Great Gifts for Kids with Food Allergies

"As Far As I'm Concerned, the Cows Can Keep Their Milk. I'm Allergic to Dairy" and "Peanut Free Princess" are just some of the great slogans you'll find on Bjort (pronounced Bort) & Company's T-shirts, hats, pins and other accessories.Kelly Harmsen, the founder of Bjort & Company, started the company when her son was diagnosed with a vision problem called Amblyopia(Lazy Eye). To help him wear his eye patch, Kelly created a DVD called "The Eye Patch Kids" with patched puppets singing and dancing to help encourage kids to put on their patches too. "Soon after I started my company, my son was diagnosed with a peanut/tree nut allergy and since then my niece was diagnosed with a peanut/tree nut allergy too," says Kelly. She began a line of t-shirts and accessories with food allergy...

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Time to Sign Up- Food Allergy Conference

It's that time of year. FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) is holding a conference in three different locations this spring. I highly recommend going to one, especially helpful for those who are new to food allergy. Take your food allergic child if they're over age 11. Take your food allergic child's grandparent because, trust me, they will "get it" after attending this conference. Send a brochure to your school nurse as they have a special break-out session pertaining to issues at school. For more information, check here.Check out my website for more information: www.foodallergyassistant....

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Food Allergies in the Sky

Monday Review will return next Monday, Feb. 2, 2009 with a review of Go Picnic products. In the meantime, having just returned from a family trip, I've got airlines and food allergy on my mind. There is a movement in Canada (a country that seems to be a step ahead of the US when it comes to food allergies) to request that Canada’s top airlines develop clear, consistent, communicated policies that include measures to prevent dangerous in-flight food allergy reactions. There is a quote about a U.S. study showing that 10 per cent of those with food allergies are having in-flight reactions. It can not be argued that an aircraft presents a unique environment. Medication from an Epi-Pen only lasts 15-20 minutes which would not allow enough time for a plane to land and for help to arrive.We...

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Planning a Disney World Vacation?

Having just returned from a trip to Orlando's Walt Disney World, I thought I'd pass along some of the ways those helpful Disney folks assist with food allergies:Check out Frequently Asked Questions about bringing food, epi-pens and medications into the park.Read this for more specific information about food allergies at Walt Disney World.If you're planning to visit the parks, send an e-mail to SpecialDiets@DisneyWorld.com for more information about how to plan a stress-free vacation...although you're on your own with long lines and whiny ki...

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Magazines Dedicated to Food Allergy

If you have relatives or friends dealing with food allergies, a magazine subscription may be a welcome gift. There are several magazines on the market that are dedicated to food allergies and will keep those interested "in the know":Living Without is aimed at people with food allergies and sensitivities. Their mission is to show people they don't need to feel deprived because of their "special lifestyle". This publication is packed with articles, recipes and inspiring stories. Go ahead, click on their two free issue button and send some copies to someone who needs it- maybe even you.Coping with Allergies and Asthma is not exclusively about food allergies, but there are plenty of food allergy articles within its pages. As we know, many people with food allergies also deal with other allergies...

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Monday Review- Mary's Gone Crackers

This Monday Review is brought to you by Mary's Gone Crackers, a manufacturer of wheat and gluten free products. First, I must say, you gotta love the name of the company. Mary Walder created Mary's Gone Crackers when she and her son were forced into a gluten free diet. Having spent nearly a year baking wheat free for my wheat allergic son, I know it is no easy task to create breads, crackers and pretzels without wheat. Mary began creating gluten and wheat free foods and has moved her business from her kitchen into a 54,000 square foot dedicated facility. That means there's no risk that wheat protein will find its way into your cracker. This...

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No Laughing about Food Allergies

I like that Dr. Robert Wood. A favorite speaker at FAAN's (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) annual conferences, Dr. Wood is professor of pediatrics and director of pediatric allergy and immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's medical advisory board. Plus he's a nice man who can calmly and effectively talk about food allergies. In a recent opinion piece published in the LA Times, Dr. Wood invites Joel Stein to spend a day in his clinic. Stein, a NY Times columnist, recently angered many when he published an article calling nut allergies a "yuppie invention". Read both articles and the many comments he...

