Category Archives: Food Allergy Awareness
Food Allergy?
To help determine if you or your child has a food allergy, there are a few steps you must take.
- Keep a log – write down very detailed symptoms. Be sure to note the food and how much of the food caused the problem.
- Call your doctor – Bring your log with you and tell your doctor all about it. He will do an exam and further testing.
- Blood Test – If your doctor suspects a food allergy, the doctor will most likely send you for a blood test. A blood test measure’s your immune system’s response to certain foods known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. However, these blood tests aren’t always accurate, and produce false positives.
- Skin Test – This is typically performed on the back for children, and on the inner arms for adults. Your skin is pricked with a very tiny needle, and a tiny amount of the allergens are placed beneath your skin’s surface. If you are allergic to something, an itchy raised bump will form. The doctor will rate the size of the bump with the severity of the allergy.
- Restricted Diet – Depending on your results, you will be asked to remove certain foods from your diet. If the doctor thinks that you may have an intolerance or sensitivity rather than an allergy, he may ask you to remove certain foods from your diet, and gradually add them back in to check for specific symptoms when reintroduced. This will narrow down which foods specifically are causing the problem. If you are truly allergic, the doctor will recommend the food be eliminated from your diet completely.
- Oral Tolerance Test – This test is done in your doctor’s office or a clinical environment, where doctor’s are prepared with emergency medication. A small amount of the allergen is given to the patient to ingest. Typically they start with a very, very tiny amount of the allergen. If that it tolerated, then increasing amounts are given at set time intervals, typically a every half hour or so. If you don’t have a reaction during this test, you can typically begin including this food back into your diet again.
Explaining food allergies to your child
When my daughter was diagnosed with her egg allergy and life threatening peanut allergy she was only 18 months old. I didn’t quite know how to explain it to her. An 18 month old doesn’t understand about life and death, and it was not something I was ready to explain to her. I just told her it would make her very, VERY sick. We got her an allergy bracelet for those “what if moments” at the suggestion of her allergist, and told everyone who came in contact with her about her allergies. We even kept her out of preschool an extra 4 months until I was 100% sure that it would be a safe place for her. We gave her the Epipen practice injector to play with and showed her how to use it. We also made sure she understood she could not eat ANYTHING unless Mom or Dad said it was OK, or packed it for her to eat.
As she got older we had to explain death to her when we had to put our dog down, and again when her fish died. We explained that they both went to Heaven, which was an amazing, beautiful place that both our pets would love. It eased her mind on where they were going. However, as she got a little older I explained that if she ate peanuts she would get very VERY sick and could die. She told me it was OK because she would go to Heaven, and Heaven was an amazing, beautiful place. It did not convey the seriousness of what would actually happen to her, based on our description of Heaven. I finally ended up telling her that although Heaven was a great place to go, that she would not be able to be with Mommy or Daddy or Sissy anymore, and that would make me very sad, and I would miss her very much. I don’t know if this was the best way to explain it to her, but it did make her understand the seriousness of it, and she did not like the idea of not being with us. We have not had any family members die, so the concept of a person dying is not something she really comprehends yet.
Now that she is going on 8 years old we have emphasized more and more how very sick she can get, how she would have to go to the hospital, how her throat would close up and not allow her to breath, and how she would need shots (which she hates). I know it scares her, but it is a fear that I want her to have, to make her understand how very serious this truly is. I hope this fear will make her choose not to take chances on things she is not 100% sure of. This past Halloween, we made her go through her candy with us, and taught her how to read labels and decide if the candy would go in the safe or unsafe pile.
I don’t want her living in constant fear, but having a life threatening food allery is a scarey thing – VERY SCAREY, and fear may just save her life one day.
