I looks like I am now allergic to carrots. UGH! Let's add that to the list of allergies that is now rather long.
First was apples in early 2009. I had an itchy mouth, throat and ears so it wasn't a bad reaction but it was very annoying. I had an allergy test run by my GI doc that said I wasn't allergic to anything but apples weren't included in that blood test. Yes, this was in Doha where medicine can be hit or miss. Then came almonds in early 2010 followed a few weeks later by peaches. A trip to Bangkok and Bumrungrad Hospital for some proper testing proved that I was allergic to tons of fruit. The testing was tricky because I didn't react to the extracts that are typically used. When I insisted that I had reactions when I ate items, the doc retested with the actual juice/pieces of fruit and that's when it became clear. I had allergies. First time in my life.
Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, apricots, mangos (but I don't like them anyway), and almonds. A few others (strawberries, kiwi) showed a sensitivity to them but I don't react when I eat them so I'm not allergic as it takes both a reaction and a positive skin test to diagnose the allergy.
Last New Year's Eve I discovered I was allergic to snap peas when I ate one. ONE. It was the worst reaction I'd had and it was miserable. Not only did I have the classic itchy mouth/throat/ears, my salivary glands went into overdrive and I felt incredibly nauseous. I felt my throat close up a bit and it was hard to swallow. I never want to feel that again!
Now let's add carrots to that list. The other night I ate about 12 baby carrots as a late night snack shortly before turning in for bed. I didn't feel any oral symptoms so I didn't notice a problem. About thirty minutes later, though, I felt miserable. My stomach was upset and nauseous, I had abdominal cramps, I couldn't concentrate, all I could think about was throwing up but I couldn't. I was like this for about four hours. Icky. At first I thought it was food poisoning but I hadn't really eaten anything in the second half of the day that could have gone bad. I couldn't figure it out. Only the next day did I realize it was a mild (intestinal) allergy that was affecting the GI tract.
So how in the world do you eat healthy when you're allergic to healthy foods? I really don't know how except that I do take multivitamins twice a day. And cook my fruit. And now my carrots, too.
First was apples in early 2009. I had an itchy mouth, throat and ears so it wasn't a bad reaction but it was very annoying. I had an allergy test run by my GI doc that said I wasn't allergic to anything but apples weren't included in that blood test. Yes, this was in Doha where medicine can be hit or miss. Then came almonds in early 2010 followed a few weeks later by peaches. A trip to Bangkok and Bumrungrad Hospital for some proper testing proved that I was allergic to tons of fruit. The testing was tricky because I didn't react to the extracts that are typically used. When I insisted that I had reactions when I ate items, the doc retested with the actual juice/pieces of fruit and that's when it became clear. I had allergies. First time in my life.
Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, apricots, mangos (but I don't like them anyway), and almonds. A few others (strawberries, kiwi) showed a sensitivity to them but I don't react when I eat them so I'm not allergic as it takes both a reaction and a positive skin test to diagnose the allergy.
Last New Year's Eve I discovered I was allergic to snap peas when I ate one. ONE. It was the worst reaction I'd had and it was miserable. Not only did I have the classic itchy mouth/throat/ears, my salivary glands went into overdrive and I felt incredibly nauseous. I felt my throat close up a bit and it was hard to swallow. I never want to feel that again!
Now let's add carrots to that list. The other night I ate about 12 baby carrots as a late night snack shortly before turning in for bed. I didn't feel any oral symptoms so I didn't notice a problem. About thirty minutes later, though, I felt miserable. My stomach was upset and nauseous, I had abdominal cramps, I couldn't concentrate, all I could think about was throwing up but I couldn't. I was like this for about four hours. Icky. At first I thought it was food poisoning but I hadn't really eaten anything in the second half of the day that could have gone bad. I couldn't figure it out. Only the next day did I realize it was a mild (intestinal) allergy that was affecting the GI tract.
So how in the world do you eat healthy when you're allergic to healthy foods? I really don't know how except that I do take multivitamins twice a day. And cook my fruit. And now my carrots, too.
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