The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act: track it!

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, H.R. 3627 was introduced to the House in December.

Here's a cool tool to track the status of the epinephrine bill as it moves through the House of Representatives.  AND there's a place to click and show your support for H.R. 3627.


Go to http://bit.ly/wwT72S 


Please pass this on! #foodallergy


PS.  I just wrote a letter on this site that went directly to my Congressperson.  Here is my letter http://pvox.co/8h3BCh.  Personalize yours and make your voice heard! Share with others!

I support H.R. 3627 ("To provide States with incentives to require elementary schools and secondary schools to maintain, and") because...

As an adult with extensive food allergies, it horrifies me that the recent death of a young girl, Ammaria Johnson, may have been prevented. Just like first aid kits in schools and businesses, and defibrillators on planes, epinephrine should be considered basic medical emergency treatment, and should be standard in schools.

Most of the news has reported that the mother tried to leave an EpiPen at school and was told to take it home. I've heard from another of my blog readers that the same happened to her when she was in public school. Why would a school turn down life-saving medication on the premises?

Sadly, there have also been reports of the bullying of food allergic children (smearing peanut butter on their hands and chasing allergic kids), so it would be even more important to have this available in case of emergency.

I am encouraging others in the food allergy community to post here. Thank you.

Kishari Sing

Blog: www.foodallergyqueen.com

Facebook: Food Allergy Queen

The FAQ interview in Allergic Living Magazine!

Hey, guess what?  ("What?")  I had almost forgotten that I did an interview with Allergic Living magazine a few months ago, then once the magazine actually arrived I forgot to post about it.  Silly rabbit.  FYI, Allergic Living is based out of Canada, this Spring issue is their first US version so us Americanos may be unfamiliar with it!

They wanted to ask me about -- wine allergy of all things (thanks to Allergic Girl for helping them find me!).  Of course I have an allergy to wine, I'm the Queen!  :)  I go beyond the "Asian Flush" (many Asians turn red because we do not process alcohol well, similar to American Indians).  Actually, alcohol is the item on my list that is the most dangerous for me as it sends me straight into anaphylactic shock. This interview about because there is a brand-spanking-new study out that suggests that there could be a protein specific to wine contributing to wine allergy, and they wanted to talk to someone who had wine allergy.  So I chatted with Jennifer the writer about my allergy to alcohol in general, and wine especially.  I had always attributed the additional yuckiness to the sulfites (allergic to those too, yup), but now know it could be more than that.

They didn't post the entire story online, so I'll upload scans of the pages here.  Click on these to enlarge the page and be able to read the article in its entirety.  Salut!

Allergic Girl, NYC and James Beard: oh my! (Part 1)

I am STILL overwhelmed!!!  Last week month, I went on a whirlwind adventure to NYC to see my pal Allergic Girl, also known as Sloane Miller, read from her new book at the James Beard House.  It was thrilling on so many levels, almost more than my squeezed brain could bear!  But I'll squeak out a few thoughts from the stream of consciousness that ran through my head during the few days I was there.

- NYC is a great place to have food allergies!  There are so many people living there that restaurants/food service businesses can afford to cater to special diets --  so there are lots of choices, and secondly there is so much competition that they need to really deliver on customer service to retain loyalty. 

- Manhattanites have a true "live and let live" mentality because, well, everyone is literally in everyone else's face.  So as long as you do your own thing and don't bother anyone, no one is bothered by you.  So no one really questioned when I asked for things in a certain way.  Either that, or everyone is NYC-style high-maintenance ala Meg Ryan's character in "When Harry Met Sally" that they expect it.  You decide. :)  In LA, I often get asked "Why aren't you eating that?  Did you not like it?" which sometimes spurs good education and conversation, and other times bugs because I just don't have the energy to explain AGAIN.

- Sloane is an energetic, passionate yet rational advocate for food allergies.  In case you didn't know, in addition to coaching clients for food allergies, she works with the restaurant industry to help set standards for food allergies in professional kitchens to avoid cross-contamination.  I am awed by her breadth of talent and skill!

- At the James Beard House, I met also met Heidi, aka Brooklyn Allergy Mom and Jill, founder of Glow #gf cookies and all of a sudden found myself surrounded by my food allergy community -- live and in person! It was both thrilling and surreal, since most of my food allergy life consists of me, at home with my computer. :) Here I was, with people who already "knew" me, and followed me enough to say "oh yeah, I always see you dissecting your sandwiches".

- Divvies, a vendor who caters to food allergy peeps like us, provided snackies at the event.  It all seemed so...normal that I was taken aback that it was so smoothly handled.

There's WAY more to tell but I'll get back to this soon, promise.  Meanwhile, here are some pics.  To be continued....

PS, this template is distorting the images, you can click on them to see them clearly, sorry.  My html skills need some work.

Allergic Girl, the book, has arrived!