Review: GoPicnic Ready-to-eat Meal (peanut free, gluten free, vegan, tree nut free, Kosher)
While at the GFAF (Gluten & Allergen Free) Expo, one of the companies that caught my eye was GoPicnic. They have several gluten-free ready-to-eat meals, but I specifically asked if they had any peanut free ones. Jamie was happy to show me the two varieties that were peanut free. The first was GoPicnic Turkey Stick & Crunch and the other is Sunbutter & Crackers. GoPicnic is a healthy, wholesome, good for you version of a Lunchable. It comes in a package about the same size as a Lunchable, and fits perfect in any lunch bag, and is a shelf stable ready-to-eat meal. No freezy packs required! Packing a lunch daily is not only time-consuming, but there are days I run out of ideas, so I tend to fall back on the same foods over and over. I am sure eating the same thing has to get old for Bean. If you pack your child’s lunches daily, GoPicnic is a wonderful convenience! Just pack a drink and lunch is served!
Bean picked the Turkey Stick & Crunch meal for the first one I packed in her lunch. It is a balanced meal featuring an Old Wisconsin Turkey Snack Stick, Popchips Barbecue Potato Chips, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Peel-A-Part Fruit, Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed and Fuit Mix, and a Professor Zim Zam’s Extraordinary Sweets Dark Chocolate with Rice Crisps. It contains no artificial flavors or colors, and is gluten-free, peanut free, egg free, and tree nut free! The Popchips contain milk, and the dark chocolate contain soy, but that’s the only allergens! I always strive to pack healthy options for my daughter’s lunch, and I was proud to pack this wholesome lunch for her! All GoPicnic’s ready-to-eat meals are free of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, added MSG, and artificial flavors and colors. Bean LOVED her lunch! She especially liked the Enjoy Life Mountain Mambo Seed & Fruit Mix. I am pretty sure it is the closest thing she has ever had to a trail mix!
The next day we packed the Sunbutter & Crackers meal. Again super easy, super quick, and a nice healthy, wholesome lunch! Another balanced meal featuring Sunbutter® Creamy Sunflower seed Spread, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers, Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Trail Mix, Sweet Perry Orchards Tropical 100% Fruit Peel-a-Part and an Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Cookie. This meal is all- natural, Kosher, gluten-free, vegan, and free of 7 common allergens, including wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and egg! The only allergen is that the Sunbutter is made on equipment that also processes soy. My daughter also loved this meal! She has asked for me to begin packing these in her lunch on a regular basis.
These are healthy meal options that can be taken anywhere, anytime! No refrigeration required! These would be great to take on outings to the zoo, museums, parks, picnics, or even camping. I was even thinking these would be great to take on road trips. No worrying about where to stop for food, and if the food will be safe once we do find a place. These alleviate having to purchase those overpriced foods sold at public places, and you can be confident that what you are feeding your child (or yourself) is nutritionally balanced and safe! They have several varieties for people living allergen free, vegan, and gluten-free. Just throw them in a bag and go! I found these available in the gluten-free section at my local Meijer. They are also available at Target, Walgreens, Mariano’s Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Regal Cinemas, or they can also be purchased online at http://www.gopicnic.com. They offer several varieties for specialized diets, plus they have specials and discounts online.
Disclaimer: I was given both boxes of GoPicnic meals reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. The meals were eaten exclusively by my daughter, Bean. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Today’s the day!
So excited to be going to the GFAF Expo today! This will be our first Expo ever! I cannot wait to see all the great products that are available and share them with all of you!
Product Review: Second Helping
In my quest to continuously seek out the best of the best in gluten-free companies and products, I have come across a real winner and an instant kid friendly, family favorite! I am happy to share with you today, Second Helping! They are a great company that provides fantastic meatballs, called Mama’s Meatballs and awesome corn dogs, called Corn Puppies! Check out their website here.
Second Helping was nice enough to send me both of their products to try.
After checking out this great nutritional info….we could not wait to try them out!
In fact, we were so excited about these that we decided to have the Corn Puppies for lunch and incorporated Mama’s Meatballs into our dinner!
