Food Allergy Awareness Week

There I was, standing in the bread aisle.  I could not believe it.  Every single loaf of healthy looking bread had the same dreaded words:

This product contains or may contain nuts.

I was 600+ miles away from home and hit head on with the reality of my food allergy.  Eating will never be the same. 

Nearly in tears, I called my mom and asked her to send me her homemade bread recipe.  It was either that, or “Wonderbread”. 

Although I confronted the realities of my food allergy head on in 2005, I’ve had food allergies since I was 5 years old. 

A little taste of a Brazil Nut at Christmas time led to my throat itching and swelling, and a diagnosis of a nut allergy.   

When I was little, managing my food allergy was easy, as nuts were relatively easy to avoid.  Now, however, nuts are in just about everything. 

Although I don’t talk about allergies often here on the blog, they are a real part of every moment of my life. 

Having a food allergy impacts the way you think about food.  Since so much of our culture revolves around food, having a food allergy impacts you at least three times every day, often in ways you might not even expect. 

So, what are we allergic to?

SnoWhite:

• All tree nuts (e.g., Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc)
• Seeds – sesame
• Most raw fruits & vegetables
• I have Oral Allergy Syndrome where my body thinks that the raw fruits and veggies I consume are actually pollen molecules that I am allergic to (like Birch or Maple pollen).  As a result, my body reacts to these raw fruits. 

Frog Prince:

• Pumpkin
• Strawberries

In addition, my MIL has celiac disease, which requires here to avoid gluten and dairy. 

Needless to say, we are no strangers to food allergies.

Seeing as this week is Food Allergy Awareness Week, I wanted to share my story with you and remind you of a nut-allergy series Lynn (from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures) and I did a few years ago and share my three tips for friends with food allergies.   

Three Tips for Supporting Someone with a Food Allergy

1. Respect the food-allergic person’s boundaries.  Food-allergic folks have clear boundaries that allow them to feel comfortable with food; these boundaries change over time, but they are well-thought out and intentional. 
2. Please don’t take offense if we are not comfortable eating what you prepare, even if you go out of your way to prepare allergy-friendly food. See #1 above. If you are interested in cooking for a food-allergic friend, take a look at my tips.   
3. Please understand the severity.  One of the biggest challenges food-allergic folks face is a misunderstanding about the severity of the allergy.  This is understandable with all the vocabulary – allergy, intolerance, sensitivity, etc.   For an allergy, though, all it takes is one molecule to trigger an anaphylactic reaction.  This could be a result of cross-contamination, a real concern for those with food allergies.   

Do you have a food allergy?  Know someone with an allergy?  I’d love to hear about your experiences with food allergies.

Nuts and Social Events

This week, Lynn and I are wrapping up our series on nut allergies.  We hope that you have enjoyed our stories and been of encouragement to you.  Do stop by Lynn's place today too to hear what she is sharing about nut allergies and social events!

Our culture revolves around food.  

Nothing makes you realize that more than having a food allergy.  

Now, suddenly, you are aware of every time we encounter food.  

And, it can be overwhelming.  

Nearly every time you enter someone's home, you are offered food or drink.  

Business gatherings involve food.  

Holidays include lots of foods.

Game playing afternoons/evenings have munchies.  

Movies have popcorn {often popped in peanut oil}.

Fairs have food {again, often using peanut oil}.

Malls have food.

Parties have food.

And, the cultural expectation at these events is that we eat.

That very cultural expectation is on a head-on collision course with someone who has a food allergy, and that is the most challenging aspect of social activities when you have a food allergy.

People expect you to eat.
People want you to be able to eat.
People feel badly if you can't eat.

And, it's tough.

This has been the hardest part of having a food allergy for me, especially because food becomes an important part of say... interviewing for a job!  Food plays a key role in your job -- and it can be incredibly challenging to navigate that with a group of perspective employers!

So... here's where I hopefully offer you some encouragement about having a nut allergy and being at a social event:

(1) Talk to your family and friends about your allergy.  Let them know what it is and what it means for you {where is your current comfort zone?}.

(2) Eat before you head out somewhere and always carry a snack with you!

(3) If you feel comfortable; bring a main dish to a pot luck, and ask to be first in line.  Grab some of your safe food before the risk of cross contamination.

(4) Should the event arise where you need to go out to dinner, say on a job interview, inform the hosts of your allergy and ask if you might be able to suggest a restaurant where you can eat.  For me, when I interviewed, I suggested Olive Garden -- I know that I can eat there because they do not use nuts.  Their desserts are the only foods with nuts in the restaurant and those desserts are not prepared on site; they are shipped to the stores prepared.

