Let's have some peace, love and understanding - 50 Shades of... food allergy!!

Once upon a time, I honestly had no idea you could be dairy free. I was quite blissfully unaware. That all changed when 'Baby' came along and we discovered her (Non-Ige mediated) milk allergy!

Then, to keep my little one well and thriving, I had no choice but to learn about being dairy free and to be honest, time on, I'm still learning... as it turns out there's many variations or 'shades' of being allergic to food! This post is inspired by various conversations I've had on Twitter, but which for the most part will concentrate on being dairy free.

When I say 'dairy free', I tend to mean, not just avoiding milk along with all products made with milk, but also all products that may contain milk (with the exception of one or two that seem to have proved themselves 'safe' for us) along with any that are declared not suitable for those with a milk allergy! (This is based on our experience - what 'Baby' has reacted to in the past - she was so sensitive, that as a three month old baby, she reacted to a tiny amount of dried milk powder used in the flavouring of a packet of salt and vinegar crisps that I had eaten by mistake!! In fact, 'Baby's' sensitivity caught even our pediatrician by surprise!!)

I'd like to think the whole dairy free thing could be that black and white, HOWEVER, I have discovered that other peoples' experiences of being dairy free can be rather different! It has gradually occurred to me, over time, that many who follow us via the blog/Face Book page/Twitter account may well class themselves as dairy free, but have requirements that differ somewhat from ours*! Which is why now I sometimes list products on Face Book or Twitter that are not as dairy free as I might wish - but I always try to be as clear as I can, when I do so, in order to avoid any confusion.

So...

What are these 'shades of dairy free'?

Personally, I became dairy free not because I myself am milk allergic, but in order to breastfeed my dairy free milk allergic baby. I had to eliminate all traces of dairy from my diet, in order to make her well again. There are other mums out there who do the same.

However, it turns out that not all babies with a milk allergy are the same - they have varying thresholds of tolerance - some are less sensitive to dairy than 'Baby' and some are more! Some babies with milk allergies are not found to be milk allergic whilst breastfeeding or even whilst formula fed (this is because milk proteins in formula are processed to some extent, which can make them more easily tolerated) - allergic reactions in these cases only becoming apparent once weaning begins. 

Most babies with milk allergy are fine with a hydrolysed baby formula, which contains cow's milk, with the proteins have been broken down. Other milk allergic babies require a hypoallergenic formula that contains no cow's milk whatsoever, but is made with amino acids instead.

Then, there is more than one kind of milk allergy - you might be Ige (experiencing instant reactions or reactions that take place within an hour or so) or Non-Ige (formerly labelled as cow's milk protein intolerance, it involves delayed reactions which may not even present themselves for a few days). 

Some people may take several exposures to a trace amount,of milk, before a reaction becomes evident, others may react almost instantly to the slightest trace. 

There are also those who are outgrowing their milk allergy and are gradually becoming more and more able to accept milk-based products (there are various stages to this, that I won't go into here, but it's like a gradual phasing-in, until milk can be fully tolerated) they are still milk allergic, until it is completely outgrown. 

Some may well outgrow their milk allergy, to all intents and purposes, but then (like a friend's son) still occasionally find that they might have a reaction if they 'overdo' the consumption of milk or milk containing products. 

And then there's the fact that not all allergic people respond to allergens in the same way - the symptoms can vary enormously. Some may experience a potentially fatal anaphylactic shock and require epi-pens and hospital admissions, whilst others may have incredibly bad attacks of eczema or asthma, or (like 'Baby) might experience crippling gastro-type symptoms, reflux, or rashes or... well I could go on - there are many other symptoms. 

There are also those, who, surprisingly, only react to certain dairy products - like my little sis who can't eat cheese, or my niece who can no longer drink milk or eat most cheeses without getting a stomach-ache, but can eat yogurt, ice cream and chocolate (which I must admit confuses 'Baby' somewhat to see her cousin differentiating between foods in this way)!

Then there are those who can't drink cows' milk, but seem to be fine with goat's milk (please note, I do not advocate trying goat's milk with a cow's milk allergy sufferer, as the statistics are stacked against this one, and I've heard of too many people trying this, only to come a cropper)!

There are some who may or may not be milk allergic, but believe they are as a result of unreliable or unavailable allergy testing. Whilst the gold-standard is, of course, a professional diagnosis, by an properly up-to-date allergy doctor or dietitian, coming from our own experiences,** I understand completely why some people do self-diagnose. 

There may well be some for whom apparent reactions are psychosomatic, but again proper medical advice/attention is what is required in these instances - not allergy shaming! I particularly appreciate Alex Gazzola's thoughts on this one.

Then there are also those, who, are not allergic, but, believing dairy to be less healthy have made a lifestyle choice or who are Vegan and who will not react to milk traces, so are happy to accept products that do contain traces of milk. 

