Food Allergy Awareness Week: Small Gestures Add Up All Year

Is this your family's constant refrain? You are not alone!

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week (and this month is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month), so there are many activities being implemented to bring awareness and attention to the seriousness of life-threatening food allergies. These large gestures are wonderful and come about due to the dedication of parents, advocates and physicians who want to spread the word and make the world a more aware place for people suffering from life-threatening food allergies aka "anaphylaxis."

Before I go any further, in honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I want to give a little PSA to all reading now. If you or your child suffer from allergies please remember to ALWAYS carry epinephrine at ALL TIMES. And always check foods, read labels and skip foods when you can't determine their safety. Being cautious of foods and carrying medications are the two best things you can do! I know I've said it many times, but this week especially, it's worth saying again.

While I love that there is a week especially devoted to the  cause of food allergy awareness, I think it's important to point out what I think most of us already know. If you are dealing with life-threatening food allergies every week is "food allergy awareness week." I'm going to guess that you are frequently telling others about allergies as you help your child (or yourself) navigate through a world in which a common food can be more than hazardous to your health -- it can be potentially lethal. This is a difficult concept for many people to get their minds around, so educating others about allergies is a continual process.

Recently, a food allergy awareness opportunity came about for me kind of unexpectedly. My daughter was in a school play and had a lead, so as part of the party-planning committee I ordered specialty cakes from Nutphree's,  a local nut-free bakery, for the entire cast, with the play's theme as the decoration. Nutphree's outdid themselves -- the cakes were the talk of the party and dozens of kids took pictures of the cakes. A lot of people saw the "Nutphree's" logo on the cake boxes and asked me about the bakery, food allergies and how we manage them. One of the volunteers was a pediatrician in our area and he thought it was great -- so many of his patients now have nut allergies, he said. It was great to spread the food allergy awareness this way. (And it didn't hurt that the cakes looked beautiful and tasted great -- they were a wonderful conversation piece.) See below.

Isn't this gorgeous? We had a cake with yellow frosting and red accents, too.
The dice were edible and much-coveted by cast members.

My point is: Any time you tell others about life with food allergies, you are making an impact. Think about it. For example:

Did you speak to a restaurant staff member about allergies recently? How about a family friend? Did you provide treats for a play date or steer a parent towards an appropriate snack due to allergies?

Did you have to turn down an invitation to an ice cream shop or a bakery because of cross-contact risk? Did you have to refuse any food -- and did you politely explain why?

Did you speak to a teacher or another parent in your classroom about cutting down on food allergy risk? Maybe you baked a treat for a get-together and substituted an ingredient (like SunButter for peanut butter) and explained to someone why you had to do that?

Did you see a label change on a food (for better or worse)? That's because of customers (like you and me) calling with questions. Or maybe a restaurant you frequent began putting a note on the menu, i.e. "Tell your server about any food allergies." That stems from people speaking up about allergies.

If you  have made a special effort to educate others this week regarding life-threatening food allergies, kudos to you and thank you! It does help. As we all know, it can be a lot of work to navigate life with allergies, so whatever you have done, large or small, remember it does all add up. Every gesture and every interaction makes a difference.

For more on navigating live with nut allergies, click this link for my nut allergy parenting guide, a concise and encouraging approach for dealing with the newbie to nut allergy lifestyle.

I also encourage you to check out a virtual event on Twitter, hosted by the wonderful Jennifer B of the blog Food Allergy Buzz. This Friday, May 16th, to culminate Food Allergy Awareness Week, is a Twitter gathering to help raise awareness. Last year "food allergy" was "trending" on Twitter due to this gathering -- no easy feat. Click here for details about joining the event.

What about you? How do you promote food allergy awareness in your everyday life?

For Food Allergy Awareness Week: My Guest Post on The Food Allergy Mom

Kimberly, creator of the wonderful blog, The Food Allergy Mom, invited me to guest post for food allergy awareness week re: the importance of being "plugged in" online to the all of the great resources available. This topic is obviously one that is close to my heart since I have written both online and in print about food allergies, anaphylaxis and parenting for the past 6 years. Thanks to Kimberly for inviting me to guest post and thanks also for providing such a helpful resource to your readers!

