Foodie...but with allergies
I found out on Monday that my lifetime of feeling bad was not bad health but eating some foods that my body is intolerant of and some food allergies. My doctor has advised a sort of detox diet where I clear my system of all the foods that are problematic for three months...then I can bring some of them back in on a limited basis but never like I used to eat. So for three months I can have nothing with cows milk, wheat, oats, and more in it. Probably for the rest of my life I cannot have anything with corn in it (corn syrup, corn starch, any type of corn derivative). Basically, I can have almost all fruits, vegetables, and meat. As the week has gone on I am feeling better about life...I am begining to see my foodie sense heightened because of my need for flavorful, good food. I have a feeling that my love for food and its possibilities will increase but in the mean time: If you have an allergy or know someone else that does, how do you deal?
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10 Comments:
My sister in law is allergic to all nuts, shellfish, and egg. To top it off she now has diabetes...so it makes for a challenge to feed her, and she has a strong love for the culinary delights of this world. We welcome the challenge and have learned to adapt recipes and experiment with different ingredients or cooking techniques. There are a lot of magazines and websites that one can rely on with it comes to food allergies. The websites are fantastic because you can find other people with similar issues and bounce ideas off one another.
Lilartist at 9:13PM on 10/17/08
Just over two years ago I discovered that I am celiac. It has been a tough journey, ruling out all foods with gluten, and I have reached new levels of frustration with foods. However, it has also been a great learning opportunity, encouraging (forcing?) me to experiment with new foods and paying much more attention to what goes into my body. I have always been a health nut, but this was on a whole new level.
A few things that helped me:
--once I cleared my cupboards of everything I was allergic to, I felt less restricted. My kitchen is now loaded with foods I can eat, so there is nothing around to remind me of what I'm missing.
-- I read a lot of blogs and food sites, gluten free and not to get new and different meal ideas - most recipes are adaptable for food allergies
-- Be careful with restaurants!!! I know many places say they cater to allergies, but depending on how sensitive you are, there is no guarantee
-- When reading labels, make sure you're aware of all the different names that could potentially be used for foods you're trying to avoid
--Have fun!! Take this as a great learning opportunity to challenge your foodie skills and give your taste buds a whole new variety of flavors!
thinkingincrayons at 12:21AM on 10/18/08
i agree whole heartedly with Thinkingincrayons! dont think about what you can't have concentrate on the great things you can eat and experiment! take this as an opportunity to learn to cook in a whole new way! And most of all good luck, I sincerely hope things arent as bad as you fear, but whatever happens just remember how much better you will feel.
huneybumper at 9:10AM on 10/18/08
Given what you wrote that you have to be leery of, I was left thinking "dim sum and sushi and pho." Except for cornstarch in some dim sum things, I think you could do very well with all of them. (Granted, these are some of my favorite foods, so I see that as a good thing.) Be cautious of things like wheat in soy sauce. I'd definitely take the advice above about exploring websites to learn about things you might not know you need to be careful about.
Good luck!
ccbweb at 12:00PM on 10/18/08
My eating and cooking habits changed quite a bit once I identified my food allergies and intolerances - gluten and corn, primarily, but also dairy and food preservatives, etc. My strategies: Read the label (twice!), and make it all from scratch. I also read a lot of blogs relating to gluten-free cooking and the like.
I have surprised myself a number of times, after getting home from the grocery store, to find that I missed the *bad* ingredient(s) on the label. How did I not see it in my first read through? I dunno, but it happens, so read that label twice. It's not always easy to find the things you like with safe ingredients... and sometimes, they can be processed with machinery that processed bad food. Oats for example, often contain gluten from grinding wheat... the same machinery is often used for both foods. In the case of oats, go for Bob's Red Mill GF Oats. They're processed on safe machinery.
The HCFS (corn syrup) issue can be a very difficult one. If you don't immediately recognize what an ingredient in a food item is - don't consume it. Go home, look up the term, and be informed. Sweeteners, corn syrup based and otherwise, come in under a gazillion different names, and the HCFS industry (a truly sleazy bunch of folks) is coming up with more names and formulations all the time. I find that if a food needs sweeteners, it's not very tasty or healthy in the first place.
I now cook pretty much all my food from scratch, that is from basic, wholesome ingredients. Nothing is boxed, canned, or otherwise processed. I have found that this has actually enhanced my "foodie joy". I am in greater control of flavor, texture, and composition. In fact, I find that my boyfriend is often tempted to try foods he thought he disliked, and other friends are very happy to eat what I cook. I must be doing something right!