There are also those who are lactose intolerant - that is they cannot digest the lactose (sugar) in milk. Many lactose intolerant people can cope with small amounts of processed dairy - some even can have small amounts of cheese - or some use enzymes to help them digest their food.

Or, some may find their IBS symptoms improve, when they follow a diet that is free from various foods, including dairy.

And there are those who feel their autistic child responds better once they've cut out dairy.

And then there are those who develop a temporary intolerance to milk - perhaps due to intestinal damage, from something such as coeliac disease or following a stomach bug.

And then there are those who, for whatever reason, just don't like dairy. I must admit, I find this last one the hardest to understand that, as I love all dairy, but I do accept that it can happen!

In fact, if I stop to think about it, although I may not have actually listed 50 shades of dairy free here, there are probably far more than 50 shades of being dairy free as there are so many variations!! By the way, I don't advocate all of the above - I am just more aware of the breadth of the dairy free community than I used to be and am trying to illustrate just how broad it can be.

Peace, love and understanding?

Small wonder, then, that there exists a certain amount of confusion about all this. It is perhaps typified by the response of some restaurateurs who grumble that people claim to have food allergies and then eat food from other peoples' plates - plates that have not been prepared with the same careful precautions that have been followed for the allergic individual. As a result, when some people hear the word 'allergy,' their ears prick up and they begin to look for a rat to smell! 

To those of you who are looking for a rat to smell, yes, I understand your skepticism, I too have heard of people saying someone is allergic, simply because they are being fussy, and just don't like cheese, but, in my experience these people are in the tiniest of minorities. 

Please understand that those of us who are genuinely dealing with milk allergy are all dealing with slightly differing circumstances. It's all about those '50 shades' - some of us may therefore NEED to take more precautions than others and for those who seemingly take less precautions it still doesn't negate the fact that they do suffer from an allergy. 

Please don't take Pure Leith's attitude, who, when discussing allergens and restaurants last week said that some people's reactions are not too serious - according to her understanding it's only a problem if it kills you. No, it's true, my little one may not die if she has milk, but that does NOT mean she won't suffer. Because her reactions are delayed, YOU are unlikely to witness them, but I will still be picking up the pieces, hours later, maybe even the next day or longer - depending on how much milk she has been exposed to and how much the milk content has been broken down by being baked or processed and also her general state of health at the time. For some people, delayed reactions can literally last days. Left unrecognized or dealt with, in the longer term, delayed reactions can cause children to become malnourished, because their guts become damaged and unable to digest food properly.   

You may not be aware of this, but a gut that has been damaged by a food allergen, is traumatized. Imagine bad eczema on someone's arm, but actually it's not on an arm, but in the gut. The difference is that damage to the gut is unseen and there is no soothing balm that you can apply to help it heal. You just have to wait. This is why when we have failed a carefully carried out food challenge (to see if our little one is beginning to outgrow her allergy) we have to wait at least three or four months before trying again - to allow the gut to completely recover.

Please ALWAYS take food allergy seriously, even if you think some of those who claim to be allergic don't - I'm sure you wouldn't want to find yourselves in the position of an American restaurant (featured in the press, just this week), who didn't take it seriously enough... tragically resulting in a teenager's death. And I hope that equally you wouldn't want those of us with less visible effects to suffer also. After all, why should we pay for a meal that would make us ill or discomforted in some way??

And to those of us with varying degrees of being dairy free, let's be honest, let's educate ourselves as best we can, let's support one another, let's keep communicating (as rationally as possible - I know it can be hard at times, when feelings are running high) with the outside world, to help them understand our needs, and...

Vive la Difference! 

* Please note: whilst I accept that this may be the case, in regards to followers, I expect food manufacturers to be as transparent as possible in describing/labelling their food to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding and allergic reactions (i.e. please do not market food as 'dairy free' if it's made in the same environment or on the same equipment as milk products - it's completely misleading for those who are extremely sensitive and who could experience a reaction, if exposed to the tiniest of traces).

** Milk/food allergies can sometimes, but not always, be picked up in specific Ige blood tests or in skin prick tests. Such tests are hugely frustrating, as they can provide false positives or negatives, so, unfortunately, a test is not necessarily conclusive. This is why milk allergy should be properly diagnosed by a trained Health Care Professional, who can investigate your history, but, sadly, appointments with the experts are not always as available as they should be - there are more people wanting appointments than can get them, hence there are those who rely on self-diagnosis or on tests which have no scientific basis. Many parents still struggle to get GP's or Health Visitors to take their concerns about food allergy seriously. We only got our diagnosis for our little one by going private. Two local GPs completely misdiagnosed our little one with other completely unrelated conditions. Also, I personally have sat in my GP's surgery and mentioned about my OAS syndrome, and my reactions to soya, only to have the GP say 'Oh!' and nothing more! I believe more training is needed for first line medical professionals, in order to help them understand, spot and know how to proceed when presented with patients with potential allergies. I am very thankful, therfore, for HCP's who get this and are working to improve their colleagues knowledge and understanding!

