Who Would Have Guessed My Celery Allergy Is Known in the U.K.?

In addition to not being able to eat gluten and dairy, I am deathly allergic to CELERY and all it's by products. Most people in the United States, including doctors, chefs, and educators have never heard of a celery allergy. Truthfully, this uncommon food allergy has made it very uncomfortable and awkward when I am eating anywhere but home. I often get the same reaction from people, "I've never heard of that before" as if they don't believe me.  It usually leads to a conversation at the table, which is the last thing someone who is trying not to obsess about their food allergies needs. This fear is escalated when I am traveling and have to eat out often. 

I am planning a trip this summer to Ireland and Scotland and decided to research how difficult it would be to eat there. The U.K. is known for its Celiac (Coeliac) Awareness and from everything I read eating gluten-free, in both countries, will not be a problem. 

According to the Food Standard Agency in the U.K.
The European Commission compositional and labelling standards (Commission Regulation (EC) No. 41/2009) establish levels of gluten for foods that makes a claim to be either 'gluten-free' or 'very low gluten'. These levels are:
'gluten-free' – 20 parts or less of gluten per million.
'very low gluten' – 100 parts or less of gluten per million. However, only foods with cereal ingredients that have been specially processed to remove the gluten may make a 'very low gluten' claim.

 Food Standard Agency  has an interactive page, called In The Restaurant,  where you can go in and take a test on what is in certain restaurant foods. (Indian, Chinese, Mediterranean and Deli) It was fun! 

What surprised me was the information I found about celery allergies. 

Celery Allergies

The first website I found was  www.anaphylaxis.org.uk. The UK considers celery one of the top 14 allergens and they even have a fact sheet for Celery Allergies.

Here's some of what they had to say: 

Celery is one of the 14 major allergens that under European Directives 2003/89/EC and 2006/142/EC must be declared whenever they are used, at any level, in pre-packed foods."
The inclusion of celery on this list, approved under EU law, is based on the view that celery allergy is a serious problem in certain European countries such as France, Germany and Switzerland. Based on our experience, celery allergy would appear to be rare in the UK. However, reactions to celery, when they do occur, can be severe for some people.

So everything I eat, whether packaged or at a restaurant, is required to have any celery ingredient on the label or after the item on the menu. 

The U.K. has Strict Allergen Labeling Rules

I will let you know how it goes after we visit Scotland and Ireland. If you been there recently, please share your experiences and favorite food places. Thank you.

Thank you U.K. for looking out for me!

References:
https://www.allergyuk.org/common-food-intolerances/common-food-intolerances
http://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/english/in-the-restaurant/
http://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/english/default.aspx
http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/knowledgebase/celery-allergy-the-facts/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-allergy/pages/causes.aspx

Great Allergy Info. Website

I have been researching different sections of food allergies and foods sensitivity for years.  The Worlds Healthiest Foods is the first site I have found that has a clear and thorough explanation of food allergies and food sensitivities. This site also ends theories as to why people have food sensitivities. Please check it out. 

According to The Worlds Healthiest Foods, "Food intolerance responses can occur for many different reasons. A food can contain a molecule that your body has difficulty breaking down or digesting causing an intolerance response as that molecule is allowed to continue down your intestinal tract. Lactose intolerance is an example of this type of toxic food response."

The Worlds Healthiest Foods also states " the health of your digestive system is compromised you may have a sensitivity to foods which otherwise would not affect you adversely such as in times of extreme stress."

References:
 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=30

Can We Transfer Our Emotional Pain Into Food Allergies?

Just when I thought I had dealt with all the emotional reasons for having food allergies, I go out to a GF bakery/ eatery and have an allergic reaction. I did all my usual barge of questions before  ordering. I was given the go ahead for the meal I was ordering. The food was delicious.

About an hour after eating, I was talking with friends and noticed I was scratching the palms of my hands - a lot. For me, this is usually the first sign that an anaphylaxis reaction is right around the corner. I calmly went to the ladies room and washed my hands to be sure it was not something I touched. I took a homeopathic remedy which can stop or slow down the reaction depending on how serious it is. Then I excused myself and went home. 

Epi Pen and Apis Homeopathic Remedy

I took another natural remedy and tried to relax and see if the worst of it would pass. IT DID! I had almost immediate cold like symptoms and woke up with swollen glands and a stuffy nose. The digestive discomfort followed. These symptoms have lasted 8 days. I woke up this morning and appear to be better.

I am clear this was not a diary or gluten reaction but a food allergy. For those who are new to this blog- I have many anaphylaxis food allergies.Lucky it has 20 years since I had a full blown anaphylaxis reaction due to my neurotic questions and caution. 

I recently started a conversation about how we put pain in our bodies and I brought up the question of self healing in a previous blog. I feel it was only fair to say; I tried and this time I had to ride it out. I mediated, tried the Sedona method, and anything else I could think of. I tried raw garlic and many other remedies but true to my allergy reactions - I had to wait it out.

Yesterday my friend gave me a "cough" type drop with On Guard essential oils from Do-Terra. I have to say it could be a coincidence but I believe it stopped the reaction and for the first time in days I am feeling good. 

I truly believe that some food allergies are due to serious emotional damage done in the past. Why am I the only sibling who suffers from serious food allergies? I think I transferred my emotional pain into food issues. I pray that I find a way to resolve this. 

I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on the subject>

My Food Allergies!

Food allergies: I have had them for years. The 1st to surface was sunflower seeds. I was in my early 20's when I had a reaction to them. Since then I had stirred clear, so I was not sure if I was really allergic to them until a couple of weeks ago...

While I was at the Expo, I received samples of the new gluten-free and dairy-free Zing bars. One was a Double Brownie and the other Dark Chocolate Mint Bar or that is what the package said. Sometime the next week I ate the bars.I usually have 1/2 at time, so I ate them over a few days.

During the week the roof of my mouth was itchy and so were the palm of my hands. For me, this is the 1st signs of an allergic reaction so I pulled out my Epi Pen, took natural allergy medicine and prayed. I never needed the Epi Pen and it subsided but returned again several times over the next few days. I had no idea what had caused this small reaction since I am usually extreme careful.

I was doing the post on protein bars and went to the Zing website to capture photos when I saw that the mint bar had a different label. Dark Chocolate Sunflower Mint. I did a little research and it has sunflower seed butter as the 5th ingredient as well as sunflower oil and sunflower lecithin.

 
Stay Safe.