I have been doing load of research since my last post. First an update:
Hubby is now dairy and gluten and soy free. But not celiac. He had the blood and stool test - and then a biopsy - which you can read about on his own blog . Annabelle had the tests too - but the results were negative even though she has a rash, stomach cramps and diarrhoea to boot if she has a hint of gluten!
Katie continues to react to any azo dyes and we stay as additive free as possible. Though she is fine with the gluten and dairy and soy.
So I have spent a lot of time examining tests, reactions and recipes. I am becoming quite an expert on the protein content of certain foods - and the potassium, sodium etc. And where to get lycopene if you can't eat tomatoes - like two in my family can't.
It made me realise that you really are what you eat. And some people can eat what they like without any effect. And others can't. I have read a lot of books and don't hold with the blood type theory. Though interestingly my husband is AB-. We are now busy looking at lectins and the possibility that him and daughter #2 have a lectin intolerance with most families. So he is on a strict diet and we are challenging him every few days with a new food for signs of intolerance.
Anyway there is a lot out there on the web about foods. But not a huge amount about lectin intolerance. It is a very new field. Meanwhile I shall be carefully balancing nutrition whilst waiting for the hospital dietitian's appointment. It's a good job I aren't working at the moment as I have time to research replacement foods.
I have also been looking at 'additive free' type blogs and I am a bit disappointed. I feel very behind - but we have been doing this for three years now and I thought there would be a lot of info out there. No-one seems to be talking nutrition. Disappointing.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Wine and beer
Love them! Although I prefer my drinks additive free I do understand that sulphites are part of the wine making process. Here in New Zealand we have some incredible wine makers (some just up the road from here) and are renowned for the whites - sav blanc, chardonnay... But even these seem to have added sulphites.
However the fantastic news is that Steinlager have brought out 'steinlager pure' - additive free and just totally delicious. Apparently the company can't keep up with demand.
I wonder what will happen when the first winery announces 'no added sulphite white wine...?"
However the fantastic news is that Steinlager have brought out 'steinlager pure' - additive free and just totally delicious. Apparently the company can't keep up with demand.
I wonder what will happen when the first winery announces 'no added sulphite white wine...?"
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Celiac
Well the reason for no posting is that we have just found out (and are still going through the process) that husband and bub (now 16 months) are celiac. Wow that came as a shock! And so we have been plunged into the world of no gluten. Or A1 dairy. And it is either very easy and incredibly unpapatable - or very hard and delicious. I bake even more than I did before.
The funny thing is that it is soooo complicated. It is not enough to read the ingredients list on a packet and use or discard, you actually have to have an understanding of the food industry practices, constituent ingredients and e numbers. So for a start I didn't know that most icing sugar contained gluten. Look at the ingredients: sugar. No mention of wheat or anything. But it is there - a free flow agent - that is part of the manufacturing process - so doesn't have to be declared. So lollies (sweets, candies...) are out - unless you are 100% certain that they are gluten free. This isn't actually a big deal in our house as most contain artificial colourings...
Rice flour doesn't taste nice. And potato flour is pretty bad too. And the idea of sticking things together with gum that don't naturally emulsify? Why even go there? I have borrowed one book after another about wheat free, celiac cooking, eating right - but they all seem to list ingredients that contain those additives (again) or gums or 4 types of flour and extra eggs, producing some eggy monstrosity.
So why do it? We now eat more fruit and veges than we did even before. And eat wonderful eggs (free range from open air chooks) and they are great! Bread has been replaced by rice and potatoes. Well not literally. It's just that no matter what sort of bread we have tried (home baked, store bought, gluten free bakery...) it's just not nice. And as you know we like nice bread. But who said bread HAD to be a part of the diet? We did without for a good few thousand years...
A1 milk has ben replaced by A2 - goats cheese occasionally and did you know that you can get A2 cows milk? Cakes work with cornflour or cocoa or ground nuts. And they taste GOOD! Fatless sponge with cornflour has been around for years - with fruit spread in the centre... YUM!
Biscuits made with eggs and almonds - no rice flour or potato flour here. And NO ADDITIVES!
No take-aways now. So it actually works out cheaper than it did before. I have had lots of celiacs recommend rice cakes to us - you know the crispy things - but most are flavoured - we occasionally have plain. We eat more things now. Lunch is hard. And so is breakfast but we are slowly getting there. It's a good job the kids like fruit!
The funny thing is that it is soooo complicated. It is not enough to read the ingredients list on a packet and use or discard, you actually have to have an understanding of the food industry practices, constituent ingredients and e numbers. So for a start I didn't know that most icing sugar contained gluten. Look at the ingredients: sugar. No mention of wheat or anything. But it is there - a free flow agent - that is part of the manufacturing process - so doesn't have to be declared. So lollies (sweets, candies...) are out - unless you are 100% certain that they are gluten free. This isn't actually a big deal in our house as most contain artificial colourings...
