own brand products). Dairy can also occur in spreads for bread (so swap to Pure Dairy Free Spread), and in products such as processed meats, savoury snacks, ready meals and spreads. If the presence of dairy isn’t obviously flagged up, you need to read the small print of the ingredients list, looking for ingredients such as casein, caseinate, curds, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, rennet, whey etc. Bear in mind that not all labels give a full break down of ingredients however. By law, only compound ingredients that make up more than 25 per cent of the food are required to give a breakdown of their sub ingredients. For guaranteed dairy-free choices, try the recipes on this site which include lots that kids will love.
3) I've recently started to suffer from cramps and bloating, especially after meals. My doctor has ruled out IBS and a friend has suggested I may be intolerant to diary. I've eaten and enjoyed dairy products all my life (I'm now in my 40s) so is this likely? - Yvette
It's possible, but you’ll only really find our by trial and error. A genetically inherited, age-related decrease in lactase activity normally becomes apparent between the ages of 5-20 years, but later isn’t uncommon for onset. Symptoms include flatulence, bloating, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. To see if your symptoms are related to lactose intolerance, a diet without milk, milk products and other lactose-containing foods can be tried for 2-3 weeks; if symptoms disappear with a dairy-free diet and appear again after reintroduction of milk into the diet, lactose intolerance is likely.
4) My elderly mother has recently been diagnosed with a lactose intolerance after enduring over two years of on/off ill health including nausea, stomach pain and frequent bouts of diarrhoea. I'm really pleased that they've finally found the cause of her problems but I'm now equally worried about the effect of cutting out dairy from her diet. I've always thought that older people should be encouraged to eat dairy because of the calcium benefits such as that it can help to stave off brittle bones etc. My mother is in her 80s and is already frail. Will a dairy free diet lead to other health problems such as a calcium deficiency? - John
It’s good news that your mother’s health problems have been discovered. And you’re right that looking after her bones, and preventing as much deterioration as possible is important. One food that I’d really recommend is tinned fish - particularly sardines and pilchards which can be served on toast as an inexpensive lunch that’s packed with calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D in particular is the nutrient that most seems to help reduce the risk of fractures in the elderly - in fact your mum should also take a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement daily, and it would also pay to take it alongside other bone minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Other sources of calcium include fortified soya milk, broccoli and leafy greens, nuts and dried figs.
5) Hi, I've suffered with various digestive problems for most of my life & was only recently diagnosed as having coeliac disease. My symptoms have eased a little since avoiding gluten, but not all problems have gone away. After tracking my diet, I think the problems might be from eating dairy products. Can you tell me if it's common for coeliacs to also have a dairy intolerance? - Vicky
Yes, there’s definitely a link between dairy intolerance and coeliac disease - in fact there is a 20 times higher risk of dairy intolerance in people who have coeliac disease because of the damage to the intestines. Given this link it’s essential that you give yourself a dairy free trial to monitor how you feel. There’s plenty of advice on how to do this and a range of dairy free recipes on this site to make it easier for you.
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1) My 16 month old baby is dairy and egg intolerant. Which of your three products do you recommend, the soya, sunflower or organic? I am thinking about which is nutritionally better for her as obviously I am worried about getting enough calcium into her. Do you know of any recipe books for children that are just dairy and egg free? So many of them also exclude wheat and gluten and a lot of the products in the free from range in the supermarkets are very expensive, but also she just doesn't like them. - Rachael
Dear Rachael,
My personal recommendation for your 16 month old would be Pure Sunflower spread (based on the fact that it's low salt and fortified with omega-3 and a range of important vitamins). This spread won't bump up her calcium intake (neither would butter)¸ so you need to look at calcium fortified milks¸ such as rice milk which is often good for children because it is unlikely to trigger allergies or intolerances or worsen any pre-existing ones. Some children grow out of a dairy allergy by the time they are about three¸ so you should keep talking to your GP about the possibility of trying to reintroduce dairy products and when it might be best to do it. Other calcium rich foods are dried fruit¸ white bread¸ sardines¸ and green vegetables such as broccoli. As for books with egg and dairy free recipes¸ you could check out www.amazon.co.uk - but it's true that the majority of recipes books are also gluten free too. Recipes4us.co.uk is also a useful site¸ with a special diets area including a number of vegan recipes which would be suitable. Don't forget to look at the Recipe Library on this site where you can specifically just choose egg and dairy free selections.