(5) For a game night -- ask you host to refrain from serving nutty snacks, especially while playing games.  This minimizes the risk that nut proteins will be transferred from other people's hands on the game pieces or cards. I often bring a snack along too that I can share with others that I know is safe for me to eat.

How about you?  What do you guys do to manage having a food allergy and being a part of a society that expects us to eat?



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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor; just a girl, sharing her experiences about having a nut allergy.  Please check with your local Olive Garden {or any restaurant!} if you wish to eat there to make sure that it's safe for you -- don't take my word for it.

Kids and Allergies

Lynn and I are nearing the end of our series highlighting life with a nut allergy.  Today, her daughter, who has recently been diagnosed with a nut allergy, shares her experiences as a kid with nut allergies -- go check it out!

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I was 5 when I learned a had a nut allergy.  

My parents were cracking nuts for the holiday season, and I wanted to try one.  

So, I did.  

And, my throat began swelling shut.  

There was no history of nut allergies in our family, so this new allergy was a surprise to us.  

So, for the last 22ish years, I've been living with a nut allergy.  {As a side note, my sister also has a nut allergy}

I formally was tested for allergies when I entered junior high -- that's when my doctor recommended it.  Really.  Things have changed drastically over the past 20 years when it comes to allergies, and allergy testing, which I think makes growing up with a food allergy now a little "easier" and also "harder" than it was 20 years ago.  

What's "easier"?  

Well, there's an awareness about food allergies in the general public that wasn't there when I was younger.  Schools have "peanut-free" zones or lunch tables, and know there are some snacks that are off limits.  School nurses are trained with how to handle allergic reactions.  Diagnosis of food allergies may occur at an earlier age.  Families and friends are aware of people having severe allergic reactions to foods.  

What's "harder"?

Nuts are a health craze and almost a fashion statement right now.  So, nuts are in way more foods than they were when I was younger.  Manufacturers want to make sure they don't get sued over food allergy issues, so many of them slap the "this food was processed in a facility that processes nuts" onto foods that should never have come in contact with nuts making it overly challenging for someone with a food allergy to know what foods are actually safe for them to eat.  It's kind-of like the "boy who cried wolf" scenario.  No one wants anyone to succumb to an allergic reaction from their foods, so warning labels go up all over the place and that makes food decisions challenging.  

In a way, the awareness and knowledge of food allergies is also a challenge: people know about food allergies, so there is an assumption that either the allergy isn't really that bad or that a little bit of the allergic food won't hurt.  

What's the same?

Being a kid with a food allergy is HARD.  It's hard because you want to blend in with the crowd, you don't want to be the only one not eating at a party, or enjoying someone's birthday treat.  It's hard because you don't know how to respond when a loving adult offers you something you know you can't eat, and they don't respect your polite decline of their food.  It's hard because so many of the foods that you want to enjoy are off limits.  Like ice cream.  This is the hardest thing for me ... nothing tastes better in the summer time than a cool ice cream treat.  Maybe it's from your freezer {think ice cream sandwiches}, maybe it's from your Ice Cream Man, or maybe from a local ice cream store -- anyway you slice it, a nut-allergic person like me isn't going to be able to enjoy that special summer treat.  Handling those emotions and realities as a kid is tough.

What I recommend:

As a "kid" with food allergies, I recommend learning how to make some of your favorite treats in your own kitchen so you know they are safe.  I love making homemade ice cream, and it's a real treat to share with friends.  

Find out ahead of time, if you can, what the "birthday treat" will be, and make a similar treat for your food-allergic kid.  For example, if there will be cupcakes passed out for a school friend's birthday, make a cupcake ahead of time and send it with your child to school so he/she can enjoy the "same" treat as his/her friends.  

Have the party at your place -- this way you know what foods are being served!  

How about you?  Any tips for kids with food allergies?   

How can I cook for you?

Lynn and I are in the middle of a series focused on nut allergies.  So far, we've talked about what allergies are, how one adjusts to life with a nut allergy and what things one can eat when diagnosed.  This week, we focus on one of the most challenging aspects of having a nut allergy: talking with family/friends about our allergy and letting them prepare food for you.  Hope you stop by Lynn's place to hear what she has to share.

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How can I cook for you?  

That's one question I've repeatedly been asked since being diagnosed with a nut allergy. 

