Menu For Allergies: Features Of Compilation, Recipes

Often we come across certain food irritants in our diet that can cause various allergic manifestations. What is it: a food intolerance or an allergic reaction? What is the difference? What diet to follow, how to make a menu?

Types of food for allergies: what diet is relevant in a particular case

The concept of food intolerance includes any abnormal reaction to food. That is, celiac disease is gluten intolerance, a reaction to casein is milk intolerance. There are a number of foods that are known to be strong allergens for our body. They are divided into three groups: histamine-containing products, histamine liberators, and diamine oxidase blockers. Let's consider each in more detail.

1. Histamine containing products

   Histamine is the most important universal mediator of vital physiological and pathological processes, derived from the amino acid histidine. However, its excess leads to the launch of a mediated inflammatory reaction with allergic manifestations. Histamine is a kind of immune system stimulant that warns of danger. When an allergen or toxin enters the body due to histamine, the blood vessels expand and swell and an immediate allergic reaction is triggered.

   Unprocessed fresh foods contain very little histamine, but the longer the food is stored or ripened, the more histamine accumulates in it.

   Foods high in histamine include: pickles, vinegar, beer, champagne, wine, tomato ketchup, canned food (especially fish), yeast products, aged cheeses, soybeans, bananas, avocados.

   But not only foods can be histamine release stimulants, but also exogenous factors, which include:

   • allergic reactions;

   • various diseases;

   • trauma;

   • hypoxia;

   • radiation exposure;

   • stress;

   • taking certain medications.

   Foods that show signs of spoilage should not be consumed, since the bacteria that contaminate them are able to form histamine from histidine in large quantities.

   Pay special attention to the proper storage of fish, in particular the mackerel family, and seafood. It is these foods that can cause severe histamine poisoning.

    

2. Histamine liberators

   Histamine liberators include products under the action of which specialized cells of the immune response (mast cells) release histamine.

   This happens when the product is used in large quantities. Even if no previous allergic reaction was observed.

    

   More often these products include: citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, cocoa, chocolate, seeds and nuts, legumes (in particular soybeans), honey, spices and ester-rich foods (horseradish, radish, radish, mustard) and, of course, fast foods. food, stuffed with dyes, flavors and preservatives.

    

3. Blockers of an important enzyme that breaks down histamine (diaminoxidase)

   Often, histamine intolerance in the body occurs when it accumulates excessively and the enzymatic system fails to break it down in time and effectively. In the digestive tract, histamine taken with food is destroyed by the action of diamine oxidase (DAO). The action of this enzyme is reduced in various intestinal diseases, microflora disorders, alcohol abuse, celiac disease and gluten intolerance, as well as a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals.

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   The deficiency of this enzyme also leads to the intake of certain drugs (in particular, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants, immunomodulators, antihistamines, antiarrhythmics). The main difference between food intolerance is the absence of its participation in the reaction of the immune system.

   What is true allergy?

   If you ate one tangerine and there was no reaction, but sprinkled on a box of tangerines, then this is a food intolerance. Histamine liberators worked.

   Since a true food allergy does not depend on the amount, the reaction will be even from one tangerine slice, and such an allergy can be detected with the simplest allergotests. There is an exception in the form of cross-food allergies, where a seasonal allergy to pollen can manifest itself as an allergy to citrus fruits.

   Food allergies are most often first diagnosed in childhood. In the formation of food allergies in a child, malnutrition in a woman during pregnancy and lactation plays a leading role. Provoking factors include:

   • early transfer of the child to artificial nutrition;

   • improper introduction of complementary foods;

   • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary system (diseases of the liver and biliary tract);

   • irrational approach to child nutrition, lack of essential nutrients.

   The causes of allergies in adults most often include diseases of the digestive system, a violation of the microbiota, disturbances in the functioning of enzymatic organs (biliary, pancreas), a disturbed diet, an independent transition to strict eating styles, without agreement with a specialist.

   In total, there are two types of diet for allergies:

    

4. Hypoallergenic diet.

   This is a diet based on the direct elimination of factors, that is, the products themselves, which lead to an allergic reaction and reduce the allergenic load on the body.

    

1. Complex elimination diet.

   This is a nutritional program designed to cleanse the body of foods and chemicals that you are sensitive to.

   The main rationale behind this diet is that these nutritional modifications allow your body's detoxification mechanisms, which may be overwhelmed or weakened, to recover and begin to function effectively again. Dietary changes help the body to eliminate (excrete) various toxins that may have accumulated due to exposure to the environment, food, drinks, drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. It also helps reduce inflammation throughout the body.

