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Cooking for Intolerances and Allergies with Courtney Roulston
Q&A with Courtney Roulston
Saturday Live Q&A session with Courtney Roulston from our September free from + allergy virtual show.
Courtney Roulston
Courtney Roulston first rose to fame after finishing as a finalist in Series 2 of MasterChef Australia 2010.
Since 2011, Courtney has been working as the Head Chef at the Sydney Swans AFL team, cooking for the players and working closely with the Team Dietician.
For the past decade, she has also proudly represented Coles Supermarkets as an Ambassador and has had the pleasure of immersing herself within various events, media and catering jobs scattered throughout Australia.
Having recently participated in MasterChef Season 12 (All Stars Back to Win), you can also watch Courtney in Season 2 of the popular cooking series ‘Farm To Fork’ – currently airing on Network Ten.
Dining out: Japanese Cuisine – Anne Willner
Dining out: Japanese Cuisine
With many naturally gluten free options, Japanese food can be a great choice when dining out. However, although sushi is often safe, there are other places where gluten lurks.
In addition to the obvious gluten unfriendly dishes such as dumplings and noodles, check for the following when confirming which options are gluten free.
1. Soy sauce and wasabi
This is basic but very important to know and keep in mind – standard soy sauce contains wheat! Gluten-free soy sauce and tamari are great substitutes that taste incredibly similar. Some Japanese restaurants may have GF soy sauce available if you ask, but always double-check when dishes are made with soy sauce. In addition, some packaged wasabi uses wheat starch as a thickener.
2. Tempura
Not only is there wheat flour in batter used for tempura dishes, but tempura flakes (also known as “crunch”) that are used as a topping on sushi rolls have wheat as well. In addition, keep in mind that if a restaurant offers tempura, there’s a good chance they are using the same fryer for tempura as well as other dishes, so be sure to ask about potential cross-contamination.
3. Imitation Crab
Imitation crab (also known as “crab stick”) almost always contains wheat starch as a binding agent. This is why California rolls – which usually use imitation crab – are almost never gluten-free. Always ask about ingredients if there is any sort of imitation crab or fish in a dish.
4. Sauces and Dressings
Soy sauce and wheat starch are often in dressings and sauces. Watch out for seaweed salad especially – it almost always has soy sauce in the dressing.
5. Fish Roe
Some fish roe (e.g., those orange fish eggs used as a sushi topping) have an added wheat thickener to help bind the eggs together. This isn’t always for the case, but it’s worth checking.
6. Edamame
Believe it or not, some restaurants use steam from boiling wheat-based noodles to cook edamame and other vegetables. This can potentially cause cross-contamination. While this practice won’t be used at all Japanese restaurants, it is worth double-checking to be sure.
Anne Willner
Born and raised in New York, I relocated to Sydney, Australia in 2018 for work. I love exploring the incredible gluten free food scene in Sydney as well as experimenting with gluten free cooking and baking.
I was diagnosed with Celiac when I was 12 years old and in the 14ish years since my diagnosis, I‘ve maintained a strict gluten free diet. I love sharing tips and tricks I’ve learned through my experience and showing how a GF diet can be exciting and delicious.
FODMAP Friendly Snack Ideas
Feeling Peckish? I’ve Got You Covered! – FODMAP Friendly Snack Ideas
Following a low FODMAP diet is not always an easy task. We have daily commitments, activities and overall, our lives can be quite busy. The good news for us is that are FODMAP friendly snacks on the market that are nutritious, filling and most importantly, taste great! What more could you want?
If you haven’t got a great amount of time on your hands and wanting convenient, on-the-go, easy to prepare snacks, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few that I highly recommend you try.
1. Banana smoothie
You can’t go wrong with an easy to whip up smoothie. You simply add an unripe, firm banana, your choice of low FODMAP milk, some oats and if you have a sweet tooth, some maple syrup! Such a quick an easy, minimal ingredient snack option. (Full recipe can be found on the Monash University FODMAP Diet App).
2. Trail mix
Simply start with peanuts and add 10 walnuts or 15g of cranberries or pepitas (these all become high fructan, so you need to pick only one), then add 10 almonds and some shredded coconut. There you have it, a quick and easy on-the-go snack option. Nuts are an energy-dense, nutrient-rich snack, and also help us feel fuller for longer, so win-win!
