Food Allergy Friday Thursday: The Mom Instinct Fail Edition

Tomorrow, I'll be guest blogging...secret location revealed tomorrow. So today, I bring you a Food Allergy post, of a light, funny variety.

I work really hard to make sure that L's food allergies don't ever make him feel left out. Each week, I look at the school's menu and buy or make items that are as close as possible to the snacks and lunches provided. When L's classes have special parties, I bring things that he enjoys eating. I keep special treats at school for impromptu celebrations.

I've made mistakes; I've had slip-ups and forgotten things. But I give it a good effort, and it's not easy. It's worth it, though, because L doesn't want to feel different.

Or so I thought.

Yesterday, I showed up at L's school to find a notice on his classroom door, explaining that there would be an end-of-the-year ice cream party. Parents were asked to bring in ice cream or toppings. Ice cream is easy enough; we have bought hemp, almond, and coconut ice cream. We even have an ice cream maker and have made delicious coconut milk ice cream.

I made a mental note to bring L his own items, then had an epiphany. I could sign up for several things and bring enough for everyone. That way, L would actually be eating the same thing as his friends, rather than something similar. I cleared this idea with his teacher, who shared my excitement.

As we drove home, I explained the idea to L, and glanced in the rearview mirror. To my surprise, I was met with a stony glare, and a, "No."

Huh? Sure that he misunderstood me, I rephrased my idea, trying again.

"I don't want to share my food," L said.

"Why?" I asked, dumbfounded. L is a kind kiddo who has never been reluctant to share (well, except for with his little brother).

"I wike havin' my own food," L pouted.

"Does it make you feel special?" I asked.

"Yeah," answered L, sullenly.

So much for momma instinct. I've only been frantically trying to find matching preschool snacks for since August of 2010. It would have been nice for him to share this information with me, oh, two years ago.

I silently added that to the list of food allergy silver linings. and thanked my stars that I apparently no longer have to stress over lunches each week.

Namaste'.

Food Allergy Fridays: How I survived leaving the boys for four days

As excited as I was to go on our trip to Arizona this month, I was terrified. While we left our boys in the very capable hands of one of their four sets of grandparents, I was absolutely petrified. Even though my step-mother-in-law is a retired nurse, I was panicked.

I am happy to report that our trip went perfectly. It may or may not have been because of the (somewhat crazy) steps I took, so I wanted to share those with you today.

My steps to surviving leaving food-allergic kids:

* Don't be afraid to voice your fears. My step-MIL was so understanding of the emails I sent, asking repeatedly not to give the boys anything I didn't send, to please be extra careful, and could she pretty please let the boys sit at that cute little table so they weren't tempted to grab the unsafe bread/milk/crackers that Grandma and Grandpa were eating? (Clearly, she understands my neuroses and loves me anyway. Choose someone like this to babysit. It's crucial.)

* Send enough food for twice as many days as you'll be gone. I sent premade lunches, packaged and labeled by day. I packed easy-peasy dinners that would have been hard to screw up. I packed extra almond and hemp milk. And tons and tons and tons of snacks.

* Send items that will help protect against cross-contamination. For instance, I sent foil sheets for their toaster oven with directions to change them out each time, and why they were important. I sent a new jar of peanut butter with a piece of masking tape on it asking it to only be used for L's gluten-free bagels and not to cross-contaminate it. I even sent the boys' own cups.

* Include a list of what the children are allergic to, and if you are concerned about the babysitter being tempted to treat them with snacks that you did not send, include a list of hidden allergens.

* Send a large enough carrier to hold all of the food items to reduce the chance of disorganization of the food.

* Send an Epi-Pen, train the babysitters on how to use it, and leave the doctor's phone number, as well as a release for them to allow medical treatment if needed.

***This last one is not FDA approved nor do I know a lot about it, however, my initial research makes me think that at the least, it can't hurt:

* Give your children digestive enzymes on a consistent daily basis. These enzymes help break down food, especially allergens, and in the case of an accidental allergen exposure, they may help the reaction to be less severe. Send the enzymes to be given while you are away. Look for an enzyme containing lipase, amylase and protease, and should be made from natural ingredients. (Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5319961)

Anything else you'd recommend? Please share!

Namaste'.

Food Allergy Fridays: Going out to eat

One question that I get asked on a consistent basis regarding the boys' food allergies is "How do you go out to eat?"

The answer: Very carefully.

We have two restaurants that we frequent pretty consistently: Jason's Deli (which I believe is a chain and I highly recommend it) and Chipotle (who doesn't love them some Chipotle, right?). I did my research ahead of time. Most restaurants (even fast food restaurants) have allergen information on their websites. But don't assume anything is safe...for instance, McDonald's frozen lemonade contains milk! Allergyeats.com is another good website for searching too.

I know what we can get at Jason's Deli and Chipotle, and as importantly, I trust them. I know how they prepare food and I don't have to worry about cross-contamination. (Much. I always worry about cross-contamination, but that's what allergy mommas do.)

But when we get invited to a restaurant or birthday party, we have a system. I used to worry about matching L's food as closely as possible to what everyone else would be eating. But I learned that L has a few old faithfuls that he would prefer to eat over anything anyone else is eating. Our biggest go-to is a peanut (or almond) butter and jelly. I feel zero guilt about it because we get the peanut butter with two ingredients (peanuts and sea salt) and all natural fruit spread.

Sometimes I've tried to make L pizza for pizza parties, etc., but he typically requests a PB&J. The best thing we did was find something that he loves that gives us no guilt. Seriously...L eats those almost every single day for lunch.

We have a fabulous gluten-free bakery not too far from us that we stock up on pre-made cupcakes. We keep one or two in the freezer at school for impromptu class parties and always bring one of those (or a homemade cupcake or brownie) to family celebrations in restaurants so when desserts are served, L doesn't feel left out.

