Yes, allergic.
I'm allergic to more than half of the "foods" available in the American (and by that I mean United States-ian, but that does flow well) food market.
I am allergic to wheat and I have Celiac Disease. Yes, there is a difference and that will be discussed extensively here. I am so allergic to wheat, I cannot use anything in my home or on my body that contains wheat. That means I have a hella hard time finding good shampoo and conditioner because most contain wheat protein.
I also have "food intolerances" to rose hips (that sends me to the ER), ginger, cloves and other spices I haven't quite pinpointed. But what they do are very, very bad and you really do not want me to go into further detail.
The difference between an allergy and an intolerance? Allergies show up on blood and skin tests, intolerances do not. That's the only difference.
I also have allergies to prescription medications, specifically antibiotics. Being rushed to the ER with hives and breathing problems are very dramatic, but ultimately not fun.
I have two children and they are more allergic to the world than I am. Griffin, who is five, is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and soy. Darwin, who is three, is allergic to every food. Literally, every food. He has been tested for over 350 foods and every single one came back as an allergy. We feed him what he is least reactive to and "experiment" on both children, mainly to see how bad their allergies still are, to try and build up natural antibodies and to pretend to be super special scientists.
My husband, Aaron, has no food allergies. He's a lucky bastard.
So... why shut up & eat?
Because I'm tired of hearing about people moan and groan about food allergies. Yes, allergies suck. Yes, it is very difficult to completely eliminate wheat and other "staples" out of the American diet. But it's not impossible. Get over it and move on. Seriously. It's not that fucking difficult. It's life.
And once you get over your ego and experiment, a whole new world will open up to you. You just have to try.
