Wheat Allergy

I want to be clear. I will be covering wheat allergies. Celiac's is a MUCH more extensive conversation. All of the items discussed below will apply to Celiacs. Note that this post does NOT include all you need to know for Celiacs... Yes, I'm being repetitive. However, it is crucial to know the difference

When I was first diagnosed with food allergies, I was told I was allergic to milk, eggs and rice. (I'm allergic to 13 known food allergies at this date). A year went by. I researched, diligently avoided allergens, and still had problems. I had a nagging suspicion I was allergic to something else... in a major way.

If you know me at all, you know that I have a needle phobia. I can be a functioning phobic, but my doctor had to prescribe me valium in order for me not to cancel my allergy testing appointments. My GP talked to me for 3 years before agreeing to that appointment... all in major fear of needles. I was almost hysterical at my consultation and I KNEW there wasn't going to be needles near me. It was sitting in that lobby for 40 minutes while patients constantly went in and out to get shot therapy for some environmental allergen. Sigh...

A year later, and a couple more valium, I went into the doctor's office. I explained they made a mistake. Said to test me for only food this time. Made sure they did the best test to find out once and for all. At the end of it, they said, "you were right. You're allergic to wheat not rice." Seriously?! 

Life became better once I found this out. 

Wheat is everywhere! Believe it or not, just about everything around you is composed of wheat (with regard to food!). I was shocked to learn about how much wheat was in food and beverages. Yes. You heard me correctly. I have found wheat in beverages!! Makes me shake my head.

Variety of Wheat:

All Purpose Flour

Bread — any type made with white flour, wheat flour; bread crumbs

Bulgur
Cereal extract
Couscous
Cracker meal
Einkorn
Emmer — also known as farro Farina

Flour — atta, club, common, durum, einkorn, emmer, farina, graham, kamut, maida, semolina, spelt, triticale, triticum

Flour — all purpose, bread, bromated, cake, enriched, high gluten, high protein, instant pastry, phosphated, plain, soft wheat, steel ground, stone ground, self-rising, unbleached, white, whole wheat 

Fu

Gluten — wheat gluten, vital gluten, vital wheat gluten, fu

Kamut® — khorasan wheat Malt, malt extract

Matzo — Matzo meal (also spelled as matzoh, matzah, or matza)

Noodles, Matzo

Seitan

Semolina

Spelt

Tabbouleh

Triticale

Triticum

Wheat, whole wheat — wheat berries, wheat bran, whole wheat bread, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, wheat germ oil, wheat protein isolate, wheat starch, wheat sprouts, sprouted wheat

Wheatgrass  - this might be the ONLY item a person with Celiac’s can have that a person with a wheat allergy cannot have.

Wheat can be found in other items & Has Other Names

Artificial flavoring, natural flavoring

Caramel color

Dextrin

Food starch*, gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch, vegetable starch

Glucose syrup
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) Maltodextrin
Monosodium glutamate, MSG
Oats**
Soy sauce, shoyu, tamari, teriyaki sauce Surimi
Textured vegetable protein
Vegetable gum

Gelatinized Starch

Licorice

Jelly Beans

Hard Candy

Dairy Products

Meat products (fresh meat as well as hot dogs and cold cuts)

Condiments

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Beer

When doing your own research on wheat allergies, note that most information online talks about gluten. If you remained gluten free (with one exception), then you will be okay.

I can hear what’s going through your mind right now. Wheat in dairy? Come on. That has to be a joke. I took the following from a Healthy Eating website. “Sometimes food companies add gluten-containing ingredients to processed food. They act as flavoring, thickeners, stabilizers, coloring or binding agents. It's important to read the label on any type of flavored or otherwise altered milk before drinking to ensure it's gluten-free. Some cheese, yogurt, whipped cream and other processed dairy products may contain gluten from food additives as well, so be sure to check the label. According to the website Celiac.com, ingredients that may contain gluten have names such as malt, caramel color, dextrin, fat replacer, food starch, flavoring or stabilizers.”

The following is new to me. I haven’t read much on this. Yet, I’ve read the same information multiple times over the past handful of years.

Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis

“Some people with a wheat allergy develop symptoms only if they exercise within a few hours after eating wheat. Exercise-induced changes in your body either trigger an allergic reaction or worsen an immune system response to a wheat protein. This condition usually results in life-threatening anaphylaxis.”

The above I took from the same Healthy Eating website. I do not know anything about this. I have not met anyone who has had this happen. Wanted to be sure to pass on the information, though. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to take care of your body.

If you have a wheat allergy and not a gluten intolerance, you area able to eat barely, rye and oats without issues. That doesn’t mean these foods won’t cause you grief on occasion. It isn’t common to be allergic to all in the gluten group with a wheat allergy. Will it hurt you to not eat the above items? No, but why give it up, if you don’t have to??

Elimination Diet... Peace of Mind

I started my elimination diet again last week at some point (odd I have no recollection of what day I started!). Been feeling amazing! It is easier to not worry about when I will finish and introduce other foods this time around (I completed 2 weeks last time).

What I remind myself each day is the level of gratitude I have for feeling better not eating certain foods. I have no idea which foods are causing me grief, but there isn't a doubt that something doesn't agree with me now that I have greater energy, clearer thoughts, no digestive issues, and the like.

May not be an allergy. It could possibly be an intolerance. Either way the result will be the same... elimination of the food from my diet. No sense in not feeling 100% over food. I think I've come to peace with the fact that I can't eat whatever I want, whenever I want.

I'm sure that most people would have assumed that I should have already come to peace with that fact. Unfortunately, I've struggled with it ever since I found out about my allergies. Here it is about 15 years later, and now is when my brain has cut me some slack. LOL

I read posts from 1000s of others about how strict they are with the food they eat, and don't falter. I was envious. Other than tree nuts (there are a few I cannot eat and my reaction necessitates Epi and ER), I have not always been as careful when eating out. It became a chore. Eating out is usually a social event and all the stress of worry if I could eat there wasn't worth it to me at times.

After working at a restaurant for the past 3 years, I know that every time I eat out, it is a gamble. That thought is less than exciting to say the least. The past couple of months, I've eaten out a couple of times. Sushi (I know what to stay away from, but still had minor reaction), one place where all I ate was a cucumber and onion salad... and a local mexican restaurant. I found out the hard way what not to eat there!

I keep a busy lifestyle. Losing convenience of eating out or packaged food has been depressing and frustrating at times. Now, I don't care as much. I nibble on what makes me happy (avocados, variety of lettuce, tomatoes, pears...)

Too bad I couldn't talk my brain into learning this lesson 15 years ago. ;)