It's a question that evokes two reactions from me:

(1) Thanks for the concern and interest in wanting to cook for me

(2) Eek!  Someone else is going to cook for me.  

Let me tackle the first one off the top.  I always appreciate the offer and gesture that my friends/family make when they say they want to cook for me.  I know that it's part of hospitality and caring for one another to feed  our friends and family.  We're wired that way.  And, it's often more awkward for the hostess than it is for me. For, I know my boundaries and if I'm not comfortable with eating then I won't.  I pack snacks.  I eat before hand.  It's my new normal.  

But, it isn't "normal" for other people.  And, since food is such a HUGE part of our culture, it's natural that people want to cook for me.  And, it's likely that you might be cooking for someone with a food allergy.  

To help minimize the second reaction to your desire to cook for me (eek!), here are a list of some of my suggestions:  

• Discuss the severity of the allergy.  
• This is important, as one fear of an allergic person is that the host thinks "oh, it's just a little, that won't be a big deal", and is not as cautious as they would be in preparing food.  Recognizing and understanding the severity of the reaction is the first step in preparing a meal for an allergic guest.

• Have a conversation and get in writing what foods are completely off-limits.
• For me, this includes: anything with nuts, peanut butter, seeds or nut/seed oils
• But, it also includes things like granola bars, ice cream, and snack mixes because of cross-contamination.

• Ask what brands your guest is able to eat.
• Some brands are better than others; their labeling is better.  Your guest will have a familiarity with "brands" and their safety.

• Think: Cross Contamination.
• Start Clean. Scrub, using soap/dishwasher, all utensils, pots/pans, counter tops, measuring cups/spoons, etc. that are involved in preparing your dish.  
• Use new ingredients.  Even though butter doesn't have any nuts in it, if the knife you used to slice it last time was contaminated, chances are there is enough residue on the butter to cause a reaction in your severely-allergic guest.  
• Think: Flour, sugar, anything that you put utensils into to measure. 
• Wash your hands frequently.  If you store your almonds next to your flour and have to move the nut bag to get the flour out of the cupboard, your hands now contain nut residue.
• Use new towels and wash cloths to help minimize cross contamination
• Read labels carefully.
• Be sure to read the label -- look for the allergen and also look for the "may contain" or "contains traces of nuts".  The latter two show up in places one would not expect.  For example, some bagged salads have this warning because salads now include packages of nuts.  

• Offer to let your guest help prepare the dinner with you, or to bring a portion of the dinner
• This helps take the burden off of you and also provides something that the allergic guest knows is safe.

By taking these precautions, your guest might not go "eek!" when you ask to cook for him/her.  But please, do not be offended if you go through all the trouble of preparing a nut-free meal for your guest and he/she still doesn't feel comfortable eating what you've prepared.  In my experience, this is often the hardest part of sharing a meal with someone who's highly allergic.  

Know that we recognize your effort and precautions.  

Know that we appreciate your effort.

Know that we are thankful you care enough about us to want to cook for us.

Despite all these things, the fear of having a reaction can over power us at any time.  If we don't feel like taking the risk that night, we will likely pass at the food.  We'll enjoy the conversation and pleasant evening rather than risk ending the night in the hospital.  

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Disclaimer:

I am not a medical doctor, nor do I pretend to be one of this blog.  I'm just a girl, living with a severe allergy to nuts who wants to share her journey with you.

New Normal?

Today, Lynn and I are talking about the adjustment period after being diagnosed with a nut allergy.  This is part of our series on nut allergies which arose from our questions and dialog about living with a severe allergy to nuts.  Stop by Lynn's blog to read her story.  

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When you realize that ingesting nuts has the potential to kill you, walls go up.  

Serious walls.  

For me, after my husband's kiss, I realized the true severity of my allergic reaction which propelled me into a world of fear.  

Why would I eat something that had the potential to harm me?
How could I trust that there really wasn't any nuts in this food?
Isn't it better to be safe (i.e., not eat) than sorry (i.e., eat the food and have a reaction)?  

These walls are not easily broken down.  And, they take a LOT of adjusting to - not only by the person with the allergy, but the family and friends of that person as well.  

For me, it was a period of about 2 and a half years of re-defining what's normal.  My new normal.  

It was no longer normal for me to go out to dinner.

It was no longer normal for me to eat dinner at other people's homes.

It was no longer normal for me to eat at a pot luck.

It was no longer normal for me to munch on common snacks at a BBQ or party.

It was no longer normal for me to go out for dessert with my friends.  