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Medical Wristbands

My son lost his medical wristband months ago. I've been feeling guilty that he hasn't been wearing one, and finally with a family trip on the horizon, I explored inexpensive, sensible options. Medical bracelets for girls are so cute and look like beautiful bracelets. For boys, options aren't so great. We finally found what we were looking for at Sticky Jewelry. We choose the "make your own" option. He didn't want to have anything written on the front, so there is just a medical alert symbol visible. On the back, we wrote "Severe Food Allergies, Call"- followed by my cell phone number. We only ordered the bracelet plaque and I attached a black piece of elastic so that he could wear it on his wrist. Find what works best for your child. It is important for our children with food allergies...

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Monday Review- Hemp Products from Manitoba Harvest

Today's review is courtesy of Manitoba Harvest, a global leader in hemp foods and oils. I recently sampled their hemp oil, hemp seeds and hemp seed butter. For a little back-ground information, Manitoba Harvest is the largest farmer-owned vertically-integrated hemp food manufacturer in the world. They are kosher certified and a USDA organic certified facility. From a food allergy perspective, the facility is hemp only so there is no risk of cross contamination from other products such as soy or peanuts. I was first impressed with the nutritional quality of hemp. For those with allergies to dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts or fish, finding...

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The Buzz on Bees and Food Allergy

"The bees are just missing" the radio announcer reported. Huh? Yes, it turns out that billions (yes, that's a "B") of honey bees have vanished- virtually into thin air. Now I've had my eye on bees ever since I visited some beekeepers at our local farmers market. They commented that many of their bees like to pollinate from walnut trees in the area. That got me wondering about cross contamination. Here I am making sure I use separate utensils in my kitchen and we've got a bunch of bees out there flitting from fruit tree to nut tree and back again. Is this dangerous for those with nut allergies? Can nut protein find its way into the honey I feed my nut allergic child? So, while scientists continue to look for the missing bees, I suggest some research into whether pollination is contributing...

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Travolta Heartbreak

We've all heard the news stories surrounding the death of Jett Travolta at age 16. When I hear a story like this, I can't help thinking, "but they did everything right... how could this happen?" The reports I heard talked about the precautions the family took to keep their son safe due to his seizures. Things like baby monitors, two nannies, chimes that rang if he walked through a doorway, were part of their lives. Just like Epi-pens, medical alert bracelets, school healthcare plans and special foods are part of our lives. We do everything we can to protect our children so how can that still not be enough? A tragedy like this weighs heavy on my heart. I've been hugging my kids more this last week as though I can form a protective bubble around them. Since there is no magic bubble,...

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Monday Review- Home Free Products

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a successful 2009.Today's Monday Review highlights Home Free, a company specializing in treats for food allergic kids. My family and I recently sampled some of Home Free's oatmeal, chocolate chip and mini chocolate chip cookies. Beore I took my first bite, I noted Home Free's easy to read labels. I really felt a sense of confidence due to the specific labeling about what is, and what isn't, in the cookies. I knew from my research that the company was founded by a mom of a food allergic child who set up her company kitchen with the same standards she uses in her own kitchen. Love that! I also noticed that...

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Food Allergy Blues?

Here's a guy who can make food allergies fun. Meet Kyle Kine of Ontario who made a CD of fun songs all related to food allergy. He also does school programs using songs and puppets to talk to others about food allergies. Listen to a few of his songs here.Kyle is also the founder of Food Allergy Translation Cards which are chef cards that can be printed in any language. Visiting China, Turkey or Croatia? No problem. Just type in your food allergies and for $8 you can print off a chef card in the language you choose. Here's a link. Even if you're not visiting a far off land, it could be fun for kids to know the names of their not-safe foods in other languages.Happy 20...

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