Food Allergy Book Launch: My Review of "Allergic Girl" by Sloane Miller

Today I’m reviewing Sloane Miller’s book, “Allergic Girl” to coincide with her official book launch! I first became aware of this talented writer and devoted food allergy advocate a few years ago following my daughter’s nut allergy diagnosis. Over the years, I’ve followed Sloane’s terrific blog, Please Don’t Pass the Nuts, and have received a lot of comfort, advice and tips from her online chronicle of what it’s like to live with severe food allergies to many foods including tree nuts and fish.

When I heard that Sloane had a book coming out, I was thrilled to know that this topic is getting the attention it deserves and that she was contributing her voice in this way. Sloane’s approach towards living with food allergies has been inspirational to me and to so many others. Her book, “Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies” is a wonderful resource, akin to having a friend guide you through the pitfalls of allergic living.

I have been privileged to correspond with Sloane over the years about various food allergy issues and she is always ready with great advice. And, hey, check out page 64-65—she was kind enough to include my input about families and food allergies.

One of the great things about "Allergic Girl" the book is that it outlines how to live without food allergies preventing you from what you want to do. I’ve found this so comforting because as a parent, that’s what I want for my daughter.

In “Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies” Sloane discusses the medical aspects of food allergies but to my mind, she covers an equally important aspect: the social issues of food allergies. Her book discusses everything from how to get a safe dining out experience, to dealing with family members and friends, holidays and social events. She also covers previously un-discussed topics like dating with food allergies—yes, she goes there. And even though my child isn’t old enough to date (she’s 11—that time will be here, sooner than I probably think), it is helpful to hear from someone who has dealt successfully with the many challenges a food-allergic adult has to deal with.

Other topics covered include: How to find the best allergist and get a correct diagnosis; how to create positive relationships with family, friends and food; and how to build a safe environment wherever you are.

If you are a food-allergic adult, this is a must-read handbook for your life. If you are the parent or family member of an allergic child, “Allergic Girl” will give you both important resources and hope for the future. Warm, witty and knowledgeable, Sloane is a great food allergy advocate and I wish her all the success in the world with this book.

Thanks again to Sloane for hosting a book giveaway on this blog just recently! I hope you will all check out “Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies,” now available on Amazon.com and in many bookstores.

FTC Note: I received a reviewer's copy of the book.

Food Allergy News: Are Ocean Spray Craisins Nut-Free?

With food allergen labeling all over the map, it's always good to do your research on a product. Because my kids like dried fruit, I noticed while shopping one day that Ocean Spray Craisins say "peanut-free" on the bag. However, I also noticed that the company makes trail mix containing tree nuts, which are another group of allergens we need to avoid. Peanuts have definitely made it onto food companies' radar, but tree nuts, not so much even though they are one of the most common and potentially life-threatening food allergens.

I contacted the company for more info and was very happy with the following response:

"February 24, 2011

Hello Jenny,

Thanks for contacting us over here at Ocean Spray, where we pride ourselves on 80 years of taking great care in harvesting and manufacturing our products. It’s nice to hear from people who are as into cranberries as much as we are.

All of our products are produced in facilities and equipment that are free of nuts, dairy, and eggs. The production equipment is cleaned and sterilized between each production run. Thus, there is no risk of cross contamination between any of our products. We are currently marketing a selection of Trail Mixes, which contain mixed nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate. Those products are packaged in separate facilities, apart from our standard products."

It was good to know that the trail mix is not made in the same facility as the plain Craisins, aka dried cranberries.

With this in mind, here's one of our favorite family cookie recipes. We recently added Craisins to this and everyone loved it--plus it packs a little more nutrition into the cookie. I know I've offered chocolate chip and oatmeal granola bars recently, so Craisins would be a nice addition to those as well.

The Nut-Free Mom's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (I like dark brown)
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, uncooked
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Hershey's semi sweet or Vermont Nut-Free)
1/4 cup Ocean Spray Craisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, with mixer set a medium, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla just until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually stir in flour, just until blended. At low speed mix in oatmeal, chocolate chips and Craisins.


Drop dough by heaping tablespoons (I use a mini ice cream scoop for this), 2 inches apart, on two ungreased large cookie sheets. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking. With wide spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 24 cookies.

The Award for Best Food Allergy Performance Goes To....

With the Academy Awards on TV just yesterday, it got me thinking about people in our lives that deserve the award for "Best Performance in Dealing with a Food Allergy."

As parents of kids with food allergies or adults dealing with food allergies, we can be faced with negativity at times. We've discussed this on this blog and also on my Facebook page (where I also asked readers to chime in on their "best food allergy performance" award-winners). However, most of us have those special people in our lives who go above and beyond for us. Or maybe we are impressed by our kids and how they handle their challenges.

In a previous post I discussed why I would give my daughter a "Best Food Allergy Performance" award. I am lucky that there are so many people in my life who support her and me even though sometimes dealing with food alleriges is inconvenient and even stressful for people. I'm thinking of my youngest daughter and how she is extremely careful about foods on behalf of her big sister and always is looking out for her. I'm thinking of my husband and how cautious he has become with regards to food, so that I feel truly supported and don't have to do all of the work myself.

Even more special, I'm thinking of the friends we have made who go out of their way--literally--to provide safe foods for my daughter. One of her friends even served "made in a nut-free facility" cupcakes at her own birthday party--just so my daughter could participate in the birthday treats. I'm thinking of the moms and dads who watch over my daughter during play dates and parties. I'm also thinking about the teachers who showed us empathy and did what they could to ensure that we could send our daughter into their classroom with confidence that she would be well.