Further reading:

Web MD Gluten-free/Casein-free diets for Autism

What you need to know about diagnostic allergy testing

Related posts: 

100 chefs - why I'm not bovvered...

Are we really allergic?

Finding the perfect formula for the dairy free baby

100 Chefs - Why I'm not bovvered...

Heard the one about the 100 'top chefs'?

Well, just in case you haven't heard, a letter purportedly from '100 top chefs' to the Daily Telegraph bemoaning the recent new law passed by the EU - which is meant to ensure that those who sell food products in the UK know what is in the food they're selling and can communicate it effectively to those who wish to know! 

In the UK, the required information doesn't actually have to be written down - it can be provided verbally, but actually, in a busy restaurant, it's probably much easier for waiting staff to give out an annotated menu or similar - to save them from repeating themselves, as much as anything else, but also to save mistakes being made!! In fact, this has been standard practice in most chain restaurants, for some time!

This menu is from Zizi - note it says: 'Ask us for an allergen menu.'

Apparently, according to these 'chefs', knowing what is in their food is an outrageous breach of their creative process and will cause their food businesses to fail. Hmm! I'd beg to differ! If this is the way they a section of their customers, I rather think their lack of customer care may be the issue they need to address! They are in the hospitality industry - hospitality involves making people feel welcome, doesn't it? Maybe it would help if they read this article (via Lucy's Friendly Foods) and take a leaf out of this chef's book, or take note of what Tom Kerridge has said about the subject (see here)!

When I first heard about the article, I must admit I was cross. Then I re-examined the list, to see whose restaurants I should be avoiding in the future (well they obviously don't want my custom). However, none of them own a business anywhere near me, and, call me a Philistine if you like, there were only TWO people on the list that I'd ever heard of! 

Where was Jamie Oliver, Marcus Wareing, Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein, Raymond Blanc?? You know, people I've heard of??

This was confirmed for me by Chef Hermes. Most of the people on this list aren't even chefs - he says they're just business owners. Riiiigght... so we're stalling their culinary activity then, are we?? Bad reporting by the Daily Telegraph, methinks!!

Anyway, it's a bit too late for all the protestations really, isn't it? I fail to see what they're hoping to achieve - apart from getting everyone's backs up! It's already law, it was passed unanimously, and there's nothing they can do about it! And they will be fined if they don't comply! 

I was quite interested to hear from various quarters that it actually turns out that the letter is backed by a political organisation who is anti EU. It's funny 'cos in many ways I think I am and have been anti EU. However, I've now discovered one reason why I LOVE the EU. I am really glad of the law passed about food allergies. I wish in fact that the EU had gone further. I wish they had given food allergies the same level of consideration as disability - this was debated the other year and rejected. I don't understand why. No one chooses to be allergic! Do they? And yes, in many ways it is disabling! It definitely has restricted our movements and choices. SO I think knowing what is or isn't in our food, is quite the least they could do, in the circumstances.

Should you wish to know who one hundred signatories are, they are listed here. 

As they do not wish to care about listing allergens, you might not wish to visit their establishments - if you can actually find one of them, to avoid, that is!!


Update:

Had to laugh! This morning we had a newsletter via email from the Ebury (where it turns out we have once eaten, and whose proprietor is on the 'list'). It advertises gluten and dairy free dishes and states the following (under a large heading 'Food Allergies'): 

Changes to food labelling laws that were introduced in December 2014 will help provide allergen information to our customers in a clearer and more consistent way. Head chef at The Ebury, Bernard Dumonteil, is very concious of the new regulations and can provide a detailed list for all dishes on the menu. This list is readily available so anyone with an allergen problem can dine in safety at The Ebury. Please ask you waiter for further information.

Couldn't make it up, could you?

By the way, they were off my list of places to go anyway - my gut wasn't great the day after!

Update 2:

Laughing, 'cos Thomasina Miers clearly still doesn't realise written information/spreadsheets are not required to communicate information regarding allergies!! You can read her blog post, by following this link.

I have formulated a response, but am not sure whether it will be posted, so I've reproduced it here:

I was interested to read your comment but must admit to being slightly confused! Nowhere, as far as I’m aware, do the new EU regulations stipulate that spreadsheets be used, to communicate information regarding allergens – in fact it’s quite the opposite. It actually states that information can be provided verbally. SO I would have thought that there’s no reason why your staff cannot provide the same information in the same way as they did before!

Personally speaking, I love it when restaurants CAN provide information in spreadsheet form, as a multiple allergy sufferer, I just find it easier to cross-reference information. And also I am concerned that information spread by word of mouth, could lead to staff forgetting things and making mistakes. It also saves a lot of toing and froing from staff, when they’re not sure and have to consult a chef. Even better, I love it when restaurant websites can provide the information I’m after, as we often look online first, before deciding whether it’s worth contacting a restaurant in the first place.