3. Energy balls
These are super easy to whip up the night before a busy day as you only need a few ingredients. These include oats, cranberries, peanut butter, some maple syrup, quinoa and some dark chocolate chips! The easy part is – all of the ingredients are simply processed together and all you have to do is roll them into bite sized balls! (Full recipe can be found on the Monash University FODMAP Diet App).
4. Cheese & crackers
YES, you can still have your cheese and crackers! Gluten free crisp-breads made from rice/corn paired with some cheddar cheese makes a great on-the-go snack! Just be sure to read your labels with the crisp-breads. Look out for sneaky high FODMAP ingredients like inulin.
5. Low FODMAP snack bars
For my friends in Australia, let me introduce you to Fodbods. They are delicious gut-friendly snack bars made in Australia that are FODMAP friendly! They are also vegan, gluten and dairy free. They come in a range of flavours including choc mint, peanut choc chunk and lemon coconut, just to name a few.
Bottom line
Following a low FODMAP diet may be challenging at times, although there is absolutely no need to go hungry! I hope these snack ideas have inspired you and have allowed you to recognise that there are some quick and easy snacks that you can create/purchase, and that following this kind of diet doesn’t have to be difficult. It is essential that we nourish our bodies to keep our energy levels up, and productivity high, so ensuring that you have some low FODMAP snack ideas up your sleeve, will be of great benefit in the long run.
Reference List:
1. Fodbods-au. (2021). Fodbods – FODMAP Friendly Bars – Natural | Vegan | Gluten Free. https://www.fodbods.com/
2. Monashfodmap.com. (2021). Oat, Cranberry & Choc Chip Energy Balls. https://www.monashfodmap.com/recipe/oat-cranberry-choc-chip-energy-balls/.
3. Monash University. (2012). Monash University FODMAP Diet App.
4. M, L., & L, L. (2016). Nuts and Body Weight – An Overview. Journal Of Nutrition And Health Sciences, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.15744/2393-9060.3.104
Chelsea McCallum
Chelsea is an online dietitian based in Brisbane, Australia. She specialises in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the low FODMAP diet. She provides professional online video consultations and programs enabling clients from across Australia and around the world to access her specialised services.
Bloating? Stomach pain? Does it seem like you’re reacting to wheat/gluten?
Bloating? Stomach pain? Does it seem like you're reacting to wheat/gluten?
Is it Coeliac Disease or IBS (or both)? In this video, gut health dietitian and nutritionist, Rebecca Ponsford from FODMAP Nutrition & Dietetics breaks down what Coeliac Disease and IBS are- the differences and similarities between them. She describes the process of testing and diagnosis for coeliac disease and the importance of the “Gluten Challenge”. Finally, she explains the FODMAP component of wheat which can trigger IBS-type symptoms.
Rebecca Ponsford
Rebecca is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). She completed her Bachelor Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons) from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Rebecca supports her clients with individualised nutrition advice to find relief from digestive health issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), SIBO and coeliac disease, so they can get back to enjoying life again! Rebecca has additional training in the low FODMAP diet, and healthy body image for adolescence. She has a passion for environmental sustainability and much experience in plant-based nutrition. She also has a strong interest in the connection between mental health and gastrointestinal health, environmental sustainability and women’s health. When working with clients she uses evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle approaches to nourish their bodies and achieve sustainable results. Rebecca strives to educate her clients by translating evidence into practical real-life strategies for her clients to implement.
She works with an individualised client-centred focus, providing clients with tools to enjoy food, take ownership of their food choices and fit food into their lives around other priorities. Rebecca is available for one-on-one nutrition and dietetics consultations at FODMAP Nutrition & Dietetics.
Part 1: Baseline strategies to keep your gut happy during Christmas time – Rebecca Ponsford
Baseline strategies to keep your gut happy during Christmas time
How to Successfully Manage Christmas with IBS and FODMAP Sensitivities (Part 1)
The Christmas decorations are out on display, gatherings with friends, family members and work colleagues are filling up the calendar and there’s a whole lot of food involved, but what will you be able to eat if you have IBS and are sensitive to FODMAPs?
