Food Allergies?

[Ground Control]

Anyone have experience with food allergies?

I'm just learning I'm allergic to milk, corn and nuts. Until I see an allergist to further define the allergies, this is pretty limiting. I have a decent amount of food knowledge, but still. Dairy, corn products and nuts is sort of like the tri-fecta.

Clearly this will dramatically change my hiking prep. Cliff bars contain all three allergens, Gorp is obviously out. Larabars have nuts. I've become good at making my own jerky, and I know I can replace the Ramen spice packs with an all non-corn product alternative... that part is way off, though. Currently needing to re-define my kitchen and shopping.

Any directions for resources, phone apps, recommended reading is much appreciated. Sorta stumped. (and hungry...)

[rafe]

You can still eat aged cheese -- cheddar and the like, just not the soft gooey kinds like brie.

http://lifehacker.com/the-best-chees...ant-1563386663

[Ground Control]

You can still eat aged cheese -- cheddar and the like, just not the soft gooey kinds like brie.

http://lifehacker.com/the-best-chees...ant-1563386663

Thanks for the reply...

Unfortunately, I believe that rule holds true for folks with lactose intolerance. Allergies are different, and in many cases means avoiding all kinds of dairy, including hard cheeses. My current instructions are to avoid it all. Non-dairy cheeses are also not an option for me, as most seem to be flavored with a corn-by product.

It turns out that corn allergies are extremely rare, and false positives on the test are common. I'm hoping that more extensive testing from an allergist will show that I have just corn sensitivity, which is fairly common. If so, that might open me up to some of the corn by-products, such as xantham gum, maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose... (it's a terribly long list of corn derivatives...) I'm crossing my fingers that I can open up the corn floodgate again when my the allergist okays it and my health returns.

So far, this has been a valuable resource.
http://www.foodsmatter.com/allergy_i...tolerance.html

I'd love to hear from other hikers/ppl who have food allergy experience and how they overcame the obstacles both on and off the trail. Recommended reading, products, recipes... any information is much welcomed. Thanks in advance.

[July]

Sometimes 'eliminating' a food from your diet for a period of time ie 2-6 months will help. Can then reintroduce at a moderate level, often what we crave most is the worst for us.

[Rocket Jones]

Sounds like an opportunity to improve your hiking diet. More dehydrated veggies and meat. Use reduced sodium chicken stock cubes instead of instant milk in your mashed potatoes. Make your own dehydrated stuffing, chilies and soups. Other than being dirt cheap, I've never understood the infatuation with ramen.

Think about it, you're not as limited as you think.

[tf bear]

Peanut allergy for my son. It limits options for resupply and sharing food since I like peanuts. We jus have to look for ingredients. Gorp is made specific for him. Also lots of gummie bears and skittles. He trades skittles with other hikers. No power bars or Clift bars. He does the sport beans or blocks which are more expensive

[Trailweaver]

If your nut allergy is "tree" nuts, then you may well be able to eat peanuts. There's one gorp ingredient you can have, so make your own with stuff you can eat. It's better that way: you can fill your baggie with your favorite things!

There are dairy substitutes too. You may have to make some taste adjustments, but it shouldn't be too difficult once you just know it has to be done. There are many food suppliers (other than grocery stores) online which sell things like this in bulk. You may have to have someone at home sending you care packages a little more than the average hiker, but you won't starve.

[swjohnsey]

Have you wondered how you made it this far being allergic to these very common foods?

[Ground Control]

Thanks for all the replies, suggestions and thoughts. Sure do hope that possibility of re-introducing at least SOME of the foods in 2 - 6 months. Milk, cheese, and peanut butter are what I crave the most, so the adage about "what you crave the most" appears to hold true here.

Great point on the opportunity to get more adventurous with the dehydrator, Rocket Jones. I'm starting that process today.