I am a bad food allergy friend.  My buddy and food allergy twin Sloane released her book last week, I've been talking about it with her for weeks but I forgot to announce it on my blog!  Duh!  Not winning!  :)

This is such a wonderful accomplishment on so many levels.  Firstly, Sloane is energetic, talented and dedicated to sharing her experience and knowledge with others.  Secondly, it takes a deep commitment to write a book.  Thirdly, it just rocks that food allergies are making the mainstream book world pay attention!  While I've only delved into the first chapter (an awkward but funny story about a reaction while on a date), I can already tell you what the rest of it contains just from knowing Sloane -- it's full of practical tips for managing food allergies for yourself or loved ones,  and it will show you how to empower yourself with information on how to get what you need to be safe. And it will offer support, both physically and emotionally, especially helpful for those who are newly diagnosed.  You'll laugh and be empowered and have more confidence and less fear in living with your food allergies.

Buy it on Amazon by clicking here:

I'll circle back to share my favorite parts as soon as I can.  Go Team Allergic Girl!

Peanut allergy drug study

Passing this on from the Food Allergy Initiative!

The following clinical trial is recruiting participants nationally. FAI is providing information about this study as a service to our constituents.

  

Study PEP01.09 : Investigational New Drug for Peanut Allergy Using a Skin Delivery SystemResearch sites across the US are looking for a specific category of subjects to complete a research study of the safety and tolerability of an investigational new drug using a skin delivery system for those with a peanut allergy. To qualify, participants must:

•  Be between the ages of 18 and 50 years
• Have a physician-diagnosed or a well-documented history of peanut allergy
• Have experienced some severe reactions to peanuts including for example difficulty swallowing, wheezing, feeling of "pending doom," drop of blood pressure, loss of consciousness.

Additional study criteria will be reviewed with study staff at the first study visit.

The study lasts approximately 6 weeks and requires 7 study visits.  Participants will receive study-related visits, study-related medical evaluations, and an EpiPen at no cost, plus compensation for time and travel.

Research sites are: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; The National Jewish Medical & Research Center, Denver, CO; Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR; Aspen CR, Orem, UT; and CRI Worldwide, Willingboro, NJ.

Find out if you may qualify by contacting:1-877-41-ALLERGY (1-877-412-5537) or visit www.peanutallergytrial.com 

New series of YouTube videos for teens

My buddy Allergic Girl posted about these great videos for teens about food allergies from Anaphylaxis Canada.  One is about dating, one is about travel and one is about dining out.


And they're not just for teens, I thought it was great general information as well!  Share them with people who do't really understand about your food allergies, esp for the holidays when some people persuade you to try "just a little"! 

#Foodallergy peeps: just say no to self-basted turkeys

This may be a bit obvious, but I thought it was worth repeating.  When buying your turkey for Thanksgiving this year, be sure to avoid "Basted" or "Self-basted" turkeys, as they are injected with fillers and miscellaneous mystery ingredients that could prove harmful to those of us with food allergies.  Here's the official definition:

"BASTED or SELF-BASTED — Bone-in turkey products (such as whole birds) that are injected or marinated with a solution containing butter or other edible fat, broth, stock, or water, plus spices, flavor enhancers, and other approved substances should be labeled as "basted" or "self- basted." The maximum added weight of approximately 3% solution before processing is included in the net weight on the label. Labels must include a statement identifying the total quantity and common or usual name of all ingredients in the solution, e.g., "Injected with approximately 3% of a solution of _____________ (list of ingredients)." 

Helpfully, the USDA has a cheatsheet for turkey rules to explain the differences between the types of turkeys you can buy.  Budget permitting, always try to find the least-processed meat you can.  If fresh is out of your reach, then flash-frozen is likely the next best thing.

Turkey is probably one of the few things that most of us allergic people can all eat, so I for one, make tons of it for Thanksgiving so that I have superfresh turkey meat stashed in the freezer for later use.

A new food allergy study from the NIH

Finally.  Food allergies are getting more national attention from the medical community.  An article just came out about a study funded by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health (NIH) that 3 in 100 people have genuine food allergies, most of them children under 5.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/health/2010/10/three_in_100_people_have_food.html

Interestingly, they used blood tests for antibodies, rather than scratch tests, which have been generally agreed are more accurate for food allergies, so this 3% number may actually be higher.

Also speaking of testing, I was in my allergist's office the other day for my weekly shot (for my also-numerous environmental allergies), and saw that they had little baggies of fresh shrimp, a sandwich, etc. on the counter.  When I asked what they were doing, they said "fresh food allergy tests.  They're more accurate than even scratch tests."  Interesting. Has anyone had this done in addition to, or instead of scratch tests?

Hopefully we can finally get more well-researched scientific information from balanced, credible sources so that we can stop only getting hysterical anectdotal reports about either "food allergies taking over our kids' lives" or conversely "everyone is getting too neurotic about food allergies".  I like to think we can find a happy balance in the middle.  "Vigilance not panic" is one of my mottoes.  Stay safe, peeps!

