Do you have a food allergy or food intolerance?
Poll
Do you have a food intolerance or allergy?
As a nation we are becoming more aware of people who have food intolerances and allergies.
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
Scroll to see replies
No, ate what my mother gave me and rolled around in mud as a child. Lots of good intolerances can't be helped but some are definitely caused by society being too clean and fussy.
Poll now visible, but none of the categories apply. I'm not celiac.
Yep. Since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I've figured out that my trigger foods are caffeine and gluten.
Caffeine is easy to cut out. No tea, coffee, Coke, or energy drinks.
Gluten... Not so much. Turns out, the thing that makes bread, pizza, pasta, beer, cakes, pastries, etc, nice is gluten. Eating a lot of rice nowadays. My diet is boring. And expensive.
Yep. Since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I've figured out that my trigger foods are caffeine and gluten.
Caffeine is easy to cut out. No tea, coffee, Coke, or energy drinks.
Gluten... Not so much. Turns out, the thing that makes bread, pizza, pasta, beer, cakes, pastries, etc, nice is gluten. Eating a lot of rice nowadays. My diet is boring. And expensive.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Drewski
Poll now visible, but none of the categories apply. I'm not celiac.
Yep. Since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I've figured out that my trigger foods are caffeine and gluten.
Caffeine is easy to cut out. No tea, coffee, Coke, or energy drinks.
Gluten... Not so much. Turns out, the thing that makes bread, pizza, pasta, beer, cakes, pastries, etc, nice is gluten. Eating a lot of rice nowadays. My diet is boring. And expensive.
Yep. Since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I've figured out that my trigger foods are caffeine and gluten.
Caffeine is easy to cut out. No tea, coffee, Coke, or energy drinks.
Gluten... Not so much. Turns out, the thing that makes bread, pizza, pasta, beer, cakes, pastries, etc, nice is gluten. Eating a lot of rice nowadays. My diet is boring. And expensive.
It's there now
Original post by She-Ra
It's there now
It is. But as the but of my message you quoted says, none of them apply to me.
1 in 100 people have colitis, everyone has different triggers.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Drewski
It is. But as the but of my message you quoted says, none of them apply to me.
1 in 100 people have colitis, everyone has different triggers.
1 in 100 people have colitis, everyone has different triggers.
Completely agree with you.... mmmm.... does having colitis mean you can't eat certain things? Or you have to restrict certain food groups in anyway? I can always tweak the poll, as this discussion already identifies, there is a lot to consider here.
I'm coelaic, and I was diagnosed two years ago now.
At first, it was a huge shock to the system, and also triggered a slight lactose intolerance that I didn't figure out for a few months as well - which made everything ten times harder! Challenges mainly include eating out - cross contamination is a nightmare and we have to speak to the waiter to ensure the kitchen tries their best to keep things as seperate as they can, which is not always possible is smaller places. We often eat out at chain restaurants, as they seemed a bit more clued up on these things, or scour the internet for recommendations from other GF people at more local places. If a menu has GF on it, I usually feel a bit more comfortable going there, though I have been glutened even when it said GF!
Eating at home is much easier (though I love eating out!) as I can control what I eat and how it's prepared. My partner is a gem and is so careful, he has even gone GF as much as possible at home to reduce the risk of cross contamination. We've agreed bread can't be substituted however, so he has that once a week (GF bread ain't great, folks)
Supermarkets are pretty great for GF and lactose free food now, even if it's a million times more expensive than normal food
I keep myself safe by checking labels like a demon (clear labeling is SO important) and double checking everything with people before I eat out/at others. Most people are so helpful, so it's been fine. If I get ill, I'm so lucky that it won't seriously harm me if it's just the odd occasion. Others aren't so lucky and I really feel for them.
Travelling abroad however is a different story... some places are amazing (Spain is just incredible for GF food), and some are not... when I visited Japan I ate white rice all day and cried twice at all the beautiful food I couldn't eat. It was hard.
Overall, I'd say it really isn't easy at first, but you do get into the swing of things over time and it's not so bad. I do still miss doughnuts though....
At first, it was a huge shock to the system, and also triggered a slight lactose intolerance that I didn't figure out for a few months as well - which made everything ten times harder! Challenges mainly include eating out - cross contamination is a nightmare and we have to speak to the waiter to ensure the kitchen tries their best to keep things as seperate as they can, which is not always possible is smaller places. We often eat out at chain restaurants, as they seemed a bit more clued up on these things, or scour the internet for recommendations from other GF people at more local places. If a menu has GF on it, I usually feel a bit more comfortable going there, though I have been glutened even when it said GF!
