Allergies Books

This book replaces "Special Diet Solutions: Healthy Cooking Without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Yeast, or Refined Sugar" by the same author, so if you are trying to get the old title you have found the new title.

I have not tried any of the recipes yet, however I am looking forward to trying them to take with me to our family's house for the holidays (since I have recently acquired some nasty food allergies).

My friend has used the older book for years, and she fed me some of her creations and they were most yummy. I look forward to trying them out!

I bought this book since I have a son with wheat, egg and peanut allergies. I found the different flour substitute recipes at the end of the book very helpful and used them a lot. However, I did not have a lot of luck with the few recipes I tried. So, the cost of the book was worth it to me for the substitution information and guidelines but not the meal recipes.

When a cookbook claims that it eliminates a number of different allergens, I do not expect that all of those allergens will be eliminated from each and every recipe. Some recipes in Fenster's book do manage to be free from all four of her "allergic foods". For other recipes, the reader can quickly see which items are eliminated by scanning the key at the beginning of the page. I also found acceptable substitutions for many items. Those of us who are sensitive to more than a few foods will have to be creative; I have not yet found a book that fully meets my needs. However, Cooking Free is one of the best.

I specially liked the hints on the flours, as the % to use of each of them. They were really usefull.

This book, per its cover and introduction, aims to introduce recipes which are free of such allergens as gluten, dairy, eggs, and sugar. Unable to eat gluten and diary, I purchased this book in a bona fide effort to diversify my somewhat-restricted diet. In a blatant contradiction to its claims, almost every recipe in this cookbook calls for some type of diary (milk, buttermilk, butter, margarine, and powdered milk), sugar, and/or eggs. There are only so many substitutions that can be made without altering the chemical make-up required to achieve an edible baked good. There are also only so many substitutions a consumer should be required to make when she expects to purchase a ready-to-use cookbook. (The recommended products with which to stock an allergen-free pantry also include dairy products and sugar.) I am in the process of returning this book.

I bought this cookbook after reading the reviews on Amazon. Such a Great cookbook! I wanted to Thank Cindy Moseley for taking the time to create these recipes and putting a cookbook together. This cookbook has made it effortless in providing yummy recipes for my daughter who is allergic to eggs, wheat and soy. I didn't buy the brown rice flour as one reviewer said it was gritty so I just use white rice flour instead. Chapter 1 provides allergy info, glossary of ingredients, basic tools needed and staple ingredients that I found very informative. Then in the back of the book she provides how to read labels. This cookbook informed me and gave me the tools I needed to cook Great Foods Without Worry!

My kid has several severe allergies. I am just an average cook and baker. Because of his allergies I have to learn to bake.This book is wonderful. I could get baking goods with excelent flavor and consistency at the first intent.I used earth balance in the receipes that ask for margarine and the flavor is just perfect. I highly recommend this book. Specially because I am not pretty good at baking, it was a huge surprise how everything came out perfect and delicious. The most important thing it is the receipes do not include anything my kid is allergic and the flavor is good. I tried before another receipes and special flour mixes prepackages and I had to put all in the trash. I was disappointed of my baking free allergies intents until I found this book. My kid can eat cookies and brownies again.

My son - age 1 - was recently diagnosed with allergies - wheat, egg, peanut, milk - so I thought this cookbook was THE answer. Well, it sort of is. The recipies are completely written with my son's allergies in mind. However, the recipies/results are just ok. The muffins are great when they come out of the oven. After a day they taste like sand. I realize I am used to eating traditional recipies and that these are modified and are probably as close to the "real thing" as we are going to get but I just wish the results were better.

Margarine is dairy and a lot of these recipes call for margarine. I want a refund.

That's the kind of book you want to have when your kid just cannot eat anything. It turned my sad days into very happy and nutritious days!!

Steven, a seven year old autistic child began treatment on the same day when I started my treatment. I distinctly remember his appearance on the first day of his visit in Dr. Devi's office. He was bumping into things and people, had no awareness of the surroundings or people, was flapping his hands, pulling his sleeves, chewing his clothes, running back and forth in the waiting room aimlessly, etc. Then I didn't see him for a while, because we both had appointments at different times. I saw him the other day again, and I couldn't recognize him. His mother said he had 11 treatments. He has not yet treated for immunizations. He was sitting in the TV room with other children and watching TV calmly. What a transformation! I wonder why more people don't look for NAET or take their autistic children to NAET practitioners! Steven's dramatic changes forced me to read this book. What a book! Great information for the parents of autistic children. As usual lots of useful self-help tips for the parents. This book is packed with information. Everyone with an autistic child or relative must read this book. This can give a new meaning to your life.

