The Sensitive Eater's Lament

Adjusting to food allergies, sensitivities, intolerances, is not easy. Thankfully, I'm blessed to have a very supportive and loving husband who considers my struggles with food when he makes his own food choices. When we go out to eat, he often refuse to order foods he knows I can't have because he doesn't want to eat them in front of me. (I know... Awwww!) I think it's incredibly sweet that he wants me to be successful and doesn't want to taunt me with the very foods I crave. I guess he's noticed me drooling as I watch others munch on their cheesy, doughy, goodies. Now I can tell myself until I'm blue in the face that those foods aren't healthy anyway, but they just look sooo good sometimes... and I think they know it. I swear I saw a cupcake wink at me the other day! Cheeky confection!

So, while I'm thankful for a loving husband, I hate the idea that I'm depriving him of foods he's able to eat. It seems ludicrous to me that he should eat according to my needs. What's a girl to do? Thankfully my cravings for such temptations is beginning to subside. Hallelujah! So, when I say, "No, it's OK. I don't really want it." I mean it... well most of the time. The other part of the time I'm just saying it out loud in an attempt to convince myself that I don't want or need it. In the meantime I suppose it's just going to be a balancing act... and I'm not very graceful. As I quietly mourn the foods I crave, I will continue to encourage my husband to eat as he normally would... and he will continue not wanting to tempt me. Sigh... The bright spot in all this is that at least it's a pretty benign problem to have.

The Picky Eater Who Came to Dinner (NY Times)

This article from the New York Times made me angry! With the rise in food allergies and intolerances more people have a legitimate need for dietary restrictions, but even if you make them by choice, it is YOUR responsibility to meet those needs, nobody else's. I don't expect people throwing a party to learn how to cook for my needs. How is that fair to them, and why would I want to risk them making a mistake? If I find myself in that type of situation, I make sure to bring at least one dish I know I can eat. Where restaurants are concerned I either research the restaurant beforehand to make sure they have allergy safe choices, try to find something on the menu that would require the fewest number of substitutions, or I don't go out to eat. Plain and simple. 


I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but the world owes us nothing, and we really aren't entitled to have our needs met by anyone else but ourselves. When people get an attitude about their food because they're trying to make some kind of statement, or take a stand, or just assert their personal beliefs... they put people with legitimate, even life threatening, food allergies in danger. The more difficult they make things, the less accommodating people will be in the future. Let's have a little more consideration for each other and be a little more responsible for ourselves, please.

Grrrr

Ok... I'm normally a positive person, and I give kudos to anyone trying to live a healthier life, but I can't help but be frustrated by people who complain how difficult it is to give up gluten or dairy... or whatever else their new fad diet is telling them to try. I'm sorry it's aggravating to you that there's nothing you can eat now, but see... the difference is, I didn't choose this! You can go back to eating what you want, but me... well, that slice of whole wheat bread you crave, that glass of milk that would be sooooo good with that cookie? I crave them too, but I can't eat them because they will make me SICK. You would think that would make it easier. I mean talk about a reinforcer! Who wants to be sick? Problem is, I wasn't always that way. I LOVE cupcakes and bread and ice cream and cheese, but the love is not returned. By the way, you might think that gluten free is the next best thing, but the truth is, your whole wheat bread is probably much healthier for you than my $6 gluten free bread.

Check it out gluten free vs whole grain. 

Where's My 7-Kinds-Of-Fiber Cereal?!

Last night my husband, Korry, and I took a stroll through the HEB Plus in Beaumont. I was determined to get myself some rice milk and CEREAL! So, to put this into perspective, I've already driven 30 minutes to a store other than my local HEB so I can get some items our store lacks, and I'm feeling giddy because I haven't had cereal for breakfast in well over a month. We make our way through the store, getting the necessary items on our list... and a whole lot more that we never even considered until they waved their hands and smiled at us from the shelves. As we round the corner to the cereal aisle I proclaim, "IIIII'm getting CEREAL!" (thumb pointed at chest and everything), spun around on my heel and proceeded to look through the cereal offerings as though I'm searching stacks of books for a rare, first edition print. There's