Food Drama

It is easy for me to get down about all of the things I cannot eat or drink.  I miss those foods a lot some days, and my cravings are intense.  It is almost impossible to eat in a restaurant or at someone's house, not to mention awkward and most of the time bland. 

Foods I can't eat:
-beef, pork (cause intense chest pain like a heart attack -or how I assume it would feel to have a heart attack, difficulty breathing)
-tomatoes, peppers (cause my right side of my body to go numb/tingly)
-anything with gluten: flour, bread, pasta, rice, grains, crackers, etc. I avoid corn and popcorn too (haven't felt like "testing" it). (These things give me an awful stabbing headache, overall soreness in my body and joints, irratibility)
-nuts (haven't had the allergy tests to confirm, but some kinds give me a reaction)
-bananas (give me incredibly itchy skin and hives as of December 2011)
-caffeine: tea, coffee, chocolate (cause an intense pain in the left side of my neck that is hard to explain but if I drink a cup of coffee or bottle of iced tea, I have actually thought I needed to go to the hospital or that I was dieing)
-anything from a package that is processed (bottled dressings, sauces, etc) because it isn't "clean", and probably has gluten or an off limit food

Last weekend I was out of town for a Bowen treatment with my naturopath and I had to take my cooler with my own food (breakfast, lunch, snacks).  We had planned on eating supper at a restaurant, which causes me slight anxiety because if I haven't been there before I don't know what I will order. Sometimes it is embarassing and usually limited. We try to pick places that will offer a variety of foods, but unfortunately the restaurant we chose was lame.

I knew I would have to order a salad with chicken or fish, but was hoping for a baked potato too.  Well, this place didn't have baked potatoes so I asked for a salad (no tomatoes, peppers, red onions, nuts or dressing) with grilled chicken (no seasoning).  They didn't have olive oil or maple syrup for dressing and I forgot my own at the hotel.  I ate my lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and avocado salad with the grilled (and preseasoned) "chicken"--I hate most restaurant chicken because I swear it isn't real.  What's with the rubbery texture?  I actually only ate half and couldn't finish it because it was so disappointing and I had a  much better homemade salad in the fridge at the hotel that I would eat instead. 

My favorite food-chain restaurants that are awesome for people with allergies/intolerances are:
1) Moxie's -they are so understanding and accomodating and the chef always makes sure the food is amazing! 
2) Earl's- it is very easy to find good food here because their food is pretty "clean" already and you can order a potato, meat, veg, salad easily.
3) A steakhouse- meat, potatoes, veg.

(I am sure there are more, but I don't eat out a lot and always go back to the same places because I know I will get good, safe food)

Life without chocolate

So remember when I thought I was allergic to soy?  Well it hasn't been ruled out because I am still waiting for allergy tests (I asked my doctor to refer me in December 2011, he finally referred me in February, and my appointment is at the end of September 2012--ridiculous? YES!), but I don't think it is soy.  I THOUGHT it might be soy because I had some reactions whenever I drank a soy protein shake but months later I think I figured it out.  I can't have caffeine! 

I was shopping at a bulk foods store with my mom and she bought some chocolate covered jujubes.  I ate 3 and was in pain.  My first thought was, "Chocolate has soy."  NO!  Chocolate has caffeine.  I was putting instant coffee into my protein shakes.  Iced tea gave me the same reaction.  Tea as well. Hmm...coffee, tea, chocolate all have caffeine, not soy!  Then yesterday I baked my mom's birthday cake and made a gorgeous chocolate buttercream frosting and decided to try out my theory again.  I had a teeny tiny bit of icing on my finger, licked it, and was in instant pain (although far less and for a very short time compared to when I drank a latte!). 

No chocolate?  I love chocolate.   Even "caffeine free" isn't really caffeine free, so no more tea or coffee either!  Life isn't fair. 

The beautiful (and apparently yummy) vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting I made for my mom's birthday.