The first thing I noticed when I opened up the Corn Puppies was their plentiful size! With two as a serving, we were feeling entirely satisfied! Bonus is, there are 5 servings per bag! We made these on a day my kids actually had friends over, and it was the perfect food for our play date! The turkey hot dogs inside are nice and plump and juicy. The ratio of corn to hot dog is perfect. Just enough corn to add that great flavor, without masking the hot dog, like I have seen from other companies. They are incredibly easy to make, just toss in the oven ( we used our counter top convention) and let them cook while the kids are finishing up playing and lunch is all done. There was no turning or messing with them and they came out deliciously golden brown and crunchy! After they were cooled and served, I was surprised to see even my pickiest eater, Bear, dig right in! After getting the approval from my youngest critics, I got the chance to sample them. I loved that they tasted so home-made! If I would have been served these at a friend’s house, I would have never guessed that they were frozen and store-bought. What a great find!
After the great success with our lunch, I quickly refocused dinner to a pasta night ( gluten-free of course!) so that I had a great excuse to make Mama’s Meatballs! I opened the package and could not believe how BIG these meatballs were!! I knew for sure that it would be more than enough to satisfy everyone for dinner, since we tend to have some pretty large appetites. There are a bunch of easy options on how to prepare these. Luckily, there is also a speed method. We were really busy that day and by the time I had a chance to start dinner, I just went the quick and easy way, using pre made sauce. Luckily, Second Helping thinks of everything! Just a few seconds per meatball in the microwave and they were nice and hot and ready to go. I, of course, like to pretend I am a big fancy chef, so I tossed them into the sauce before I served anyone 🙂 . I could not resist so after I took them out of the microwave, I took a taste of one, just plain. Oh my goodness! The texture ( even microwaved!) was amazing! They were meaty and juicy and packed full of flavor! I wanted to eat the whole thing, right then and there. A perfect blend of just the right spices.
After we sat down at the table, I watched and waited, I was so excited to get everyone’s thoughts. My husband was very surprised, and could not believe they had once been frozen! He remarked how fresh and great tasting they were, and I had to agree. My daughter Bee dug right in, as I figured she would and told me how much she liked the new meats. Then we came to my son Bear. I waited, pretty positive that I could not get lucky twice in the same day. Getting him to eat is always an adventure. Much to my surprise and delight, he tasted the meatballs and told me how yummy they were!! You can only imagine how happy I was that I had finally found a company that I know my whole family enjoys! Second Helping should get awards just for getting my son to eat!!
We all had such a great time with Second Helping and their products, I know they are going to become a staple in my house. I love that they are quick and easy, especially with how busy and fast paced my days seem to get. I love that everyone in my family enjoys them, since that is something that rarely, if ever, happens. I love that you can order their products and have them shipped to you, so there is no need to worry about whether or not your local stores carry them ( although some do!!). I love that I can have pride in these foods, that I know exactly what I am feeding my family. Most of all, I love, that for that day at least, we really felt like we were eating “like everyone else”. While I always tell my kids there is nothing wrong with being different, no one can argue against the fact that it IS nice to feel “normal” every once and awhile, and I am so thankful to find a company that allows me to do that.
I would love for you guys to check them out on Facebook and Twitter and give them your support!
**Disclaimer** Second Helping provided me with free products in exchange for my honest opinions of those products. I was not financially compensated in any way, nor were my opinions swayed or altered for any purpose. These opinions are all my own.
Epipen/Medicine Bag Review & Giveaway
In honor of Allergy Awareness week, I want to share with you what we use for my daughter’s Epipen and medications. We purchased it through FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education). If you have never checked out their site, it is full of great allergy info! The bag is small enough it fits in a purse or diaper bag, or can be hooked on a belt loop. It fits EVERYTHING we need to keep my daughter safe, including two Epipens, a bottle of Benadryl, an inhaler, AND her allergyactionform (gread downloadable free form) plus we keep a DVD in there on how to use an Epipen. We keep that in there in case someone does not know how to use an Epipen or needs a refresher course.
