Silk Soy Milk: Monday Review

We first heard about Silk Soy Milk several years ago at the Cheesecake Factory...really. We brought little guy's food and explained to our server that he couldn't eat anything on the menu due to his food allergies. When she heard he had a milk allergy, she asked if we'd ever tried Silk's Very Vanilla Soy Milk. She said it tastes like a vanilla milkshake. You know what? She was right.

Since then, we've found Silk's regular vanilla flavor a great substitute for milk in the breakfast cereal. They now carry an organic brand too. I use Silk in any recipe that calls for milk. We love it in smoothies and it's great in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Recently, representatives from Silk asked me if we would try their new Silk Heart Healthy. They sent me a coupon. Very tasty with the added benefit of phytosterols, a plant ingredient that helps the body reduce cholesterol. That's a great benefit for the moms and dads out there who have to lower cholesterol.

Check out Silk Soy Milks- dairy allergic or not. You can sign up for a 75 cent coupon from the homepage.

By the way, this is a photo of a shelf in my refrigerator! Any other Silk fans out there?

Friday Feature: mallergies

This week's Friday Feature is an interview with Marie-Ida, creator of a food allergy resource called mallergies. This interactive site focuses on the latest trends in food allergies. With their own food allergy apparel line, great recipes and tons of resources, you'll find a wealth of information. Join me for this interview with the creator of mallergies:

What is your food allergy background?

At the age of 6 months, I had my first anaphylactic shock. While my parents were away, my grandparents decided to introduce some new foods to my baby diet. My granddad gave me a pinch of jam, honey, caramel and finally peanut butter. Instantly, I stopped breathing and they had to carry me to the village doctor. That day, the doctor diagnosed my peanut allergy.

I am extremely cautious with everything that may contain traces of peanuts and/or nuts and always carry an EpiPen® with me. I believe I have managed my food allergies pretty well. I traveled, studied and worked for several years in England and Australia. I never felt different over those years, except sometimes when I am restricted with my food choices in restaurant, bakeries, cafés and bistros.

I realize that I eat healthier and avoid junk food or fast food as they often handle or contain peanuts and nuts.

What are you passionate about in the food allergy field?

I mostly like the exchanges with people who experience food allergies. By looking at blogs, forums, Facebook Groups, Twitter and websites, I see that food allergy is a topic concerning many parents, children, teachers, caretakers, medical staff, etc.

I also see companies trying to modify their production by asking manufacturers to apply allergen free measures. Science and medicine are collaborating and trying to find a cure and remedies. Environmentalists, nutritionists and dietetics are debating on several issues which may have caused the increase of food allergies in the last decades. Food allergies touch many fields and for those reasons, I am always passionate to read and learn more about this health issue and condition that I have.

What else are you working on in the food allergy area?

Recently, I started my own business and website about the latest trends on food allergies named mallergies. Mallergies’ approach is to prevent food allergies while offering reassurance to allergic people and informing their relatives and entourage.

By the intermediary of this e-business, I wish to reach more people who are connected directly or indirectly by food allergies, around the world. I know, by personal experience, that anyone affected with a food allergy condition can at some point, be frustrated about the restriction of eating out or finding allergen free foods. Dynamic, informative and complete, mallergies is the online resources to use and access daily from the comfort of your home.

To date, prevention is the only way to control food allergies; therefore, information must be accessible to everyone affected directly or indirectly by food allergies and intolerances. Allergic individuals will find information on a wide variety of topics : allergens, food labeling, news, product reviews, reactions, recipes, resources, symptoms, and much more.

What are your favorite food allergy friendly food staples?

I recently discovered a yummy cupcake store called Petits Gateax in Montreal. The chef is very aware of food allergies because he has peanut and nut allergies and guarantees that none of these allergens are presented in his pastries.

I also like to purchase foods through the CAC (Certified Allergen Control) (in Canada).

What are some of your other interests/hobbies?

My other interests in life are cooking, traveling, learning languages, writing (in French and English), reading and skiing. My friends and family are very important in my life and we love to get together for catching up, coffees or long dinners.

Thank you Marie-Ida for creating this valuable resource and for sharing your story.

Grill Charms vs The Shark Tank

Back in April I reviewed a product called Grill Charms®. The idea was to use a stainless steel charm to mark grill meats for different cooking preferences or specific food allergies or intolerances.

A great idea, I thought. Well, The Sharks thought so too.

ABC runs a show called "The Shark Tank". It gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their businesses to major investors. Leslie Haywood and her Grill Charms® were featured on the show on September 29, 2009. Check it out. Leslie's up first. See how she did.

Have any of you tried grill charms to deal with food allergies? Let me know.

Keeping a Food Allergy Friendly Kitchen

Children's Hospital of Boston brings us their latest video in the series, "A Cure for Food Allergies?". In this installment, Brett's mother shows how she keeps things safe in her kitchen with two food allergic children. Through labeling and color-coding items are kept separate for members of the family. They have a dairy drawer in their fridge like we do!

Do you have any tips for keeping a food allergy friendly kitchen?

Halloween Can Be Really Scary for Those With Food Allergy

Forget the ghosts and goblins. It's the candy bars and packaged sweets that cause the most fright in our house.

Our rules for trick-or-treating are:

No eating anything until it is checked at home.
Let the giver drop the candy into the trick-or-treat bag to avoid direct contact with the candy.

I have special treats on hand to substitute unsafe candy with safe items. Most of these special items need to be ordered. With only 24 days until Halloween, the time to order is now. Check out:

Premium Chocolatiers
Enjoy Life's boom CHOCO boom bars
Amanda's Own
Chocolate Emporium
Peanut Free Planet
Divvies
Nothin Nutty
Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

All the unsafe candy goes to a local homeless shelter, lest it wind up on my hips!

Food and Food Allergy Resources

One thing food allergies has brought to my life is a greater awareness of food in general. I'm constantly asking "What's in it?", "How's it made?", "Where was it manufactured?". Fortunately, the Internet has made answering these questions much easier. I tracked down some fascinating sites for anyone who eats food:

The International Food Information Council has a great section devoted to food allergies. Bounce around the site, though, for other areas of interest such as food safety and nutrition. They offer a free online newsletter.

I recently posted a list of Food Allergy resources at Suite 101. You can find support, books and other resources. Let me know if I missed any you love.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a wealth of info including a database of over 13,000 foods and their nutritional information. This is especially helpful when looking for substitutes if cutting out major food groups due to food allergy. Also check this site for laws and regulations related to food.

Food Safety.gov is another super source for tips to keep food safe and prevent illness. You can subscribe to alerts and get e-mail notification when the government makes a food advisory. Just last Friday, an alert came out warning about high levels of lead in certain dried fruits. Who knew?

Find the sites that are helpful to you and visit them regularly, or better yet- sign up for their automatic updates. We all need to eat and we all need timely information to eat safely.

Still Confused About Egg Allergy and Flu Shots?

Yes, I am too, but the most thorough recommendation I've read comes from my neighbors to the north. The Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has issued a complete report with their recommendations. It covers both seasonal flu and H1N1.

In a previous post, I linked to US guidelines.

I'm still researching this and I'm still on the fence about it. After a bad experience with an egg challenge several months ago, it is hard to imagine going through that again. I continue to research and weigh options...sigh...