Allergy Friendly Bars

Enjoy Life has improved the taste of their chewy bars and added ancient grains like quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat flour to the recipe. I appreciate food products from Enjoy Life because they are made in a dedicated factory, so there is no risk of cross contamination of the top 8 most common allergens. Their products are also free of casein, sesame and sulfites. 

Cute Vera Bradley Lunch Bag!

The chewy bars make a great lunchbox addition and travel well for an anytime snack. They come in four flavors: SunButter Crunch (my personal favorite!), Cocoa Loco, Caramel Apple and Mixed Berry. There are five in a box, and since they have a long shelf life, feel free to order several boxes to take advantage of Enjoy Life's free shipping offer (on orders over $49). 

Food Allergy Assistant readers have a special incentive to try the new bars-  a 10% discount! Simply go to Shop Enjoy Life Foods and enter CHEWY10 at checkout. I'd love to hear your thoughts after trying them.

Food Allergy Documentary

Discovery Channel Documentary

Did you get a chance to watch the Discovery documentary, "An Emerging Epidemic: Food Allergies in America"? If not, you can view the 53 minute show online when you get a chance. A word of caution: it is graphic and may not be appropriate for kids. I would advise parents to preview it first.

I do think the documentary was well-done, but it is tricky to produce an educational film for different populations. It is a great piece for adults directly impacted by food allergies. It is also a learning opportunity for those not directly impacted by food allergies. This documentary can raise awareness about anaphylaxis and the dangers of food allergies. It can educate grandparents, teachers, coaches, babysitters and others who may come in contact with people with food allergies. 

Eating out with Food Allergy

It is a hopeful piece. To hear teens and adults talk about how they don't let food allergies "define them" and that you can "overcome obstacles" is a wonderful message for parents and young people who deal with food allergies. It is a thought-provoking piece. Why is it that food allergy rates have doubled in children since the late 1990's? There has been much research into causes and treatments, but there is still a long way to go to determine why more people are allergic to foods and how to best manage living with food allergy.

I also appreciated the term "threshold" used in the documentary to describe that everyone with food allergy has a different level of tolerance. This makes sense to me as a way to specifically address food allergy to others like the school nurse, restaurant staff, the school cafeteria, or caretakers. Every person with food allergies has different needs and it is up to parents, and eventually the food allergic person, to articulate those needs to others. 

Dr. Gupta

A shout out to Dr. Ruchi Gupta who was interviewed in this documentary. She is a strong food allergy advocate in her roles as a doctor and a parent of a food allergic child. Thank you to FARE and Mylan for their support of this show. Education and awareness is the key to keeping everyone with food allergies safe. After you watch the documentary, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!

Food Allergy Blogger Summit

Last week, I had the honor of spending time with an inspiring group of food allergy advocates, bloggers and researchers. Mylan Specialty, maker of EpiPen^®hosted a Blogger Summit* to lead an open discussion to share information and brainstorm ideas.

Click on linked names to visit the food allergy bloggers of this inspiring group.

Back row, from left: Keeley McGuire, Liana Burns of Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Jenny Sprague, Cybele Pascal, Lindsey Steffensen, Elizabeth DiBurro, Tracy Bush
Middle row, from left: Libby Ilson, Siobhan Cavanaugh of Mylan Specialty L.P., Kelly Rudnicki, Judy Morgitan of National Association of School Nurses, Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Lynda Mitchell of Kids With Food Allergies Foundation, Tonya Winders of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, George Dahlman of Food Allergy Research & Education
Front row, from left: Joanne LaSpina, Ruth LovettSmith, Lauren Kashtan of Mylan Specialty L.P., Lisa Rutter, Sloane Miller, Heidi Bayer, Caroline Moassessi.

The focus on the summit was back-to-school, but any topic related to food allergies was fair game. The highlights for me included:

• 

  Dr. Gupta

  hearing from Dr. Rucci Gupta about efforts to establish a national registry to record anaphylactic reactions. Often these reactions may be documented as "wheezing" or "respiratory distress". Until we have accurate records, it is difficult to determine how many people are affected by anaphylaxis.

• discussing 504 plans with Judy Morgitan from the National Association of School Nurses  and Lynda Mitchell from Kids With Food Allergies . Any student has the right to request a

  

  Judy Morgitan and Lynda Mitchell

  504 Hearing to determine eligibility. Accommodations at school may include guidelines for hand-washing and/or a safe zone in the cafeteria.