   This program is called an elimination diet because you eliminate certain foods and food groups from your diet.

   Within three weeks, you eliminate from your diet those foods that are the most likely causes of problems. If your symptoms improve within three weeks, you can carefully reintroduce foods one at a time to see which foods are likely to trigger your symptoms.

   Any diet, regardless of type, aims to relieve symptoms. With the additional use of antihistamines, itching, redness, rash can be removed in a short time, allergic cough can be cured.

    

Features of compiling a menu for allergies: what you can and cannot eat

According to a 2017 study, it is recommended to approach the diet in stages.

At the first stage, refrain from histamine products for 10-14 days; at the second stage, the product is re-introduced under supervision, thus determining histamine tolerance.

In the case of an allergic skin disease, when it can be assumed that one of the etiological (causal) factors of the disease is a food product, a diet is prescribed simultaneously with drug treatment. If the specific food that caused the illness is known, then the diet consists of eliminating that food from the diet.

But this is rare, more often the specific product is unknown - then a diet is prescribed that excludes from food all foods that can cause allergies.

Food products, according to the degree of potential allergenic activity, can be divided into three groups:

1. High

   Eggs, alcohol, chicken meat, cow's milk, chocolate, fish, crustaceans, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries, wild strawberries, currants, grapes, pineapples, melons, persimmons, pomegranates, coffee, cocoa, nuts, honey, mushrooms, mustard, tomatoes, celery, wheat, rye.

    

2. Medium

   Pork, turkey, potatoes, peas, peaches, apricots, red currants, watermelons, bananas, green peppers, corn, buckwheat, cranberries, rice.

    

3. Weak

   Lamb (low-fat varieties), zucchini, squash, turnips, pumpkin (light colors), green and yellow apples, gooseberries, plums, green cucumbers.

    

It is recommended to exclude from the diet, in case of a food allergy:

• citrus;

• seafood;

• rich broths;

• processed meat products;

• mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard;

• radish, horseradish, radish;

• spices;

• whole whey;

• honey;

• alcohol;

• strawberries;

• a pineapple;

• melon;

• sweet carbonated drinks.

A strict diet must be observed, as a rule, until the manifestations of the disease disappear permanently (if the disease is not chronic), then, under the supervision of a doctor, the diet is gradually expanded.

From what foods should you form your diet in order to reduce the immunological load?

A hypoallergenic diet is recommended for all types of allergic reactions. The duration of such therapeutic nutrition is determined by the degree of the allergic process.

To simplify life during the period of dieting, a pre-compiled menu containing a list of dishes for each day helps.

List of products for a hypoallergenic diet:

• products from the fermented milk group (kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese);

• lean meats (poultry, beef);

• offal can be included in the diet (liver, tongue, kidneys);

• certain low-fat varieties of fish products (cod, sea bass);

• from cereals in recipes barley, semolina, rice, oatmeal are used;

• it is allowed to use sunflower, olive, butter;

• the list of vegetables in the diet is made up of cucumbers, zucchini, rutabaga, squash, cabbage of different varieties); lettuce, dill, parsley, spinach;

• from fruits and berries, green apples, pears, currants and white cherries, gooseberries can be included in the diet;

• dried fruits are represented by a list of apples, pears, prunes;

• the menu includes apple and pear compotes, weak tea, still mineral water.

To compose the menu, a general diet is used according to the hypoallergenic method called "table 5", based on the use of products that cause allergies with the least likelihood.

On an allergy diet, foods high in histamine are not consumed, as well as foods that act as substances that release or block the enzyme diamine oxidase: alcohol, black tea, tea, energy drinks.

A list of hypoallergenic diet products that are not recommended for consumption is presented in the table below.

The consequences of non-compliance with the diet for allergies

The most common manifestations of allergies in non-compliance with the diet:

1. Skin symptoms: urticaria, redness of the skin, swelling of the mucous membrane, skin, itching all over the body, swollen eyelids.

2. Digestive signs of allergy: crampy abdominal pain, bloating, heartburn, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation.

3. Respiratory manifestations: cough, sneezing, frequent rhinitis, throat irritation, swelling of the lips and tongue, swelling of the nasal mucosa, difficulty breathing (similar to asthma).

4. Cardiovascular manifestations of allergies: changes in blood pressure (mainly a decrease), heart rhythm disturbances, palpitations.

