I may have to write a cookbook

[CrabGrassAcres]

Thought I had a good handle on daughter's diet. Corn, gluten, soy free is what she's been on for several yrs and was doing ok. Now, all the sudden she cannot digest fat. So I'm trying to come up with corn, gluten, soy and FAT free foods that actually taste good and have a good mouth feel. This is NOT easy! All her meat, dairy and egg producing animals must also be gluten and soy free though she doesn't seem to have too much trouble if they are on corn, I suspect this could change too.

 

I ordered a cream separator to make the goat milk fat free for her. Working on the rest.

[Annarchy]

Sounds like a challenge.

[sassenach]

Also it makes me think of other factors, gall bladder symptoms and pain maybe was one, but also is she picking up on the stressors more these days , or is she bothered by the weather, heat conditions more as she gets older?

not sure what the not digesting fat symptoms are but you do, since you have to manage her hygiene needs.

Ring any bells?

 

Very challenging and you are a remarkable woman and mother to be able to be doing all this by yourself.

[dogmom4]

Such a difficult thing to have to handle CGA. How do you know when someone can't digest fat?

[CrabGrassAcres]

Objective symptoms are big, bulky, pale stools that float and unexplained weight loss when the person has not decreased calories, changed what they were eating or increased activity. Also oil floating on the surface of the water in the toilet. When all fat is withheld for several days the stools darken and look more normal. If you continue to eat fat it will damage the intestines until you have severe diarrhea called steatorrhea or sprue.

[Jeepers]

You know, it might not be such a bad idea to write that cookbook. If (God forbid!) something happens to you first, people would need to know how you dealt with her dietary needs.

 

And it might also help someone else in the process; such as, I never knew a person could have a reaction to eating an animal who didn't have a 'glutin free' diet.

 

 

God sure knew who her mommy should be!

[Mt_Rider]

I second the idea of recording these meals that you've found work. For DD and for many others who suffer cuz they've no idea what to do...

 

New career, CGA? In your "spare time", of course!

 

MtRider

[CrabGrassAcres]

LOL, guess I better record the meal recipes then. I have some of the canned meal recipes written down.

 

I am ever so grateful I put up huge quantities of home grown meat. I trimmed all the fat before canning and the process separated the rest of the fat so it can be scooped off the top before using. Have to put the jar in the fridge a while to harden it, but that isn't a big deal. I'm having to increase protein and carb intake for her to make up for losing the fat calories.

[AMarthaByHeart]

CGA, it amazes me the wisdom that you have. Recording it would help many people as we prepare to go through the days ahead.

[Mother]

CGA, do you know if it's all fats or only certain ones? For instance, will she be able to tolerate meat fat from strictly grass fed animals? Can she tolerate nuts? What about coconut, olive, nut, sunflower seed, or other oil? What about avocados or its oil? (I have an avocado/banana ice cream recipe I love) Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to be healthy but it's sure true that there are those who just can't tolerate it.

 

There is a fecal test out that will test for fat absorption but it is pricey. Enterolabs has it and it's available without a doctors orders and done at home. Even if you don't have the test there might be some info on their website that would help.

 

I feel very deeply for you. I have dealt with my own allergies for my entire life and they just continue to either get worse or change. I am a celiac who is also intolerant of rice and oats and many of the other grain as well. I primarily follow a paleo diet with no grain. It can be extremely frustrating.

 

I once found a book entitled "What to eat when it seems you can't eat anything" (or something like that). There wasn't one recipe in there that I could have either. I have just recently started a book of my own recipes and possible ones just so I would have a reference manual when I get to the kitchen and ask myself,,,,"what DO I eat now?" It's in a three ring binder so I can add and ...worse yet....take recipes out as I go along.

 

It really might be a good idea for you to start your own recipe book for your daughter. Ummm, and when you do, do you suppose you could share more of the recipes with us? Who knows, there might even be some recipes I could try.

 

(((((CGA)))))

[CrabGrassAcres]

Mother, I'm so sorry you are having so much trouble finding anything you can eat. It is very frustrating. Daughter and I have such different dietary needs that I cook separate meals most of the time.

 

At this point I don't know what fats she can tolerate, if any. I read that coconut oil in very small quantities may be the best tolerated so after her intestine has a recovery period, I'll try that.