This is the best bag, and is the perfect size, AND it’s only $6 through FARE (plus shipping $4.50 for two bags)! We keep one bag for when Bean goes to a friend’s house, sitter, or if we go on a family outing. We have another that Bean takes to school to keep in the nurse’s office. The one for school we wrote her name and “SEVERE PEANUT ALLERGY & ASTHMA” on the front. Her school nurse says she loves that if she ever needs anything for Bean, all she has to do is quickly get out her bag. We have had both bags for 5 years now. It has been all over the place and they are still is in excellent shape.
FARE’s online store is currently not active, because they just revamped their site, however you can view the FARE Order Form and call them to place your order at 800-929-4040.
ORRRR you can win one! Several ways to gain entries to win the fantastic bag.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
**Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated or given anything free in order to do this review. I just think it’s such a great product that I wanted to share it with you. FARE is sending out a free bag to one winner though for the giveaway. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Awareness in the Food Service Industry
It was another one of those nights tonight…
You know, the whole, hey let’s try and go out and grab something for dinner. For those of you who can do this effortlessly, and without any kind of thought, I envy you…dearly. For us, it is a lovely game of first, finding somewhere safe, and then second, trying to find somewhere that my uber picky Bear will eat from.
After a long debate and thought process, we finally settled on somewhere. As usual, once we were there and getting ready to order, I went through our typical “we can NOT have anything with gluten, so I need to know what your ingredients are” speech. And this was met with the typical “Oh is this for an allergy” question. I begrudgingly say yes, not wanting to get into how it is NOT an allergy (that is another post for another day). But then, to my dismay, our server said they would have to go and ask someone else, and they would get back to us about what was safe. It took quite awhile, and finally someone else came out to talk to us, with a large book that they told me contained all the items they had and what was in each item. And I am NOT kidding when I say that this binder had to be 3 or 4 inches thick. At this point, we explained that we did not feel safe enough to continue our experience, thanked the establishment, left a small tip for our server ( I used to waitress, so I feel that it is only right to leave a little something for taking up some time at a table) and wound up back home eating leftovers.
But here is my point, I just feel like if you work in an establishment where food is served, you should be knowledgeable enough to explain to patrons what is or is not in your products. Not just for those with gluten issues or food allergies, but for anyone who asks. People are becoming more and more aware of what they put in their bodies, and typically most like to know what they are eating. I just find it amazing that in most cases the servers or counter staff typically have no clue what they serve. Even worse, as in our case, the management did not even know what was in the products they were serving. Um…what? While I understand that this may be a paycheck for you, this could be a life threatening mistake for someone else. I am not at all trying to downplay the need for us with food issues to do our homework…but it would be nice for places to start educating their staff on the make up of the their products. Also, maybe a bit of education on the plethora of food issues that people can have. It would be nice to walk into a restaurant and explain my situation and have it met with something more than a weird look. A bit of extra effort on the part of restaurants could do wonders for their customer service, and open up their businesses to a whole new market of people who may have previously been unaware that eating there was a safe place.
The BEST Printable Allergy Action Plan
For those of you who have or who have a child with an anaphylactic food allergies, or know someone who does, this is the most comprehensive form I have found out there. It is from FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education). I prefer this over the one my allergist gave my daughter, and others I have seen on the web. I keep one of these with every Epipen my daughter has – my purse, her backpack, school nurse, and our take along bag. It also has a spot to acknowledge if the allergic person has asthma or not (which would make their airway reaction much worse) AND what to do in case they do! Most forms I have found do not cover this.
If you must carry an Epipen, then be sure to have one of these forms in there with it!
You can see the form by clicking here or going to http://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=125
Chemical on fruits & in tap water linked to food allergies?
Studies have shown that dichlorophenol found in pesticides, and insect/weed control products, and also found in tap water may be linked to food allergies. Also, chemically treated fruits & vegetables could be part of the cause.
You can read the full article here on Baby Center.
Allergy Warriors & Gluten Free Living 