I knew I had a problem with eating soy. That one wasn't very difficult for me to give up. I could still eat sushi; I just couldn't dunk it in soy sauce. No matter, it was still delicious. However, dairy oh, that one is hard. No more butter, milk, or cream meant no more cake, cookies, pizza, or ice cream, or, all my favorite foods. I actually grieved, as though someone close to me had died.

Over the past five years since I was diagnosed with soy and milk allergies, I have learned to adjust my diet and cooking methods so that I can still enjoy most of the foods that I love. It hasn't been easy, and I still cheat occasionally, especially on days of either great celebration or great pain. I happily devoured goat cheese and cake on my wedding day, and plowed through daily cafe au laits, croissants, and gelatos on a recent trip to France. And after each of our four miscarriages, my husband and I have drowned our sorrows in pizza and ice cream, knowing that the consequences are insignificant compared to our grief.

In order to avoid the hives, intestinal upsets, and various female complaints associated with cheating, I have adopted what I call a "Mediterranean caveman" diet. I can eat all the meat and vegetables I want, as long as they are not marinated in soy sauce or smothered in cheese that's the caveman part. My cooking is heavily dependent on olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs for flavor (the Mediterranean part). Baking isn't as easy, but I've found a few recipes and tweaked some others that use oil or palm shortening to make delicious cakes, breads, biscuits, and pies. I've discovered that highly spiced recipes like cinnamon-apple bread don't need the rich flavor of butter in order to be delicious.

Eating out at restaurants is like walking through a minefield. I tend to stick to a few local establishments where I have cultivated friendships with the staff. They always look out for me, and let me know what I can eat, or what can be modified so that it's safe for me. I avoid the corporate chain restaurants the wait staff at those places tends to be appallingly uneducated allergies and about food in general. I hope that that will change, as allergies (sadly) have become more prevalent.

Meanwhile, I'll keep playing with soy- and dairy-free recipes, trying new products, and searching for helpful websites. And I can always gloat about how my diet has lowered my cholesterol level to all of my dairy-eating friends!

Learn more about this author, Avery Murphree.
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