I'm sure many of you have those special people in your lives, so be sure to thank them for all they do. Who would you nominate for "Best Food Allergy Performance" in your life and why?

Food Allergy Reactions: Communicating the Symptoms to Young Children

Recently, some readers have asked for advice on describing allergic reactions to young kids. They also wanted to know how to teach young children how to describe it to them, the parent, or to other adults.

This is a great question, because with kids getting diagnosed at younger and younger ages, they may not remember their severe allergic reactions. Some kids are diagnosed nowadays without experiencing that severe allergic reaction, so they may not know how to tell if they are having one.

In our case, my daughter reacted at age 4 for the first time and it was sudden, violent and life-threatening. She remembers the exact feelings she had, to the point that she was able to detect herself having a reaction at school. She got help right away, was given Benadryl, I was called to school and she made a complete recovery. The reaction, thankfully, turned out to be mild. However, had she not gotten help right away, it very well could have escalated. You never know how severe an allergic reaction is going to be.

I give you our story to show you how important it is to teach kids how to recognize the symptoms and how also to tell you, their caregiver, grandparent or daycare worker that they may be having an allergic reaction.

If you can't see hives or facial swelling, that doesn't mean a reaction is not taking place or about to take place. Kids may complain of an itchy throat or tongue, or even a "sore" throat. They may tell you that the food they are eating just tastes "wrong" to them or "spicy" or "sour." They may spit out a food (that's good if they do) because of an allergen you may not know if present. For example, from a very young age, my daughter would spit out foods immediately that contained any peanuts or tree nuts. We just thought she was picky! I wish we had known better.

Kids may also describe tummy troubles--they may feel nauseous or like they have stomach cramps. Breathing difficulties may be described as "my chest feels funny."

Here is a great link to the FAAN website that lists several examples of what young kids might say if they are having an allergic reaction.

Teaching your child to describe an allergic reaction
If your young kids have verbal skills, they probably have their own way of describing to you when they feel ill. When my oldest was very young, she would tell us "There's a bug in my throat" when she felt sick in any way. This was because in the past she had heard one of us say "She caught a bug" and then she confused that with the expression "I have a frog in my throat."

Your kids might have similar sayings. Role play with them and discuss, using terms they will understand, (such as the ones I list or those listed in the FAAN link), how a reaction might feel. Discuss with them what they will do if they feel this way.

One thing to note is that some children will look for a place to go and be alone, such as the bathroom, if they are feeling ill. You don't want a child who is experiencing a reaction to be alone because the reaction can advance before you or anyone else finds them.

Stress to your child that if they feel any allergy symptoms, they should go find an adult immediately and tell them. Period. Practice this with them and you can even make a game out of it to make it feel less scary.

Visual images of food allergens and potential allergy situations are also helpful. Be sure to check out Beyond a Peanut educational flashcards, a perfect tool for young children.

It's never fun to have to teach your child about life-threatening allergic reactions but think of it as an investment in their future health and independence. As kids grow older, the number one line of defense against them having an allergic reaction is: themselves. Kids who learn what to do, what to avoid and how to get help will be more confident and a lot better prepared.

Also, if your child has food allergies and special needs, please check out this article that I wrote recently for the Chicago-based magazine, Special Parent. Kids with special needs may need different approaches.

Valentine's Day and Food Allergies: A Love Story and Book Giveaway!

Since it's Valentine's Day, it got me thinking about the things we do for love as food allergy parents. Sometimes the things we do are easy, like baking cookies for the class. (OK, sometimes not so easy, I'll grant you.) Or tagging along on our young child's play date, just to be sure they don't have an allergic reaction.

Other things aren't so easy. Anyone who's faced opposition about our child's allergies from the school, resistance from other parents or even family members can attest to that. It's very hard to single out your child and also single out yourself for what many people perceive as requests for "special treatment." It can also be difficult to explain our child's serious medical condition to other people without either coming across as "Debbie Downer" or as too glib. I find myself walking that tight rope constantly--I don't like to dwell on the negatives, but I have to do everything I can to make the people who care for my daughter understand how to help her stay healthy.

It's not easy to watch your child have a severe reaction, undergo uncomfortable medical tests or even be denied a sweet treat that "all the other kids are eating."

Sometimes we get angry when we're not taken seriously. Other times we doubt ourselves--are we doing too much, or not enough?

Not to get all sappy on you here, but if you are a parent who loves your child, you already have everything you need to get through the hard times of caring for a child with a severe food allergy. Love for our child is what keeps us going. A parent's love is the extra ingredient in everything we bake and do. Nothing can surpass it, so remember that the next time you're struggling, as we all do, with food allergy issues.

And speaking of love, here's some love for my wonderful blog readers, a book giveaway! Sloane Miller of the blog "Please Don't Pass the Nuts" will give away one copy of her upcoming book "Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies" to one lucky Nut-Free Mom blog reader. As an adult living with food allergies, Sloane has been a big inspiration to me as I raise my daughter. She is awesome and this book will be, too!

All you have to do to get a chance to win your copy is to post your own food allergy love story in my comments box. It can be about something you've done for your child, something someone else has done, something loving you wish for the allergic person in your life, etc. As long as it's about love and food allergies, it counts! Keep posting your stories on The Nut-Free Mom blog all week for your chance to win. Good luck!

In the meantime, give the food-allergic person in your life an extra a hug and Happy Valentine's Day!