We're going to start with some general questions related to food intolerance and so Bryn wants to know:

We're going to start with some general questions related to food intolerance and so Bryn wants to know: "What are the simple ways work out if you have allergy or food intolerance?"

Wendy Scott said:

The easiest way to diagnose the difference between an allergy and intolerance would be by a simple blood test. An allergy will show up in your blood where as an intolerance won't.

Belle wants to know:

"Can you become intolerant to a food that you've had no problems with in the past? If so, why does that happen?"

Wendy Scott said:

A temporary dairy product intolerance is quite common and often occurs after gastric upset such as food poisoning or if you have taken antibiotics for a long period of time. The good news is it is usually temporary and by reducing dairy products in your diet for a short period of time and then gradually reintroducing them should solve the problem...

Belle wants to know:

"Can you become intolerant to a food that you've had no problems with in the past? If so, why does that happen?"

Wendy Scott said:

... If you are experiencing severe symptoms then do consult your doctor.

GG wants to know:

GG wants to know: "Can food intolerance be passed from parent to child? "

Wendy Scott said:

Yes, there is often a genetic link especially with lactose intolerance. The good news is that children often grow out of lactose intolerance.

Ally wants to know:

"I've been getting severe heartburn recently and I think it could be an intolerance to dairy products. A number my family members have dairy intolerance, although neither of my parents are affected. Does this sound like a typical symptom, and is it more likely due to my family history?"

Wendy Scott said:

If any of your siblings suffer from a dairy intolerance then it is highly likely that you will as well. Heartburn is not a classic intolerance symptom but my advice would be to cut dairy products from your diet for up to two weeks. Replacing them with a suitable alternative such as a goats milk product and monitor whether your symptoms improve...

Ally wants to know:

"I've been getting severe heartburn recently and I think it could be an intolerance to dairy products. A number my family members have dairy intolerance, although neither of my parents are affected. Does this sound like a typical symptom, and is it more likely due to my family history?"

Wendy Scott said:

.. If your symptoms do not improve or worsen then do contact your doctor.

Still on the topic intolerance, JJ wants to know:

"Meat makes me actually physically vomit. I was wondering can you shed any light on this please."

Wendy Scott said:

Any food that is making you sick on regular basis would warrant investigation by your doctor. If the meat is making you sick simply because you don't like it or the way it is cooked then I would suggest finding suitable protein alternatives such as nuts, pulses, cheeses (especially less allergenic such as goat's cheese) and meat substitutes.

Adrienne wants to know:

"I discovered I am lactose intolerant about 4 years ago through self-diagnosis (I cut out cow's milk and symptoms cleared up). My diet is well managed, but I am about to take a trip to Kenya and am concerned about how to maintain my calcium levels for the two-week period. I could take a supplement with me, but would be grateful for any advice about what I may be able to include in my diet whilst out there."

Wendy Scott said:

If you are only travelling for two weeks then I wouldn't worry about a reduced calcium intake for this time. If you are going to be away from home for longer period of time then I would choose calcium-enriched alternatives such as snack bars with dried fruit. Dried apricots are a great source of calcium!

Simone wants to know:

"Are there any life threatening allergies?"

Wendy Scott said:

The most serious food allergy is that one of nuts. People can suffer an anaphylactic reaction to nuts and this can cause the breathing tubes in their throat and lungs to tighten and in serious cases close. However this is relatively rare and anaphylactic reaction does not occur on a first exposure. If you think you have a serious allergy to any type of food then do contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Annie wants to know:

"I think I might have a food intolerance but I can't seem to pin point any one food. Elimination diets seem rather hit and miss. What would you suggest?"

Wendy Scott said:

My first suggestion would be to contact a registered dietician who will give you a proper elimination diet to follow. This can be time consuming but is worth it. Beware of cutting large food groups out of your diet and not replacing them. If you think dairy products are the problem for example then try replacing them with an appropriate alternative such as goat's milk or a goat's cheese product.

We're moving on to some more specific diet questions starting with Anna who wants to know:

"I eat plenty of fruit, an ok amount of veg, I food combine, only drink alcohol once a week (granted, it is typical of binge drinking) and almost never eat sweets, chocolate, etc. I go to the gym at least 3 times a week (time prevents me from going more as I am a F/T student and work P/T). I rarely consume caffeine, favouring decaf tea/coffee and diluting/fruit juice. I lost a total of 4 stones but over the last 18 months or so have put on at least a stone (too scared to check!). Please help!"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Anna, there are lots of question in here and my advice to you would be to contact your local GP and ask for a referral to a dietician. They will be able to give you a huge amount of advice on weight management and general nutrition issues. Most dieticians are available through the NHS although you could choose to pay privately if you wish to.

Mrs G Brown wants to know:

"I have acquired this huge bloated belly. I have to lose weight in order to get an op. for my umbilical hernia so I am limited to what exercises I can do. Any help on this."

Wendy Scott said:

As general advice I would say look at your portion sizes of food and try to cut down on high calorie foods such as pastry, sweets, cakes, alcohol and high fat meat products. Try putting your meals on smaller plates, as you will feel less hard done by!

Laura wants to know:

"Hi Wendy. I have quite a good diet, I don't eat fast food and try to eat fresh, unprocessed things but I generally find it quite hard to lose weight. Any tips?"