Finally, I have to say, I know the comments made to the press by Thomasina Miers have upset a lot of people, who have welcomed the new EU legislation. It will take some while to rebuild trust. I for one, am less inclined to provide custom, where it appears an establishment regards me and my problems with food as an issue. I thought the hospitality industry was there to make people feel welcome. Thankfully, there are a lot more establishments who don’t seem to have a problem providing for people with allergies, and these are the ones we to whom we shall give our customer loyalty.

Related posts:

Show me the menu!

Violife Dairy Free Mozzarella Cheese

Yesterday, I went out for lunch with some of the ladies from the school gate. Very nice too, but I couldn't help viewing their lunches with envy!! They were having pizza. I was stuck with the only gluten and dairy free dish on the menu, which was, pretty bland and tasteless! Good job I went for the company and not for the food, then!

So today (still suffering from pizza-envy), when I spotted this little cheese tucked away at the back of the fridge, in Holland and Barrett, I was pretty chuffed!

Violife Mozzarella cheese comes packed in slices!

I'd already stashed a gluten and dairy free pizza base from Sainsbury's away in my cupboard the other day, and I was gagging for it! I just couldn't wait to get home, rip the packet off and tear that cheese onto some pizza.

Keeping it simple with mushrooms and black olives.

So how did we get on?

'Scuse the foil - I was trying to save on the washing up!

What's it like?

Violife's Mozzarella cheese comes in a packet containing ten slices. They are pretty well stuck together, so a sharp knife is needed to carefully separate them. It tears quite easily and does seem to melt quite nicely - without the thin crust I've found when I've melted most of the other Violife cheeses. So far, so good! I think it would have melted a little better, given even longer in the oven, but the other toppings on the pizza were beginning to look like they needed rescuing, so out the pizza had to come!

Flavourwise, you definitely get a lovely cheesy hit from this mozzarella and it seems to have that lovely creamy, melty mozzarella texture that you'd hope for - something that surprised me, as the cheese didn't look that melted. 

In terms of flavour, I'd have to say that although I've enjoyed the Violife Original on toast, the Violife creamy on crackers and the Violife Pizza in a Bechamel-type sauce, in a lasagna, this one is my definite favourite and gets a BIG thumbs-up from me! Previously, I've enjoyed the Mozzarisella dairy free cheese, which had a great melt and creamy texture, but not as much flavour as this one!

What's in it?

Violife Mozzarella Ingredients: 

Water, Coconut Oil (23%), Modified Starch, Sea Salt, Mozzarella Vegan Flavour, Polyphenols, Colour: b-carotene

On the face of it, the ingredient list looks simple enough, but, as usual, Violife are using their mysterious 'vegan flavour' again. If you're Vegan or only dealing with the fourteen major allergens, I would guess (under the recent EU law) you're safe, but I've no idea what this might mean for anyone with some of the more unusual allergies, like peppers, for example!

If the coconut in this cheese isn't for you, for whatever reason, you might like to try Mozzarisella cheese, which is also dairy and soya free, but not so nearly as easy to get hold of as this one!

Where can it be bought?

I bought Violife's Mozzarella from Holland and Barrett. That said, not all Holland and Barretts might stock it. However, I've sometimes found that if the one nearest you doesn't stock something, the store in the next town nearest to you just might! 

I'm guessing some independent health food shops might also stock this one, but I haven't seen it in mine so far - although they do stock the Pizza and Creamy with Herbs versions. 

I don't think you'll find the Mozzarella version in any of the major supermarkets just yet, although I know that both larger Tescos and Asdas now stock Violife Original and Violife Creamy. 

How fab that these Violife Originals can now be found in local supermarkets!

How much?


Well I spent £2.99 on a 200g packet of the Mozzarella. But I enjoyed it so much that I didn't begrudge a penny - especially as they're currently buy one get one half price in Holland and Barrett! Actually, I'm quite tempted to go back tomorrow and stock up on some more, as, if they're kept unopened in the fridge, they have quite a long shelf life! In fact, this packet isn't due up until mid-September, this year - that's seven whole months away!

They're the same price online at Alternative Stores, although obviously you'll pay extra package and posting there - they deliver pretty quickly though, and from the looks of it, you can also buy larger packs, should you so wish, which are £5.50 for double the amount!

The only thing with Alternative Stores is that you'll have so much choice - not just of dairy free cheese, but also chocolate, among other things, that you may well end up spending more than you'd bargained for ;)

Related posts:



New Cheese on the Block - Mozzarisella



An Alternative to Cheese and Alternative Stores

Cocoa Libre Dairy Free Milk Chocolate

It's hard work photographing these little beauties!

Partly because they're quite tiny and I didn't have a very good camera to hand when The Hub brought them home, and partly because they don't last very long - they're much too yummy to leave hanging around!

How empty are these packets?! They don't last long - too yummy!

To be honest, my photography does not do them nearly enough justice!!

