I can eat this now?
Imagine going through something like having allergies for four years as it starts go away and you can have a “normal” life again. Four years of food sensitivities and avoiding certain foods to “oh my gosh, I can eat chocolate again!” It’s such an amazing and life changing exerience.
I started questioning my food sensitivities and wondering what my body could handle. Wondering how much, if any, chocolate could I actually eat. That’s when I started to do experiments and eat 1 M&M a day, adding a M&M each day until I got to a full serving size and was able to eat a whole full size Hershey bar. That’s when my life changed. I was able to eat the chocolate no problem, which then I realized that I could handle soy lecithin and enjoy lots of different chocolates and candy again.
That lead me to question if I still have my food sensitivities or if reintroducing it back into my system worked at all. So, I started eating all these new foods or foods I haven’t eaten in years that has soy lecithin and/or canola oil in them. I tried Oreos, which have soy lecithin and palm and/or canola oil and those didn’t bother me. The only thing is how much canola oil, if any, is actually in an Oreo? So, it’s not really a good test for canola oil, but I can eat Oreos and I made a cookies and cream cake out of Oreos, a chocolate drip, and sprinkles on top, which all 3 are foods I couldn’t eat before. That’s a life changing and amazing feeling right there.
I then tried cereal with canola oil and had no reaction, which I started thinking that maybe I’m no longer sensitive so canola oil as well. But, then I tried gravy with canola oil in it and that hit me instantly, which leads me to think that I’m still somewhat sensitive to canola oil, but reintroducing soy lecithin worked. And if it worked for soy lecithin, maybe it can work for canola oil as well?
Still sensitive to canola oil or not, my life is still changing being able to handle soy lecithin. I’m eating all these foods that I’ve avoided for years, which is such a crazy and amazing feeling. Enjoying regular chocolate, ice cream with chocolate in it, Mickey shaped ice cream dipped in chocolate; getting me excited for the day to be able to eat one at Disney World, chips with soy lecithin in it, pretty much anything my heart desires.
I don’t even question foods anymore, I just kind of dig in, test it out, and find out. I’m eating restaurant foods without really questioning it, which is amazing. The other day, I got a pizza and didn’t even ask about the ingredients, ate it and enjoyed it no problem, and discovered a new pizza shop I can eat at. The ability to be able to eat and enjoy restaurant food with the rest of my family is crazy and amazing. I had chicken fingers and fries for the first time in years. Turns out this restaurant uses soybean oil, which is great, especially if I am still sensitive to canola oil, but I just dug in anyways without knowing or asking what oil they use. I then had a life changing and huge milestone for me eating reastuarant food. Not only did I get restaurant food (from the same restaurant where I got the chicken tenders and fries) I was able to enjoy a whole meal with fried chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, and a biscuit. And the best part, I got dessert from a restaurant, a giant chocolate chunk cookie, which the whole meal was delicious. Knowing that I can eat and enjoy, so far, two whole meals from a restaurant and dessert, especially without looking at the ingredients and questioning it, is insane and a huge game changer.
I’m so excited to enjoy other foods and eat from other restaurants without avoiding canola oil and soy lecithin. I can only hope that I am able to handle canola oil, which would be so weird and crazy. Which, I’m still testing out. If not, at least I can enjoy soy lecithin foods and only have to say that I can’t have canola oil. I look forward to the day that I have zero food sensitivities and can just enjoy all types of foods without worrying about a thing. But, for right now, I’m enjoying all these foods without worrying about soy lecithin, which is life changing enough and such a cool, crazy, amazing, mind blowing exerpience. Here’s to a new life!
Nicole's Story 