Thursday, 29 September 2011
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The Nuts and Bolts of Food Allergies
The number of people in the United States with food allergies is increasing. Suddenly people aren't just allergic to nuts and shellfish - not even to dairy and wheat. It's fruits, garlic, beef, and rice. Or combination of things. Or two foods eaten within a certain window of time.
Depending on the person, an allergic reaction can happen right after the food is eaten or several hours later. This reaction could include some or all of these symptoms: itching in and around the mouth, face, or scalp, wheezing or shortness in breath, loss of consciousness, swelling of the face, eyes, hands, or feet, and worse of all death.
While growing up, I was highly allergic to beef, cheese, milk, seafood, and peaches. As I've grown up and ate enough nutritional food, I gained immunity and can actually eat cheese, beef, and drink milk without any problems. My only allergen is: shrimp and mangoes. I still eat shrimp once in a while, but too much will make me break out in rashes.
I also have eczema (a skin condition that causes itchy, red, thickening and scaling skin eruptions). Eczema can be tied to a number of factors, one of them being food. Dairy/milk and wheat products, acidic fruits, eggs, nuts, seafood, chemical food additives, preservatives are the most common foods causing eczema.
Food allergies is a serious condition for many people, which is why it's important to take note of what you can eat and you can't eat. You can always keep a food log or a journal of food you can eat and can't eat, so that you remember what you should stay away from. It's important to be careful, eat healthy, and eat right.
Do you have food allergies? If so, what are you allergic too?
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About the Author
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- From: goodeatings
- Name: Jessica
- Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- About Me: Simple gal who loves food, blogging, writing, photography, and reading. I'm currently working for a commercial real estate firm and food blogging website. I'm always eager to learn more in life because life has an endless amount of information and opportunities out there. Follow me on twitter: @goodeatings
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Comments (23)
Strawberries. It sucks because I wasn't always allergic to them. Unfortunately, it's a family allergy. My grandmother is also allergic as is my mom. I think I could have lived my life without getting that one; I loved my strawberries!
Food allergies and food intolerances aren't the same thing. There are many more food intolerances than food allergies. Just a thought.
@lyrra_askavi@xanga - i was about to say the same. food
intolerance can also be a result of multiple things, weakened immune
system and the occurrence of viruses, bacteria, unbalanced gut flora to
name a few. it doesn't necessarily mean you would be intolerant to
certain types of food for life, so long as it's resolved.
I am allergic to tree nuts, such as walnuts. It makes my throat, mouth and lips super-inflammed, itchy and irritated. And I get hot and cold for no apparent reason. For the most part, I have been able to avoid it when eating out, but sometimes, you can't see and it wasn't noted on the menu. I am paranoid when I am offered cookies, people love adding nuts to them! Especially chocolate chip cookies, and they're hard to see right off the bat because the chopped nuts and dough part of the cookie are close in color. I guess this is why I love baking, so I always offer to bring a sweet that is nut-free. Usually desserts or pesto sauces are the main dishes to avoid, as it is trendy now to make pesto with nuts instead of pine nuts (which I can eat).
I'm lactose intolerant.
@Beb3Lika@xanga - If you lack the enzymes to digest something, as many people with gluten and dairy intolerances do, it's a lifetime thing. An allergy elicits a very specific molecular immune response, but for most people the words are synonymous.
My friend says she can't eat any dairy, but she has no problem eat a double ice cream, and some poutine. =/ I call bullshit.
The closest thing I have to a food allergy is beets. They induce severe nausea.
I don't, but my brother is severely allergic to peanuts. Every time he has a reaction it's worse than before. While he was in the military, he accidentally ate a peanut butter cookie thinking it was a sugar cookie. The first time it happened he was in basic training. He ended up being ok but the second time was 2 years ago. He was in MS training to go to Iraq and came in contact with peanut butter. He had to be rushed to the ER. The doctor told him if he comes in contact with it again he could die. He needs to be more careful and check the labels of stuff he eats.
@babybug329@xanga - Yes you have to be careful with chocolate chip cookies because there are some recipes that call for nuts in the recipe. I don't put nuts in my chocolate chip cookies though.
@DarcKleer@xanga - Yes he should be careful. Sometimes cookies might have an extract from nuts or nuts in the cookie and you might not know.
I have allergies to fruits and vegetables related to my pollen/tree allergies. It depends on the fruit and the amount of pollen I guess because the severity always varies, some are more likely to cause a reaction that others. It's usually just an itchy throat and sinuses, and at it's worse, my lips swell a little. I also have a soy allergy that does the same thing if I consume anything that is concentrated with soy (like soy milk).
@Digital_Angel21@xanga - I have friends and my boyfriend can't eat certain fruits as they are, they have to blended into a smoothie or some sort of drink.
My sister has been sick her whole life and finally got a blood allergen test done. She's allergic to soy, corn, gluten, nuts, dairy, tomatoes, pineapple, and there are too many for me to remember. She basically gets to eat meat and vegetables, and without any sort of seasoning, as most pre-packaged sauces have something in it she can't have. She quit everything cold turkey and saw such an improvement she didn't really feel a need to introduce those foods back into her diet to see if she could eventually eat them. She did eat a bit of one a day for a while to see what her reactions were to them. For example, dairy makes her ears itch, and pineapples make her tongue swell.
Having to go shopping with her has made me very aware of different diets and sensitive to anyone with food allergies. Almost ANYTHING that is processed has soy or corn in it, and her grocery bill gets pricy FAST when she has to buy organic and specific brands that target allergen-free (there's a brand called Enjoy Life that makes all their food free of a lot of food allergies).
I've been tempted to get a test done as well as food allergies are hereditary, but I don't know if I could commit to a life without the simple joy of being able to go to the grocery and grab whatever looks good.
I'm allergic to shrimp, though I wasn't always. I used to love it! It was my go to food to order if we went out to a steakhouse for dinner because I didn't always want to eat a huge steak.
My cousin is allergic to 80% of the things he eats. It's like .. the worse condition, according to the doctor. He has a whole list (pages and pages) of what he's allergic to-- printed out by the doctor. That's why he has benedryl pills lying around everywhere he goes. :/
gluten and all dairy
Most fresh fruits and vegetables I can't eat. Carrots, peaches, mangos and cherries are the worse. I also have reactions to apples, cherry/grape tomatoes, bananas, and cucumbers.
@Face_Of_Innocence@xanga - Do you have a reaction even if they are mixed in a smoothie or juices?
@goodeatings - No, it's only if they're fresh. If they're mixed in something, frozen, or canned I can eat them with no reaction. Maybe I react to the chemicals used on them?
wow. I feel so fortunate that I have absolutely no food allergies. My fiance, however, has mild allergies to everything he eats unless it is meat or bread. He can't eat fresh veggies or fruit without his throat getting itchy/swelled up. He can't eat tons of nuts, either.
I am allergic to everything. SUNFLOWER SEEDS are death to me though. What sucks is that I used to love sunflower seeds until one day they decided to go all Texas chainsaw massacre on me. I went to the allergist to find out what else I'm allergic to after that.
I am locked and loaded with an EpiPen & Benadryl at all times now. I recommend carrying Benadryl to others who have food allergies at the very least.
I don't have any food allergies. I guess I'm lucky.