Rice flour doesn't taste nice. And potato flour is pretty bad too. And the idea of sticking things together with gum that don't naturally emulsify? Why even go there? I have borrowed one book after another about wheat free, celiac cooking, eating right - but they all seem to list ingredients that contain those additives (again) or gums or 4 types of flour and extra eggs, producing some eggy monstrosity.
So why do it? We now eat more fruit and veges than we did even before. And eat wonderful eggs (free range from open air chooks) and they are great! Bread has been replaced by rice and potatoes. Well not literally. It's just that no matter what sort of bread we have tried (home baked, store bought, gluten free bakery...) it's just not nice. And as you know we like nice bread. But who said bread HAD to be a part of the diet? We did without for a good few thousand years...
A1 milk has ben replaced by A2 - goats cheese occasionally and did you know that you can get A2 cows milk? Cakes work with cornflour or cocoa or ground nuts. And they taste GOOD! Fatless sponge with cornflour has been around for years - with fruit spread in the centre... YUM!
Biscuits made with eggs and almonds - no rice flour or potato flour here. And NO ADDITIVES!
No take-aways now. So it actually works out cheaper than it did before. I have had lots of celiacs recommend rice cakes to us - you know the crispy things - but most are flavoured - we occasionally have plain. We eat more things now. Lunch is hard. And so is breakfast but we are slowly getting there. It's a good job the kids like fruit!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Castle Hill Walk
Today was a bright clear sunny day so as it has been a long weekend we figured we would take Katie (and baby sister) out to Castle Hill for walk. It is very suited for little kids really - and even has toilets! It was great to be able to take them into the mountains as it is something we don't do enough of! The walk up to the rocks was pleasant and quite busy with tourists and locals alike as well as climbers hauling their matresses around, practising.
The snow on the tops was beautiful and there was plenty of scrambling in and around the huge boulders. Very exciting for a three year old. And Springfield made a great stop (with toilets and a couple of great cafes) for the kids. Well worth the effort to drive to!
The snow on the tops was beautiful and there was plenty of scrambling in and around the huge boulders. Very exciting for a three year old. And Springfield made a great stop (with toilets and a couple of great cafes) for the kids. Well worth the effort to drive to!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Specialist organic shops
I like food. I like tasty food. I love additive free food. So you would think that me going into a specialist organic shops would be heaven. Well it's not! The one I used to like closed down. And I keep trying new ones but I have yet to find anyone that I trust!
For a start, most places are tiny and carry a very limited stock. They all seem to have the usual cereals and tinned beans, identical to the ones which can be found at a fraction of the cost at the major supermarket down the road. They also sell small weighed bags of organic raisins and small foods - with a 'use by' date penned in. Obviously taken from a large container of the same. But how long has that been opened for? No way of telling.
The fruit produce is always Expensive. I buy local apples at around 99c a kg currently. Usually I can get them from the local orchard - I even drive past the trees. They aren't organic - but they are very local. The latest organic apples I saw were $3.99 a kg. And they were shipped from north island. Wow.
I would love to buy organic - but it is so incredibly expensive. Everyone I talk to tells me it isn't - but whenever I venture into one of these places I walk out amazed at the prices.
I particularly love seeing 'flavours' listed in ingredients of organic food. Personally I like real vanilla - with lots of those black seeds floating around the mixture - not a 'flavour'.
I am actually pro organic. It's just that I like to think I am sensible too. I would rather we ate the quantity of fruit and veg that we eat, than have to buy only a third of organic. As it is I spend about $90 a week on fruit and veges. That has really gone up since changing our diets. $250 a week??? I don't think so!
As for the staff at most of the organic places I have so far visited. I thought they would be passionate people. Ready to tell the customer the benefits of organic, the 'history' of the produce on their shelves. The name of the chicken that laid the eggs even. Nah. Not interested. The new butcher where I tried this week - not bothered about explaining the ingredients to me (in my quest to find safe additive free sausages). I thought these people would talk my ear off. I know I would if I could source decent quality produce!
And it leaves me wondering - what sort of rich people use these places? My guess? Ones who like to tell everyone about how they only eat organic. Even if it costs the earth.
For a start, most places are tiny and carry a very limited stock. They all seem to have the usual cereals and tinned beans, identical to the ones which can be found at a fraction of the cost at the major supermarket down the road. They also sell small weighed bags of organic raisins and small foods - with a 'use by' date penned in. Obviously taken from a large container of the same. But how long has that been opened for? No way of telling.
The fruit produce is always Expensive. I buy local apples at around 99c a kg currently. Usually I can get them from the local orchard - I even drive past the trees. They aren't organic - but they are very local. The latest organic apples I saw were $3.99 a kg. And they were shipped from north island. Wow.
