We all know that one critical element to a relationship is supporting the other person as much as is reasonable and possible. When a person has a health condition, this is particularly important and the choices a spouse or partner makes can often make the difference between success and failure. When the medical challenge is a wheat allergy, partner support becomes even more critical and difficult to manage as the changes in diet are so massive that virtually everyone involved either has to adapt to the new diet or two diets have to be pursued at the same time.
If a person has a heart condition or high blood pressure, which is very common, making dietary changes together is easier because they both are diseases we all can relate to without having to go through them ourselves. Intolerance to wheat, however, is difficult to fathom because it is tough to pinpoint symptoms, not usually life threatening and the dietary changes required are quite extreme. Support through this, however, is critical.
The natural reaction of a spouse or partner is to show some reluctance towards dropping wheat products from their diets with their spouse or partner. This means not having relatively common foods like non-organic ice cream, soups or other products containing wheat or wheat protein. This can be both a shock to the system, costs more, is not as good tasting compared to what people are normally used to (although it is improving) and requires a very high degree of attention when choosing foods.
Showing support for a spouse in this matter makes it much easier for them to make the life changes needed to deal with this condition. Additionally, helping the wheat allergic person does not necessarily mean making dietary changes for both people involved, although that does make it easier in terms of shopping and diet. There are many ways to be supportive of a spouse or partner, asking shop assistants together for Wheat Allergy advice for example, and making small changes that have a huge impact.
One positive way of showing support is to work with the person to keep a log of their experiences. Another is to be available to pick up the slack if they experience side effects during the initial stages of the diet. A third way is to approach the new diet as a project to learn about, even if the person in question is not making the same dietary changes.
Helping with the shopping, learning what food products are acceptable and which ones do not fall within the dietary guidelines is also a good way to show support. Still another option for the person who is not allergic to wheat is to fend for themselves for breakfast and lunch and participate in the diet during the evening meal, which allows them to eat what they want and only participate in the diet one third of the time. The most important thing is to show the spouse or partner that they are loved through support, patience and a willingness to make sacrifices to restore or guarantee the sick person’s health.
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