But What Will I cook?

I have lots of allergies. I've always suffered, but it is something I've always dealt with. This year, allergies dealt me a huge blow.
I finally had enough, and I called my allergist looking for answers. Unfortunately, his answers were not the answers I was hoping for. After a long and arduous process of shots, eating foods followed by more shots, a food diary, and a RAST test- I finally found out that I have Oral Allergy Syndrome.

Finally, an answer. When I was in high school, I had a perpetually itchy mouth. There were stomach problems. I would collapse into a ball of misery. It subsided for a while in college, but flared back up again. I had my stomach scoped, numerous blood tests, and saw lots of physicians. They knew there was something wrong, but there were no answers. I wasn't a celiac and I wasn't allergic to the typical (soy, nuts or milk).

Finally, a doctor has been able to figure it out. This diagnoses makes so much sense for me. It explains almost two decades of suffering, and I am so glad that I have a chance to feel better. Unfortunately, this means that I will be cutting a LOT of foods out of my diet. It's an exhaustive list, and I'm still figuring out what I can eat to avoid getting sick. When you have OAS, some foods should be avoided altogether based on the severity of the reactions. Some fruits and vegetables can be "denatured" through cooking. I'll be able to eat those foods only when cooked (like apples, for example. )

Sadly, here is a list of foods that must be auf'd. I'm Heidi Klum bidding inadequate designers goodbye. Except I'm saying goodbye to fruit. And some vegetables. And some bad seeds. Goodbye melons and bananas. Goodbye pickles and herbal tea. I must bid you all adieu:

Melons (cantaloupe, honeydew & watermelon)
Bananas
Pecans
Cucumbers
Artichokes
herbal tea (echinacae, chamomile or hibiscus)
coriander
Sunflower seeds
Flax seeds