Difficult Allergies

(Pepper) #1

Hello~!

I have been doing keto for about three months now, discovering little mistakes I was making along the way until I was properly in full ketosis for an extended time. I’ve lost around 7 kg but mostly lost a -lot- of sizes when it comes to clothing. I really want to keep going and lose another 7 kg before I return to having more than ± 15 carbs a day.

My issue is that I am starting to grow very bored of the food I am able to eat. I eat the exact same thing every day.

  • One special cracker with a slice of meat in the morning.
  • One special low-carb crepe in the afternoon.
  • Chicken salad in the evening (really just chicken, bacon, some lettuce and cheese).
  • A special keto-bar a little after dinner if I haven’t eaten it at uni.

Between this I’ll snack a little on pieces of meat and cheese. The chicken is sometimes replaced with other kinds of meat.

It’s these exact same things day in day out because of a set of very unfortunate allergies. The main one of that being soy. It’s in every kind of keto replacement food that I can find but it makes me incredibly ill. I’m already eating dairy despite struggling with that too. I cannot have cabbage and nuts are not a great option either. Thankfully, I can eat meat like no other.

Does anyone have any tips concerning the exclusion of soy?

Thank you in advance!

List of allergies:

Absolutely cannot tolerate:

  • Soy
  • Onion
  • Paprika (bell pepper)
  • Cabbage (Cauliflower, Kale, Broccoli, etc)

Struggle with:

  • Mushrooms

  • Various nuts

  • Dairy (I can have cheese that has aged, but not fancy cheeses, milk is out too obviously)

  • There’s a bunch of other things that make me a little sickish, but I’ve honestly just learned to deal with them.

(Dani) #2

I feel you’re pain.

I can’t eat;
Wheat
Gluten
Onions
Mushrooms
Garlic
Strawberries

I’ve just had a full panel of bloods done as I’ve got intense itching and can’t figure out why. So it’s likely there will be something else to add to the list very soon.

I avoid the foods I can’t eat by taking out all replacement foods. I’ve been doing keto for 19 months and the things that keeps me going is cooking fresh.

I batch cook to save on time and use Instagram and Pinterest to help with new food ideas. I’ve just made broccoli and cheese bites in the oven. I carry things like that with me at all times to stop me reaching for low carb processed foods.

(Pepper) #3

I would kill for some fresh veg, but I either can’t eat them because I’m allergic or because they’re too high on carbs. I would also kill for some fruit, but the closest I can get is to put 1/4 of a blueberries cup into my fatbombs. Coming from a home where I ate at least twice the daily required amount of fruit and veg a day, that is the hardest part.

Unfortunately, a lot of keto food has soy in it, and you can’t really take that out. I’m not opposed to making things myself, as I do enjoy baking, but I simply don’t know what to make at this point.

Also, gluten is technically one of my allergies as well, considering that, perhaps you might want to look into paprika being a troublemaker for you, since we’re quite similar allergy-wise. I used to just be bloated and crampy all the time because I was stubborn and ate bread anyway, the ketodiet pretty much excludes them from my regular diet thankfully.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #4

Someone in your position (a lot of dietary limitations) may need to increase the amount of carbs they are eating in a day and adding said veg in order to live with this way of eating and to be sure you are eating enough. Look at the numbers and what veg you want to add. Many folks remain in ketosis and continue to lose weight eating under 50 g carb a day.

(Dani) #5

Thats interesting regarding the paprika… it’s not something I tend to cook with but I’ll certainly keep that in mind.

The staple veggies I eat daily are:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Spring Greens (the top green parts only)
Chillies
Peppers
Baby tomatoes
Zucchini (spiralled like pasta)
Aubergine
Carrots
Rocket leaves
Lettuce
Spinach

There’s loads you can make with veggies and keep the carbs low. I love things like grated zucchini fritters, broccoli and cheese bake. Coriander and tomato salad. Aubergine lasagna etc… all ideas from online.

The other reason I avoid keto replacement foods is because they tend to have sweeteners in. There are many posts on here that can explain why sweeteners can really hinder your keto journey. Personally I’m working on keeping my gut bacteria healthy so sweeteners are a no no.

(Janelle) #6

Congrats on the weight loss.

I’ve also only been keto for 3 months but I have never eaten a keto replacement product (unless I made it myself - like 90 second bread) - I’m not a student but I work full time and it’s hard to find the time to cook but I do it.

First question - why are you eating bars and such? I’ve successfully avoided soy completely by eating real food. How many carbs are in those crackers and bars (whole, not net)? Are you sure you’re below 15 whole or even net?

But that’s not what you’re posting about. You’re posting about food boredom. You may need to start researching keto recipes. There are so many things you can make with chicken, mince and other meats. Make a list of things you CAN eat and seek out recipes that contain those foods.

Good luck and maybe look at real “keto food” to avoid allergens.

