Living with Multiple Food Allergies

What next after diagnosis?

Welcome to my glorious world of food. If you've just been diagnosed with a food allergy, you've come to the right place. If you've not been diagnosed but suspect you have an allergy, check out my, ' IS YOUR FOOD MAKING YOU ILL.' lens first.

If you feel anything like I did after diagnosis, you're probably filled with lots of questions about what to do next? 'What CAN I eat to replace the forbidden foods?' 'How am I going to survive without the treats I love?' 'What happens when I eat out?' 'How can I combine this with cooking for my family?'

I'm not gonna sugar coat it, living with multiple food allergies can sometimes be a real pain, especially in the early months after diagnosis. I craved and resented all the things that made me ill. I grieved the loss of all the delicious cakes, ice cream and cheesy things I would never eat again. Some of them still make my mouth water, but the difference now is that I'm not a slave to those feelings.

There's a lot of research to be done initially, and you'll always be learning new things, but I promise it will all be worth it. Your new food journey will turn your life around and soon you'll be feeling amazing!

Living with allergies doesn't have to mean tasteless boring food as I've already done a lot of the hard work for you. I'm finalising my recipies and publishing them regularly so don't forget to leave your email address and sign up.

Understanding Food Allergy

In order to manage your allergies well, it is extremely important to gain an understanding of the impact the offending foods have on your body. What is going on at a chemical level to make you feel so ill? Why do some foods have different reactions to others? The more you become aware of your body, the better the allergy management.

The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick - And What We Can Do About It

by: Robyn O'Brien, Rachel Kranz

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 01/08/2010)

Food Allergies For Dummies

by: Robert A. Wood MD

Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 01/08/2010)

Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)

by: Scott H. Sicherer MD

Amazon Price: $37.60 (as of 01/08/2010)

The Parent's Guide to Food Allergies: Clear and Complete Advice from the Experts on Raising Your Food-Allergic Child

by: Marianne S. Barber, Maryanne Bartoszek Scott, Elinor Greenberg

Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 01/08/2010)

STAT KIDS Health ID Wristband, Multiple Food Allergies, S

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 01/08/2010)

My Allergy Library

Take a look through my personal library.

The Food Allergy Free Library

Whenever I get into conversation with fellow sufferers about health and my food intolerance, I'm always asked about the recipes and books I use. The market for allergy cook books is growing but I, like my inquisitive subjects prefer to have recommen...

Nutrition Education

In addition to researching the impact of food on your body, you also need to make yourself aware of the alternative foods needed to replace the nutrients of the offending foods.

It's so easy to just cut out the bad stuff and eat everything else without thinking about the nutrients your body will loose.This will be a life long commitment, so take the time to invest and read some books to educate yourself. My recommendations are in the lens below.

The Optimum Nutrition Library

Everytime you eat something, you make a choice that will impact your body in a positive or negative way. So many people are quick to run to their GP when they get sick, when so much ill health is caused by a poor diet. Optimum nutrition is a prevent...

Nutrition links

Patrick Holford: Lord of Nutrition, this man is resonsible for everything I know about nutrition. A well respected man in the industry. He also set up the Institute for Optimum Nutrition school which produces the finest nutritionalists in the country.
Higher Nature: Great for fab quality, allergy free supplements.

Supermarket Shopping Tips

Many of the large supermarkets have finally acknowledged us and created their own 'free from' ranges. However, if you have multiple allergies like I do, there's always a couple of ingredients I can't eat so cooking from scratch is essential. Use these tips to get you through your weekly shop.

- Make yourself aware of the hidden ingredients which may contain your allergen.
- Get used to reading and understanding the labels so you know exactly what's in the food.
- Many supermarkets provide their 'free from' list online so check these out before you go shopping to save time reading instore.
- Check out your local health food stores for products for special diets.
- Use the internet to look for allergy free products you can order online
- Once you find a product that suits you, enquire about buying it in bulk. It will save you money and time in the long run.

Cookbooks

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule

by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 01/08/2010)

The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook: Over 350 Natural Foods Recipes, Free of All Common Food Allergens: wheat-free, milk-free, egg-free, corn-free, sugar-free, yeast-free

by: Marjorie Hurt Jones

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/08/2010)

Food Allergy Cookbook

by: Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 01/08/2010)

The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book: Great Dairy-, Egg-, and Nut-Free Treats for the Whole Family

by: Kelly Rudnicki

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/08/2010)

Enjoy Life's Cookies for Everyone!: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free Treats that are Safe for Most Anyone with Food Allergies, Intolerances, and Sensitivities

by: Leslie Hammond, Betsy Laakso

Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 01/08/2010)

Online food stockists

The internet has become the saviour for those of us who can't find appropriate products in our local supermarket joint. There are now lots of online supermarkets and brands dedicated to restricted diets. These are my favourites.

Goodness Direct - UK based: The health and well being haven; we gather together everything that is good for you.

Delicious foods to help you eat healthily, fitness foods, organic foods, vitamins and herbal remedies, fresh foods, cruelty free toiletries and eco-friendly stuff.

If you are on a restricted diet don't feel left out, we have 1000's of foods for you, gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and other special diets foods.
Navan Foods - US based: We are constantly searching for new and safe foods. What separates us from other natural and health food stores is that we provide you with information cards for each product that identifies specific ingredients the product is made without, as well as information regarding the manufacturing environment. We obtain this information from an extensive allergen questionnaire we send to manufacturers of the products we sell.
Wholefoods Market - Worldwide: Let's face it: eating foods outside the standard diet can be quite challenging. Whether you've made a lifestyle choice or have a specific dietary need, you may need support to learn all the ins and outs of your special diet.

