One Simple Question Comes to Mind and Leads to This....

I was at the store and been craving goat cheese. I've had horrible, horrible reaction to goat cheese. I remember when I realized that goat cheese was one more item I couldn't have... I assumed all goat's milk. Now, after learning what I've learned today, it doesn't mean I'm not allergic to goat's milk. However, there is a chance what I was reacting to was something else.

I tend to buy the super soft goat cheese that uses penicillium candida to make it that way. Often abbreviated to candida. It dawned on me that I shouldn't be eating it since I tested positive to penicillium when going thru allergy testing. I've also been suspicious that I've been allergic or sensitive to a handful of other random foods/beverages.

I began to look up all items related to penicillium, which lead to all versions of molds, which lead to me finding out a number of foods I've been suspicious about are all talked about in the list of what will most likely be an issue to consume. Sigh 

Let's take a look at a couple of links that helped me find the proper trail of information.

http://thisisworthwhile.blogspot.com/2009/03/penecillium-and-aspergillus-and.html

This is another blogger who provided very useful information

http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-Allergen-Information/Molds-and-other-Microorganisms/Allergens/Penicillium-chrysogenum/

This is from Phadia website which I've used before. 

Aspergillus is one item that came up including a number of foods I've had issues with including bread, beer (which I already know I can't have either), chocolate, fruit juice, canned fruits and veggies (would explain my serious reaction to canned beets!). Apparently this link is citric acid which 99% has aspergillum.

There have been wines I have an instantaneous visceral reaction to and now I read that many vineyards and wine cellars have penicillium   

I will not list all items and foods/beverages. Please take a moment and read the information. It might help you get a better handle on foods you have issues with.

Would love this but with a different ending...

The link to purchase the item is HERE

Keep in mind, I am not affiliated with this company in ANY way.  I simply found the hoodie interesting.

I would love for it to end with "Food Allergy Super Hero"

Calling Before You Head to the Restaurant...

Have you ever called a restaurant in advance? You want to find out if you are able to eat at the restaurant prior to going, correct? You ask to speak to a manager. You ask all of the right questions. The responses seem great and you are excited about going!  Then it happens... the odd comments. Your hopes crushed. You shake your head and realize that they don't have a clue how to service FA patrons. You decide to stick to the house salad and fresh lemon wedges to play it safe.

I am traveling out of state next week. Friends want to take me to a particular restaurant. They know I have special dietary needs, and found this great restaurant that has a number of vegetarian meals as well as gluten free menu items. I know they mean well. However, vegetarian restaurants often concern me since they tend to use a lot of dairy and/or eggs in their kitchen.

I called, asked to speak to the manager… after being questioned about who I was and what I wanted (common to get rid of potential sales calls), the manager eventually answered in a very cheerful manner.

Manager: Hi. This is So and So. How can I help you?

Me: I’ll be traveling next week, and friends want to take me to your restaurant. I have a number of allergies and was wondering if the kitchen was able to accommodate. Three of my allergies are milk, eggs and wheat. I know you use dairy and eggs in many of your dishes. Is any of your food able to be made without cross contamination?

Manager: Yes. We cook for people with food allergies all of the time. This is not a problem. For example, the chicken is baked (there are maybe 5 to 7 dishes that contain meat or fish).

Me: The chef will know to use different utensils, gloves, etc?

Manager: yes. But we cook lasagna in the same kitchen as the chicken.

Me: That isn’t a problem unless the lasagna is placed above the chicken in the oven with potential cheese falling onto chicken

Manager: ***nothing said***

Me: Is the lasagna cooked above the chicken?

Manager: All you have to do is tell your server you have a severe allergy to whatever it is and they will make sure your food is cooked safely. Tell them if it is cheese, butter, etc.

Me: **becoming more suspicious by the moment** Are you saying that I need to tell the chef that I’m allergic to milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, etc… I can’t say I’m allergic to milk and that be sufficient?

Manager: It is best to tell them everything. We had a guest say they were allergic to cheese. We made their toast and it had butter on it. They weren’t aware they needed to leave the butter off.

Me: I’ll stick to the house salad with some lemon wedges

Manager: You don’t need to do that. We have…. **all I hear is blah blah blah**

Me: Thank you for your time and answering my questions. Have a good night

If I have to explain every ingredient in their kitchen that I cannot have, not just the actual original ingredient before it is transformed then that is a kitchen that doesn’t understand how to handle food allergies. Frankly it makes me have other concerns as well. How do you not know that butter comes from milk??

Sigh…  I’m grateful that the manager gave examples and further explanations. Made it easier for me to realize that are not equipped to handle cooking for FA patrons.

It isn’t’ a surprise that I’m not excited about eating out anymore. 

