Eat Nut-Free

CBC article commenter says what most of us have only thought

John Murray is a man of MANY words. These are the words that I have always wanted to say, but found I could not do so and keep my composure.

John does it very well in response to the comments after the CBC artical “CBC News – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies“ I posted about earlier.

Found here http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/19/f-vp-smith.html

John says:

CBC News – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies

What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies

This article by Gwen Smith of Allergic Living Magazine gives an important message for everyone with children in the school. Whether you are a parent of an allergic child, a parent with a child attending the school with allergic children, or a teacher at that school, you need to read this article.

It goes through many important points to consider for snacks and lunches. Outlines a few facts and dangers associated with food allergies and how we can all get along together if the allergic and non-allergic make a few adjustments.

This is a Canadian site, but these apply to wherever you are.

via CBC News – Canada – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies.

A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way – TIME

Illustration by John Ueland for TIME

Joel Stein has a knack for writing articles that raises the hair on the back of people’s necks.  (See his article “Have Americans Gone Nuts Over Nut Allergies?”

This time he gets his own, though not in a way I would wish on ANYONE.

A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way

By JOEL STEIN Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010

Years ago, sitting on an ear doctor’s examining table after causing my inner ear to bleed for days by puncturing it with a Q-tip, I looked up to see a framed copy of a column about how stupid it is to put Q-tips in your ears. It was a column I had written. When you publish hundreds of obnoxiously self-righteous proclamations, some of them are going to cause you embarrassment. Which doesn’t seem all that big of a deal when you also have blood leaking from your ears.

At the beginning of last year, I wrote a column that questioned whether the increase in food allergies among children was a matter of overreporting. It began with this carefully calibrated thought: “Your kid doesn’t have an allergy to nuts. Your kid has a parent who needs to feel special.” After that, I got a little harsh.

(See nine kid foods to avoid.)

The column was not the first thing that came to mind after my 1-year-old son Laszlo started sneezing, then breaking out in hives, then rubbing his eyes, then crying through welded-shut eyes, then screaming and, finally, vomiting copiously at the entrance of the Childrens Hospital emergency room an hour after eating his first batch of blended mixed nuts.

via A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way – TIME.

New Delicardo Foodcards Contest!

The folks at Delicardo Foodcards just alerted me to a new contest they are running where you can win 50 Delicardo Foodcards of your choice!

Here are some details. The rest can be found on their Facebook page.

DELICARDO Foodcards, a very helpful little card that contains your dietary dos and don’ts, is having a scavenger hunt.

To go into the draw to win a pack of 50 DELICARDO Foodcards of your choosing (go tohttp://www.delicardo.com to see the range of cards available) answer the questions below:

1. What rating did Rosanne give “The Bell Jar” café at http://www.glutensavvy.com?

2. What is the secret word in the magnifying glass on the “Disney with Food Allergies” travel page at http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com? (Tip: You can find the pages here http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com/travel.htm)

3. Who is the founder of www.mallergies.com and what is your favourite post there? (Tip: You can choose any post found at the website)

4. What is the name of the trail mix recently reviewed athttp://www.foodallergyqueen.com?

5. Which allergies and intolerances are mentioned in the founding story of DELICARDO? (Tip: Check the story page at http://www.delicardo.com)

Send your answers and your choice of cards to Delicardo Foodie via facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000358462929) or email bosson@enomis.dewith the subject line “facebook competition”.

Competition ends 24 August 2010.

For more details go to the “Eating Out: Allergies and Diets” facebook group pagehttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=340959892390. Remember all entries must be sent to Delicardo.

Have fun!

Allergies Attack iPhone Game

Allergies Attack is a fun game developed by an allergic-aware developer who put together this game to help promote awareness of allergies and at the same time, help people have fun while getting through the day.

Allergies Attack!

The game follows a boy during his dreams in which he goes on the offensive against all types of allergies; pollen, bees, peanuts, dust, pet dander, you name it.

