The last 6 years have been quite interesting, to say the least. When I was first diagnosed with a huge list of food allergies, my doctor had mentioned that some of the milder allergies I may be able to incorporate back into my diet. He did say anything in red I would not get back.
These are the things I got back after about a year: black olives, red grapes, avocado, turmeric, ginger and zucchini.
Over the last few years I decided to try some things. I noticed that I didn't have issues with cross contamination with certain things, so I tried some things. First was goat cheese. I didn't seem to have any reaction so that quickly went on my list because, well, CHEESE! Then I decided to try barley. That's a no no for gluten sensitivities and allergies, but I tested not allergic at all to barley. So I tried it on the weekend just in case. Totally fine. Then I tested wheat in small amounts, like I'd try "may contain" statements and "trace amounts". Totally fine there as well. Then it was soy sauce. Still good. So then I decided to really try wheat. Went to subway and got a sandwich. What a treat! Until the next day when I went to the store and didn't know if I was going to make the bathroom. I ran in there no less than 3 times in the 15-20 minutes I was in there. I quickly ran home and stayed there for the next 3 days. FAIL. Huge FAIL.
Then I got talked into trying elephant garlic as I am fine with onions and had been told and read about how elephant garlic is closer genetically to onion than garlic. Fail, but the reaction wasn't as severe as regular garlic. The regular garlic is getting close to anaphylaxis.
Next, I decided to try beef. I had a bite of my boyfriend's sous vide steak. Man it was so good! And no reaction. So I started eating it. The more rare it is I started getting a migraine. I found that well done I'm fine. I still kept eating it though because I had been so deprived. I did that until the migraines were too much to bear. So I stuck with burgers and backed off the steak. Then one day I had a moment where the craving was stronger than the threat of a migraine. And nothing happened. WTH? Well, I discovered it I don't eat it too often I can get away with it here and there. That's fine. At least I can have it.
Then I decided to try cow dairy. Cheese and yogurt, fine. Cottage cheese was fine. I do get some eczema, but we make compromises. I did find out, however, that if the dairy is not cultured, I will have uncontrollable dry heaves. How I found out was when I had cottage cheese at a diner. But I had been fine eating it at home. That was when I found out that small curd is not treated with rennet and large curd is! Aha. So the protein structure has to have been altered.
I had accidental exposures to egg and almonds and won't volunteer to test those at all. I even had to get rid of my pans that eggs were made in because just that I react to. I am too chicken to try peanuts. The tests were higher than almonds and peanuts are one of those that are notorious for turning anaphylatic. I also will no longer test any garlic. That one is playing with fire. I haven't tried kidney beans or navy beans. I accidentally had great northern beans which I didn't realize at the time are essentially navy beans. That was another migraine moment. I probably won't try them again because there are plenty of bean varieties out there.
So, I am still allergic to enough, and technically still allergic to dairy, but mildly so, and I have a hard time completely eliminating it again. But I did get several things back, and that makes me happy. In fact, I even tried einkorn wheat, which is an ancient grain that has never been hybridized. Turns out it is so radically different from the wheat we have here in the US, that I have no trouble with it. Finding things made with it are sparse, so I still eat mostly gluten free, but it's nice to have something to work with.
What about other things? Well, over the years I have found that I'm also allergic to lamb in medium rare states. Also the aforementioned chamomile and beeswax. I am pretty sure I'm putting shrimp on that list as my hands were full of hives when I made shrimp for my son. I have tried a bite and didn't notice anything, but I won't push it. For one I don't care for it, but also because I was borderline on the tests for shrimp, and I never ate it. Best to not mess with that one.
So if you are starting to learn you're allergic to many foods and think there are only dark days ahead, hold a little hope. Sometimes just healing your gut goes a long way in allowing you to add some things back in.