• Updates from Tonya Winders, COO, of Allergy and Asthma Network (AANMA), Liana Burns, Manager of Policy and Programs at Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and George Dahlman, Vice president of Advocacy for Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). We learned how states vary in terms of access to epinephrine in schools and community

  

  http://www.aanma.org/advocacy/usanaphylaxis/

  emergency services. Check out AAFA's map to find out which US schools require stock epinephrine. Join in AANMA's advocacy efforts on behalf of all states and be on the lookout for news (and ways to get involved) of FARE's efforts in restaurant training, emergency services protocols and access to epinephrine in schools.

• reminders from Mylan Specialty of their continuing work to bring together people affected by anaphylaxis through programs like 25 Years of EpiPen^® featuring Adrian Peterson and Jo Frost, EpiPens4Schools and the Zero Dollar Co-pay Plan.

  

  Lauren Kashtan, Senior Manager
  Communications, Mylan Specialty

  (Isn't it terrifying to imagine dealing with food allergies before EpiPen®??? Twenty-five years ago, patients were told to avoid their allergic food, but in the case of accidental ingestion, get to a hospital immediately for treatment. Yikes!)

Besides all the learning, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner by Chef Kelvin at the Strand Hotel, insightful conversation with one another and a general feeling of hope and empowerment when it comes to food allergies. 

Thank you to Mylan Specialty for sponsoring this event and to Chandler Chicco Agency as well.

View of Empire State Building from The Strand Hotel Rooftop deck

*The information I share about the Mylan Summit is at my own discretion and based on my own opinion. My travel expenses for the summit were compensated by Mylan Specialty in exchange for evaluation and feedback on information presented during the meeting.

Back to School with Food Allergies

I've headed out on the information highway to bring you some of the best information about going back to school with food allergies. While we still have a few weeks until the first day, I realize that many of you have already sent your kids off on the big yellow bus. I'm busy pulling together all my 504 plan documentation and making sure I have physician signatures on all necessary forms. Here are some great back-to-school resources for food allergy families:

• My Food Allergy Back-to-School Checklist
• Grateful Foodie's Back to School Everything
• Kids With Food Allergies- School Planning for Food Allergic Children
• Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta's Tips for Back to School with Food Allergies
• Allergy Ready's Allergy Ready Back to School
• Living Without's Back to School: Tips for Your Food Allergic Child
• FARE's What Every Parent Needs to Know About 504 Plans 
•  The Nut-Free Mom- Resources and Links for a New School Year

Here's to a safe learning year for all students! Please let me know if I've missed any of your favorite back-to-school resources.

MA Restaurants and Food Allergies

Food Allergy Signs

Our family recently visited the great state of Massachusetts and found a posting about food allergies in every restaurant we saw. From fast food to fine dining, some statement about food allergies was apparent. When we spoke to restaurant staff, nearly everyone was well-versed about food allergies and needed little coaching from us in discussing and preparing allergy safe foods. From the guy at Subway® who immediately washed his hands, changed his gloves and took out fresh utensils, to our server at the Omni Parker House Hotel who took the time to write down our allergen concerns and then discussed safe options, it was delightful to dine out in MA. 

This may not be big news in MA as they've had 
food allergy legislation since 2010 requiring all restaurants in the state to adhere to certain guidelines, but it's a big deal to those of us from out of state. While a few other states have passed similar regulations (RI and perhaps soon MD), most states lag far behind, making eating out with food allergies very challenging. Anyone interested in helping to enact similar legislation in their state is encouraged to contact FARE. 

Everyone should have the right to walk into a restaurant and have a safe dining experience. Paul Antico, founder of Allergy Eats is sponsoring the second annual Food Allergy Conference for Restauranteurs this November. Share registration information with your favorite restaurants and encourage them to become food allergy savvy. It's good for everyone.

Enjoy Life Decadent Bars

I recently had the opportunity to sample Enjoy Life's new Decadent Soft Baked  Bars. 

Let me first say that I always feel very comfortable recommending Enjoy Life products because I know their focus is on making good-tasting food that is also safe for people with food allergies and celiac disease. All of their products are free of wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame and sulfites.

As anyone with multiple dietary concerns knows, it is priceless to be able to turn to a ready-made product that you know will be safe and tasty.


That brings us to enjoy Life's Decadent Bars. They come in four flavors: Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Sunbutter, Cinnamon Bun and S'Mores. Each bar is drizzled with chocolate or white chocolate- honestly, they look beautiful.

