A bit of digging on Cafe Nero website and I found this:

“The chai latte blend contains milk powder, so even if this drink is made with soya milk it would not be suitable for a dairy free diet.” Cafe Nero

Some research and I think that Starbucks Chai Soy is dairy free but I am just waiting for some confirmation on this.

So the next time you fancy a chai soy latte – pop to the shops and pick up some proper chai tea bags, come home heat some dairy free milk (soy, Oatly or rice), add the chai tea, brew to your liking and serve. For a treat add a spoon of honey or Agave Necta – Enjoy!

- 1x Raw beetroot
- 1x Pear not too soft (e.g confereance)

Grate the raw beetroot and pear on a thick grate setting. Mix together in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

That’s is Beetroot and Pear Salad done.

Bounce Energy Ball - Gluten Free Snack

Since trying my first ball (the green one) I was lucky enough to be sent all the other flavours to taste, now being the loyal person I am, I am sticking to the green one as my overall favourite but the others are really tasty too.

As the name suggest the snack comes in a squished ball shape, covered in nuts, which makes it crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle, really great texture combination that makes the eating even more enjoyable.

When I first opened it I was amazed by its dark green colour due to the spirulina and once I tucked in I was really impressed by its sweet and health taste. In fact the Gluten Free ball went down so quickly I had to pop back to the shop to buy another one so I could take some photos.

The Spirulina Ginseng Ball is the Bounce best seller, quoted by Bounce as being “unusual but tastes great” .

What is Spirulina?

Spirulina is an amazing superfood, it helps to boost the immune system, and is a complete protein and a rich source of iron & fibre.

Spirulina Ginseng Ball Ingredients

Gluten Free Rolled Oats, Almonds, Brown Rice Starch, Grape Juice, Crispy Brown Rice (Brown Rice), Gluten Free Oat Bran, Spirulina (1.25%), Sesame Seeds, Raisins, Panax Ginseng (0.62%), Vanilla, Sea Salt, Natural Almond Flavouring (no MSG), Antioxidant (E306 from natural sources).

For those like me with a dairy free diet, watch out for the yellow and the orange Bounce Balls as they have whey in, however the rest of the balls you can freely tuck into as they are all dairy free. My partner Phil tried the the Yellow and Orange Protein bounce balls and he really liked them too, even with his sweet tooth.

For local stockist follow link – priced at £1.59.

Check for stockists in your area as Bounce Natural Energy Balls are a tasty Healthy AND Gluten Free Snack.

Juicing has some great health benefits without requiring a huge effort or financial investment on your part. Juicers are pretty inexpensive now and you can choose from a whole range of delicious ingredients to create your drinks, including delicious fruits, yogurt and vegetables.

Juicing raw ingredients ensures that you are taking in a good number of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and fibre that are necessary for your immune system and your body`s repair systems. This means that you are preparing your body to fight off illness and helping it to recover faster, keeping you on your feet. The antioxidant ingredients are also known to help ease the aging process, keeping you looking and feeling young for longer.

Unlike eating the fruit and vegetables, consuming them in juiced form allows you to absorb more of the vital enzymes and enjoy greater health benefits from the ingredients. These enzymes can speed up your metabolism, meaning they are great for weight loss and weight management, alongside a healthy diet and exercise.

The symptoms of depression are thought by many researchers to be worsened by mineral deficiencies in many cases. Drinking freshly made juice on a regular basis allows your body to absorb some vital minerals, including calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium and potassium, which can ease the symptoms of depression.

Drinking your own freshly prepared juices means that you can experiment with various recipes and design your own bespoke creations. Variety is the spice of life and juicing offers a great opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables in different combinations, each bringing their own health benefits.

Don`t be tempted to purchase ready made juices from shops as many of them have hidden added sugars and fats. They are often expensive too. Creating your own juices can save you plenty of money over time as the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. In the same way that bean to cup coffee machines use fresh ingredients to create a great quality, inexpensive coffee product at home, the end product of a juicer is less expensive than buying a juice from a shop. There is also a great feeling of satisfaction that you are consuming your own delicious creations. So get juicing!

Ndali Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Extract Ingredients:Fairtrade Ugandan Vanilla Beans,Alcohol (38% vol),Water

“Its intense, sweet flavour is thanks partly to the high vanilla content of the beans grown in the shadow of Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon; and also to the traditional, cold-pressing method of steeping the beans in pure alcohol. “

Remember this is not an artificial vanilla essence so i pricey than you might expect at £6.50 (I got mine in Waitrose and Lakeland also sell it) but it doesn’t come close to the full, rounded flavour of pure Ndali Vanilla Extract – give it a try.

