I know many of you have been hearing these stories lately and a few people have Tweeted me to ask me for links.
Here is a link to a recent story stating that Peanut Allergy Cases Have Tripled in 10Years. The story highlights that peanut and tree nut allergies seem to be increasing by leaps and bounds--with peanut growing at a faster rate than other food allergies.
I've always suspected this just based on my FAAN's Kids Newsletter--nearly every child featured has peanut allergy and most with that have tree nut allergy, even if they have other food allergies those two are in there.
Of course no one knows why this is. I really think we need to find out.
Running concurrently with this story was one in the New York Times on Wednesday that stated food allergies are NOT as prevalent as has been believed.
I think several things are going on here. One: people are mistakenly believing they have food allergies and are not getting a proper diagnosis. They may have a food intolerance (lactose intolerance, celiac disease) or something else entirely. A severe food allergy has the potential to close an airway and cause violent vomiting, wheezing, swelling of the face, etc. It's important to know if you have a true food allergy, both for health and lifestyle reasons. Don't diagnosis yourself, please!
The other thing is that people are getting a positive reading on a blood test and then not reacting to a food. No one is quite sure why this is happening--medical experts are trying to figure out better tests.
Finally, with more awareness of food allergies, more people are getting accurate diagnosis. In other words, yes they have them.
The one thing I hear from folks dealing with food allergies--either they have them or their kids have them--is a sentiment I feel myself. And that's the following: If you're not affected by food allergies then why do you want to disprove them? It really makes our lives harder when this happens.
However, if people really don't have food allergies and claim that they do, that doesn't help us much either. I can't tell you how many times I've read about a restaurant worker or chef who watched an allergic person consume a supposedly allergenic food with no problem. They then have skepticism about anyone who comes in and says they have a food allergy.
As a parent who has witnessed my child have a very severe, life-threatening reaction and then subsequent milder reactions from a miniscule exposure to peanuts, I just want to protect my child. I know this thing is real.
Parents and food allergy folks: what's your take on this?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Food Allergies and Mother's Day
Mother's Day is almost here and I want to give a special thanks and recognition to all the mothers out there and especially to those of you dealing with food allergies. Yes, dads, grandparents and family members care too, but I know that mothers take the brunt of a lot of the day to day stuff with food allergies.
This year you probably:
Met with school staff or other caregivers about your child's food allergy
Worried when your child went out without you
Were nervous serving your child food in a restaurant
Stayed up late baking cupcakes for a class party
Showed several people how to use an epinephrine auto-injector (including maybe even your child)
Researched the Internet about food allergies for hours
Had a real food allergy "scare" or a false alarm (incidentally, both cause gray hair equally)
Were a regular at the pharmacy
Took your child for allergy testing
Filled out endless paperwork so that your food-allergic child could attend a camp, participate in a sport or other activity
Did I say stayed up late baking cupcakes???
I could go on an on. The bottom line, Moms, is to be proud of all you've done for your child this year. Being a mother is not for the faint of heart, as my pediatrican told me when my daughter was young. That goes double if your child has any type of chronic medical condition.
Mother's Day is supposed to be a day of celebration for mothers--not necessarily a day of complete rest, though that is nice. But food allergies don't take a break, so I bet a lot of you--like me--will be baking and/or cooking for Mother's Day. I'm baking a coffee cake to bring to a brunch. My kids LOVE this cake and I am happy to make it for them. Nothing is better than being to serve my allergic daughter something that she can eat along with everyone else. I'm not officially "off duty" and so what. The cake means a lot to my child--'nuff said. I'm making it.
Mother's Day is a great time to reflect on how close your child's allergies may have made you and your child. This may seem like a strange silver lining, but I'll leave you with this. The other night, my daughter and I were watching Top Chef Masters and they were doing a wedding. One of the tasks was making a wedding cake. She turned to me and said "Mom, will you make my wedding cake? Then I know it will be delicious AND safe for me."
She trusts me. She knows I can bake a heck of a cake. She knows she can count on me. That's what Mother's Day means to me. After I got done swallowing the big lump in my throat I told her I'd be honored.
Happy Mother's Day!
This year you probably:
Met with school staff or other caregivers about your child's food allergy
Worried when your child went out without you
Were nervous serving your child food in a restaurant
Stayed up late baking cupcakes for a class party
Showed several people how to use an epinephrine auto-injector (including maybe even your child)
Researched the Internet about food allergies for hours
Had a real food allergy "scare" or a false alarm (incidentally, both cause gray hair equally)
Were a regular at the pharmacy
Took your child for allergy testing
Filled out endless paperwork so that your food-allergic child could attend a camp, participate in a sport or other activity
Did I say stayed up late baking cupcakes???
I could go on an on. The bottom line, Moms, is to be proud of all you've done for your child this year. Being a mother is not for the faint of heart, as my pediatrican told me when my daughter was young. That goes double if your child has any type of chronic medical condition.
Mother's Day is supposed to be a day of celebration for mothers--not necessarily a day of complete rest, though that is nice. But food allergies don't take a break, so I bet a lot of you--like me--will be baking and/or cooking for Mother's Day. I'm baking a coffee cake to bring to a brunch. My kids LOVE this cake and I am happy to make it for them. Nothing is better than being to serve my allergic daughter something that she can eat along with everyone else. I'm not officially "off duty" and so what. The cake means a lot to my child--'nuff said. I'm making it.
Mother's Day is a great time to reflect on how close your child's allergies may have made you and your child. This may seem like a strange silver lining, but I'll leave you with this. The other night, my daughter and I were watching Top Chef Masters and they were doing a wedding. One of the tasks was making a wedding cake. She turned to me and said "Mom, will you make my wedding cake? Then I know it will be delicious AND safe for me."
She trusts me. She knows I can bake a heck of a cake. She knows she can count on me. That's what Mother's Day means to me. After I got done swallowing the big lump in my throat I told her I'd be honored.
Happy Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
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.
"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.