Allergy update

[mrspunkysmom]

Tea is tea is tea. You will have to stick to herbal teas from now on. Green, white and red or black tea are all the same plant, just picked at different stages and processed differently.

White potatoes means yams and sweet potatoes are safe for you - funny enough the opposite is true for me, white is fine, sweet is bad. And while you only tested as allergic to pecans, be careful around other "tree" nuts from now on. Peanuts will be fine, though!

An endocrinologist is your next bet, anything to do with thyroid and hormones is their pervue.

Ugh and drats, and herbal teas seem to have chamomile in them and chamomile puts me out for a long while and I'm sleepy the next day. Don't like coffee. Don't like overy sweet drinks so Sodas are out. I do drink some diet sodas.

I new that black tea underwent certain processes to make green and white tea, but not the other teas. Variant was a poor choice of words, but the outcome is the same. Can't have black teas. Drats and double drats.

It was suggested that if I eat a lot of pecans, and I do, that the test could be a false positive. (Had weak positive values?) So I'll avoid pecans for a few weeks and run a test.

I wonder if cabbage, spinach, and other greens are related to lettuce?

I thought a endocrinologist, too, although I'm not fond of them, but he suggested an Internist that has a broader education and if necessary, the Internist could refer me to whatever specialists are needed. I have too many problems that need to be coordinated by one person. I like my new doctor, so maybe she can help be the coordinator.

[Karen]

I wonder if cabbage, spinach, and other greens are related to lettuce?

Cabbage is not related to lettuce, nor is spinach. Raddiccio and kale are related to cabbage, as are broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens and a couple others. Spinach is elated to neither lettuce nor cabbage.

So you should be good with most other greens that are not lettuce.

For my part, the whole cabbage family is evil and bad (I miss broccoli) but lettuce and spinach are still okay!

[Karen]

I have to avoid chamomile tea also, and have found lots that do not have it. Most brands of tea now have herbal lines as well. Stash teas does a lovely Cinnamon Cardamom spiced tea - no "tea" and no chamomile, mint teas, and cinnamon teas also are good ones to try, as well as many fruit teas. I am allergic to many fruits, especially citrus, so cannot list any off the top of my head, as even the blueberry tea has citrus in it, sigh. I have some Celestial Seasonings $1 off a box coupons that don't expire until April 15 - want a couple?

Did you know chamomile is related to ragweed? That's why my very first allergist told me to never drink it, and I had never really liked the taste of it anyway!

And yes, I am full of info about allergies, am somewhat of an expert by necessity, rather than choice. Everyone in my family starts out with the "default set" of pollens and dust mites and then we develop and discover more as time goes on. One brother is not allergic to cats, the rest of us are to some degree, my sister is basically allergic to anything with fur or feathers, but is planning on maybe getting a dog after she retires and is actually home enough to take care of one! She got shots for nearly 15 years, and they got rid of almost all her tree and grass pollen allergies entirely, but didn't even make a dent in the dog and cat allergies, sadly.

[mrspunkysmom]

I have to avoid chamomile tea also, and have found lots that do not have it. Most brands of tea now have herbal lines as well. Stash teas does a lovely Cinnamon Cardamom spiced tea - no "tea" and no chamomile, mint teas, and cinnamon teas also are good ones to try, as well as many fruit teas. I am allergic to many fruits, especially citrus, so cannot list any off the top of my head, as even the blueberry tea has citrus in it, sigh. I have some Celestial Seasonings $1 off a box coupons that don't expire until April 15 - want a couple?

Looks like I have some tea to give away. I'll check some of the stash teas and see what's available here. Citrus is in everything or so it seems.

Did you know chamomile is related to ragweed? That's why my very first allergist told me to never drink it, and I had never really liked the taste of it anyway!

I'm not allergic to ragweed, but chamomile still knocks me out. Probably been the cats and Johnson grass all these years. They didn't test for Bradford Pears and I wish they had. Got three of the in the yard.

Looks like I have some tea to give away. Sigh!

And yes, I am full of info about allergies, am somewhat of an expert by necessity, rather than choice. Everyone in my family starts out with the "default set" of pollens and dust mites and then we develop and discover more as time goes on. One brother is not allergic to cats, the rest of us are to some degree, my sister is basically allergic to anything with fur or feathers, but is planning on maybe getting a dog after she retires and is actually home enough to take care of one! She got shots for nearly 15 years, and they got rid of almost all her tree and grass pollen allergies entirely, but didn't even make a dent in the dog and cat allergies, sadly.

Sounds like me and food ingredients, especially grains ad wheat gluten. Spunky has had problems with wheat and corn since a kitten. He gets the runs if he eats food with wheat gluten so he hasn't had gluten in a few years, longer than Ive known about Celiac disease.

Thanks for your help. Looks like I need to research food plants, too, and learn how species are related.

[Karen]

Looks like I have some tea to give away.
Thanks for your help. Looks like I need to research food plants, too, and learn how species are related.

The good news is, you can make little gift baskets and put the various teas in them and give them to friends!

My beloved allergy doctor gave me a list of what plants are related to what. If I can find it, maybe I'll type it in for you, it had been photocopied many times and could use resetting anyway!

[mrspunkysmom]

The good news is, you can make little gift baskets and put the various teas in them and give them to friends!

My beloved allergy doctor gave me a list of what plants are related to what. If I can find it, maybe I'll type it in for you, it had been photocopied many times and could use resetting anyway!

Gift baskets? What a lovely idea! And thank you for the list. I look forward to it.

[Karen]

You're welcome! And I meant to add, my regular supermarket doesn't carry Stash teas, but the big wine and liquor store (and gourmet deli and foods) place does, just in case! Their ginger peach tea is completely scrumptious - and no chamomile in that! I am now allergic to peaches, but before I was, it was one of my very favorites!