So let me tell you about them instead.

I've been aware of Cocoa Libre for some time, however, I hadn't tried them, because it involved buying online, and usually I prefer not too - as post and packaging bumps up the price of everything! And they seemed quite expensive too - costing £4.69 for a pack containing ten - I know, I know, they're handmade chocolate, so that always bumps up the price. SO I was very excited when The Hub brought some home, as a special treat, not long before Christmas!

He brought two lots home - a box of owl-shaped choccies and a box of sheep (ideal for an Easter treat methinks - they now have Easter chicks too).

'Baby' was immediately entranced with them, but not liking her chocolate flavoured with anything, she plumped for the sheep and took ownership of the whole packet (don't worry I didn't let her eat them all at once)! Just rude!!

Cute!

However, I didn't miss out on anything with the owls, no, not at all! 

What are they like?

I think I've said before that I'm not a huge fan of mint chocolate, but these... well these are something else! 

Cocoa Libre chocolate is smooth, silky, creamy, yummy, gorgeous... I could go on! They're incredibly moreish. I really had to exercise a lot of self-control not to gobble them down all at once! Of course, you'll have to take my word for it, as the only way you'll know how good they taste is if you try them for yourself! 

Where can they be found?

Cocoa Libre's website carries the full range. A list of other stockists can be found here, although I hear they may soon be more widely available - which, now that I'm a convert, I find very exciting!

What's in them?

Milk Chocolate Sheep:

Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Rice Powder (Rice Syrup, Rice Flour) 13.5%, Dietary Fibre (inulin), Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavouring, Natural Cocoa Flavouring.

Dark Mint Chocolate Owls:

Cocoa mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifer: Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavouring, Peppermint Oil.

Back to the dietitian... a routine visit, for dairy free 'Baby'

'Wow you've grown!'

is what they said to 'Baby' at our most recent appointment! Or words to that effect!

And yes, I must admit, she certainly has!

My purse has been sending me that message for some while, now - I've already had to buy her almost a complete new set of school uniform and she only started school in September!

So that was the good thing about our appointment - confirmation that 'Baby,' despite her milk allergy, is thriving well.

Must admit, there wasn't much else we gained this time, as what with the nature of 'Baby's' allergy being Non-Ige, all 'Baby's' milk challenges are carried out a home - supposedly at six monthly intervals. However, all our attempts to challenge her with baked milk recently, have been frustrated by her frequent unexplained tummy aches (which I am still trying to get to the bottom of) and by her picking up various illnesses from school. 

As I've mentioned before, you have to be well in order to carry out a milk challenge* and as her reactions to milk are mainly delayed gut-related reactions, I've no idea whether these tummy aches have been cause by accidental exposure to milk, or whether she's picked up some bug. If it is an accidental exposure to milk, it would leave her gut needing a break to heal up, and get better... so we keep waiting for a golden window of opportunity to appear! 


So what did we get up to?

1) Each time we go, they check 'Baby's' measurements. 

They weigh her. These days, it requires a much bigger set of scales:

The scales!

And they measure her height, on this height chart:

No, she hasn't reached the clock, just yet!

2) We discuss her food intake. 

This enables the dietitian to see if 'Baby' was getting the right balance of food overall. It also enables her to recalculate 'Baby's' calcium intake - to ensure that she's not missing out. The dietitian might offer some tips, on how to improve intake, if required. This was especially useful in the early days of weaning.

Stupid me, sits there at this stage, 'umming' and 'ahhing' a lot, as I try to cast my mind backwards and think about what we've been feeding our little one. Only after the appointment (DOH!), does it occur to me that next time, I should be more organised and take the following, as I think this would make things a bit easier:

• a copy of the school's three week lunch plan 

• a meal plan for a 'normal' week at home

• a more precise calculation of her daily dairy free 'milk' intake (including how much she has at school)

3) We also discuss her progress (or lack of progress) with the 'Milk Ladder,'* along with any other concerns that we might have.

At the moment, we still need to attempt a baked milk challenge every six months (assuming that 'Baby' is well), but like I said, we're still working on this one.

Originally, when we saw our first dietitian, we went through the same sort of process, but 'Baby' was weighed on a very different set of scales, and, at that time, as a breastfeeding mother, my intake was closely monitored too! We also had appointments quite regularly - at least every 6 months. However, 'Baby' being older now and having moved house to a new area, our appointments have been scaled back to yearly intervals. In fact I got the impression they were not that fussed about seeing us at all! 

I can understand why:

• She's had all the tests, both blood tests (she wasn't keen on those) and skin prick - (much more harmless)! The tests revealed nothing - except that her allergy is Non-Ige mediated*. That means she's not got the life threatening version (panic over, 'cos at one stage 'Baby's' was having some interesting rashes).

• We've been managing her dairy free diet successfully at home for a while now, so there's not all that much they can teach us there, now that we've 'learned the ropes,' so to speak! 