Dairy substitutes are made more challenging with the corn allergy. Even Coconut milk has Xantham Gum, so that's out. Almond milk is out until I see an allergist and get more information on the "peanut allergy" - for now I'm told to avoid all nuts. Every vegan butter substitute I saw in Sprouts Grocery Store yesterday included a corn by-product. So far, I've got Veganaise and Silk (soy milk)... Certainly a learning curve here. Keep the suggestions coming!

Have you wondered how you made it this far being allergic to these very common foods?

Very much, yes. Dumbfounded by it, actually, as I'm 39 and I drink a LOT of milk. Interestingly, my theory is related to hiking:

Starting two summers ago, each 3-4 day hiking outing included a homemade 3-4 lb bag of GORP. The rest of my hiking diet was heavy on Nido and Cliff bars, which contain all 3 of my allergens. I'd feel a little sick after each hike, but attributed it to getting wet, cold, or whatever hardships I had encountered while hiking.

Because I use a phone-app to chart my weight, I can see a significant spike in my weight after each hike during the last 2 years, where I had been on this diet of allergens. Interestingly enough, I wasn't healthy during this two year period. Missed work, saw the doctor quite a bit, sometimes had elevated white blood cell count. I had abdominal pain, couldn't seem to process alcohol, some other odd symptoms.

Before the more recent decline, we were doing a great deal of traveling. Traveling light, my diet had reverted to the box of granola bars (contains all 3 allergens) and a huge bag of GORP. After telling the Doc I had been on the AT, he tested for Lyme, water-born parasites and contagious diseases. Other tests were on my organs, CT, ultra-sound... a HUGE amount of testing, and so far the only answer is these three food allergies.

Based on this, I believe I have a peanut (or nut) allergy that was exasperated by the heavy GORP intake and it made my sensitivities to corn and milk worse by depleting resources in my gut. (Data from bloodwork shows the the peanut allergy was at 0.3, while the other two were barely above the threshold of 0.1) I probably haven't had it all my life; it likely developed in recent years.

FWIW, this pretty new to me and my theory might be wayyyy off.

-------------

Anyway I remain very interested in harvesting intel from the whiteblaze community, which has been a boon of knowledge on a vast array of topics. Thanks again to those who have posted, and any other intel is most welcomed.

[misprof]

I am lactose intolerant and allergic to eggs. My husband has problems with gluten. So between the two of us we have had to be creative. For calorie loading we carry olive oil or coconut oil. Your case you would need to go olive. I also pound/ grind together craisins, raisins, dates and dark cocoa and some oil to hold it together. You can add oats and honey to this. I add coconut to it but that won't do for you. You can use dried avocado, pemmican. You may have to make a lot for yourself, but then you know what is in it.

When I first found out I was allergic I thought I could eat almost nothing. I have learned there is many things I can eat esp. if I am willing to start from scratch.
I would also look up a Paleo website.

If you can do wheat then try couscous for starch. It's measurements are about 1 to 1 for cooking, does not need to simmer as a cozy works great for it. You can also do dried, sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, or dried powdered beans. The last one is hard to find.

[rhjanes]

I don't tolerate corn. It started 30 years ago (I'm in my mid-50s). At first I had to cut out whole corn and corn on the cob. Then creamed. Now, I avoid as much as possible. Frito's are a no-no. Doritos, Just a few at a time. I avoid corn, it is easy to do. However, the corn sugars and such, probably do bother me some, but I'm OK with not cutting them out.
Milk, my mom, at like 80, went from LOVING all dairy to total intolerance. She is a retired nurse and is able to control it with diet. I believe I am also mildly intolerant and so I discussed with my primary care doctor on my physical. His advice was to cut out as much dairy as possible. So I switched to Lite Soy milk (I like it better anyway!), and cut out ice-cream and yogurt. I've been able to add some yogurt back in. But what the doc said was to buy some of the generic lactase tablets, the bottle and some in the individual packets to have in a pocket. Doc said to take one with every meal and every snack also. Even if you THINK there isn't milk in it, there is! Read the ingredients on even bread....yep, milk solids and such. So, when I eat, I take a tablet. It does help. But avoidance isn't all that hard either.