And we bring food everywhere we go. I mean everywhere. And when I say food, I mean lots of it. Snacks are as important additions to the diaper bag as wipes. Maybe more so. I try to keep lots on hand so he can have a choice, and include things like individually wrapped fruit leathers, Pure protein bars, individual bags of potato chips, gluten-free cereal in baggies, trail mix.

Is it all sunshine and roses all the time? No. Fairly often, L will look at me and say, "When I get bigger I won't be allergic to anything and I can eat _____________, right, Mommy?" And every time he says that, I feel that dagger twist in my heart a bit. But it could be so much worse. I know this. And L is amazingly understanding that those foods will make him very sick. He knows just how bad they make him feel. So he knows it isn't even worth it. Wise beyond his years, that one.

I remember feeling so much negativity regarding packing up the food and making the lunches and always throwing food together. But it's gotten easier and easier. These days, I can get lunches made in a matter of minutes. I can throw a diaper bag together without even thinking about it. We know where to go to get "special treats," as we call them, for L.

The other important thing to note is that once you start researching foods (and you will, with a child with food allergies), you might want to adopt their diet. I used to say I'd never go gluten-free, until I did it. Knowing what I know about food, I can say with honesty that I don't miss my beloved McDonald's cheeseburgers or Taco Bell meximelts. Now the pasta and Italian bread, however...sigh.

If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me at namastebyday@gmail.com

Namaste!

Food Allergy Fridays: All About Snacking

Once I got over the initial shocks of L's allergy, it hit me that our snacking would have to change drastically. No more goldfish, bunny crackers, Ritz crackers. The more I learned, the less comfortable I was with fruit snacks. And trust me...fruit snacks were a staple in our house. As were cheez-its. Cookies. Pretzels.

So what do we snack on these days? Well, not everything is healthy. (I say this as I eat my Haribo gummy bears as I type.) And we do eat things with oils that aren't the best option, as well as corn. But we are doing our best to get by, and hey, it's better than the way we used to eat.

Here is a list of our favorites:

Glutino pretzels. These bad boys are pricey but worth every penny. They are easy to bag up for a snack and they seriously taste just like regular pretzels.

Squeezable applesauce. Trader Joe's has ones called Crushers that are our favorite (and yes, we've tried a few varieties). We buy three boxes a week and invariably tear through them.

Trader Joe's also carries the best dairy-free chocolate chips that work well for when my sweet tooth takes over. I love mixing them with raspberries or strawberries.

We also throw the chocolate chips in with Chex/nuts/raisins/dried fruit to make our own trail mix.

B and I both eat a lot of chips and salsa, especially peach salsa from TJ's. L is allergic to tomatoes, too, so he can't indulge. More for me! I kid. Well, I don't. But, yeah. Moving on.

Fruit leathers are possibly our favorite snack in our house. TJ's brand are only fruit and vitamin C, nothing else added in. In our opinion, the best flavors are boysenberry and apricot.

We do eat several different kinds of chips in our house. Lay's potato chips are safe for the boys and have very few ingredients. However, I know they aren't the healthiest choice, so I keep veggie chips and sweet potato chips on hand too. My boys have a weakness for chips and sometimes I need something to bind them up, ahem, so we do eat them.

I love me some hummus and if G is in the mood, he'll share with me. Pair it with peppers, sugar snap peas, or carrot sticks...mmmm.

Popcorn was my favorite food prior to going dairy/gluten free. Now I make my own in my air-popper and add my dairy/soy-free butter and a little salt and it's better than any other popcorn out there.

Thanks to my girl Saf for the FAF - All about Snacking suggestion. Let me know if you have any other ideas for upcoming FAF posts.

Namaste.

Food Allergy Fridays: Milk Substitutes

I talk a lot about gluten-free substitutions on my FAF posts. Speaking of, I discovered Udi's plain bagels this week which have changed my life. Go get them if you are GF. They are light. They are fluffy. They are not crumbly in the slightest.

But I digress.

Today, a blog/Twitter friend asked me about milk substitutes for toddlers, and made a special request for a FAF post about it.

So today, my FAF post is about just that. (Thanks for the suggestion, Suz!)

When I realized that G had a definite milk intolerance, and what I suspect is a milk allergy, I went with my gut and took him off of dairy. The spitting up stopped. The ear infections disappeared. Plus, I started reading about the fact that perhaps cow's milk isn't as healthy as I originally thought. So I kept him dairy-free.

I've done a lot of research on milk substitutes and I've found that, basically, everyone disagrees on which milk substitute is best. Most valid sites/experts will tell you that cow's milk isn't necessary, as long as you are getting the nutrients in other forms, particularly fat, calcium, and vitamins. Our pediatrician agrees wholeheartedly.

So I attempt to include vitamin/fat/calcium-rich foods in G's diet, but I also use milk substitutes to help.

For many reasons, I'm not comfortable giving my boys soy milk. L is intolerant, and so am I. Furthermore, much of what I read about it has brought me to the decision that it's just not right for our family. I know lots of mommas who give it to their dairy-free littles and if it works for you, more power to you. But for me, I steer clear.

Rice milk is okay, but it's typically low in fat and protein, and very high in carbs. I personally don't think it's the best option (for us anyway) but I also don't think it is necessarily unhealthy.

Coconut milk is G's favorite. I like it for him too, since it has lots of fat and calories. Trader Joe's brand is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D, and B12, and a good source of vitamin A. However, it has no protein.

L and I love us some almond milk. The kind we get is low in protein but fortified with calcium, vitamins A, D, and E. I've read that almond milk can potentially be harmful to babies' thyroids, but friends of mine who see nutritionists say that isn't the case, unless they are drinking gallons and gallons of the stuff.

The last option is hemp milk. Nope, no joke. (Did you doubt my hippie-ness?) It's actually a great option, if you can find it. They've discontinued it at our Trader Joe's, which makes us very sad. It has omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids as well as magnesium, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin. The taste is...different, but not bad.

