The forbidden fruit

Okay, so it's been waaaay too long. I've neglected my poor blog once again, however this time it was in the name of dissertation writing, which is now done and dusted. After five months I'm finally inspired to write once again. It's not because I'm moving to another country (different city, yes. Country, no), it's not because I'm running another marathon (thanks to injuring myself doing the last three), it's not because I'm obsessing about cheesy chips (trying to kick that habit...nothing to carb up for really) and it's not because of the recent (and fairly frequent) radio play of another Sleepy Panda Club track. Heck, it's not even about the other amazing developments in my life....like completing my MA dissertation about Illegitimacy in Eighteenth Century Wales, or partnering up someone who I can actually say supports, respects and challenges me and has similar values, interests and ambitions...for once in my life (look mom, miracles do happen). This blog is not because of any of that.

This post is dedicated to something that seems so mundane, so simple, so...boring. But for me, represents several years of frustrated denial, inconvenience and overall unfortunate-but-necessary ridiculousness. Today I ate...an apple.

I repeat. Today I ate an apple.

I'm sure lots of people ate apples today, but this was the first one I've eaten in over two years thanks to a sudden and extreme case of oral allergy syndrome that set in several years ago. The last apple was a test to see if I had gotten over it. It didn't end well.

For anyone whose been in my presence over the last few years while I've attempt to consume a meal not prepared by myself or by my mother you know what a pain I can be. For over three years the list of things I can eat is shorter than the list of things I can't. To make matters worse, I'm allergic to the things that most allergy suffers use as replacements...such as rice, and worst of all corn. However slowly but surely I'm claiming those back one by one. I still have to avoid a few foods, but today is a massive landmark. I ate an apple. A juicy, crisp, delicious Pink Lady apple. And nothing adverse happened.

Unlike Eve my temptation to eat an apple came from the BBC and not a devil dressed up as a snake. Unable to sleep one night I decided to watch a documentary about apples in Britain. As I drifted off the delectable juiciness was etched into my subconscious and I awoke with a fierce craving for the delectable tree fruit.

I was told my allergies to certain foods might subside after a few years of strict avoidance, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly. Since I spend far too much time thinking about this and obviously need a proper hobby, I've come to the conclusion that it is a direct result of three things.

1. Living in a different environment, thereby reducing my exposure to the pollens in western Canada that my allergies are linked to

2. Careful avoidance of certain foods which has allowed my body to get over its fussiness

3. And perhaps most importantly, excessive consumption of substances containing a trace amount of the allergen...what I react to in fruits is mostly removed during cooking or processing...such as the cider making process. 

This past year in Wales has apparently done me a world of good in more ways than I had anticipated.

Thank you cider. Thank you.