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The contents of this profile are the result of revisions and examinations made over the years that have brought us to extend the range of foods to include in the diet in case of a yeast intolerance revealed by a DRIA test.
In addition to foods that directly contain yeast, clinical tests have shown that most people with a non-IgE hypersensitivity to yeast benefit from the exclusion or rotation in their diet of foods that are fermented in various ways.
Therefore the diet is not limited to the foods that contain yeast, but it also includes those food products that have undergone a fermentation process even if brewer’s yeast or chemical leavening agents have not been added.
Weekly abstinence even for those who are not intolerant
Even if a specific reactivity isn’t been found, since yeast is one of the most common components in our daily diets, it’s worth the trouble to consider taking one day per week of “abstinence” in order to free the body of any possible overload.
In our usual diet, the foods that are leavened are also the foods with the highest salt content (in fact the two profiles are very similar). For this reason, on the day of yeast abstinence, it’s also a good idea to exclude the foods that are listed in the Salt profile as well as other common foods like Vegetable fats, Milk products and Wheat (see profiles) in order to dedicate an entire day to “cleansing”.
In this case, the diet for the day of weekly abstinence will be composed of simple foods, flavored with just a little olive oil or homemade sauce (mayonnaise, for example).
Here are a few examples. For breakfast: fresh fruit as desired, crepes (prepared in an anti-stick pan) with fat-free jam, rice milk, herbal teas, orange juice, puffed rice cakes. Lunch and dinner: mixed salad (without vinegar and very little salt), raw, grilled or boiled vegetables as desired, grilled, boiled or roast (wrapped in parchment) fish or meat or chicken, oven baked potatoes, fruit.
The following are the foods that should be temporarily eliminated (or restricted in a subsequent phase).
— All leavened baked goods: bread, crackers, breadsticks, toasts, cookies, sweets, pastries and bread-like foods in general, including those that are “naturally fermented” by way of a sponge (that is added to the dough). The restriction on baked products (at least at the beginning, unless the doctor prescribes otherwise) also includes foods containing flour that are baked in the oven. Even though they don’t contain yeast, they undergo a partial levitation during baking. This means that even unleavened bread is included in the list ( mixing and cooking of unleavened bread gives rise to a partial, though very slight, fermentation process). The same is true for WASA or other types of toasts, even though they are labeled “without yeast”, crisp bread, tortillas, Sardinian “sheet music” (in some cases, they can be re-introduced at a later stage, when the level of the patient’s level of tolerance has increased). The puffed cereal that is discussed below is allowed .
— Mushrooms (since they are fungi like yeast), regardless of the type.
— All cheeses whether they be fresh (including ricotta, at least in the beginning) or aged, tofu (soy cheese) and yogurt, even if naturally fermented.
— Fermented beverages: beer, wine, all alcoholic beverages, tea (green tea, which is not fermented, may be consumed along with herb teas and hibiscus). Borscht, the typical Russian soup made with fermented beets, is also to be avoided.
— Honey: all types of honey contain microscopic single-celled fungi (yeasts) osmophils and saccarophilla that are able to survive and multiply in a sugary environment; All honeys contain yeast, in different quantities from 1 to 100,000 cells per gram. Despite the fact that intolerances depend on dosage, it is not recommended in the initial elimination diet.
— Condiments such as vinegar (even cider vinegar), bouillon preparations (almost all contain yeast), mass-produced mayonnaise (which usually contains vinegar) and macrobiotic sauces (almost all are fermented, like soy sauce, tamari and miso).
— Pharmaceutical products such as yeast extracts, but also vitamin supplements (especially those containing vitamin B) because they are often yeast extracts. Consult your physician about the use of fermented lactobacillus.
