When I was a child I got sick a lot. I found out that one of the reasons why I got sinus infections and colds all the time was that I’m allergic to wheat and dairy. It would get me all congested and sometimes end up in a sore throat.

Everything has wheat and dairy in it. I thought my life was over and I would never be able to enjoy eating again. Well, that was not true.

I have found alternatives in all my foods. For breads, I buy rice, millet, oat, spelt and almond varieties. My favorites are millet and oat, mainly because they are softer. These do not have dairy in them either.

As for avoiding dairy, I have to admit that I miss my cheese. I had to switch to soy, rice or goat cheese. The milk was easy to fix because I wasn’t all that crazy about it anyway. I now drink rice, coconut, almond or chia milk. Almond milk is the best substitute for baking. And watch out — I am a great baker. I was raised in a family of nine and my German father did most of the cooking; he taught me everything. He wasn’t a chef but I used to tease him that he missed his calling and should have been one.

I give out great recipes for meals and snacks to my clients and plan on creating my own gluten-free and dairy-free recipe book soon.