Five Great Things About Food Allergies

Living with food allergies has its challenges, but there are some definite pluses:

1. Eating raw cookie dough- No egg in the mixture means no worries of salmonella!
2. Getting fresh restaurant food- After talking to the chef or manager at the restaurant, your special order is prepared fresh especially for you.
3. Meeting great people- The food allergy community is a very supportive group who share and care about everything related to food allergies. 
4. Learning about food labels and the benefits of "whole foods". Most people barely glance at food labels. Those of us dealing with food allergies carefully read every line; and if the list is too long, we often don't buy it. Who wants to eat  azodicarbonamide and tragacanth gum?
5. Being healthier- Think back to BFA (Before Food Allergy). Your family was probably eating a lot of processed foods containing dyes and multi-syllable chemicals. With food allergies, you know just what you're eating and that knowledge naturally leads to a healthier lifestyle.

So the next time you're up late making a safe cupcake for tomorrow's classroom party or trying to organize the food for a family vacation, take a moment and reflect upon the good things food allergies have brought into your life. I know I appreciate having only six simple ingredients in sandwich rolls.

And I really like a taste of cookie dough every now and then.

Valentine's Day with Food Allergies

Aaahhh...the day for love. February 14 is all about hearts, cards, flowers and chocolates. If you need some food allergy-friendly treats for a special someone, check out these sweet delights:

• Chocolate Emporium offers Valentine themed chocolate lollipops and introduces sunbutter-filled chocolate hearts. Order by Monday, February 6.
• Peanut Free Planet has gathered together safe treats and can also make Valentine's Day gift baskets.
• Amanda's Own has heart shaped candies in a variety of decorated bags. Last day to order is Monday, February 6.
• From cupcakes to candy to popcorn, Divvies has all your Valentine's Day treats covered.
• For elegant gifts this Valentine's Day, try Premium Chocolatiers. Their chocolate long-stemmed roses and traditional candies in the heart shaped box are sure to make anyone feel special.

Did I miss any of your favorites?

Seven Things to Do for Food Allergy and Intolerance Awareness Week

January 23-29, 2012 is Food Allergy and Intolerance Week (not to be confused with FAAN's Food Allergy Awareness Week, scheduled May 13-19, 2012). Many people say they have a food allergy when they actually have a much more common condition- a food intolerance. Here is a list of seven things to do this week to learn more about the differences between food allergy and food intolerance:

Monday, January 23- Check out this quiz to see what you know about the differences between food allergy and food intolerances.
Tuesday, January 24- Watch this HealthWatch MD video. Send the video to someone you think may benefit from learning more.
Wednesday, January 25- Take a look at Living Without, the magazine for people with food allergies and intolerances.
Thursday, January 26- Catch the Food Allergy Blog Carnival at The Allergic Kid.
Friday, January 27- Learn more about lactose intolerance, which is something many people refer to as a food allergy.
Saturday, January 28- Read the Food Allergy and Intolerances Resource List for Consumers.
Sunday, January 29- Seek support if you need it. FAAN offers a support group look-up tool and the Food Intolerance Network has a list of free e-mail support groups.

Invest some time this week educating yourself and others on the topics of food allergy and intolerances.

Have a great week!

Food Allergy Training Program

If you haven't seen it, Allergic Living's editor Gwen Smith's piece, "Who's to Blame for another Allergy Tragedy". is a must read. She correctly points to those of us in the food allergy community as the group who must stay on top of our schools when it comes to keeping children safe. Whenever I talk to someone about the EpiPen, I always add that there is no lasting physical harm to using it. We must make sure that everyone knows if they think they should be using the EpiPen, they probably should be.

I just registered for the Allergy Ready CARE course. It's easy to sign-up and the course is free. It takes about 60 minutes to go through the learning module. While the information is geared toward educators, I encourage you to take the course (not to brag, but I got 100% on the quiz given at the beginning) and then pass the website link to your school administrators and nurses encouraging them to make it available to school personnel.

While I may have aced the quiz, I realized that when I administered antihistamine to my child on Monday for an allergic reaction, I should have instead used epinephrine. Antihistamines are not the first line defense for an allergic reaction. I know this, but honestly, in the moment, you still question it. Injecting is traumatic...then the ambulance needs to be called...then it's several hours in the ER. That said, we were lucky this time that the antihistamine worked.

