Food Allergies Rock - Kyle Dine

Kyle’s newest album, Food Allergies Rock, is available for sale on his website. Follow this link to get one now!

Stay tuned for an exciting chance to win a copy of his newest album right here at Eat Nut Free!

EEEK!

The opening paragraph tells us:

You can be assured that anaphylaxis to airborne food particles is very rare. An allergic reaction to food will not occur because someone is eating it in a classroom or vicinity of the allergic person. The main reason for advising that the allergenic food not be brought into a classroom is the potential for an allergic child to accidentally ingest some by sharing food. Secondary reasons (less likely to cause anaphylaxis because of the smaller quantities involved) are cross-contamination of desks, toys etc.

He goes on to tell us that the smell of peanuts in the air does not come from the peanut protein.  Note, though, that peanut dust in the air can cause a reaction. Like if a room full of people opened packages of peanuts at the same time.

Give the Allergic Living article a read to set your mind at ease, or at least part of your mind

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:

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.

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.

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.

Chelsey Heath, a freshman at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has an anaphylactic peanut allergy.  She feels many young adults with food allergies do not practice healthy behaviors.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network says, “A study showed that teens with food allergy and asthma appear to be at the highest risk for a reaction, because they are more likely to take risks when away from home, are less likely to carry medications, and may ignore or not recognize symptoms. “

The inability to accurately assess risk is one reason many college students with food allergies disassociate themselves with behaviors that may prevent an allergic reaction.  Some students may find healthy, safe options difficult to find on campus; others may feel they’re invincible to reactions.

“I’m a very type-A person, but the average student who goes and get’s drunk could be in real danger.  How many people would be able and willing to help them if they went into anaphylactic shock?” says Heath.

Anaphylactic shock, the most detrimental of reactions, is categorized by a change in blood pressure, swelling of the esophagus and difficulty breathing.  Symptoms may also include hives, swollen lips and change in skin tone. All reactions within the anaphylaxis range are deadly and must be treated immediately.

Studies indicate those with food allergies are likely to struggle with more than one food allergy and a culmination of other allergies; including medicines, animal danders’ and pollen.

Heath is also allergic to wool, rayon, grass, cigarette smoke, nickel, and her own sweat (which results in a heat rash).  She’s not alone.

“There’s very little conception of food allergies.  Some people don’t always take it seriously and they think I’m just being picky but I respond, ‘Uh, I’ll show you what picky is when I can’t breath.’”

Google.com searches of “college students and food allergies” reveal many different blogs, recipes and online support groups; but are college services up to par?

Jessica Miller a 22-year-old secondary education-biological sciences major at ASU, was diagnosed with a citrus allergy the summer before ninth grade and has a reason to complain.  As she ages her allergy has gotten progressively worse.

Miller says the biggest difficulty is ingesting her allergen without any knowledge of doing so; ASU’s dining hall on the downtown campus poses concerns with soups, sauces or fruit salads.

“I have a problem with some of the ways different restaurants (including the dining halls on campus) can’t give you an explanation about what is in the food.

“If you ask someone, you usually have to wait and see if the chef is available to get a list of ingredients and they’re very inconsistent with their signs,” complains Miller.

Taylor Stelk, second-year food science major at the University of Nebraska, comes from the other side of the fence.

“College campus knowledge of food allergies is (at least to me) surprisingly high.  Perhaps this is because I live on a campus that has a well-based department of food allergies, but dining services do provide meals to those with food allergies,” says Stelk.

As a researcher in food industries’ maintenance of allergen-free products, Stelk rates the general public’s knowledge as decent. “The food industry has begun to create products that are ‘gluten-free’, ‘peanut free’, but I do not the think it is common knowledge of how prevalent some allergens are in a wide variety of foods.

“Many people don’t consider the fact that many food producers create dozens of products in one facility.”

Lindsey Mock, a nursing student at ASU with a shellfish allergy, believes safety and awareness are the responsibility of the person with the food allergy.

“I did not need to make any special arrangements before going to school/living in the dormitories, since I stay away from food products (that may contain shellfish). Products have a list of ingredients, so consumers can check for their food allergy,” Mock says.

However, because manufactured food is such a staple for busy college students, the risk can be high.

The recommended class load for the average student is 16 credits.  With class time, study sessions, regular exercise, work and a social life, preparing meals multiple times a day can be challenging.

Preparing meals multiple times a day on a limited variety of food isn’t any easier.

