How Managing Food Allergies Helps Drew Brees Perform Better & Recover Quickly

If you could make one change to your diet that made you feel a thousand times better every day what would it be? For those suffering from food allergies, the answer lies in cutting those foods out of their diet. Symptoms of food allergies range from life threatening anaphylactic shock to itching of the mouth, hives and rashes. But for me, and apparently Drew Brees as well, eating those foods we are allergic to means you feel like you you’ve been hit head on by a Mack Truck (or in Brees case, maybe a 320 lb. O-Lineman). Brees said he noticed an amazing difference in his energy levels and recovery after he had been tested and cut out all foods he is allergic to. And, that resonated with me.
I loved listening to both Drew and Brittany this past weekend at Expo West, the largest trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry, not because he is a pro football player (I work with a number of pro athletes so that’s nothing new to me) but because I love learning about the person behind the profile and what they are passionate about. In a Sports Illustrated kind of way I saw a glimpse of someone who uses his status to further his causes, to give back, and as part of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, to make a difference in the lives of others through fitness, sports and nutrition, a cause near and dear to my heart. Drew and Brittany’s message was simple – what you put in your body can improve your health. Drew also mentioned that people shouldn’t feel ashamed because they are coping with something like food allergies.

The Brees family has teamed up with So Delicious, a company that makes incredibly tasty dairy free beverages and desserts (my favorites are everything coconut flavored in their line!).  For those who need dairy free products or even those who don’t, So Delicious is definitely worth a try. And for those suffering from other food allergies, rest assured, companies like the ones who exhibited at Expo West are rapidly coming out with “free from” products that do not include the major foods people are allergic too including eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.