Goodbye 2008

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting over the last 12 months. When I think about food allergy issues, I feel hopeful about the progress we've made. There is much more awareness and education about food allergies. We're making headway with schools, restaurants and food manufacturers who are on the front line. More companies are specializing in, or adding, allergy safe foods and products. The number of children and adults being diagnosed with a food allergy continues to rise, though, so we need more effort into research for causes and a cure. I can only hope that soon we will face a new year in which food allergies are a problem of the past. Until then, the Food Allergy Assistant continues to advise, inform and educate.Happy New Ye...

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Coupons for allergy friendly foods

Who doesn't love to save money? When it comes to buying allergy safe food for my family though, cost is lower on my list. First I want to make sure the food is safe. Next, I want to make sure it tastes good. Finally, I look at the price. Usually, though, if the first two criteria are met, I buy it. This explains why I spent $10 per pound for chocolate chips.I was excited to find that we may soon be able to look forward to coupons for some of our favorite products. Check out BeFreeForMe.com . I just signed up to receive coupons and offers. I'll keep you posted if I find it helpf...

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Monday Review

In 2009, I plan to start a "Monday Review" on this blog. I'm looking for food allergy friendly products or foods I can try out. Already over 40 people and companies have responded to my initial request, so look for reviews on everything from allergy friendly cookies to charms that make a neighborhood barbecue safer to placemats that help children with food allergies. If you know of a great product or food I should look at, send a comment. Happy Holidays to a...

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Merry Christmas 2008, Doing well, Facebook

Merry Christmas! Denise is looking healthy, the kids are cute, and Denise says I look nice in a suit (I avoid suits as much as possible). Her progress since our 2005 Christmas picture is amazing. She even joined a gym recently to try to work on her balance, strength and energy with regular workout classes.Since our last post, our medical concerns have been few. Denise has hearing aides enjoys being able to hear again (she opted for tiny hearing aides that fit completely in her ear). The most recent test for cocci came back undetectable again, and we are very happy for that. She's also been experiencing fewer GI issues since she started a simple...

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My Food Allergy Christmas List

Dear Santa,I know there are many terrible diseases that we don't yet understand. We wish for a cure for cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease and the other threats many of us have faced in our families. Since we deal with food allergies every day in our family, I have just a short Christmas list for you. I wish we could go into any restaurant and have food allergies be taken seriously. How wonderful it would be to know that the restaurant kitchen is as safe as my own and we have no worries of cross-contamination or hidden ingredients. I wish food manufacturers would be transparent about the ingredients in their foods. This goes for manufacturers in other countries as well. List them clearly in an easy to recognize way. And enlarge the print too. Many grandparents of kids with food...

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Food Allergies Going to the Dogs

I can't help noticing an increase in stories about dogs being allergic to dog food. Recently I read that 1 in 10 dogs is allergic to a food. It seems that the offending foods for dogs are very similar to the top eight food allergies for people. There must be some link. Food allergic dogs, like people, can experience itchy skin leading to excessive scratching. I can't help wondering if this is how food allergies in people began. Perhaps a generation ago we didn't hear much about food allergies because no one realized that itchy, rashy skin may have been a food allergy. Maybe over the years, responses have gotten more severe and now we deal with skin issues, gasto-intestinal issues and respiratory distress. Will we soon be carrying epinepherine for our pets? I'd like to see some research...

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Food Allergy Related Deaths

Meredith Broussard, an adult with food allergies, wants everyone to stop "stretching the truth about food allergy deaths" because it "creates unnecessary anxiety and fear for everyone". She's talking about that "150-200 food allergy deaths per year" statistic that FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) has put out for the media to use. Meredith believes the number of food allergy deaths per year is closer to 11 and that FAAN's "wildly exaggerated estimate" should not be used.I say, "Who cares?". One death due to food allergy per year is too many. We have defensive practices in place such as 504 and healthcare plans, protecting students' rights to carry their medication and education and awareness of schools and the public to minimize allergic reaction risks. We know that children...

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FAAN Grandparent Award

For those super-understanding and accommodating grandparents who have gone above and beyond to make a difference for food allergies, there is now a prestigious award: *FAAN Grandparent Award. Too often we hear about grandparents who "don't get it" so I love the idea of showcasing those who do. If you know someone who is deserving of this award, link here for a nomination form.*FAAN is Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Netw...