The problem we've found with milk substitutes is the presence of carrageenan. It's a food additive from seaweed, and it's in lots of things besides milk. The jury is still out on it, but it's possible that it's linked to intestinal issues, and possibly even cancer. So we try to avoid it when possible.

So what do we do? A combination of rice, coconut, and almond in addition to a healthy diet and vitamins and supplements. If we can find hemp, we add that into the mix as well.

I fear that today's FAF post may be more confusing than enlightening, so as always, feel free to e-mail me specific questions to namastebyday@gmail.com.

Namaste!

Food Allergy Fridays: What about non-food items?

When we started our food allergy journey, I quickly became a label-reading expert. I'm always learning (and still carry a cheat sheet of hidden-allergen ingredients in my wallet) but for the most part, I felt fairly comfortable with reading labels.

And then a bomb was dropped on me when I realized that it wasn't just food that I had to check out.

Sunscreens, toothpastes, shampoo, soaps, etc., etc., could potentially contain allergens.

Luckily, L hasn't had a reaction when he's played with Play-Doh (it contains wheat!) but his preschool classroom has since ordered gluten-free play clay. So now? I read labels on everything that will touch my boys' skin.

Right now, we use Burt's Bees shampoo, Tom's toothpaste, Trader Joe's unscented lotion, Dr. Bronner's castile soap, and Loving Naturals sunscreen. I threw out the Burt's Bees milk and honey soap that I had bought for G because it actually contains milk. Although my boys haven't had a reaction to things on their skin, all allergy moms know it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, L's reactions have gotten increasingly more severe, so I definitely take extra precautions.

Luckily, because I have an intolerance as opposed to an allergy, I haven't had to worry about that.

Or so I thought.

Lately, I've been coughing and coughing and coughing when I'm trying to go to sleep every night. I never cough during the day...ever. I couldn't figure out what was causing this.

And then it occurred to me that I've recently begun washing my hair at night.

Right before the coughing fits start.

Upon closer investigation of my shampoo, I found that not only does it have hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat germ, and hydrolyzed wheat starch!

I'll be switching shampoos starting tonight. Stay tuned....

Food Allergy Fridays: What is Pareve?

I was at Trader Joe's a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned to one of the employees that we loved their chocolate chips. It's hard to find chocolate that is dairy-free, but theirs are.


"Oh," she said, "because they are pareve."


I think my eloquent response was something along the lines of, "Huh?"


She said, "Wait here," and ran away. Two minutes later, she came back with an armful of products, all labeled with TJ's special symbol for "pareve (also spelled parve)."


She explained to me that Jewish law does not allow milk and meat to be mixed, so anything labeled pareve does not contain milk or meat, nor has it been cooked with milk or meat.

They can't even be made on equipment shared with milk products. Most pareve products have no additives, either.


Of course, I still strongly suggest to read every.single.label.


But you gotta love a little tidbit of info to add to the milk-allergic file!


Namaste.

Food Allergy Fridays: Leaky Gut and Digestive Enzymes

The first time I heard about treating kids with autism with a gluten-free, casein-free diet, I rolled my eyes.

The first time I saw a video of a child that had been treated with a gluten-free, casein-free diet, I was still skeptical.

Detoxification? Psshhh. "Leaky Gut Syndrome?" Whatever. Food sensitivities causing negative behaviors? I don't think so.

And now, I'm not so sure. While I don't believe that a special diet will magically cure kids with autism, I do believe that in some cases, it could dramatically change their behavior and ability to learn.

You see, since L's been diagnosed with food allergies, his behavior has changed significantly. His BFF's mom mentioned the other day what a difference she's seen in her own son since their diagnosis.

(Yes, L's BFF just got diagnosed with a list of food allergies so now they get to sit together at preschool, eating their special snacks, and discuss milk making their tummies hurt...what a blessing for them both. I got to see it in person at their Fall party and it was really, really cute.)

Within the conversation with L's BFF's mom, we were discussing the supplements we give our boys. L takes a calcium-magnesium (thanks to not drinking milk), multivitamin, probiotic, and sometimes extra C. When he's sick, we do a couple more. Sounds like a lot, but L's BFF mentioned one that isn't on our list...digestive enzymes.

My ears perked up and I did what any neurotic food allergy momma would do...started Googling digestive enzymes and food allergies as soon as humanly possible. What I found was that it is widely believed that food allergies can be caused by a shortage of digestive enzymes in your bloodstream. This may lead to food molecules piling up, undigested, in your (leaky) gut. In turn, bacteria multiplies, which may cause...food allergies.

Huh.

I found a nutritionist I trust, who told me that all kids with food allergies should definitely be taking digestive enzymes. They certainly can't hurt. Hopefully, she said, they'll help make reactions to accidental allergen exposure less severe. Best case scenario is that the food allergy will be cured sooner.

Hmmm.

Guess which 30-something momma bought some quality, whole-food based digestive enzymes.

Guess which 4-year-old has been taking one a day with his dinner.

Guess which SLP isn't rolling her eyes quite so dramatically at the thought of a "leaky gut" affecting children's wellness anymore.

Have any of you tried digestive enzymes for food allergies or other reasons? Did you see a difference?

Food Allergy Fridays: What to hand out on Halloween

Last week, I talked about how to handle trick-or-treating if your kids have food allergies.

But one of my fellow bloggers who I consider a food allergy guru (and has talked me down from the food allergy panic ledge several times, via twitter) posted about something else important this week.

Of course, you have every right to hand out whatever candy your little heart desires. But I'd be willing to bet that there's a cute little superhero who'll be coming to your house that can't eat the candy you are giving out. Let's face it, even with a promise of trading in candy for cars, it's still a bummer to get something you can't have.

And I'm here to tell you that the grin you'd get from L if you hand him something that he can have will make your day. I promise.

