Food Allergy Issues One of Top Restaurant Trends in 2010

The National Restaurant Association lists gluten-free and food allergy-conscious meals within their top ten list of trends for 2010.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to walk into a restaurant and ask to see the dairy, egg and nut-free menu? Then wouldn't it be even more wonderful to know that whatever is ordered will be prepared by a specially trained staff to avoid cross-contamination and accidental allergens?

This is a trend that I hope sticks and spreads.

Here's the complete list of restaurant trends.

Food Allergy Reactions

Do you carry more than one dose of epinephrine in the event of an allergic reaction?

A recent study shows certain risk factors associated with the need for more than one dose. One surprise...a history of asthma does not appear to be one of those risk factors.

People requiring more than one dose tend to be younger and tend to present with wheezing, cyanosis (bluish/purplish tinge to the skin), arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), nausea, vomiting and shock. Those who present with hives are less likely to require a second dose.

Check out the full abstract and think about whether more than one dose of epinephrine is right for you or your child.

Food Allergy Assistant Wishes Everyone a Merry Christmas!

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Curing Food Allergies in the Allergist's Office

I spoke to our allergist last week. She told me of research to take what has been learned through desensitization studies at hospitals like Boston Hospital and transfer those procedures to doctor's offices. This would mean going to the allergist's office every day (perhaps this is done over summer break or every day after school) for increasing amounts of the offending food. The patient would be monitored for an allergic reaction before being sent home.

The original hope was to be able to desensitize at home like we currently can do with allergy drops for environmental allergies. There are concerns about the risks, though, which is why plans are moving forward for instead desensitizing in the physician's office. Our allergist was optimistic that this would be available in the next 2-3 years.

How great would this be. While I realize desensitization hasn't worked for everyone, it does work for many and offers a real solution for a cure.

A cure...that continues to be my Christmas wish and I'm more hopeful than ever.

New Epi Injector?

Have you heard that there's talk of a new method of injecting epinephrine to combat an allergic reaction? The long tubular injectors may be replaced with a device that resembles more of a card.

While I'd personally like to see no need for any type of epinephrine injector, a smaller unit that is easy to conceal would be better- especially for tweens and teens who need to carry their medication.

Stay tuned for more information.

Food Allergies and Travel Abroad

I like free stuff.

Anyone traveling in another country with food allergies should know about food allergy cards. Allerglobal lets you create your own personalized card. For free. Simply check off the allergens from the list and choose from over 25 different languages.

Even if you're not traveling, it's pretty cool to learn how to say or read your allergens in common languages. "Amendoim" is "peanut" in Portuguese.

Go ahead, play around with it!

Food Allergy and Stuttering

Have you ever heard of this?

There may be a link between stuttering and food allergies. Some researchers think that certain foods, such as gluten, peanut butter and sugar may cause speech disfluency. They advise stutterers to consult a gastroenterologist to try to determine if food may be causing the stutter.

I don't know...

Here's the article. See what you think. Any personal stories to share?

Food Allergy Knowledge Found Lacking in Doctors

So, a study to be published in January 2010, has found that primary care physicians have knowledge gaps when it comes to diagnosis and management of food allergies. Many incorrectly identified symptoms of food allergy and few knew the appropriate dosage of epinephrine for children experiencing a reaction.

Okay, I know we expect a lot from our overworked primary care physicians and their staffs, but I do expect some basic knowledge. I've talked before about how our doctor's office, with full knowledge of my child's allergies, has given us medicine that contain his allergens or has recommended shots for him that would be unsafe. We've had a few really close calls in our own doctor's office. I don't believe we're alone.

Anyone have any stories they'd like to share?

One good action plan to come out of the study, which will be published in Pediatrics next month, is the creation of a food allergy module that can easily be used by doctors' offices.

YEAH!

Food Allergy Ball

Emeril was there. So were some of the Kennedys. Dr. Hugh Sampson attended the event as well.

Last night, the 12th annual Food Allergy Ball was held at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. This is a benefit to raise money for Food Allergy Initiative (FAI). Tables were available for $50,000, $25,000 and $15,000, with individual tickets going for $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500. A little too rich for my wallet, but I hope they raised a boatload of money!

FAI, founded in 1998 by a group of concerned parents, is the largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States. Their goal is to fund research that seeks a cure. They also put money toward improving diagnosis and treatment and keeping patients safe through education and advocacy.

The FAI site is filled with lots of helpful information. It's worth checking out.

Food Allergy Resource

I wanted to make you aware of a new food allergy site, AllAboutFoods. The site was co-founded by a mom after her child was diagnosed with food allergies. She gathered information and enlisted the help of a computer programmer friend. Together, they created AllAboutFoods.

I visited the site. I really find the tab marked "Allergy Charts" to be helpful as it lists well-known restaurants and the food allergen information for their products. Gotta love one-stop shopping!

From the home page, you can link to information about common allergens to learn how to avoid the foods as well as substitutions for it.

While on the dairy page, I learned something new. Apparently, some vaccines contain casamino acid, which is derived from casein, which is dairy. I know the FDA does not require allergen labeling on vaccines and medications- makes sense to me. Here's another example of something to question when our dairy allergic kids need a vaccine.

We wonder why our kids are not outgrowing their dairy allergies! But I digress...

Head on over to AllboutFoods and let the rest of us know what you learn there.

Food Allergy Twitter Party Tonight

A Twitter party is an opportunity to mix it up with others over a specific topic. Jennifer of FAB and Ruth of Best Allergy Sites, are hosting another food allergy party from 8:30-9:30 pm Eastern time today. Expert panelists from Allergic Living Magazine will be on hand to answer questions and address issues.

Not sure how to join in? First, RSVP.

Then, at the start of the party, go to Summize and type in "#foodallergy". Click the search button and you'll be there like magic.

Here's the important step, during the party, use the hashtag, "#foodallergy", whenever you type something. That ensures your comments will be seen by others in the party.

Food Allergy Cookbooks

Linda Coss's first food allergy book was a bright light in my dark kitchen when we discovered my child's multiple food allergies. When the allergist told me to avoid all foods containing dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, oats and wheat, my mind played an internal video reel. Plates of macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, french toast, omelets and chicken nuggets flashed by- all with big red "x's" over their images. I truly didn't know where to begin.

Fortunately, I discovered Linda's "What's to Eat" food allergy cookbook. It is possible to cook and bake successfully avoiding dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. I was able to find a wheat flour substitute and tailor Linda's recipes to my child's needs.

I have since added her second food allergy cookbook, "What Else is to Eat" (just made the yummy barbecue sauce on page 101 for dinner last night) and her helpful book "How to Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies".

The great news is that Linda is offering her annual holiday sale. Order by December 31, 2009 and get FREE Priority Mail shipping. There's no minimum order or coupons required. You can also save up to 26% when you order the books in sets. Plus, those who would like their books personally autographed or need a gift card, can get those by typing a note in the "special instructions" section of the order form.

So, if you deal with food allergies in your family, I highly recommend these books. Honestly, some of our favorite family recipes, like Meatball Soup and Wheat Germ Baking Powder Biscuits, are in Linda's books. Order a copy for grandparents or others who cook and bake for the food allergic person in your life. The cookbooks contain easy to follow recipes with easy to find ingredients.

Go to Food Allergy Books for more information and to place an order.

Food Allergy Website Gets an Update

It's colorful, trendy and sleek.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has launched a brand new website. It's much more user friendly for those of us who have been at this food allergy thing for awhile. I also think the links for the top eight allergens listed across the top will be more helpful for people who are new to food allergy.

Check it out. What do you think?