2) have an 8 month old baby with a dairy allergy. Do you have some ideas of suitable foods/recipes for her? She also has reflux so I don't give her very acidic foods. - Michelle
Dear Michelle,
Many of the first stage weaning recipes you'll find in recipe books and on baby websites are dairy free¸ but now your son is 8 months old you'll need to be moving away from these less mushy foods and introducing more textures and some simple finger foods. It's quite easy to do this with recipes you make yourself from scratch which could include eggy bread (as long as your son is not also allergic to eggs!) and baby ratatouille (made with onion¸ courgette¸ deseeded pepper¸ aubergines¸ skinned and seeded peppers¸ all simmered down together and then mashed to the appropriate consistency). If you're still breast-feeding¸ try to keep it up for as long as you can to make up for the lack of dairy in her diet. If not look for alternative sauce of calcium. One good calcium rich recipe is broccoli with tomatoes and almonds: steam 2 florets of broccoli until tender then blend with 2 tablespoons canned chopped tomatoes. Stir in 25g lightly toasted¸ finely ground almonds.
3) My 2yr old son has had a food intolerance test and has a high number of food items to avoid including cow's milk¸ egg¸ soya¸ barley¸ wheat and durum wheat¸ oat¸ rye¸ gliadin and pea. My main concern is the milk & he won't touch goat¸ sheep or rice milk. Since he's typically picky I'm worried how to give him a balanced diet without giving him lots of food he's intolerant to. He does not appear to be unwell but I feel he's not firing on all cylinders. He has eczema¸ although not too severe¸ and seems overly tired for his age. - Lisa
Dear Lisa,
I sympathise - it's so difficult dealing with a child's food likes and dislikes¸ let alone when you have to factor in food intolerances too! If he won't touch goats¸ sheep's or rice milk¸ you have a problem (incidentally goat's and sheep's milk contain similar proteins to cow's milk and also contain lactose so may not be suitable alternatives anyway). There are oat milks available through supermarkets which you might want to try. I would also speak to your GP and health visitor and if they are unable to advise you¸ ask for a referral to a specialist dietitian (one that specialises in paediatric diets) for advice on how to keep your son's diet nutrient rich. In the meantime¸ concentrate on getting calcium from other sources - include things such as finely ground almonds¸ sardines¸ green vegetables and dried fruits. A simple meal that you could give him would be lean meat or fish with potatoes (or rice)¸ carrots and broccoli.
4) My husband has a food intolerance to dairy¸ yeast and sugar. Using Pure I manage very well for most foods¸ but can you suggest any deserts apart from fresh fruit please? - Anne
Dear Anne,
One suggestion is to put Pure to good use in traditional baked puds like pineapple upside down pudding (using sugar replacer instead of the real thing). But the real restriction here is your husband's intolerance to sugar (I'm guessing this "intolerance" may be either due to a Candida type infection or maybe he is diabetic?). Most nutritionists would contend that moderate amounts of sugar¸ particularly eaten after a main meal aren't of concern¸ so if he's tempted¸ check out the sweet treats section of this site where you'll find plenty of recipes that suit his other yeast and dairy free needs. Or instead of fresh fruit¸ why not bake fruit to make something deliciously different? Baked apples stuffed with fruit need no more added sugar¸ and baked pineapple served with a dash of flambéd rum is another surefire winner.
5) I have an allergy to black pepper and sulphites and often have allergic reactions. Recently I tried a food exclusion diet and realised that when I added back in dairy I felt nauseous and had indigestion. Do you have any advice for someone who's just starting out on a dairy free life? Also¸ do you know how I can find out whether I have a milk allergy or whether it is intolerance? If it's the former I'm worried about the risk of anaphylaxis. - Catherine
Dear Catherine,
The reaction you describe is almost certainly an intolerance but I can understand your concern when you're life is already blighted by so many allergic reactions. You could ask your doctor for a dairy intolerance test to help shed some more light on this¸ but assuming that you do have an intolerance we are talking about something that is uncomfortable but not dangerous. Typical symptoms include bloating¸ nausea and wind¸ after drinking milk or having other dairy products. If you're starting out on a dairy free life¸ the first change to make is swapping to a calcium-rich alternative to milk - which could include fortified soya¸ rice or oat milk. Then of course you can swap butter or spread for Pure dairy free spread. Also you need to look at food labels carefully (many state clearly if they contain dairy¸ so this helps)¸ and simplify your diet to include fewer of the processed foods that may contain milk products as a processing aid. Finally enjoy arming yourself with a repertoire of dairy-free recipes - there's many to try on this site!