[Just Tom]

My son has multiple food allergies, including dairy, sesame, and nuts. Check out Sun Butter (http://www.sunbutter.com) as a peanut butter replacement. In place of power bars or cliff bars, check out the ones from Candice Foods (http://www.candicefoods.com). There are lots of alternatives, but it takes work and usually costs more. Any other specific items you are looking to replace on your hiking trips?

[Dogwood]

Have you wondered how you made it this far being allergic to these very common foods?

Excellent question! One, you're not likely to get a decent answer from other than a list of possibilities from most M.D.s

[Neemor]

I have quite the allergy to Milk and shellfish. fortunately shellfish isn't a problem on the trail. but milk is in everything now a days... i dont ever buy the mountain house meal bags or any of the other brands. I have gotten some of the mountain house 1 gallon boxes of ground beef to mix with ramin noodles.

I am also allergic to wheat and a ton of other weird things like green apples and salmon. but not as bad. so i still have them on occasion.

My allergies to milk and shellfish have been with me since birth, so i don't really ever have cravings for things with them in it. but after a while you find ways around it. and find other things to take its place.
when my wheat allergy was really bad i had a lot of rhy bread and "rice spaghetti"

Nuts is a tough one though. maybe swap the nuts in your trail mix for different dehydrated meats.
dehydrated ground beef in a trail mix tastes amazing!

Good Luck!

[Just Tom]

Swap in pumpkin seeds for the nuts in trail mix, work great!

[The Old Boot]

You might also want to look at carob chips for mixing with other things to make your own gorp. I buy mine at the bulk food store as I'm lactose intolerant.

[Wise Old Owl]

Peanut allergy for my son. It limits options for resupply and sharing food since I like peanuts. We jus have to look for ingredients. Gorp is made specific for him. Also lots of gummie bears and skittles. He trades skittles with other hikers. No power bars or Clift bars. He does the sport beans or blocks which are more expensive

There is hope on the horizon & peliminary testing around several places in the US - 2nd round is in Pittsburg for children in the near future.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...study/2606103/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0IB0QQ20141022
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/25923630...rgy-treatments

I have a weird allergy to fresh little neck clams... but canned is OK.

[Ground Control]

OP here.

Rather than bore you with tales of the allergist scratch-test, and elimination-reintroduction diet, I'd just say that food allergies or sensitivities appear unrelated to my problem.

It was an expensive and time consuming process that ultimately gave us few real answers. Often the information seemed even contradictory. I would caution anyone, other than those that have the most extreme symptoms & reactions, to invest themselves heavily in the diagnosis of food allergies.

[Connie]

There are severe symptoms, and, symptoms can increase.

I get puffy from milk and wheat. That's it. Not so bad.

I have Rice Dream at home, for milk in cereal and milk in recipes. I select store-bought bread with malted barley that eases the puffiness symptom. Lately, I tried gluten-free packaged mix for brownies, etal. I have been trying to find out what is it about wheat that is the problem. Spelt is "not a problem".

I have started looking up recipes to make things I like that use wheat, to substitute spelt flour.

It is "only" puffiness, but I have low energy from milk and wheat.

None of this helps backpacking, except over time I have gotten away from everything milk and wheat.

I actually like grits, hominy, barley flake based museli. I like couscous, which is wheat but somehow it is different. Is it durum wheat? I do better with durum wheat.

I am looking into receipes for grits. I am creative about museli.

I like all rice based dishes: main entree, desserts.

I find walnuts are more than okay, but I should avoid cashews for the effect on my tract. I like walnuts, hazelnuts, or blanched almonds.

There is a lot I can do for backpacking with these primary ingredients.

I think you can find such answers.

[swjohnsey]

Being allergic is fashionable? How did you make it this far being allergic to three very common foods?