Learning about Food Allergies

Within the last year and a half I have been developing food allergies. I say developing because they don't just pop up over night but they can also disappear over time. The most common allergy discussed is the peanut allergy. It's much more common amongst children and they often outgrow the allergy. I first started reacting to peanuts and almonds so I went to the allergist....allergic! After a year and a half of avoiding peanuts and tree nuts, I went back to the doctor hoping to find out that I had outgrown the allergies (the doctor said it was likely). However...

...After both a skin prick test and a blood test here is the list of current food allergies:

• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts
• Sunflower Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Oats
• Barley
• Rice
• Dairy
• Sulfite's
• Corn (in all forms)
• Raw Fruits and Veggies (Oral Allergy Syndrome)
• Oranges
• Apples
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Celery
• Carrots
• Tomatoes

No wonder I have been feeling off, but I should mention that I am not deathly allergic to any of these but rather very uncomfortable after eating said food.

So now I am learning to make these allergies fit into life. I have eliminated the foods but do occasionally "cheat" and eat something I shouldn't. If anyone is learning to eliminate certain foods from your diet I would suggest not eating them (especially in moderate to large quantities) without fully acknowledging the consequences. 

So now you have an idea of what foods I'm avoiding. So far the biggest challenge has been avoiding corn. At first I thought that one's easy, I don't even like corn on the cob! Well turns out I like corn in MANY other forms. Take a challenge and the next time you go to the grocery store check all your labels for corn (corn starch, corn syrup, corn protein, and the hundreds of other names that corn can have) and try to find all the foods on a normal grocery list. 

If anyone has any suggestions on the elimination diet feel free to share.

Till next time...