When you're ready to hit the aisles, our stores are stocked with all kinds of great substitutes like coconut flour, brown rice pasta, and soy sour cream. To guide your quest, we developed lists for a variety of special diets that let you know all of the alternative products out there to fit your needs.

You may be amazed to see all of the unique options out there for you. Ultimately, we hope your dietary needs lead you on a culinary adventure.
Dietary Needs Direct - UK based: The shop brings together as many lines as possible to allow those on a restricted diet the broadest choice of good food. Products are sourced from trusted suppliers who can offer additive free ingredients, organic production (where possible) and consideration towards the environment and Fair Trade

As a result, Dietary Needs Direct is not only one of the best solution for Free From living, but also for anyone looking for healthy, natural products and an additive and synthetic free lifestyle.
Free Foods - UK based: Gluten free, Sugar free and Nut free foods, our aim is to make your shopping process as simple, secure and reliable as possible.

We have customers all over the UK and Europe and offer a prompt delivery service. Our products are sourced from the UK and Europe to ensure the best possible taste and quality, special diets do not have to be boring.
Allergy Free Shop - US based: Do you have Food Allergies? Celiac Disease? Dietary Restrictions? Sensitive Skin? Indoor/Outdoor Allergies? Tired of shopping at a mega-store where you have to spend hours searching through product labels again and again? At The Allergy Free Shop, you can get everything you need-fast AND easy! We offer everything from allergy friendly and gluten-free foods, products for allergy sufferers such as bedding, air purifiers, bath and body products, vacuums, air purifiers, cleaning products, allergy alert wear and so much MORE!
Bobs Red Mill - US based: See details and some products below.

Bobs Red Mill

Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. With a wide variety of whole grain products, from flours and hot cereals to baking mixes and grains, Bob's Red Mill has "whole grain foods for every meal of the day."

Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli, 40-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

Amazon Price: $27.63 (as of 01/08/2010)

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)

Amazon Price: $12.28 (as of 01/08/2010)

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

Amazon Price: $16.25 (as of 01/08/2010)

Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour, 22-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

Amazon Price: $13.35 (as of 01/08/2010)

Bob's Red Mill Soup Mix, Veggie, 28-Ounce Units (Pack of 4)

Amazon Price: $13.89 (as of 01/08/2010)

Support

Talking to others with the same allergies is essential for emotional support and practical advice. you can do this online or at a local group.

Allergy UK: Allergy UK is the country's leading national medical charity dealing with allergy and we are here to help you. We can provide you with up to date information on all aspects of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity.

The Allergy Helpline: - 01322 619898
York Test: Here at YorkTest Laboratories we are passionate about providing individuals with personalised, actionable information and support that you can use to improve your allergy health.

We offer the following home tests and you can buy them direct online from their site:
First Step Food Intolerance Test
FoodScan 113
AllergyCheck Plus
Foods Matter: The Best Resource For Anyone With An Allergy, A Sensitivity Or An Intolerance
Coeliac Support: Coeliac UK is the leading charity working for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).

Blogs

When Food Becomes the Enemy! : Iqra.ca: They are known as the ?Allergy Sufferers?. Lucretius (1st century BC) said it best: ?What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.? Living with food allergies is becoming a new and emerging challenge for many people in North ...
Kids Living With Food Allergies – www.faiusa.org | Food Allergies ...: A film of food allergic children produced for general awareness which premiered at the Food Allergy Initiative Northwest.
Autism and Food Allergies - Chicago Eats Allergy-Free: Some experts recommend that autistic children be tested for food allergies. There is a lot of evidence supporting the benefits of a gluten and casein free diet. Gluten is a wheat protein found in grains like oats, barley, rye and spelt .... You might even ask where I went to school, what I studied, and what I do for a living to get a better idea of how qualified I was to make such claims. If I answered that I was a carpet cleaner or a professional athlete with no formal ...
First January, 2010 Newsletter: Free From Market has recently teemed up with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network to offer online discounts to FAAN members and to encourage non-members to join this great organization. FAAN members can now enjoy an online 10% ...

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Magazines

Foods Matter Magazine: An ever growing archive of articles and the very latest research on allergy, intolerance, sensitivity and related health conditions - all gathered together in one easy-to-navigate location.
Optimum Nutrition Magazine: Optimum Nutrition is a quarterly magazine about nutrition. The main content of the magazine contains in-depth, fully referenced articles aimed at anyone with an interest in the field of nutrition.

Events

The Allergy Show: Information, products and services for everyone with allergies including food allergy, asthma, eczema, food intolerance and hayfever.

The Allergy show is for people with food allergies and intolerance, sensitive skin, eczema, asthma, hayfever and the health professionals who treat them

'Free From' food awards

There are some fantastic companies out their who are making a real difference to our allergy free food.

Its great that there is alot more choice for us now and we can by ready made things sometimes to ease the chain to the kitchen!

Free From awards: These are the catagories in the awards, click the link above to find out who the winners are:

Breakfast cereals
Bread and bread mixes
Pasta, pizza and pizza bases
Pies, flans, sausages and sauces
Savoury snacks and biscuits
Cakes, muffins and sweet biscuits
Chocolate and cereal bars
Christmas
Milk and yogurt
Butter, cheese and spread
Ice creams, puddings and desserts
Products manufactured in a nut-free environment
Innovation

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The Food Allergy Free Library

Whenever I get into conversation with fellow sufferers about health and my food intolerance, I'm always asked about the recipes and books I use. The market for allergy cook books is growing but I, like my inquisitive subjects prefer to have recommen...

The Optimum Nutrition Library

Everytime you eat something, you make a choice that will impact your body in a positive or negative way. So many people are quick to run to their GP when they get sick, when so much ill health is caused by a poor diet. Optimum nutrition is a prevent...