I really like the texture- soft, with a little crisp in them- and I thought they tasted great (admittedly, the Chocolate Sunbutter was my favorite!). These bars are perfect to have on-hand for a quick snack or to serve during a playdate. They are small and easy to carry, which makes them ideal for travel too. 

If you want to try them out, grab a coupon and head over to your favorite grocery store that carries Enjoy Life products (check out the store locator to find one near you). They can also be ordered right from the Enjoy Life Online store for  single boxes or a 6-pack. The shelf life of the bars is approximately 9 months and there is currently a free shipping offer on orders over $49.

I'm happy to add Enjoy Life's Decadent Bars to my list of easy, delicious and safe foods. I love a product that makes life a bit easier!

Disclaimer: While I was not paid for my review of this product, I was provided with a complimentary sample pack. The opinions shared are my own.

Generic Epi Injectors for Allergic Reactions

 There is growing concern among those in the food allergy community about the rising number of epinephrine auto-injectors coming into the market. Now, you may remember that I expressed much excitement when Auvi-Q joined EpiPen as another option for people requiring an epi-injector. I liked the idea of choice and competition. I'm not going back on that, but with two more units ready to hit store shelves, we need to make sure that parents, teachers, school nurses, coaches and others are educated about what an epi-injector looks like and how to use it.

 To start, I'd like to direct you to a well-written post over at Kids With Food Allergies. "Important News about Epinephrine Auto Injectors", written by Dr. Angela Nace, of Jefferson University School of Pharmacy, clearly outlines the differences between the types of auto-injectors that will be available. I particularly appreciate the easy-to-read chart included in the report.

  
After you've digested the information by Dr. Nace, there are a few other things to consider:

• which epinephrine injector works best for your family?
• will you have more than one type of injector on hand?
• what are the out-of-pocket costs associated with each type?
• how will you make sure that care-takers are aware of the different types and how to use them?

One other thing to think about is that with the availability of a generic epi-injector, doctors and pharmacies may be obliged to give out the generic, depending upon insurance or the way the prescription is written. Be clear with the doctor and pharmacy about the type of epinephrine auto-injector you want.

Angela Nace is Field Coordinator for Experiential Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Jefferson University School of Pharmacy. - See more at: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/available-epinephrine-auto-injectors-new-generic#sthash.Q0OaWZpA.dpuf

Angela Nace is Field Coordinator for Experiential Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Jefferson University School of Pharmacy. - See more at: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/available-epinephrine-auto-injectors-new-generic#sthash.Q0OaWZpA.dpufAngela

Angela Nace is Field Coordinator for Experiential Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Jefferson University School of Pharmacy. - See more at: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/available-epinephrine-auto-injectors-new-generic#sthash.Q0OaWZpA.dpuf

Angela Nace is Field Coordinator for Experiential Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Jefferson University School of Pharmacy. - See more at: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/available-epinephrine-auto-injectors-new-generic#sthash.Q0OaWZpA.dpuf

Angela Nace is Field Coordinator for Experiential Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Jefferson University School of Pharmacy. - See more at: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/available-epinephrine-auto-injectors-new-generic#sthash.Q0OaWZpA.dpuf

Chicken-less Eggs Benefit People With Egg Allergy

 Beyond Eggs may be just what the doctor ordered for egg allergic consumers. For those of us in my family not allergic to eggs, I spend the extra money for free-range eggs, as I don't want to contribute to the practice of hens in tiny cages. Finally there's an alternative that deals with the egg allergy and the humane issues.

A report on NPR's "All Things Considered" caught my attention last week. "Why Bill Gates is Investing in Chicken-less Eggs", talked about how Hampton Creek Foods has come up with a plant-based substitute for eggs. 

Why mess with Mother Nature, you ask? Well, there is growing concern that in the coming decades the demand for animal meat and by-products will surpass the supply. In addition, these substitute eggs:

• reduce our carbon footprint
• are less expensive
• have no risk of salmonella
• contain no cholesterol
• and, most important to me, are safe for those with egg allergies. They are also free of soy, lactose and gluten.

In a recent taste test, cookies baked with chicken eggs were compared to cookies baked with Beyond Eggs. Tasters did not notice a difference. And watch this video using Beyond Eggs to make scrambled eggs.

I did contact Hampton Fooods to inquire about nutrition information and I am very pleased with the response. Chicken eggs and Beyond Eggs are pretty comparable in terms of protein. Beyond Eggs also contains a good amount of calcium, less fat and no cholesterol.   
 
