Mother's Intuition

Last month National Jewish in Denver issued a press release about their "new" findings that asthma might be caused by food allergies in some people. But mothers of food allergic children could have told you this years ago.

"Our study suggests that food allergies may be an important factor, and even an under-recognized trigger for severe asthma exacerbations. People with a food allergy and asthma should closely monitor both conditions and be aware that they might be related," said Andrew H. Liu, a lead research with National Jewish.

The press release also states that, "Researchers could not determine if food allergies actually cause asthma attacks or if asthma and food allergies are both manifestations of a severe allergic profile. They speculated that food-allergic reactions might be triggered in some people with asthma only when combined with strenuous exercise." You can read the rest of the article here.

Seriously? I could have told you all this and more. In fact, I can tell you that food allergen exposure can absolutely cause asthma attacks. Sophie got to the point with her wheat allergy that every single time I boiled pasta made from wheat, she had an asthma attack. Every time! And she almost never has an asthma attack without an allergen exposure. I suspect that if the allergen is atomized by boiling it or using another similar technique, and the food allergic person breathes in the atomized allergen, most people would present with an asthma attack.

I'm glad to see that medical science is catching up with mother's intuition slowly but surely.

What to Eat Between the Holidays

With the passing of Halloween, we are now in the midst of the holidays, and all of the busy-ness and craziness that come with them. At times like this, it's important to have some quick go to meals--things you can keep on hand and throw together in just a few minutes. This one is top of the list for my family:

Mexican Beef with Rice

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups white rice (or 2 cups brown rice)
5 cups water
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1 lb. of browned ground beef (I actually use ground turkey)
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in a big pot or a rice cooker (not steamer) and bring to a boil. Simmer until the rice is done.

Toppings:
tomatoes
lettuce
black beans
salsa
avocados
or use your imagination...

Holiday Specialties

The holidays are just around the corner, and it seems at this time special holiday recipes and family favorites come up that we don't even think of the rest of the year! Often these special holiday favorites will require special holiday ingredients. To find groceries that suit your food allergies, I suggest using my Sophie Safe Food Guide. If you're looking for safe baking chocolate, and you're allergic to milk, wheat, corn, peanuts and eggs, you can build a profile with your allergens, then search the category called "Chocolate Chips." The Food Guide will show that Enjoy Life, Saco, Sunspire, and Baker's all make chocolate chips that should be safe for you.

Of course, you should always read the label, as the package may have additional or different information from what's been posted online. And you are responsible for your own food choices. Which will hopefully be made simpler by the awesome allergy grocery finder, the Sophie Safe Food Guide!

Halloween How To's

If you're looking for suggestions on how to manage Halloween candy--whether managing the allergies or the sugar is you focus--check out last year's post on Halloween candy!

Halloween Treats

If you're looking for some goodies to celebrate Halloween, and you have my cookbook, here are a few things that we like to make around this time of year:

Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Morsels
Oatmeal Cookie Cutouts (Cut out and decorate little pumpkins, or use your gingerbread cookie cutters but decorate them with the skeletons!)
Zucchini Bread
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Shepherd's Pie (Make the bottom layer and the mashed potatoes and then
shape them like a ghost on each plate instead of baking it. Use peas
for the ghost's eyes.)

Enjoy!

Food Allergy Manners

A few days ago, Ask Amy with the Chicago Tribune published a question regarding food allergies. You can read it here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/tribu/askamy/ct-sun-1017-amy-20101017,0,7880316.column?page=2

The writer describes a situation in which she avoided dishes at a dinner party rather than inconvenience her hostess by letting her know about the allergies ahead of time. In a similar situation, what have you done or what would you do? I think I have always informed hosts of Sophie's food allergies, and consulted them on the least obtrusive way to accommodate them (and I always offer to supply the accommodations as well!).

What do you think?

Kosher Nation

Kosher Nation by Sue Fishkoff has a fascinating premise--that of those who purchase Kosher foods, the majority are, in fact, non-Jews! Among the non-Jews buying Kosher, people with food allergies make up a large percentage. I've often wondered what the various Kosher symbols mean and how food "becomes Kosher," and for that reason, this book is definitely on my to-read list. The publisher recommends it for "anyone interested in food, religion, Jewish identity, and big business," so I'm sure this book will fascinate me!