Wendy Scott said:

Weight management is all about finding the balance between your food intake and your physical activity. If you're currently inactive then think about aiming for the thirty minutes of physical activity five days a week that we are recommended to do. If your diet is relatively well balanced then my suggestion would be to look at your portion sizes, it is quite common to find people eating all the right foods but just too much of them!

Lucy Fleming asks:

"I suffered an industrial injury to my lower back more than two years ago with on-going repercussions - but I have been immobilised most of that time and have put on too much weight. This is having it's own affects on my condition - yet I cannot burn off the little that I do eat! I need a diet that keeps my blood sugar up, my energy levels (so that I don't have headaches etc) - yet that makes me - still rather immobilised - able to lose weight - so that I might have the surgery I am promised when I do!"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Lucy! The first thing I would suggest would be to contact a local physiotherapist who could give you appropriate exercises such as armchair exercises for example. Eating little and often is the best way to keep your blood sugar level stable and I would recommend snacking on small portions of dried food and vegetables during the day. To be honest the physical activity is what will help you with your weight loss so I would really try and talk to a physiotherapist.

Today's web chat was organised following some recent research from Capricorn Goats cheese, and naturally we've had a number of questions in about goats cheese in general, starting with Nigela who wants to know:

"Is goats cheese better for you than cows cheese (calorie/saturated fat wise)?"

Wendy Scott said:

Goat's milk and therefore goat's milk products such as cheese have similar protein levels to cows milk and slightly lower levels of fat than whole cows milk. The calcium level in goats milk is very similar to that found in cows milk as is the cholesterol level...

Wendy Scott said:

...Goats milk products are a great way of ensuring you have a good source of calcium and protein in your diet and including them on a regular basis is a far better way of managing intolerance than just avoiding cows milk products altogether.

BB wants to know:

"My daughter is intolerant to dairy but she says she doesn't like goats cheese, can you cook it in a way that will make it less strong tasting?"

Wendy Scott said:

Try looking at www.capricorncheese.co.uk they have a great set of recipes for goat's cheese. You might like to try their cheeses, as they are much milder in flavour than many other goat's cheese products. They do a goats cheese brie as well as a more traditional crumbly goats cheese and provide recipes for both. Good Luck!

T wants to know:

"I suffer from IBS, but am absolutely addicted to cheese - would you suggest that I attempt to try goat's cheese as an alternative?"

Wendy Scott said:

Absolutely! Many IBS sufferers find their symptoms are lessened if they choose goats cheese rather than cows milk cheese.

A Moderator said:

Mark wants to know: "I love cheese but tend to get stomach ache the next day after eating it, does this mean I might be intolerant?"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Mark, a recent study shows you are not alone. The makers of Capricorn goat’s cheese have recently found that two out of three people have reduced their intake of diary foods such as cheese to try and help intolerance symptoms. Try swapping your normal cheese for some Capricorn goat’s cheese and see whether your symptoms improve. Remember intolerance symptoms can often be down to the amount of the product you're eating. Try eating smaller amounts of cheese on a regular basis rather than a larger amount at one sitting.

Here's a good one to finish off this rather 'cheesy' section of the chat, as Mari wants to know

: "My Mum used to reckon that if you ate cheese in the evening that you'd have nightmares. Is that true?"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Mari, lots of people will agree with you and my advice would be that if eating cheese late at night gives you nightmares try having your cheese at lunchtime! Try the following www.capricorncheese.co.uk for some delicious cheesy recipes.

We're into the last few minutes so here are some more general questions, starting with Maria who asks:

"I suffer from migraines when eaten certain foods, e.g. nuts, Fresh Orange, & chesse are the main ones. I recently had a very bad does of Migraine after eating two pieces of Garlic Bread and one small glass of wine. Not sure which one cause the migraine. Any suggestions please. "

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Maria, if the types of foods that trigger your migraines are foods that can be avoided easily such as oranges the I would say just avoid them in your diet and make sure you choose alternatives such as peppers, which contain similar amounts of vitamin C. If cheese looks like it could be the culprit then try an alternative such as goats cheese, many people find they tolerate this slightly better.

Ros wants to know:

"My friend comes out in a rash when she touches the skin of African Mangoes - do you think it is safe for her to eat them?"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Ros, I would suggest your friend avoids eating African mangoes, they are not an essential food and there are lots of other tasty fruits out there that hopefully will not cause her develop a rash when touching them. If she does feel she has an allergy to mangoes or any other type of fruit then I would suggest she gets this checked out with her doctor.

Justine wants to know:

"I read that cooking cheese gives you bad breath because you can't digest the proteins (or something!), is that true?"

Wendy Scott said:

Hi Justine, cooking does change the chemical structure of protein foods such as cheese although I have never heard of anybody suffering from bad breath as a result of eating cooked cheese. Bad breath may be a symptom of an other underlying problem and if it is occurring on a regular basis then I would recommend you contact your local doctor or dentist.

Unfortunately, time for just one more and Pat has asked a good question to wrap up today's webchat:

"Suddenly in the last 3 or 4 years, about 5 of my friends have 'developed' intolerances. It seems a bit faddy and trendy, do you think people are too quick to assume they have an intolerance?"

Wendy Scott said:

In the Capricorn goats cheese survey they found that 60% of people have cut down certain food products because they feel they lead to intolerances. People are much more aware of food intolerance symptoms nowadays and unfortunately it can be "trendy" to say you're suffering from a food intolerance. A genuine intolerance can be difficult to diagnose and I would always suggest that an individual consults a registered health professional if they are considering cutting large groups of food products out of their diet.