Allergic Girl Guide to Dating

By Sloane Miller

In this guide, Allergic Girl Sloane Miller shows how to best handle and address food allergies in your dating life.

Millions of Americans concerned about adverse reactions to food are seeking the advice of medical professionals and receiving a diagnosis of food allergies. Allergic Girl Sloane Miller, a leading authority on food allergies, has been allergic since childhood and lives a full, enjoyable life. With tested strategies and practical solutions to everyday food allergy concerns, Miller shows how readers can enjoy their lives too. Informed by personal narratives laced with humor and valuable insights, this is a breakthrough guide. 

If you’re single and dating with a severe dietary restriction and want to let someone new know, there are opportunities everywhere. Don't let food allergies hold you back in your dating life--start having that conversation in an easy yet informative way. Allergic Girl Guide to Dating will give you the tools to manage your medical diagnosis and create a sense of confidence and trust in yourself to navigate the dating world safely, effectively, and joyously with food allergies.

Enjoy your food-allergic life to the fullest. Let Allergic Girl show you how.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: May 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781118388341

Book preview

Introduction

May I have a sip of what you’re drinking?

Well . . .

That’s how the conversation started when I was out on a date recently. As a single Allergic Girl, I know that dating can feel overwhelming. Add food allergies to the mix, and it may feel like you should just give up altogether. I am here to show you that expressing your medical needs clearly and confidently can be a safe way to get to know your date.

Natural openings to have a conversation about your dietary restrictions happen all the time, even on a date with someone new. And you can make it an easy part of the conversation. My follow-up in the situation described above included sharing a new piece of information: I’d be happy to share with you. However, I have food allergies, so let’s get a second glass. It led to my date asking to know more about how he could keep me safe and asking me out again. It can be that easy.

As a food-allergy advocate, author, and life coach, I know that food allergies are real and serious. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis network, an estimated nine million adults in the United States have food allergies. Eight foods, known as the Top Eight—dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts—cause 90 percent of food-allergic reactions. But anyone can be allergic to anything at any time. Symptoms of a food-allergic reaction may include itchy mouth, tongue, and lips; hives; and respiratory or gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Anaphylaxis, the most severe reaction, is a rapid and potentially fatal onset of symptoms involving multiple bodily systems such as the skin, the GI tract, and the cardiovascular or respiratory.

As of right now, there is no cure for food allergies. The only treatment is avoidance of the known allergen. If you are exposed to a known allergen, allergists prescribe an autoinjector of Epinephrine as the first line of defense.

If you’re single and dating with a severe dietary restriction and want to let someone new know, there are opportunities everywhere. Start having that conversation in an easy yet informative way, and get your date on! This e-chapter of my book Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies will give you tools to manage your medical diagnosis and create a sense of confidence and trust in yourself to navigate the dating world safely,