So keen to give them a go I riped open my new box of .Low and behold they taste just like I remember a crispbread to taste like (does anyone else have food memories, had one last night re spaghetti bolognese at school – was the one good thing on the menu) – they have the same texture and taste but with a buckwheat kick – so if like me you like the taste of buckwheat you will love these.

Gluten Free Crisp Bread Ingredients

Corn flour* (50%), rice flour* (49%), sea salt
*= certified organic ingredients

Just checked online and you can buy them from Goodness Direct for £1.79

NB On the Goodness Direct website it says they contain sugar however my box just says the ingredients as described on the Windmill Organics (people who make Amisa Range) website.

I cant wait to give my Gluten Free Crisp Bread a try at lunch with a topping – perhaps some avocado, mackerel or maybe even some sugar free jam… ummm. If you fancy a crunchy gluten or wheat free cracker then these are great – highly recommend.

I also suffer from this combination of food intolerance’s and when first being diagnosed it was a bit daunting as it rules out a number of food groups and also really changes the kind of products you can freely buy in a supermarket. The great news is there are lots of products out there for you to try its just a) knowing what’s out there and b) where to buy it.

For starters check out these two articles as they will give you a few pointers when you have multiple food intolerance’s:

• Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerances
• Multiple Food Intolerance Advise

Living Dairy Free

There are some fantastic alternatives for dairy including lots of great soya, rice and oat based products to replace milk and spreads.

For lots more advice on products and living dairy free, check out our dairy free articles including these:

• Soya and Health
• Bone Health and Dairy Free
• Vegan Diet Explained
• Lactose Intolerance
• Living Dairy Free

Yeast and Wheat Intolerance

Having a yeast and wheat intolerance as a rule means the end to bread as you may know it , as most bread on the supermarket contains both of these. However there is, believe it or not a life after bread.

Wheat and yeast can also be added to lots of other products, so if you buy any packaged products, especially cereals, bars and biscuits then check all the labels. It can be hard at first reading labels on everything but after a while you will get used to what you can and can’t have – and be excited to be on a new food journey of discovery, as there are lots of fantastic tasty products – most of which are healthier than the normal alternatives.

Lots of traditionally labelled free from food (especially gluten free) can be loaded with eggs, sugar, yeast and dairy so make sure you check the labels of all free from products – also in my experience especially with free from breads some can tasty pretty much of cardboard – you are actually better or looking for new products rather than replacements.

Gluten Free Flat Bread, Rye Bread and also baking yourself opens up lots of options for bready style alternatives – also you need to open up your cupboards to the likes of oat cakes and corn cakes as they can be a great filler when needed. Check out our Free From Bread section for lots more products and advice.

From  baking point of view there is some good news as Doves Free From Flour, general chickpea and rice flour are all fantastic for lots of recipes and as you can have sugar and eggs (very jealous)  in you diet you can pretty much make any cake simply replacing normal flour with a classic gluten free flour mix, you might want to look out for a gluten free baking as sometime people with yeast intolerance can react to anything that rises, so you might want to do a trial for example with some Free From Muffins.

Free From Products Online

Leaning what products you can have is the first step then working out where to buy them is the next, there are lots of fantastic websites, health food shops and even the supermarkets are getting better at providing Fussy Foodie friendly products.

Planet Organic – Planet Organic is a haven for nutritious, wholesome organic products including fruit & vegetables, confectionery, dried goods and beer & wine, as well as a range of organic health & well being and mother & baby products

Goodness Direct – Fantastic online health Food Shop

Living a life with a Dairy, Yeast and Wheat Intolerance is no doubt a challenge but the feel of health and well being you get will make it all worth it. Let us know how you get on and any products you find and enjoy,questions or help with specific recipes or product alternatives you need you know where to find us.

“At Raw Health, we use organic raw ingredients & where possible soak and sprout them to bring their natural vitality to life. Then we make delicious snacks at low temperatures to ensure the health-giving nutrients and enzymes stay alive and well.” Raw Health

Flax Raw Crackers Ingredients:

BROWN FLAX SEEDS*(63%), GOLDEN FLAX SEEDS*(13%), SUNFLOWER SEEDS*, TOMATOES*(8%), UNREFINED SEA SALT, CHILI POWDER*(0.08%) *= certified organic ingredients

Made from raw ingredients which have not been heated above 42°C.

Buy from Goodness Direct – £3.99

The Flax Raw Crackers have a different texture to a normal cracker, which I can only describe as more bendy however they are really flavorsome and are great with salad and mackerel for lunch. So if you spot them in the shops give them a try.

