Eleven years ago I was told to avoid dairy, eggs, soy, wheat and several other things like beans, bananas, etc. I was told that after a few years I'd be able to add them back. It only took a few years and I was able to add everything back except dairy, eggs, soy and wheat. I discovered on my own that it was actually gluten, not just the wheat that I had problems with.

I avoided the "big 4" like the plague until about a year ago, when I started experimenting with adding eggs to things like cookies, pancakes, cakes and breads. I didn't notice a problem, so I have continued to eat eggs in small amounts like that. Just last month I decided to try small amounts of dairy in the form of raw cheese and milk. I don't seem to have problems with that either. I have been less careful about soy too, but haven't been willing to try anything like tofu, just small amounts if it is one of the last ingredients on the label. So far, so good. I will NOT EVEN THINK about trying to reintroduce gluten again - I tried that several years ago with disastrous results.

Has anyone else had this same experience? I hope I'm not fooling myself into thinking I can eat things that I shouldn't, but I don't want to keep restricting my diet unneccessarily. Eleven years of it are enough for me and I would be happy to only have to worry about gluten.

Hi Liz,

I don't know that this will be of much help, but I am intolerant to dairy, soy, corn, legumes, tapioca, eggs, grains, and coconut. I'm Celiac, so gluten is a given.

After being off dairy for 3 years, I still can't tolerate it. Even small amouts. The rest of the foods, I've been off for probably a year and a half or so.

Eggs I can use now as you do--in a recipe. I've been too afraid to try them alone--they always caused me severe nausea, as do tapioca and coconut.

After avoiding all grains for over 6 months, I can now eat rice a couple times a week.

I found out legumes were causing my eczema, so I won't try them again--at least for a good long time! Don't want that coming back

Corn is hit or miss--I eat homemade popcorn once in a blue moon.

The only thing I can suggest is that you rotate the former troublemakers. I think as our systems heal and our guts become less leaky, we may be able to eat at least some of these things again. At least I hope so

Thanks, Patti,

I got corn back after about 2 years, legumes after about 4-5, and all the other "little ones" somewhere in between there. I haven't heard of anyone getting dairy back, but then I've been off it way longer than most people on here. Except for occasional butter, which I added about 2 years ago, and occasional raw goat cheese, I was very diligent about avoiding all dairy for 1 month shy of 11 years. I'm hoping that my gut has had time to heal and that I really am getting these foods back. I don't think I'll ever stop cooking/baking with rice milk and eating sorbet, but it would be nice if I didn't have to worry about little bits here and there.

Interesting about the eggs - it seems that a lot of people have the same experience. I don't think I could gag a plain egg down, but it sure makes baking easier!

Great suggestion to rotate them!