...I have allergies too (spices which is a pain, coconut which is in every dang thing from toothpaste to soap to shampoo etc and lactose and wheat on alternative days, don’t know the days...etc.)...
When I first went to an allergy/asthma specialist in my early 30s, my worst allergens were dust mites, dander, and wool. At the time, I was only mildly allergic to oranges and wheat and rarely experience symptoms from eating either. When I was retested about 10 years ago, molds were added to my allergy profile. This probably explains why I haven't liked "vinegary" foods like pickles, some olives, some mustards, some salad dressings, etc. They make me feel like I am gagging and/or I start to cough uncontrollably.
I developed lactose intolerance about 8 years ago, and it has been the bane of my existence. I haven't had milk to drink since high school, but I loved yogurt and haven't met a cheese I didn't like. I wasn't particularly addicted to ice cream, but cheesecake was my favorite dessert; I rarely have either these days. Now, I can't digest much dairy and really miss some of the foods that I enjoyed cooking and eating
I always have Lactaid at home and in my purse, but sometimes, even that doesn't prevent a "lactose" episode (gas, bloating, diarrhea)
When dining out, I avoid ordering anything with a dairy component because I can't predict how my digestive system will react. It saddens me to learn about so many people having serious food allergies that impact their daily lives.
ETA: This young man attended our local school district during DH's tenure on the school board. So sad.
Peanut allergy kills Oakland U student (detroitnews.com)
