I know a person who does the “trendy allergy of the month” thing. She’s my daughter’s former MIL. I wonder if a poster up thread is my daughter’s former BIL, because his description of her sounds EXACTLY like ole’ crazy pants.
As far as I know, I’m only allergic to two foods, pecans and walnuts. It’s only a mild allergy, but I love pecans and so I’ll still eat them, even if it does terrible things to my mouth (basically causes the skin to come off, as if my mouth had been exposed to some sort of acid…sorry! I know, gross). I don’t like walnuts so I don’t eat them, but I don’t tell people I’m allergic to them in order to get special menu privileges or something, in fact it’s just the opposite, I usually reassure people who do know, that it’s only a mild allergy, and that the walnuts or pecans they have in their recipe aren’t going to hurt me (much :D).
I confess that I lie and say I’m allergic to chocolate all the time. For some reason people just CAN NOT accept that I don’t enjoy eating it, plus it can be a migraine trigger so it’s better for me to just avoid it.
I don’t get any kind of sick when I eat it, it’s just not worth the calories or the small chance of migraine so I decline, and people get just crazy. But it’s really good chocolate! You have to have some! Just a taste!
Since these people usually can’t take -no thank you- for an answer I just lie and say oh gosh, that looks great but I’m allergic, have some for me!
moejoe, let me preface this by saying I have no doubt that chocolate gives you migraines, but you should not say you are “allergic” to it. An allergic reaction is a specific thing, and I may be wrong, but you don’t sound like you are “allergic” to chocolate.
Again, I have no doubt that chocolate can trigger a migraine, it is a well known trigger for migraines, but don’t describe it as an allergy. That’s a specific thing, and what you have is not an allergy. So just tell the truth. Don’t say “I can’t eat chocolate because I’m allergic” People are going to rightly call bullshit on that. Say “I can’t eat chocolate because it may trigger a migraine”, because that’s the truth.
I have never liked the taste of chocolate. That’s what I tell people when I am offered some. When I was a kid I would tell people that I was allergic so that they would STFU and leave me alone when I told them that I didn’t want any.
Well I’ll pony up with a cite that supports that belief. Delaying exposure to potential food allergens, trying to avoid them for the first year or so of life, has been the main means of trying to prevent food allergies. I referenced the studies that show that such might be counterproductive already.
Again, the more definitive longer term prospective study is in progress.
Meanwhile an aside - I get migraines but the only times they have been the real killer ones have been after I ate mussels. It took me a few times to put it together. Since then when my wife and I are out and I’ve needed to ask if a dish contains mussels my wife has sometimes piped up that I am allergic to them. To which I’ve chimed in, “no not allergic, it triggers migraines” - Her response: “A normal person would say they were allergic.”
I did think we mostly agreed, DSeid, and you also make me question myself regarding my advice to moejoe. Most people aren’t going to care, or even know, the difference between a food allergy and a migraine trigger. After the initial question of “why don’t you want to eat that?” it is probably easier to just say “I’m allergic” and be done with it rather than risk having to teach an impromptu Nursing class on migraine headaches.
Can we compromise with, “Oh, no thanks, I’m allergic. Well…it gives me migraines.”?
That way I don’t have to live in fear that the delicious scent of my chocolate bar wafting in your general direction is going to make you stop breathing, and the ignorant can stay ignorant.
I tell people, “She’s not *allergic *to gluten, but I’d rather not be up at 1:30 with a sick kid. If she accidentally eats something with wheat, don’t panic, just let me know so I can set my alarm.”
I’ve stopped saying “I’m allergic” in most contexts because of how the word has been corrupted, misused, and hijacked by assholes and idiots. Now I say “It doesn’t agree with me.” If there is persistence I say “I don’t want to break the mood/cause inconvenience/etc. by becoming ill during your event/in your restaurant/whatever)” I don’t know why, but that seems to work better for some reason.
I expect I’ll have to change strategies again in 5 years.
Talking about migraines is often even more annoying than getting pressured to try just a little bit because it’s chocolate! How can you not like chocolate! I’ve had people actually argue with me that “pure” chocolate wont cause migraines or gosh wouldn’t it be worth it to enjoy something this delicious? Not to mention the stories about oh gosh I had a migraine this morning too, it was so bad I had to take two aspirin instead of my usual one! I’m willing to chance the bad karma of telling a small lie to avoid all of that.
Lately it seems that “I’m allergic” has become the new “no means no”.
Just fucking bite me. Guin. I used to like you, but you attacked me in two different threads simultaneously without adding to either discussion. If you have a problem with me personally, pit me personally.
Sure. They’re well-intentioned most of the time; they just think you’re turning it down to be polite and you really do in fact want some.
I hate that little bit of protocol for that exact reason. If someone says no, how do you decide whether they mean no or they’re just being polite? It’s easier just to take them at their word.
Apropos of not much, I’m reminded of a time a was a bit of clueless asshole:
Friend: I can’t eat that. monkey: C’mon man, I smoked these things for six hours. Just look at those ribs, the meat is falling off the bone! Friend: I just can’t eat it, man. monkey: You’re not turning all vegetarian in me, are you? When did you lose your balls so much that you can’t eat some pork ribs? Friend: I’m Jewish. monkey: :smack:
I knew he was Jewish beforehand, I just fucking forgot.
This thread reminds me of the comment I made, rather indelicately, when my wife mentioned that someone we know is a picky eater. Before thinking, I said, “Judging from her size, she’s not too damned picky.”