Fly a ship and shoot the baddies out of the sky as they come flying towards you.

I bought the game and found it to be fun and managed to get through a few levels of play. I’ve been told that there will be an update to introduce a more child-friendly settings so that even the little ones can enjoy it to its fullest!

At only .99 cents you too can support the awareness campaign! (links to Itunes.com)

Enjoy!

Game Intro screen

Game screen

Sunbutter Video Contest

Sunbutter has contacted us to let us know of a new contest they are holding!

http://bit.ly/videodetails will take you to their Facebook page.

Sadly it does not seem to be open to Canadians.

So are you going to enter?

Here’s a lowdown on what they want and what you get:

BBC News – Hopes rise for low allergy peanut

How amazing could this be?

If they can create a peanut that is low allergy, when will they be able to create one that is NO allergy?

I know there is the camp that is against the whole genetic manipulation of food, but it’s very cool and promising.

Besides, genetically modifying food and plants may lead us to some very important medical discoveries!

Researchers are working on peanuts that are low allergy, which could put an end to the problems the popular seed can cause.

Through mixing varieties, the US team has managed to remove or reduce key proteins thought to spark the allergy.

They stress the resulting peanuts are not genetically modified but the product of conventional cross-breeding.

Peanut allergies are relatively common and usually cause breathing problems.

But at their most serious, they can lead to a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Read on…

via BBC News – Hopes rise for low allergy peanut.

Keeps Me Safe Bracelets

I was contacted today by Kat in Spain, who wanted to let me know of the Keeps Me safe bracelet. They are an alternative to the Medic-Alert bracelets and the thing about them is thier looks.

Hi Kat’s own words:

“…the Medic Alert bracelets arent particularly attractive and many people after purchasing one don´t have the desire to wear them on a daily basis as they should, especially women and children. The Keeps Me Safe bracelets certainly are beautiful and trendy, they are made from natural stones /Swarovksi crystals / leather, making them something beautiful rather than something to be ashamed of, and they are not expensive, meaning that people could buy one tag and various bracelets to swap on a daily basis depending on how they feel.”

Check out Keeps Me Safe at www.keepsmesafe.com and is available in both English and Spanish.

Sample tag:

Check out some of these bracelet designs.

Congratulations Delicardo Foodcard Winner

Thank you everyone who visited and left a comment for the giveaway!

A special congrats goes out to Sarah D. of Matthews, North Carolina. She will be receiving her free pack of Gluten Foodcards in the mail!

For those who did not win, watch the web and especially the Delicardo Facebook page. They sometimes have special offers and contests so you may yet win!

Today is the last day for the Delicardo Foodcard Giveaway!

Tomorrow morning sometime I will turn off commenting and randomly choose a winner in the Delicardo Foodcard Giveaway!

Until then get your comment in as soon as you can! You still have a chance to win!

Spread the word!

Peanuts lead allergy list, national survey finds

The Toronto Star’s Health Zone reminds us just how many kids are nut or peanut allergic.

Canada’s first nationwide food allergy survey shows that about 1.7 per cent of children under 18 have a probable peanut allergy, while another 1.59 per cent have a probable allergy to tree nuts, such as hazelnuts and walnuts.

This study was from 2008-2009 and was conducted over the phone to 10000 families. That’s a good sized sample and shows that a great many children are affected.

It’s also notable that there is a great difference between results in the US and Canada.

He says the rates are higher in Canada than in the U.S. — a 2002 American study found that 0.83 per cent of children have peanut allergies and 0.51 per cent are allergic to tree nuts.

Keep in mind the time between studies. It is possible for those results to have changed in 6 years.

Read the whole article here.

Toronto restaurant offers cooking classes for food allergic kids

Another feature of Health Zone from the Toronto Star.

The Chef Upstairs in Toronto has started offering cooking classes for children. The Chef Upstairs is a food allergy aware restaurant that is completely free of peanuts and tree nuts.