Want to know three easy tips to make your house allergy-friendly?

Go here and see what Marketing Mama has to say. Thanks, Missy!

Food Allergy Fridays: What About Trick-Or-Treating?

Right about the time that I started feeling a little more comfortable with L's allergy diagnoses, I panicked.

OH SHIT, WHAT ABOUT TRICK-OR-TREATING?????

All I could envision was my sweet boy doing all the work to get his candy and then coming home to us saying, "Sorry, buddy, you can't have that. Or that. Nope, not that either. Sorry, L."

Thinking of how much he was surely going to cry made me tear up. What to do?

Luckily, I found several sites with lists of safe candy for him. Our go-to candies are Starburst, Skittles, Dum-Dums, Swedish Fish, Laffy Taffy, Airheads, Nerds, Runts, Smarties, Sweettarts, Sour Patch Kids, and Haribo Gummi Bears.

But the thought of taking away the licorice, the chocolate, the random non-labeled stuff...it made me cringe.

Then, I had an epiphany.

(Truth be told, someone may have given me the idea. I really don't remember. But I like to think that I came up with it on my own.)

L and I went to the store and picked out some matchbox and Cars Movie cars. I had coins at the ready as well. I told them that he wasn't allowed to open them until Halloween night. After trick-or-treating, we came home and sorted the candy into safe and unsafe piles. Then, we brought out the coveted toys. For every few pieces of unsafe candy, L got a car, or a few coins, or some safe candy that we had given out.

The tears?

Not. A. One.

B and I talked for weeks straight about how well it went...how proud of him we were...and how we hoped that this success would continue each year.

Needless to say, we've already begun car-buying. L is already so excited about trading his cars. In fact, he told the school nurse all about it this morning.

Since we got the allergy diagnosis, we've been working on strengthening his immune system, and reducing sugar is one of the ways to do so. Happy trick-or-treater + less sugar for my boy = Halloween success.

Go here for a limerick recapping last year's success story, complete with pictures of the process!

Food Allergy Fridays: Are allergies special needs?

This week, sweet L is in allergy crisis. His eyes are puffy, his nose is cracked and bleeding, and he even has hives. If you ask him, the worst of it is his itchiness. He fuh-reaks when it starts. Crying, whining, scratching, flailing...I can't help but wonder if it's almost post-traumatic after his pre-food-allergy-diagnosis constant itchiness.

I noticed that it seemed to be triggered by being outside. Although our allergist swears that nothing is blooming right now to which he's allergic, something is causing his system to hit a panic button. (I have a feeling it could be caused by B cutting the grass on Sunday with the windows open. L is allergic to grass.)

So yesterday, I asked at his school if he could stay indoors when his friends go outside. He goes to a school developed for kids with disabilities and typically developing students to learn side-by-side. In fact, their logo is a student in a wheelchair high-fiving a student on a bike. So surely, making an accommodation for a little boy with a special need such as allergies shouldn't be an issue, right?

Well...not quite. I got some hemming and hawing. No one actually told me no, but I got excuses such as the school being short-staffed and outside time being state mandated. I do believe that the teachers were being honest with me, which I appreciate. I was told, eventually, that they could accommodate for L.

I found out later that he sat with a supervisor and played games during one outside time. I was totally comfortable with that, although a bit surprised that there wasn't one classroom where we could hang in the entire school. In the afternoon, though, L reported that he and the supervisor looked at pictures of "babies with rashes." That raised a red flag with me. Clearly, he was trying to figure out what L's hives were.

For the first time, I felt like L's allergies had officially made him a student with special needs.

Last night, the more I thought about it, the more conflicted I became. I went in today with a mission...to advocate for L and his needs. I woke up at 5:30 with my speech running through my head and practiced it until I got to school.

I spoke with a family support worker, a social worker, and a supervisor at L's school. I told them my concerns, I asked what documentation they needed, and we discussed the need for accommodations. They were very sweet and ended up solving the problem immediately.

Although this particular issue has nothing to do with food allergies, the discussion regarding documentation gave me an idea about something I haven't yet posted about on Food Allergy Fridays.

At the school where I work, some students with allergies have a document called a 504 Plan. It may address where students eat lunch, if they have an Epi-Pen, training of teachers, etc. It's not necessary for students with food allergies to have this plan, and I believe (although I may be mistaken) that most of them don't. Our school handles food allergies quite well and carefully, and if L comes here next year (praying every day for that!) then I don't forsee writing one for him either. However, this was one of the things I asked if we needed this morning.

Under The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, school districts are required to provide all students a free and appropriate public education. 504 Plans are plans to address students' needs and help them access their education.

Not all students with food allergies are eligible for 504 Plans. Students must have a condition that "substantially limits one of more major life activities." School districts must evaluate the student prior to creating the 504 Plan. If this is denied, parents can appeal the ruling.

The severity of the allergies and the student's ability to care for themselves and/or understand their allergy factors into this. For instance, if a student has other special needs or is too young to read and has a life-threatening food allergy, they would most likely meet eligibility. An older student or one with milder allergies may not.

There are other laws that protect students with food allergies as well, including Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. Some states allow students to carry their Epi-Pens at school. Many schools have peanut-free tables or classrooms. Some schools are completely peanut-free.

One reason for requesting a 504 Plan is that it is a legal document. If the plan is not enforced, the school district can be taken to court. Depending on how accommodating your child's school is regarding allergies, a 504 Plan may be necessary to protect your child. It may also be necessary simply to keep everyone "on the same page" and keep a relationship with your child's school positive.

I know that there are other food allergy mamas who worry about their children being at school or attending kindergarten in the future. Hopefully this information will help prevent a mama bear moment with one of my readers. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at namastebyday@gmail.com . Although I'm not an expert, if I can't answer your question, I can hopefully point you in the right direction for more information.

Namaste.

