Oatmeal And Eggs

[spinner]

I've heard these are borderline foods because eggs is a common allergy food, and oatmeal can act like gluten for some.

Id hate to give them up---its an easy, cheap breakfast in a world when we're tempted to eat all kinds of sugary junk instead.

Anybody have any solid info on their impact with dysautonomic patients?

[jenniferlynne76]

I think it truly has less to do with dysautonomia and more to do with the food allergies some folks have. I was just tested last week for every food allergy under the sun and they all came back negative. Not even a blip to be found. My doctor has told me the biggest thing for dysautonomic patients is to avoid heavy carbohydrates and sugary foods. Those do NOT do well with our condition. Otherwise, unless you have an egg or gluten allergy it shouldn't be a problem. But, as with all things, YMMV. Good luck!

-Jen

[Katybug]

The issues with eggs and oatmeal are food allergies and MCAD triggers. Keep in mind food allergy testing isn't 100% accurate. I have MCAD and I test negative for allergy to avocado for example...but I become very symptomatic if I eat avocado or even use avocado oil as a moisturizer. Many people are allergic to eggs so trying an elimination trial of eggs out of your diet could tell you if it would be useful for you personally. Oatmeal has a twofold issue: 1) It is often processed on the same machinery as wheat so it is cross contaminated with actual gluten for those of us that are gluten free, 2) Oatmeal itself does have a protein in it that can cause similar symptoms as gluten sensitivity (I can't remember the name of the protein right this minute). But just because you have.gluten sensitivity does not mean you are allergic to this oatmeal protein but it does mean you have to buy gluten free oatmeal which should be labeled on the package.

[FarmerAmy]

I agree that doing an elimination diet is the best way to see if these foods have a negative effect on you. I am reading Minding My Mitochondria by Terry Wahls. I just finished a really good section on how to identify food sensitivities. (It's in Chapter 6 and the section is called Two approaches to identifying food sensitivities.)

You can be tested for food allergies, but these tests can miss food sensitivities. Really, the best way is to eliminate all suspect foods for at least a month, then add them back in one at a time and see how you do. This is better than eliminating one food at a time. What if you are sensitive to several foods? You would only feel the positive effect once all the offending foods are eliminated.

I would spend some time figuring out what you can eat before you do the diet. And I would stick to the diet while you are doing it. No sense going to all that work if you're going to sneak in a little gluten here and there.

Good luck!

Amy

[k&ajsmom]

Oatmeal and eggs are two trigger foods for me. A billion years ago when I had rast and allergy testing, I responded to eggs and tea, two things I consume frequently. Oatmeal I'm not sure if I have an allergy to but more I think it is just hard to digest ( like gluten) and triggers gi issues to worsen. If I feel well I can consume these foods, if Im sick, like for the last 6 months( ugh) they effect me, severly. I think for me it may be an mcas issue. I have noticed if I hard boil eggs for some reason they dont effect me as much, but they certainly dont taste as good as scrambled or over easy... Im with you though, these are staple foods that are quick and easy, so its really hard when the budgets tight and you have to find a new nosh that doesnt involve sprinkles or marshmallow balloons lol. I wonder if just egg whites would make any difference?

[peregrine]

It seems to depend on the person - worth doing an elimination diet if they concern you or you're curious, but I wouldn't give them up without figuring out what their effect is on you personally.

Hilariously, I've found that oatmeal (or rolled barley, which is what we have in stock as it's got more fiber and tastes "meatier" to me) is actually very helpful for me - when I travel it's the best way to make sure that my GI tract stays happy in the presence of foods it's not used to, so I've been working on eating it daily when I travel. But your mileage may vary!

[Katybug]

I agree with Peregrine. Each persons sensitivity is different and I have learned the hard way that your own food sensitivitiesmay change over time. For example, grapes used to be one of my favorites but I can't eat them anymore without having a typical mast cell reaction...sweats, flushing, GI issues, joint pain, even migraine sometimes. That started a out 2 yrs after the rest of my symptoms. Prior to that, this was a go to fruit for me.