Ohh! So Good: Allergen-Friendly Food Blog
#OhhMoments - Danielle Coates shares her youngest son Food Allergy Story
" I'm Danielle, a single Mum to three amazing boys. Brodie, my eldest is ten. Tobiah, my second is five and Sawyer, my youngest is 20 months old. Sawyer is different to my other two children because he has allergies, quite a list of allergies" He is currently allergic to dairy, soya, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, avocado and oats. He has both iGe and non iGe reactions, so some things will make his face swell and he will be covered in hives, other things he will end up covered in eczema and suffer with mucus filled nappies for days. Before Sawyer came along I had no idea that a baby could react to food through breastmilk, once I realised he had allergies I had a lot of changes to make which at times felt quite daunting and also stressful. These changes haven't been easy and the whole thing hasn't been without its difficulties, we've had little to no support throughout this and I actually initially diagnosed Sawyer with Cows Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) myself. Sawyer's big brothers have also struggled with the changes we've had to make to the household and our lives too. We can no longer eat out at most places due to the amount of allergies Sawyer has and some things have had to be banned from the house due to the severity of his reactions. Amazingly they have been very understanding and they have both learnt to check which foods are and aren't safe for Sawyer. One of the most difficult parts of this journey for me has definitely been the feeling of being isolated. Toddler groups can be very difficult to attend because of snacks and messy play. We did start at one group, which seemed to be very understanding of Sawyer's allergies until one week they had wheat flour and paint brushes out and Sawyer reacted to the flour dust in the air, his face swelled and he was quite poorly for a couple of days, so we haven't been back since. It makes me sad because he's a very sociable boy but his health and wellbeing are obviously my top priority. Unfortunately doctors have never been very supportive and in the beginning they didn't take me seriously at all. I visited our doctors surgery on a number of occasions but was told it was "just eczema" and his 6-10 mucus filled nappies a day and bubbling tummy was normal for a breastfed baby. At one point I was even told that I was just a paranoid Mum that wasn't coping very well! Me being as stubborn as I am, I refused to accept that was the case and I knew there was something wrong, call it Mothers instinct, so I set to work researching what could be wrong with him. It took me researching for myself, cutting out dairy and soya initially and taking before and after photos of Sawyers skin into the doctors surgery for the doctor to finally agree there was more going on and he did indeed have CMPA. It took 4 days of cutting dairy for me to see a massive improvement in Sawyers skin and mood. As time went on I found more allergies. By the time Sawyer was 8 months I had figured out and cut all of his allergens both from his diet and my diet (as I breastfeed still). I did this through food diaries, elimination diets and trial and error really. He's now 20 months old and loves his food, he's happy and mischievous and most people have no idea what he's been through. In the future I would love to see more awareness of allergies in general, better and faster diagnosis, more support for families of allergy children, more allergy friendly foods in restaurants and a better variety of readily available top 8 allergy friendly snacks, it's pretty difficult to find ones that are top 8 friendly and not all parents always have time to bake their own snacks. For Sawyer I'm just hopeful he outgrows some of his allergies because let's face it a life without them would be much easier once he starts school but for now I'll carry on breastfeeding him and doing all I can to keep him safe. Want to share your Ohh! Moment with us? We would LOVE to hear from you! Send us an email at Marketing@OhhFoods.com!