Food Allergy Friday: My New Finds

I'm battling a virus that is leaving me coughing so hard that I can barely sit up, much less type up a post. But I know I've been slacking on the Food Allergy Friday posts so I wanted to get something up. (Yes, you might need to call the waaahmbulance. Sorry. I'm whiny.)

(By the way, if I've talked to you about a possible guest post on Food Allergy Fridays, and/or you are interested, would you let me know? I was wishing I had one tonight for the above-mentioned reasons.)

Although L has been gluten and dairy-free for over a year, I've only been on this diet for a few months. I'm here to tell you it's not always easy, and I've shed a few frustrated tears when I can't find anything to eat. Luckily, I've found some new products about which I am super excited, so I'm posting a bit of a lazy FAF post today to bring them to you.

One thing I worry about (I know, me, worry?) is L's calcium and vitamin D intake since he pretty much refuses all non-dairy milk. We happened across these not too long ago and L is obsessed. His favorite is the vanilla and the strawberry banana. I personally love the raspberry. I do not love the price, but $2+ a pop is worth it to know that L's getting some nutrients that he needs.

*****

These are amazing. Gluten-free food tends to be dense and tasteless, but this was neither, and completely rocked my socks off at lunch yesterday. I will be buying more of these in the future. And, once I added this.....



it was basically The Best Lunch Ever. Oh yes, it is as scrumptious as it sounds. Thank you, Trader Joes, for the marriage of two of my favorite things ever. Guacamole and Hummus. Match made in heaven.

*****

I've been missing a lot of my salty snacks that I can no longer have but these are delicious. The bonus is that they are very reasonably priced, too. Gluten-free food is usually ridiculously expensive, so it's exciting when we don't have to take a loan out to buy a few groceries.

*****

These are L's favorite snack. To be quite honest, G and I could take them or leave them, but L really enjoys them. Not only are they gluten and casein-free but they are preservative-free as well! Holla!

******

This chili is ahhh-mazing. G and I both love it. It's definitely got a kick, but not so much that it bothers either one of our stomachs. I've had a hard time finding things that I can keep in the pantry for a go-to meal when I get home late or forget to make my lunch, but this works perfectly.

*****

*****

G's teacher actually told us about this quinoa pasta. I've been a quinoa fan for a while now (high in protein, iron, omegas, fiber, etc....yes, please) but I didn't realize that it came in pasta form. We've been eating rice pasta which is okay, but this stuff is fantastic. Makes my Italian girl heart happy to get some decent pasta.

******

I found this cereal at our local grocery store and I had one of those, "Hmm, might as well try it," moments. Unfortunately, it was a bit pricey, but seriously, it's de-freakin-licious. It actually has puffed quinoa in it, so it has all the health benefits as well. (For the record, I have also been delighted to discover that Hershey's Syrup and Trader Joe's chocolate chips are gluten and casein free. I am not a health nut all the time. Just sayin.)

******

And I've saved the best for last.

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

Gluten. Free. BEER!!!! Okay, confession. I haven't tried it yet. I've been so sick that I haven't cracked one open. But you guys! It's gluten-free beer! And yes, it's expensive. But hello? Gluten-free! Beer!

Stay tuned for my review of that deliciousness.

***I was not compensated for my glowing reviews of these products. I only wish. But hey, if any gluten-free companies want to hit me up for that reason, I'm your girl. My bank account would be delighted.

Namaste.

Food Allergy Friday: Food Intolerances

I've read about food intolerances, but only minimally. L has an actual allergy (to wheat, milk, turkey, and tomatoes) and so I haven't had to explore the intolerance route.

Until recently.

You see, I'm almost positive that G has a milk allergy. I've eliminated milk from both of our diets (mine too, since I'm still breastfeeding him) and every time that darned cheese has seduced me and I've cheated, he's vomited and/or gotten a rash.

Then lately, he's started a cough that is similar to L's was before we got the food allergy diagnosis. I tried to chalk it up to everything under the sun. I did not want to go gluten-free. It's expensive. It's tricky. And frankly, I love me some bread and pasta. I am Italian, after all.

But I told myself I'd try it. That surely, I wouldn't see a difference.

Fortunately...and unfortunately...I did see a difference. But not only did I see a difference in my sweet little man, surprise surprise, I saw a difference in myself.

You see, for as long as I can remember, I've religiously taken allergy medication, 365 days a year. Although allergy tests show that I am not allergic to anything, I've been diagnosed with non-allergic rhinitis. I've tried every kind of medication out there, as well as vitamins for food allergies, all-natural nasal sprays, etc. Nothing's really helped. If I go a day without it, I am a mess. Sneezing, coughing, snotty, leading-to-asthma attack mess. It's bad.

But.

Since I've been gluten-free, guess how many allergy pills I've taken. Go on, guess.

Less.

LESS.

Zero. Nada. Zilch. Not. A. One.

I fell asleep the first night without taking it, and woke up to a surprisingly snot-less nose. I decided I'd wait until I need it but miracle of miracles, I never did.

I asked my food allergy circle of friends on Twitter if this could really be related. It had to be coincidental, right?

One of my most knowledgeable Tweeps told me that, indeed, gluten intolerance and sinus issues are often related. And my other positive symptoms, including more focus and increased energy, could also be related to the lack of gluten as well.

A quick internet search told me the same.

This weekend, my favorite gluten-filled cereal (Trader Joe's Maple Pecan Granola Cereal) called out to me.

In a moment of rebellion, I decided I would have a bowl. This would surely tell me if my lack of symptoms were correlated with my new diet. I enjoyed a great big bowl, and felt nothing. Whew.

For about ten minutes.

Sure enough, almost immediately, I started sneezing. And sneezing, and sneezing, and sneezing.

Guess who will be eating baked potatoes and salads for lunch again this week.

