HELP PLEASE!!! Question about Diet...

[m-coon]

Hello,

 

I live in a very rural area and cannot find a doctor who could possibly understand the huge difference in diets from China to America. IE: an Asian doctor...

 

My wife is beginning to break out and swell from the foods she is eating here. She tells me that it is because the food is "hard"... but I find this a bit hard to beleive and understand.

 

Does anybody out there have any knowledge (or input) about what would cause my wife to break out, swell, and feel bad from eating some american foods???

 

What we have eaten so far that gave her the worst reaction was "tacos". She says it is the taco shell causing the problem. Again I find this hard to beleive.

 

Can anybody tell me what they know about the diet change and how it can affect her - and what we can do to help her with the diet changes?

 

She likes the american foods - but I hate to allow her to have it if she is going to react so badly to it.

 

Thanks,

Scott

[tonado]

My wife had turkey on T-day and it causes her to have cold sores.

[tonado]

http://www.allergy-relief-now.info/allergy-corn.htm

 

Maybe she is allergic to peanuts or corn. You should take her to an allergist.

[yuan fen]

Maybe she is allergic to peanuts or corn.

 

Taco shells are made of corn, but also the oil that is used could be peanut oil.

 

Jie breaks out occasionally, and she says it is from not having good sleep. I feel it may be food related, or product related. Soap, clothes starch, ect.

 

I was reading in " Vitality ", a health related periodical, which had a piece about food allergies, and it had a good idea.

 

Keep a Food Diary

 

Keep a record of each time you have an adverse reaction, including the date and time, type and severity of symptoms, and what you remember doing and eating in the previous six hours after symptoms occur. Then when you visit the Doc you can have some data to back your situation.

 

The most common foods that cause an allergic reaction in adults are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, fruits and soy and wheat products the article claimed.

 

Jie has a reaction to shrimp and crab, and avoids them.

 

The article has a link for more information.

 

Visit the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at www.niaid.nih.gov , and enter " food allergy " in the search function.

 

 

 

Eric

[m-coon]

Eric,

 

Thanks so much for the info - this is what I was looking to hear from somebody... Something that at least gets me off in the right direction to solving her problem.

 

Her eyes swell up so much after the tacos that she could hardly open her eyes. I'm thinking it may be the corn or the way the corn is produced in that product.

 

The log is a great idea. We may have to see a specialist if this continues! She likes the foods - I need to discover what it is about it that her body does not like.

 

Oh and thanks to you also Tony for your input and ideas!

 

Scott

Edited April 24, 2006 by m-coon (see edit history)

[Guest pushbrk]

Eric,

 

Thanks so much for the info - this is what I was looking to hear from somebody... Something that at least gets me off in the right direction to solving her problem.

 

Her eyes swell up so much after the tacos that she could hardly open her eyes. I'm thinking it may be the corn or the way the corn is produced in that product.

 

The log is a great idea. We may have to see a specialist if this continues! She likes the foods - I need to discover what it is about it that her body does not like.

 

Oh and thanks to you also Tony for your input and ideas!

 

Scott

209659[/snapback]

You could confirm the corn allergy but getting a soft taco in a flour tortilla next time.

 

Ok actually, it could still be the peanut oil but the Chinese eat so many peanuts, I doubt that's the problem.

[chef4u]

Scott...how soon does she eat the tacos that she suffers the reaction. In addition, are these taco's you are making or I they already prepared type tacos. Finally, if you are making them, can you please post your ingedients. I presume you buy the hard shell taco's vs making them yourself.

Edited April 24, 2006 by chef4u (see edit history)

[m-coon]

Scott...how soon does she eat the tacos that she suffers the reaction.  In addition, are these taco's you are making or I they already prepared type tacos.  Finally, if you are making them, can you please post your ingedients.  I presume you buy the hard shell taco's vs making them yourself.

209669[/snapback]

Homemade......

Ground Beef

"Old El Passo" Taco shells

"Pace" taco seasoning mix

Cheddar/Jack blend cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce

 

Thats all we had on them.

 

She broke out within 4 to 6 hours after. Next morning eyes almost swell shut.

Edited April 24, 2006 by m-coon (see edit history)

[m-coon]

she eats both peanuts and corn and does not have a reaction - it has got to be something added in the processing of the shells I would guess.

She has similar (but no where as severe) reaction to home cooked french-fries cooked in vegetable oil.

She tells me that anything cooked (fried) hard or crispy causes at least minor discomfort and irritation.

[chef4u]

Scott...what was interesting to me was the swollen eyes. Of course, I am no doctor nor claim anything about that. However, if I was a betting man, I would say that she is probably allergic to the cheese. Cheese has high levels of histamine. Many people have allergic reaction to histamine. In addition, check some of the ingredients on the various labels. If you see color dye added into the ingredients she can be allergic to that as well, ie; red or yellow dye....... Also, if her eyes swell, please go to your local drug store and buy an over the counter antihistamine type product. This will reduce the swelling. Finally, you may have to take her to your family doctor to see exactly what is going on. I hope this helps!!

[jemmyell]

Scott...how soon does she eat the tacos that she suffers the reaction.  In addition, are these taco's you are making or I they already prepared type tacos.  Finally, if you are making them, can you please post your ingedients.  I presume you buy the hard shell taco's vs making them yourself.

209669[/snapback]

Homemade......

Ground Beef

"Old El Passo" Taco shells

"Pace" taco seasoning mix

Cheddar/Jack blend cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce

 

Thats all we had on them.