Eating at home is much easier (though I love eating out!) as I can control what I eat and how it's prepared. My partner is a gem and is so careful, he has even gone GF as much as possible at home to reduce the risk of cross contamination. We've agreed bread can't be substituted however, so he has that once a week (GF bread ain't great, folks)
Supermarkets are pretty great for GF and lactose free food now, even if it's a million times more expensive than normal food
I keep myself safe by checking labels like a demon (clear labeling is SO important) and double checking everything with people before I eat out/at others. Most people are so helpful, so it's been fine. If I get ill, I'm so lucky that it won't seriously harm me if it's just the odd occasion. Others aren't so lucky and I really feel for them. Travelling abroad however is a different story... some places are amazing (Spain is just incredible for GF food), and some are not... when I visited Japan I ate white rice all day and cried twice at all the beautiful food I couldn't eat. It was hard.
Overall, I'd say it really isn't easy at first, but you do get into the swing of things over time and it's not so bad. I do still miss doughnuts though....
Original post by She-Ra
Completely agree with you.... mmmm.... does having colitis mean you can't eat certain things? Or you have to restrict certain food groups in anyway? I can always tweak the poll, as this discussion already identifies, there is a lot to consider here.
If you just put "ie, celiac" in that option instead, then it would be fine.
And yes, but everybody with colitis will have different trigger foods. As I said in my first post, I can't process gluten or caffeine, so anything with them in causes a bad reaction, so I have to avoid. I can tolerate a little bread, but can't drink normal beer at all. Can't tolerate even the small amount of caffeine in diet Coke.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by She-Ra
As a nation we are becoming more aware of people who have food intolerances and allergies.
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
Don't have any intolerances or allergies, but people who I know that do have them always have problems at events when people decide to pick the specially made allergen/intolerance free options that they requested (same goes for veggies/vegans), so then they end up without anything.
I don't have food intolerances, my tolerance to caffeine is quite small, too much caffeine and my tachycardia gets a lot worse as I ve fainted before from it I have to be careful.
I don't have any food allergies or intolerances, I'm just a fussy so and so 
Better than not actually being able to eat many foods I'm sure but does make things awkward sometimes 
Better than not actually being able to eat many foods I'm sure but does make things awkward sometimes 
No food allergies/intolerances - just fussy and veggie 
Yep, it's so annoying! Anything spicy/peppery or containing onion or garlic- which when you think about it is most things it basically just means eating home made stuff, going out is a bit of a nightmare. I also seem completely incapable of digesting anything fatty any more which is.. interesting. That doesn't stop me eating pizza occasionally though and regretting it big time afterwards
it basically just means eating home made stuff, going out is a bit of a nightmare. I also seem completely incapable of digesting anything fatty any more which is.. interesting. That doesn't stop me eating pizza occasionally though and regretting it big time afterwards I used to be allergic to orange juice as a child it would give me a nasty rash. But I have grown out of it, somehow.
I'm gluten intolerant (diagnosed by a doctor over 10 years ago and not part of the no gluten fad). It was more severe when I was in my teens and now I can get away with eating limited amounts. When I was diagnosed I was advised I'd probably find I had changing sensitivity over time and that has definitely been the case. I found it incredibly hard back then as there wasn't a lot of gluten free food available and it wasn't really very common. I found it particularly difficult when I was away on holiday as people didn't know how to cater for me, and eating out was almost impossible. I also found it hard to explain to people what gluten actually was and which products contained it. I did have some people who were quite resistant and accused me of being difficult.
Fortunately I can eat a reasonable amount now and only experience symptoms if I eat too much gluten or if I'm having a flare-up. In terms of management, I did try to eat a lot of substitutes initially but found them to be pretty poor so I tended to just avoid bread, pasta, baked goods etc. and eat alternatives like potatoes, rice or polenta. I still do this to quite an extent but as long as I'm careful and listen to my body I can have some gluten. Even now, I don't really buy any free from foods but I think this is mostly out of habit.
Fortunately I can eat a reasonable amount now and only experience symptoms if I eat too much gluten or if I'm having a flare-up. In terms of management, I did try to eat a lot of substitutes initially but found them to be pretty poor so I tended to just avoid bread, pasta, baked goods etc. and eat alternatives like potatoes, rice or polenta. I still do this to quite an extent but as long as I'm careful and listen to my body I can have some gluten. Even now, I don't really buy any free from foods but I think this is mostly out of habit.
I'm allergic to strawberries, which is often a bit of a pain because most menus don't advertise if they're going to stick a strawberry on top of your pudding 
Original post by She-Ra
As a nation we are becoming more aware of people who have food intolerances and allergies.
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
We're working with the Food Standards Agency and they have asked us to chat with you about your experinces.
Please answer the poll first
And respond to this question: If you have a food allergy or intolerance can you share the challenges of living with this and how you manage it to keep yourself safe?
I have IBS and some foods can trigger a reaction where my bowel swells incredibly and I feel like I'm going to pop! It can be incredibly painful so I try to reduce certain foods and have medication on me. There is a suspicion that I may have IBD due to previous symptoms (bowel bleeding), but 'doctors don't have all the answers'. Just gotta live with it.
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