Nut allergies are a commonly perceived ROAD BLOCK for clients who are new to low-carb eating. NUT ALLERGY sufferers have to be careful with making the swap to ANY NEW DIETARY pattern, but making the switch to low-carb can be particularly dangerous.
All people who begin a low carb diet need to learn how to SWAP out higher sugar ingredients for lower sugar ingredients. This means we have to get more of our calories from fat.... and nuts are a common GO TO replacement at the start. Folks with NUT ALLERGY may be comforted to know: many low-carb eaters are rolling back their NUT HABIT within a matter of months as they advance. But, I'm getting ahead of myself... let's address the problem at hand! What is a nut allergy and what to do about it??👇👇👇
Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy- a REVIEW!
Nut allergies have become more common over the last several years, especially in children. If you live in a household with someone who is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, it is best to keep all nuts out of the house. As with ALL ALLERGIES, nut allergies can begin AT ANY AGE and typically worsen with each subsequent exposure (although this is typically dose dependent).
Signs of a nut allergy can include:
Hives (urticaria) on your skin
Swollen lips
Skin rash
Runny nose
Tingling in your mouth, tongue, or throat
a tight feeling in your throat
Stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
Peanuts and tree nuts are NOT the same, but if you’re allergic to one, you may also need to avoid the other. Some individuals who react to nuts, may ALSO react to SEEDS- like sesame and sunflower seeds. It's important to be tested by an allergist to know what you react to for certain if you have had ANY food allergy appear.
Tree nuts include:
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chestnuts
Filberts
Hazelnuts
Hickory nuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Walnuts
Those with NUT ALLERGY have to avoid the OBVIOUS when cooking. Things like: nut butters, nut oils, nut flours, and nut extracts. But those with NUT ALLERGY have to be careful to ask and read the labels on everything. Unfortunately, a lot of low-carb SUBSTITUTE flours, breads, cereals and baked goods contain nuts. Nut meals (like finely ground almonds) can emulate much of the same textures and tastes of these foods. Peanuts and/or tree nuts are commonly found in these manufactured items:
Baked goods: Cookies, candy, pastries, pie crusts, and others
Candy: Chocolate candy especially; also nougat and marzipan
Other sweets: Ice cream, frozen desserts, puddings, and hot chocolate
Cereals and granola
Trail mix
Chili and soups. Peanuts or peanut butter are sometimes used as thickeners.
Grain breads
High-energy bars
Honey
International foods. Nuts are common ingredients in African and Asian cooking (especially Thai and Indian foods), and in Mexican and Mediterranean foods.
Mortadella. This Italian ham may include pistachios.
Veggie burgers
Sauces. These may include barbeque sauce, hot sauce, pesto, gravy, mole sauce, glazes, or marinades.
Salads and salad dressing
LOW-CARB OPTIONS for the NUT ALLERGIC!
I know you are ready for the good news!!
#1- getting AWAY FROM MANUFACTURED/ LABELED goods is one of the QUICKEST INSTANT ways to get healthier!! Lots of recipes get very involved and ruined with nuts when they try to mimic high carb foods. If your sick of seeing NUTS added to EVERYTHING-- stop trying to mimic UNHEALTHY options. Just start shopping for and eating REAL WHOLE FOODS. A simply pairing of meat and cheese with a vegetable NEVER has to include NUTS!
#2- as I said at the start... NUTS often become a PROBLEM for low-carb eaters... that is, those who fully embrace making the swap from candy to nuts! This works at the start, but when NUTS suddenly become the HIGHEST CARB laden food you eat... the volume of nuts often gets out of control. EVOLUTION is my PLATEAU problem solving module... many times it is NUTS that have become the problem! My nut allergy folks NEVER have to worry about THIS!
#3- Here's the BEST NEWS!
There are MANY nut-free alternatives available for a low carb eater.
Looking to make low carb bagels, chips, cookies, bread, etc? Try these low-carb flour and breading replacements:
Crushed pork rinds (makes for MOIST meatballs and meatloaf!)
ground chia seeds
oat fiber
Lupin flour, made from lupin beans, is a nut-free and gluten-free low-carb alternative to regular flour. It is also high in protein and fiber, making it an all-around healthy choice!
Need a great healthy replacement for peanut butter? Try these:
Sun-butter (made from sunflower seeds)
Soy butter
Chickpea butter
5 seed butter
sesame butter
With testing, you may find you can eat alternative nut butters as well
Looking to make things like pizza crust? The EHFix cook books contain cauliflower crust as well as chicken crust options!
Do you feel like you lack EASY low-carb snack options because of your nut allergy? Here are some EASY SOLUTIONS:
Hard-boiled eggs
Turkey, chicken, or beef jerky
Olives
Cheese sticks
Veggies with hummus or dressing
Radishes with guacamole
Seaweed snacks
Baked kale chips
Mixed berries
Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
Charcuterie (cheese and pepperoni mix)
Edamame
Treatment and REVERSAL of Nut Allergies
The best way to treat an allergy to nuts is to prevent a reaction by staying away from them altogether. Read menus and food labels very carefully when eating out or shopping.
HOWEVER....
DID YOU KNOW it's possible to reduce the risk of life-threatening NUT allergy and even reverse your allergy symptoms altogether??
SLIT (sub-lingual immunotherapy) therapy can be used to significantly desensitize patients to nuts (as well as ANY food or environmental allergy). For SLIT therapy, microscopic amounts of the substance you are allergic to is placed into edible drops. These drops are kept in your refrigerator. Each day, one drop is administered under your tongue. Initially, this is done in the allergist office or even at a hospital for severe allergy sufferers. Over time, the amount of allergy producing substance contained in the solution increases. Slowly, you are brought up to full dose and you have taught your immune system to no longer REACT to the perceived invader!
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