You Are Not Alone

Living a life with Food Allergies

First, welcome! I’m so thankful you’re here reading this blog. If you’re like me and you have food allergies, then you understand how difficult life can be to navigate.

You are not Alone

I want to encourage you. I know sometimes it can feel like you’re THE burden, but that’s just simply not true. You are unique, but food allergies are quite normal, especially food sensitivities.

Some Facts:
Researchers estimate that 32 million Americans have food allergies, including 5.6 million children under age 18. That’s one in 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom.

1. Studies published in 2018 and 2019 estimate the number of Americans of all ages who have convincing symptoms of allergy to specific foods:

   • shellfish: 8.2 million

   • milk: 6.1 million

   • peanut: 6.1 million

   • tree nuts: 3.9 million

   • egg: 2.6 million

   • fin fish: 2.6 million

   • wheat: 2.4 million

   • soy: 1.9 million

   • sesame: 0.7 million

2. About 40 percent of children with food allergies are allergic to more than one food.

   Source

The world is catching up. More and more people are speaking out about food allergies, which is motivating more grocery stores, restaurants, and blogs like this to cater to food allergies. It’s ok to speak up for yourself. It’s ok to ask questions.

I know I must ask at least twenty questions at a restaurant before I order, and to be honest, I felt and still sometimes feel uncomfortable doing that. However, the more this becomes an occurrence, the more prepared the public is to handle our situations. We are a huge community!

You are not a Burden

Keep your head up. A frustrating situation I faced was when I had a reaction to something (I truly do not know what I ate to trigger the reaction), but a family member’s reaction towards me hurt. Instead of asking how to help or simply trying to comfort, I was met with disbelief. She didn’t believe me; thought I was faking. During this situation, I felt like I was a burden, an annoyance. She was frustrated by my sickness. Who does that?

Food allergy reactions are real and come in all different shapes and sizes:

Take Note—> Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room.

• Each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food.

  Source: https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics

  Regardless, this is why we need to speak up and speak out for people who suffer with food allergies, so that others know how to approach us, care for us, and participate with us. Again though, I cannot stress this enough—you are not a problem!

You are not an Annoyance

Have you ever felt like you annoyed people by simply having allergies? I have. Going to social events or restaurants can sometimes make me feel like I’ve annoyed a host or a chef simply for asking questions about the foods provided or about the menu. I know this can lead to hermit syndrome, but don’t feel like you have to hide inside. Keep communicating to your friends & family what you can and can’t have. Keep going to restaurants so chefs can learn how to accommodate your needs.

SHOCKING—> 29.2% of restaurants don’t have a plan for answering questions on food allergens, and 76% don’t have any allergen-specific documentation (not even allergy-friendly menus).

Source: https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics

We have to work to fix this. You will be surprised how many chefs love to rise to the challenge of food allergies. I’ve had some amazing experiences with chefs creating special dishes just for me—and being excited about it! I will share those restaurants in other blogs. Trust me when I say—you’re not an annoyance. You are wonderful!

Why this blog?

I want to create a space that could talk about more than just food allergy recipes. This blog will focus on how to live a social life with food allergies ~ What restaurants cater well to allergies ~ What shelf products are actually tasty for food allergies and intolerances ~ How to travel with allergies and sensitivities ~ Education for friends and family members of someone with allergies and the list goes on. I’m excited to help those with food allergies and intolerances who feel “outcasted” from normal society to finally feel accepted and comfortable or just live a life easier than before.

So let the journey begin!