Last weekend, I attended a cooking class titled “Eating Around the Top 8 Allergens”.
In case you’re not familiar, the usual list typically includes the following:
Wheat Dairy
Eggs Peanuts
Soy Tree Nuts
Fish Shellfish
Sometimes – depending on the source – you will see foods like Corn on the list, as well.
Notice how every single one of these foods – with the exception perhaps of Fish & Shellfish – is pervasive in our diets.
We’re not always aware of this, until the day we are told to no longer eat Gluten or Dairy.
Then we find out that ingredient is seemingly in everything!
So, the goal of this class – according to the description – was to “demystify food allergies and introduce us to a world of delicious, non-allergenic foods.”
It didn’t matter whether you were recently diagnosed, or living with allergies for awhile.
I fell into the latter category, of course, and was struck by two things during the two and a half hours I spent in the classroom.
There are Always Fabulous New Ideas and Solutions.
Yes, even when you’re feeling down in the dumps, and possibly deprived as a result of your food restrictions – there are always new possibilities just around the corner.
As long as you are open-minded, you will not only glean new ideas, but most likely discover new foods that you may or may not have know existed.
You might even find that certain foods you disdained in the past can be quite delicious when properly prepared.
All this is to say:
There Is Strength in the Classroom
Misery loves company, as the saying goes.
But when you surround yourself with people who are in the same boat you are, you will be a lot less miserable.
That is why I encourage you to seek out local support groups, and even attend a class or two that is focused on dealing with food allergies.
Our local co-op even holds store tours for those on the Gluten-Free diet – so you never know what resources might be available to you in your area.
Personally, I love the synergy from being among a like-minded group of people who have similar needs.