5. Neurological manifestations: dizziness, loss of consciousness, chronic fatigue, migraine, insomnia, anxiety, depression, panic disorder, hot flashes, sweating.

6. Gynecological manifestations of allergies: painful menstruation, menstrual irregularities.

If the allergy diet is not followed, these signs may occur individually or several at the same time. Each organism is different, so the symptoms are individual. Some of them are more pronounced, others less.

Tips for following a hypoallergenic diet:

• The first 2-3 days are the hardest. You need to go shopping and buy all the foods you are allowed to eat.

• Plan your meals and prepare food preparations in advance: baked vegetables, meatballs, soup, hummus, so that if you get hungry, you have the opportunity to put together a dish from the available ingredients without spending more than 15 minutes cooking.

• Eat simply. Cook simply and use familiar dishes such as borscht, baked vegetables, plov.

• Eat regularly with an interval of an average of 3-4 hours.

• If you are not sure that there will be food that suits you during the day, then try to take food with you in a container so that you do not deviate from the plan.

• Avoid any foods that you know or think you are sensitive to, even if they are on the approved list.

• Try to eat at least three servings of fresh vegetables every day. For at least one serving, choose dark green or orange vegetables (carrots, broccoli, winter squash) and one raw vegetable each day. Change your choice of vegetables.

   

• Buy organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Choose fresh produce whenever possible. It is advisable to opt for organically grown fruits and vegetables to eliminate the consumption of pesticides and chemical residues. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

• Pre-soak and spicy beans, use lentils and hummus with olive oil rather than tahini (sesame paste). Alternatively, you can add rice, pea, or hemp based protein powder. These recommendations help raise the level of protein in your diet.

  As for grains, quinoa and buckwheat are protein-rich seeds. Quinoa, like buckwheat, cooks quickly and tastes delicious with a little salt and olive oil.

• If you regularly drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages, it may be better to slowly reduce your caffeine intake rather than stop abruptly. This will prevent caffeine withdrawal headaches. Try, for example, drinking half coffee for a few days. Then gradually reduce the amount of coffee consumed.

• Read oil labels. Use only that which is obtained by cold pressing.

• If you choose animal sources of protein, look for wild or organically raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, or sheep. Trim visible fat and bake, braise, grill or use in soup. Cold water fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and halibut) are another great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are important nutrients in this diet. Fish is widely used here.

• Remember to drink the recommended amount (at least 2 liters) of clean, filtered water every day.

• Intense or prolonged exercise may be reduced for a period or for the duration of the program to allow the body to heal more effectively without the added burden of exercise. Adequate rest time and stress relief are also important to the success of this diet.

• You can use the leftovers of the next day for a full meal or for cooking a meal. For example, baked salmon and broccoli left over from dinner can be salad ingredients for lunch the next day.

Sample menu of a hypoallergenic diet for 3 days

Breakfast: Vegetable protein with almond milk, lightly poached or steamed vegetables.

Lunch: Beet salad or another beet dish of your choice, fish baked with vegetables.

Snack: Fruit (apple or pear), a handful of pumpkin seeds.

Dinner: root vegetables baked with rosemary, spicy rice with beans.

Breakfast: Red lentil hummus, root vegetables baked with rosemary (leftover from dinner).

Lunch: Buckwheat, red cabbage salad, white fish baked with spinach

Snack: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie.

Dinner: Millet falafel, carrot soup with ginger and turmeric.

Breakfast: Quinoa with pumpkin and vegetables.

Lunch: Cauliflower soup with turmeric, wild rice with pumpkin, curry chicken with coconut and steamed herbs.

Snack: Spicy turmeric smoothie.

Dinner: Baked allowed vegetables, baked cod.

Recipes for a hypoallergenic diet

Ingredients:

• 2 small beets

• 2 tsp mustard with seeds

• Small bunch of basil

• Small bunch of mint

• Small bunch of green onions

• 4 tbsp. l. cold pressed olive oil

• Unrefined salt to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking method:

Preheat the oven to 220˚ C. Wash and dry the beets, wrap them in foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Prepare the sauce. Finely chop the basil, mint and green onion, pour the greens into a glass. Add olive oil, salt, mustard with grains, freshly ground black pepper to the greens. Mix thoroughly.