So, sign up and take the Care course and then pass the course on to your kids' caregivers and schools.It's a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Hives, Swelling and Food Allergy Reactions

"I think my lip is swelling up. Do I have a hive?"

Our peaceful MLK Day quickly turned into one of "those scary times." Sure enough, my food allergic 11-year-old had a very puffed out lower lip and a pretty giant hive. As I got the Benadryl, several smaller hives began popping out on the upper lip.

I watched. We waited. We both knew what to do if things didn't turn around quickly. Knowing what to do doesn't make it any easier to do it.

Fortunately the Benadryl did the trick. The upper lip hives disappeared and the swelling began to go down. No need for the EpiPen.

This time.

Outside of a food challenge at the allergist's office, there hasn't been an allergic reaction in quite a while. Unfortunately, we don't know what set this one off. Sometimes you can't trace the cause and you have to move on...to the next snack...and the next meal.

The experience did give us yet another opportunity to talk about what to do if an allergic reaction is set in motion- especially if it happens at school... or away from home (and mom or dad).

A good lesson for sure, but I got a few more gray hairs on Monday. This parenting thing is not for the faint of heart.

Tax Deductions for Food Allergy Families

It's that time of year...the W2s are arriving and blank tax forms are arranged in neat piles at the library. Food allergy families often encounter extra expenses for special foods and medications. Did you know that you may be able to deduct these costs on your taxes? Check out this Medical Expenses Checklist to find out what may qualify.

For a complete Medical and Dental expense list, take a look at IRS publication 502. Of course, consulting a tax professional may be helpful if you have questions about this or any other type of deduction.

Why All the Fuss Over Peanut Butter Flavored Cheerios?

Am I missing something? General Mills' introduction of a new flavor of Cheerios- Multi Grain Peanut Butter- has led to a barrage of news reports from coast to coast:

ABC News- "New Peanut Butter Cheerios Worry Parents of Allergic Kids"
Baby Center- "Parents Want Peanut Butter Cheerios Banned"
The Washington Post-" New Peanut Butter Cheerios Triggers Anger From Parents"
The San Francisco Chronicle- "Parents Concerned About New Peanut Butter Cheerios"

I'm confused.Why the outcry now? Honey Nut Cheerios have been around for years, requiring caution for families with tree nut allergies in the house. People with food allergies are often faced with foods that look alike- even though one is safe while the other could be dangerous. It's hard to tell if a glass of milk is cow's milk or soy milk. A soy-nut butter sandwich often looks just like a peanut butter sandwich. Daiya's dairy-free shredded mozzarella looks just like Sargento's shredded mozzarella.

My point is that you can't tell just by sight whether or not a food is safe. We need to make sure our food allergic kids and their caregivers know this.

In our pantry we have regular Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios. We use a Sharpie and write "NUT" on the bag containing Honey Nut Cheerios so we can tell them apart. From an early age we made sure my food allergic child knew never to eat a food unless the label was checked.

The rules are still the same. Parents need to make sure their food allergic kids:

1. Always read food labels (caregivers take on this responsibility for very young children)
2. Never eat anything if the label hasn't or can't be checked.
3. Always report symptoms.
4. Always have epinephrine nearby in the event of a life-threatening reaction.

So, should we ban Peanut Butter Cheerios? No. General Mills is very clear on their labels. The new peanut butter flavor states:

Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains peanuts. Cheerios has a commitment to allergen management. We can say with complete confidence that Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter will not cross-contaminate other Cheerios varieties.
As always, if you're concerned about allergies, we highly recommend that you always consult the allergen listing and the ingredient label on any product you may consume. 

If you still want more information, contact General Mills and ask your questions or make your comments. 
I've already been in touch with General Mills to suggest they consider stamping or labeling the plastic bag within the box for easy identification. A different colored plastic bag for each flavor would be even better.

So far there's been no movement on this so we'll continue to use our Sharpie.

Sign Online Petition to Get Epi-Pens in Schools

I contacted our school district last week and asked if there were stock Epi-pens in each school. I found out that our district recently received and distributed Epi-pens for each of our school buildings. The medication can be used for anyone who may experience an anaphylactic reaction in, or around, the school building.