6) I am thinking about trying a vegan diet but I am allergic to nuts and bananas. I seem to be ok with seeds including coconut and I like all sorts of beans either sprouted or not. I am concerned about lacking in vital nutrition as I know vegans use nuts for protein do you have any suggestions? - Lou
Dear Lou,
From what you've told me you have no need to worry - you can eat healthily as a vegan without nuts as long as you include a variety of pulses¸ lentils and soya products in your diet which are all good protein sources (it's great that you can eat seeds too - these have all the benefits of nuts). Many people think that vegan diets are restrictive¸ but by selecting a wide variety of foods every day you'll in fact be eating very healthily. You may¸ however¸ need to take a supplement of vitamin B12 and vitamin D¸ and it will also pay for you to try to include vegan frienly omega-3 fortified foods such as Pure Sunflower spread in your diet. If you need meal time inspiration¸ go to the Recipe Library on this site which includes a good selection of interesting and tasty vegan choices.
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1) My husband has very bad psoriasis - would a dairy free diet be of much help to him? - Wendy
Dear Wendy¸
Some psoriasis sufferers are aware that dairy is a trigger; for others there is no link. Whether or not a dairy-free diet would help your husband can only really be discovered through him trialing for a while. The good news is that it's easier to go non-dairy these days¸ with so many different available. Be as strict as you can in removing dairy entirely, which means scouring labels and trying to keep his diet as simple and unprocessed as possible. Then get him to give it a try for at least a month. The problem with psoriasis is that there are so many other factors that can cause it to flare up or down so you can't always be sure what is affecting it and what is not. However if symptoms start to consistently improve you may well be onto something - particularly if reintroducing dairy causes a worsening again. To help you with this experiment you'll find the Pure library of dairy-free recipes invaluable.
2) I need to keep dairy and wheat free as these aggravate Crohn's disease and seem to cause a bowel flare up with myself. Do you have any recipes that also exclude wheat as well as dairy? - Jackie
Dear Jackie¸
Thanks for your query. I'm delighted to tell you that the Pure recipe library is now online and has a full range of dairy-free and gluten-free recipes for all meal occasions¸ so please have a hunt around and enjoy! Whilst Crohn's disease doesn't automatically render someone lactose intolerant¸ the chances are greater because the condition does tend to be associated with a reduced level of the lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose. And as you've also discovered¸ the inflammation associated with this bowel condition can also make wheat intolerance more likely. Cutting out both wheat and milk as completely as you can is the surest way to prevent further flare-ups¸ but make sure to eat a variety of different foods and a well-balanced diet to make up for the loss of these two food groups from your diet.
3) My seventeen-year-old has been diagnosed with a dairy allergy recently. To be honest she had the allergy when she was a baby and I used to make up her milk with lactaid drops¸ but after a while she started eating dairy and she seemed to be ok. She had asthma, and it has recently gotten worse; I have now been told that it is not asthma but dairy allergy. I thought I was doing right by giving her as much calcium as possible as she is also a track and field athlete and has even ran for her country at junior level. Can you please let me know if she will get enough calcium - I have started her on calcium and magnesium. - Kim
Dear Kim
Your daughter does seem to show all the classic symptoms of having an allergy to milk. Often children grow out of this, but having reached her teens I would say this is very unlikely and that your daughter is likely to have a problem for life. Hopefully¸ if she starts to feel a lot better¸ this will automatically encourage her to stick to a non-dairy diet and make it less painful for her. And the one benefit your daughter will have achieved is a very high calcium intake during her early life which will have helped in the formation of a strong skeleton.
