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Caught by surprise... - Nick Niazian

A former language teacher and business administrator, I've spent much of the past 10 years researching food allergies, finding alternative foods, and adapting or creating recipes that are tasty and nutritious without posing an allergen threat to my loved ones or me. In my family there are multiple food allergies, some of them quite severe. My daughter is allergic to wheat and sunflower oil, while my mother (who lives with us) has only 30 ingredients on her "safe to eat" list, though olive oil and parsley (2 on her list) are hardly foods on their own! It's easier to tell people what she CAN eat rather than what she can't. I didn't have food allergies till I hit 40, but in the past five years I've had to cut from my diet all citrus, wheat, cocoa, cane sugar, barley malt, yogurt and peanuts.

In addition to constantly researching and adapting recipes and ingredients (my family calls me the Adapt-a-Recipe Queen), I write magazine articles, guidebooks and cookbooks about living well despite food allergies. I also maintain a blog on multiple food allergies (see "personal homepage" link). My focus on food allergies that are less commonly seen, or seen in addition to the "Top 8", arose from my observation that most information sources today still aren't much help with regard to what or how to eat when you have "OTHER" food allergies. My goal is to provide information that meets what I believe is a dire need for many more people than the currently estimated 12 milion Americans who have food allergies.

I'm constantly encountering more people whose lives are affected by multiple food allergies, and I believe that we have a lot of knowledge and support that we can offer to each other. I welcome and encourage your comments, questions, and sharing of experiences.