Here's an excerpt from my guest post  on The Food Allergy Mom:

" “I feel alone.” That’s the number one thing that I hear from parents who have just begun navigating the world with a child who has life-threatening food allergies. I understand that feeling. In fact, it was that sentiment of feeling alone and wanting to connect that prompted me to begin writing my blog “The Nut-Free Mom.” " Read more by clicking this link.

I  am very thankful for the positive reader feedback over the years and grateful that so many readers have found encouragement, practical advice and emotional support via this blog and others.

One of the most important things about food allergy and anaphylaxis awareness is the connections! If you can find a way to communicate effectively and positively to others regarding food allergy, anaphylaxis and your child's needs, that's half the battle. One way to do that is to connect with other parents, learn from them and share your ideas so that together we find creative ways of managing life-threatening food allergies. So in that spirit, I hope you'll join a Food Allergy Awareness Week Twitter party hosted by Jennifer B of the awesome blog "Food Allergy Buzz."

It's easy to join the Twitter discussion, plus it's fast-paced and fun. Plus, you can win prizes from food allergy-friendly sponsors.  To find out more about this event which takes place tomorrow at 7 EST, click this link.

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Join the Twitter Party sponsored by Food Allergy Buzz!

Join the Food Allergy Awareness Week Twitter Party!

To kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week, I want to tell you about a fun opportunity to connect with other food allergy folks -- fellow parents, advocates and dedicated sponsors -- a Food Allergy Awareness Week Twitter Party! This event is hosted by Jennifer B of Food Allergy Buzz, one of the smartest, nicest and most dedicated food allergy bloggers and advocates that I know. She's been hosting these Twitter events for years and would love to make "food allergy" a trending topic on Twitter during the party.

It's really easy to participate, fast-paced and fun -- the hour flies by very quickly!

Here's more information about the Twitter party, including a link to the invite. Hope to see you there!

Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) Twitter Party 2013

• Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 7:00 PM Eastern
• Hosted by Jennifer B
• 339-364-8832
• on Twitter
• www.twitter.com

Join us for the 4th annual FAAW Twitter Party! This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with others in the online food allergy community LIVE at 7:00 PM Eastern. Chat with other food allergy friends, help promote food allergy awareness and maybe even win a food allergy prize from one of the party's sponsors. Click this link to see and respond to the invitation.

In order to participate in the FAAW Twitter Party you will need a Twitter account.

To be eligible for a prize, you must:

1. rsvp YES to this invitation

2. follow @FoodAllergyBuzz on Twitter

3. tell friends about the 2013 FAAW Twitter Party on Twitter and/or FB (send us the links for the Tweet and FB post!)

4. participate in the party using the #foodallergy hashtag!

 

Sponsors include Surf Sweets, Onespot Allergy, Enjoy Life Foods and Peanut Free Planet!

For more information, click this link:

http://socializr.punchbowl.com/partypage/c64249971c3302da

 

 

 

Lauren's Hope Food Allergy Bracelet Giveaway Winner Announced! Plus, A Cake Gallery

Lindsey Karr, you are the winner of our Lauren' Hope Medical ID giveaway! The random drawing was held using Random.org. Congratulations! Lindsey, please e-mail me your address info and if you want a bracelet for a boy or girl, and I will forward it to Lauren's Hope! My e-mail is: nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net

 And a huge thank you to everyone who submitted cake photos for our first ever Nut-Free Mom blog Cake Gallery! Talk about love on a plate. What beautiful creations, what lucky kids, what great parents, friends and family who helped create wonderful birthday memories. I got a little teary-eyed looking at these masterpieces and especially the happy kids celebrating with these amazing cakes. I can't think of a better or more joyful way to honor Food Allergy Awareness Week.

This is a long post, due to all of the photos, so take your time, enjoy these photos and get inspired for your next baking task! If I missed someone's photo in this post, I apologize--I got so many responses one may have slipped by. You will be featured in the next Cake Gallery and thanks again!

Anne was the first to join the gallery with this Rice Krispie cake creation
for her daughter with multiple food allergies.

Noah blowing out the candles on his giant cupcake mom Cathering baked
using Cherrybrook Kitchens allergy-friendly mix.

Lissa's lawnmower cake for her two-year-old son who loves lawn mowers!

LeeAnne also made this Superman-themed cake for her son.

Jane Anne's Hot Wheels racetrack cake for her son, David, is a work of art.

Jamie's daughter enjoyed a pink cake for her birthday party!