Check out this full article. It’s great to see restaurants picking up on the need for specialty venues or even just being aware that a good portion of clients may have sensitivities and allergies.

Food Allergy Complexity: More Than Meets the Eye, by Margaret Pingolt

Margaret Pingolt is a journalism student at Arizona State University. She requested a few questions answered from yours truly for an article she was working on. Below is a wonderfully written piece on college age people and life away from home.

Thanks, Maggie!

By, Maggie Pingolt

PHOENIX- Waking up the day of high school graduation is typically a gift from the gods, a chance to leave the confines of an underage life with parents.  For some with food allergies, it’s just another day of heightened awareness.  One misstep at the party buffet and the night is ruined in hives, sneezing or anaphylactic shock.

Going to college is a difficult tradition in and of itself.  In addition to a life threatening condition like food allergies, teens and young adults are at the highest risk of death because of vehicle accidents, drug overdose, and alcohol intoxication.

Read the rest of this entry »

Immunotherapy may reduce peanut allergy

The Toronto Star’s Health Zone has started a series of food allergy related articles in responce to Food Allergy Month.

This article reviews a new study from Mcmaster University and Dalhousie University in Halifax where 30 children with peanut allergies are going through the ingestion immunotherapy process.

One notable difference in thsi study compared to the one done in the US is that they will be allowing in children with severe reactions. The study in the US worked only with children whose allergic reactions were mild.

Read the rest of this entry »

May Declared Food Allergy Awareness Month in Canada

This just came across my desk from Anaphylaxis Canada. I have yet to find a link online but as soon as I do i’ll post it.

News Release from Anaphylaxis Canada

Anaphylaxis Canada welcomes Parliament’s declaration of May as Food Allergy Awareness Month

“It means so much to me” – Sara Shannon, whose daughter Sabrina died of an allergic reaction

Toronto, May 4, 2010 – Anaphylaxis Canada applauds Parliament’s motion
recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month and will be commemorating the
occasion by promoting a number of initiatives intended to support the
1.3 million Canadians who live with food allergies. This is the first
year such a month has been designated in Canada and will now be a
permanently recognized occasion. Several other countries including the
US, UK, Italy, New Zealand and Australia have similar declarations.

“The declaration of Food Allergy Awareness Month is a significant step
in the ongoing effort to educate the public about food allergies,”
said Laurie Harada, Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada and
herself the mother of a teenager with multiple food allergies. “We are
thrilled that all political parties united to support this motion.”

Food allergy is a growing public health issue in Canada. More than
fifty percent of Canadians know someone with a food allergy. While
allergic individuals must take responsibility for their condition,
awareness and support of the community are key to keeping people,
especially children, safe. Without treatment, anaphylaxis, the most
severe form of an allergic reaction, can cause death.

In the visitor’s gallery to watch Parliament vote on the motion was
allergy advocate Sara Shannon. Sara’s daughter, Sabrina, had her own
advocacy efforts tragically cut short by a fatal anaphylactic reaction
in 2003 when she was just 13 years old.

“This means so much to me,” said Sara Shannon, “and it would have
meant so much to Sabrina. In her short life Sabrina experienced many
parts of Canada, from the mountains of British Columbia to the
beautiful city of Montreal. She would want everyone to share in this
country’s beauty and possibility and would therefore be very pleased
that the serious issues around food allergies are getting attention
from our federal lawmakers.”

Anaphylaxis Canada will be recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month
through a number of planned initiatives and events. This includes the
organization’s annual conference, hosted this year in Toronto, during
which exciting new food allergy research will be presented by leading
Canadian experts. Anaphylaxis Canada will also be launching two key
initiatives for teens and young adults: a new French version of its
website especially created for allergic teens to help them manage
their food allergies more effectively; and the Sabrina Shannon
Memorial Award for youth involvement in community anaphylaxis
education. The award is dedicated to the life of Sabrina Shannon.