About The Allergy Chef™

Meet Kathlena The Allergy Chef

About The Respirator

The respirator is a much loved life-saving device. Since Kathlena manages multiple life-threatening airborne food allergies, she quite literally can’t breathe the air that’s safe for others. In conjunction with her severe chemical and environmental allergies, there was a long period of time where she was unable to leave her home. She was quite literally living in a medical bubble.

Her respirator allows her to leave her home safely and interact with the world. Whilst it’s not a political statement, it could be a bit of a fashion statement, as she’s told she makes respirators look good.

Kathlena’s respirator isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though. Long before the world had to wear masks, Kathlena was seen as an outcast. Her respirator was the cause of verbal harassment, online abuse, and even in-person discrimination. She was even once escorted off the property by security because of her respirator, something she was sure to followup with ownership about.

Whilst the incident was an awful one to endure, she was able to work with the establishment and educate them on disabilities, and how not everyone has a disability that’s obvious, or common.

So, when you see her in public wearing her respirator, know that’s she’s just trying to live and breathe like the rest of us and get on with her day. She often likes to tell people “You wear glasses to see and I wear a respirator to breathe. It’s just the way things are.”

More About Kathlena

Kathlena, The Allergy Chef™, has quite the background! Living with life threatening food allergies herself, she’s been making a difference in the allergy and restricted diet communities for over a decade. If you’d like to know the gritty details of her medical journey, you can read about it here.

Since becoming The Allergy Chef™, Kathlena has opened an award winning bakery (Free & Friendly Foods), published numerous cookbooks, inspiration guides, and so much more.

Another top highlight was her traveling thru the United States as part of the Food Allergy Expedition Tour, and partnering with companies such as Whole Foods Market and Zego Foods to help bring education and awareness to thousands.

In addition to these accomplishments, Kathlena has been featured on a wide variety of podcasts and is looked to as a trusted resource in the allergy community. She’s also created over 600 recipes, allergy courses, hundreds of articles, and webinars that live on her sister site, RAISE, that is catered to help anyone living with a restricted diet.

Kathlena has also been an instructor at the annual Pastry Arts Summit, along with other top pastry chefs including Kristen Tibbals and Karim Bourgi.

You can find a link to her cookbooks here, and for her subscription site here.

What You’ll Find on This Website

First and foremost, you’ll find help for the newly diagnosed. The Allergy Chef™ has a deep desire to help those who are new to managing a restricted diet find their footing.

From there, you’ll find some of Kathlena’s best recipes (and recipe roundups/ideas), expert advice, in-depth articles, and more. If you have a question about free-from living, be sure to check out Ask The Allergy Chef™, where Kathlena shares the answers to reader questions.

Press, Media Features, & Podcast Appearances

Kathlena has been featured in many articles and has been a guest on dozens of podcasts. Here are a few places she’s been.

Click here to see more press and media features.

Great Big Story has featured The Allergy Chef™ on their show.

The Whitney Reynolds Show had Kathlena on as a guest to share her inspirational story with the audience.

	Impact Parents What a wonderful conversation with Elaine as we discussed how a delay in symptoms can lead to a misdiagnosis, how to eat well on a restricted diet, how to enjoy food again, and how to embrace the change required for managing a restricted diet. Listen Here
	Nutrition For Littles The Allergy Chef™ and Alyssa have decided they need to be neighbors! This episode was like two good friends talking all things food allergies, feeding kids, and hope. Listen Here
	The Health Detective Come check out an interesting conversation as The Allergy Chef™ sits down with Detective Ev to discuss all things survival when living with over 200 allergies and intolerances. Listen Here
	The Health Fix The Allergy Chef™ sits down with Jeannine to talk about allergies and weight gain, how food allergies effect chronic illness, how to prevent allergies and intolerances from ruling your life and more! Listen Here
	Mommy Labor Nurse The Allergy Chef™ sits down with the Liesel to talk milk allergies which can have a significant impact on nursing. Listen Here
	healthHackers On this episode of healthHackers, The Allergy Chef™ discusses growing up with food allergies and intolerances, helping yourself if you suspect you have a food sensitivity, things that have surprised her most while working with the allergy community and so much more! Listen Here
	Baby Lead Weaning The Allergy Chef™ sits down with Katie to discuss all things dairy free and how to cook for your family while managing allergies. Listen Here
	Gluten Free You and Me The Allergy Chef™ sits down with Coral to discuss all things allergies and Celiac Disease. Listen Here