Back on the elimination diet... Hooray!

It is me again... Who else would it be?!

Once again, I started the elimination diet. Took me a couple of days fumbling around with food to get myself there, but I did it! Hooray!

I reminded myself the purpose of what I'm doing. Truly, that is what worked for me to get back on the horse (so to speak... I'm highly allergic to horses!!).

I did have any desire to not be able to eat other foods. That thought kept me from wanting to take the steps necessary to take this venture on in full force. I'm keeping in mind that I will be traveling to CA to visit friends and family soon. I began to think that I should wait until I returned to start. However, for the short time I did it last month, I felt incredibly better! I decided that even if I do not get off the elimination diet as well as I should, that it was wiser to start now. I'll be eating out a great deal while gone for those 9 days... and then there is the holiday to consider!

When I return, I'll probably need to get back on this path, but it won't be as long since my frame of mind is where I need it to be. Plus, I won't go crazy while on vacation and eating out all over southern CA. Taking steps now to do what I know is best for my body helps remind me that foods I've been eating have had a negative impact on how I feel. Are they allergies? Intolerances? Sensitivities? Give it a name... doesn't really matter. Result is the same.

When I eat certain foods (not sure what yet... I'm working on that!), I feel one or more of the following ways:

• Lethargic
• Exhausted to the point where I have to sleep
• Grouchy / irritable
• Moody
• Itchy
• Unclear thinking 
• React instead of respond

Things like that and more. You might be thinking... what does reacting instead of responding have to do with food issues? Well, it CAN have a major impact on all that goes on in your body.

I'm in a few Facebook groups. The vast majority of adults discussing their allergies also discuss other medical problems. I believe they are related. Do I have proof? Scientific evidence? No. It is my gut feeling considering all that I've been learning about having ADHD. I know that a person with ADHD that has food issues (allergies, sensitivities, etc) have a much harder time (ADHD is amplified) while eating those foods. Since the reaction isn't a "stereotypical" allergic reaction, they don't know the food is a contributing factor. They think an allergy only means that you break out in hives and might need to see a doctor.

As much as I want to be annoyed with the fact I'll be eliminating for foods from my daily life... I can't be. I'm incredibly grateful to learn that I have control of what is going on with me. I know that by eating whatever I feel like eating, that the way I act and/or feel will be undesirable. Thank goodness I have a chance to change that... as annoying as it may appear some moments in time. :)

What's Your View Point?

Remember this...

It is YOUR responsibility to make your world work for you. No one else's. Being willing to accept that you are 100% responsible for all that happens in your life will give you a unique perspective. Try it... see if you can stand in that thought. Watch how your view of what is happening around you changes.

Perhaps you'll get lucky and make different choices from your new view point. What's the worse that could happen if you gave it a try?

Wheat Allergy

I want to be clear. I will be covering wheat allergies. Celiac's is a MUCH more extensive conversation. All of the items discussed below will apply to Celiacs. Note that this post does NOT include all you need to know for Celiacs... Yes, I'm being repetitive. However, it is crucial to know the difference

When I was first diagnosed with food allergies, I was told I was allergic to milk, eggs and rice. (I'm allergic to 13 known food allergies at this date). A year went by. I researched, diligently avoided allergens, and still had problems. I had a nagging suspicion I was allergic to something else... in a major way.

If you know me at all, you know that I have a needle phobia. I can be a functioning phobic, but my doctor had to prescribe me valium in order for me not to cancel my allergy testing appointments. My GP talked to me for 3 years before agreeing to that appointment... all in major fear of needles. I was almost hysterical at my consultation and I KNEW there wasn't going to be needles near me. It was sitting in that lobby for 40 minutes while patients constantly went in and out to get shot therapy for some environmental allergen. Sigh...

A year later, and a couple more valium, I went into the doctor's office. I explained they made a mistake. Said to test me for only food this time. Made sure they did the best test to find out once and for all. At the end of it, they said, "you were right. You're allergic to wheat not rice." Seriously?! 

Life became better once I found this out. 

Wheat is everywhere! Believe it or not, just about everything around you is composed of wheat (with regard to food!). I was shocked to learn about how much wheat was in food and beverages. Yes. You heard me correctly. I have found wheat in beverages!! Makes me shake my head.