A cookie cake from Jamie, for her younger son's 3rd birthday.

Homa made this chocolate strawberry cake for her daughter's birthday using two Cybele Pascal recipes.

Jamie made this Star Wars cake for her son's 6th birthday...all of her kids have tree nut allergies.

LeeAnne created this awesome rocket cake for her 4-year-old son.

Cecilia created this adorable b-day cake for her daughter who loves Elmo.

Ali's son got this sea-worthy creation for his birthday.

Laine made this cool rocket ship cake for her young son with multiple food allergies.

Mom Ali had her daughter's Grammy made this bunny cake for her birthday.

Crystal made this for her adult daughter (also Crystal) for her baby shower. She said
it was her first time using fondant icing--great looking cake!

LeeAnn had a talented friend make this My Little Pony cake for her daughter Rylie's birthday.

Because I had such a huge response, a Cake Gallery will be a regular feature of the blog. And don't worry if you're not a cake baker and decorator. Next week I will have updated list of allergy-friendly bakeries that will do the work for you.

Have Food Allergies Made you a Cake Boss? Plus, Bracelet Giveaway Update

Hi everyone! Food Allergy Awareness Week is fully underway and it's been heartening to see so much interest and positive advocacy for those with food allergies.

Just a reminder that my Lauren's Hope Medical ID bracelet giveaway ends at 10 pm tonight. Please follow this link to enter the contest if you haven't already. (Please enter your comment to win on that post only in order to be part of the random computerized drawing.)

I encourage you to follow Lauren's Hope on social media because they frequently offer great deals and promotions, along with innovative and attractive new products. Here's how you can connect:

 

1. For new product alerts, sales and promo codes subscribe to Lauren’s Hope email alerts http://blog.laurenshope.com/sign-up-for-exclusive-offers-today/

2. Become a fan of Lauren’s Hope on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/LaurensHopeID

3. Follow Lauren’s Hope on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/laurenshopeid

4. Follow Lauren’s Hope Food Allergy board on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/laurenshope/food-allergies/ and/or follow all of our boards on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/laurenshope/

You can win one bracelet -- either for a boy or a girl, thanks to our friends at Lauren's Hope I will announce the winner this Friday. Good luck!

Now, who likes "Cake Boss?" My kids love that show and we are amazed at what Buddy and his crew can create. Around here, we do our best but we're no "Buddy." Still, when I ask my kids what the secret ingredient is they always say "love." Corny, I know--but it's true!

I had that idea in mind when FAAN asked me to contribute to their blog, "FAAN Notes," for Food Allergy Awareness Week--their theme this year is "Because I Love Someone with Food Allergies." Click the link for my story of cake baking and decorating--one I'm sure many of you will relate to.

Which brings me to my next request. Anyone who has made a cake or other treat for a birthday, holiday or special event--if you have a photo of it and you'd like to share it, please send a jpeg to nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net and I'll post some of them on Friday along with our bracelet winner's identity. Let's celebrate our baking efforts! Include your child's first name if you like and the reason for the baked treat (i.e. birthday, whatever special occasion it was).

Food Allergy Awareness Week Giveaway from Lauren's Hope Medical IDs!

To help us kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week, our friends at Lauren's Hope Medical IDs are offering a terrific giveaway: allergy ID bracelets for kids!

Lauren's Hope offers a great selection of jewelry for men, women and kids. Nut-Free Mom readers now have a chance to win one of these cute bracelets.

Girl’s Clementine medical ID bracelet http://www.laurenshope.com/product/2204/B257/clementine-medical-id-bracelet 

Boy’s Zodiac medical ID bracelet http://www.laurenshope.com/product/2173/C286/zodiac-medical-id-bracelet

All  Lauren's Hope bracelets have a prominet ID tag and medical symbol. In fact, customers have asked them over the years to make these smaller but they won't -- they want them easily visible to EMTs if necessary.

Here's what you need to do for your chance to win:

Please post a comment on my blog only--not my Facebook page. Please include your name and first initial.

You should also check out Lauren's Hope social networking -- it's your best chance to hear about their frequent sales and constant stream of great new products that help protect allergic kids in an emergency.

