3 Unexpected positives of living with food allergies

If you recently discovered you have food allergies or sensitivities, you may be feeling a little frustrated or discouraged and the idea there are “positives” to this news you’ve been dealt may seem far fetched. But as someone with her fair share of allergies, hear me out.

About two and a half years ago I discovered (after a quite serious anaphylactic reaction) that I was allergic to yeast. Shortly after that I realized I was also allergic to eggs. In the last year I’ve realized I don’t do well with dairy and therefore make an effort to avoid it as much as possible. Like many of the most common allergens, yeast, eggs and dairy are in just about everything. Or at least it felt that way when I first realized I needed to stop eating them. If you just found out you have food allergies you may be overwhelmed with questions about what you’ll eat, how you’ll get by without your favourite now-allergenic foods and all the changes you’re going to have to make. I get it. I’ve been there. But it’s not all doom and gloom, I promise.

I won’t lie, the first few months after discovering I had food allergies were not always easy. I was terrified of being an inconvenience when I went over to people’s houses for dinner. I couldn’t help but feel like a nuisance trying to explain my situation to servers in restaurants. And it seemed that everywhere I turned there was another yummy thing I couldn’t eat. All in all it was a not so fun time. But with the help of many wonderful people and by giving myself the time to get used to this new way of living and eating my perspective started to change. If you’re currently dealing with new food allergies, I hope some of these discoveries will help.

1. Discovering what’s really in your food

I got familiar with reading ingredient lists before I developed my allergies but I wasn’t all that careful about it. I would read them if I was curious and just to get an idea of what goes into everything but I didn’t do it with any consistency. However, having allergies means you need to get very diligent about reading those labels.

And when you do you will be astounded at all the unhealthy and artificial ingredients lurking in your food. Before I discovered my allergies I thought I ate healthily but I was still buying bottled salad dressings for my salads, frozen meals for when I was lazy, crackers, cereals and all kinds of other items that seemed like healthy option but were filled with all kinds of things I didn’t really want to be putting in my body on a regular basis.

When you start reading ingredient lists, you can’t help but become aware of all the additives that have been thrown into many of your favourite foods. Some of those foods you’ll need to eliminate because they’ll aggravate your allergies or sensitivities, but some you may even choose to eliminate because you’re finally aware of what’s really in there.

Before you know it you’ll be switching out your dozen-ingredient sugar-filled crackers for a whole grain, gluten-free variety, your artificially-sweetened yogurt for coconut milk mixed with berries and your peanut butter cups for dark chocolate with a scoop of natural peanut butter.

I know without a doubt my food allergies have helped me truly become aware of what’s in the food I’m eating and to make healthier choices willingly and happily because of it. So if at first it seems like everywhere you turn is another thing you can’t eat, trust that there are a lot of other yummy things you can that are just waiting to be discovered.

2. The opportunity to get really creative in the kitchen

I will say I am very fortunate to have always enjoyed cooking. I started cooking one of our family’s meals every week when I was a teenager and rarely bought food at the cafeteria through most of university. But I didn’t always cook healthy meals and I mostly made the same simple meals or relied on frozen or canned pre-packaged items.

When you have food allergies a lot of those shortcuts don’t work anymore. That can feel very overwhelming at first. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now because of a new allergy, please know, it gets easier.

Living with a food allergy today isn’t how I imagine it was a couple of decades ago. The internet is overflowing with creative people making just about any food you can think of gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, corn-free, yeast-free and more. Even if you don’t consider yourself a great chef there are people out there who are and are coming up with all kinds of brilliant ideas you can try out for yourself.

Since discovering my allergies I’ve enjoyed vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, yeast-free baguettes, dairy-free cheese, egg-free quiche and all sorts of other recipes I never would have attempted otherwise. When I didn’t have allergies there were some things I just didn’t think I could make myself so I didn’t try. Now, if I want French toast or crêpes or a cheesy pasta, I know I won’t be able to get it at a restaurant. Does that mean I give up and get sad I’m missing out? Nope! I simply type “vegan crêpes” or “dairy-free pasta recipe” into Google, scroll through the many cleverly-created recipes until I find one I like the look of and get cooking!

There is a wealth of brilliant blogs, cookbooks and chefs out there sharing ways you can have all your old favourites again even with allergies. If you need help tracking down a recipe, please let me know either in the comments below or by email! I have become a bit of a pro at finding and creating allergy-friendly recipes and would be happy to help you build up your repertoire.

3. The kindness of friends, family and strangers

Without a doubt the best part of discovering I have food allergies has been the incredible support and compassion I’ve received from people around me. When I first found out I had food allergies I was pretty upset. Not being able to eat the foods I wanted to was one thing, but what upset me more was what I saw as the social challenges. I was so worried I’d never be able to go out to restaurants again and that I’d be a terrible inconvenience to friends and family trying to cook for me.

Well, despite all of those fears, two and a half years later I am happy to report I have had almost no negative experiences and more positive ones than I can possibly count. I’ve had a friend ask a restaurant if they had allergy-friendly options before I even had to. I’ve had a family member call me and eagerly describe the menu she had planned that would be okay with my allergies. I’ve had a server bring out a sauce just so I could read the ingredients and know I would be okay. I’ve had a bride specifically request that a vegan cupcake be arranged just so I could share in the dessert.

I could cry thinking of all the beautiful times people have taken such care to make sure I didn’t feel left out and had something to eat. People have rallied around me and supported me and spoken up for me when I was too nervous to speak up for myself.

So if you’re worried about your allergies putting an end to your social life. Please don’t be. Things may change. You may need to make requests at a restaurant. You may need to bring your own dish to a dinner. You may not be able to eat exactly what everyone else is. But those changes will only take a few months to get used to. What you may never get used to is the outpouring of support from friends, family and even strangers. And that is a beautiful thing.

Give yourself time

Now, maybe you’ve just discovered you have allergies and you’re reading all this and you’re like, “okay, Sheelagh, yay for positivity and all but this still sucks.” Hey, I hear you. And it does. It’s a big change. And you’re allowed to be frustrated and overwhelmed and upset. I sure was. Just trust that it will get easier.

You may not be able have all the exact same foods you once enjoyed but you’ll get creative in the kitchen and be creating your own homemade versions in no time. Going out to restaurants or over to friends’ may not be as simple as it once was but you’ll discover the kindness and compassion of loved ones and strangers. You’ll learn more about what you’re eating and have the opportunity to make more nutritious choices that help you be your healthiest, happiest self.

There will be tough moments, but trust me when I say, as someone who has been there, there are positives to food allergies and you will experience them. And if you need a little support, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me. If you’re looking for resources or just need to vent, I’m happy to help in any way I can!

Sheelagh
xoxo