My son,Jonathan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3.5 yrs. old and I was faced with the dilemma as a practicing M.D. for 16 years in allopathic medicine. I was told by many so called "specialists" that he will never recover since he was heavily impacted. After visiting NAET website, I read her books and immediately signed up to learn how to practice NAET on my son. Jonathan is on the road to recovery! I've helped not only my son but other autistic children as well as ADD, and ADHD children. Dr.Devi is a medical doctor and a chiropractor as well as a acupunturist, and a doctor of oriental medicine.But most of all, she was a patient who suffered enough to truely "CARE" about others who live in quiet desperation. She has finally connected the dots between Eastern medicine to Western medicine to benefit the humanity. She strongly encourages autistic children to continue with ABA and other modalities(PT,OT,Speech Therapy etc.) while NAET is ongoing. Be open-minded and humble enough to learn what NAET is all about! It may change your life if you let it!

my 5 year old son has autism and multiple allergies which were not detected by the mainstream allergy tests done at the pediatricians. i got this book and looked it up on the naet website. we were lucky enough to get involved in the naet clinical trial for autism/allergies. according to the muscle response testing they do, he was actually allergic to almost 100 environmental factors like vitamin c and perfume. he was even allergic to the minerals in water. no wonder we could never lock down his allergy source! anyway, this may sound like mumbo jumbo to you, but it has worked wonders for our son. the only reason i do not give the book 5 stars is because it is a bit vague which forces you to find the practitioner and you are not able to do any of it yourself until they teach you.

This is absolute false. I spent thousands of dollars on this treatment with no change/improvement at all. Feel free to contact me.

People like these are victimizing us parents of autistic kids.

I have read the book and agree that the title can be misleading. HOWEVER, that being said...I have brought my autistic twins to a NAET practitioner...after the first treatment, I already see a difference. My oldest twin is able to put 10 words together in a sentence (2 days ago he struggled to put 3 words together). My youngest twin is less agitated and more happy. Until you bring your autistic child to a NAET practitioner and at least try 1 appt. you should not judge the content of the book or its title.

I have not read this book, but looking at the table of contents, the author does not make the basic scientific distinction between food allergy and food intolerance.

While even unscientific medical practices might be helpful, I would prefer the many other books which are scientifically up to date.

I have multiple severe food allergies (eat something that touched a peanut and end up in the emergency room with a swollen face type deal). I came to this book looking for tips about good avoidance and some explanations about the actual chemistry of the reactions themselves. All I got were a few dismissive lines about how people with severe allergies just need to avoid the foods that make them sick. Thanks. If you have a more subtle problem, like eczema you can't seem to shake or migraines, this could be the book for you, but I didn't find it to be helpful.

Though it does contain some interesting information, the book seems to be written for somebody with the IQ of a donut. He starts by detailing all his education, and then continues to talk down to the reader. He also repeats himself without adding any detail. (Yes, we learn that he really likes corn on the cob!) The contents of the book could easily be boiled down to 10 pages without missing anything important. Also, don't expect to find much of anything concerning 'classic' food allergies here.

As a saving grace, there are a few nice charts and tables at the end to help pinpoint MSG content in fast foods and elsewhere.

This book is practically an encyclopedia of food allergies written for ordinary people. The author is a physician and allergy specialist with almost 40 years of experience in the field. He describes how in the beginning of his career, he had not been trained to recognize food allergies in his patients, but over the years, he became more and more sensitized to the kinds of symptoms that food allergies can cause. Over time, he noted that many of his patients were allergic to the same common foods, especially what he calls the MALS foods, MSG, acidic foods, low calorie sweeteners, and sugar. The skin tests that are so much relied on for detecting environmental allergies are less informative with food allergies. In response, he has developed a method for identifying food allergies that uses a diet that eliminates common allergy causing foods and then gradually re-introduces them while the patient notes when the symptoms lessen or begin to reoccur. This diet is described in the book, together with possible rotation menus and lists of additional foods that cause problems for some people and may need to be avoided.

