Amy's Allergic to WHAT??

I have a lot of food allergies. Yup, it bothers me a lot more than it bothers you, trust me :) A lot of people ask me, "What exactly ARE you allergic to, Amy?" Sometimes I joke that a better question would be, what am I NOT allergic to!! But in all seriousness, here is my answer, a permanent link for you to use, should you choose to, to determine what I am in fact allergic to:

My worst allergies:

• Soy (except, for some reason, fermented versions, like soy sauce or tofu; also, the tiny amount of soy lecithin in chocolate bars doesn't seem to be a problem.)
• Garlic (in all forms...yes, even garlic powder....and yes, even a little bit is a serious problem and I won't be able to go near it!)
• Shallots
• Mushrooms (only exception: white button mushrooms)

I can't eat these in any form:

• almonds
• hazelnuts (although I can eat certain chocoates or ice creams with hazelnut creme, as long as there's no actual nut)

I cannot eat these raw;  Well-cooked is fine:

• apples
• bean sprouts
• cantalope
• carrots
• celery
• cherries
• chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• everything in the birch/alder families
• honeydew
• macadamia nuts
• mangos
• nectarines
• peaches
• pears
• peas
• peppers
• pineapple
• plums
• raw beans
• red wine (sulfa)
• strawberries
• sunflower seeds
• For more information on these items, please visit the Wikipedia page on Oral Allergy Syndrome.

I strongly dislike vinegar, olives, pepper, hot & spicy foods (they hurt to eat and make me ill afterwards), and okra.  I have yet to find a meat that I don't love (yes, this includes offal!), adore fish, and am a fond friend of fowl!  My body has no problems with milk products, wheat, or anything I haven't listed above!