FOOD ALLERGY SURVIVAL GUIDE    
 
Your doctor has told you that you are allergic to certain foods and you must eliminate them from your daily diet.  Initially you may be thinking that this is going to be an impossible task.  Losing those extra unwanted pounds has now become a lot easier because there will be nothing left for you to eat. But don’t give up hope.  There are many alternative foods (and recipes) to make this task easier than you may have imagined. Just as important as eliminating these foods from your diet, you must not only develop a “can do” attitude but also initiate a diet program that is practical, easy to follow and rewards you with some variety so that meal time is still a pleasurable experience.
 
Listed below are just a few examples of the internet sites available with recipes to help you prepare meals that follow the guidelines provided by your physician. Sources for purchasing special ingredients that may be hard to find in your local hometown are also listed as well as already prepared, packaged foods.
 
Some things to keep in mind before you begin to explore the many recipe sites available:
 
_  Plan ahead and stock your pantry with the special cooking ingredients you will need to prepare some of these dishes.  Some of these ingredients may be new to you so take some time to research not only their availability but their nutritional value.  Who knows, maybe you will discover some really great new tastes that you wouldn’t have tried otherwise.
 
_  Prepare recipes in large batches so that portions may be frozen.  If your doctor allows it, you may eat the same food(s) more than once in the same day, if not freezing is a good option to save time on future meals when time is of the essence.
 
_  Keep appropriate dietary snacks with you when you’re away from home in case you are not able to eat the foods available.
 
_  Consider buying some specialty cookbooks for more recipe variety and information about the diet restrictions unique to you.  The internet or your local bookstore will be able to guide you to the proper books to buy.  If you don’t have the time to prepare meals from scratch, or maybe just don’t consider yourself to be much of a cook, consider many of the sources available to purchase  packaged foods that will meet your dietary restrictions.
 
_  And remember, think positive and look forward to the prospect of not only feeling better but the prospect of  possibly reintroducing some of your favorite foods back in to your diet. Your doctor will let you know if and when it may be appropriate to reintroduce these foods. Don’t be tempted to cheat on your diet or your recovery time and opportunity to reintroduce foods back into your diet will be extended.

GLUTEN-FREE/WHEAT-FREE DIET
 
www.glutensolutions.com - gluten-free products, recipes, shopping tips and more
www.glutenfree.com - recipes, buying resources
www.glutenfreemall.com - gluten-free products
www.gfmall.com - gluten-free and egg-free products
www.recipegoldmine.com/glutenfree/glutenfree.html - gluten-free, wheat-free recipes
 
EGG-FREE DIET
 
www.shopeggfree.com
http://allergies.about.com/od/recipesm/
 
MILK-FREE DIET
 
http://montanarob.homestead.com - recipes, links, cookbook
http://scc.uchicago.edu/allergymilk.htm - milk substitutes
www.dietitian.com/milk.html - milk and lactose intolerance FAQs
http://allergies.about.com/cs/recipesm - milk-free recipes
www.nomilk.com
 
MISCELLANEOUS
 
www.foodchoices.com - allergy-free shopping
www.foodallergy.org/allergens.html - tips for managing food allergies
www.foodallergyliving.com/cookbook - wheat, egg and dairy free recipes
www.foodallergy.org - allergy alerts, advocacy, FAQs, recipes and more
www.shopbydiet.com
www.glutenfreeliving.com - magazine for gluten-free diets
www.livingwithout.com - magazine for people with allergies
www.foodallergycookbook.com - allergy-free cooking
     
Commonwealth Medical Laboratories does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the company web links provided on this page.  These links are provided as a courtesy to help expedite your search for relevant food allergy sites.  We’re sure you will be able to find many more sites on your own that will provide you with valuable information.