• There are so many children developing food allergies these days and so few allergy professionals (by comparison) that they've got quite patients already!

We only had one thing to test, but it still took up most of her arm!

So, why do we go?

Well:

• We're still hovering around step one of the milk ladder.* We thought we'd achieved this step in the summer, but then, what with various things going on; emptying our old flat for sale, family illness etc. we had a short break and then it seemed that 'Baby' was no longer tolerating the malted milk biscuits. GRRR! As, we're still hoping to work our way up the said milk ladder, I wish to keep my foot in the door (as it were) with the dietitian - in case I need to refer back to her for advice.

• I want them to keep monitoring her. Yes, we're doing okay with her at the moment, but this may not always be the case! I want to keep her on the books, to make sure she doesn't end up forgotten - like an old teddy bear, deteriorating in a dusty box in the attic.

• To get updated nutritional advice - the dietitian's handout on calcium sources has significantly more content than last year!

• Also, just on the off-chance that some new miraculous discovery could advance 'Baby's' ability to tolerate cow's milk, I want to be in there with my appointment already. After all, it took us long enough to get an appointment in the first place!!

Of course, what I really long for, is the day when 'Baby' outgrows her allergy, and a visit to the dietitian is no longer required...

* Glossary:

Milk Challenge - when you try to find out whether an allergic individual is still allergic to milk, by giving them a small amount of milk, in some form. If severely allergic, this will take place within a hospital setting. If not severely allergic, this will take place at home, according to instructions provided by your Health Care Professionals.

Milk Ladder - the term given to a structured approach which is used to reintroduce cow's milk to children with a cow's milk allergy. It is based on the premise that if children can be found to tolerate baked milk (apparently 80% can), they should consume it regularly. Their bodies may then be induced to progress gradually to accept cow's milk in other forms. As a result, they are more likely to outgrow their milk allergy. I have seen several examples of milk ladders. They all work on the same principle. My preferred version has the approach broken down into twelve stages.

Non-Ige mediated food allergy - is one that does not present symptoms immediately. Reactions may occur hours, or even a few days later. This kind of food allergy does not show up in tests but is diagnosed via food elimination, followed by a challenge, in which the suspected allergen is reintroduced.

Related Posts: 

Weaning the Dairy Free Baby - First Steps!

Dietitian time coming up!

When food challenges seem to fail...

Sweet Dairy Free Valentine!

Have you a dairy free valentine making your heart flutter? Are you casting around for ideas to treat that dairy free someone special in your life? 

Well, I may just be able to help you out!

We don't make a huge deal of Valentine's Day - mostly it's cards, choccies, flowers and a meal at home. We could eat out, but bearing in mind how busy it is on that day of the year, I don't think we will!

If you are planning on going out for a Valentine's meal, and are wondering where you might go, that's suitable, you might like to check out these older posts, which might give you some ideas, of where you might like to go!

Meanwhile, if you're looking for some sweet treats for your dairy free Valentine, well, it's not an exhaustive list, but here's a few ideas:

A classic!

I've seen these classic Love Heart tins in a number of places, like Sainsbury's, but £1.99 at The Works is pretty hard to beat!

Last year, you could also buy boxes of Haribo hearts from places like Poundland, and 'Baby' insisted on me buying some marshmalllow hearts too - from Waitrose, I think!

However, if chocolate is more your thing:

D and D Chocolates have plenty of other ideas on their website. D and D Chocolates chocolate is all dairy, gluten and nut free. It is made with sunflower lecithin but they do carry a warning that they may contain soya - although they have assured me that the risk is minimal.

Ayni is another great company, you can find online. I love their Chocolate Love Hearts, priced from £1.25 (plus P&P).

Sweet!

And also these Raspberry Cream Hearts. Which are priced from £3.00.

So cute!

You can check out their full range of Valentine chocolate here. Ayni's chocolate is Paleo - handmade without dairy, gluten, soya, sesame, nuts or refined sugar. See here, for more details.

If you're looking for something from the High Street:

Hotel Chocolat have a few Valentine offerings, that aren't too pricey, there's this:

I really love the romantic design on these!

Dark Chocolate Heart Lick - they're £2.50 each. I've had a few of these! You used to be able to get them without the stick. This year, I see that they are now available, without the stick, in miniature form. See below:

Aren't they cute?

Wink Wink - five dark chocolate hearts for £2.50

These Hotel Chocolat's products are made with dark chocolate that is made without dairy. From looking at their website, it seems they may use the same equipment as milk chocolate, but clean carefully between batches. A similar policy exists regarding gluten. They are made with soya lecithin - many folks who have a soya allergy or intolerance are okay with the lecithin (as the protein is removed). Unfortunately, for those of you who have to avoid nuts, Hotel Chocolat cannot guarantee that their chocolate is nut free.

Booja Booja If you want to splash out a bit more on your Valentine, you may prefer to give them a box of Booja Booja truffles, which you can find in most good health food stores, sometimes in Holland and Barrett and even in Waitrose! 

