One of the biggest challenges you may face when you discover you have an allergy is to maintain your diet when eating at restaurants.
When I first discovered I was allergic to wheat, I found this difficult and stressful at first.
Over time, you how to deal with restaurants, and and it becomes easy.
The first rule is: don’t be shy! If the restaurant can not cater to your diet, leave! If they do not seem to understand what you want, and just provide placating but unconvincing answers, leave! “Easier said than done” you say? “But my friends, what will they think?” I used to think this way too. One of my big break-troughs was to change the way I thought.
You must convince yourself that the symptoms you will experience from eating wheat are worse than any discomfort you may feel with your friends. They will have to understand that these are your needs, not your preferences. Fix that in your mind, and focus on ensuring that you sit down at a restaurant that understands and can cater to your needs.
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I am allergic to sulfItes (can be fatal because of throat closing), also to BHT (food preservative), nuts &seeds (diverticulitas). Sulfites occur naturally in wines, and once was used to keep salads fresh. I do manage well in restaurants as most are very cooperative.
Allergy awarness
Even people who seem to know what you are talking about may not understand how important your special food requests are to your health. One thing that helped me was to realize that i have been learning about and researching allergies contantly since i was a kid. Others have not. Now with 22 years of experience under my belt it is very easy to understand who do and who doesnot understand these allergies. Stay strong because even your friends will not understand. Explain this to people when you leave places because they don’t understand your allergy, this will make them feel stupid as they are in the industry and should understand. You must go foward in expanding other peoples thoughts as they will never understand, and eating out with never get any easier for us,.