Anyone for Coffee? (no boys allowed)

[applepie]

How can you live with two dogs and a cat if you've got horrible allergies? I feel awful if I hug a dog-owner, not to mention spendig fifteen minutes in a house with ONE dog... Cat's aren't really any better than that, and both of them at the same time I don't even want to think about

You really must need a great vacuume cleaner and use it a lot...

You get used to them after a while. We've had pets since I was a little girl, and I'll confess my own family didn't feel complete until adding the animals. I also help make the allergy medicine companies a fortune

[Annamariah]

You get used to them after a while. We've had pets since I was a little girl, and I'll confess my own family didn't feel complete until adding the animals. I also help make the allergy medicine companies a fortune

I've been eating antihistamin daily for a long time now and occasionally taking even the real strong ones that are supposed to help me sleep, and STILL the pollen is getting to me! I love spring, but I hate the pollen allergy. And all those dogs that are shedding their fur on the stairway of this block of flats... It makes climbing those stairs an ordeal

[applepie]

I've been eating antihistamin daily for a long time now and occasionally taking even the real strong ones that are supposed to help me sleep, and STILL the pollen is getting to me! I love spring, but I hate the pollen allergy. And all those dogs that are shedding their fur on the stairway of this block of flats... It makes climbing those stairs an ordeal

I have better times of year than this. My biggest issues are with trees, so Spring time can be an exercise in misery. This year will be really bad I'm afraid. Spring has come very early it seems, and that means that my typical one month of swollen eyes will be two or three I would love to say I have a miracle cure to get rid of them, but I'm afraid that I just grin and bear it with the help of antihistamines. They at least bring things to a manageable level.

[Aravona]

Antihistamines are very useful I got a random flare of rash after being in the sea. just half way up my legs bright red, if thats not sexy I dunno what is! My fiance has the most annoying allergy, hes allergic to crisps (chips if you're american) so I can never eat them!

[papayahed]

My fiance has the most annoying allergy, hes allergic to crisps (chips if you're american) so I can never eat them!

No chips?? Dump him!!!! What about french fries?

[Niamh]

I could imagine being allergic to crisps!

[Aravona]

Haha - he can eat proper chips, like... mcdonalds chips, its the way they pack a packet for crisps... we've discovered that, Tortilla chips are ok, just not potato ones :S

[Annamariah]

Allergies suck. Because of them I'm currently on a grain-free diet.

No bread, no pasta, no oatmeal, no cake, no cookies, no pizza, not much anything! There's wheat even in chicken nuggets, meatballs and some sausages. I mean - what the heck am I supposed to eat?

I hate rice cakes, and those are pretty much the only thing I can eat for breakfast and snack nowadays...

[Niamh]

I have IBS and the amount of foods i cant eat is depressing. However that wonderful boyfriend of mine has promised to help encourage me to eat properly according to my diet when he comes over and is even going to eat according to it too! Its the only way i wont be tempted to eat all the yummy stuff i'm not ment to and suffer because of!

[applepie]

Anna - Can you eat popcorn? That's always a good snack.

Food allergies are miserable because they just don't ever end. My daughter is allergic to dairy, and you never notice how much you use it until you are trying to substitute in soy milk and cheese for everything. Ever try to make pudding with soy milk? It doesn't work out so well

[Annamariah]

I have IBS and the amount of foods i cant eat is depressing. However that wonderful boyfriend of mine has promised to help encourage me to eat properly according to my diet when he comes over and is even going to eat according to it too! Its the only way i wont be tempted to eat all the yummy stuff i'm not ment to and suffer because of!

Poor you - but lucky you too! Such encouraging people around you will surely make sticking to your diet much much easier

Anna - Can you eat popcorn? That's always a good snack.

Food allergies are miserable because they just don't ever end. My daughter is allergic to dairy, and you never notice how much you use it until you are trying to substitute in soy milk and cheese for everything. Ever try to make pudding with soy milk? It doesn't work out so well

I can eat pop corn, but don't like it that much. And it's hardly a way to substitute proper breakfast...

I've now started to eat boiled eggs for snacks, but I can only eat about two per day or I'll get slightly nauseous... Don't know why, according to the tests I'm not allergic to eggs.

But really, a grain-free diet when one is also allergic to most fruit, vegetable and nuts and doesn't tolerate much spices either sure makes life complicated. And having to double check the ingredients list for every single product before purchasing when you go to grocery shopping gets really tiresome. Though after a while you find those few things you can still eat and it gets easier.

Also I've noticed that rice-based products don't keep hunger away that well, I'm constantly hungry nowadays.

Any good ideas how to keep ones thoughts from straying to all the forbidden yummy food?

[applepie]

I'm sorry, that just sounds terrible to me. I love food, and I can't imagine having to give all of that up. I'll think and see if I have any recipes that fit all of that...

[Annamariah]

Niamh: What kind of diet are you on because of IBS? And is it a permanent thing?

Mkhockenberry: Aww, that's very sweet of you

[Niamh]

Its a diet mainly based on soluble fibre, no red meats and no greasy foods. Eat the foods that are high in solube fibre first to line the tummy and prevent trigger foods liek red meats, greasy food, citrus or high insoluble fibre causing cramps and spasism. Its a balance i've been very bad at keeping since in moved last june.

[Annamariah]

Its a diet mainly based on soluble fibre, no red meats and no greasy foods. Eat the foods that are high in solube fibre first to line the tummy and prevent trigger foods liek red meats, greasy food, citrus or high insoluble fibre causing cramps and spasism. Its a balance i've been very bad at keeping since in moved last june.

No red meat sounds bad, one of the few things I can still eat an enjoy!

I guess with time one gets used to not eating all the good things. I'm already finding this diet a bit easier, even if I'm still almost constantly hungry Really, if I for some reason had to diet for losing weight, I don't know what I'd do, as this diet is already hard enough with that kind of aspect considered (Don't understand why I'm not losing any weight despite being constantly hungry, by the way. I guess it's just another way my life laughs at my misery )