Variety of Wheat:

All Purpose Flour

Bread — any type made with white flour, wheat flour; bread crumbs

Bulgur
Cereal extract
Couscous
Cracker meal
Einkorn
Emmer — also known as farro Farina

Flour — atta, club, common, durum, einkorn, emmer, farina, graham, kamut, maida, semolina, spelt, triticale, triticum

Flour — all purpose, bread, bromated, cake, enriched, high gluten, high protein, instant pastry, phosphated, plain, soft wheat, steel ground, stone ground, self-rising, unbleached, white, whole wheat 

Fu

Gluten — wheat gluten, vital gluten, vital wheat gluten, fu

Kamut® — khorasan wheat Malt, malt extract

Matzo — Matzo meal (also spelled as matzoh, matzah, or matza)

Noodles, Matzo

Seitan

Semolina

Spelt

Tabbouleh

Triticale

Triticum

Wheat, whole wheat — wheat berries, wheat bran, whole wheat bread, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, wheat germ oil, wheat protein isolate, wheat starch, wheat sprouts, sprouted wheat

Wheatgrass  - this might be the ONLY item a person with Celiac’s can have that a person with a wheat allergy cannot have.

Wheat can be found in other items & Has Other Names

Artificial flavoring, natural flavoring

Caramel color

Dextrin

Food starch*, gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch, vegetable starch

Glucose syrup
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) Maltodextrin
Monosodium glutamate, MSG
Oats**
Soy sauce, shoyu, tamari, teriyaki sauce Surimi
Textured vegetable protein
Vegetable gum

Gelatinized Starch

Licorice

Jelly Beans

Hard Candy

Dairy Products

Meat products (fresh meat as well as hot dogs and cold cuts)

Condiments

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Beer

When doing your own research on wheat allergies, note that most information online talks about gluten. If you remained gluten free (with one exception), then you will be okay.

I can hear what’s going through your mind right now. Wheat in dairy? Come on. That has to be a joke. I took the following from a Healthy Eating website. “Sometimes food companies add gluten-containing ingredients to processed food. They act as flavoring, thickeners, stabilizers, coloring or binding agents. It's important to read the label on any type of flavored or otherwise altered milk before drinking to ensure it's gluten-free. Some cheese, yogurt, whipped cream and other processed dairy products may contain gluten from food additives as well, so be sure to check the label. According to the website Celiac.com, ingredients that may contain gluten have names such as malt, caramel color, dextrin, fat replacer, food starch, flavoring or stabilizers.”

The following is new to me. I haven’t read much on this. Yet, I’ve read the same information multiple times over the past handful of years.

Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis

“Some people with a wheat allergy develop symptoms only if they exercise within a few hours after eating wheat. Exercise-induced changes in your body either trigger an allergic reaction or worsen an immune system response to a wheat protein. This condition usually results in life-threatening anaphylaxis.”

The above I took from the same Healthy Eating website. I do not know anything about this. I have not met anyone who has had this happen. Wanted to be sure to pass on the information, though. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to take care of your body.

If you have a wheat allergy and not a gluten intolerance, you area able to eat barely, rye and oats without issues. That doesn’t mean these foods won’t cause you grief on occasion. It isn’t common to be allergic to all in the gluten group with a wheat allergy. Will it hurt you to not eat the above items? No, but why give it up, if you don’t have to??

Elimination Diet... Peace of Mind

I started my elimination diet again last week at some point (odd I have no recollection of what day I started!). Been feeling amazing! It is easier to not worry about when I will finish and introduce other foods this time around (I completed 2 weeks last time).

What I remind myself each day is the level of gratitude I have for feeling better not eating certain foods. I have no idea which foods are causing me grief, but there isn't a doubt that something doesn't agree with me now that I have greater energy, clearer thoughts, no digestive issues, and the like.

May not be an allergy. It could possibly be an intolerance. Either way the result will be the same... elimination of the food from my diet. No sense in not feeling 100% over food. I think I've come to peace with the fact that I can't eat whatever I want, whenever I want.

I'm sure that most people would have assumed that I should have already come to peace with that fact. Unfortunately, I've struggled with it ever since I found out about my allergies. Here it is about 15 years later, and now is when my brain has cut me some slack. LOL

I read posts from 1000s of others about how strict they are with the food they eat, and don't falter. I was envious. Other than tree nuts (there are a few I cannot eat and my reaction necessitates Epi and ER), I have not always been as careful when eating out. It became a chore. Eating out is usually a social event and all the stress of worry if I could eat there wasn't worth it to me at times.

After working at a restaurant for the past 3 years, I know that every time I eat out, it is a gamble. That thought is less than exciting to say the least. The past couple of months, I've eaten out a couple of times. Sushi (I know what to stay away from, but still had minor reaction), one place where all I ate was a cucumber and onion salad... and a local mexican restaurant. I found out the hard way what not to eat there!

I keep a busy lifestyle. Losing convenience of eating out or packaged food has been depressing and frustrating at times. Now, I don't care as much. I nibble on what makes me happy (avocados, variety of lettuce, tomatoes, pears...)

Too bad I couldn't talk my brain into learning this lesson 15 years ago. ;)