Booja Booja truffles are both dairy and gluten free. They are, also quite yummy, so they make a great treat! However, they are made with soya lecithin and nuts.

However, should you wish to be a little more personal and creative, then I suggest you buy some dairy free chocolate drops, from Plamil, or Hotel Chocolat, then take a look at this site - they sell the most gorgeous chocolate moulds. Although Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I think there's still just enough time!

So, you're weaning... dairy free!

Inspired by a conversation I had with someone, just this morning!

Dear Dairy Free Mum,

It's not how you imagined it would be, is it?? It's all become a bit scary - now that weaning is approaching! You're worried about how it will all pan out, and other people breezily telling you not to worry is not much help!

Can I give you permission to have a little weep about it first? Or even a big weep, if that's what's needed. I've been there. I know what you're going through.

Then let me tell you that even if it doesn't feel good now, it will be okay. 

I remember as a child watching 'Dad's Army' on the telly, and chuckling away at the frequently heard refrain: 

'Don't panic, Mr Mainwearing!'

But that is honestly not much help when you are actually panicking is it? 

Looking back, there's a lot I take for granted now, that didn't come so easily, when first 'Baby' was diagnosed with cow's milk protein intolerance (actually cow's milk protein allergy). A whole lot of learning has taken place since then and what a journey it has been! There's stuff that I've already shared about our weaning process that I don't really want to go through again, but if you're interested, you can read about it here.

However, I would like to pass on some quick words of advice to anyone just beginning that weaning process and wondering what on earth they're going to do and how they're going to get through it, I mean everyone feeds their small kids fromage frais, and cheese strings don't they?

Weeeeell, not quite!

Here's some little pointers for you!

1) Your baby can live a healthy life without dairy!

Hear me now: I by no means make the claim that a dairy free diet is healthier for you,(although I know that some people do), however.... did you know that it is entirely possible (and even desirable to some) to live your life totally without dairy - many Vegans do! The main thing is to discover what is lacking from a 'normal' diet, if you miss out the dairy and then supplement your diet, in order to fill in the gaps. 

The main things that would be missing from your diet, as far as I can tell, are calcium, B vitamins and zinc (unless you're American, in which case, your milk is fortified with vitamin D). If you're not a Vegan, you don't need to worry about the last two - as they're found in found in meat and eggs (B vitamins), meat, fish and pulses (zinc) so you're consuming it all the time. And even if you aren't dairy free, it's a good idea to educate yourself about calcium anyway, in order to avoid osteoporosis in later life! You can read more about that here and here.

2) You can substitute dairy!

Dairy substitutes are much more readily available than they ever used to be - even since my daughter was first diagnosed, just over five years ago!

Some substitutes for dairy, (see our page for more posts about these) are arguably more necessary than others and some that are (again arguably) better than others, nutritionally, as well as taste/texture wise!

You don't have to eat your cereal dry, but 'Baby' prefers it that way, with dairy free milk in a cup!

Dairy free/Vegan cheese quite often tastes rank to any 'normal' cheese lover (I always prefer mine toasted) it's also nutritionally not anywhere near a match for you as real cheese, and is high in salt. You really don't need it, unless you're a dairy free person who used to eat cheese and you miss the flavour! Use it as flavouring by all means, if you need to, but your dairy free little one has no expectation of eating cheese - they won't have a clue what they're missing out on - unless perhaps they see other family members regularly consuming it around them, and even then, they will still have no idea what it tastes like (unless they were diagnosed at a later stage, which is different). If you want to find a decent dairy free cheese, take a look at our dairy free subs page.

Similarly dairy free yogurt does not always live up to the nutritional benefits of cow's milk yogurt. There are a few that are supplemented with calcium, but not to the same level. Again, flavourwise, they don't always match up. although the new Koko yogurts are pretty good and DO match the calcium of a 'normal' yogurt! However, dairy free ice cream... well I may never return to dairy ice cream again, having tasted some of these! In fact, a friend of the family now often chooses dairy free Swedish Glace ice cream over normal ice cream, when shopping at the supermarket, because he tried it once at our house and liked it so much!

3) Inform yourself

Get the best advice you can (which is presumably why you are online now and reading this). Finding information online is a bit hit and miss, though, so make sure you ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian (as early as possible, because you may have to wait some time for an appointment). 

It may be that your dietitian's referral is actually arranged via your allergy consultant - it works best when consultants and dietitians are working together, in the same unit, but that might not be the way they work things out in your area (each NHS trust does things differently). They will be able to give you advice about how you can safely feed your little one and will keep an eye on your child's weight/height to make sure they're thriving okay. 

Meanwhile, inform yourself responsibly about weaning in general, including things like safe amounts of salt and sugar. Pick the up the principles, don't worry about some of the details. Bear in mind that times change and so do approaches and products. The most important thing is to understand the principles. Apply the principles, using the 'normal' food your child can eat and the dairy substitutes that are suitable for a child of the age of your child. See here for more information about this.