It might seem a little bit daunting heading into this busy time of the year when you have a sensitive gut and food intolerances, but with a good action plan in place, you can still enjoy Christmas without stressing about your gut flaring up. Here are some tips to successfully manage the festive season with IBS.
Baseline strategies to keep your gut happy
- Know your symptoms
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can look different for person to person depending on the symptoms experienced. IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, wind, diarrhoea and constipation. It’s common to fluctuate between a combination of these, however, some people may find they err on the side of constipation (IBS-C) or diarrhoea (IBS-D).
Why does it matter? Knowing your symptoms is a good way to monitor how your gut is feeling before symptoms escalate into a full flare-up. As things get busier leading into Christmas, try checking with your body at the end of each day and rating your overall symptoms from 1-10 (1= negligible symptoms, 10= severe symptoms). If you start to notice a pattern or increase in symptoms, focus on one thing you can do help calm your gut more going forward (keep reading for ideas of these strategies).
Know your triggers
Similarly to the symptoms, the triggers of IBS can be different for everyone. For some, stress is a big trigger, for others, a poor night sleep can send their gut off track and of course, food or components of food (such as FODMAPs) can be big triggers of IBS symptoms. Learn what your main triggers are. If FODMAPs are one, knowing which FODMAP subgroups you are most sensitive to is important to prevent you from feeling overly and unnecessarily restricted. When you know what these are, it can make it much easier to limit them.
Take a mindful moment
There’s no denying the impact stress has on the gut. With such a busy time of the year, a lot of rushing around, organising and preparing for Christmas, it’s easy to drop the ball in relation to self-care and stress management. Try taking a ‘mindful’ moment each day. It could be a guided meditation, five minutes of deep breathing, checking in on your posture while sitting or paying attention to the smell, taste and texture of food when you eat.
Give your body some movement
Whether you like to go for a big gym session, a lighter yoga flow, a fast walk or a run – choose a form of movement you enjoy and plan time in your schedule to do it. Even a fifteen-minute walk can make a big difference. Light exercise can help to relieve stress and improve movement through the digestive tract (gut motility).
Stay hydrated
Staying adequately hydrated is of course incredibly important for our overall health, but particularly for gut health. This is especially important as the weather warms up in Australia around Christmas. It’s very common to experience a sluggish gut and constipation when you haven’t drunk enough water. On the flip side, if you experience loose and watery bowel motions, it’s still important to replenish your hydration levels by sipping on water.
If you struggle to remember to drink water, put a glass beside your bed at night to have first thing in the morning. This helps to get the ball rolling with hydration at the very start of your day. A great thing to try for something exciting is adding a cold infusion tea bag to your water to flavour it. You may even like to add some fresh lemon, lime or strawberries.
Follow on for Part two- Navigating gut-friendly food during the festive season
REBECCA
Rebecca is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, graduated from Monash University in 2018. She works predominately in the space of gut health and digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She has expertise in the practical implementation of the Low FODMAP Diet and also has a strong interest in the link between mental health and gastrointestinal health. Rebecca is passionate about supporting people to achieve their health goals and develop healthy relationships with food where they can eat with ease.
The Importance of Gut Health – Sharon Shelby
The Importance Of Gut Health
Since 70-80% of our immune cells are housed inside our gut lining, it pays off to look after your gut health. When that happens the immune system starts performing like it should: tolerant to more foods and the environment, fights off infection effectively, increases energy, improves mood and digestion and so much more.
In my live video I share the three food groups that do wonders in healing the gut and how easy they are to make and include in our diets. Discover my simple protocol of Sealing, Seeding and Feeding and never feel confused about what to eat again.
Sharon Shelby
Sharon Selby is Australia’s leading health coach specializing in allergy-friendly living. She runs online courses and cooking classes teaching parents how to cook nutritious, tasty meals while being on a restricted diet. Her passion came from healing her son’s multiple food allergies, intolerances, eczema and reflux by the time he was 18 months old.
Sharon loves sharing that good health begins in the kitchen and with a nutritious diet families will thrive.
To learn more about Sharon Selby and her online courses visit deliciouslyallergyfree.com