Dietary Woes

I think what it boils down to is that I'm just afraid of change. I think that is why I have been resisting these serious allergies. I don't want to own six different types of flour or learn how to make gluten free sourdough. I want my body to just work like everyone else's bodies...

For a long time I was able to tolerate einkorn flour with no issues. Now when I try einkorn flour I get a massive asthma attack about 30 minutes later and inflammation problems, especially in my legs. It hurts. I have tried it three times over the past few months and each time the same reaction. Devastation doesn't begin to cover the scope of my emotions. 

Something changed in the last year somewhere and now I cannot have einkorn flour or einkorn products. I must adjust.

All of our cookbooks have arrived. I am starting at a tower of four gluten, dairy, egg and soy free cookbooks and hoping they hold the answers I need to organize my culinary woes.

Here are our allergies:

Me: Gluten, alpha gal (all mammal products including butter, milk, cow...even trace amounts)

Becky: Severely lactose intolerant. Chocolate, Eggs, Chicken and all bird products (like turkey) (and something else hurts her we have to figure it out....) Her allergies are all gut allergies and present as severe stomach pain, vomiting...you get the idea. It isn't "oh I have a stomach ache" it's her doubled over in pain crying and not able to eat for several hours bad.  

Reuben: mildly lactose intolerant. Anaphylactic to avocado, and raw banana (he can have cooked banana) and even someone eating a banana next to him can majorly bother him. He gets a tight throat, mild hives from beans, some melon, kiwi, and uncooked bell peppers and peppers of any kind. He can have cooked peppers. I have never tried to cook the kiwi and give it to him. He cannot have most beans but lentils and garbanzo beans are fine for him. He also has a latex allergy. 

Brian: severely lactose intolerant.  has the bean allergy but can do lentils. He can do garbanzo beans the first time I sprout and cook them but cannot eat garbanzo beans as leftovers. I don't get it. He also seems to react to tomatoes and chili powder... but says he loves them and please don't worry about it (I worry about it)

Esther: The pea in the pod who seems she is just mildly lactose intolerant. A blessing, a ray of sunshine in the midst of our sea of food woes. May she continue as thus and enjoy good health forever more. 

How did it get so complicated? I am overwhelmed just reading this yet here I am the nurturer and main cook in our home and I somehow have to make meals that deal with all of these things...good meals that nourish my growing children and also don't take up too much time because we are also homeschooling...

Anyway, please pray for me. The stack of books is calling and I am about to crack them open and make a meal plan for the next three days. We are going to start working through these books and attempt to find staples to sustain us.

The books I bought (from thrift books) are:

1. Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten
2. An Allergy Mom's Lifesaving Instant Pot Cookbook by Megan Lavin
3. Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking by Cybele Pascal
4. 150 Allergy-Free Recipes for Everyday and Entertaining; Pure Delicious by Heather Christo 

I'll let you know which one we like the best.

We have been gluten, dairy and egg free before in 2016 and 2017. We can do this again. It's hard, it is expensive and it's a lot of work but I know I can get in the groove and we can thrive. I just need to get there. We are no where near yet...

Here is to next week and new trends and...I'm about to drop like $200 on gluten free flours and rice noodles. 

I just want to know...does it get better? 

I hope it gets better.

Also isn't this coat (found at goodwill for $2.99 with the matching hat) for Esther adorable? She is obsessed and so am I.