One thing that the development of my propylene glycol allergy has done is to make me a human detector of certain chemicals in food. I haven’t figured out all the quirks of my condition yet, but a closing throat is a pretty clear symptom. I have read recently about the conditions of Chinese-grown organic foods […]
This is a follow-up to my initial post discussing the possible causes of chemical contamination, particularly with propylene glycol, in commercial eggs, especially North American eggs. I mentioned in my first post about eggs that I wanted to try some unwashed eggs from free-range, organic birds to test to see whether the level of chemical contamination […]
My grandfather is ill and dying, and I sit here, at home, writing. I sit because I’ve been searching in despair for three days for some kind of vehicle that might help me travel 10,000 km, across mountains and plains, forests and straits, and not have my skin peel off or my throat close up. […]
There are anecdotal reports of nickel in sweat causing contact dermatitis, but I wanted to look into the science of this phenomenon to see if it had any scientific backing. Google is my friend. Here’s what I found: The first study I came across examined the incidence of nickel in bodily fluids after people were fed […]
As people start trying to use healthier and safer body and home care products, they start to actively avoid certain key ingredients. One of the most common sets of ingredients to avoid is known amongst the healthy living crowd and blogosphere as “sulphates” (or the American spelling, “sulfates”, not to be confused with sulphites/sulfites). There […]
We know that people with food allergies can become sensitized to their food allergen to such a degree that they can no longer even be around the smell of the food, or touch it, as for example with peanuts. What about the reverse? What if you have a contact allergy, preventing you from being around […]
In my original post about safer feminine hygiene products, I said that I was having problems with my Diva Cup. Although I loved the function of the cup, despite my less common difficulties with its effectiveness, it was causing problems.
I went last week for my dental cleaning. The procedures I put in place last time worked wonderfully. The assistant avoided wearing any extra personal care products, worked quickly, and used only plain powder pumice to polish my teeth, rather than a flavoured paste. You may remember that I stopped using nylon dental floss, toothpaste, and […]
Today I continue my investigation of whether propylene glycol could be present in foods to which I previously thought I had an intolerance. I’ve been intolerant of dairy for about 10 years now, experiencing extreme intestinal distress. That distress, gassiness, and discomfort are some of the symptoms I experience from eating propylene glycol. Could I […]
I’ve been intolerant of eggs for a long time. My more recent discovery that eating propylene glycol has been causing me symptoms like stomach upset have led me to reexamine my food intolerances. Here’s what I learned about eggs: Eggs directly from a bird are covered with a biological coating known as the cuticle. This […]
Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. It’s been a very stressful week. Back before Christmas, my husband received a very casual offer of job seven hours’ drive from our current location. It was an area that we wanted to move to, but the offer was for an entry-level position and my husband is […]
This came up a little while ago in my comments section on another post. It was mentioned that things treated with ethylene oxide should be avoided by people with glycol allergies. Specifically the claim was made that ethylene oxide was used to sterilize spices, and thus spices should be avoided. I thought I’d investigate this […]
Homeopathy is medication by extremely dilute quantities of toxic substances. The idea is that an ailment can be effectively treated by a substance that causes that symptom to occur in a healthy individual. In homeopathic theory, the more dilute the substance, the more potent the effect. Some homeopathic remedies (ones considered the most potent) are […]
I’ve had to very closely examine my diet over the past while. I knew that wheat and oats caused me digestive problems, but I figured I was imagining things or that the problem was in other ingredients used with the wheat and oats. I’ve found propylene glycol in the most unexpected places, but one of […]
Today almost exactly marks the anniversary of a very low point in my life. It was two years ago yesterday that I visited a hospital emergency room in a plea for some medical assistance. I had been suffering with the symptoms of my allergies steadily growing worse for two years, not having a clue what […]
Today is Family Day! In honour of Family Day, we will be spending time with our family. We will return on Friday.
As you may remember, I was feeling rather ill early in the week. I’ve had a nasty cold since last Friday, in which my throat was on fire and coughing was a killer. One day I drank apple cider vinegar and raw honey all day [Homemade Cough Syrup and Other Remedies], the next I decided […]
Readers of my blog have no doubt noticed that I’ve focused a lot on glycol-based molecules recently. My expanding allergic symptoms to those particular chemicals have prompted me to have to learn a lot more about them, and this is the result. Rest assured that there will be more areas of focus than just propylene […]
Due to illness, today’s blog post will be delayed until later in the Wednesday this week. Please bear with us – we’ll be back soon. Default to Nature
It’s an interesting conundrum: When you’ve started to remove allergens and experience relief from symptoms, how do you know when your body is functioning normally again? How do you know when your body is experiencing no more allergy symptoms? If you’re anything like me or the people whose stories I’ve read, you suffered from allergy […]
Just over a year ago, an allergist gave me a patch test that changed my life. Those chemical-filled patches taped all over my back helped him to identify five contact allergens that answered a lot of questions about why I had been feeling so awful, inside and out. A year later I am still learning […]
I spoke on Monday about tooth brushing and cleaning. Part of the reason for doing this is that I have had some persistent gum erosion and tooth sensitivity, and I wanted to determine if nylon fibres, with their possible isothiazolinone contamination were at least partially to blame. Nylon is used as the bristles in most […]
It hit me a few weeks ago – if nylon is a possible isothiazolinone contamination issue due to MI’s presence in the lubricating oils used while manufacturing the fibre, what about my toothbrush? Every drug store and commercial outlet sells nylon-bristled toothbrushes, seen to be the best in modern tooth care. Meanwhile, I’ve been having […]
This is a concept that has been zig-zagging through my head for the past while. Honestly, it was more a group of concepts, but one key trigger seems to be bringing the situation into clearer focus. I’m not a doctor, but I think this theory bears investigation. About Allergies Allergy symptoms I have experienced: Runny […]
Recently in one of the allergy Facebook groups of which I’m a part someone asked an interesting question: If you’re covering your pillow with multiple layers of organic cotton, but allergic to the pillow’s fill, does what’s inside the pillow really matter? This question was a very timely one for me, because I changed all […]