These days many families seem to have at least one person who has an allergy. So, what difference does it make to a marriage when one partner has an allergy? If you or your spouse has an allergy, you might find the next two blogs helpful.
Allergies have been on my mind a lot lately, partly because I recently reviewed a new book about allergy-safe family food and partly because I live with allergies.
For years I struggled with pain so that I was unable to function at times. It took a long while before we discovered the cause was intolerance to wheat and gluten.
The first time Mick and I went shopping after the diagnosis, it took us hours as we had to stand and read every label. And sometimes it’s not obvious because the ingredients are identified but a code, so it meant him looking up the list while I read out the ingredients of whatever product we were looking at.
Wheat and gluten allergy doesn’t just mean cutting out bread and cakes – that would be easy as I’ve never been a bread and cake person. It’s the sneaky wheat and gluten included in so many other products. Corn flour unless is specifies otherwise is made from wheat. You need to find corn flour made from corn. Many mayonnaises, sauces and prepackaged products contain wheat sometimes in less obvious forms. E.g. glucose syrup is made from wheat. Glucose syrup is in most ice-cream, unless it says it has glucose syrup from maize or corn. Most brands of cornflakes still contain wheat and gluten unless otherwise specified, even some spices do. You learn to read labels carefully and not just assume.
Mick was adamant he didn’t want me cooking two separate meals, especially since there were only the two of us. I am thankful he is so understanding of the problem. I can’t imagine how difficult with would be to have a husband that was not so cooperative and helpful. And yet it happens. I’ve heard of other families, where the wife and mother has ended up cooking two or three different meals because someone has an allergy or doesn’t like a particular food. As Mick says, it needs a bit of give and take in a marriage where one has an allergy.
Tomorrow I’ll give some more tips on ways to deal with an allergy in your marriage.
Please visit these related blogs
A Blind Date Leads to Love and Marriage
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Soft Tacos
Married Life: A Tale of Give and Take