One of the most difficult things about being diagnosed with a food allergy is establishing your “comfort zone," which essentially is to what extent can you eat/use certain things without being afraid that they will kill you. Coming up with your “go-to” foods, restaurants and products is the leg work of adapting your life to your infliction.

The circumference of my comfort zone is relatively small, and I’ve found the smaller the comfort zone, the longer it takes to establish a list of “safe items." It takes more research, more calling companies inquiring what their manufacturing processes are, etc. It is a pain.

After publishing my first article, 9 Things You’ve About Food Allergies You've Never Considered, I’ve received many requests for a list of the products I use and eat every day. So for all my allergy food sufferers out there, I’ve inventoried my entire house (and added some additional things that I didn’t have on hand, but use).

Background info and disclaimers:

1. Companies that are not dedicated “nut-free” have been called and verified within the last two years.

2. I don’t eat anything that shares equipment with nuts or shellfish; therefore, the companies that I feel comfortable with below have dedicated lines for these products and/or do not share lines with nut-containing products.

3. I’m allergic to peanuts, shellfish, all tree nuts (except pistachio, but I still do not eat them) and coconut.

4. This is not a guaranteed nut-free list – it’s just a list of the things that I’m able to use without difficulty (knock on wood). Everybody is different, and everybody has different reactions to things. If you’re unsure about anything, I would recommend calling the company to verify their manufacturing processes.

Now for the moment you've been waiting for: the list.

Top favorite dedicated nut-free brands

1. Enjoy Life (https://enjoylifefoods.com)

2. Libre Naturals, formerly known as No Nuttin' (http://librenaturals.com)

3. Namaste (http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Id=13)

4. Kinnikinnick (https://www.kinnikinnick.com/index.cfm)

5. Don't Go Nuts (http://www.dontgonuts.com)

6. Vermont Chocolates (http://www.vermontnutfree.com)

7. Live G Free is another brand, but I have yet to try it. It's available at Aldi.

I will eat anything from these brands and feel comfortable doing so. Plus, they're quite delicious and even (usually) healthy.

Health and beauty products

1. Soothing Cream Nut Oil Free, made by MooGoo (https://moogoousa.com/nut-free-soothing-cream.html)

2. Castile Liquid Soap, made by Countryrose Soap Company (http://www.countryrosesoap.com/Castile_Liquid_Soap_p/lcs1-16oz.htm)

NOTE: I have two requirements for face wash - it has to lather, and it has to leave my face squeaky clean. This is my favorite face wash, and I would use it even if I didn't have an allergy to everything else.

3. Women's Multivitamin, made by Rainbow Light (http://shop.rainbowlight.com/Certified-Womens-Multivitamin/p/RBLT-800018&c=RainbowLight@ByName)

NOTE: The gummy vitamins have coconut oil in them.

4. Eczema Skin Therapy, made by Theraplex (http://shop.theraplex.com/collections/eczema-solutions/products/theraplex-eczema-therapy)

5. Complete Plant Protein Supplement, made by PlantFusion (http://www.plantfusion.net/products/plantfusion?variant=391350982)

6. Tums

7. Advil

8. Dove Body Wash for Sensitive Skin (they do make a pistachio-scented one, so be careful of that)

9. Pantene shampoo and conditioner

10. SoftSoap Antimicrobial (the orange/peach one)

I haven't had a problem with any makeup I've tried, but I always avoid it if the product has shea butter or jojoba in it. However, if you're curious, I use the following:

11. Physician's Formula - bronzer and blush

12. Smashbox - liquid foundation, powder foundation, contour kit

13. IT Cosmetics - mascara

14. Badger Vanilla Bean Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

Food (not made by my favorite brands)

1. Hillshire Farms - pre-cut ham and turkey lunchmeat

2. Hellman's Mayonnaise

3. Heinz Ketchup (we eat a LOT of that at my house)

4. French's Mustard

5. Hidden Valley Ranch (NOTE: If you Google this for nut allergies, it's somewhat of a hot topic. One day I decided to just give it a go, and it worked out just fine.)

6. Olive Garden Italian Dressing

7. Better Made Potato Chips

8. Doritos - Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors

9. Caribou Blend K-Cups

10. Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice

11. Sargento's Cheese (any)

12. Ball Park Beef Franks

13. Amy's Marinara Sauce

14. TInkyada Noodles

15. Twizzlers - regular kind

16. Domino Sugar

17. St. Claire's Organics Hot Chocolate (peppermint flavor is really yummy!)

18. Morton Salt & Pepper

19. Pascha 55% Cocoa

20. Birds Eye Steam Fresh Veggies (NOTE: I haven't tried any of their pre-flavored mixes. I've only had the plain veggies, solo and combination bags.)

21. Pepsi

22. Coke

23. Sprite

24. Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes

25. Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese

26. Heinz Homestyle Gravy - chicken and turkey flavors

27. Snack Factory Pretzel Chips (NOTE: I've only had original)

28. Campbell's canned soup - tomato and homestyle chicken noodle

29. Town House Crackers - original

30. SkinnyPop Popcorn (NOTE: I've only had the original and white cheddar)

If I think of more, I'll add it, but for now, I believe this list is a pretty comprehensive of the different foods and items i use and eat.

Additional recommendations

I can't find nut-free bread products that aren't frozen or taste good. Luckily, I have a nut-free bakery close to my home where I purchase these things. I would recommend Googling, "nut-free bakery near me." If you live in Michigan, the bakery is called Bake Station (http://bakestation.com/). There is also a fabulous nut-free pizzeria called Renee's Gourmet Pizza (http://www.reneesgourmetpizzeria.net/). They have a lot of other food aside from pizza, and they cater.

A lot of my favorite nut-free brands are not sold in stores near me. I use Amazon and/or the company's website to order a lot of items, which is why I included hyperlinks for you. You can often order things in bulk, which saves money.

If you're wondering how I found all of these brands and items, I searched the product I needed and added "nut-free." For example, I would search for "nut-free hand lotion," and I eventually found MooGoo (although sometimes your treasures are buried in your search results). So, if you're in need of something not on this list, you can always try that.

Please share

Let me know what you're comfortable eating and using, and any recommendations you have in the comments section below!

Also, if you have any questions about certain products, I would be happy to look into them for you.