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#Ohhmoments - Noreen Okarter shares how she grew up with Food Allergies during the early and mid 80s
Noreen Okarter, Food Allergy Coach – Founder of Food Sitch, Allergic to Tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, coconut, wheat and grew up with an allergy to eggs. I have had food allergies since babyhood. While I outgrew my egg allergy in my twenties, my allergies to tree nuts, peanuts and sesame turned anaphylactic in my twenties too. I grew up during the early and mid 80s when the concept of a food allergy was relatively unknown. I also was usually the only person in my class to have a food allergy. As a result, I had to constantly educate people about what a food allergy was and the full implications of having a food allergy life. I learned to explain my food allergies to others at school and college, at the work office, at parties, while travelling, etc. As my allergic reactions became more severe in my early twenties, I took charge of my health. I began to take inventory of what foods I was putting into my body – even those to which I was not allergic. Determined to feel confident about my body’s strength after multiple emergency room visits, I began working out and eating healthier foods. These lifestyle changes led to me to lose 40 pounds and to become a 5 time marathon runner. My challenging experiences managing my food allergies and having to go through scary emergency room visits have motivated me to take my coaching skills and passion for helping me in order to become a food allergy coach. As a certified health coach and wellness coach, I help people with food allergies manage everyday life, build confidence in living a food allergy life and make sure they accomplish their health and life goals along the way. What you hope to see in the future as fat as inclusive snacking or food allergies as whole? I would love to see a change of consciousness in our society where people are open to including people who eat differently than they do. My dream is to have people with different dietary preferences eating at the same table and establishing connections with one another. With an open heart, open mind and preparation, this dream can happen. Want to share your Ohh! Moment with us? We would LOVE to hear from you! Send us an email at Marketing@OhhFoods.com!
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#OhhMoments - Bethany shares her struggle growing up with Food Allergies
"My name is Bethany and I’m 19 years old. I’ve been anaphylactic to dairy and allergic to nuts since I was born. Also, 4 years ago I went gluten-free because of digestive issues" Growing up with food allergies is hard. I missed out on treats at school, I have to be selective of who’s house I eat at, I only eat at 1 restaurant I know is safe for me, I bring my own food when I go out and when I go on holiday. My Mum’s closest friends make an effort to see what I can and can't eat when I go to theirs. This makes me feel included and means I can enjoy social activities. People who are supportive and accommodating are key. Safe food and snacks make it easier to eat out. Food Allergies Not Being Taken Seriously There is one time that really stands out to me regarding my food allergies not being taken seriously. I was at secondary school (year 8 (UK) or 7th grade (US)). We went over my allergies and they said they understood and all the lunches would be fine as I would get a different meal. Then one day I was given a bake-well tart that they said was dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free. I checked with them and they rechecked the packet and they said they were safe for me to eat. So, I ate it. At the weekend, we went to get some of the bake-well tarts. When we checked the ingredients, they contained almonds. When I went back to school on Monday, we had a meeting with the school cooks and the nurse/first aider. The cooks didn’t take it seriously. After that, I always took a packed lunch. This was good as I knew the food would be safe. But it was also bad because I was the only one in the entire school doing it. It made me feel embarrassed and singled-out. To this day, I still struggle with eating my own food when I go out. Lessons Learned Always check the packet yourself even if it seems silly and you’ve eaten it a thousand times before. A good way to do this is to check the ingredients when you buy it and when you go to make it. Only recently, I ended up checking the recycling to check the ingredients on potato waffles. I’ve had them all my life but I still check them each time I buy and eat them. They were safe and it gave me such peace of mind knowing I could eat them without any problems. In The Future In the future, I would love to see… People with food allergies to feel included when they’re eating out and eating at home. People with food allergies to enjoy eating, cooking and baking food. People to have knowledge about food allergies. People with food allergies to be able to buy food on the go and safe snacks that they can take with them. This is why I’ve started my blog Allergy Bakes. So that I can help people with food allergies enjoy baking again and feel included. How You Can Help You can help by: Asking people you know who have food allergies or celiac disease how you can help them Educating yourself on food allergies, there are lots of great information on all these sites: FARE - Food Allergy Research & Education Allergy UK Anaphylaxis Campaign (UK) Allergy Facts (Australia) Food Allergy Canada If you want an allergy baking substitutions guide for eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts, sign up to my newsletter here. Want to share your Ohh! Moment with us? We would LOVE to hear from you! Send us an email at Marketing@OhhFoods.com!
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How to be Mindful of Food Allergies this Easter
The holidays can be a stressful time, especially for the parent of a child with severe food allergies. Make things easier for those living with allergies by practising mindfulness and using our helpful tip guide!
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