Food Allergy Friday: Reading Labels

If you are a food-allergy mama, you are likely good at reading labels. We have to be. Unfortunately, manufacturers change labels far too often, and the same product with slight changes (sizes, colors, etc.) may have very different ingredients.

We've learned the hard way that some ingredients have hidden gluten and dairy. Allergies.about.com has helped us greatly. They provide the following list of ingredients to avoid for a gluten-free diet that may not be obvious.

• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Flour or cereal products
• Vegetable protein
• Malt and malt flavorings
• Starches (unless specified as corn starch, which does not contain gluten)
• Various flavorings, which can be derived from cereals containing gluten
• Vegetable gum
• Emulsifiers, stabilizers derived from cereals containing gluten

The same website also provides the list of ingredients to avoid for a casein-free diet:

Other Names for Milk Ingredients

• Beta-lactoglobulin
• Casein
• Caseinate (ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate)
• Delactosed or demineralized whey
• Hydrolyzed casein
• Hydrolyzed milk protein
• Lactalbumin
• Lactalbumin phosphate
• Lactose
• Lactoferrin
• Lactoglobulin
• Beta-lactoglobulin
• Casein, rennet casein
• Caseinate (ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate)
• Delactosed or demineralized whey
• Dry milk, milk solids
• Hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed milk protein
• Lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphate
• Lactose
• Lactoferrin, lactoglobulin
• Rennet casein
• Whey and whey protein concentrate

I have also learned that lactic acid starter culture (unless specifically stated "not from milk") is also unsafe.

Unfortunately, I've had to tell my L that some food items you'd never expect to be unsafe do indeed contain allergens. Just a few of these include:
* lunch meat
* juices
* jellies
* popcorn
* popsicles
* gum
* most chips other than plain potato chips
* candies (Twizzlers, Blow Pops, Tootsie Rolls, just to name a few)
* granola bars
* hamburger patties

Finally, we now avoid foods containing the terms "artificial flavors," and even "natural flavors." Especially since L is also allergic to tomatoes, it isn't worth the risk. Unless ingredients are specifically stated, I don't feel comfortable letting him eat it. I have heard from other people who are food-allergic that they have had issues with foods with those terms.

And if you really want to check out a site that will make your head spin, go here. I will be the first to say that although we do use natural shampoo and sunscreen, I haven't even checked L's toothpaste. Depending on the severity of your allergy or intolerance, you really do have to check the ingredients on everything that may touch your body.

The good news is that laws are being put in place regarding labels and companies are getting better at specifying which of their products are gluten-free. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at namastebyday@gmail.com . I certainly don't have all the answers, but I'll try to help you find them. We food allergy moms need to stick together, yo.

Food Allergy Friday: Friends and Family with Food Allergies

I know I said that this week's FAF post was going to be on dinners and dining out. But I worked an 11-hour day, had this one started and am too exhausted to start a post from scratch, and also, this came up in our faculty meeting today.

In our state, there are some new rules about serving students snacks/treats in the classroom because of food allergies. They are super duper strict. Everything must be okayed weeks ahead of time and teachers can't just hand out candy or any treats without permission. When we heard these new rules, teachers were getting all grouchy around me.

I raised my hand and when called on, I explained to my coworkers that although these sound crazy, you don't know how scary allergies are until you experience them. That yes, we food allergy mamas are crazy, but it's because we are dealing with life threatening situations. That there are allergens in foods you'd never think of. That it's terrifying to send your kid with food allergies off to school and hope that he doesn't get a bite of something when you aren't there to protect him. That my own little man had a half a bowl of popcorn at his grandpa's and because of his milk allergy -not a corn allergy- he was violently ill for days. I asked them to cut these parents some slack.

I will be the first to admit that when it comes to L's food allergies, I am neurotic. Paranoid. Phobic. Ever since his last reaction, whenever he eats, I have a mini-panic moment when I think, "That is the right bread/meat/chips/etc., isn't it?"

Having a kid who can go into a possibly fatal attack at any given moment is not easy.

I know for a fact that there are a few people around us who think that I am absolutely ridiculous about L's food and my rules about it.

Honestly? They might be right. But considering these are literally life and death situations, I'd rather err on the side of ridiculousness.

I've set up some helpful hints in dealing with a friend or family member with a child with food allergies.

1. If they ask to be the ones to provide their child's food, don't fight them on it.

2. If they request to see the ingredients on something you are serving, even if you are sure it's safe, throw them a bone and let them see them. It's not that they don't trust you. They just need to see it for themselves.

3. Don't ever assume that foods are safe, even if you've googled mystery ingredients. A parent of a child with food allergies will greatly appreciate questions before serving food to their child. And don't assume that foods are safe because you've served it to the child before. Unfortunately, packaged foods change their ingredients all too often.

4. Unless you have done your research on cross-contamination, don't serve food to your friend's child. I'll post more on cross-contamination in a later post, but just know that cooking food on a grill or touching it after you touched a food containing an allergen can contaminate an otherwise safe food.

5. With all that being said, don't be afraid to reach out and try to provide food that is safe for your friend's child. Just the effort can mean more than you'd imagine. L's best friend's mom made safe cupcakes for his birthday party and I was so touched that I almost cried.

6. And with THAT being said, don't feel guilt if your friend still opts to provide the food that may be different from what you are serving. Odds are that their child is used to eating different food (and may even like eating special food, like my L). Apologizing to the child or the parent is not necessary or frankly, even helpful.

As I will discuss in future FAF posts, we are learning about lots of hidden ingredients and allergens in foods, so asking your friend any questions, even though you think they are silly questions is key. You can't be too careful when it comes to food allergies...ask any food allergy mama.

***
My friend Lindsey, another mama traveling the food allergy journey with me, has blogged about traveling with food allergies today. Go check her out here!

