Let's just say that for whatever reason brought to this
place, you are set on trying to feel better, have more energy and then
be happier. One way to do that is by eating the right foods,
and that doesn't necessarily mean only following the 'food pyramid.'
Food affects everyone differently, and it is often challenging to
determine a cause of a particular symptom. Quite honestly food is often
the last consideration when you do not feel your best.
So you have
been to see a doctor or other health professional such as a holistic
practitioner and it is official, you or someone in your family needs to
go on an allergy free diet. You're happy to have an answer to your
health issues, and some action you can take without medication yet at
the same time you don't know where to start with making this happen.
You
go home with this long list of things you cannot eat, and your mind is
overwhelmed by the size of this task ahead of you. Yes it's one thing
for the doctor to recommend you do this, making it happen is a whole
other concept. You take one look at your pantry and become completely overwhelmed and confused as to how to this and where to even start.
Well, you are in the right place because I can help you with that.
You
worry about how you are going to tell your family. Food is such a big
part of your lives, and restricted diets can really be depressing. Food
is often not a big deal until it is no longer an option. You worry about
how your child is going to take this change.
It is easier if the culprit is one item, such as shell fish. When
the allergy is a main part of our diet such as wheat/gluten, dairy or
nuts these ingredients are much more prevalent and a lot harder to
handle. They can be in many unsuspecting foods and in many
forms, known as hidden ingredients making it very hard to know what to
exclude. Even now that food labels are much more specific when it comes
to ingredients, allergy sufferers still need to be careful and diligent.
In our fast paced time starved world, this is an enormous task. And the best part, it doesn't have to be.
And It doesn't have to mean the end to eating what you love either. There are more substitutes today than ever before, and it is possible to find them in your regular grocery store.
Often
the hard part is knowing which brands are good, and which ones you and
your family will like. This is especially true with dairy free and
gluten free products. In addition, they are expensive and there are
brands that are just not well liked. Some pasta is easy to overcook,
others get mushy and fall apart and there are some that are really good.
Not to worry. I can help.
The First 3 Things You Need To Do To Quickly and Easily Adapt Your Home and Family To Life With Food Allergies
First
- take a moment to determine if this going to require a whole family
adaptation/change or is it possible to have just the one person have
this diet. For example, if one person is having symptoms and
needs to eliminate say milk or wheat from their diet, it is possible
that the entire family will not have to do this too. On the other hand,
if this person's allergy is severe, then it might be necessary to remove
these foods from the home all together.
Second - the next thing you need to do is determine what foods exactly need to be replaced. Take a few minutes to write down or even just scan the pantry for favorite foods. These will most likely be obvious.
- Ask yourself what foods does this person eat the most?
- How can I integrate this plan into my cooking for the family rather than having to make several dishes per meal?
The most common items that need to be replaced vary depending on the allergy. Listed below are some of the main ones.
- Wheat or Gluten - bread, pasta, cereal
- Dairy - milk, cheese, butter
- Nuts - all nuts, peanut butter
Third - look at the recipes/meals you cook most often and figure out how those will need to be adjusted or replaced.
It might be possible to continue serving your family favorite dishes,
with just a few tweaks here and there. If your family loves brownies, it
may mean just looking for a different brand to buy instead of not
buying them at all. Or maybe another possible solution is making certain
things from scratch rather than using a mix.
- Think about condiments - ketchup, syrup, salad dressing
- Think about baking - brownies, cakes, muffins, frosting
- Think about sauces - cream sauce, gravy
- Think about cooking - sautéing, grilling, baking
If
you found this information to be helpful and you would like to know
more about adapting your home and family to food allergies, please
contact me at...
I have so much information I could share that
would help your family that is just too much for this venue. All the
information you need to adjust to living with food allergies, including a
list of ingredients to avoid, a list of foods to avoid, a list of which
foods to buy as excellent replacements for all your family's favorite
foods and some recipes to get you started right away.
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