 Here are some ways to connect with them online:

1. For new product alerts, sales and promo codes subscribe to Lauren’s Hope email alerts http://blog.laurenshope.com/sign-up-for-exclusive-offers-today/

2. Become a fan of Lauren’s Hope on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/LaurensHopeID

3. Follow Lauren’s Hope on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/laurenshopeid

4. Follow Lauren’s Hope Food Allergy board on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/laurenshope/food-allergies/ and/or follow all of our boards on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/laurenshope/

You have until this Wednesday at 10 pm to enter to win! Remember, comment on my blog and please include your name and first initial. We will get full info from our winner after a random drawing.

Thanks Lauren's Hope for this generous giveaway to help celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week!

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Advice from a Medical Expert

Many times I'm asked questions that are health or medical in nature and I always refer these questions to an allergist. Of course, you should always speak to your own doctors about your specific needs, but I want to introduce you to a terrific allergist who has his own web site and book that answers many of the questions we have about food allergies: Dr. Robert Wood.

Dr. Wood is a world-renowned allergist and a medical advisor to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. He is also a lifelong peanut allergy sufferer. His best-selling book "Food Allergies for Dummies" combines medical knowledge and facts with tips handling any food allergy. He also has written helpful articles that educate others such as one that addresses commonly-held beliefs and myths about food allergies.

Food Allergies for Dummies and Dr. Wood's web site have been two of my favorite resources over the years. If you don't own the book, get it. It's a great one to share with friends and family, too.

As a parent I feel that I'm an involuntary "expert" on many of the lifestyle issues that affect us all. However, Dr. Wood's website is the one I turn to time and again for solid medical facts about nut allergies.

Food Allergy Awareness Week is all about spreading awareness and accurate food allergy information. I hope you'll check out this site and share it with friends and family members.

Food Allergy Awareness Week Illinois Activities plus a Sweet Alexis Discount!

Welcome to Food Allergy Awareness Week! I'm happy to say that many governors issued state proclamations about FAEW, so thanks to everyone who contacted your state officials.

The Illinois Food Allergy Education Association sent me info about two Food Allergy Awareness Week Events taking place in the Chicago area.

Wednesday, May 12th, 4:30-6:30, at New York Slices, 1843 Second Street, Highland Park, Kelly Rudnicki will sign copies of her book, The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book (nuts, dairy and egg free recipes).

Kelly is a local food allergy mom who I met last year at the FAAN conference. She's a great food allergy advocate and her baking book is fantastic! If you don't have it yet, you'll want to get a copy. I love the recipes in this book! Plus, every recipe has a full-color photo. A beautiful book for you, friends, family--anyone you know interested in nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free baking, or just baking, period. Visit her web site at Food Allergy Mama.

Saturday, May 15th, 11-2p.m. at Free From Market, 14482 South LaGrange Road, Orland Park, Lisa Williams will have cooked tasty food for allergenistas. Directions at: http://www.freefrommarket.com/location.php Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams is a Chicago-area "allergenista" who hosts allergy-free restaurant events and has a great website: Lisa Cooks Allergen Free.

Plus, for all of you looking for nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free baked goodies for your family or school, Sweet Alexis Bakery is offering a 15% discount to help celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week. This is your chance to stock up! Don't forget that Sweet Alexis treats are great to store in your freezer for safe treat emergencies (don't forget the grandparents, friends and relatives)! Enter coupon code: allergy10 at http://www.sweetalexis.com.

Now I have a question: what is your best experience teaching a non-allergic person about food allergies? Did they accommodate you in a special way? Did they go out of their way to help your child in some way? We hear so many negatives stories, so let's share some positive ones for Food Allergy Awareness Week. E-mail me your stories at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net.

Food Allergy Awareness Week--Give It Up!!

Hi everybody,

I'm thrilled to share this press release from The Food Allergy Initiative.

Food Allergy Initiative Launches “Give It Up” Advocacy Campaign in Conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week

New York, NY – May 4, 2010 – The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) today announced the launch of its new “Give It Up” national advocacy campaign in conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 9 through May 15, 2010.

The new “Give It Up” campaign encourages children, parents, families and friends to show their support for the millions of Americans with food allergies by abstaining from eating a favorite food during the week. As part of the campaign, participants are invited to join FAI’s Facebook community and write their elected officials in an effort to raise more awareness about the need to find a cure for food allergies.