— Leftovers or food that has been left to ferment or vegetables that have been left outside of the refrigerator. When food starts to become sour after it has been kept for a period of time or because it was previously seasoned with vinegar or lemon (acids), this means that it is producing an acidic fermentation. Foods that tend to readily ferment in this way are certain cooked vegetables, cous cous, bean soup, cut fruit and sweetened fruit cocktail. After a few days, even fruits and vegetables kept in the open air (but also fruit juices that have been refrigerated) undergo an oxidation process that can interfere with the success of the diet. Even small dark marks that form on fruit and vegetables are cause for alarm: they are fungi that must be avoided in this type of diet.
Alternatives
The dilemma of alternatives relates mostly to bread and similar products.
At breakfast, as long as there aren’t any other specific hypersensitivities, bread and toasts may be substituted by puffed cereal or flakes, with puffed rice cakes, or puffed rice and wheat, with rice forms like ‘cracotte’, made with rice, wheat and bran. Altri prodotti adatti sono le merendine all ‘amaranto soffiato (Allos), oppure ancora le ‘sfogliate al riso e mais (prodotto dalla KI oppure le ‘sfogliate di farro’ (pure della KI). Another alternative for breakfast are crepes (see recipe).
At lunch and dinner, bread can be substituted by the alternatives listed above or with boiled potatoes, pasta, boiled rice (served alongside the main dish as in oriental cuisine), cornmeal mush (warm or cold, sliced and toasted).
For dessert, the usual cakes are to be avoided, but there are many spoon desserts that do not contain flour and yeast: pots de crème, puddings, ice creams, sherbets, creams, brittles, meringues, and chocolate. Even amaretti are allowed as long as they don’t contain flour.
For snacks and appetizers, toasts can be replaces by slices of grilled cornmeal mush (perhaps decorated with an anchovy slice), raw vegetable sticks served with lemon mayonnaise (freshly made, so that acidic fermentation doesn’t take place). An egg frittata made with zucchini or onions, crepes stuffed with vegetables, slices of green bean and potato loaf, meat or fish appetizers (recipe follows). When you need a quick snack that is crispy and tasty, the classic piece of bread and cheese can be substituted with a slice of grilled turkey breast cut into strips and dipped in mayonnaise.
An alcoholic cocktail can be easily replaced by green tea with mint leaves, with hibiscus tea with pieces of fruit or by a fruit and vegetable cocktail like the ones described below.
In addition to the recipes below, many others can be found along with directions for the rotational diet, in the books by Attilio Speciani “Le allergie: cause, diagnosi, terapie” (with Marina Speciani Necchi), “Resistere all’inquinamento” e “Superare le intolleranze alimentari” (with Francesca Speciani), all published by Tecniche Nuove, Milan.
Recipes
Here are a few recipes for alternative sweet and savory snacks, appetizers and desserts that do not contain yeast or other fermented substances.
Mango and pineapple frappe
1 mango, peeled and sliced, 180 g fresh pineapple, juice of ½ pink grapefruit, mint leaves for garnish
Mix all ingredients in the blender until smooth and serve with mint leaves.
Summer fruit cocktail
250 ml apple or grape juice, 250 ml pear juice, 250 ml pureed melon, ice, grated ginger
Mix together juices, and the melon pulp (or fresh juice from the juicer) and pour into glasses containing ice. Sprinkle with fresh ginger.
Exotic fruit cocktail
90 ml grapefruit juice, 360 ml exotic fruit juice, mint leaves for garnish
Mix the fruit juices and serve (with ice, if desired) and garnish with mint leaves.
Ligurian vegetable loaf
750 g green beans, 750 g potatoes, 4 eggs, 1 sliced green onion, 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, a few pinches of sesame seeds
Boil green beans and peeled potatoes in separate pans. Press the vegetables in the potato press and warm the mixture in a skillet with olive oil and the lightly sautéed green onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. When it is warm, add the eggs, mixing well. Pour mixture into a casserole lined with parchment and press. Decorate with sesame seeds and a little oil and place in oven for about ½ hour. May be served hot or cold.
