FOR most of us, tucking into a traditional turkey dinner on Christmas Day is one of the most indulgent treats of the year.

But Becky Irvin, a careers advisor from Fulford in York, has been banned from the meal after discovering she is allergic to the main ingredients.

Turkey, stuffing, gravy, sausages and wine are all off-limits for the 30-year-old, who has always dreaded the moment it was time to sit down for Christmas lunch.

She said: “I knew what would happen. I would get terrible bloating in my stomach and then stabbing-like pains.

“It was always a miserable time of year because of the way I felt after eating and each year I would feel slightly pressured into tucking in knowing how ill it would make me feel.”

Becky, who works at the University of York, eventually decided to take a food intolerance test with the Heslington-based company, YorkTest.

She said: “The results from the food intolerance test rubber-stamped what I already knew that the food I was eating was making me ill.

“It was just nice to know exactly what foods were to blame: turkey, eggs and yeast. That pretty much explained why I felt ill at Christmas.

“This year I will be having either beef or pork but it will be dry as a bone. I can't have any gravy or sauce because of the yeast.

“I won’t be having wine either, but my health is the best Christmas present I could wish for so it is not so much of a hardship giving up all that lovely food.”

YorkTest offers food intolerance tests from £20. If the initial result proves positive, a full session including time with a qualified nutritionist will tell you exactly what you need to avoid and for how long. This costs £245.

For more information, phone YorkTest on 0800 074 6185.