Nightshades -- Does Cooking Help?

[Chakra2]

I have learned that nightshades cause joint pain for me. But I've read intriguing tidbits about the possibility of managing nightshade intolerance by using various preparation methods (using plenty of oil, cooking at a high temp, etc). Does anyone here have experience with this or know where I could read more about it? I don't miss gluten but I'm not ready to say goodbye to tomatoes, eggplants and jalepenos forever. Potatoes maybe, but not the others!

Thanks for any advice!

Chakra2

[mushroom]

I have learned that nightshades cause joint pain for me. But I've read intriguing tidbits about the possibility of managing nightshade intolerance by using various preparation methods (using plenty of oil, cooking at a high temp, etc). Does anyone here have experience with this or know where I could read more about it? I don't miss gluten but I'm not ready to say goodbye to tomatoes, eggplants and jalepenos forever. Potatoes maybe, but not the others!

Thanks for any advice!

Chakra2

Well, you do have to cook potatoes, otherwise you will have trouble. But for me, cooking tomatoes makes it ten times worse. I never did like peppers much and I haven't challenged eggplant.

[RiceGuy]

For tomato sauce, I make my own version of a product called Open Original Shared Link. It's basically carrots and beets, and a few other ingredients. The taste is remarkably similar to tomato sauce, and the two veggies combine to form a very red sauce.

In place of potatoes, I find taro root to work very nicely. It is white, and can be prepared in any way a potato can, including baked, fried, mashed, boiled, and I've even made chips out of it. The taste is very similar too, only slightly sweeter, with a hint of what many describe as tasting like water chestnut. I find it more flavorful than potato.

Peppers and so forth are another matter. The nearest thing I know to paprika and red pepper is turmeric. It tastes ok, and although it is a common ingredient in curry powder, it doesn't taste like either of those nightshades. I usually use it in combination with cumin, which is another curry spice.

[shayre]

Hi. Mushroom...what do you eat? I noticed you on one of my posts. You have cut out everything. I am asking, because I posted "intolerant of everything"...and I'm out of ideas. How do I know if I have nightshade intolerance? I do have muscle and joint pain, but would I become bloated too? The same for corn? I do think that I react to tomatoes, but I haven't cut out my plain bake pot yet.

[RiceGuy]

Hi. Mushroom...what do you eat? I noticed you on one of my posts. You have cut out everything. I am asking, because I posted "intolerant of everything"...and I'm out of ideas. How do I know if I have nightshade intolerance? I do have muscle and joint pain, but would I become bloated too? The same for corn? I do think that I react to tomatoes, but I haven't cut out my plain bake pot yet.

Try avoiding all nightshades, and see how you feel. Whether the pains resolve or not, you'll know if you can continue to eat nightshades.

IMHO, magnesium is one of the best things you can take for muscle/nerve/joint pain. Many of those with Celiac are magnesium deficient too. In fact, estimates are that about 80% of the population has a magnesium deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency is equally prevalent, and is also vital for nerve health.

[mushroom]

Well, fortunately I can eat dairy so breakfast is usually a yogurt smoothie with hemp protein powder, a scoop of ground flax seed, half a banana, some strawberries, frozen mango cubes (sometimes I will do blueberries, fresh or frozen, or raspberries - you can add whatever appeals to you (chocolate powder, e.g. - that's my husband) and it sticks with you pretty good until lunchtime. Lunch is often a tuna salad, or a cheese omelette with avocado and a green salad, or a BLAT (without the "T") because I love bacon and avocado togther. Dinner is usually a lamb or pork chop or steak, a fish filet of some kind, a TJ's spicy sausage, with appropriate accompaniment (sweet potato, rice, or pasta) and for vegetables I have the choice of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrot, swiss chard, baby bok choy (love it braised with chicken stock and sesame oil), or we will do a stir fry using Coconut Secrets soy sauce substitute, or a pizza with artichoke hearts and chicken and lots of cheeses. So there are lots of things I can eat at home - eating out is a bit more troublesome

[mushroom]

Hi. Mushroom...what do you eat? I noticed you on one of my posts. You have cut out everything. I am asking, because I posted "intolerant of everything"...and I'm out of ideas. How do I know if I have nightshade intolerance? I do have muscle and joint pain, but would I become bloated too? The same for corn? I do think that I react to tomatoes, but I haven't cut out my plain bake pot yet.

I just answered the first part of your question. You will know if you have a nightshade intolerance when you eliminate them for two or three weeks and then add them back in one at a time. If you don't get a reaction you are probably not intolerant of them. Everyone has different symptoms for their intolerances - I used to get itching, rashes and hives, now I get a really screwed up heartbeat which I think is due to the lectins in the foods I am intolerant of. I also get very bloated at the same time. I take Humira for my psoriatic arthritis and no longer suffer arthritic pain and my joints are not painful any more, although still a bit swollen. My psoriasis is gone. Since I have been taking it for 18 months, and it has taken me until the last few months to figure out all my intolerances, I don't know if diet alone could control those things. I am afraid to stop taking the Humira to find out. Diet had not had any effect up until the time I started the shots.

I knew I was intolerant of corn (gas and bloating) before I realized it was gluten too, and soy gave me the itchies. I stopped the nightshades because of my arthritis and the intolerance became apparent when I would eat them again. So if you take something out, and you get worse problems when you add it back in, that's a pretty good indication, whatever those problems might be for you. For some people intolerances produce strictly neurological problems -- I get a bit of ataxia and muscle weakness but nothing remotely as bad as others on the forum. You have to learn your own reactions and your own personal triggers.

Hope this helps

[Orann]

Nightshades are among the long list (28) of my allergen foods. I've been gluten-free, dairy free and free of the many allergens for just over 2 months. It has been a challenge with some things, like finding substitutions and alternatives for things like tomato, chili pepper, garlic and mustard. Overall I don't miss things like breads, dairy, or potatoes. I am a little lost however, without pinto beans, jalepenos, chili peppers, and almonds ...

I was quite excited to see the link to Nomato - unfortunately I can't use it (beets and garlic), but my son will be thrilled ! His blood work just came in and tomato was also on his list of 27 allergen foods.

[mushroom]

I was quite excited to see the link to Nomato - unfortunately I can't use it (beets and garlic), but my son will be thrilled ! His blood work just came in and tomato was also on his list of 27 allergen foods.

Me too - beets are on my no-no list and I didn't know it until I tried Nomato