However she still is at a peak age for laying down bone mass¸ so getting enough bone minerals is important. She can try swapping to fortified soya milk (a quickly acquired taste¸ especially if she tries chocolate flavoured soya milk!). She can get the rest of her calcium from sources such as nuts¸ seeds¸ fish (especially canned fish) and green vegetables. Bear in mind that research is now showing that a strong skeleton isn't just down to calcium - there's a wide selection of nutrients that help and eating lots of fruits and vegetables and cutting down on salt can also help. With dairy-free replacements and a well-balanced varied diet I feel sure she will be getting all she needs to be strong and healthy and carry on with her sporting career. Giving her extra calcium and magnesium is extra peace of mind¸ and a good idea for the days when she doesn't perhaps eat as well as she should. Also take a look at the Pure recipe bank for a selection of inspiring and varied ideas using alternatives to dairy.
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1) I'm thinking about cutting dairy out of my diet to reduce the amount of saturated fat I eat¸ but I'm concerned about missing out on calcium - can you help? - John
If fat is your only concern¸ it would be better if you switched to lower fat products such as skimmed milk and yogurt (which only contain very low levels of saturates)¸ rather than cutting out dairy altogether and risking falling low on calcium. If you need to cut down on dairy products because of a health issue - an intolerance or allergy for example - that is an entirely different matter and you'll definitely need to get your calcium from other places such as nuts (e.g. almonds and brazils), greens such as broccoli¸ kale¸ spring greens and watercress¸ figs¸ fortified cereals¸ tofu and soya beans. Remember that even tiny amount of dairy can cause an issue if you are allergic so check everything you buy is entirely dairy free.
2) I'm a vegan but I've become concerned that as I'm not eating fish I'm missing out on Omega 3 in my diet.- What can you recommend? - Gemma
Omega-3s play an important role in our health - particularly in maintaining a healthy heart and brain and in reducing inflammatory responses. So if you're not eating one portion of oily fish a week¸ you'll need to look for alternative vegetarian sources. These include flax seed and flax seed oil¸ fortified foods such as Columbus eggs and Pure Sunflower spread which contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 which is good for healthy skin¸ hair¸ nails and promotes hormonal balance. Some omega-3 fortified foods contain fish-derived omega-3s¸ so you'll need to look carefully at the label and make sure it is vegan. You can also get omega-3 supplements derived from algal sources - ask in your health food store.
3) I've recently been diagnosed with an intolerance to dairy and I'm struggling to find suitable recipes for meals that the whole family will enjoy - any ideas? - Ash
You are in the right place for recipe ideas as Pure dairy free spreads have recently teamed up with top Italian chef Aldo Zilli to produce a range of mouth watering but simple dairy free recipes for the whole family. You’ll find snacks¸ starters¸ main meals and sweets¸ and also egg free¸ gluten free vegetarian and vegan recipes.
4) I'm concerned I may have an intolerance to dairy¸ how do I find out for definite? - Bronwen
Your GP can do a relatively easy pin prick blood test for lactose intolerance. A milk allergy can be harder to diagnose and may involve a bit more trial and error. The first step in both cases is to keep a food diary, noting down everything you eat and the symptoms you experience. Some home testing kits are available from companies like York Test - see their website address in our Links section.
5) My toddler has just been diagnosed with a dairy allergy¸ where can I get advice to help me cope? - Carl
With toddlers relying so much on dairy products in their diet¸ this can seem like a heavy burden and a big worry. Fortunately there's much more awareness of dairy allergies in young children these days and your health visitor will be well placed to advise on types of replacement milk to use. You'll need to avoid even small amounts of dairy in supermarket foods though¸ which can be harder. However¸ you'll soon become an expert at reading labels¸ and there are now many dairy free food ranges. On the whole though, it's best to give your child as unprocessed a diet as possible as this minimises the risk of accidentally giving them milk products. The good news is that toddlers can out grow dairy allergies¸ so this may not go on forever. For further information about food allergies there are many useful magazines and publications that can help, such as 'Foods Matter' (subscription only)¸ 'Allergy Newsletter' (a newsletter produced by the organization Action Against Allergy) and 'Focus' (the newsletter of Allergy UK also available via subscription).
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