If you try to read this book from cover-to-cover, you will find that it is rather repetitive at times, and the organization seems in some places to be more stream-of-consciousness rather than logical. At times the avoidance of technical language or explanations seems almost evasive, and it's amazing how a doctor could write an entire book about allergies without once using the word histamine. Since the book is addressed to general readers, it does not contain in-text references to scientific studies. Nevertheless, the bibliography is replete with such references, adding credence to Walsh's message.

This book confirmed many of the phenomena that I had observed about my own food sensitivities. For example, Walsh explains that allergies are additive, so that's why I can pet a cat so long as it's not hay fever season, or I can drink a small glass of milk now and then, but not a big glass every day. Walsh also suggests that readers should trust their instincts- -if they have a strong feeling that a food is making them sick, there is a good chance that it really is. After reading this book, there is no longer any question in my mind- -food can make you sick, and you can feel a lot better once you figure out what you've been eating that is causing you trouble.

I have been migraine-free for five years since reading this book!

I had tried Imitrex, acupuncture, physical therapy, massage, biofeedback, chiropractics, herbs, oral sprays and everything I had heard of for migraines except Botox injections and nerve severance.

My general practitioner, second opinion doctors and neurologists told me to avoid red wine, Chinese food and chocolate. Their "migraine diet" came from the back of an Imitrex pamphlet (keep in mind, this was five years ago).

When I told my doctor about my self-diagnosis of food intolerances from this book, she tried to act like she already knew this. Then why didn't she diagnose me? Why didn't she put me on an elimination diet? Why didn't she send me to a nutritionist, allergist or immunologist? Why did she put a teenage liver on codeine permanently and say I would have to live with it or grow out of it?

If your doctor is not part of the Nutritional Enlightenment, YOU NEED THIS BOOK to help you find the right specialist.

Even if this book isn't all inclusive, it will introduce you to the basic concepts and terms to Google and talk to your practitioner about.

I am not sensationalizing that this book changed my life. I almost didn't graduate high school because of migraines, and now I have a computer science degree.

but you do need to go to a NAET doctor to get results.

no more spring allergies... woha !!!

Thanks to Dr. Devi and her labors to get this treatment into the public arena. A should read book for anyone with allergies who have had enough of standard medicine that only treats symptoms over, and over, and over.

I suffered from depression most of my life. I also had hay fever, and did the desensitizing with injections three times. (Every time I moved, the hay fever came back.) I was on prozac for years.

Out of curiosity, while living in California, I tried Devi Nambudripad's NAET treatments after reading her book and finding a practitioner. About the 4th or 5th treatement, for B vitamins, my life changed. No more prozac, no more depression. (I was also allergic to my ex-wife.) Yes, you can be allergic to a person. Its like when they walk into the room you have this feeling you wish they weren't there.

I took my children in for treatment, my son came off ritalin after 12 treatments. The real miracle story, my youngest, was born allergic to wheat, dairy and soy among other things. His mother had asthma when she was carrying him because of mold in the slab of our rental house. With adolesence, came asthma and inhalers. His pediatrician Aunt said get this boy on medication NOW! After NAET treatments, he is allergy free. No asthma, no allergies, and now a rising star playing his trumpet (at least in my opinion). As a teenager, he can now put away a frightening amout of pizza. Before it only made him terribly ill.

This technique works.

I suggest purchasing and reading this book if you have severe allergies, it helps to understand the process. The stories of others will inspire you in your healing.

Allergies are now optional. If you have them its because you choose to keep them. The beauty of the technique is that once you are cleared, you are done. You don't have the practitioner in your pocketbook for the rest of your life.

The idea behind this book is exceptionally appealing, but I was a bit disappointed in what I actually got. It is basically an advertisement for the NAET method of allergy removal. That method might very well do everything claimed, but I was hoping to get some insight into what I might do for MYSELF. That was missing. Instead, an introduction into the struggles of the author, some of the theory behind energy therapy, and a basic introduction into muscle testing. Past that, the reader is encouraged to find the nearest practitioner for actual allergic relief.