4) You can listen to advice from others, but... 

...don't necessarily follow it! 

By this I mean the well-meaning parent/mother-in-law/friend/or even 'better' half', who tries telling you to try a little bit of yogurt or that a little bit of something with milk in can't/won't hurt your little one (it can)! I haven't yet thought up a polite winning line for people who think they are being helpful, but really aren't. If you can devise one in advance, it may help you!

5) You can 'listen' to your baby...

... and take your cues from them

I was not expecting to be a so-called 'Baby Whisperer' before my little one came along, I was expecting to be the new Gina Ford - she seemed to make so much sense - until I met 'Baby' that is! All babies are different and respond differently to new foods and well, everything else really (including sleep patterns). There's no 'one size fits all'!! 

What do I mean by that? SO many people thought I should begin weaning earlier than I did. To be fair I did try, but 'Baby' clearly wasn't ready to swallow solid food - it went round her mouth and came straight back out again! So I gave up and waited until she was six months old, before trying again. 

Learning about Baby-Led Weaning and 'Food 'til One is Fun' (based on the premise that milk should be babies main nutritional source until the age of one) massively helped me to relax, ignore the 'good' advice and 'listen' to what my little one was 'telling' me! It really doesn't seem to have done 'Baby' any harm! She is above average height/weight for her age and has hit all the usual milestones, so I can't have gone too badly wrong, can I??

Baby-Led Weaning was great, because we ditched pureeing foods so had less preparation and washing-up to do. To be clear, though, we were careful about it, so our approach was Baby-Led with modifications - one food at a time, until we had established a 'safe' bank of foods to work from, and then we made meals (for all of us) based around those 'safe' foods, before expanding our range further.

6) Try going dairy free!

I had to go dairy free to breastfeed my daughter, and I absolutely desperately wanted to breastfeed! In retrospect, although tough to begin with, it actually informed me greatly about what else was out there! As a family we all eat pretty much dairy free, except when we are out and can choose different options. The Hub has a coffee in the morning the occasional ready meal, when he's working from home and contraband - sneaky snacks and biscuits late at night - but that's about it, really!

So, I challenge you to try going dairy free yourself, for a short while - maybe a week, so you know what you can/can't have. See it as a fun experiment, even try out some baking if you like. There are lots of substitutes for dairy (see here) and chocolate (see here) and other stuff (see here) out there, so give them a go - you may surprise yourself and actually enjoy them! But do make sure you supplement your diet accordingly (see Point 1) above). 


7) There's lots of 'normal' food you can still eat!

Yes! I was so delighted when first I heard that supermarket own brand Hobnobs were dairy free (I wasn't gluten free, then)! In fact many supermarket own brands often are - as making products with vegetable oil is cheaper than using milk! So get checking those  food labels! In fact you don't have to - we have a 'Fave Products' list (see here), but also supermarkets often have lists that detail which of their products are dairy free. 

8) Take it one step at a time!

Don't look too far ahead! Just concentrate on what you need to do now, today. Unless you're planning a holiday, in which case you might want to check out these posts. 

9) Take care of yourself

There's no denying it can be stressful. Look after yourself, get sleep, rest, recreation etc. You need to be able to switch off sometimes and focus on other stuff. 

Also find 'safe' places where you can offload - there's loads of lovely people online in the same boat who are really supportive - especially when you need to let off steam! I started off on Mumsnet's Allergy thread, and am now on Face Book and Twitter.

10) Enjoy your baby!

Although I am smiling in almost all the photos from our early days, it took me until 'Baby' was nine months old to be able to relax and enjoy her. 

Yes, that long!! 

I actually remember the moment I became conscious of it too - I was at a baby sensory class and suddenly realised that I felt happy, relaxed and content with my baby. It made me conscious of just how much stress and anxiety I had been carrying and living with. I can't actually tell you HOW to achieve this - only know that it is possible and you will get there! Until then, like 'Dory' in 'Finding Nemo,'  'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...'

There! That's it for now - if you follow all the links I've included, you'll be suffering from information overload! If you need to contact me regarding anything to do with this post, you can contact me via Twitter @dairyfree, or send me a message via our Face Book page 'Dairy Free Baby and Me'.

Love and hugs

DFB

xx

P.S. If you do need to resort to Baby Foods bought from the Supermarket...

(lets face it, we all do, to some extent) you can find out which are safe by checking out the manufacturers website. They normally have allergy advice of some kind, or an allergy filter see here for an example - check out the side bar on the left of the page, for the various categories.


Important update:

It's now thought that in order to avoid developing peanut allergy, peanuts should be introduced fairly early on in the weaning process. More details can be found in these blog posts by Dr Carina Venter RD:

Feeding your baby peanuts - Q&A

Weaning beyond peanut Part 1

Weaning beyond peanut Part 2