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Aug/Sep 2012

Features

Class Treatment

In December 2010, Chicago seventh-grader Katelyn Carlson collapsed after she ate Chinese food during a class holiday party. The food contained traces of peanuts, even though her teacher had reportedly asked the restaurant not to use peanuts. Since Katelyn’s peanut allergy had not been severe in the past, her 504 health plan had called for administering Benadryl, an antihistamine. Staff followed the plan and then called 911. Katelyn was rushed from school to the hospital, where she died of anaphylaxis. Katelyn might still be alive today if they’d been given a simple epinephrine injection at school.

Tips for Parents

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Giving up control of your food-allergic teen is challenging. It’s hard to let go but important for your child’s development. These suggestions can help.

College & Your Special Diet

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Summer’s end is an anxious time for most college freshmen but even more so for those students who have food allergies and sensitivities. It’s a nerve-racking time for their parents, too, as their young adult ventures into the unsupervised dining and lifestyle of higher education.

Celiac Disease and Eating Disorders

When Beth was 19 and a sophomore in college, she began to cut back on how much she was eating. In high school, she had always thought she could stand to lose 5 pounds—“What girl doesn’t?,” she asks—even though at 5 foot 8 inches, tall and 130 pounds, she was slim. She had dieted a few times then, following the low-carb Atkins plan. This time around, however, her motivation to diet wasn’t just about dropping a dress size. It was also because she often felt uncomfortably full and bloated after eating.

Fishing for a Cure

Parents will go to incredible lengths to help their children when they’re sick, so when mainstream medicine fails to ease a child’s suffering, many parents predictably search for answers elsewhere. For youngsters with severe or life threatening food allergies, the mainstream has so far offered few options. Avoiding allergenic food is the only established method of preventing reactions and the enduring possibility of accidental exposure keeps parents constantly vigilant.

Favorite Foods for Picky Eaters

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Many small children are fussy eaters but youngsters on the autistic spectrum commonly take pickiness to extremes. They often eat fewer than five or so different foods—a list that generally includes chicken nuggets, fries, mac and cheese, cookies and milk. Most of their favorite foods contain gluten, casein or both. Proponents of the opioid excess theory of autism contend that these children limit themselves to foods that contain gluten and casein because these proteins give them a “high” resembling that of opioid drugs.

Departments

Life Story

Dancer Mary Murphy

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Champion ballroom dancer Mary Murphy is known for her infectious laugh and tireless enthusiasm. The Lancaster, Ohio, native is the popular judge on Fox’s Emmy-nominated television program, So You Think You Can Dance. A sought-after celebrity host, Murphy regularly judges international versions of the show, traveling to countries like Australia, Norway and Canada for special guest appearances. In addition, Murphy, who has appeared in various films, runs a dance studio in San Diego.

So Good

Protein Fix

If you want to beef up your allergy-friendly smoothie with an extra shot of protein—a good idea when gulping down breakfast or after a workout—consider whirling in one of these gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free powders.

Gluten-Free Crisp Zucchini Rounds

These Gluten-Free Crisp Zucchini Rounds meet all the requirements. They can be made in 25 minutes and require just five other easy-to-find ingredients. They’re also versatile, equally wonderful as an appetizer or veggie side. As a bonus, zucchini is low in fat and calories and high in vitamins, making it a healthy choice.

Allergy-Friendly Fruit-Full Homecoming

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When baking with fruit, pick those that give off a sweet perfume and are tender to the touch but not mushy. Select fruit with no brown spots or soft places on the flesh. Pears and peaches can ripen further on the kitchen counter but don’t let them linger more than a few days. Fruit’s sweet scent can quickly turn to a fermented, yeasty odor, signaling that the fruit is nearly past its prime. Apples should be firm with only a slight fragrance, the crisper the better. Plums should be slightly soft. The same holds true for apricots. They’re trickier to ripen at home; I often rely on dried apricots in my gluten-free recipes for this reason and because they add an intense sweetness that isn’t always imparted by fresh apricots. If you’re not able to bake when the fruit is ripe and ready, store it in the refrigerator to extend its life.

Allergy-Friendly Smoothies

Ladies and gentlemen, start your blenders! Allergy-friendly Smoothies have gone mainstream. You can find these tempting beverages in various guises at coffee shops, fitness centers and big-chain supermarkets. Yet, for the biggest nutritional windfall and to avoid calorie bombs with serious waistline repercussions, it’s best to whip up your own blender creations.

House Call

Pediactric Allergies Q & A - Peanuts in the Cafeteria, Safe Sleepover, and More!

