#20 - Interview with Sharon Wong: Food allergies, cultural identity and holidays!

How do you navigate life with food allergies when food plays such a significant role in so many cultures?   Dr. G and Kortney talk with Sharon Wong from Nut Free Wok. Sharon is in an allergy mom of two who blogs about recipes, cooking techniques, Asian ingredients, and food allergy related awareness and advocacy issues. She has made it her passion to share her Chinese heritage with her kids despite their food allergies.   This episode explores how culture and food are intertwined and how this can impact someone with food allergies. Sharon shares how she was able to communicate her needs with her family so her children could still participate and how you can share time and traditions by doing other activities that do not involve food.   Sharon and Kortney also share how they navigate their food allergies at family events by embracing inclusion for all.   What we cover in this episode  Why Sharon started her blog   Strategies on how to try foods from different cultures when you have food allergies   How food plays a role in culture and how this fits in when you have food allergies  Communicating your food allergies needs to the family around the holiday season, especially if this impacts family traditions  Creating inclusion around food at family gatherings  Managing potlucks when there may be food allergens present   Sharon's two steps on how you can start thinking about sharing food culture with your food allergy kids  Finding safe alternatives to make food similar to the original - you aren't missing out because it is about intention  Bonus how to make a stir fry    Additional resources: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-20