How To Handle Food Allergies At Overnight Camp
I had the pleasure to meet Craig Hartley, the Director of Centauri Summer Arts Camp, at a recent Camp Fair. I went to the Camp Fair to find out the allergy policies at the camps that were there, and I was very pleased to find out that Centauri Summer Arts Camp has a peanut and […]
The Need For Strict Avoidance of Your Allergen
Exposure to your allergen decreases your chances of outgrowing it according to Dr. Sami Bhana, past President of the American College of Asthma Allergy and Immunology (ACAAI) and professor of pediatrics and medicine and chief of the Allergy/Immunology Section at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Bhana stated in his 2010 lecture at the […]
Can Peanut Oil Produce An Allergic Reaction?
I am not in favor of using peanut oil or any other oil made from a substance to which you’re allergic. This sounds obvious, but it’s actually a controversial topic, since conflicting information exists saying that highly refined oils are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). The Food Allergy Initiative says that “peanut protein is found […]
Better Allergy Tests Now Available!
Although I’m not an allergist, I attend the annual Allergy Update medical conference for allergists every year in Toronto. This year, Dr. Robert Hamilton informed us that the presence of IgE measured by a RAST test is not predictive of the severity of allergenic response: In fact, it’s less than 50% predictive. He advised that […]
The Best School Policy For Allergy And Anaphylaxis Management
As many of my readers know, I live in Ontario, Canada, which I believe is the heart of food allergy and anaphylaxis safety protocols for Canada and the rest of the world. This is due to the work of Sara Shannon, mother of Sabrina Shannon, a child who unfortunately died at age 13 from a […]
Is Coconut Safe For People With Tree Nut Allergies?
I follow several food blogs, and after seeing repeated mentions of coconut oil, I became interested in trying it. A company graciously provided me with a few jars of their product to sample, and I turned to the Onespot Allergy Facebook group for tips on how to use it. My readers know that my son […]
Allergic To Latex? Foods And Products To Avoid
Recently, I wanted to learn about latex allergy, so I turned to my incredible community of well informed people in my Facebook allergy group. This is what I learned from them, led by Krystal Ahern of the Latex Allergy Awareness Site. Latex is the milky fluid derived from rubber trees, which is used to make […]
Allergic to Beer or Wine?
I recently learned through Kyle Dine that beer can contain the very serious food allergens. Specifically, there are beers that include milk, peanut butter, chestnuts, or almonds in their ingredients. These are the links to the companies that Kyle provided, along with some updated information I recently received: Milk allergen: Granville Island Chocolate Stout […]
Could I Be Allergic To Benadryl®?
A member of my group for parents of food allergic children had a terrible experience the other day. Her child is allergic to cinnamon, and she wears an EpiPen® in one of my medication belts for this reason. She noticed her daughter was having symptoms of a reaction, and she gave her Benadryl® (the adult formulation), which […]
Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity, From Diagnosis To Healing
Recently a conversation developed on my Facebook page between me and Laura Waldo, the author of the blog “Living Gluten and Grain Free”, on the subject of wheat allergy versus gluten intolerance. Laura provided a great deal of information, which I feel is very important to share. Here is our dialogue: What is the difference […]