I got the book and then tried NAET method of allergy removal for my son, spent thousands of dollars over one year with absolute zero results.

People like such are out there to victimize parents of autistic kids.

I bought this book at the urging of a relative who has the syndrome. I dound that it did not really apply to me. I have a touch of dry eye but do not fit the rest of the profile so actually for me it was a waste of money. For a person who does have sjogren's though it is probably an excellent book.

I purchased this book (by Daniel Wallace) and The Sjogren's Syndrome Survival Guide by Teri P Rumpf. I preferred this one as it was more comprehensive, although still written for non professionals. I found it to be a good basic resource.

this book is an excellent and detailed look at Sjogren's effect on all body systems. The appendix at the back that lists all the products that help you cope with dry eye, dry mouth, etc is worth the price of the book.

I recommend this to anyone who has been diagnosed with Sjogren's. Lot's of practical advice.

This is one of the best books out there on Sjogren's Syndrome. Because Sjogren's Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that can affect many different parts of the body, it can be very difficult to live with...however, this book goes into detail about every possible manifestation of the disease and how to cope with them. It's very comprehensive and very scientific at times, but well worth the read.

This was definitely a helpful book to me--I'm a nurse & I understood what all was being explained. But I also now suffer from Sjogren's Syndrome, ane I really had in mind a more day to day, practical application type book. It was just a lot more scientific than I expected. I would never have bought it had I look through it first.

If you are looking for a guide to the many alternative foods available and how to rotate your food items, then buy this book. My mistake was getting it as a cookbook for my gluten-free, dairy-free, lamb-free, etc-free diet. The recipes I tried just didn't turn out as tasty as recipes from several other books, especially the baked items.

This book presents a rotation diet. Rotation diets are meant to prevent new food intolerances. Rotating foods means that if you eat a food on one day, you don't eat that food again or anything that might cross react with it until 4 days later.
Rotation diets are alternative medicine, not proven to work. I do rotate my foods though. I'm gluten intolerant (celiac disease probably) and I have severe intolerances to many foods. I developed new food intolerances on a gluten-free diet. Almost all the foods I didn't rotate, I developed intolerances to; I've developed new intolerances to few or none of the foods I rotated. So it (maybe) is useful.
But, Ms. Dumke's guidance on how to rotate foods is really bad. There's good info on cross-reactions at the end of Brostoff and Gamlin's "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance". He says that rotating foods by family, which is what Dumke mostly does, is often overly restrictive and sometimes too un-restrictive. For example, people who react to one kind of fish usually can't eat any kind of fish, even if it's not in the same family. For many foods all you have to do is avoid foods in the same genus. For example I can't eat buckwheat (very allergenic stuff!). But I can eat rhubarb, which is in the same family. So you'll save yourself a lot of inconvenience and protect your health better by following his advice.
This book seems like an example of addictive thinking - of the ways that people unconsciously sabotage rotation diets. Why? Because her rotation diet has a gluten grain on almost ever day! The gluten grains - wheat, rye, barley and oats - are part of a single plant subfamily. No other food is treated this way.
This is terribly ironic. Gluten causes an autoimmune reaction that damages the small intestine - so it is often the root cause of food intolerances and allergies. Other foods don't do this, except for dairy, a little bit. It made me wonder if gluten intolerance is the root cause of Dumke's problems, because gluten intolerant people are addicted to gluten often. There's a sensitive test for gluten sensitivity from an online lab called Enterolab (look it up with Google). (I don't work for them)
One nice thing I can say about this book is that she does give many recipes for unusual kinds of yogurt or bread or pizza. Probably you could find such recipes online though. Otherwise - don't go b(u)y this book!