When the beets are ready, let them cool, peel, cut into large pieces and put in a deep salad bowl. Pour in the sauce and mix well. Serve on a flat plate.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red potatoes

• 1 cup sweet potato

• 1/2 cup turnip

• 1 red beet

• 4 heads Brussels sprouts, diced

Refueling:

• 1/2 st. l. olive oil

• 1/2 st. l. dried rosemary

• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Cooking method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C and brush a baking sheet (approx. 13x19 cm) with olive oil. Peel the vegetables and rinse them under cold running water. Remove all veins and "eyes" and cut into 2-3 cm cubes. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and toss evenly with the dressing (best done with your hands). Transfer the vegetables to a baking sheet and roast until tender (about an hour).

Ingredients:

• 3 white fish fillets

• 1/2 cup vegetables

• 1/2 onion

• 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice

• Black pepper, salt (for children without salt)

• Olive oil

Cooking method:

We heat the oven to 175 ° C. We process the fish with juice, pepper, salt. We cut the onion. Pour a little oil into the pan and sauté the onion and vegetables. The onion should become translucent.

Lubricate the form with oil, put the fish there. We put the filling on each of the fillets and wrap it. Attach the fillet pieces to each other if they suddenly fall apart due to the difference in shape. We put in the oven for 15 minutes. Ready!

Ingredients:

• 3 glasses of water

• 1/2 cup red lentils

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tsp ghee

• 1 cup peeled and minced onion

• 2 cups chopped champignons

• 1/2 tsp garlic (crushed)

• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Spices:

• 3 glasses of water

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/8 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cooking method:

Boil the lentils until soft (about 10 minutes) with 3 cups of water. Drain the water, strain the lentils through a sieve and mash lightly with a spoon, set aside.

Heat ghee and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add spices and simmer until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add lentils and simmer until all moisture has evaporated. Cool to room temperature and then blend in a blender until smooth.

Add salt and pepper and stir again. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup millet groats

• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

• 4 green onions

• Small bunch of finely chopped parsley

• 1 lemon

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Cooking method:

Rinse the millet thoroughly and boil in 1.5 cups (375 ml) of water with a pinch of salt. The porridge should boil, and all the liquid will evaporate. Preheat oven to 180°C.

Mash chickpeas, mix with millet, parsley, green onion, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Shape the mixture into patties and bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown). Serve falafel drizzled with lemon juice and lightly sprinkled with coarse salt.

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower

• 1 shallot

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 3 art. l. cold pressed olive oil

• Unrefined salt to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking method:

Cut the shallots into small pieces and sauté in a deep frying pan or saucepan in hot olive oil until translucent. Finely chop the cauliflower and let it simmer with onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add enough water to cover the cauliflower, close the lid and let it sit for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Remove the lid and, increasing the heat, add salt, add turmeric and cook for another 5 minutes.

Grind the mass in a blender (completely or in parts). Transfer the soup to a bowl and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Diet for allergies in children

Diet for young children has its own nuances. At this time, the immune system is just starting to work. And it is very important not to provoke a failure. Therefore, parents carefully treat the introduction of complementary foods, new dishes, study literature.

The main points of hypoallergenic nutrition for children at the age of one year:

• complementary foods are introduced according to age;

• cereals with gluten, red and orange fruits, vegetables are excluded from the diet;

• the child cannot eat chicken and fish. From meat products only veal, turkey, rabbit, horse meat. After a year, you can diversify the diet with tongue, liver, beef heart;

• sugar is completely excluded, as well as honey, jam, ready-made confectionery;

• food is prepared by boiling;

• eggs up to a year are excluded, then you can carefully introduce the yolk into the diet. In this case, the reaction is monitored;

• Whole cow's milk is excluded. You can introduce fermented milk products and cottage cheese into the diet, observe tolerance. They are also not suitable for all children.

The main task of the parents of a small child is to purchase, cook, and give the child safe foods. These are gluten-free cereals, allowed meat, kefir, natural yoghurts without additives. Selective fruits. Green apples and pears are the least likely to cause a reaction. You can have light-colored vegetables. Potatoes for children up to a year should be finely chopped, soaked in cold water from starch.

If the baby refuses unusual food, then you need to act according to the situation. For example, instead of porridge, give meat or vegetables several times. It's important not to give up. Within a week, the receptors will be cleansed, old tastes will begin to be forgotten.

At the age of two years, the issue with complementary foods is completely resolved. Therefore, a hypoallergenic diet for children is aimed specifically at therapeutic nutrition. But with the introduction of any new product, it is also recommended to observe gradualness, fragmentation. If there is a slight reaction, food is excluded.