The “Give It Up” Facebook page also encourages supporters to share photos and/or videos on how they are “giving up” a favorite food. One lucky person will win an Apple iPad. Individuals and schools can even download an eCertificate that can be personalized and printed, showing their participation in the cause. To join FAI’s Facebook page and learn more, visit www.faiusa.org.

Food allergies have been on the rise over the past decade, especially among children. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 12 million Americans, including three million children, suffer from the disease, which can result in anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction. There currently are no medications to cure or control food allergies. The federal government spends only about $26 million a year on food allergy research – far less than on other important diseases. One of FAI’s primary goals is to increase support of food allergy research at the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies.

“Odds are you have someone in your immediate family or know someone who is afflicted with a food allergy,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, Executive Director, Food Allergy Initiative. “With the incredible advances that researchers are making, there’s no excuse why we can’t develop a cure for this potentially life-threatening disease in the near future. The Food Allergy Initiative is funding many promising studies at major medical centers, but we can’t do it alone. We need more focus and awareness, especially from the government, and we are here to provide just that.”

About the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI):

The Food Allergy Initiative is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds research seeking a cure for food allergies. FAI was founded in 1998 by concerned parents and grandparents to support basic and clinical research worldwide; public policies to make the world safer for those afflicted; and educational programs to make the hospitality industry, schools, day care centers, and camps safer. The largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States , FAI has contributed more than $65 million toward the fulfillment of its mission. For more information, visit www.faiusa.org, call 212-207-1974, or e-mail info@faiusa.org.

About Food Allergies
Food allergies are on the rise in all westernized countries. There are no medications to cure or control food allergies. A strict diet and avoidance of the allergenic food is the only way to avoid a reaction, yet the most common allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy – are staples of the food supply and virtually impossible to avoid completely. Accidental exposure to even a minuscule amount of the offending food can cause an allergic individual to react within seconds, often leading to life-threatening anaphylaxis, which causes throat swelling, a dramatic drop in blood pressure, vomiting and even death within a matter of minutes. Although researchers estimate that food allergies cause approximately 125,000 emergency room visits each year, they do not understand why rates are increasing so alarmingly, particularly among children.

Update on Food Allergy Awareness Week Proclamations

Here's the latest news I received from FAAN:

"An update on Food Allergy Awareness Week proclamations:

As of today, May 3, we’ve received 22:

Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

We’re been informed that 7 more are on the way, yet we still haven’t seen them: California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas."

OK, Nut-Free Mom blog readers, if you're state is on the "not yet" list, visit the FAAN web site and click on Advocacy. You'll be able to contact your governor directly from the site.

May is National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month so now is a great time to contact your state leaders and let them know you want more awareness for food allergies! Good luck and congrats to everyone whose state already has agreed to a proclamation.

Food Allergy Awareness Week--Has Your Governor Gotten On Board?

Would you like your state to formally recognize food allergy awareness week? The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has some news about how to get this done:

Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 9-15, 2010

Ask your Governor to Issue a Food Allergy Awareness Week Proclamation

Issuing a Food Allergy Awareness Week proclamation is a great way to help raise awareness in your State!

Ask your Governor to declare May 9-15, 2010 Food Allergy Awareness Week!
(Note: We have already received proclamations from Alabama, Illinois (yes!), Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin.)

Follow this link to find a customizable letter you can send to your state governor. It's so easy--they've got all the info you need right there!

Food Allergy Awareness Week is such a great invention--and a wonderful way to get our communities to learn about the realities of what food allergy mean, who they affect and how to prevent reactions. An official state proclamation gives this important advocacy effort even more legitimacy.

If your state isn't on board yet, click this link now and let them hear from you.

Food Allergy Awareness Week!

May 11 is the beginning of Food Allergy Awareness Week. This is a great time to thank all the people that help your child with their food allergies. You can also use this time to spread awareness to those around you, whether it's reading a story to your child's class, talking to the school principal about ways to make the cafeteria safer or making an "allergen-free" treat.

Education is key. So don't hesitate to tell other parents, restaurant workers, family members and neighbors about how to handle food allergies. When everyone has the info, they're more likely to help and to ask questions about how to keep food-allergic people safe.

Every resource on the list to the right of this page has done a great job in helping spread enlightenment about food allergies. If you have others, I'd love to hear about them.

What have you done to help spread awareness? If you think back, you've probably done more than you realize. What has made a positive difference as cope with your child's food allergies? Be sure to post and let us know what's worked for you and your family.