Dairy, soy and bananas?

[KiloHoku]

It seems my 8-year old daughter keep getting new food sensitivities. It started almost exactly on her 4th birthday, when I noticed her "poopies" were always much softer than they should be. When they wouldn't go away, I wondered if it was from dairy, since her dad is lactose. So we cut milk from her diet and started her on soymilk as a substitute. But the soy gave her the OPPOSITE problem - hard poopies that were painful to pass. We keep her away from both now, but she told me just yesterday that she doesn't want to eat bananas because they make her tummy funny. She's a very picky eater and it makes me wonder if she has more food sensitivities than even SHE is aware of yet. This whole "food sensitivity" thing is very new for me, as I have never had even one. Her dad only has dairy problems. What kind of insights do you guys have for us?

 

Thanks!!!!

[Sue M]

My daughter was diagnosed with celiac recently, and along with that she started to reject certain things that she used to eat and enjoy before, With no problems, bananas and cantaloupe being two of them.  Curious to see what others have to say as this is all new for us as well.  Sorry I have nothing useful to say, except that I empathize with you!

[LookingforAnswers15]

Hi,

Based on what you said, I am not sure if your daughter has a celiac disease  (but I hope she doesn't ). I say this because celiac is not a food sensitivity but an autoimmune disease. If she has not been tested, the best way to get to the root of the problem is to consult with a doctor and get her tested for food intolerances and possibly celiac or other digestive diseases.

I always tell people to eat bananas because they are supposed to help with digestion. However, if your daughter thinks bananas bother her, stop for a few days and reintroduce it again later.

I would also recommend papaya (it is also recommended for people with Crohn's disease), persimmon (calms the intestines, relieves diarrhea, boosts immune system). You said she is a picky eater. Persimmon might be a fun fruit for her to try. 

I am not sure about dairy and soy milk. I think it is good you stopped giving her both. At some point, I only drank soy milk and was prior to my celiac diagnosis but I had some symptoms. Now, I avoid soy in general. 

Good luck! Hope your daughter feels better soon. I am sure other members on this forum will give you more and better suggestions.

 

[KiloHoku]

Thanks for your replies! I didn't realize celiac was an autoimmune disease. Interesting.

It's difficult when dealing with children because they're not fully aware of their own experiences and often don't know how to communicate them when they are aware. But as parents we want to catch these things early to minimize complications. I appreciate your support! At least those of us on these forums are being aware of our children and taking their pains seriously. Kudos.

[StephanieL]

If there are things in her diet that bother her, removing them for a time then trying to reintroduce them when she's feeling 100% would be the best way to look for a sensitivity. There are not reliable medical test for intolerances.  Many people with Celiac do have issues with dairy and sometimes soy that may rectify after all testing is complete and they remove all gluten from their diet but that would be if she has celiac disease which again isn't very clear.

 

 

[rubyblu89]

I have celiac disease and I noticed that I have an issue with bananas as well. They make my stomach bloated and gassy (and it can be painful.) The strange thing is that I can eat organic bananas with no problem. The only kind of organic banana that gives me issues is Dole Organic. Every other kind of organic banana is fine. I've been researching pesticide usage a lot lately, and apparently they put bags filled with pesticides over conventional bananas as they are growing. I have a feeling that I'm having more of a reaction to those pesticides than the bananas themselves. As for dairy, I only drink raw goat milk, hemp milk, and small amounts of aged cheeses. Everything else gives me issues. The process of figuring out my diet took years- through elimination and experimentation. Keeping a food journal helps a lot- you can notice patterns more easily. Hope that helps!