I would love to buy organic - but it is so incredibly expensive. Everyone I talk to tells me it isn't - but whenever I venture into one of these places I walk out amazed at the prices.
I particularly love seeing 'flavours' listed in ingredients of organic food. Personally I like real vanilla - with lots of those black seeds floating around the mixture - not a 'flavour'.
I am actually pro organic. It's just that I like to think I am sensible too. I would rather we ate the quantity of fruit and veg that we eat, than have to buy only a third of organic. As it is I spend about $90 a week on fruit and veges. That has really gone up since changing our diets. $250 a week??? I don't think so!
As for the staff at most of the organic places I have so far visited. I thought they would be passionate people. Ready to tell the customer the benefits of organic, the 'history' of the produce on their shelves. The name of the chicken that laid the eggs even. Nah. Not interested. The new butcher where I tried this week - not bothered about explaining the ingredients to me (in my quest to find safe additive free sausages). I thought these people would talk my ear off. I know I would if I could source decent quality produce!
And it leaves me wondering - what sort of rich people use these places? My guess? Ones who like to tell everyone about how they only eat organic. Even if it costs the earth.
Friday, November 2, 2007
More walks in and around Christchurch
A few weekends ago we drove over to Glentui falls. I'd looked at lots of walks to try to find something that would appeal to the kids. It is a lovely spot. Katie is 3 1/2 and enjoyed the walk - although I was holding her hand really tightly at the drop off parts! We didn't manage to do the complete loop - a combination of factors - not enough food, Katie only having shoes on, underestimating the time it took to drive there...
We got as far as the little bridge that crosses the Glentui river - almost half-way. But as we are trying to build up her little legs we decided it would be prudent to return the way we came.
The waterfall was stunning. The kids didn't get bitten - but we did - so now insect repellent is part of the kit.
And today? We did the Barnett Park loop. Katie loved the cave at the top - we didn't manage to get to Paradise cave. It's a long walk for little legs and by then she was starting to flag. We set off quite early and had the track to ourselves initially. After our picnic it got pretty busy with locals walking dogs. And about 5 minutes before the end, Katie sat on the path - shattered. She didn't say anything! So we carried her for a few minutes - more food needed I think! And maybe emergency chocolate!
I just wish there was a website where you could see what walks were suitable for kids. You know, something interesting and about the right length. I would also suggest doing the loop anti clockwise (as the regulars do) as there is more loose stuff on the path on the descent if you do it as the books suggest.
Most 'family' walks are rather boring I find - too short and too flat. We like hills, not too many drop offs - and if there's a toilet at the start all the better!!
We got as far as the little bridge that crosses the Glentui river - almost half-way. But as we are trying to build up her little legs we decided it would be prudent to return the way we came.
The waterfall was stunning. The kids didn't get bitten - but we did - so now insect repellent is part of the kit.
And today? We did the Barnett Park loop. Katie loved the cave at the top - we didn't manage to get to Paradise cave. It's a long walk for little legs and by then she was starting to flag. We set off quite early and had the track to ourselves initially. After our picnic it got pretty busy with locals walking dogs. And about 5 minutes before the end, Katie sat on the path - shattered. She didn't say anything! So we carried her for a few minutes - more food needed I think! And maybe emergency chocolate!
I just wish there was a website where you could see what walks were suitable for kids. You know, something interesting and about the right length. I would also suggest doing the loop anti clockwise (as the regulars do) as there is more loose stuff on the path on the descent if you do it as the books suggest.
Most 'family' walks are rather boring I find - too short and too flat. We like hills, not too many drop offs - and if there's a toilet at the start all the better!!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The latest on the supermarket thing...
Well my idea of going to the supermarket less often is working however - I managed three weeks. I am going to carry on doing this as there are some valuable lessons I have already learnt:
We don't use as much toilet paper as I thought (maybe Katie has stopped unravelling it all off the roll and ripping it up like confetti at long last).
We eat heaps of easiyo yoghurt. At least twice as much as I thought we did. We don't like greek and honey. That's the only flavour I had left...
Never underestimate the amount of toothpaste a preschooler can go through if they are in a tooth brushing mood.
Jam and fruit spread is important. You will always want the type you don't have in. No matter how many varieties you have in.
We don't use as much toilet paper as I thought (maybe Katie has stopped unravelling it all off the roll and ripping it up like confetti at long last).
We eat heaps of easiyo yoghurt. At least twice as much as I thought we did. We don't like greek and honey. That's the only flavour I had left...
Never underestimate the amount of toothpaste a preschooler can go through if they are in a tooth brushing mood.
Jam and fruit spread is important. You will always want the type you don't have in. No matter how many varieties you have in.
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