Food Allergies Don't Have to Ruin Your Day... - The 'How to Cook' Blog

Posted By Ingrid Turner on Sep 20, 2013 in Featured, Food Finds, Healthy, Seafood | 0 comments

Food Allergies can be very serious, or even a deadly reaction to particular food items.

Some people are aware of their allergies, while some food allergies just sit lying in wait, for their unsuspecting victim to acknowledge their presence.

Nuts:

The most prevalent and potentially serious food allergy is that of nuts, in particular, peanuts.

Some people have a reaction to peanuts, even if peanuts have been touched by anyone in the room.

Their throat closes up, the mucus membranes swell & the reduced oxygen intake causes further problems, as the victim goes into panic mode.

It is important to get medical assistance immediately either at an emergency department or by way of a reaction inhibitor that most victims keep handy either in spray, injection or pill form.

Bee Products:

Bee stings, insect stings are another cause of severe allergic reaction to a particular chemical or substance. An Epipen should always be on hand, and up to date, for use immediately, as needed. Lives can be saved by proper & timely treatment.

I mention bee stings because bees also produce food products that we love to eat. Just because someone is allergic to bee stings, does not necessarily mean they are allergic to bee products, and vice versa.

Lactose Intolerance:

Some people who are lactose intolerant suffer from stomach cramps, distress & hives or tongue swelling when they ingest dairy products.

Those products should be avoided at all times, and their physicians will give them lists of food items that contain dairy in disguise, so they are educated about the consequences & causes of their discomfort.

These folks may not be in danger of imminent death when ingesting dairy, but their systems sure will suffer for it. The problem is, these people enjoy the taste of foods with dairy in them, and they bend and break for just a bite of cheesecake or sour cream on their baked potato…then, havoc ensues for them.

Shellfish:

Shellfish is another huge problem for some people out there with food allergies, and ingesting food of this nature can cause immediate anaphylactic shock, as well as any combination of the issues mentioned above.

There are so many more specific & varied food allergies out there, too many to cover here. In fact, if it exists, there’s likely a person out there who’s allergic to it too.

Some people have one or more of these allergies and it can be both frustrating & a time consuming activity just to be sure you’re not ingesting things you shouldn’t.

This makes it more important for them to cook for themselves with full control of ingredients. With a little planning and know-how, making food allergies a non-issue for them.

So, let’s not let Food Allergies ruin our day…Enjoy the foods we are able to and celebrate their flavors!