Allergic Girl wrote a book!

I'm SO excited and proud of my food allergy blogger pal, Sloane!  (FYI, her blog is Please Don't Pass the Nuts.) She has just published a book called Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well With Food Allergies!!!

Sloane is not only a blogger, she is a licensed social worker who coaches those with food allergies, she organizes Worry-Free Dinners at restaurants for those with food allergies, and also works with the commercial food industry to teach them about better techniques and training for dealing with food allergies!  She is a one-woman tornado.

Her book will be available in March, 2011 and will be available for pre-order before that.

Please join me in not only congratulating her, but supporting her in our quest to make living with food allergies easier!

Yay Sloane!  We need to have an allergen-free celebration on one of the coasts soon.  You go, girl.  :)

Food Inc., and Corn Allergies

Hi everyone, so sorry I've been away for awhile, but I just returned from photographing a friend's wedding out of state!  I was a physical and mental wreck preparing for it since I'm an amateur photographer, and it was for a REALLY close friend so I REALLY didn't want to screw it up, but it mostly went well.  Whew!  What a relief.

The other night, I was finally catching up on my Netflix queue, and was watching the documentary Food, Inc.  If you've read Michael Pollan's powerful and influential book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma", this movie is based on that as well as Eric Schlosser's book "Fast Food Nation".  Both authors are calm yet factual and authoritative voices., and this documentary does a great job of simply and vividly pointing out how flawed the US food system is.  (On a positive note, they included a visit to the Polyface Farm in Virginia, which is "grass-based" not "corn-based" and uses the natural rotation of fields and animals).

And although corn has yet to "break into" the top eight allergens in America, it's only a matter of time since it's in practically everything.  I'm sure those who are corn-allergic are having a really difficult time since it's in things you would not expect, like baking powder (which sometimes has gluten, btw.) Here's a screen shot of just a few corn-based items from the movie.

I also want to bring to your attention Sharon Rosen's site of www.livecornfree.com has posted a really great list of all the ingredients which contain corn.

Another scary statistic is that 90% of the soy used in America comes from Monsanto's genetically modified soybeans that are designed to thrive despite being treated with Roundup pesticides. So when possible, try to purchase soy products that are as close to organic as you can!

New products: it's a good time to be food allergic!

As I was walking through my local Whole Foods today, I thought to myself, "Wow, what a good time it is to have food allergies! It's true! Honestly, it's not something that I usually say....usually it's the exact opposite  -- especially when I'm walking by a yummy European bakery and there are big, fat, buttery pain au chocolats (chocolate croissants) in the window.  Then I usually say something to the effect of "!@#$%^ food allergies!".

However today, I felt grateful and lucky.  People all over the world are more aware of what they eat than ever thanks to the efforts of people like Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters and his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook, First Lady Michelle Obama, and movies such as "Supersize Me" and "Food, Inc".  The Internet allows us to share information and idea with others almost in real-time.  Manufactures have also figured out that there is a profitable market for people like us who don't want to eat food with conventional fillers and preservatives and using non-traditional ingredients. And retailers like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and other mainstream grocery stores are carrying more specialty foods than ever before. My recent discoveries:

(1) New Earth Balance butter substitute WITHOUT SOY.  I have not had anything that tasted like butter in years since they almost all contain soy, so I may have to go find something buttery to bake right this second!
(2) Another vegetable shortening, Jungle Shortening, which uses 100% organic palm and sunflower oil.  Before this I used Spectrum shortening which is 100% palm oil.
(3) Soy Delicious brand creamer made with 100% coconut milk. Light, smooth, excellent with coffee and tea, a little thin for everyday drinking, like with cereal.
(4) Daiya cheese, made with tapioca.  Free of soy and rice.  I'll post separately on this since I'm still experimenting.  Delicious.

(5) And lastly, today I saw a commercial for the new Silk Almond milk and am SO excited to try it! Before I discovered I was allergic to soy, Silk was my favorite soy milk brand because it had the best texture and taste to match cow's milk. So I have high expectations.

Anyhow, today I feel deeply grateful that I'm living in a place and time where I have so many food allergy substitutes available to me.  And that I'm not forced to eat food that is bad for me just because there are no alternatives to be had (for example? When I was in China last year, trying to avoid soy there was like trying to avoid oxygen.  Ugh.).  One way you can help to keep up this momentum is to be a vocal consumer!  Continue to talk to manufacturers -- send emails and call to ask for products that you want to see.  When manufacturers hear from enough of their customers, they are more likely to look at creating new products. Empower yourselves and others to get the food products we want and need!


Keep the faith people!  More good stuff is coming our way.

Earth Balance products can be purchased at these stores
Jungle products can be purchased at these stores (on online soon as well!)
Soy Delicious products can be purchased at these stores
Daiya cheese products can be purchased at these stores
Silk Almond milk can be purchased at these stores