I bought this book after it was obvious that my children and I had severe food allergies. It has been most informative and helpful. It introduces foods you can probably eat because they are different, recipes for them, a sample rotation menu for 4 days, and sources for these alternative foods. Alternative natural sweeteners are also included, as are alternatives to baking powder, which usually contains corn starch or potato starch. There's something for everything, including multiple salad dressings, even if you can't have vinegar. I have referred to it repeatedly since buying it 9 months ago. I take issue with the negative reviews. Yes, the recipes are a little bland because they are so simple. They have to be simple to avoid too much borrowing from different food families. And she does warn readers not to be too fussy about the recipes & to just be grateful for what you can eat. She does have a recipe chapter for special occasions, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. She has gluten-containing recipes for those who can eat gluten. You can choose to avoid gluten, as we have. There are gluten-free recipes in this book. Unfortunately, there's not many, but that's not her fault. There's not much you can do with gluten-free grains unless you combine them all, which then defeats your rotation diet! In addition, if you're gluten sensitive, but not egg sensitive, try coconut flour. Coconut flour is gluten-free and makes delicious cakes BUT requires several eggs, no matter what you make with it. Coconut also has lots of healthy fats and fiber. There is a coconut flour cookbook for sale on the web, and Amazon may have it as well.
As for having spelt, gluten and goat milk recipes in the book, some can tolerate spelt, just as my son tolerates goat milk. That is why they are listed. You don't have to eat them if you're allergic. If you have to carry an epi-pen, or have had trouble breathing after consuming a food, DON'T eat anything related to that food! If you're only mildly allergic (i.e. skin rash, etc.) ask your doctor about trying other foods in that family. Her food family charts are great - you can look things up by name or by family number. I have added foreign foods to the charts in my book so I'll remember which family they're in.
Lastly, she talks about the importance of probiotics in treating food allergies and important tests you might want to have if you have severe health problems related to your food allergies. I had some of the tests done and they were real eye-openers for me!
Her personal story is included in the book and it is inspiring. When I get upset about not being able to eat a food, I read her story - she was allergic to everything, but has recovered her good health. Her son was severely food allergic, but can now eat everything after receiving EPD (enzyme potentiated desensitization) and then LDA (low dose allergen) treatments. This has given me great hope & she has more info on her website. Her other books are also well-written, so check them out as well.

This is a good book for people with food allergies to read. However, people with very severe food allergies should check with an allergic before trying anything new. This book provides good ideas and information but some people will have to be careful. My son has a severe, life-threatening allergy to cow milk protein. Very small amounts of cow milk protein can kill him. The protein in goat's milk is very similar to the protein in cow's milk. I gave my son some goat's milk many years ago and it almost killed him. His allergist would never have advised me to give him goat's milk. Many people have food allergys but people vary with regard to how allergic they are. If you have to carry an epi-pen because of a food allergy, that is a sign to be very careful. That said, I still think this book will help people with known food allergies or with illnesses that may be related to eating food(s) that causes an adverse reaction within the body. A book will not replace having an allergist that knows how to test for food allergies. Complete removal of all traces of all types of milk protein from my son's diet has been the only way I've found to keep him safe so far. People suffering from food allergies may want to also read about adding enzymes from live food to their diet as another way to reduce the problems associated with food allergies. I have been studying food allergies for 11 years and there is always more to learn.

i must respond to the negative review posted.

goat's milk does NOT contain the same allergen as cow's, and IS often tolerated by many. the same holds true for spelt - it is an ancient, and therefore non hybridised, grain, and hence often less likely to provoke reaction.

therefore, TRYING new alternatives is always worthwhile, in order to maintain a broader range of foods in one's diet. to try a food, caution is always in order, and special safer procedures can and should be used.

i write this, because i feel the book in question needs to be seriously considered by all allergy sufferers. there is not enough written on the subject - and the suffering of those who have such profound difficulty with foods is immense.

please do not be put off by one review - such a wealth of information is worth serious consideration. every body is different, every allergy condition varies. just proceed with any changes with caution, and move slowly.

This book was excellent and informative. It covers all the basics of what to look for and how to treat it.

This book really didn't help me much. The foods that are on the "allow" list are in actuality NOT allowed and can really set a candida patient back on their quest for health. I would not recommend to someone that is truly fighting this disease.

