The Allergy Mom: Recent Episodes
The Allergy Mom
The Allergy Mom Podcast helps support those with serious and life-threatening allergies to make daily life easier living a life with allergies, asthma and related health issues.
Welcome to a new season of The Allergy Mom Podcast! In this new season, I am looking forward to having more guests and topics that address mental health, parenting, and family life issues when living a life with a family member with severe allergy, anaphylaxis, or a related, chronic health condition.
In this episode, I interview Dr. William J. Doherty, the past-President of the National Council on Family Relations, the oldest interdisciplinary family studies organization in North America.
About Bill:William J. Doherty, Ph.D., is Professor of Family Social Science and Director of the Citizen Professional Center at the University of Minnesota. He is also a practicing marriage and family therapist and co-founder of The Doherty Relationship Institute, LLC, a new venture designed to help engaged couples through couples on the brink.
Bill has received the Significant Contribution to the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy Award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
He is a national leader in the movement to solve the problem of overscheduled kids and underconnected families. Prominent in this work are four community initiatives focused on reclaiming family time in the hurry-up world of contemporary childhood.
He has appeared in a wide range of national media outlets about this issue, including Oprah, The New York Times, USA Today, all of the major network morning shows and evening news programs, Time, and National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation.
His book Take Back Your Kids: Confident Parenting in Turbulent Times (Sorin Books) is a call for parents to assume leadership in their families, instead of anxiously surrendering children to the peer culture and the consumer culture. It won Forward Magazine’s Parenting Book of the Year Award for books from independent publishers.
His book Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart (Guilford Press), describes how marriage has been undermined by the me-first consumer culture, by frenetic busyness, and by over-indulgent parenting, and shows how couples can take back their marriages through rock-solid commitment, rituals of connection and love, and participation in communities that support their marriages. It won the Self-Help Book of the Year Award for books from independent publishers.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Family traditions and meals planned with intention to create a safe and fun celebration without the drama
- How to navigate difficult conversations with extended family members about your child’s allergies
- How to discuss and plan with family members to get them involved in the creation of intentional family practices and to improve family life through defining roles
- Bill’s expert insights on how to make changes in the family in ways that won’t be met with resistance and will be accepted by the rest of the family
- How a chronic health issues is what Bill calls, “A call to consciousness”
- “Love and Limits… and leadership” – our role as parents
- “Pinch points & Crunch Points” – when to pick our battles and how to prioritize family
- Family dinners are the single most important thing you can do as a family
- Why you should force your kids to do stuff with the family even if they don’t want to…
- Why Bill thinks your kids’ opinions of you really don’t matter until they’re 25!
- Peach & Pit, Rose & Thorn, Grateful for & Hopeful for…. my faves! Sharing without Grilling
- Bill’s political work to address polarization and divide -using Couples therapy to heal a country!
- Covid & Family life and what happens after the pandemic ends
- …and more!
Welcome to Episode 16 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with my personal hero, Dr. Inderpal Randhawa (affectionally known as Dr. R by his patients), the Medical Director of Pediatric Pulmonary, Clinical Immunology & Allergy at the Miller Children's Hospital (one of the top 50 programs nationwide in the U.S.) and CEO of the nonprofit Southern California Food Allergy Institute, whose Tolerance Induction Program (TIP™) is providing true food freedom to those with severe allergies.
He is a leading clinical academic scientist with five board certifications in transplant immunology, allergy, pulmonology, pediatrics, and internal medicine.
How Dr. R began working with Allergies:
Early in his career, Dr. Randhawa began to question conventional protocols for the treatment of life-threatening food allergies. Distressed by watching parents suffer the loss of their children to fatal allergic reactions, he purposed to find innovative solutions and change the status quo. His early experience in lung transplant immunology coupled with his collaboration with national allergy and immunology specialists, led him to develop the safe, innovative solutions now offered through Southern California Food Allergy Institute.