My new normal, for now, is:

• If I choose to go out for dinner, 99% of the time, I eat before hand and go out solely for the company.  
• If I choose to eat at other people's homes, it's only those who know me incredibly well and who know how to cook for me (this is a future Wednesday Nut-Allergy Series topic)
• If I choose to attend a pot luck, I bring a main dish and parse out my serving before placing my dish on the line (where it's subject to cross-contamination).  
• If I choose to attend a party where there are common snacks, I don't eat them, unless I provide them.
• If I go out with friends for dessert/treats, I enjoy their company, but don't eat anything.  

That's my new normal right now.  

This is where I am comfortable and where I need to have my boundaries drawn at this point.  

Most of my friends and family know this about me, but it can often be more uncomfortable for others than it is for me because this is my new normal.  

I choose to err of the side of caution rather than on the side of risk.  

This new normal will likely continue to change and develop over the years.  In fact, even in the last two years, I've gone from not eating out at all (no exceptions) to eating out at one restaurant that I trust.  I believe I'll continue to make strides towards what my "old normal" was, but I have come to terms with the fact that the old normal will not be my new normal.  

And, that's finally (4.5 years after that first kiss) okay with me.  

What CAN I eat?

Today, Lynn and I are sharing our experiences about figuring out what one CAN eat when diagnosed with a nut allergy!  Do stop by her blog and see how her and her daughter's experience has been as they've adjusted to life with a nut allergy.  

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I knew when I was five that I was allergic to nuts -- I ate a Brazil nut and my throat started to swell shut.  Thus, it was expected that I would no longer eat nuts.  

Easy enough, right?  

Well, for a while it was.  

In the 1980s and 1990s, nuts were not the cool kids on the block.  

They were not in everything.  

They were not a health craze.

They were not in ordinary meals to make them fancy.

But, things are different now.  

The health benefits of nuts are well known, and, as a result, nuts are in everything.

Really.  

When I was diagnosed with my allergy, I was handed a 9x13 sheet of paper full of categories of foods (like these) I could no longer consumer or needed to exercise extreme caution when doing so, because an allergic reaction is serious stuff.  

   

The biggest offenders -- desserts {ice cream, cakes, granola bars, cookies, ....}.  

But, that's not all.

• Did you know, people thicken chili with nuts or peanuts?  
• Did you know, BBQ sauce and other condiments may have nuts in them?
• Did you know, vegetarian burgers or other meat-free products may use nuts in place of meat?
• Did you know, smoothies may use almond flour as an alternative to banana for thickening?
• Did you know, many gluten-free dishes use nut flours as alternatives?
• Did you know, olive oil/canola oil/coconut oils may be made partly from nut oils?    
• Did you know, many dried fruits are processed in the same plant as nuts?
• Did you know, pastas contain nuts?  Especially Italian places that use pesto!

The more I began to look at foods, the more I realized my ability to consume store-bought foods was limited. Not to mention the fact that the big bulk bins of nuts were right next to the fresh fruits and veggies at the grocery store.  

The result - a girl who was frightened to eat anything.  

Seriously.  

I went through a period of time where I would not eat anything I did not make for myself.

Everywhere I looked I saw the dreaded words....

"this produce may contain tree nuts"

"this product is produced in a facility with tree nuts"

"this product contains tree nuts"

It was frustrating.  

So frustrating that I began making almost everything from scratch.  I called around to companies to find out what chocolate, flours, oils, sugars and spices I could use and started from there.  

I started with the most troublesome foods to buy: 

• granola, 
• granola bars, 
• trail mix, 
• Chex mix,
• breads, 
• muffins,
• brownies,   
• ice cream

From there, I've branched out as I discovered how much I like making wholesome meals for my family.  But, these recipes are quick and easy and helped me be able to eat foods that were now off-limits to me.  

I realized there are good foods I can eat - and that was a HUGE blessing.

If you are struggling to figure out what you can eat after being diagnosed with a food allergy, I encourage you to call around to companies.  This helped ease my mind to know whether or not a product was safe for me to consume.  

What about you?  What foods have you found that you can eat with your nut allergy?

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on this blog.  I am just a girl, living with a nut allergy who wants to share her journey with you.  While all the recipes on this blog are nut-free, be sure to read the labels of your ingredients to ensure they too are safe for a nut-allergic person.

It's serious stuff.

Welcome to the first of a 6 week series I am co-hosting with Lynn from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures.  Lynn and I got connected due to both our families dealing with nut allergies.  Through a series of emails, we decided to share our story with you as we recognize that many of our readers know people who have food allergies.  This week, Lynn and I are talking about what an allergy is and how it's different from an intolerance.  I hope you visit Lynn's blog to hear her perspectives too!

