Re: family handout - suggestions?

[Guest guest]

It sounds good to me... I am new to this allergy stuff.. but it sounds very "user friendly" LOL!! : )

Carol & Sara - Severe excema allergy to eggs, minor shellfish

family handout - suggestions?

Hi guys! Hope you all are having a good weekend, full of hugs and fun. My mom is bugging me about going out for meals at her friends' houses, and I've been trying to deal with her. She emailed a friend to let them know that Elisha is allergic to some things, and left out nuts! Aargh. Anyway, I responded by putting together a handout about Elisha's allergies, and I was wondering if you guys would mind looking at it,and telling me if I left anything out? I pulled most of it out of nne Barber's Parent's Guide to Food Allergies, but the book was published in 2001, so there might be things missing. Plus I could've mistyped something, skipped something (I'm dyslexic, so I mix stuff up a lot). I don't know if this list does attachments, so I cut-and-pasted it below. Thank you for any and all comments - I'm so nervous about this, and about trusting other people to cook for the kid, that I might just show up with food anyway, but I figured I should try putting this together anyway.-Zivamom to Elisha, 2, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, beef and sesame (in spades!).

ELISHA'S LIST OF UNFRIENDLY FOODSDairy: of any variety (cow, sheep, goat). Also found in ingredients as:

· artificial butter flavor · butter, butterfat, butter oil · buttermilk · casein · caseinates (listed as ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium caseinate) · cheese · cottage cheese · cream · curds · custard · ghee · half and half · hydrolysates (listed as casein, milk protein, protein, whey, or whey protein hydrosylate) · lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate · lactoglobulin · lactose · lactulose · milk (derivative, powder, protein, solids, malted, condensed, evaporated, dry, whole, low-fat, nonfat, skimmed and goat's, sheep's milk) · nougat · pudding · rennet casein · sour cream, sour cream solids · sour milk solids · whey (in all forms, including sweet, delactosed and protein concentrate) · yoghurt The following *may* indicate the presence of milk:

· chocolate · flavorings, including caramel, Bavarian cream, coconut cream, brown sugar, butter flavoring and natural flavorings. · high protein flour · margarine · simplesseBeef: including veal, cow or cow protein of any variety or agePeanuts: Also found in ingredients such as

· peanut oil (cold pressed or expeller pressed) · ground nuts · mixed nuts · hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP (may contain peanut traces) · hydrolyzed plant protein · vegetable oil ( unless the vegetable is specified, it may contain peanut oil) · peanut butter · peanut flour · peanut starch · beer nuts · artificial nuts (can be de-flavored peanuts!) · natural flavoring (can contain peanut protein) · chocolate (processed with or in the same plant as peanuts) May also be hidden in:

· Thai rolls, egg rolls, wontons and other dumplings (used to stick the flaps shut) · Stews (as a thickener) · Veggie burgers · Jelly beans · Pizza/tomato sauce · Manicotti · Baked goodsTree Nuts: including cashews, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts (also known as 'pinons' and 'pignoli'), hazelnuts (also known as 'filberts'), chestnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans. Tree nut ingredients are also known as:

· nut butter · nut oil · almond extract · artificial wintergreen extract or other artificial mint extracts · gianduja (chopped nuts mixed with chocolates) · marzipan · artificial nuts · nut meal · nut paste · nougat · chocolate (with or without nuts)Note: water chestnuts are just fine! Despite the name, they are *not* nuts.Sesame: This is Elisha's most dangerous allergy. Sesame ingredients can be found as

