MCAD and Food

The most important thing anyone with MCAD must do, or someone who knows a person with MCAD, is to make sure that you regularly eat. Due to our bodies inability to metabolise fats into energy we need a constant intake of fuel.

It is recommended that people with MCAD eat every 4 hours. I am terrible with this and always forget. I eat when I am hungry however I do always have sugary drinks throughout the day to keep the fire burning.

Complex carbohydrates are your friend. So think brown, wholemeal foods. Some people do not like brown bread, rice etc as they are used to the white varieties. You just need to retrain your brain. It is worth it. The complex carbohydrates take longer to break down giving your body a slower release of energy. This helps to stabilise the blood sugar until your next meal.

Always keep cereal bars, glucose tablets etc to hand.If you are out for the day make sure to take some supplies with you as you never know when you may get caught out and need something to keep you going. I have been caught out before and you start to panic.

With regards to eating every 4 hours, this is not possible unless you want to get up in the night. My dietician suggested I eat a sandwich before bed. With that amount of carbs I would never sleep! I always start the day with a pint of fresh fruit smoothie and a shot of Aloe Vera. The natural sugars in the fruit will give you the instant hit you need from fasting all night and the Aloe is great for your digestive system. Alongside this you can have some slow release carbs with that. Perhaps a bowl of porridge.

Avoid foods containing dairy products. Current research has found that they contain a particular fat (mono-triglycerides) that people with MCAD can not process. This then sits on the Liver and can make you feel quite ill. Over time the build up of fats can lead to Liver problems. This is different to being lactose intolerant, so check the label.

I love milk and cheese. The dairy free options are not great but considerably better than what they used to be. Soya milk is a great alternative and you can buy it with added calcium. If like me you do not like the taste of natural soya milk, try the flavoured varities. The chocolate flavour tastes the same as a regular milkshake. Dairy free cheese is not wonderful however the soft spread varities are pretty good. If you buy a flavoured variety such as sweet chilli or chive, you would not know it was dairy free. The hard cheeses have a rubbery texture and leave a chalk like taste in your mouth. I would avoid these until they bring out some 'new and improved' brands.
And no chocolate or ice cream! Have sorbet instead.
It is surprising how many foods contain milk. The other day a put a bag of popcorn back on the shelf as it contained milk.Do check the packaging. There are a lot of foods that appear to be be natural, no additives etc. When you read the list of ingredients you will be surprised. I had a 'health bar' the other day labelled as 'Strawberry'. When I read the ingredients the strawberry was 1%.

I also avoid wheat as my Dietician believes I have an intolerance to it. Believe it or not, it is harder to find wheat free foods than dairy free!

Coconut, Palm and Lard are other 'foods' that should be avoided due to the fat.

I have read papers written by a number of specialists that warn parents (as I am yet to find any publishing's about adults with MCAD) about their MCAD child and obesity. I would not worry about this. I am a perfect weight for my height and have never been particularly over or under weight. You just have to be sensible and keep on top of it. Do not buy into fad foods aimed at weight control or calorie counting. When you have MCAD you do not need to worry about calories. You need to worry about not getting enough. Plus they never work but I won't get on my 'soap box' about that!

My advice;

• Eat natural, home made meals. You do not know what is in packet food which is risky if you have MCAD.
• Complex Carbohydrates are your friend.
• Keep a cereal bar/ snacks on you.
• DO NOT eat Dairy, Coconut, Palm or Lard products.
• If you do not replace dairy with foods containing added calcium, take a calcium supplement, particularly if you are a woman.You do not want to add osteoporosis to your list of ailments!

Just because there are a lot of do's and dont's when it comes to food and MCAD, it does not mean your diet has to be boring.  There are a lot of great recipe websites that cater for people who are looking for 'free from' recipes. You can tweak these at home and come up with some great meals. I love to cook and because my health is so reliant on what I put into my body, I always buy fresh food and now my Fiancee eats the same. He told me he noticed almost an immediate change in how he felt and has become some what of a food snob.

It does not have to be expensive. Local farm shops are a great place to buy and only provide seasonal produce. You know you are putting the best into your body, you get some great offers and every time you go, there is something different.

If I find any goods foods, I will let you know!