When Good Foods Make Us Sick

(Lynda in her Arizona kitchen, April 2020)
Ain’t That a Kick in the Head!
See those yummy veggies? I eat them and more wholesome, cruciferous crunch every single day. I’m grateful that I’ve *always* loved veggies. And in the last 10 years, I’ve stepped it up a notch adding even more to my diet.
Good news, right? I’m doing what I’m supposed to--getting nourishment from whole, natural foods—carrots, cauliflower, peppers—the works.
But not so fast
Get this--I’m allergic to it—ALL of it.
More specifically, I’m allergic to nickel. Nickel is found in just about any natural food on the planet. You see, it’s in our soil so there’s no way to buy nickel-free foods.

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​Hey, no problem--here’s how doctors tell me I can avoid the element.
Nickel Food Allergy
1/Eat white rice, not brown
2/Eat white bread, not grain, oat or wheat
3/Eat processed chocolate, avoid 100% Cacao
4/No kale, spinach or other veggies
5/No salmon (nickel is in the oceans, too)

In Other Words..
Translation: Eat crappy, processed foods laced with chemicals—but no nickel.  That is crazy talk.
I can’t do it. I won’t do it. Switching from natural, healthy foods to man-made, fake foods is, by far, THE most counter-productive & idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.
Eczema, Oh My!
My issues started at the New Year. I began having extremely bad diarrhea, bloating & more after eating. I also developed eczema on my hands—the backs & palms. (See pics below)
I had a colonoscopy which showed a huge number of Eosinophils or white bloods cells attacking the enemy—a food source, not revealed from the colon test.
So, I began a battery of tests with an allergist.  The nickel allergy was uncovered, as well as one to sunflower seeds—which I was eating almost every day in my salads.
Elimination Diet
So, what does a holistic, healthy, vegetable eater do?  Well, I’m trying to determine which foods might be my biggest instigators. I’ve discovered two, so far: oats & Cacao.
I love my homemade granola—but I’ve drastically cut down on it. I love powdered cacao in my shakes but have avoided it for about a month. I’m hoping some brands might contain less nickel than others—so, I’m shopping around for that.
In the meantime, I’ll keep trying the “elimination” diet to figure out which are the worst offenders and I’ll make changes. For instance, if I find out spinach is bad for me, I’ll cut the amount I eat down but not out. I won’t give up good foods altogether.
Dreaming of Good "Bad" Foods
Wish this allergy thing made sense. I’d rather be allergic to things I shouldn’t eat--Peanut M&Ms--love that crunch!  Butterfinger Candy Bars-those Blizzards are delectable. And mint chocolate chip ice cream—perfect with strong black coffee!!
Do you have food allergies?  Share below how you deal with them. Hey, maybe we can help each other.
Make it a great—and safe & healthy—day!

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