Over the last couple of months, we have been trying to identify some intolerances in this house to make all of us look and feel better.  The hubs has had success removing a couple of things from his diet.  By removing olive oil and gluten containing skin care and makeup products, I have eliminated most of my dietary and skin allergic reactions.  No more welts and my cheekbones have reappeared – yeah!  I did not realize I had facial swelling until it went down; I thought I had just gained weight in my face.  Hello again, cheekbones.  I missed you!

We brought almonds into the house last month.  B is not allergic to tree nuts anymore, just peanuts.  However, most tree nuts are processed in the same plants as peanuts so he could not eat them due to cross-contamination.  Blue Diamond does not process peanuts nor share  processing equipment with peanuts.  It is so nice to be able to eat nuts!  We have offered them to B and he knows they are there whenever he is ready, but he won’t eat them; he says he is afraid.  I don’t buy it.

To further eliminate dietary issues that B and I have had for years, we are trying to go gluten-free.  There is no celiac disease, thank goodness, so it is not a life or death issue.  I can’t believe how good I feel on the days when I don’t eat any gluten and how fast gluten effects me if I do eat it.  B is having to adjust to his body functioning differently without gluten, but he is doing well with that.  However, he is starting to push back as we are cutting out more and more gluten containing foods.  His response to the hubs and I telling him something has gluten in it is, “I don’t care!”  *sigh*  Work in progress…