if care is not taken over the following points.
The greatest danger lies in eating too little protein, fibre, vitamin A, iron and calcium. This can result in a rather alarming weight loss, constipation, lethargy and a feeling of being ‘below par’. Such a situation is easily rectified by increasing the consumption of fish and meat, taking a new kind of fibre in the form of rice or soya bran, and supplementation of the diet with vitamin A, iron and calcium in capsule or tablet form. Alternatively, suitable foods that contain these last three substances can be eaten regularly:
Vitamin A – oily fish
Iron – curry powder, spinach, watercress, dates, pineapple, sultanas, cocoa, prunes, figs
Calcium – sardines, watercress, figs, rhubarb, almonds and other nuts
By eating a wide variety of raw or lightly cooked vegetables and other permitted foods, any other resulting deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can be made up.
Once the new diet is underway, some people may experience a craving for wheat, milk and eggs. This is not an unusual reaction and to cope with it best requires a little extra effort in the kitchen to make the new diet exciting, satisfying and nutritious.
A balanced diet
Nobody knows exactly what each person requires in the way of nutrients as no two people have the same dietary needs. Much depends on what kind of life the person leads, how much energy he or she expends, his or her age and sex.
The average Western diet has many faults – usually containing too much fat, sugar and salt and not enough fibre, fresh vegetables and fruit, because too many processed and ‘junk’ foods are consumed instead.
Try to balance the daily food intake in this way:
15 per cent milk-free margarine, nuts, seeds and oils
25 per cent fish and meat
45 per cent fresh fruit and vegetables
15 per cent special bakery items
Try to use plain, fresh foods and not processed ones to minimize problems. The food in a wheat-free, milk-free, egg-free diet is not balanced in the same way as in a diet where these are staples. Here are the basic food values in a wheat-free, milk-free, egg-free diet:
Protein – meat, fish, nuts
Fat – cooking oils, meat, fish, nuts and seeds
Carbohydrate – rice, potatoes, bananas, special bread and bakery items, sugar, honey
Fibre – soya bran, rice bran, root vegetables, dried fruits
Vitamins and minerals – fresh vegetables and fruit
Bear in mind the advice given at the beginning of this book on replacing the nutrients that will be missing by the exclusion of wheat, milk and eggs. If the need for a vitamin and mineral supplement is felt, remember that like the food, any tablets etc. should also be wheat, milk and egg-free. Check with your medical practitioner or pharmacist before purchasing.
Eating out
Eating out can be a big problem. Most restaurants will be totally unable to cope with a special diet of any description. The safest choice on this particular diet is:
Melon (plain) or fresh grapefruit (plain)
Grilled steak (without gravy or sauce) with a green salad (without dressing); plain boiled potatoes or rice
Fresh fruit
Eating out in someone else’s home can also be difficult. The majority of hosts/hostesses will not be able to cope with such a strict diet any more than a restaurant can. Many will be much relieved when you offer to bring your own food, saving them the trouble of preparing a separate menu and you the worry of eating the wrong things.
The easiest items to take are (for a three-course meal):
Special soup, hot, in a vacuum flask, ready to serve
Cold meat, salad and cold, sliced, boiled potatoes – take special dressing in a separate container – arrange on a plate and cover with plastic film until it is served
Fruit salad or fruit.
Packed meals
If meals have to be eaten regularly away from home, packed meals are the answer. Try to balance the meals as you would those eaten at home. Avoid too many snack items which will give you too much carbohydrate.
The easiest items will be hot soup in a vacuum flask; cold meat or canned fish in oil or water; salad with dressing packed in a separate container; crispbreads, cold brown rice or cold potato and fresh fruit and/or a piece of special fruit cake/biscuits. Wide-necked vacuum flasks can be used to take hot meals such as curry and brown rice.
Holidays
Holidays are really just an extension of the eating-out problem. Self-catering holidays, although they are more work, certainly are less worry. Some items such as fruit cake and special bread can be made in advance and taken on holiday to use as required. Any special items that you may have difficulty in obtaining when you get to your destination, such as milk-free margarine, wheat-free soy sauce, special supplements, special brands, etc. must be taken as luggage. With a few exceptions, fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish are obtainable everywhere the world over.
Obviously, more planning is needed than for an ordinary holiday and more luggage is needed too. However, there is no reason why holidays away from home shouldn’t be enjoyed. If you are travelling by plane take your own packed meal to eat during the flight. If going by car take a picnic, and so on.
If you are on a diet that will make you healthier then that diet is an enviable one. With a little effort your food can be enviable too.
Pepper
A word of warning about the use of pepper. It is common practice in commercial catering to add wheat flour to ground white pepper to ‘stretch’ this expensive commodity. It is therefore a good practice to use only freshly ground black pepper when you are eating out. It is possible to buy pocket-sized miniature pepper grinders to solve this very problem.
Stock
Most stock cubes, gravy powders and liquid stocks contain wheat. Those with monosodium glutamate (MSG) should be avoided as MSG can be derived from wheat. Soy sauces are traditionally made with soya beans and wheat but there is one kind which is made from soya beans and rice. This kind is the Tamari type. You are most likely to find it in health stores. Phone around your local health stores to find stockists. It keeps for years so don’t be afraid to buy several bottles at a time. Note: Tamari is not a brand name. It refers to a special type of wheat-free soy sauce.
Margarine
Most supermarkets stock a ‘dairy-free’ margarine which will be milk-free. However, take care it does not contain wheat germ oil (check labels).
Spices
Use pure spices and mixtures of spices, e.g. curry powder, without ‘fillers’ or extenders. More expensive known brands are safest.