Meat or fish appetizers
1 package of frozen or fresh fish ( or thin slices of raw meat or roast beef or strips of boiled chicken or turkey breast), oil, lemon, garlic or onion, parsley, salt
Cook the fish or turkey in a little salted water, in the microwave or on the grill. Drain and dry well. When they are cool, season them with a sauce prepared with oil, lemon, and the other flavours. This sauce may be substituted by homemade mayonnaise or with tomato and basil.
Crepes
125 g flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt, 300 cc milk (rice milk in case of intolerance of cow’s milk), a little sugar
Combine the ingredients with a whip or fork until a smooth batter is formed. If necessary, add a little more flour. Heat a non-stick skillet (add a little oil if needed) and pour in enough batter to coat the bottom lightly; move the pan in order to distribute the batter evenly. After a half of a minute, flip the crepe and cook the other side. The crepes can be topped with sugar, maple syrup, jam or vegetables.
Chocolate salame
60 g sugar, 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, 60 g unsweetened cocoa, 100 g butter, 3 or 4 cakes of puffed rice
Blend the eggs with the sugar. Mix in the cocoa, softened butter and crumbled rice cakes. Roll up the mixture in a sheet of parchment and place in the refrigerator until firm.
Castagnaccio
300 g chestnut flour, ½ lt water, 50 g pine nuts, 3 tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of salt, some rosemary, if desired
Using the whip, combine the flour with the water, adding a little at a time, until a smooth, fluid mixture is obtained. Add the salt and a tablespoon of oil. Pour the batter into a well-oiled pan that is wide and low-sided. Sprinkle the pine nuts and optional rosemary on top. Place in a very hot oven for about 30 minutes or until a crust forms on the surface.
Rice cake “alla Bolognese”
1 litre of milk ( soy milk in case of intolerance to cow’s milk), 200 g rice, 150 g sugar, grated peel of 1 lemon, 100 g chopped almonds, 4 whole eggs
Cook the rice in the milk along with the lemon peel. Add the sugar and almonds. When the mixture is almost cool, add the eggs. Stir well and pour into a parchment lined or lightly caramelized baking pan. Cook in the oven at medium temperature for 45 minutes.
Vegetable bouillon cubes 1
1 kg onions, 1 kg carrots, ½ kg celery
Chop all vegetables finely, mix together and place in ice cube trays. The cubes may be thawed as needed and added directly to soups, sauces and various preparations.
Vegetable bouillon cubes 2
200 g celery, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 zucchini squash, 1 clove of garlic, 1 bay leaf, a little basil, rosemary, sage, parsley, 200 g salt, olive oil
Process the vegetables finely in the mixer. Place the mixture in a saucepan with a little olive oil (unless there is an intolerance) and salt and allow to cook at low temperature for at least 20 minutes. If necessary, add a little water. Cool until the mixture thickens and then blend again in order to form a thick cream. Pour bouillon in a glass container with a little olive oil on the top as a sealant. Cover and refrigerate. Use in the same way as normal bouillon for adding flavour to various dishes.
Homemade mayonnaise
1 egg, pinch of salt, 1/2 lemon, seed oil ( single seed, cold-pressed or even 1/2 extra virgin olive oil and ½ seed oil) as needed, pepper (optional)
Mayonnaise can be prepared in 3 minutes in the food processor or with an immersion blender at high speed. It's fool-proof as long as you add the ingredients in the correct order and add just enough oil to obtain the proper thickness (the more oil, the thicker the mayonnaise). Place the whole egg in the mixer or container, pour in lemon juice followed by salt and a little oil. Begin blending, adding oil until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
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© This food profile is copyright of SMA Srl Servizi Medici Associati, Via Ariosto 28, 20145 Milan,
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. Health director: Dr Attilio Speciani, M.D., Clinical allergist and immunologist. This material may not be used or reproduced without the publisher’s permission.
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