My experience with food allergies and food intolerance issues began long before I was aware of the fact that my body chemistry didn't allow for the consumption of, well, let's just say, most of the canned or processed items readily available on the shelf at the local market.
Random symptoms would pop up time and again. Over the years, I've been treated for severe anemia, vitamin deficiencies, skin rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, incontinence issues politely speaking, migraines, eczema, stomach acid issues, GIRD, and sore joints. I've been tested for cancer, Chron's disease and more.
I was involved in a car accident in 2006 and the practitioner asked me how long I had lived with food allergies. I told her I didn't have any allergies except to nickel. She sent me off for tests, and the results showed an amazing array of issues. The accident recovery was minor compared to adjusting to the introduction of the You Can Not Eat This Without Getting Sick list of foods.
I was involved in a car accident in 2006 and the practitioner asked me how long I had lived with food allergies. I told her I didn't have any allergies except to nickel. She sent me off for tests, and the results showed an amazing array of issues. The accident recovery was minor compared to adjusting to the introduction of the You Can Not Eat This Without Getting Sick list of foods.
My food restrictions include garlic, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, ginger, walnuts, and pecans. For my best health, it is a necessity to strictly avoid these ingredients in my diet.
I don't know about you, but I am not keen about drawing extra attention to my self when traveling or dining out. Eating Out with food intolerance or allergies requires diligence and extra attention.
The server, the chef, and the people who are gracious enough to have us over for dinner must make an extra effort to prepare and plate food that I can eat, or I will get sick.
As my daughter often says, Get over it or get sick over it. Well said, grasshopper. She also says I'm putting my health in some one else's hands when dining out. She was born a wise soul who also lives with multiple food allergies. She teaches me to stay aware.
The great thing about being a newlywed is that both Paul and I are open minded to one another's quirks and idiosyncrasies. However, I was still reluctant to introduce to Paul the amount of stuff I wanted to pack along on a journey across the states.
The server, the chef, and the people who are gracious enough to have us over for dinner must make an extra effort to prepare and plate food that I can eat, or I will get sick.
As my daughter often says, Get over it or get sick over it. Well said, grasshopper. She also says I'm putting my health in some one else's hands when dining out. She was born a wise soul who also lives with multiple food allergies. She teaches me to stay aware.
The great thing about being a newlywed is that both Paul and I are open minded to one another's quirks and idiosyncrasies. However, I was still reluctant to introduce to Paul the amount of stuff I wanted to pack along on a journey across the states.
I started light for our first trip. His eyes were still bigger than saucers when he realized all of the stuff that I staged for loading into the Subaru Outback for our trip out West.
We began our one month trek from the Atlantic Ocean to Utah and back with two medium sized hard coolers, three lunch sized soft coolers, and two paper grocery bags full of stuff. Essential travel food. Did you know that bacon qualifies as essential?
We'd agreed to eat one hot meal out a day on the way out. I assumed that it would be fairly easy to find either a sushi place or a place that would serve an unadulterated steak and baked potato to eat our lunch or dinner.
There are many stretches along the homogenized highways of America where the only foods available are served in franchised restaurants. The food is fully prepared off site. Most food is preseasoned, gluten filled, soy-extended, garlic infused, fried in soybean oil or some other unfriendly blend of deep fat that is filled with cross contaminants.
Even with the advent of Google search, it was harder than I expected to find safe restaurants. My criteria for safe means the chef has the option to prepare something off to the side in it's own pan or tray in the broiler or oven. My standard order was normally a plain baked potato and a steak with no seasoning added. Just over half the time I'd call the meal a success. Two out of five meals on the way out west, I got sick. Those aren't great odds. It was quite a relief when we stopped to stay with family and friends to make use of a kitchen to prepare a meal I could safely enjoy.
I didn't want to risk getting sick on the way journey back east, so we spent a day in my Mom's kitchen preparing food to freeze for the trip. Two days into the trip we stayed with other dear friends who offered use of a huge kitchen. We prepared the food that would sustain us for the last half of the trip east.
In my mind, while traveling, I try to put my self into what I call chuck wagon mode. Bring it with you, fix it yourself, and keep moving on. I'd rather spend time shopping for and cooking the food I can eat, than spend time recovering from reactions to foods that don't agree with me.
I feel utterly blessed to be married to a man who has the patience to live this alternative food lifestyle. It's even better when he smiles and enjoys the home cooked meal.
So who does the dishes? Who pours the next glass of wine.....
We'd agreed to eat one hot meal out a day on the way out. I assumed that it would be fairly easy to find either a sushi place or a place that would serve an unadulterated steak and baked potato to eat our lunch or dinner.
There are many stretches along the homogenized highways of America where the only foods available are served in franchised restaurants. The food is fully prepared off site. Most food is preseasoned, gluten filled, soy-extended, garlic infused, fried in soybean oil or some other unfriendly blend of deep fat that is filled with cross contaminants.
Even with the advent of Google search, it was harder than I expected to find safe restaurants. My criteria for safe means the chef has the option to prepare something off to the side in it's own pan or tray in the broiler or oven. My standard order was normally a plain baked potato and a steak with no seasoning added. Just over half the time I'd call the meal a success. Two out of five meals on the way out west, I got sick. Those aren't great odds. It was quite a relief when we stopped to stay with family and friends to make use of a kitchen to prepare a meal I could safely enjoy.
I didn't want to risk getting sick on the way journey back east, so we spent a day in my Mom's kitchen preparing food to freeze for the trip. Two days into the trip we stayed with other dear friends who offered use of a huge kitchen. We prepared the food that would sustain us for the last half of the trip east.
In my mind, while traveling, I try to put my self into what I call chuck wagon mode. Bring it with you, fix it yourself, and keep moving on. I'd rather spend time shopping for and cooking the food I can eat, than spend time recovering from reactions to foods that don't agree with me.
I feel utterly blessed to be married to a man who has the patience to live this alternative food lifestyle. It's even better when he smiles and enjoys the home cooked meal.
So who does the dishes? Who pours the next glass of wine.....
No comments:
Post a Comment