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Have yourself a Merry Yeast-Free Christmas Part 1 - Christmas Dinner

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 Ah, Christmas.  The most wonderful time of the year... unless you have an intolerance or allergy to some pretty random ingredients, then it becomes a headache of trying to read tiny ingredient lists on the side of packets or explaining for the third time to your dear great Aunt Angie why you cannot have that glass of the expensive white wine she purchased especially for the festive celebrations or to your co-worker Sue that yeast is not the same as gluten so the lovely gluten-free treats will still need to be checked for other possible ingredients you should really avoid. But, fear not, it is possible to enjoy Christmas alongside everyone else with a few twists and tweaks to some common essentials. Gravy First up, gravy. What is a Christmas dinner without gravy? But, as expected, most gravies contain yeast, yeast extract or barley malt extract to help flavour them. If you have the time, you can create your own from the lovely meat juices that are left behind when cooking your...
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A word about vinegars...

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 So, we already know to be careful about avoiding bread, beer, or other fermented products. But did you know vinegar can also be a hidden culprit? Here's why: Why Vinegar Matters Vinegar is a by-product of fermentation, a process that often involves yeast. While the yeast used in fermentation isn’t always present in the final product, some vinegars may still contain residual yeast proteins or components that can trigger reactions for those with sensitivities. Vinegars to Watch Out For: Apple Cider Vinegar : Made from fermented apples, often involving yeast. Balsamic Vinegar : Aged and fermented, which can increase yeast by-products. Red or White Wine Vinegar : Derived from fermented grapes. Malt Vinegar : Made from barley, which contains both gluten and yeast. Safer Alternatives: Distilled White Vinegar : Generally free of yeast as it undergoes a distillation process that removes most residues. 'Sarson's' also do a distilled pickling vinegar if you like pickling things....
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I'm yeast intolerant... now what?

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  When I first saw that I was yeast intolerant, the first thing I thought was 'Oh, no more cava then'. Then, 'Wait a sec...no more marmite!" To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. As anyone else would, I then started looking in the cupboard to see what else I was not going to be able to eat and I was shocked...practically the whole cupboard was a yeast pit! Yeast is in practically EVERYTHING that is made for our convenience. So, I started reading through York's handy initial guide to see what else I would have to avoid. My day became gloomier...although I perked up a bit when I saw champagne was still an option. (More about this ina future post - watch this space!) Because of it's unique flavour, yeast is used as a flavouring to enhance the almost salty, umami flavour of food and to make processed foods that bit more palatable. The down-side to this is that there are a few by-products and foods that are not advised if you are following a yeast-free d...
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Taking the Plunge

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 So, even though I had been suffering from stomach issues for a number of years, it took me a very long time to actually take an intolerance test. Why? I was skeptical. I had read a lot of differing opinions about these independent companies that offered a solution to a variety of everyday woes and honestly just sat on the fence. My mind was curious, my partner was also skeptical and believed they kept your blood to clone you at a later date! As I mentioned on my About page, I finally took the plunge a few weeks after a conversation with a colleague about their experience. They chose LifeLab Testing and said it was a fairly good experience, they waited over a week to get some results but were generally happy with the service they received. I did a little more digging and decided to go with York Test. I decided to go with this one as the number of foods and drinks they tested for was greater and I really wanted to get the nitty-gritty of what on earth was my problem. The price was g...
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