Dr. Michael Manning, an allergy specialist in Scottsdale, Ariz., responds to the complexity of the disease as the antagonist in finding a cure.

“The allergic reaction to a food is due to a very specific immune response to a particular protein, of a group of proteins, that are found in a food. Typically there is a major protein responsible for triggering the reaction, the allergen is the protein found in the food.

“The more we know about the proteins involved, the more we can target what is needed to turn the reaction off.  However, it is difficult to use the term ‘cure’ with allergic disease because the individual has a genetic predisposition to make allergic antibodies- it is very difficult to completely shut that system down.”

Dr. Douglas Lake, an immunology and allergy expert at ASU explains the genetic predisposition of food allergies in the context of an autoimmune disease.

Problems arise in the most basic aspects of the chemical composition of proteins.  Because proteins are comprised of many different molecular relationships like amino acid sequences, carboxyl groups and R-groups, finding the actual cause is like finding a needle in a never-ending haystack.

Lake points out the difficulty of food allergies in the body’s translation of amino acids.  People’s ability to digest a given protein is written in his or her DNA, and each protein’s particular structure is “written” in the sequence of their amino acids.

All amino acids are constructed from different arrangements of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen.

Because of the infinite arrangements from such basic elements, it’s especially hard to pinpoint a medicinal direction to study when there’s such complexity in a given protein.

Marc Dufour, a father of a child with food allergies, sees the rising prevalence in media as a positive incentive for more studies.

“There are a lot of interesting theories these days and this is encouraging because it means food allergies are a topic of interest and discussion, and related research is finally on the front burner.”

Sources:

http://www.aafa.org/esg_results.cfm?state=AZ

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/362/9/779

http://www.allergicliving.com/features.asp?copy_id=67

http://www.foodallergy.org/

http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media/newsroom/details.cfm?ID=521

Chemistry, the Central Science, 11 edition

www.lonelyplate.org is  all about getting the word out on places to go and safely enjoy your time out without worry.

I went to Disney World a couple years ago and they were FANTASTIC! We’ll be going back sometime very soon to reproduce the trip, pretty much exactly. Land and sea cruise/park package. Stay at Animal Kingdom and just soak it all in.

Ok, I’m leaving.

Wait, Here’s the info in this press release. Check it out and participate! Make this the Go To place for this info!!

PRESS RELEASE: New Food Allergy/Celiac Restaurant and Travel Review Website

WASHINGTON – A new website catering to the food allergy and Celiac community, www.LonelyPlate.org, was launched in February by Sharona Schwartz, who up until a year and a half ago was News Coverage Manager at CNN’s Washington Bureau. While at CNN, Schwartz produced award-winning television reports with chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on food allergies.   She is also the mother of a daughter diagnosed with multiple food allergies, including wheat, peanuts, fish and more.

At LonelyPlate.org, individuals dealing with food allergies and Celiac can write reviews about restaurants, hotels, airlines and theme parks they visit.

“There are fantastic online resources reviewing restaurants and hotels, but because I couldn’t find any that consolidated our unique experiences in an easy, interactive, international platform, I decided to create an interactive database where we can review restaurants, hotels, airlines, and kid-friendly venues,” says Schwartz.

“Wouldn’t it be great to give a shout out to a place that did a great job helping you have a safe meal, or warn others of a place to stay away from at all cost?” Schwartz says.

Recognizing dining out for those with food limitations is an experience fraught with worry for many, Schwartz says the website will disseminate reports, both positive and negative, to families facing similar medical challenges. “This kind of information-sharing is crucial not only to keep each other safe but also can be a message to restaurants that we are a consumer community worth catering to,” she says.

The Examiner.com writes of the new site: “…what a great accomplishment for those of us on a restricted diet.  With so many people being diagnosed with a food intolerance, this type of website will help us feel more normal and stay safe when we are traveling and when we are at home.”

The web address is www.lonelyplate.org.

Contact information: info@lonelyplate.org

Link to The Examiner article:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15981-Gwinnett-GlutenFree-Food-Examiner~y2010m2d16-Lonelyplateorg-offers-national-consumer-reviews-for-those-with-food-allergies

Link to godairyfree review:

http://www.godairyfree.org/201002284124/News/Nutrition-Headlines/Lonely-Plate-Launches-as-Food-Allergy-and-Celiac-Restaurant-and-Travel-Review-Website.html

I.P. asked:

I have been searching and searching to try to determine how long nut/peanut residues last on surfaces.  I cannot seem to find an answer to this question.  My son suffers from peanut and nut allergies and I was wondering how long an allergen stays on door knobs or other surfaces before they “die” or does it just sit there until someone cleans it up.

