The Challenge Is On!

So my food challenge continues! This time, though, there are some reactions to report. To be honest, I wasn’t completely surprised with the results. Orange and Strawberry

Ten minutes after I ate a half of an orange, my face broke out with bumps. This has happened before —  around my mouth — so it wasn’t a total shock. Similarly, immediately after I ate a few strawberries, my entire body began to itch — my scalp, arms, legs, face, etc. I have never really craved strawberries, so I’m confident that I won’t miss them in my everyday diet going forward. It is unfortunate though that I had this reaction since strawberries are commonly found in fruit salads and desserts … but such is life.

Mushroom and Peas

Disclaimer: The only reason I reintroduced these two food items is because they are cooked into many different casseroles, soups, etc., not because I actually like them. I usually pick the mushrooms and peas out of my meals (if they are large enough to see). To consume them, I ate truffle fries and included peas in my stir fry. Neither caused an allergic reaction, so I’m safe if they wind up in a future meal somehow.

Lettuce

In my elimination diet, the only lettuce I could have was spinach, kale, greens, and cabbage — no romaine, iceberg, butter lettuce, etc. I was ok with not having salad during this diet, but the lack of lettuce did cause problems when it came to tacos. I love a good plate of tacos, but when you can’t have lettuce or tomato, it makes them so much less enjoyable. My only reaction to the lettuce was a little bloating, which is nothing I can’t deal with every once in awhile. I won’t be able to eat this everyday, but occasional is better than never.

Stay tuned for the final post regarding my food challenge when I reintroduce tomatoes.