My last piece of advice - experiment! Have fun with your cooking, and don't let yourself get in a food rut.
skookumouzel at 12:22PM on 10/18/08
A chain of grocery stores in my hometown has a shopper whose job is to assist customers with severe food allergies. You have to make an appointment and they shop with you and teach you all kinds of stuff about foods and lables and the products they carry. My friend's son has so many food allergies that it was a challenge to feed him (dairy, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts), but shopping with the store's nutritionist helped find all kinds of foods that Nathan could eat. Check with your local grocers to see if any offer that sort of service.
When dining out, do not be hesitant to let your server know about food allergies. I've been in the restaurant industry my entire life and restaurants are taking very seriously people who say "I'm allergic to____."
While they can't rework entire recipes on the spot, they will be able to steer you towards foods that you can eat or offer suggestions that would work with a minimum of "hold the ____."
My allergy is easy to avoid, so it's not a challenge, except during our summer vacations at the beach. Invariably someone starts thinking of a crab-pick or wants to go to a crab-shack...usually I can find something else to eat, but sometimes a little research about the restaurant beforehand is a good and necessary thing.
wookie at 1:21PM on 10/18/08
Wookie has a point with restaurant foods being suspect. My husband runs a restaurant and sees first hand what happens to severely allergic people who somehow ingest something on their allergen list. He asks his servers to ALWAYS alert mgmt. when someone is celiac, etc., and mandates that the managers prepare their order personally. Our neighbor has celiac disease, and her husband made up little "business-type" cards to give to the servers when they eat out listing the specifics of her allergy.
We also have a couple of specialty stores and bakeries that cater to those with severe allergies of many types. If you live near a big city, see if you have access to one of these. It's great to make all of your food from scratch, but everybody needs a break from the kitchen now and again. Also, alert friends and family members that these types of stores exist to help them out when preparing a meal for you.
I recently was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that is changing my lifestyle of 50 years, but I'm adjusting. I'm thinking good thoughts for you.
Josdean at 11:40PM on 10/18/08
look for alternatives... there are soooooo many alternatives available, you just can't get discouraged if you encounter an alternative you do not like at first.
For example... if you can't have cow's milk or it's derivates you can certainly have soy milk cheese, almond cheeses, tofutti, etc. Not all brands may be to your liking... but some brands are outstanding. You just need to do a bit of trial and error. Ask the people in the store, they'll be able to guide you through some of the clientele favorites...
The same with wheat - there is plenty of pastas, breads, cookies, pizza crusts, etc. made from rice, tapioca flour, spelt, potato flour, etc. Go to your neighborhood health food store and ask for recommendations.
It's not the end of the world... and I am sure you'll find new alternatives that will become staples from then on...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 6:26PM on 10/19/08
Maybe instead of thinking about what you can't eat, take an inventory of what you can eat. Make lists, if you need to.
In a way, it's not that much different than avoiding things that you don't like. You just eliminate them from the shopping list and you learn how to substitute other things in recipes. In the case of an allergy, it's a little more important than simply not liking something, but in both cases, you need to avoid certain things.
In your case, with the exception of corn, it looks like you can eat any veggie you want, and you didn't list any issues with meats, fish, or seafood. Spices seem to be okay as well. So, really, you can do the basic meat-veggie-starch meals without too much trouble. Packaged products are probably where the problem is going to sneak in, but if you can avoid those, you're probably better off, anyway.
Since you said that you can start slipping things back in a little at a time later, if it was me, I'd just avoid bready things for now. But if you wanted to, let's say, deep fry some breaded fish, you could use rice flour and you'd be fine.
FYI, spelt is a type of wheat, so if you're avoiding wheat you might want to stay away from spelt as well for now. Depending on what it is in wheat that you have to avoid, you might be okay with it, but it's something to be cautious of.
dbcurrie at 1:13PM on 10/20/08
My cousin's allergic to seafood, nuts, beans, dairy, and most recently, soy. I agree with everyone who said to read labels - stuff like soy protein and corn syrup can pop up in the strangest places! (Skittles, for example). I've also found that stores like Whole Foods that carry more natural foods, are your best bet for finding safe ingredients with names you can pronounce. She's managed to find a lot of stuff she CAN eat just by reading labels - certain chips, salsas, breads, etc. so she can maintain fairly normal eating habits. Eating out is tougher, but possible.
Having allergies is really hard (I'm allergic to peanuts and milk) but you might want to think on the bright side, you'll get into the habit of eating fresher, healthier foods!
embolini9 at 1:32PM on 10/20/08