I gave up smoking three years ago and within three months I started to experience severe IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which was being caused by several food intolerances. Over time this became more acute causing me to have days off work as I needed to be near a bathroom constantly. I tried detox diets which improved my health in the short term, but I was still adding new foods to the list I was intolerant to.

Only recently have I discovered that I had something called leaky gut syndrome (don't bother asking your Doctor though, mine denied it exists!). Through a course of Ayurvedic medicine I have now regained a tolerance to many of the foods I had had to avoid (fructose, sulphites, cumin, turmeric, legumes etc), though I still have a problem with Gluten & Dairy.

Experimenting with bread recipes after my initial disappointment with the results from my Panasonic SD253 bread maker made me determined to produce something edible. I felt that it had to be possible and have since proved that good bread is actually quite easy to produce once you know how. The Panasonic SD253 bread maker is the best available for Gluten free baking, but without the right recipe it was just a waste of £100.

I have known Cheryl and her family for several years. We were discussing the problems I had been having with food intolerance one day last summer. She asked for a copy of my bread recipe for her son and from that day on we have exchanged tips and recipes. Cheryls story is below.