“Our new range of delicious jelly beans for those who you who prefer a free from alternative. 20 amazing flavours individually compartmentalised with a flavour guide in the lid. Being virtuous has never been so good!” Jelly Belly

• No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
• Gelatine Free
• Dairy Free
• Fat Free
• Certified OU Kosher

If you have given Beanaturals a try let us know what you think – just watch out for the sugar rush!

So far I know of two cases of other medical conditions that have had amazing results from treatment via Homeopathy, so I am intrigued to see if it can help me. I am going into this with a cynical, but open mind. I have had promises before of help and also now am 90% used to the food intolerance’s and related symptoms I have since following a restricted diet for  a number of years and also enjoying my time spent writing and researching for Fussy Foodie, however I would truly love to reduce the sensitivity of my food intolerance’s to enable life to be that little bit easier, especially when eating out.

I have had two cases in the last two weeks which have caused me discomfort even when sticking to my very restrictive diet (Sugar Free, Yeast Free, no gluten, no dairy or eggs). For example whilst at a family BBQ I partook in some simple chicken and salad (no dressing) – tasted great at the time but lasted about 10 mins inside my system, you don’t need the details but lets just say the food was in one end out the other. I have put this down to a season rub I since found was put on the chicken which had a small amount of sugar in, crazy that my body should have such a strong reaction – it would be great if my reaction could even just be reduced as it causes such discomfort.

One of the often unnoticed side effects of food intolerances is itching – and this last few days I have had some really annoying itches, mainly on my back,  and its starting to annoy me – this is what finally pushed me into giving homeopathy a go.

On looking into Food Intolerance and Homeopathy I found a great article by Stephen Malthouse on Homeopathy and Food Allergies…

“The homeopathic approach to food allergies may surprise some people: food allergies will completely disappear with proper treatment. This seems to be in contrast to the usual medical approach of eliminating the offending food or using digestive aids and then viewing the patient as cured.

Homeopathic treatment can help strengthen the immune system. After homeopathic treatment, if there is an accidental exposure, the chances of a severe reaction are reduced. In addition, acute homeopathic remedies, such as Apis mellifica for hives, can be added to the conventional treatment.

Homeopathy views food sensitivities (and allergies, too) as an expression of a disturbance in the patients energetic system. This system keeps all the tissues and organs as well as the emotions and intellectual apparatus functioning at optimum level. Under stress, the energetic system will cause certain symptoms, such as food intolerance’s or allergies, to appear. These symptoms are not a disease to be cured in themselves, but a reflection of an underlying, deeper malfunction…

Although homeopaths encourage proper diet and lifestyle, freedom to be able to eat just about anything is the goal of homeopathic treatment.

Constitutional treatment is similar to piecing together a giant jigsaw puzzle: each puzzle piece represents a symptom or characteristic of the patient. Symptoms can be mental, emotional or physical. The patients personality, desires and aversions, past medical history and family history must also be considered. Some puzzle pieces have been smudged by previous treatments, surgery or drugs. Some pieces are missing. A skilled homeopath can recognize the final picture and match it to the correct constitutional remedy.”

Read the full article here…

On the reverse there is a high profile anti homeopathy campaign; “10:23 – Homeopathy: there’s nothing in it”.

10:23 refers to the time at which campaigners across the globe took part in our ‘overdose’ stunt. On January 30th 2010, at 10:23am, over 400 of our supporters swallowed an entire bottle of homeopathic pills in an attempt to raise public awareness about the fact that these so-called remedies have no active ingredients.

There website has a barage of anti homeopathy information including…

“Why does homeopathy sometimes appear to work?

There are dozens of reasons why homeopathy may appear to work for some individuals.

For example, people will often confuse correlation with causation. The human body has a very robust and amazingly intricate immune system, which is capable of fending off all sorts of nasty things all on its own. When someone starts to feel better shortly after taking a homeopathic remedy, they might assume that the remedy has hastened their recovery. Actually, there is no good reason to believe these two events are related. They may have recovered just as quickly without the homeopathic intervention.

Another example is what are known as placebo effects. This is where an inert substance, such as a sugar pill, can be shown to improve the condition of a patient simply because the patient expects it to. Someone using homeopathy may start to feel better because they expect to feel better, not because the homeopathy has actually done anything to cure them.”

I am booked into see my recommended Homeopathist in a few weeks time and will let you know how things go, I will be taking up my food diary again so that I can really test to see any difference that can be made. At the end of my initial research into Food Intolerance and Homeopathy I remain skeptical but really intrigued to see what happens on my Food Intolerance and Homeopathy journey.