· sesame seeds · sesame oil (toasted and untoasted) · seeds (unless specified otherwise, sesame is a popular ingredient in multi-grain breads) · spices (again, unless specified otherwise) · vegetable oil (unless specified)Tip #1: look for statements such as "may contain traces of peanuts/sesame/dairy/tree nuts," or "manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts/sesame/dairy/tree nuts."Tip #2: Large bakeries may make individual items that are Elisha-friendly, but if they also make items that are Elisha-unfriendly, please pass. All too often the same spatula or mixing bowl is used for different items, creating a risk of cross-contamination. Alas, this includes bagels...Tip # 3: Think of allergies as you would think of kashrut. Cross-contamination between Elisha-friendly and Elisha-unfriendly foods, the pots used to cook them, or the utensils used to serve or cook them - all of this is a potential problem. It helps to remember that many peanut-allergenic kids will react to the amount of peanut protein contained in less that 1/100th of a peanut. And sesame allergies can be even worse! I like to joke that Elisha's allergies have created a new version of pareve in our house, with neither meat, nor milk…nor nuts, sesame or peanut!Commonly Asked Questions:Q. With all of those allergies, what's left to eat? A. A lot. You will notice that a lot of the ingredients in the lists above are most commonly found in highly processed foods, or in dishes with long ingredient lists. Like most toddlers, Elisha likes simple, plain foods. Elisha adores plain fruit, vegetables (depending on whim), baked beans, plain pastas and tomato sauces, (dairy-free) waffles, fake/tofu cream cheese on crackers (or matza), homemade pizza with fake cheese and many other, unprocessed and easily made foods. I'm happy to offer suggestions, or to bring our own food for him.Q. How strong are these allergies?A. It varies. The dairy and beef allergies make Elisha uncomfortable and give him hives and eczema, but thus far do no worse. However, we are avoiding them carefully because if we do so, we then have a good chance that they will go away as he gets older! The nut allergies are fairly serious, and may be as serious as his sesame allergy. His sesame allergy has caused him to experience anaphylaxis, during which Elisha's throat and mouth swell, blocking his airways. Q. Can he sit at the same table as someone eating something that he's allergic to?A. Yes! But there's a real risk. First, he's a toddler, and will grab for anything he wants, so please warn us if you serve a dish with allergenic ingredients. Secondly, please be careful of cross-contamination, and only use the dish, serving utensils, cooking pots, etc. for that one dish, and clean it carefully. Finally, if you are thinking of putting Elisha-unfriendly items on the same plate as Elisha-friendly items, please understand if we choose not to feed him the Elisha-friendly foods. Again, the bogeyman of cross-contamination raises its head...Q. With all of these allergies, won't Elisha feel 'different' from other people? A. Yes, but that's just a fact of life. Any kid who has to explain to his college roommate that he can't eat at Mac's feels different. However, there is a fairly good chance that he will either outgrow some of his allergies, or find that as he gets older, the allergies are milder. Studies have shown that the way we give him the best chance of having this happen is by eliminating the allergens from his diet now.Q. Are his allergies at all related to his hemophilia?A. Nope! Allergies in children, and severe allergies in particular, are on the rise. Our allergists at Boston Children's Hospital call this an epidemic, and constantly look harried. There are two major theories as to why this is happening. One theory says that this has to do with how early a food is itroduced. For example, in the United States we eat up to 4 million pounds of peanuts daily. A nation of peanut-lovers, we introduce our children to peanuts early and enthusiastically. As of 2001, 5% of children in the US were allergic to peanuts, and between 1984 and 1994 the amount of reported cases of peanut allergy doubled. However, in Scandanavia, where peanuts are eaten sparingly and rarely before the age of six, peanut allergy is virtually unheard-of. (However, they have a strong rate of fish allergy!) Another theory states that, even as our culture eliminates major childhood challenges to the immune system, such as polio, pertussis, measles, etc, we have also eliminated minor challenges, by focusing on hygienic standards. For example, in addition to our now-standard regimen of immunization shots, we now also wash a pacifier before putting it back in the kid's mouth! Good hygeine and a lack of dangerous childhood illnesses can be a good thing, but some theorize that this leaves the immune system primed for battle - and with nobody to fight. Allergies, or strong immune reactions to minor irritants, can be the result.Please always feel free to consult with me, either by email or telephone (617 8760887 or 617 9055905). Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and for helping us keep Elisha safe and happy.

[Guest guest]

I think you have done an awesome job on your handout! There were things on

there that we don't pay attention to and I've been dealing with Drew's

allergy for 7 years. LOL

You might want to add something in there that says something about if there

are no ingredients pleas don't feed it to Elisha. We have taught Drew that

if there are no ingredients then the answer is no thank you.

----- Original Message -----

>> >> Hi guys! Hope you all are having a good weekend,

>> >> full of hugs and fun. My mom

>> >> is bugging me about going out for meals at her

>> >> friends' houses, and I've been

>> >> trying to deal with her. She emailed a friend to

>> let

>> >> them know that Elisha is

>> >> allergic to some things, and left out nuts!

>> Aargh.

[Guest guest]

Thanks, . I'll definitely add that bit of advice.

-Ziva

At 09:11 PM 2/9/04 -0700, you wrote:

>I think you have done an awesome job on your handout! There were things on

>there that we don't pay attention to and I've been dealing with Drew's

>allergy for 7 years. LOL

>

>You might want to add something in there that says something about if there

>are no ingredients pleas don't feed it to Elisha. We have taught Drew that

>if there are no ingredients then the answer is no thank you.

>

>

>----- Original Message -----

>

>>> >> Hi guys! Hope you all are having a good weekend,

>>> >> full of hugs and fun. My mom

>>> >> is bugging me about going out for meals at her

>>> >> friends' houses, and I've been

>>> >> trying to deal with her. She emailed a friend to

>>> let

>>> >> them know that Elisha is

>>> >> allergic to some things, and left out nuts!

>>> Aargh.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

· artificial wintergreen extract or other artificial mint extracts

Tree nuts are in this??????? Where did you find that out?

*Alyssa*Mom of,: (5) Anaphylactic to peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, and pistachios. Allergic to all nuts. Sensitive to dairy and soy. Eczema.: (3) No allergies