Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Soy, Oh My!

[tina a]

ugh. so which of the above do you think is the worst of the "evils"? i have intolerances to all of them and i am wondering if one is worst than the other. or maybe it varies each person.

and to top this all off i am planning on going to disney world next month. yes i have become very aware of all the gluten free food disney has to offer but then there is the dairy issue. and then the soy issue. ugh!!!

i was thinking maybe if i just do gluten free and eat some lactaid when i have dairy i might not be too bad.

and maybe a zantac here and there. and maybe some milk of magnesia every couple days.

my main symptoms are hotness, bloating, and constipation.

any thoughts? this forum is a God-send!

[curiousgirl]

ugh. so which of the above do you think is the worst of the "evils"? i have intolerances to all of them and i am wondering if one is worst than the other. or maybe it varies each person.

and to top this all off i am planning on going to disney world next month. yes i have become very aware of all the gluten free food disney has to offer but then there is the dairy issue. and then the soy issue. ugh!!!

i was thinking maybe if i just do gluten free and eat some lactaid when i have dairy i might not be too bad.

and maybe a zantac here and there. and maybe some milk of magnesia every couple days.

my main symptoms are hotness, bloating, and constipation.

any thoughts? this forum is a God-send!

When you say "hotness" do you have sweats too? Or, does your skin feel hot (face, arms, chest..)?

[Heidi S.]

Your post made me laugh, I understand your dilemma and you are a true stomach sufferer! I used to have an arsenal of meds to medicate. I guess it really depends what you want to deal with or suffer through...

First off, me..I CANNOT eat gluten, there is no build up just an UNLIKEABLE experience=vacation ruinned. I also can not have eggs. I do cheat but I have can only 1 item with eggs like a pizza out every couple of days or I am bloated and grumpy! Gluten is by far the worst!

About Disney if you get the meal plan and eat at chef restaurants they will make you ANYTHING you want catering to your allergies. I would do the best I can to avoid ALL your allergies to have a great vacation. There is a list you can pick up at guest services at each park entrance, they will tell you which places have allergy free foods in the park and the items they offer! Alot of gluten free and dairy free options. You can also bring some staples from home to carry with you to save some money if needed! Call Disney guest services and they can put you on the phone with someone knowledgeable about allergies to help you book your restaurant reservations before your trip!

[missceliac2010]

ugh. so which of the above do you think is the worst of the "evils"? i have intolerances to all of them and i am wondering if one is worst than the other. or maybe it varies each person.

and to top this all off i am planning on going to disney world next month. yes i have become very aware of all the gluten free food disney has to offer but then there is the dairy issue. and then the soy issue. ugh!!!

i was thinking maybe if i just do gluten free and eat some lactaid when i have dairy i might not be too bad.

and maybe a zantac here and there. and maybe some milk of magnesia every couple days.

my main symptoms are hotness, bloating, and constipation.

any thoughts? this forum is a God-send!

Ah yes, the "lesser of many evils" debate... I am lactose intolerant, but I have been able to indulge in a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie a time or two (or three...LOL) with the use of lactaid. However, I could take a whole bottle of Lactaid, and still get sick from ice cream, yogurt, regular milk, etc. My suggestion.... bring a cooler full of goodies! You can always make yourself a sandwich and eat it in the park. If they give you crap about outside food or drink, I mention your disease and special dietary needs... I don't think Disney wants to mess with the ADA!

BTW, It was so refreshing to hear someone talk about "hotness!" I do that too. Sweat like a pig when glutened and feel like crap. I have to walk around with virtually no make up and kleenex in my pocket to wipe the sweat from my face. Ugh, I feel your pain!

Good luck and have fun!

[tina a]

When you say "hotness" do you have sweats too? Or, does your skin feel hot (face, arms, chest..)?

[Heidi S.]

when i go to disney i am only getting the quick sevice dining plan. i hope they are still as accommadating.

Well that is a shame the restaurants have the best meals for allergies with very knowledgeable chefs, you should really think about increasing it, it is well worth the cost with drinks included! I mean realistic, do you really see "quick service" fast food as being accommodating? When fast food becomes accommodating it wouldn't be "fast" food...

[kayo]

I recently read on this board that even the walk up type food places at Disney are intolerance/allergy accommodating. Sorry, I do not recall the thread where I read it. I tucked that info into my brain since we may be going to Disney soon. I haven't really traveled much since going gluten-free (and others) so tips like this tend to jump out at me.

I don't know which of my intolerances are the worst. Soy makes me hot, swollen and causes hives, gluten makes me spacey, achy and crampy and gives me big D, lactose sends me right to the bathroom.

[T.H.]

We've been to Disneyland just once with all our food issues. We had some good experiences, a few bad ones.