Food Allergy Friday: Lunches

I have a confession. My L eats the same exact lunch 90% of the time...good ole peanut butter and jelly. Although it used to bother me that he ate it so often, I've since become very accepting. We get peanut butter with no added sugar...the only two ingredients are organic peanuts and salt. Rather than jelly, we do fresh fruit spreads with no added sugar. So all in all, it's a pretty darn healthy lunch.

(Remember to be safe with the PB&J...to avoid cross contamination, buy a separate peanut butter and jelly for your child and label it accordingly. Remind grandparents, friends, etc., to do the same.)

Every so often, we'll get crazy and do a ham sandwich instead. But because he's allergic to turkey and doesn't like roast beef, those are our only sandwich options.

The only other thing that gets thrown into our rotation is hot dogs. Before you write me off, hear me out. Trader Joe's (and Whole Foods, too, I think) carries 100% grass-fed, organic, antibiotic/hormone/nitrate free hot dogs. So those don't cause too much mama guilt.

Although I'm obviously not the most creative lunch maker, I have a few lunch time tips to share.

* Check and double check the ingredients on lunch meat. A LOT of them have milk in them. "Lactic acid starter culture," unless specifically stated as "not from milk" is not safe for kids with milk allergies.

* Sending lunch with your child to school or day care can be panic-inducing. I know this first-hand. I believe that educating your child is so important: "You may only eat what's in your lunchbox. What if Joey wants to trade/give you a bite? What will you say?" Role-playing has proven to be very effective for L.

* Talking to the teachers and making sure you educate anyone who may be in your child's classroom or cafeteria is also important. Discuss cross-contamination (more on this in an upcoming post) with them as well (i.e., hand-washing/glove-wearing before touching your child's food if they've touched unsafe foods).

Someone gave me a fantastic idea for the lunchbox:

***Somewhere on/in the lunchbox, write your child's name and foods to which he/she is allergic. Use a permanent marker or have it embroidered.

***Inside the lunchbox, enclose a laminated note stating safe snacks and drinks for days out with friends, special events at school, etc. Be specific!

***Keep your child's Epi-Pen, if applicable, in the lunchbox. Choose an insulated lunchbox so the Epi-Pen can stay close to room temperature. L's lunchbox has a separate bottom section where I keep his.

***Always pack extra snacks and/or keep them at your child's school. It's better to have them and not need them! L's school is kind enough to keep a safe cupcake in the school freezer in case of impromptu birthday parties.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at namastebyday@gmail.com.

Food Allergy Friday: The Most Important Meal of the Day

If you read my post yesterday, you know that G has been running a very high fever. I was up all night with him again last night. Popsicles, cold compresses, and fever reducers didn't do much to keep the 105 degree fever away. His pediatrician diagnosed him with a virus (and clear ears, which I suspected). I was grateful that I trusted my mommy instinct and didn't start antibiotics as directed by the ER, but I wish I could get my $100 back.

Anyway.

I wanted to post my Food Allergy Friday post, but as you can imagine, I am beyond sleep deprived and stressed, so forgive any misspellings or grammatical errors.

I plan to devote my FAF posts to questions I've been asked or have asked, and I have lots of ideas. I am still researching so many food allergy related topics, but one thing I feel pretty comfortable discussing is meal options.

L is not allergic to peanuts or eggs, so if your child is, these posts may not be as helpful. But his wheat and milk allergies encompass so much that hopefully these meal idea posts will give food allergy moms some new options.

Like I'll note in this post, most of our food comes from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, but if you don't have those near you, www.gfcfdiet.com is a good resource to help you find some of the foods I've listed. Also, google can be your best friend to track down stores that sell allergy-friendly food. E-mail me if you are stuck and I'd be happy to help!

Let's start with breakfast. Most important meal and all that.

I remember thinking that breakfast was going to be tricky. No cereal! No waffles! No pancakes! No toast!

Luckily, this isn't actually the case. While I must emphasize that you should ALWAYS double check ingredient lists (I've been known to call companies to verify gluten/casein-free status), there are many options out there.

We are comfortable with Kix and Rice Chex, although some people aren't, due to possibility of cross-contamination. That being said, we typically go with the Envirokids brand cereals. There is also a new Rice Krispies made with brown rice that are really good.

Glutino cereal bars are a big go-to for us for a quick breakfast. I admit that I don't usually like gluten-free foods, but I'll even eat these.

Pure Organic protein bars are a good option too. L loves the Brownie flavored ones, and although they aren't always my first choice for a breakfast, they are awesome for on-the-go.

We have used Udi's and Rudi's products in the past. One local grocery store carries them both. We get their breads and have tried most varieties, including cinnamon raisin, which makes a delicious toast.

When we need butter, our go-to brand is Earth Balance. We prefer the soy-free type, but it can be hard to find if you don't have a Whole Foods near you. It works great for anything, including scrambled eggs, which is another good breakfast choice. Sometimes, I make L a scrambled egg in the microwave. I've heard that not everyone knows how to do that...if you don't, and you are interested, let me know.

Trader Joe's has both English muffins and bagels that are their brand and gluten/casein free. 90% of the time, L eats a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. Because we only buy the all-natural, no sugar added peanut butter, I am more than comfortable with this breakfast.

Kinnikinnick makes amazing GFCF products. I swear that everything by them, although sometimes pricey, is delicious. We've gotten muffins, donuts, and mixes that are all amazing.

Speaking of mixes, there are lots of pancake mixes out there that are supposed to be excellent, although I usually just get the frozen GFCF pancakes from Trader Joe's for my boys. TJ's syrup is GFCF too. Van's makes really good blueberry waffles and french toast sticks that are safe for L as well.

We also have a local bakery that makes the best chocolate and pumpkin muffins in the world. You'd never know they were gluten-free. Since gluten-free diets are becoming more popular, these bakeries are popping up all over. Most of them are certified nut-free facilities as well. It's worth a google search to see if there is one in your area.

