allergic reactions « Gilberts Gourmet Goodies

July 30, 2010

Coping with Food Allergies

When people hear how I developed food allergies (or at least was diagnosed with them) in my mid 40’s and how many foods I am allergic to they usually tell me how horrible it is and how sorry they are. There is nothing to be sorry about. When you going from eating a “normal” diet to being as sick as I was you are happy to have relief any way you can get it. So I was and remain grateful that my naturopath took the time to figure out what was wrong and put me on the road to a regular life again. Before she diagnosed me I was unable to function or eat without getting sick for a long time. I was still in the corporate world at that time in a position with a lot of travel and long hours so I was on heavy doses of meds that enabled me to work and take care of my family responsibilities.

Sure, when she told me that I was allergic to most of the top allergens and then some I was devastated yet relieved at the same time. I already knew I was having bad reactions to milk and to anything with caffeine in it. I had had an anaphylactic reaction to lobster 10 years earlier so I knew that shellfish was forever out of the question. Now I knew I could not eat any wheat, (or gluten I soon learned), soy, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, corn or eggs. I honestly did not know what I would be able to eat, but she put me on a very strict diet that got me back on the road to health. It started with putting protein back in my diet, cooked vegetables (raw veggies can be hard to digest and my digestive track was completely decimated) and selected fruits as well as herbal teas, water and lots of supplements.

I was scrupulously careful for at least a year. I lost over 25 pounds. Even so my gut was so bad that I would get sick regardless of what I ate for some time. But I finally started to heal and get back my health and strength, something that I am ever mindful of and grateful for. It’s been over 6 years and I’m doing great in spite of the occasional setback.

This is the first in a series of blogposts I have started about what it’s like to live with food allergies. Next time I will continue with how my family coped (or not) with my food issues. I plan to discuss recipes and lifestyles too.

I welcome any comments and sharing of experiences and ideas.

March 24, 2010

How Do You Cope Without Bread and Chocolate?

When people hear that I became allergic to many foods after a lifetime of eating them they tell me how sorry they are and how hard it must be. Often they look so sad for me. They ask me how I could cope without eating any bread or pasta or chocolate . . . and the list goes on.
About 5 years ago when I was finally diagnosed with multiple food allergies I was so so sick that I could not live a normal life and certainly was not enjoying myself. So while I was devastated at the news that I could no longer eat wheat, corn, soy, milk or nuts I was relieved to know what was wrong with me! I already knew I could no longer drink milk, eat peanuts, shellfish or chocolate as I had had major reactions to these foods over the prior 15 years. But now I was really restricted . . . or so I thought.
It took my body about a year to recover. During that time I ate a very restricted diet of protein (meats, chicken, fish), cooked veggies and fruits. After about a year as I started to feel better I began to crave cookies and went to natural food stores to satisfy my cravings. I did buy many of the cookies available at that time. Most of them are made with corn flour, soy flour and nut flours, none of which I could eat, or bean flours which did not appeal to me in a cookie. Many were very sandy in texture and others were spongey. None of them satisfied me. As a lifelong baker I started to play with recipes in an effort to develop cookies that I would actually like to eat! More on this next time.
But the moral of this story is that it is not the end of the world to become wheat and gluten-free or to have to restrict what you can eat. It may feel like it at first, but there are so many options available now. And, besides, I eat in a healthier way now than I was growing up and for many of my adult years And, my kids have learned about different foods, how to substitute one food for another and to be empathetic to others. It’s all good!

Filed under: Food — Tags: allergic reactions, allergies, allergy-free, cookies, coping with special diets, food allergies, gluten-free, gluten-free bread, gluten-free cookies, healthy diets; kids and healthy eating habits; kids and healthy diets, special diets — Liz @ 10:36 pm | Leave a Comment »