Hello, and welcome to Eating Allergy-Free with Brie. I’m Brigitta, or Brie as some friends call me. I’m a writer, designer, and amateur cook/baker living in Indiana here in the US.
I have been living with food allergies since I was a baby. My mother first discovered I was allergic to cow’s milk and soy when I couldn’t tolerate either formula available in the 1970s. So, yeah, I was one of those goat milk-fed babies.
Life of confusion
As I grew up, figuring out what foods I was allergic to was a challenge. We didn’t have the money for allergy testing, so it was a guessing game. At first, we thought I was allergic to eggs and oranges. Thankfully, neither of those are allergens. At one time, sausage, egg, and cheese muffins were making me sick, so I guessed it was the pork that was causing the problem; I was wrong.
For about four years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I ate a vegetarian diet. I couldn’t figure out why I had constant headaches and sinus infections. What I didn’t know was that I was allergic to all of the main protein sources in my diet.
Finally some answers!
I got allergy tested in 2010 and finally got answers to the question I’ve been asking for a long time: What am I allergic to? My current food allergies include the following:
- Legumes (including peanuts)
- Wheat
- Cow dairy
- Grapes
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Lobster (but, weirdly, not other shellfish)
- Melons (including cucumbers)
I also have intolerances to barley, rye, and other glutenous foods. I’ll talk about the differences between allergies and intolerances in another post.
There are different reactions to each food allergy I have, and I’ll go over different reactions people can have in other posts. Some of my food allergies don’t bother me preference-wise; I’m not really a fan of lobster or melons. Others, like grapes (oh, how I miss Concord grape jelly) and peanuts make me want to break down and cry some days.
Navigating the world of eating allergy-free can be a challenge. Living in the Midwest and being allergic to most of the local cash crops, I’ve had to learn a lot of tricks and get creative while adjusting recipes and exploring new ideas. In this blog, I’ll share what I’ve learned, along with information regarding allergies, intolerances, and different effects the body can experience. I’ll also share recipes I’ve created and how I’ve altered ones I’ve found.
Come join me on the journey to eating allergy-free! Happy (and safe) eating!
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Disclaimer: None of the information provided in these posts should be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before trying recommendations or if you have concerns.
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