A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LIVING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
Mental health is an important topic within the food allergy world that isn’t always discussed. The day to day food allergy anxiety is something which the allergists do not tell you upon diagnosis; it is simply part of the learning process.
The stress from managing a new diagnosis feeds into parts of everyday life, from grocery stores, products, restaurants, social settings, traveling, and more. It can often feel like there are obstacles in every direction you look. It is often hard to find positive parts of living with a life threatening condition, so this makes having a healthy mentality difficult. Anxiety can build up, negative comments can be overwhelming, and the constant fear feels very constraining. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Food allergies are a defining part of your life, but not necessarily in a bad way.
If you cannot control having food allergies, learning to shift your mindset makes a world of a difference, and mentally, you will be more at ease. Train your mind to look at challenges in a new perspective, with a grounded sense of acceptance. Food allergies create a whirlwind of anxiety, emotions, and setbacks, so fostering a mentality that allows you to accept yourself and these challenges will ultimately create the healthiest mental state for you.
Instead of thinking about the limitations, focus on what you CAN eat. Start with the basics: fresh produce, protein, and basic ingredients. You can build the rest of your diet around these key, whole foods. More often than not, processed foods are overfilled with different allergens and labeling warnings. Fresh cooking and produce are the way to go. A diagnosis with food allergies uncovers the importance of what we put into our bodies. Cooking of yourself is empowering, you are in control. Putting your safety into someone else's hands is beyond stressful, so learn to cook and feel how freeing it is. Think of it as a new way to take care of your body and nutritional needs. Learn to focus on the basics, this perspective will simplify your lifestyle.
Practicing mindfulness, yoga, and using breathing techniques are simple ways to help shift your mindset and ground yourself. All of these strategies allow you to take a step back and rethink situations whether they relate to food allergies or not.
Mindset changes can be instrumental for how we focus on our daily lives and how we cope with and navigate conditions such as food allergies. Simple strategies and perspective tweaks can let you focus on taking care of yourself in a positive way as opposed to feeling the weight of allergy induced limitations. This new attitude will make a world of a difference.
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