Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

You might recall a post from last year in which I described how I took a food sensitivity test that told me I’m highly sensitive to eggs, green peppers and pineapple. I also discussed how this type of test gets mixed reviews, but it continues to be very popular among alternative practitioners.

Well my daughter has been suffering from a mildly stuffy and/or runny nose for months. When I first noticed it last summer, I assumed she was getting an out-of-season cold–just a fluke. We were traveling in Europe, and I figured the long flights and significant time change were making her susceptible. When the mild “cold” came home from Europe with us, I assumed she must have seasonal allergies, or that she had developed an allergy to dust mites (covering all those millions of tiny Lego pieces strewn across every surface in her room) or pollen or something along those lines.

I took her in for an allergy skin test which showed she has very sensitive skin but isn’t allergic to any of the usual suspects. On the doctor’s recommendation, I later took her in for an allergy blood test. Once again, it showed she isn’t allergic to any of the common allergens. I eventually took her to see an MD who’s also a Homeopath. After asking me a lot of questions about my daughter’s diet, her mucus and various other bodily functions, the doctor concluded she must have a food sensitivity and ordered the IgG test. The doctor suspected a dairy allergy, which I was secretly hoping for because I already substitute coconut and almond milk for dairy in most of my cooking.

Several weeks later we learned, that according to the test, my daughter is, like me, highly sensitive to eggs. Of course eggs would turn out to be the culprit! After all, I feed my kids eggs every day. My whole family loves eggs. I love to bake and nearly every favorite recipe calls for eggs. And we have three chickens. Not to mention, I consider the egg one of the most nutritionally perfect foods available. But alas and alack, no eggs for three months, said the doctor.

Since I never did give up eggs even after my igG test indicated I was highly sensitive to them (I just began eating them less frequently), I decided to not eat eggs for three months in solidarity with my daughter.

Here’s where you can envision the fingers drumming on the table and the foot tapping impatiently… We are three weeks into our 3-month sentence, and it’s tough going. Eggs are in everything–at least nearly everything we love. And I’ve practically stopped baking since it’s pretty difficult to bake anything decent without using eggs.

But I have discovered that there are some surprisingly good eggless versions of some of our breakfast standbys. For example, this pancake recipe is remarkably good, and just as easy to make as my oatmeal pancakes. I’m also experimenting with eggless waffles. When I get the recipe right, I’ll share it here. In the meantime, if you have an egg sensitivity or simply want more eggless options, try these delicious, surprisingly light and fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients (for approximately 6 4-inch diameter pancakes)

1 cup whole-grain spelt flour

2 heaping tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cup milk (cow’s or almond work best)

1 tbsp water

3 tbsp coconut oil melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Pour the milk into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the water, vanilla extract and coconut oil to the milk.

Whisk the wet into the dry until just combined. Do not overstir. Let sit for 2-3 minutes.

Heat a large cast-iron or other griddle pan over medium heat. Add in a little butter or coconut oil and spoon in your pancake batter. Cook approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown before flipping over.

Serve with love.

Enjoy!