I have read articles dealing with intolerance to foods and food allergies. When I read these articles there is always someone that will say that it is easy to deal with these. Well I have discovered that is really is hard to deal with my particular one. I suffer from an allergy to Monosodium Glutamate, MSG, or Autolyzed Yeast Extract as it is also known. I always have to read the ingredients list on anything I buy in the supermarket, because I never know if the ingredients have been changed or not since the last time I purchased it. Where a shopping trip may take some customers only 30 minutes I usually spend two hours in the store. All because I have to read the ingredients list. Have you ever tried to read small white print on a blue background or small black print on red? Well I have and it is not very easy. Sometimes I've put things back because I can not make out all the ingredients. Yes I know I can cook my own and that way I know exactly what is in it. Sometimes you want to be able to just grab something and stick in the microwave and heat it quickly. And sometimes you want to go out and eat. When you go out to eat there's the same situation, but it is compounded by the fact that restaurants don't always want to tell you everything that's in their food. So you can either trust the restaurant didn't put MSG in what I'm ordering, ask the waiter to find out for you, or ask to speak to the manager. Usually I end up asking the waiter and sitting there waiting for him or her to return and tell me that they were told it didn't. Then there's always that nagging little question in the back of my mind "Are they telling me the truth?" Obviously it is their main goal to sell me something so they can make money. Usually I end up eating steak because I know that it doesn't have anything additional in or on it. Well I have staked out certain restaurants in the area that I know do not use MSG in their food, which includes a couple of Chinese restaurants. I have however noticed one definitely great thing lately when I go to the supermarket to shop many of the ingredients list are showing two disodiums on them rather than monosodium glutamate as their flavor enhancers. Maybe they finally heard the outcry and decided it might be worth it to stop using MSG. Maybe now, people like me, can buy more different kinds of food without squinting our eyes trying to figure out what's in it.

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