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“The Brownie Incident”

Every six months, one of my longtime patients walks through the door carrying a homemade baked treat. He’s retired Army — and not just any Army veteran, but an Army chef. My assistant Pat and I always know we’re about to be spoiled. Everything he makes is from scratch, and he prides himself on using less sugar than the recipe calls for. The result is always delicious. Honestly, the extra sugar is unnecessary.

My kids used to ask, “Are those army cookies?” whenever he dropped off a batch. This time, he brought brownies. Soft, rich, perfect brownies. And for three days straight, I ate one every afternoon like it was part of my job description.

By day four, after I finished the brownies, I decided I should probably behave myself. I reached for the almond milk I’d bought to lighten my morning coffee — just a splash, nothing dramatic. Then came my bright idea: Why not make a smoothie with almond milk instead of skim milk? Healthy, right?

Well. Let’s just say I spent the next 24 hours regretting every life choice that led to that smoothie.

I knew it wasn’t an allergy. I can eat almonds, but only about five. Any more than that and my stomach stages a protest. I wondered what happened.

This turned out to be the perfect real‑life example of the difference between food allergy and food intolerance, something many people mix up.

Let me explain this the way I’d explain it if we were chatting over coffee (with just a splash of almond milk).

A food allergy is your immune system acting like a security guard who’s had too much caffeine. You eat something, and your body says, “Intruder!” and hits the alarm.

Allergic reactions tend to be fast, dramatic, and impossible to ignore, with hives, swelling, or in severe cases, trouble breathing. It is the kind of reaction that makes you head straight for medical care. That’s an allergy.

Food intolerance is much more like your digestive system quietly pulling you aside and saying, “Listen… I’m not happy about this.”

It’s not dangerous, but it can be very uncomfortable. Symptoms often include bloating, cramping, gas, nausea, and sluggish digestion.

It’s the kind of reaction that makes you cancel plans and curl up with a heating pad, but not the kind that sends you to the ER.

In my case, almond milk, with its gums, emulsifiers, and the fact that almonds themselves can be tough on the gut in larger amounts, created the perfect storm. My “healthy choice” wasn’t so healthy for me.

Here are some everyday culprits that can cause digestive rebellion: dairy, almonds, apples, onions, beans, artificial sweeteners, additives, high fat foods, or histamine rich foods like tomatoes, spinach, or fermented foods.

None of these require an immune response to make you miserable.

My brownie‑guilt smoothie was supposed to be a reset. Instead, it became a reminder that “healthy” isn’t one‑size‑fits‑all. Your body will tell you what doesn't work, and sometimes loudly.

If you’ve been having digestive symptoms and wondering why, it may not be an allergy at all. It might simply be intolerance, sensitivity, or a food your gut doesn’t love in larger quantities.

And if you ever find yourself thinking, “This smoothie will make up for the brownies,” learn from me: sometimes the brownies are the safer choice.

Sweet Tooth

Lately, I have been craving sweets. I'm the last person who should have a sweet tooth! But here is one more recipe.

Congo Bars

• ⅔ cup salted butter, slightly melted
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract​
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips​
• Preheat 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan. Mix together butter (softened) brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
• Then combine baking powder, salt, and flour. Pour into the butter mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in up to 2 cups chocolate chips. Press dough into pan with flour on your hands. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. The cookie bars should be soft in the center.

Cool, then slice into brownie sized bars. Delicious.

A promise; next week, I will not tempt you with baked goods. Is there something you'd like to discuss next week? Let me know. Until then, have a great summer, and enjoy the rest of July! Best wishes always, Joanne