Lee & Pistiner Getting dropped off at a friend’s house is not only fun, it helps foster independence and lasting friendships. Yet it’s understandable that you feel uneasy about leaving your daughter with someone else. A sleepover can be safe if the adults in charge understand allergen avoidance and know how to respond in an emergency. Planning, teaching and good communication make this possible. Well before the sleepover, tell the caregivers about your daughter’s food allergies and let them make an informed choice about taking on the responsibility. Training the adult caregivers about food allergies should take place when they have time to give you their full attention. If you rush, important details may be left off.

Research Roundup: Thyroid Check, Responsible for Anaphylaxis, and More!

A link between celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid diseases is well established. Now a study published in January in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology says the gluten-free diet doesn’t appear to reverse the progression of autoimmune thyroid disease.

Try it

Living Without's Favorites: Pure Puree

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Here’s a sure way to sneak more nutrients into your youngster. Peter Rabbit Organics offers 100 percent pure fruit and vegetable purees—and that’s all. No salt, no sugar, no additives or preservatives, no GMOs, no gluten, no Big 8 allergens. Packed in BPA-free, re-sealable pouches, these suck-and-squeeze snacks are nutritious foods your child will love. There are 11 flavors in all, including two new varieties—Pumpkin, Carrot & Apple, and Pear & Pea.

Living Without's Favorites: Nice Buns

Canada’s venerable Kinnikinnick Foods introduces a line of Soft Breads and Buns, a notable addition to its extensive list of gluten-free, dairy-free products. These hamburger and hotdog buns, and these white and multigrain loaves taste great right out of the package. They don’t require toasting and they freeze well.

Living Without's Favorites: Fashion with Function

Sending an allergic child off to school, camp or field trip can be scary for parents. Hope Paige medical ID bracelets offer peace of mind with messages that are personalized to your loved one’s needs. Notes inside the wristband provide critical information that can save a life in an emergency. The message is permanent and holds up to sweaty sports, swimming and anywhere else your child goes.

Living Without's Favorites: At-Home Bakery

Do you love the fragrance of home-baked bread wafting from your oven? Turn your kitchen into a bakery with Millet Oat Bread from Inspiration Mixes. This loaf is loaded with good stuff—organic brown rice flour, millet flour, gluten-free steel cut oats and organic coconut flour.

Read it

Living Without's Favorite Books: Safe Treats

Stasie John has two children (she calls them her “food-allergy warriors”) who eat differently than other kids. To help them live happily on their special diet, she penned The Gluten Glitch (Beaver’s Pond Press, Inc.), a charming book for youngsters who can’t eat gluten. Whether your little one has celiac disease or a gluten allergy, this colorfully illustrated tale speaks directly to the emotional and social aspects of feeling deprived.

Living Without's Favorite Books: Easy Does It

Hectic day? Busy life? Let popular cookbook author Carol Kicinski plan your meals for you. Her latest offering, Simply…Gluten-free Quick Meals (Thomas Dunne Books) is a notable stress-buster for special-diet families on the go. With more than 100 recipes for “good food fast,” Kicinski starts with a menu and then provides a quick-cook strategy and simple instructions that are easy to follow with guaranteed delicious results.

Living Without's Favorite Books: Paleo Parents

How do you inspire your children to make healthy food choices? Teach them to Eat Like A Dinosaur (Victory Belt Publishing, Inc.). This engaging book written by Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry (aka the Paleo Parents) is a child-friendly primer on back-to-basics cooking using fresh ingredients without dairy, wheat, peanuts, soy or artificial additives.

Living Without's Favorite Books: Gorgeous Gourmet

Here’s a gluten-free cookbook that’s beautiful enough for your coffee table. La Tartine Gourmande (Roost Books) by Beatrice Peltre is both sumptuous and scrumptious. Featuring almost 100 recipes, Peltre shares both her world view and her out-of-this-world recipes with fresh French flair.

Food for Thought

Gluten-Free Tsunami

Every day, someone tells me they’ve sworn off gluten, most for reasons that have nothing to do with celiac disease, gluten intolerance or even mild sensitivity.

Gas, Bloating & Reflux

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By the end of the day, I’m so bloated, I swear I need maternity clothes,” Brenda complained to me at her first appointment. In her mid-forties, Brenda tried to manage her food sensitivities by eliminating gluten, dairy and all grains but no amount of dietary juggling could diminish her swollen stomach.

In Every Issue

Editor's Note

Grapevine/Tender Touch

Ask the Chefs