Years ago, on the advice of a holistic doctor, I went on a yeast-free, sugar-free diet for 6 weeks. I successfully eliminated excess candida from my body and my health improved vastly. Unfortunately, in those days the only cookbook available was Dr. William Crook's The Yeast Connection Cookbook, which, while essential, was difficult to follow. This time around, I looked for a cookbook that was more up-to-date, varied, and easy to use. I found it in Candida Albican Yeast-Free Cookbook. Its Rainbow Food Plan is not only easier to follow, but it makes a pretty, well balanced meal as well. I especially liked the Oat-Bran Sweet Potato Muffins, zucchini soup (most of their soups are easy to make), Fish in Butter-Ginger Sauce, and Beef Rutabaga Stew (made without the rutabaga, and it was fine). Many of the recipes are for 2 servings only because one is not supposed to have leftovers since it tends to encourage mold growth (those sensitive to yeast also tend to be sensitive to molds). I went ahead and doubled the recipes since I was making it for my daughter (who was also on the diet) and husband (who wasn't). Everyone seemed to agree that the recipes were tasty and satisfying.
Oh, by the way, I lost 8 lbs. in 6 weeks, and feel great. And I still plan to make the muffins, some of the soups and the dips.

Of the large numbers of books on this subject, this one offered little new information. I did see a few recipes that appealed, but could have easily skipped this one.

I like this cookbook. It is not quite as restrictive as some other candida diets, so that should be kept in mind for those searching for a way to conquer candida. Also, it is a cookbook, not a health book, so it does not go into great depth about candida, though it does offer some useful information. I would not make this my primary reference book on candida. I like the book for its simple, healthy whole foods recipes, though.

This book is adequate. I cannot give it a much more glowing review than that. I must agree with some of the other reviewers in that it lacks good figures. The text is ok. I would definitely discourage anyone from buying this as a reference text.
I mainly bought the book because it has review questions at the end of each chapter that sometimes appear on our exams.
For med students I would definitely stick with the BRS Micro/immuno and augment it's succinctness with handwritten notes.

This version is better than prvious one. I like it.

I love this book! I'm a 4th year medical student and I have 3 other texts on immunology and this is the one that I keep going back to. I loaned it to a friend and it burned in a fire so here I am ordering it again. The text is simple and to the point. The diagrams are suitable and I found them detailed enough. This is my bedtime reading book.

This book is excellent as an introductory textbook of immunology. I teach 1st year medical students immunology and have very little curriculum time to do this. The 5th edition of Immunology: A Short Course covers all the essential material without making it needlessly cumbersome. I recommend it without reservation.

This is one of the worst textbooks I've ever read. I bought this book for my M1 Immuno class and threw it away after a week. The explainations are poor at best and the pictures are pathetic.

As a mother of a son newly diagnosed with a peanut allergy, this book did more harm than good. It is written, as the writer admits, out of fear. Yes, this is a dangerous allergy and great caution needs to be taken, but fear is not the answer. Parents and children need faith, support, and strength when confronting this challenge. There is no information in this book that is not found on the Web or in related books authored by medical professionals.

I have an infant that was just diagnosed with peanut allergies. This book was highly recommended - but I have to wonder if it was only by people with no common sense. There is nothing in this book that common sense doesn't tell you. And where the author has the opportunity to supply details or action information that can be used, she fails to go that extra step. The author repeatedly says to supply a list of "alternatives" to peanut snacks to other parents, but doesn't share what those alternatives are! She says peanuts are hidden in all sorts of items like common body creams and shampoo but doesn't list any brands! Thanks, Sheila for your taunting tone of, "I did the research and want to wave it under your nose, but you can't have it!" This book was a waste of money and a waste of the 20 minutes it took me to read it. Not worth the time and effort I put into tracking it down. I need real information I can use to save my child's life, this book didn't help.

If you have a child with a peanut allergy and you have already done your research, then this book does not contain any new information. If you are just starting to research information on peanut allergy then this book may be useful in some areas. It is not a big book and is not very long. The book does, however, give you the option to personalize it to your child (you write your child's name in the blanks)and gives detailed instructions to leave caregivers on how to use the Epipen and a place to put emergency contact information...but it is not worth the money. If you can get it used or for half the price...then it is worth it...Otherwise, type "peanut allergy" into Google and get the same info for free.

Great handbook for parents, anyone that cares for your child. I gave copies to people that my son spends time with, or is in their home. My friends were amazed how much they learned and it started lots of conversations about topic

I have a nut allergic toddler and have read all of the information I could find. This book is the easiest to read. It skips alot of the whys and background info. It is great for a babysitter and for relatives who will be providing food for your child. I bought four copies and had all of our relatives read it and any prospective babysitters (and any future teachers). It helps them to keep your child safe and in the case of an emergency, tells how to recognize reactions and what to do. A must have!