While I've adapted many of my recipes and find a mixture of baking soda, oil and water to work in many of my homemade cookies and cakes, I love the idea of this nutrition boost and I'm hopeful that Beyond Eggs will work in some of the recipes I've had to abandon for now (traditional brownies, pound cake and angel food cake to name a few).

Check out Hampton Food's Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up 

with the release date and latest news. It's eggcellent (insert groan 

here) news and I can't wait to try it out!

Auvi-Q Carriers

Auvi-Q Holders

I've been on the look-out for Auvi-Q carriers to make self-carrying easier. Auvi-Q offers a great shape for adults- fits in most handbags for women and in most pockets in menswear. However, active kids often need something on their person that will stay put. Here's what I've found so far:

• Allergy Apparel offers a variety of pouches. They come with a carabiner clip to attach to a belt loop or backpack. Two sizes are available for carrying one Auvi-Q or two. There is also an expandable Youth EpiBelt that accommodates Auvi-Q or EpiPen.   
• KoziEpi has pouches and belts to hold one or two Auvi-Q devices. 
• EpiCarriers offers a Leg Buddy Holster and a Waist Buddy that holds Auvi-Q or EpiPen. 

  

  Epi Carriers

Has anyone found an Auvi-Q carrier they prefer? Please share!

Food Allergy Stuff I Need

As we're in the midst of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I'm reminded how our food allergy journey began 12 years ago this very month. May 2001 was when we got the results- allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, corn, oats, wheat and shellfish. We were told, "go pick up your EpiPen at CVS. We've already called it in. Don't give (your baby) any of the aforementioned foods and be careful about cross-contamination."

Huh?!?! Sure, I'd heard that some people had a peanut allergy, although I didn't know anyone personally. I had no idea anyone could be allergic to so many foods...plus, I thought food allergies were hereditary!

So, fast forward 12 years and the numbers of allergies has decreased and my knowledge and support base has increased- a hundred fold. As I celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week, here's a list of the the stuff that helped me along the way:

• FARE- back then it was FAAN- but my membership to this group was worth its weight in gold as I quickly learned that there were lots of people with food allergies and there were lots of ways to successfully cope with food allergies. I found support and hope through their conferences and continue to appreciate their efforts to educate and inform while seeking out treatments and cures.
• Linda Coss's cookbooks, What's to Eat and What Else is to Eat taught me how to make food my whole family would eat. Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book allowed me to bring desserts to parties and events that were safe and delicious.
  
• EpiPen (and now Auvi-Q) are critical tools in our food allergy kit. Benadryl, and our Food Allergy Action Plan round out that portable kit.
• The Food Allergen Labeling Law of 2004 provided consistency and accuracy where there formerly was none.
• A bigger selection of safe foods at the grocery store- soy milk, soy nut butter, dairy free margarine and chocolate chips.
  
   
• Food allergy bloggers (check out my sidebar for a few of my favorites) have given information and support all along the way. Twelve years ago there weren't many of us on the web sharing our stories. Today there are many who give their time and talents daily to keep those new and old to food allergies informed and hopeful.
• Allergists, doctors, nurses, teachers, coaches and others who have been respectful and caring about food allergies along the way.

Join us this evening at 7 pm for a food allergy Twitter party to celebrate how far we've come and where we are headed. Use #foodallergy to join in the fun!

EpiPen With Zero Copay

EpiPen

Mylan, is one of the world’s leading generics and specialty pharmaceutical companies, and is also the maker of EpiPen^®

The company is celebrating 25 years of the auto-injector that is used to treat anaphylaxis due to a severe allergic reaction. The celebration means a $0 copay for families through December 31, 2013. This offer is valid for up to three EpiPen 2-Pak cartons or EpiPen Jr 2-Pak cartons per prescription, with an unlimited number of prescriptions until the end of the year. Before you go fill your next EpiPen prescription, head on over to Epipen.com and request a coupon for your $0 co-pay. 

I know this will benefit many of you who have no insurance coverage for auto-injectors or those of us who rack up a big bill on co-pays for multiple injectors.

Lemon Blueberry Cake- Yum!

This celebration calls for some cake. How about some dairy and wheat-free, egg-free, nut and peanut free cake?  

I do love a celebration!

Date Change for Philadelphia Food Allergy Walk

Walking for a Good Cause

The date for the Philadelphia area Food Allergy Walk has been changed to Sunday, September 22, 2013. For walk dates in other locations, check the F.A.R.E. Walk for Food Allergy website. 