What is added to the hypoallergenic diet for children 2 years old:

• new vegetables, fruits, berries (apricot, peach, red currant, bell pepper);

• baked dishes (casseroles, cheesecakes from the oven, homemade biscuits, cookies, if there is no reaction to wheat);

• soups on broths;

• you can enter corn, peas, chickpeas.

It is at this age that the transition to the adult table is made. But do not get carried away with fried, stewed dishes with an abundance of sauces and spices. The easier the food is digested, the better for the child.

The older the child becomes, the easier it is for the body to deal with allergens. The diet for allergies in children of 3 years old becomes even more diverse. Especially if the child is not allergic to wheat flour. At this age, ordinary and lazy dumplings, homemade dumplings, pastries can be introduced into the diet. If gluten is not tolerated, then all this can be prepared from corn or buckwheat flour.

By this age, it is already known whether cow's milk is tolerated. Also, new vegetables and berries continue to be introduced into the diet. Soups, casseroles, stews and other dishes become even more varied, tastier, the whole family can eat these dishes.

What to feed the child:

• Various cereals. You can add steamed pumpkin, baked apples, cook with other hypoallergenic berries and fruits.

• Casseroles. Optionally from cottage cheese. You can add cereals, pasta, dried fruits and even vegetables.

• Meatballs, cutlets, meatballs. Minced meat products can be present in second courses, soups, casseroles.

• Vegetable puree. It is not necessary to use only potatoes. It is worth paying attention to zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, it's time to focus on pumpkin and carrots. Mixed types of puree have very interesting tastes.

• Soups. Their types also change. You can cook cream dishes, vegetable and meat broths. Sometimes they try to give white fish to children from the age of three.

• Baking. Cookies, cakes, buns for children are prepared without sugar and with a minimum amount of fat. From fried pancakes, pies still need to be abandoned. But sometimes you can bake from the oven.

Based on these dishes, a hypoallergenic diet for children of 3 years old is being built, more fresh vegetables and fruits are introduced into the menu. Fiber helps to remove allergens, normalizes stools, cleanses the body from the inside.

It is also desirable to exclude from the menu products that are not natural for the area in which the child lives. Most often, the rejection of exotic foods in the diet helps to solve the problem of allergies in children.

The most difficult thing is to adhere to hypoallergenic nutrition for preschoolers. They are more often outside the home. They are treated by acquaintances and friends, children attend holidays. Regardless of external circumstances, a hypoallergenic diet for children at home must be strictly observed.

Menu of a nursing mother with allergies in a child

The need to use a diet according to hypoallergenic rules may arise when:

1. the presence of allergies to various components in the diet of a nursing mother;

2. the appearance of an allergic reaction in children who feed on breast milk of a nursing mother.

The presence of symptoms of atopic dermatitis is the basis for compliance with hypoallergenic dietary rules.

Before starting a diet for atopic dermatitis, you must:

1. conduct an analysis to identify the source of atopic dermatitis;

2. exclude the component completely from the diet if it is a source of dermatitis.

For atopic dermatitis, the following list of products is allowed:

• dairy products;

• cereals from cereals that do not contain gluten (buckwheat, rice, corn);

• green apples, preferably baked;

• dill, parsley;

• soaked boiled potatoes;

• black bread.

It is advisable to exclude:

• egg yolk;

• honey;

• coffee, cocoa, chocolate;

• nuts;

• mustard;

• mushrooms;

• garlic;

• red and orange fruits, vegetables.

• fish and seafood.

As the symptoms of dermatitis decrease, a gradual introduction of one of the excluded hypoallergenic products occurs.

Once a diet is started, most people feel better and better every day. However, if you are used to a particular product, you may experience withdrawal symptoms in the first few days, which may include headaches, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, or increased hunger.

Getting out of the diet

After two to three weeks, you can begin to return foods to your diet. Keep a diary of all foods eaten and any symptoms.

Be sure to add foods one at a time every two days. Eat the test product at least twice a day and in fairly large amounts. Often, a problematic product causes symptoms quickly. It takes from 10 minutes to 12 hours.

Be sure to check the products in their pure form. For example, check milk or cheese or wheat, but not macaroni and cheese, which contains milk, cheese and wheat!

By avoiding symptom-causing foods and taking supportive nutritional supplements to restore bowel health, you will get rid of a negative reaction to foods within 4-6 months. This means that in most cases you will be able to eat the foods that previously caused you food sensitivities again.

In some cases, you will find that the reaction does not go away. This means that either you need to wait longer, or this is a “permanent” reaction that will remain for life, but if you wish, you can always find a worthy replacement for the products.