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There's been a lot of talk and hype in the media and classrooms across the country about food allergies.  And, surely, you are likely to know someone with a food allergy.  They seem increasingly common -- and, as someone who has a severe reaction to tree nuts, I worry that as they become more a part of our society that we will discount the seriousness of food allergies.

An allergy is far different from a food preference or even an intolerance.

It's serious stuff.

Take me for example -- when my body encounters a protein from any tree nut, it responds within seconds.  The nut protein triggers my immune system by bonding to an antibody called IgE.  When this bond occurs the cell releases histamines that create the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

These symptoms, in my case, are those of anaphylactic shock: swelling throat, tingling lips, trouble breathing.  The only way to reverse the reaction is to inject myself with epinephrine and report immediately to the ER for follow up care.

This differs from an intolerance, for example - lactose intolerance.  In this case, your body does not have the lactase enzyme necessary to breakdown/digest lactose.  This results in many unpleasant symptoms, but has nothing to do with an immune system response.

For those of us with severe, anaphylactic capable allergies even a small amount of the allergen can trigger an allergic reaction.  Hence, all the commotion surrounding food allergies.

They are serious stuff.

I've had my allergy to nuts for most of my life.  In fact, I was only 5 when I had my first reaction to tree nuts -- Brazil Nuts to be exact.  I don't really remember it, but I do remember my throat feeling itchy and tight.  Ever since then, I've been avoiding nuts.

Try as I might, there are occasions when nut proteins enter my body unexpectedly.  Maybe it was someone who made a sandwich with walnut bread and didn't clean the counter or wash their hands afterwards.  Then, I come into the kitchen to fix myself a sandwich, lay my bread down on the counter and when I take my first bite, I get itchy and my body starts reacting to the nuts.

Or, maybe it was the very first time I kissed my husband.

Yep.

My husband sent me to the emergency room that night because he had eaten caramel cashew ice cream 4 hours before he kissed me.  And, when he did, I immediately knew he'd eaten nuts -- my throat began to get tight and my mouth was all tingly.

Lovingly, he took me to the emergency room and all ended well that night for both of us.  But that experience taught us of the true severity of a nut allergy and how my body's immune system can be triggered to respond with even just a minuscule level of nut protein.

*     *     *

I frequently get asked, "do you like nuts?"  And, honestly, I have no idea if I theoretically would like nuts.  Although I've ingested them the only thing they taste like to me is "itchy" and "swollen".

Having an allergy isn't just that I don't like nuts, or choose not to eat them because they don't "agree with me".  I can't eat them because my immune system hyper-reacts to them and as a result, they could kill me.

Food allergies are serious stuff, and even though they are becoming more and more common, it's not like the "boy who cried wolf".

If you'd like to learn more about food allergies, visit the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.  

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on this blog.  I am just a girl, living with a nut allergy who wants to share her journey with you.  While all the recipes on this blog are nut-free, be sure to read the labels of your ingredients to ensure they too are safe for a nut-allergic person.

Life with a nut allergy.

I have a severe allergy to nuts.  Tree nuts, to be exact.

And, I'm not alone.  

Through my blogging experience, I've met a handful of folks who also have nut allergies in their families.  One of those women is Lynn.  Lynn herself has food allergies to gluten, but her daughter was recently diagnosed as having a nut allergy.  She has designated a part of her blog "Lynn's Recipe Adventures" as devoted to allergy-friendly recipes.  

Together, Lynn and I are going to be sharing our experiences with nut allergies.  Over the next six weeks, each Wednesday we'll be tackling issues like:

• What is a nut allergy?  How does an allergy differ from an intolerance?
• What can I eat when I have a nut allergy?
• Adjusting to a life with nut allergies
• How can I have a "normal" social life when I have a nut allergy?
• What?!? You want to cook for me?  What to do if one of your dinner guests has a nut allergy.  
• Nut allergies and kids

While we recognize that this series will not appeal to all our readers, we wanted to share it with you because chances are, you know someone with an allergy, maybe even a nut allergy.  

I do hope you'll join us as Lynn and I share just two of many perspectives on the challenges associated with nut allergies!

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on this blog.  I am just a girl, living with a nut allergy who wants to share her journey with you.  While all the recipes on this blog are nut-free, be sure to read the labels of your ingredients to ensure they too are safe for a nut-allergic person.