(Edith) #7

Definitely this! Real keto food does not contain soy. Meat and greens are a great way to get keto food. Dressings made with olive or avocado oil can give you fat without dairy. Also animal fats.

There is a thread on this site with all the delicious meals people eat. Maybe that will give you some ideas.

I’ve been following a low histamine, dairy-free ketogenic diet. It is definitely possible to do it and enjoy what you are eating. Plus you don’t always want to eat the same thing, you need to mix things up to make sure you are getting a variety of nutrients.

(Dani) #8

Do you mind me asking why you’re doing a low histamine diet? This is something I’ve just started looking into and am struggling for information.

(Laurie) #9

@Pepperae, why not just eat meat, eggs, etc.?

Plus whatever vegetables you are able to eat.

(Danielle) #10

Some people have very good results with Zero Carb (ZC), or the Carnivore diet. It’s worth researching for your own purposes.

(Edith) #11

Well, I was having heart palpitations. That was my main cause for concern. I started researching as much as I could online as to the possible causes of heart palpitations and one of the things I came across was histamine intolerance. As I read up on that, I realized I had many other symptoms of histamine intolerance: anxiety, terrible sleep, upset stomach (sometimes, not all the time), mucous in the back of my throat, puffy eyes (still working on that one), an eye that watered all the time for seemingly no reason, and air hunger (that feeling where you just can’t get a deep enough breath). I frequently woke up with my fingers so swollen I couldn’t wear my wedding ring.

Anyway, I realized that many of the foods I had added to my diet when I started eating keto were, unfortunately, high histamine foods, especially smoked meats :cry:, avocados :cry:, bone broth, nuts. I’ve removed many histamine foods and many of those symptoms have cleared up.

I can tell when I’ve had too much histamine in a day because that night I will have heart palpitations and the next morning the anxiety kicks in. Antihistamines help actually, but I certainly don’t want to have to take them every day, so I do try to keep those histamine containing foods out of my diet.

Last night I was weak and had guacamole. This morning I have junk in my throat, mild anxiety, and my wedding ring barely fits. I guess the good thing is, I know why.

(Dani) #12

That’s really interesting thanks for responding.

I suffer badly with phantom itching. There’s no rash but I get excruciating itchyness across my shoulders. I also get really tired, sinusitis, swollen face and hands…

I do eat a lot of cured meats and nuts…

I talked to my doctor who told me histamine intolerance is in its infancy and can’t really be proven at this point. She also said that radiotherapy is the only known treatment at this time for severe cases.

Does any of that sound familiar?

(Edith) #13

Histamine intolerance I think is more in its infancy in the US. It is definitely more well known in Europe.

I get severe itching from dairy, not so much it seems from the HI. There are many people who get hives from HI. Fortunately, I am not one of them.

From the reading I’ve done, the best bet for diagnosis is just to try a low histamine diet and see if it helps. If it does, then slowly add foods back in and see which ones seem to be the triggers for you.

Edit: I have no idea what radiotherapy is.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #14

I never eat soy in any of its forms. For me, keto means bacon, eggs, heavy cream, bacon, leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, bacon, beef, pork, lamb, goose, duck, and bacon.

(Janelle) #15

And more bacon? :bacon:

(Amanda) #16

I can only imagine your struggle, but I have to say I was a little bit excited when I saw you have the same unusual allergy that I have (peppers/ paprika). I have never met anyone else with this.

How are you with zucchini? I love it cooked with lemon pepper. Asparagus? Try it roasted, delish!
ETA: Avocados? I make a Hamburger Salad almost weekly, it is amazing and a family (non-keto) favourite!

(Edith) #17

Peppers/paprika are nightshades. Maybe you have trouble with nightshades.

You might want to check out this article:

(Jane) #18

I never eat soy and have been keto for a year now.

Ditch the special crackers, crepes and keto bars - ok for a while to transition you to a keto diet but you should focus on real food - not substitutes - with all of your food allergies.

If eggs aren’t a problem you can make up some egg salad and have in the fridge to save time.

Spiralized zucchini sautéed in butter.

Bacon wrapped shrimp then then broiled until bacon is crispy.

“Chicken fried” steak or chicken using pork rinds as the breading.

I agree your list of foods you can’t have make cooking a challenge! Racking my brain here…

(Jane) #19

Can you have tomatoes?

Steamed yellow squash with tomatoes is good… although without onion it will be a bit bland.

If you can afford the konjac (miracle) noodles you can make some nice dishes with them with the ingredients you can eat. Indian dishes go nicely with the rice-shaped konjac.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #20

Tobacco is a nightshade, as well. It just occured to me to wonder if there is a connection between smoking and sensitivity to nightshades . . . hmmm.

Just read Dr. Ede’s article, and while she doesn’t address that question, she does mention that all nightshade foods contain a small amount of nicotine. Again, hmmm!