 

I'll share the 'book' when it is done. I'm trying to do calorie counts on the recipes so I'll know about how much each contributes. Right now, I'm trying to get the weight back on her that she dropped. So trying to bump the calories a good bit higher than normal. Hard to do without fat.

[Jeepers]

((((((((Mother))))))))

[Mt_Rider]

So the goats milk should be acceptable to her system if you spin the cream out, CGA? One more thing to do in your busy life....cleaning a cream separator. Heard that's quite a job. But yeah, then it has a lot less calorie count.

 

MtRider [..pray that God gives you the wisdom AND STRENGTH/ENERGY for each hurdle with DD ]

[sassenach]

I have fat sensitivities. Ended up originally I had a slow functioning gall bladder, which when having to be utilized created massive and atrocious pain and started symptoms through IT tract and elimination resulting was not kind either.

 

It was the last darn test the VA did in SF that gave them the clue , so gall bladder was removed.

Many who have gall bladders removed acclimate back to being able to still eat some fats, but I am more sensitive to them. Still.

 

I can consume foods fried/sauteed in olive oil, tend to stay away from deep fried at least, some animal fats , some baked goods with the usual lard ratios if I don't just use olive oil.

 

but add more than a thin swipe of butter on that baked good, bread or muffin, and then go back for more cause it's sooooo good, oh no...

 

Don't know if its like that exactly , regarding your daughter... but I can sympathize

 

I honestly don't know if any of it has to do with celiacs, but that is what set my mom up for a very cruel and lingering death that took the last year of her life.

 

I seem to do good with whole grains and oats and rice , better than when I do NOT eat enough of them , which is contrary to dietary suggestions for IBS stuff I get handed... also the nutrients seem to help the rest of the body systems like they are designed to do, so I don't know if I have celiacs. I never got a rash or vomit. I know going gluten free is supposed to help alot of disorders I have, maybe it would but I have not had a problem when I add gluten to my bread recipes or tortillas in a physical way that is blatantly noticeable like an allergy would produce

 

Of course maybe the symptoms are not all that obvious.

 

 

As to fermented rice , not interested, or whisky, lol. ruins the stomach on one small shot ...... or budweiser has fermented rice in its mash for beer..... can't drink that brand, known that for more than 30 yrs..... Just a big ewww to my tummy as for things I might consume. Will ruin a beautiful japanese meal in a heartbeat and the social fun of going to a nice meal with friends fast and linger for hours, where I just want to curl up and die.

 

Most dairy is fine unless its a taste issue, so not bothered by cheeses or milks. Yogurt works ok.... nothing bothers stomach or further down the tract, so I can eat those types of fats, other than too much butter over a few hours or a day.

 

I really didn't grow up with eating deep fried stuff other than french fries.... I don't eat those much at all nowadays.....

 

So maybe I can manage some fats but not sure if there are more causes other than the gall bladder now being removed which processes fats for the body....

 

 

My mom, well, she had awesome caring doctors, but like many things, they are under the control of bigger thugocracy types and were probably told to not give her the proper diagnosis , instead it was labelled IBS, hmm, chrohns in there too? I remember that being an issue, but not to figure out she had celiacs for many many years? Believe me, that really steams my shorts. It is a miserable death , I wish it on no one. It definitely tears you up and weakens things , not to mention upsetting average absorption and such over time. Later it is like a bad dam breaking ... I can't go into details about all that but its a vicious way to die no matter what other vicious treatments and things they do to support your life at that point.

 

my mom was a sweet, polite lady who didn't deserve that. She was also intelligent and conscientious to a T about nutrition needs and they should have told her about the celiacs years ago.

 

so , I would love to see more recipes for celiacs and for avoiding fats. It can't hurt any of us.

If you, CGA or Mother would like to bring some up on a new thread, I am sure many of us would appreciate it.

[Mother]

CGA and Jeepers, thank you for your kind thoughts.

 

Arby, I suppose you know that gluten intollerance (celiac) is generally considered a genetic disease? I believe you might have a good idea to start another thread with some recipes and ideas for health issues. Perhaps in the Nature's Prescription forum.

 

CGA, I hope the separator makes it possible for your DD to have milk again. They are a lot of work to clean but it would be worth it if you can at least use the extra calories for her. I want to just hug her for I know the problems I have and it must be much worse for her to try to understand not being able to have the foods she's used to.