My newest find is coconut milk yogurt. So Delicious makes amazing coconut milk yogurt. I found almond milk yogurt at Whole Foods, but it has a disclaimer on it that there is a possibility of cross-contamination. So we stick with the So Delicious brand, which is, in my opinion, the best yogurt out there, casein-free or otherwise.

So Delicious also makes a fantastic coffee creamer. I like the Hazelnut for hot coffee and the Vanilla for iced coffee.

One thing I've found is that many juices can have hidden allergens in them (I'll be discussing hidden allergens in an upcoming post). I don't love juice (too much sugar) for L, but when I do buy them, I find juice that is organic and has no "natural flavors" or "artificial flavors" added. You never know what those are. Other ingredients that you aren't sure of (i.e., dextrose, etc.) should always be double checked. Sometimes those ingredients are grown on wheat or made from milk.

L and I love Trader Joe's refrigerated almond milk. We've tried almond, coconut, hemp, and rice, and this is our favorite. It's hard to find non-dairy milk without carageenan, which is another topic for another day as well. For a special treat, I put a little Ah!Laska chocolate syrup in. This was an exciting find for me, because making chocolate milk with cocoa powder is a pain, and, I admit, I love chocolate syrup in my iced coffees.

We also love nitrate-free bacon, which Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carries. We bake ours instead of frying it, and we swear it tastes better.

Finally, Trader Joe's carries gluten-free casein-free granola and oatmeal, which is great. We throw in some fresh fruit to it or any breakfast, and that helps as well.

I remember being at a loss of what to feed L when we first got the diagnosis. Now it's hard to decide what to have for breakfast some days. I eat mainly things from this list as well, because I've learned that it's so healthy.

Again, I can't stress enough to check ingredient lists every single time you buy something. Things change far too often. Most companies' websites have 800 numbers that you can call, and in my experience, it's always a very quick call to verify gluten-free/casein-free status. Don't forget to google those ingredients that you aren't 100% sure of, as well.

I didn't link all of the companies due to sheer exhaustion and the fact that they aren't compensating me for this post. (At least I'm honest!) If you have any questions about where I found any of these things, feel free to comment or e-mail me.

Do any other food allergy mamas have good breakfast ideas? Leave them in the comments...you never know who you might help!

Food Allergy Friday: The initial diagnosis

Over the last year, since my L was diagnosed with food allergies, I've done quite a bit of research. I remember walking out of the allergist's office last June in a daze, shocked at the diagnosis and wondering how on earth we were going to deal with it. I remember crying along with L when I introduced yucky bread (and he was right...that rice bread was yucky) and thinking our lives had been turned upside down.

I was right.

But now, I am actually grateful for what I've learned. Even though at times, it can make things more difficult, for the most part, it makes life simpler...and it always makes me feel good, in more ways than one, to be eating so healthy.

I've been feeling a pull to write a post with some things I wish I would have known that day in June. I am not sure if there's a mama out there who needs it, but if you are her, please comment or email me...I'd love to hear from you. I'm going to start with L's diagnosis, then in upcoming weeks, I'll talk about hidden allergens, our favorite foods, recipes, etc. If there's something in particular you want me to discuss, let me know and I'll start with that. Welcome to Food Allergy Fridays!

Regarding L's initial diagnosis:

* While L did vomit fairly frequently and had loose stools from time to time, his main allergy symptom was coughing. I fought and fought for an cough-variant asthma diagnosis, which is tough at the age of 2. I finally convinced a nurse practitioner to let me try an inhaler. She gave me a sample and said, "You'll know when this doesn't work that it's not asthma." It worked.

* L also had red bumps around his mouth, which I never knew were related to allergies. They were small and spread out, so I didn't think they could possibly be hives. He also had dark circles under his eyes and was pale. Makes sense...in essence, we were poisoning him, albeit unknowingly!

* He was also VERY itchy. He constantly complained about this, and was always scratching. The two areas I remember him being itchy were his feet and his bottom. He was always pulling at his underwear and had his hands down the back of his pants, scratching.

* Not all children have all these symptoms, nor do they have exactly the same symptoms as L. All kids are different and if you have an unexplained symptom, it certainly can't hurt to get allergy tests done. Our allergist says that they are able to be allergy tested at 18 months. The day G turns 18 months, we'll be marching back into the office for his turn.

* Blood allergy tests are not even remotely as accurate as skin allergy tests. L went through blood testing for allergies (which were traumatic for all of us) and the results indicated that he was allergic to...NOTHING.

* I trusted my mom gut a few months later, when, out of nowhere, L had an asthma attack. As I sat with him, using his nebulizer, I remember thinking, "If this is allergy-induced asthma, what the hell is he allergic to?" I called my childhood allergist and made an appointment. A week later, we were walking out of the office with a diagnosis of allergies to wheat, milk, turkey, and tomato (plus grass and one type of mold).

* The first few days off of foods to which he was allergic was rough. It was like he was going through withdrawals. He was lethargic, weepy, and just plain felt sick.

* Now, however, we haven't used the nebulizer with him since his diagnosis. At all! Considering we were doing nightly breathing treatments, plus using extra rescue treatments at times, I find this amazing.

* L's behavior was impacted by his allergies. While some of it can be chalked up to terrible two's (and our response to his behavior, pre-Love and Logic training), the allergist promises that part of his craziness was allergy related. When we went for testing, L was literally jumping off of the chairs and ripping pages out of books. When we returned for our one year checkup, he sat quietly on the floor, actually reading the books.

Getting the diagnosis was really an eye-opener for us, between understanding the root of his problems as well as learning more about food in general. It's been the epitome of a blessing in disguise for us. Now I say that someday, I'll serve as a volunteer to support other food allergy moms, because it was hard for me to find information and support at first. For now, we'll start with these posts.

Any questions? If you'd rather e-mail me, feel free. I'm at namastebyday@gmail.com. Also, if you have a tip/post/website to share, do so in the comments!

Happy (Food Allergy) Friday!