For restaurants, a lot of them in the park, even a few of the cheaper ones, you can call and make a reservation ahead of time and talk to the chef about your issues. They had notes on me at three different places, LOL, and discussed my dietary needs and were very good about making something I could have at the time.

However, Disney also now provides numbers for restaurants just outside the park, in this restaurant/store walk area. I also made a reservation at one of those, and it was miserable. What they said they would do, and what they actually did, were two different things. Unfortunately, the few fast food places we went to inside the park did a pitiful job on their 'gluten free' food offerings as well. Slow service where normal orders were placed ahead of ours over and over until things calmed down and they could 'get to ours,' burnt and/or cold food, lots of rudeness and irritation, even when it was my little girl trying to order her first gluten-free food (11 years old and self-consciously super-polite).

We also talked to our hotel. If you have a 'medically restricted diet,' you can often get a fridge in your hotel at no charge. We went to a nearby grocery store and got tons of food. Also, if you have a medically restricted diet, you are allowed to bring food into the park proper. so I had a soft sided cooler with a shoulder strap that I took in every day. We had a doctor's note, but I think any note stating that you have a restricted diet would likely be accepted, based on the reaction of the staff we encountered.

[precious831]

Welcome to the club! I avoid gluten, dairy and now soy too and my DD avoids even more. It's frustrating and planning meals is a full-time job.

I have no advice on Disney, sorry. Goodluck, others will probably have some advice.

[vbecton]

Wow, I'm so happy to know Disneyworld considers intolerances/allergies! Very good info to know.

I'm intolerant to all the above as well, but by far the worst was soy. I think it's because once you take out gluten, then dairy, anything left that is processed will be made with soy. So, I consider soy the worst Eating gluten & dairy free are easy, but adding anything else to my list was overwhelming!!!!!

[GlutenFreeManna]

Gluten is the worst for me. I will go to great lengths to avoid CC even if they seems silly and ridiculous to others. It is poison to me plain and simple. Dairy and soy are not as bad as gluten; They are about the same level as each other consequence-wise but with different consequences. With Dairy I bloat, belch and have stomach pains/D if I eat too much, BUT I can do yogurt and butter and a little hard cheese every once in a while without problems. I have chanced it and had ice cream a few times with mixed results, but mostly bad results. SO I have to get the coconut milk ice cream instead. With soy I get migraines, joint pain, swelling hands, and crashing fatigue. I have however also chanced soy a few times in order to have chocolate and again mixed results. Sometime I pay for it and sometimes I get by having a little chocolate with soy lecthin. Mostly I only get the bad fatigue from soy when I have it several days in a row. My main Russian roulette symptom with soy is a migraine headache which comes on soon after having the soy (most often when something is cooked in soybean oil). So if I had to choose between all of my intolerances, gluten is the most important to avoid and soy and dairy depend on what type (I'll take a chance for chocolate but not for soy flour or edamame ).

[lucia]

With celiac, the autoimmune reaction from gluten will destroy your villi, and that has ongoing consequences until you heal entirely. You don't want to risk that. (While the others likely cause inflammation, there is not actual physical damage.)

[tina a]

Well that is a shame the restaurants have the best meals for allergies with very knowledgeable chefs, you should really think about increasing it

well i did increase it, it is only a little bit more really and now with any reservation i make i can request the special dietary information. thank you for making me think twice about it!

[Heidi S.]

well i did increase it, it is only a little bit more really and now with any reservation i make i can request the special dietary information. thank you for making me think twice about it!

So happy to hear that! You will not regret it! Your quick service meals will be do able but your sit down will be excellent!! Google the different restaurants in the parks with allergy options and you can find reviews on the best ones!!

Have a great vacation!

[scarlett77]

To add really try to go during off peak eating times if at all possible. It really does make a difference in the service and attention you receive. And by all means BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS. We NEVER had a problem with bringing any food into the park. It really does cut down on some of the cost too. Granted we went to Disneyland (not World) and we are within a 1/2 day drive. We also baked a bunch of cookies before we left home since we knew the boys would likely not be able to have any cookies at the park.

[sandsurfgirl]

I live 10 minutes from Disneyland in CA and go all the time. Haven't been to Fla, but assume it's similar.

Yes you can bring food in. I always have a cooler with me. I bring the soft kind and stick it in the bottom of the stroller. If you are stroller free put it in a locker and just grab a few things to take around the park.

There are lots of just meat and veggies options in the park. I avoid all the stuff you avoid and I have no problems. I have had good accomodating service everywhere, even the walk up hot dog place at Coke corner. They offer gluten free breads and buns from EnerG but they are heavy on the tapioca. Until recently I could not do tapioca so I never got those.