 

[CrabGrassAcres]

Sorry not to answer sooner. I have been having major trouble opening pages at Mrs S in the last several days. Been trying all afternoon to get on this one.

 

Daughter gets little fat except what is in the goats' milk, which is normally something easily digested. I've been relying rather heavily on the goat milk to make up for the carbs, protein and fat that is missing since she is on such a restricted diet otherwise. She doesn't chew well and will not stay at the table long enough to eat if it requires spooning too much in and chewing too long. She just gets up and goes to her room without finishing. Usually she will eat it readily if I take the dish to her in her room and watch her eat. I cannot let her eat in her room regularly and have to remove all dishes promptly due to fire ants. So the milk really has made a difference in her being able to get enough nutrients. Now, without it, I've had to be extra diligent and of course, she gets far too much sugar since she is drinking lots of juice for the calories. Still working on that. The separator will be more work, but if it helps with her nutrition, it will be worth it. She is already starting to improve. Seems to feel better and somewhat more alert.

 

Celiac tends to be genetic, but daughter was adopted and I don't know if other family has problems or not. I cannot exist on the celiac diet myself. I tried, but it caused too many problems with my kidneys and gout and I just didn't feel well. Wasn't getting enough to eat because it just didn't set well on my stomach either. So I cook two entirely different diets for the two of us.

[Mother]

CGA, I can sure appreciate the problems you have with your DD eating. I'm sure you have tried all there is to get her the nutrition she needs. Bless you for being the loving mother you are. I know my own mother had similar problems with me when I was younger because of allergies. At one point I proved to be allergic to 3/4 of all I was tested for and I know my Mom almost dispaired of feeding me. We didn't have modern appliances like we have now and she knew nothing about celiac disease at the time either. At that time I didn't prove allergic to wheat but we know now that my diet was a time bomb waiting to go off.

 

With all the newer research on allergies and the modern conveniences I am able to eat a very healthy diet despite my allergies. I love my blender for smoothies; my juicer for fresh vegetable and fruit juice; my food processor for it's ability to chop vegetables and fruit and even make nut flour, and etc; my dehydrator for the ability to make fresh/unbaked crackers and snacks as well as preservation of various products; and my vacuum sealer for helping to keep things fresher, longer. Now mind you, If we lose electricity one might think I'd be in trouble but I have both a twelve volt and a hand blender, a hand vacuum sealer, a hand juicer (though it's not quite as effective as the electric one), a few nice hand operated slicers/dicers/grinders/etc, and a bunch of really good quality knives of all types. I can readily dehydrate most anything without the use of the electric dehydrator and figure I'm pretty much set for my diet except for one thing......my diet consists of a LOT of fresh vegetables and fruits and it's difficult for me to garden now. Still, I probably COULD do it I was forced to it for survival.

 

I've said all that only as a prelude to asking if you've tried blending other foods for your DD so she could just drink her nutrition? I make 'smoothies' with all sorts of ingredients including vegetables. I blend many of them into 'dressing' for salads and as 'dips' and find I prefer them to boughten ones because I can control how much if any fat I put in them. Ground meats are easier for me to digest, though I am getting much better with them now that I've gone off all gluten and most grains and my system is adjusting. If you can puree the meats they make a good gravy for vegetables.

 

I'm sure you've already thought of these things but perhaps others out there will read this and do some thinking. I really feel for your problems but I sure appreciate that there are others out there who have some of the same problems I do. It's nice to share with someone who understands.

 

By the way, I had some trouble loading Mrs. S as well. The grimlins must be out.

[Mt_Rider]

Important tips, y'all. Using different textures with puree, dehydrate, etc is great way to get variety, Mother. Puts a new twist on the same few things you can eat.

 

I have a good friend with mega-allergies and finally, this much later in life, she has narrowed down a diet that makes her feel much better.

 

She told me yesterday that she makes savory [not the sweet kind] crepes. She adds water to garbonzo bean flour. That's it. Then fills the crepe with whatever she and her DH are allowed to eat. Give her a good platform for variety. Fresh spinach or other greens, puree a veggie or fine chop it, meat they can eat, etc.