My reply was this:

You will be glad to hear that it is actually quite easy to get rid of peanut and nut residue.

This article outlines a study from a few years ago on how most cleansers will remove it from surfaces. Take note that dish soap does not work very well. You need to use a cleanser like Fantastic or Lysol wipes.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20040510/peanut-allergy-cleaners

Also it is important to realize that nut proteins are not living things and they do not die. They will last (practically) forever on a surface if left alone.

Sarah and Sabrina Shannon (2003). Picture courtesy of CTV.

As a followup to the terrible article that they printed in their December issue “It’s Just Nuts”, Chatelaine plans to let the readers speak out with a January article from the many retorts they received.

Sara Shannon (Mother of Sabrina and allergy activist) chimes in this time  after writing to the editor of Chatelaine and others involved in the printing of “the article”.

Sabrina Shannon had such an interest in journalism that by the time she was 10, she produced a radio documentary. She hoped to educate people about kids who suffer from life-threatening allergies. Sabrina herself was allergic to peanuts, milk and soy and had to manage it every day by asking everyone what was in the food she ate.

But Sabrina didn't grow up to be a journalist. She died from an allergic reaction to french fries contaminated with dairy at her school in Pembroke, Ont. six years ago.

As Sabrina was on life support at an Ottawa hospital, her mother, Sara Shannon, promised her that she would become an activist for those suffering from anaphylaxis. Sabrina died a day later at age 13.

That is why Shannon, other parents, doctors and medical groups are livid at a magazine article which suggests parents are overreacting to the condition.

The article, called “It's just nuts,” appears in the December issue of Chatelaine. It mainly focuses on peanuts and suggests parents are overreacting to food allergies, anaphylactic reactions aren't as common as people think, and that death rates are low. The headline on the cover refers to a peanut allergy “myth.”

The groups who take issue with the article say it mocks parents who have to work hard to protect kids who can die from even invisible amounts of foods to which they are allergic. And they're unhappy with a photo on the article's front page that shows a boy opening his mouth with a piece of peanut butter sandwich on his tongue.

The article closes saying it isn't clear how big a threat peanuts pose, but with more research and debate, the writer's son might one day be able to eat peanuts at his school where they are banned.

In an email to CTV.ca, a spokesperson for the magazine thanked CTV for the opportunity to respond to the accusations but declined an interview.

“If we feel it is appropriate to respond, we will do so in the pages of our magazine,” wrote Suneel Khanna.

Chatelaine posted a note Monday on the online version of the article, saying the magazine plans to publish reader reaction in the January issue after receiving an unprecedented number of responses from readers.

Read much more via CTV Toronto – Article ‘cherry picks’ food allergy research: angry groups – CTV News, Shows and Sports — Canadian Television.

image by Adam E. Moreira

Well with school starting again, I am sure we all have our stories. Even before it started we had a few incidents that make you want to make sure that your child knows what to do.

Playgrounds.

My son was playing outside with his daycare-mates when a school-age boy came around to offer the kids a straw of candy. One of those sugar-filled straws. I believe they are called Pixie Stick. When my son said he could not have that, because he was allergic, the boy insisted it was safe causing my wife to intervene and tell the boy that because we didn’t know what was in it, he could not have it. Even then the boy insisted and now got my son telling my wife “he says it’s safe, mom!”.

Instances like this require us, as parents, to stress how important, no matter how sure you may be, it is to refuse food if you don’t know the ingredients and to not allow a child to challenge your views on the subject. That other child also should be educated but that isn’t always possible.

Field Trips and Washing Up.

A bus full of 50+ kids and a public indoor fun park. Allergy haven I think. The kids enjoyed themselves and there were no instances of any kind. Good trip all-in-all.

After playing in the fun park and before having a picnic lunch one of the teachers started distributing dollops of hand sanitizer gel to each of the kids. While she did this she was telling the kids it was to clean their hands and to make sure there were no allergens left on their hands. My wife heard this and was appalled that the teacher was telling this to the kids.

After the trip, my wife called the school to inform them that a teacher had been doing this and that they should all know that the gel does not remove allergens and that to properly remove allergens you need to give your hands a good washing under running water or use an anti-septic cloth where the allergens are removed to the cloth. The problem with the gel is that all it does is move the allergens around. Unlike a germ, that can be killed by the gel, a nut protein can not.