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Scary Stuff

Everyone should check out this article in the Nov. 21, 2008 issue of the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune article spotlights an investigation they did on food manufacturers who mis-label their products and the failure of regulators to police these manufacturers. Incorrect ingredient labels are dangerous to everyone- food allergic, diabetic, those watching cholesterol, salt intake or weight. We trust those labels to be true.Guess what? 47% of products recalled for hidden allergens in the past 10 years were never even announced to the public. When a label clearly says "does not contain wheat", we need to be able to trust that information. After reading this article, it is obvious we have a long way to go. Our food manufacturers must be required to know what is in their product, report that...

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Yup, Food Allergies are on the Rise

The NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) has confirmed what many parents and school nurses already know: Food allergies among those under the age of 18 is on the rise. From 1997-2007, there has been an 18% increase. There are some other interesting statistics in the report, such as Hispanics reporting a lower rate of food allergy and that food allergy does not appear to differ by gender. Food allergic children are also 2-4 times more likely to experience other allergic conditions and asthma. Perhaps pediatricians and family doctors will now be more likely to consider food allergies when they see babies with infant eczema or infant wheezing. Check out the full report he...

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Old18

Well it has been much too long since I�ve posted a blog, and it�s been a longer than normal several months for me as well? Does that ever happen in your life? Time just seems to stand still and fast forward all at the same time � no doubt that�s a sign of age, and I suppose approaching that �half a century mark� gives me a bit of an excuse for a blip in my blog posts? Life is just a big old box of chocolates as old Gump�s Mom would say, of late it�s been mostly those tart cherry filled chocolates that I don�t much like? One after another seems to come my way some days, and those nasty ones that you can�t even identify what�s actually in the middle,...

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Mass Hysteria Over Nut Allergies

This quote by Dr. Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School, in the British Medical Journal is causing a bit of an uproar:"in some cases the "gross over-reaction to the magnitude of the threat" has many of the hallmarks of mass psychogenic illness, or mass hysteria."He's talking about people's over-reaction to the dangers of food allergies. He goes on to give examples such as the evacuation of a school bus because a peanut shell was found on the floor. He says "The issue is what accounts for the extreme responses to nut allergies and what to do about the responses and the allergies themselves."Many are angry about his comments. I have always believed that open dialogue about food allergies is the key. Was there a child on the bus who could have a reaction if they even inhaled peanut...

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Most Comprehensive Food Allergy Study to Date

An international study is underway to look into the cause of food allergy. It includes hundreds of families in Chicago, Boston and China. Through questionnaires and interviews, researchers are looking at diet, hygiene, number of pets as well as the food allergic patient's prenatal and postnatal medical histories. David and Denise Bunning of Chicago have two severely food allergic children. They were so frustrated over the lack of financing for food allergy research, they donated $3 million to this study. While most of us cannot make that kind of financial commitment, let's remember during this holiday season of giving that there are many worthwhile organizations who could put our money to good use. Toys will be long forgotten, but the words "We've come up with a cure" will be a gift...

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New Cookbook: "What Else is to Eat?"

I love a new cookbook. I can read it like a novel and mark it up like a textbook. So, when I opened Linda Coss's latest cookbook, "What Else is to Eat?, I filled a blank paper with notes and page numbers of recipes to try. Here's a scrumptious sample of what we've been eating this week:Iced Honey Cookies (page 126)- we took these to a friend's house for dinner. They were a huge hit...easy to make and yummy to eat!Spaghetti and Meatball Soup (page 26)- "This is really good, Mom!" was all I needed to hear.Slow Cooker Beef With Rosemary and Potatoes (page 37)- Crockpots make life a bit easier, don't they? In just a few minutes I had everything in the slow cooker and voila', eight hours later, a delicious meal. Next time I'll chop the rosemary finely as my children picked off the "green...

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Go European Scientists!

Check out this research team in Europe who will be looking at modified food proteins in an effort to unlock the food allergy puzzle. They will be specifically targeting fish and fruit allergy, but I would think that any break-through may have an impact on other foods as well. Let's keep a close eye on this one. Makes sense that by modifying the food protein, the allergy reaction can be chang...

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Food Allergy Support Groups

I'm a big fan of face to face support groups when you're dealing every day with an issue like food allergies. I met another mom in Baltimore at FAAN's (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) annual conference in 2001 when I attended the first time. At the conference, lunch seating is arranged by zip codes so that people can meet others who live close by. We began talking and decided to start a support group. We had 4-6 people who regularly met once a month to swap recipes, talk about safe foods and to provide general support for one another. That group has since dis-banded, but the friendships and help were invaluable to me at the time. My allergist office also ran a monthly support group with the doctor sitting in to answer questions. If you are interested in a support group, Linda...

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