 

 

I have NO idea if DD or CGA or Mother or anyone can use garbonzo beans but I'd never heard of using just a bean flour for a simple 'bread' product.

 

 

MtRider [....options are to be greatly valued, especially post-Hooey ]

[CrabGrassAcres]

I do have a manual meat grinder/chopper ordered, waiting for it to get here. She doesn't drink thick stuff well but I was thinking if I can use egg whites and perhaps some mashed beans and/or potato with ground meat, I can make something like nuggets. Something she can pick up and dunk in catsup perhaps. I've never heard of making crepes with just bean flour and water. Might try that later and see if she likes it. She does like buckwheat pancakes when I use them as 'bread' for sandwiches. The big problem, to me, is that you cannot use mayo for the sandwiches or butter either and that makes them too dry. Alas, I am at low ebb on the energy cycle right now. I've cut back as much as possible on the farm work and let much slide. No garden this year because I am too ill. Therefore, no fresh veggies except what I can get from the grocery and those trips are very few and very far between, sigh. I do have a fair stock of canned and dehydrated veggies though. Appreciate the tips.

[Mother]

CGA, thought I'd resurrect this thread to make a reply instead of the cream separator one because it mentions your DD's specific problems. I reread what you wrote about her suddenly having problems and losing weight and that escaped my attention before.

 

Any time a ‘sudden’ weight loss and change in bowel function occur it often, certainly not always though, suggests an acute problem and not a slowly occurring one like fat malabsorption from a change in allergies, though certainly the symptoms suggest that. Could she have picked up an intestinal infection, a yeast, or even a parasite? Didn’t you have flooding earlier in the year? Sometimes that brings in unusual things that take a while to manifest.

 

Considering she is adopted and you have no idea of her genetic background, is it possible she might have one of the rare genetic disorders that could cause this later in life? Usually fat malabsorption is seen from birth in those cases though but anything is possible. Sometimes those cause retardation and other problems early in life as well.

 

I could be way off base here but was just doing some brainstorming to see if there might be another cause that you haven’t thought of. If she is getting better then you might be on the right track with the diet. Be very cautious with her needs for fat soluble vitamins though. They are so vital to health and a lack of vitamin K can cause some serious internal and external bleeding. Low Vitamin D levels can cause all sorts of problems. I know, I’ve been fighting to get mine up for over a year now and still can’t manage it. Even the doctors can’t figure out why my levels won’t come up despite taking mega doses of it. Has she ever had her levels checked?

 

Okay, just wanted to let you know that I'm still keeping you and her in my thoughts and prayers. I sure can feel for your frustration and your worry.

 

[Christy]

That's a challenge and a half! Sounds as if your life is filled with finding out what to eat, prepare it and see it gets eaten.

Got my own fair share of intolerances but this sounds truly difficult!

[CrabGrassAcres]

I don't think she has an infection, yeast or parasite. She is never allowed outside barefooted and of course doesn't sit on the ground or play with dirt. She just isn't interested. With the raw goat milk that should have her covered on intestinal infection or yeast. No symptoms of any of those things. All meat is well cooked. I keep the animals parasite free too with the copper sulfate.

 

She is improving with the diet change so I'll keep pursuing that unless something else comes up.

 

She gets the Mega-Vita-Gel caps from Puritan's Pride, additional water soluble vit K and D as well as extra C. She takes them really well.

 

I think I'll call the adoption agency and ask if they have heard from the bio parents about any genetic problems. I've kept them UTD on our address in case her bio family ever want to contact her.

[CrabGrassAcres]

Christy, I just hope I can manage it. It would be easier to make the changes if she were cooperative. She thinks I'm being mean. She isn't capable of understanding.

[Mother]

I am glad to hear she is doing better and that you don't believe the others are a problem. It does seem from that you are on the right track.

 

It would be nice if you could get a bit more genetic background on her. But you work with what you get and you, more than anyone, have done amazingly well all these years. Most adoptive parents have the same issues of not knowing what to expect. At least you have the benefit of being able to help her naturally which I'm sure has kept her healthier through the years. I'm pretty positive if she were able, she'd thank you for being a "mean" mom. Someday, she may do just that.

 

I know you have your own problems as well, CGA, and I worry about you. Please, through all this, take time for you also. You can't help her if you get down.