 

She broke out within 4 to 6 hours after. Next morning eyes almost swell shut.

209673[/snapback]

Yes, see an allergist ASAP. These kinds of reactions can be VERY dangerous if the swelling occurs in her throat, it can make breathing very difficult.

 

Meanwhile, if you can't get many traditional foods, fresh vegetables (steamed) with rice should be very safe. Fresh fruits too.

 

-James

Edited April 24, 2006 by jemmyell (see edit history)

[obxtrainman]

Please, let us not forget the soaps she is using now. Both times I have gone to china, I brake out in a rash after my clothes have been washed. Just something to concider.

[m-coon]

Scott...what was interesting to me was the swollen eyes.  Of course, I am no doctor nor claim anything about that.  However, if I was a betting man, I would say that she is probably allergic to the cheese.  Cheese has high levels of histamine.  Many people have allergic reaction to histamine.  In addition, check some of the ingredients on the various labels.  If you see color dye added into the ingredients she can be allergic to that as well, ie; red or yellow dye.......  Also, if her eyes swell, please go to your local drug store and buy an over the counter antihistamine type product.  This will reduce the swelling.  Finally, you may have to take her to your family doctor to see exactly what is going on.  I hope this helps!!

209681[/snapback]

But what about the fact that no othr dairy product seems to affect her? She can drink gallons of milk.....

[whatsthehaps]

How about the seasonings? proteins? fats?

 

It may be difficult to pinpoint things without tests.

 

Allergy

Allergies are an over-reaction of the body's immune system to a specific component, usually a protein. These proteins may be from foods, pollens, house dust, animal hair or moulds and are known as allergens. The word 'allergy' means that the immune system has responded to a harmless substance as if it were toxic.

 

Food intolerance

Food intolerance is a pharmacological reaction that some people have after eating or drinking; it is not an immune response. Food intolerance has been associated with asthma, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

 

Food intolerance is much more common than food allergy.

 

Symptoms of allergy and intolerance

 

The symptoms to a food allergy or intolerance are often difficult to distinguish. As the symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, medical diagnosis is always needed.

 

Symptoms of food intolerance

 

Symptoms of food intolerance may be immediate or delayed and are often triggered only after a threshold level of exposure is reached. They can include:

 

Nervousness, tremor

Sweating

Palpitations

Rapid breathing

Headache, migraine

Diarrhoea

Burning sensations on the skin

Tightness across the face and chest

Allergy-like reactions due to histamine and other amines in some foods

Asthma from food containing benzoates, salicylates, MSG and sulphite derivatives.

 

Symptoms of food allergy

 

The onset of symptoms from food allergy tend to be more immediate and can be life-threatening. Common symptoms include:

 

Itching and burning and swelling around the mouth

Runny nose

Skin rash and hives, eczema, urticaria (skin becomes red and raised)

Diarrhoea, abdominal cramps

Breathing difficulties, including wheezing and asthma

Vomiting, nausea

Life-threatening anaphylaxis.

 

Food allergy - the common culprits

 

About 90 per cent of allergies are caused by nuts, eggs, milk or soy. Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergies in older children. Other foods that cause allergies include (in order from the most common):

Egg

Peanut

Milk

Other nuts

Sesame

Fish

Grains such as rye, wheat, oats

Soy

Molluscs, such as oysters, mussels, clam, squid and octopus

Crustaceans, such as lobster, prawn, crab, shrimp

Fruit, berries, tomato, cucumber, white potato or mustard.

 

Food intolerance - the common culprits

 

The foods that tend to cause intolerance reactions in sensitive people include:

 

Dairy products, including milk, cheese and yoghurt

Chocolate

Egg, particularly egg white

Flavour enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Food additives

Strawberries, citrus fruits and tomatoes

Wine, particularly red wine.

 

Reactions may not always occur, as they are usually related to the amount of food consumed. A small amount may not cause any reaction.

 

Tracking down the allergen

 

In most cases, symptoms appear within a few minutes of eating the particular food, which makes pinpointing the allergen an easy task. However, if the cause is unknown, diagnostic tests may be needed such as:

 

Keeping a food and symptoms diary to check for patterns.

Cutting out all suspect foods for two weeks, then reintroducing them one at a time to test for reactions (except in cases of anaphylaxis).

Skin prick tests using food extracts.

Blood tests.

 

Avoiding the food

 

The easiest way to treat a food allergy or intolerance is to eliminate it from the diet. Sometimes, the body can tolerate the food if it is avoided for a time, then reintroduced in small doses. Before you eliminate foods from your diet, seek advice from a doctor or dietitian.

http://www.disability.vic.gov.au/dsonline/...ce?opendocument

 

 

Read the above link and look on the internet for food allergy or allergic foods, I always look for reputable sources.

 

What you can easily do is drop suspect foods/spices/ingredients.

 

I would also watch the fat content and remove trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils).

 

I posted on nutrition on one of the topics at this link, it is general nutrition though. I should look into this some more.

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...topic=17469&hl=

[MikeandRong]

Hi Scott,

 

This may be a wild shot in the dark, but I had a real bad reaction once too. It turned out to be the seasoning. I don't know if it was old, or bad, or the ingrediants, but it was the seasoning for sure. Only happened the one time, but I'll never forget it.

Or maybe some pesticide that was not washed off of the lettuce or tomato?

 

Mike

 

Homemade......

Ground Beef

"Old El Passo" Taco shells

"Pace" taco seasoning mix

Cheddar/Jack blend cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce