Tag: Special Diets

Beans, beans are good for your heart…………fill in the rest!

You may have heard the following rhyme,

Beans, beans are good for your heart – well so far this is true they are full of soluble fibre, soluble fibre reduces cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of blood clots preventing heart attacks and strokes.

The more you eat the more you f****, again some real truth here.

The more you f*** the better you feel, well no actually, beans and pulses are known for causing intestinal gas and this can cause havoc with people who have IBS, increasing the level of pain felt and generally making life really miserable. Beans and lentils (pulses) contain a type of carbohydrate called raffinose, this is indigestible by everyone, but with people who have IBS the bloating that results stretches the bowel wall and causes pain. I don’t really need to explain f*** do I? I’m much too polite, I’m afraid.

So let’s have beans for every meal – erm, again possibly not, if you are prone to bloating and pain after eating them.

BUT I MISS BEANS! I’M VEGETARIAN – BEANS ARE MY PROTEIN AND IRON! 😦 HELP!

You should only exclude foods that are actually causing problems, variety in your diet is very important. Good sources of protein for vegetarians are quinoa and quorn and iron can be found in dark green leafy vegetables – ensure you have a SMALL glass of fresh orange to aid the absorption into your body, only if you are not intolerant of fructose. Ask to see a dietitian if you require more personal dietary advice here.

Is there anything I can do to make this food a little more tolerable?

Well possibly.

When buying dried pulses (lentils and beans) please ensure you use them up quickly – leaving them in your cupboard for more than a year really doesn’t help, the longer they are stored the tougher they become. They then require more soaking and boiling to make them more digestible. Ensure the surface is without shriveled skin and the colour is bright. Store your dried beans in a sealed container in a cool dark place.

Soaking is then required, don’t add anything to the beans but water and change this a few times during the soaking process, if you can. Don’t be tempted to add salt or sodium bicarbonate to the beans, salt will inhibit the soaking process. You will need to soak the beans at least eight hours or preferably overnight and rinse the beans after soaking prior to cooking.

Cooking times vary depending on the age and water hardness, again before adding the beans to another dish don’t be tempted to use the water for stock as this does contain more raffinose. See the link at the bottom of the page for a useful information leaflet from Pulse Canada on cooking times for beans. Don’t add acidic foods to the beans whilst cooking such as tomato, vinegar or lemon juice as this makes the cooking process longer.

Tinned beans need to be rinsed before use, again don’t be tempted to use the liquor to add to other dishes – the beans have been cooked in the tin and not given the same treatment. Some of the cheaper tinned versions can be a little tough, necessitating longer cooking time to avoid excessive wind – buying cheaper versions may be false economy if you need to cook them for longer!

A word of warning about kidney beans, cannellini beans and broad beans, they all contain phytohaemagglutanin a protein that if consumed in large amounts is a toxin, it is found in large amounts in kidney beans. It is denatured by correct cooking. Tinned kidney beans are better to avoid the risks, but do rinse them well before using them!

Some information was found about adding a piece of seaweed (Kombu) to the beans during cooking to aid with reducing raffinose content of beans, lots of un-referenced information on the web. Kombu was suggested to contain alpha galactosidase an enzyme that digests raffinose. I have, despite a good hunt on the internet and research sites, been unable to find the source of this information, so I am actually unsure if this does work – any help here from food technologists would be gratefully received! Please reply!

Make your own baked beans!!

Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian.

500g dried haricot beans

20 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 medium potatoes

400 ml passata

salt (not too much!)

Soak the beans for at least 16 hours with water, change water at least four times.

Peel potatoes and boil till soft, mash.

Cook the beans for 30-40 minutes or until soft in fresh water, then drain.

Add the potato to the beans and the passata, fresh chopped thyme and a small amount of salt. Cook for ten minutes – eat & enjoy!

See link for lots of useful info on pulses!

http://www.pulsecanada.com/food-health/fact-sheets-resources

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Book Review The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Well with IBS Kate Scarlata RD

This book is a comprehensive guide to eating with irritable bowel syndrome. It is very user-friendly, you can dip in for a quick read or take your time. I liked the summaries at the end of every chapter and the hints and tips are very useful. The book contains lots of recipes all with nutritional breakdown and a gut fact attached to each one! Covering the fact that healthy eating – with foods that are tolerated – is very important.  The foods that can be problematic are covered and Kate does explain, in user-friendly terms, the reasons why these foods can result in symptoms, but also adds that everyone’s symptoms are individual, so it’s advisable to use the advice accordingly. She also explains how to use a food and symptom diary to identify problematic foods, which is extremely useful for those people who are managing their IBS symptoms themselves.

The book is published for the American market, red flag symptoms are discussed, however one area that does differ in the UK is the identification of people with coeliac disease. Please note that everyone (children and adults,) who have IBS should be, or have been, screened by serological testing (blood tests – endomysial antibody (EMA) IgA and/or tissue transglutaminase antibody tTGA) for coeliac disease, in the UK. At the time of the writing of the book, the emphasis on testing IBS patients for coeliac disease was geared more toward those with IBS-D in the US, the author (in her private practice) however, recommends that all of her IBS clients be tested for coeliac prior to altering their diet. These are guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Health & Excellence (NICE) available here:-

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG86

I have seen patients’ whose main symptom of coeliac disease is constipation, so everyone is at risk and should be tested. Ask your GP and eat wheat, barley and rye (bread, pasta, chappatis, some breakfast cereals) before your test, see above guidelines. Read what Coeliac UK have to say here:-

http://www.coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-disease/how-to-get-diagnosed

Other differences I noticed was histamine intolerance was mentioned in the book – this is not well recognised in the UK, but it can be identified by your dietitian by using elimination diets and is likely to be covered somewhat in an additives free diet (benzoate additives for example, but substances that promote a histamine response are also found naturally in some fermented foods.) It is also advised for people on certain antidepressants – the MAOI (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor) diet, to help people avoid dangerous rises in blood pressure, this diet is rarely seen now in general dietetic practice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor

Other food intolerances are also mentioned, it is important to see a state registered dietitian if you suspect you have histamine intolerance as identifying these rare intolerances can be challenging.

This book is certainly worth considering if you want to buy a book to help you manage your IBS symptoms, I particularly liked the chapter on travelling and eating out, often areas where it is difficult to acquire advice. The book also discussed lifestyle factors and other areas outside the area of Low FODMAP foods, which is also included, and as such it should contain advice that can help most people with IBS who feel that their diet, or eating in general is problematic.

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This book was provided free of charge by the author.

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1612 – 2012 400 years since Lancashire witch trials and Lancashire hot pot.

 

Lancashire has a long tradition of matriarchs – Lancashire women take a no-nonsense attitude to life and are strong characters. This attitude may have been seen as a threat in past times and it’s maybe unsurprising that Lancashire was the scene of witch trials in the early sixteen hundreds, where 10 people (including two men incidentally) were hanged as a result of accusations and a guilty verdict of being witches. This weekend a commemoration of the events four hundred years ago took place around Pendle Hill, Lancashire. My husbands thoughts on this was that it shouldn’t be a celebration, “what’s to celebrate?” he remonstrated, these people were killed. My view is, it’s important that the date is remembered, I was heartened to read that Arthur Studdard a retired barrister, felt that these women should have been pardoned, but this has not happened mainly because of the length of time since it happened and the quality of evidence to review. He felt strong enough to request the Queens support. This weekend’s event did make me think about how far women have come in terms of equality, we have come some considerable way since 1600 I feel, but have some way to go yet perhaps. Another ‘event’ earlier on in the year was the discovery of a cats skeleton bricked up in a wall of a derelict house, found under a mound during a construction project in the area around Pendle Hill. This area is certainly dramatic, bleak and atmospheric, a climb up the hill on the anniversary in the cloud and mist certainly made you feel that there was something in the stories told of these women. The picture below is of a ‘snow witch’ on the side of Pendle hill (a strange coincidence – spooky ;-))

Lancashire hot-pot.

400g Neck or middle neck of lamb

250g Stewing lamb

Potato (waxy potatoes are best such as King Edwards)

2 Carrots

500 mls of water

2 Teaspoons of cornflour mixed in some water

Salt and pepper

Spray oil

Method

Peel carrots and potatoes, add lamb to a strong casserole dish.

Add water, cornflour and sliced carrots to the dish, add salt & pepper.

Slice potatoes to 3-4 mm thick slices and place on the top of the stew, spray with oil,

It is better to use a casserole dish with a well sealed lid if you have one – if not check the dish is not too dry, you may need to add more water during cooking.

Cook for at least 3-4 hours at gas mark 5 (traditionally this hot-pot was left to cook all day.)

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Orange superfood, cheap and not too hard on the digestive tract ‘THE CARROT’ – yes, seriously!

Before I studied to be a dietitian I disdained the carrot, cheap nasty veggie filler, used too often in cheap food in my uninformed view. However as they say, knowledge is power, and I’ve had a bigger sheepish U-turn than David Cameron (they often use carrots in pasties too, you know, although this is less than traditional!) Carrots are full of fibre, and not too much of the gut fermentable stuff, so they are an excellent vegetable to choose. The main nutrient the carrot contains is beta carotene, the veggie Vitamin A, more available to the body if carrots are cooked, but they are also really nice grated raw, as crudities with low-fat dips. Carrots are also very good when cooked with cumin, thyme and coriander. Carrot juice also reduces the acidity of orange juice, making orange juice a less sharp drink, if you find its acidity a problem. Beta carotene is stored under the skin and converted to vitamin A (retinol) by the liver. Carrots are also suitable to have frozen as well as fresh, beta carotene is a fat soluble vitamin it is not easily leached during cooking or storage of the vegetable. Does eating carrots help you see in the dark? Well retinol is a required vitamin for vision, but most people do get adequate amounts, it helps you see better in the dark only if you are deficient in this vitamin, replenishing low stores will improve your vision. But it doesn’t improve it if you are eating enough, it is not exponential e.g. you do not get better and better vision if you eat more and more. Retinol is also needed for skin, teeth and to help your bones grow. Also a word of warning here – as with any food, variety is key to getting the range of nutrients your body needs – seriously overdosing on beta carotene – carrot juice or supplements, will turn you orange, carotenosis, although harmless and reversible on stopping consuming the offending item. 😉 Actually the lesson here is that there are no real ‘super’ foods eat a variety of foods to get what you need.

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Bilberry and lemon fairy cakes – gluten free, low fodmap, dairy free, lactose free.

Went on the hunt for bilberry again – however a less successful foraging trip. Hiked for two and a half hours up hills, through bramble (will be back for bramble berries later next month!) and over bogs and moorland. I did find some, but less that last time and really only enough to add to cake, or breakfast, or yoghurt. I chose to bake some fairy cakes, as I will take some in to work on Friday and share them (keeps the family from eating them all – a good tip!) The weather was a little cloudy but I did see a little sun, I am glad that I decided to go in the morning as it is raining again now, but this is the reason we have such beautiful plants and wonderful countryside.

Ingredients

175g of wheat free gluten-free self raising flour*

125g dairy free margarine

175g of golden castor sugar

juice and grated peel of 1 lemon

A few bilberries (depends how many you can gather!)

1 cap full of vanilla extract.

2 eggs

Icing sugar and decorations (please ensure these are gluten-free if coeliac and following gluten-free diet, however a small amount of contamination from wheat should not cause a problem if you are following the Low FODMAP diet)

Method

Heat up your oven to gas mark 4.

Add margarine and castor sugar and vanilla essence to a mixing bowel and mix till pale with a hand mixer.

Add 1 egg and a tablespoon of the flour to the mix.

Mix till well incorporated. If the mix curdles slightly (starts to separate) you should add a little more flour.

Add the other egg and another tablespoon of flour and repeat the above process.

Grate the rind off the lemon and add to the bowl and mix well.

Add the flour and fold the mix using a metal spoon till all the flour is incorporated.

Cut the lemon in two and juice on half – add to the mixture and mix well.

Add bilberries and mix.

Spray silicone moulds with spray oil add some mixture to each, this makes about 15 buns.

Cook for 20 minutes or until golden and well risen.

Place on a cooling rack – do not remove the buns from the cases till fully cool, or you may find that they stick.

Juice the other half of the lemon and add to a bowl incorporate icing sugar into lemon juice till you have a runny consistency. Drizzle icing sugar over the buns and add decoration.

These are no higher in fats and sugar than normal buns – but they are high, so have one, don’t eat too many if you have IBS, as fat can cause symptoms if you eat too much. Share the rest with friends and see if they can tell that they have no wheat. *Please watch the flour if you are following a low fodmap diet as some gluten-free wheat free flour contains psyllium husk flour – to keep things moist, this can cause symptoms for some people.

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Low FODMAP Chicken casserole plus low fat processed food and food intolerances, incongruous ideals?

At my usual supermarket shop this morning I was very pleased to find a low dairy, low lactose own brand cream cheese. Wow – I thought – will have to give this a try, but as I always do out of habit I had a look at the nutritional information on the side of the carton. The amount of fat and saturated fat in the product was staggering 26.6g/100g of fat, 23.0g/100g of saturated fats, from coconut oil. Why is it that food that is meant for individuals who have to modify their diet as a result of allergies, intolerances or as a result of autoimmune conditions are higher in fat and calorie dense? You could argue that cream cheese is usually high in fat and you would be correct at 24g/100g of fat and 16g/100g of saturated fat but the free from brand is higher. It’s often the additional specially manufactured foods in a ‘free from’ diet that can be higher in calories than the standard alternative version, that means if you need to follow a specific diet you may be exposed to more calories as a result. Yes I do see people who are underweight and would really benefit from the extra, but I also see those who have problems in maintaining a healthy weight. For example some gluten-free bread is quite high in fat. Adding fat improves the taste and texture of free from food and you don’t often find a low-fat variety, it’s technically challenging I suppose. Yes, foods higher in fats and sugar are a treat – see recipe for chocolate covered coconut ice cream for an example, but when staples such as wheat free bread can be higher in fat this becomes more difficult to manage, if you need to control your calorie intake. Try and include plenty of alternatives such as rice, potatoes, lean meats, fish, vegetables and fruit in your diet (when tolerated) – those foods that are not processed are lower in calories, and often cheaper. This doesn’t mean you can’t have manufactured alternatives, as they are important to incorporate, to feel you are not being excluded too much, increase variety and help you to follow your diet, but try to keep these foods to a minimum of you are able. For the staples, such as bread, which is important if you need to take packed lunches, check the food labels of free from items and choose the ones that are lower in fats, sugar and calories when you can.

Check the label for nutritional information as well as the allergen labelling. Look at the following links:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/food-labelling.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/food-labelling-terms.aspx

The following recipe is a low FODMAP chicken casserole.

700g Chicken Thighs (skins removed, trim off any visible fat – use thigh meat as it imparts a stronger flavour to the dish.)

3 celery sticks including leaves.

200 mls dry white wine

5 g Fresh thyme

1 dessert spoon of garlic infused olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

freshly ground pepper and dash of salt

Measure out wine in a measuring jug and add chopped thyme, olive oil, lemon, asafoetida, pepper and salt mix well.

Cut celery sticks and place in a casserole dish with the chicken thighs.

Pour over the mix and leave to marinade for 2 hours.

Cook for 1 hour gas mark 6/200 C remove from oven and allow to relax for five minutes.

This dish was served with low-fat roast potatoes made by par boiling for five minutes, drain off water and replace pan lid. Shake the pan to roughen the edges of the potatoes and use spray olive oil to reduce the amount of fat used. Roast till golden.

If wished you can pour off the liquid when the chicken is cooked to make a sauce, drain off the fat and discard and using a small pan pour in liquid and add cornflour mixed with a little water, to thicken.

Serves 4-6 people (but not my husband, who ate considerably more! This dish prompted a five-minute face wash from my cat after having a taste – a rare occurrence.)

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