Herbal Health

Alternatives to commonly eaten foods

For sources of the more unusual foods, and addresses for mail-order purchases, see pp331-4. In all recipes, follow either the metric or imperial measurements, not a mixture of the two.

MILK

Goat’s milk can be bought in some healthfood shops and goat’s-milk powder is available by post. Because supplies are not covered by the same sort of regulations that govern cow’s-milk production, there is a risk of infection, and it is a good idea to boil goat’s milk before use, especially if giving it to children. There are two other drawbacks to this product: it has a very rank ‘goaty’ taste that takes quite a bit of getting used to, and it often provokes reactions in people who are already sensitive to cow’s milk.

Sheep milk is available in healthfood shops in some areas. It has a much less powerful taste than goat’s milk and is pleasantly creamy. Unlike cow’s milk, it freezes well, so you can buy it in frozen form. This milk may provoke cross-reactions in those sensitive to cow’s milk, but it is less likely to do so than goat’s milk.

Soya milk is made from pulverized soya beans, and its origin is evident in the flavour. Most brands have some sugar added. It is obtainable from most healthfood shops. To make your own, mix 165 gm (5 oz) of soya flour to a paste with a few spoonfuls of water, then slowly add 1 litre (1 Vi pints) of water, bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add a teaspoonful of honey; store in the refrigerator. Soya can readily provoke allergic/intolerant reactions, so it is not advisable to eat too much of any soya product. Soya desserts and ‘yoghurt’ are also available. Sugar-free forms of soya milk, and concentrated soya milk, both are available by post.

Creamed coconut is obtainable from Indian or West Indian groceries, and some healthfood shops. It can be used as a substitute for cream, if mixed with a small amount of warm water. Or you can just grate it directly on to fruit salad, chopped bananas etc.

Ground almonds can also be made into a cream substitute. Mix it to a paste with water and a little honey, then add more water until you get the right consistency.

Cashew nuts (unroasted) can be ground in a blender and mixed with water to form a cream substitute. Add honey and vanilla to taste. Dilute further to make cashew ‘milk’.

*394\180\8*

Related Posts:

• TIMING GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING THE ELIMINATION DIET
• WHAT CAUSES FOOD INTOLERANCE? HOW ‘EATING CELLS’ WORK
• WHAT TO DO ABOUT ECZEMA: BEFORE ANY DIETARY INVESTIGATION
• ANOTHER MAN’S POISON: WHAT IS FOOD ALLERGY?
• ALLERGIES: WAYS TO CONQUER THE ITCH
• ALLERGY: PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE
• ALLERGY: AVOIDING A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE
• UNDERSTANDING ALLERGY: MOULDS AND MILDEW
• NO-ALLERGY DIET: LABEL READING FOR ALLERGY RELIEF

Tags: Allergies

This entry was posted on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 12:54 pm and is filed under Allergies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.