Love the slogan, Help Us Say FAREwell to Food Allergies". There are over 65 walks planned in the U.S. this year and 40,000 plus are expected to walk for food allergy. Are you one of them?

Flying With Food Allergies

Travel with Food Allergy

If you're booking a flight for vacation travel this summer, you may want to be aware of a recent study about food allergies and airplane travel. In a March 2013 article published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers shared their findings when they set out to characterize the experience of persons with peanut and tree nut allergy who report in-flight allergic reactions. They also compared pre-flight and in-flight behavior between persons reporting and not reporting a reaction to determine whether any behaviors may be associated with safer flying.

The results come from a survey that was accessed and completed by 3273 persons- mostly parents of peanut and tree nut allergic children. 

More than 10% of respondents reported experiencing a reaction during a flight.

How's that for a frightening statistic?

It goes on to share:

• 13% of those people who experienced a reaction received epinephrine
• peanut was the attributed cause in 69.5% of the reactions
• the crew was notified of the in-flight reaction in only 50.1% of cases
• Airline policy on handling in-flight reactions to peanut and tree nut allergies has been inconsistent between different carriers and nations.

We have successfully flown many times with food allergies. We've always notified the airline in advance of our food allergy and need for accommodations. This study pointed out that fewer reactions occurred for those people who took "risk-mitigating behaviors". Here are the behaviors found by the study that may help decrease the chances of having an in-flight reaction:

• making any request of the airline (in other words, tell the airline about your allergy and what you need)
• requesting a buffer zone
• requesting an announcement that passengers not eat peanut/tree nut–containing goods
• requesting a peanut/tree nut–free meal
•  wiping the tray table (we also wipe the seat and arm rests)
•  bringing own food from home
•  avoiding use of an airline-provided pillow
• avoiding use of an airline-provided blanket

Of course, always carrying your own epinephrine injector (make that two injectors) is also critical. We have a note from our allergist stating that we need to carry life-saving medicine on-board so we don't have any last minute problems getting through security.

The study did note that "one single US carrier was associated with 63 reported reactions (18.1%)". That airline remained unnamed (hmmm....now I'm very curious!) Canada is the only country where a government agency has directly intervened, recently ordering Air Canada (but not other Canadian carriers) to establish a peanut/nut-free buffer zone, on specific request within 48 hours of departure. To date, the US Department of Transportation,has stated that it would not involve itself in the peanut/airline issue.

That means it's up to us. Carry your own food and medication and use the above listed risk-mitigating behaviors when you fly. You can successfully travel by plane with food allergies by being prepared and preparing in advance.

Wishing you happy and safe travels! Feel free to share your personal experiences in the comments below.

One Doctor's Quest to Help Kids With Food Allergies

March 10, 2013 New York Times Magazine

Did you get a chance to read the NY Times piece, The Allergy Buster, by Melanie Thernstrom (an allergy mom herself)? Honestly, I couldn't put it down and I'm thrilled to see a piece like this on the cover of the NY Times Magazine. 

The article features Dr. Kari Nadeau, a Stanford doc with strong convictions about helping kids with multiple food allergies. Dr. Nadeau wrote 13 Investigational New Drug applications (90 pages each!) for the FDA while she was sick, went without a salary for 3 years, and allows patients to call her when she is away on family vacations. Her trial to desensitize children with multiple food allergies spawned the group, Safar Community Council. They raise money and hold meetings for food allergy research.

Allergies to Milk, Eggs, Nuts

Since the article left me still hungry for more information on this possible treatment, I was happy to discover two other related pieces. The NY Times Blog posted a Behind the Cover Story interview with the author of the article and Dr. Nadeau herself is taking questions to be answered in a future Stanford medical journal. Questions may be sent through Twitter, using the hashtag #AskSUMed, or by posting a comment on Scope, the Stanford journal.

I long for the day, as the author pointed out, when food allergies and fatal anaphylaxis are associated with an earlier age, like dying of polio. Until then, we need more people like Dr. Nadeau willing to do the  research, work closely with patients and families and demanding more from our science and medical communities. We also need brave families and people with food allergies to participate in research and trials. That's a tough, and very personal choice, but it's the research and trials that will eventually lead to a cure.

Fifteen million Americans have food allergies. The number keeps rising and we don't know why. Patients and families deserve better, and more consistent, answers- now and for future generations.