Oh the sniffing, the sneezing!
Thankfully, I’m not yet wheezing.
It’s that time of year
when being outside causes fear.
How long can I last
before the final pollen is cast?
I try to stay upbeat
never wanting to admit defeat.
But, alas, I cannot keep up the fight
as my puffy eyes decrease my sight.
I cannot pretend anymore it is funny
that my nose is always runny.
So, it’s back inside I go
losing again to nature – my greatest foe!
π
~T π₯πβοΈ
So my husband often takes the piss out of me for any number of reasons. If you are not up on your British terminology, this means to tease or make fun of me. The majority of the time I find it aggravating and near annoying when he does it because I lack full appreciation for humor. π
Because he is a bit of a drama queen – yes, I mean QUEEN! – he assumes that other people are as well. Therefore, when I have told him that I am allergic to apples, egg whites, beetroot, chocolate etc. he assumes I am also being overly dramatic. Since my reaction is fairly mild when I consume these things, he tends not to take me seriously or if he does, I get zero sympathy. π
A few years back, my mother insisted that I get myself tested for allergies as I have never been stung by a bee, but had a massive reaction to bee pollen when I tried it at a farmer’s market. So, I did an allergy test here in the UAE as well as a cheap one back in the States. In the States, I was given an epi pen prescription, but – of course – I have never used them nor renewed it. The test here gave the results mentioned above.
The doctor in the US gave me a sheet of paper of all the items that I may be allergic to with some varying degrees because I also have extreme seasonal allergies.
Just a few days ago, my BFF shared this article with me proving that I am not nearly as insane as my husband might like to attribute to me. I am not saying I am not insane – just not nearly as… :P!
This past weekend, I met someone who understood my tingling symptoms post alcohol. He suggested that I may be diabetic…. The funny thing is that a doctor once suggested this to me when I was tested for hypoglycemia and told I was not. My understanding of diabetes then made me balk at the suggestion; therefore, I was never tested for it. May have been a mistake…as that was a number of years ago….
Anyway, it is a real thing to be only slightly allergic to things and even possibly to be diabetic despite eating fairly well and staying fit…. Oh the joys of life! π
~T π
There has been a lot of talk about paraben-free products for a while and generally I have not paid a lot of attention to it as I have sensitive skin and most of the time avoid overly chemically products. However, I did not realize that parabens are everywhere and that sulphates are just as bad. For me, I have always avoided high alcohol products or those free of fragrance and dyes. Little did I know how hard it would be to also find totally organic and natural products.
Living in the UAE makes it nearly impossible to find ‘health’ products let alone chemically free items. Since I was coming home this year, I decided to make a giant leap and try to switch myself to what I could find.
So far, I have tried new shampoo, conditioner and face wash by Alba Botanica. While it does not say on the website that it is a Hawaiian-based company, the products show them as Hawaiian…. All the more reason to love them. π In any case, I have really liked the products so far and the best part is that you can find their products in Fred Meyers, Whole Foods, Safeways or Walmarts. This shows it is not necessarily a specialty item that one has to pay a fortune for.
Before I found the Alba Botanica products, I had read a lot about Dr Bronner‘s products. I first came across this name when I was looking for how to make organic toothpaste. So, when I got home, I ordered a few items to try out while I am here and then could possibly get it delivered to AD when I go back. The items arrived today and I have not yet tried them, but will give it a go this week to see how I like them. So far, from the use of just the lotion I can say that I’m a bit unsure since the lavender smell is quite strong and not necessarily something I want to smell all day long. However, I will see. Truthfully, though, if I can get Alba Botanica just as easily….
Moving on from bath products, I started to consider make-up. When I first started wearing make-up as a teen, I used Clinique, which seems to be many young ladies’ first brand. As time passed, I switched to MAC because it is quite popular and I generally haven’t worn a lot of make-up, so when I did I wanted a brand that was well-known and consistent. Overall, I have been happy with MAC. However, a while ago a friend mentioned that they do test on animals and that, in fact, they are not all that natural. So, I considered a change and perhaps finding a brand that was a bit cheaper and more matching to me (ie not trendy!).
So, I started to search organic, paraben-free, etc. make-up products. Some common names came up, such as Bare Escentuals (Bare Minerals), Kiehls (some products), Korres, Tarte, Nars, etc. Many of these products are found in Sephora, which I have come to love lately and know that I can find in AD. Thus, the other day I ventured out with the intent of changing my entire make-up line. While I had initially thought I could do the Bare Minerals products since it seemed to be more highly advertised, when I arrived at the store, the lady helping me showed me Tarte, Korres and another brand as the Sephora-approved organic/natural names.
Therefore, I ended up with my second interest – Tarte – since most of their products use Amazonian clay, which just sounds cool. π
As I was getting the make-up, I began to look at face moisturizers as it is hard for me to find brands that I really like or that do not cause my face to become even oilier than it already is…. My good friend in AD had introduced me to the Greek brand, Korres, which is on the natural list. Their make-up line was a bit more limited, but they do have a nice line of bath and body products. So, I decided to use them for my face lotions and it has been a good choice so far!
This ends my post on transitioning to more natural products for my body. I hope that it will be a good and wise choice in the long run. The happiest part is that really the products have not been outrageously expensive as they have been in the past. So, I’m quite happy that the natural trend is catching on and that it’s not a bad trend I am joining. π
-T π
Earlier this year, I had some allergy tests done via blood in Abu Dhabi. The results showed I am allergic to most of the things I had expected and a few surprises. However, I was not totally satisfied with just the blood tests.
So, my mom made an appointment for me at a local allergist and I got a lot more information from him.
Basically, I am highly sensitive to a number of things on my skin and many outdoor histamines. Due to some of my outdoor allergies, I may be allergic or become allergic to a number of food items that come from the trees or plants that I have allergies to. However, this does not mean that I have to avoid eating everything, but to be more aware of what I eat and how I react.
To give some peace of mind in case I do eat something my body doesn’t like, I was given an epipen to carry around for emergencies.
Also, I am taking more allergy meds than I’m used to, which I believe is causing me to be sleepier than I usually am. So, I have to adjust the timing of when I take the meds since going to sleep before 10pm and waking up around 4am is not quite ideal. π
Anyway, it is good to have a little more knowledge about my crazy body chemistry.
-T π
