Allergic Girl Eats Out!

No news there, it’s what this whole Allergic Girl blog is about, me eating out and telling you where I didn’t get allergic.

However, I get many emails from readers asking about my “allergic GI symptoms” and my “wheat allergies” or my “celiac disease” and I’m hoping this will clarify a few things.

I have food allergies.

When I have the misfortune of eating certain foods, my immune system believes it’s being invaded. I can experience itchy ears, an itchy mouth, itchy lips, an itchy throat, hives or on the rare occasion asthma.

Food allergies and allergen-friendly restaurants for adults with allergies are my focus when I dine out and are my guideposts/criteria for this website.


Food intolerance is something new to me. In the summer of 2004, my tummy decided dairy, wheat, sugar and soy were no longer its friend. I have been free of those foods since May of 2005, after doing an elimination diet.

But these are NOT food allergies, nor do I have celiac disease. The worse that will happen if I eat sugar or diary or soy is a bloated stomach, gurgles, and other unpleasant GI symptoms for a day or two or three. Unpleasant yes; life threatening no.

I'm so grateful for all of you gluten-free readers out there and I'm thrilled that you find my site helpful. And I hope it continues to be that way for you for a long time.

However, I must make this clear: my recent intolerance to wheat is NOT an exquisite allergy NOR a highly sensitive celiac disease symptom.


Thus, my restaurant reviews should be read with this advisement:

These posts are based SOLEY upon my personal and very subjective dining experiences. My focus is food allergies: how to enjoy the social aspect of dining out whilst remaining as free as possible from any itching, swelling, hives and asthma as a direct cause of eating certain foods.

Food sensitivities are highly personal, as are possible adverse reactions. I encourage anyone reading this blog who may have food allergies or food intolerances or have loved ones that do to discuss their conditions with their family doctor, a GI specialist and/or allergist/immunologist before dining out or before taking any of my recommendations.

This Allergic Girl blog is the journey I have chosen to undergo after years and years of being afraid of eating out or trying new places or trying new foods and being too intimidated to ask for what I want and need.

You are reading a result of a lifetime of work.

So folks, please go gently into those good restaurants.

Comments

Laurie said…
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pigpenpots said…
My 42 year old daughter has just tested allergic to 99 of a 100 foods, including virtually all vegies, fruits, dairy, wheat, etc. Now my 2 year granddaughter is allergic as well and is not thriving like she should. They are on a rotation diet, but very difficult. Will your book help?

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