I know not every school is so lucky, which is why it is important for us all to support the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. FAAN offers downloadable sample letters for you to send to your senators. Honestly, it takes five minutes to insert your senators' names into the letter and sign it. Don't know your senators? Go to senate.gov and look them up using the menu on the top right. You can e-mail or snail mail the letter.

Gretchen Flores, a Colorado based counselor, started an online petition on Change.org. Save Allergic Children's Lives in Schools is a quick way to show your support. The petition is looking for 10,000 signatures. I just signed it because I want to make sure that no one dies of an anaphylactic reaction simply because there was no medicine available.

Today is the day to take some action!

Higher Education Means Higher Risk of Food Allergy

A recent study in the Journal of Allergy looking at education level and the incidence of food allergy caught my attention. Conducted in Canada, Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan, an allergist and immunologist at McGill University’s The Montreal Children's Hospital and his team set out to answer the question, "What in the environment is affecting the rise in food allergies?"

Wouldn't we all like to know?

The research group called 10,000 households across Canada. Of the 3600 households to answer the phone and answer the series of questions, there appears to be a higher incidence of food allergy among the college educated- and their kids. People with a high school degree or less had fewer reports of food allergy.

Now, while I can several flaws in this study (all self reported, type of person to answer a phone survey, etc.), the general premise does make sense. I know I was one of those people who read all I could about pregnancy and babyhood. I attended all of my doctor appointments and followed their advice. Ten years ago, moms were being told to avoid eating highly allergenic foods such as peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding and we were told to delay introducing these foods into our babies and toddlers diets. Now the advice is the exact opposite.

So okay, perhaps being more educated leads to being more well-read and having easier access to healthcare. I'll continue to appreciate any study that looks into the causes and possible treatments for food allergies.

Discovery News offers a great re-cap on this study. What do you think?

Have You Been in Touch With Your School Lately About Food Allergy Guidelines?

 My heart breaks when I think about first-grader Ammaria Johnson and her family.There will probably be more information in the coming days, but regardless, while it is hard to live with food allergy, no one should die from it. Thoughts and prayers to Ammaria's family and friends during this tragic time.

Upon hearing her story, I was prompted to send a note to the head of school nurses in our school district. I sent a link of the news story and offered help in reviewing food allergy guidelines in our district. While I've been very pleased overall with the way our schools have worked with us in managing my child's food allergies, the guidelines and mandates frequently change and I wanted to make sure our district had the most recent information. I did find out that we now have stock epinephrine in all of our school buildings that can be used for any student experiencing anaphylaxis. Our district nurses are meeting with a doctor this spring to review current food allergy practices and to compare them to current practices in managing food allergy in schools.

Of course I've offered my assistance in this review process as well.

So, take this opportunity to contact your school and find out if food allergy guidelines have recently been reviewed, or are schedule for review. The best approach is to be non-judgemental and to offer your help based on your experiences. Everyone has the same goal- to keep kids safe at school.

I've been pleased with  my school's response. How about you?

Enjoy Life Not Nuts

Yes, let them eat trail mix! It's hard to find an allergy friendly mix for people with food allergies. Fortunately Enjoy Life has two great options. Beach Bash is made up of pumpkin and sunflower seeds and dried pineapple, cranberries and apricots. Very tropical tasting! Mountain Mambo contains pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as raisins, cranberries, dried apples and chocolate chips.

They are both great alone, but I enjoyed sprinkling Not Nuts on my cereal or oatmeal at breakfast. They are also a nice addition to a salad later in the day. They give a little extra protein and fiber with some sweetness and crunch!

Since Enjoy Life products are made in a nut and gluten-free bakery and are free of the top eight allergens, they are a great option for school lunchboxes, quick snacks and classroom parties where everyone will enjoy them.

Enjoy Life is also another great resource for dealing with food allergies. Check out their Tips and Hints section to learn more about managing food allergies at school, 504 plans to protect students with food allergies, and sources and substitutions for common allergens.

Get Enjoy Life coupons and look for their Not Nuts and other products at your local grocery store.

I just filled out a product request card at my supermarket for the Enjoy Life Mega Chunks. Sometimes you just need a mega-dose of dairy-free chocolate!