About Southern California Food Allergy Institute:
Southern California Food Allergy Institute is the largest food allergy treatment center of its kind, dedicated to providing innovative and safe treatment for the six million children in the United States who suffer from food allergies.
Unlike OIT (Oral Immunotherapy), the nonprofit’s Tolerance Induction Program (TIP™) uses trillions of data points to create customized treatment plans for each child. Their allergies are mapped out to form an individualized program that builds tolerance to the unique proteins each child is allergic to, all before introducing their most anaphylactic allergen. This ensures patient safety, and over time, alters their immune system to not react to their allergens.
To date, TIP™ has treated over 12,000 children with a 99% success rate, giving people a life of food freedom when they can eat whatever they want, whenever they want, without fear of reaction.
On a personal note:
I'm contacted ALL the time to ask if I would recommend this program. My answer is unequivocally yes! This program is life-changing and potentially life-saving. I am happy to answer any questions or share my personal opinions and insights anytime if you would like to know more about how we experienced the program. As a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, I also offer counselling to families dealing with food allergies, contemplating treatment options, and past or present patients in the program. It can be really helpful to speak with someone who "gets it".
There are no words to adequately thank Dr. Randawha for the gift of food freedom that we are experiencing as a result of the Tolerance Induction Program. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you. Forever and always, I will be indebted to you for the work you are doing.
Welcome to Episode 15 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with the Alan App‘s founder and CEO Katherine Schug.
About Katherine Schug:
In eighth grade, Katherine told her teachers that she wanted to create a food allergy app. They all thought she was joking, of course. Many years later, she decided to act upon this idea and designed Alan (Allergy Life Alliance Network). The app is now available.
About The Alan App:The Alan (Allergy Life Alliance Network) App is unlike any other food allergy app. They understand the importance of safety, but also the need for a community.
At Alan, they recognize the severity of food allergies - those who suffer from this medical condition should be recognized for their strength and vigor. It is their mission to connect food allergic people to one another to share experiences, concerns, or questions - and to provide resources that will relieve any food allergy-related concerns.
The Alan App is a food allergy mobile application that provides helpful resources for the food allergy community. They post new recipes every week, so be sure to subscribe!
Download the app on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alan-food-allergy-guide/id1522751134
Download on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elannin.allan.android Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Katherine’s experiences with her own food allergies
- Her motivation to create an app for the food allergy community
- Food allergy bullying and more about the realities of living with a food allergy
- Her website to combat food allergy bullying: Teen FAAB
- Being a food allergy advocate (Bystander Revolution)
- Katherine’s worst reaction at university and how she advocated for herself and influenced the school to investigate and evaluate their safety protocols for students with allergies
- …and more!
Katherine’s Links:
Teen FAAB: https://www.teenfaab.com
The Alan App website: https://www.thealanapp.com
The Alan App @thealanapp https://www.instagram.com/thealanapp/ on Instagram
Zestfull on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/zestfull/
The Alan App on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thealanapp
The Alan App on Twitter https://twitter.com/thealanapp
The Alan App Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtfCb4WysH3DjZonyzIw0FQ
Download the app on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alan-food-allergy-guide/id1522751134
Download the app from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elannin.allan.android
Welcome to Episode 14 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with online food allergy magazine – Zestfull‘s cofounder Kortney Kwong Hing.
About Kortney:
Kortney has only known life with food allergies. She manages multiple food allergies, asthma, eczema and OAS. Kortney is the co-founder of Zestfull, an online magazine that celebrates life with food allergies. She is also the co-host of The Itch Podcast. She wants to spread joy in a community that can easily see the hard side of life with atopic disease and believes that you can have a full life with food allergies, it may just be lived a little differently!
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Kortney’s early diagnosis as a baby with food allergies
- Oral Allergy Syndrome
- The Allergic March
- Asthma vs. Anaphylaxis
- How Kortney developed her “secret” blog in her 20s- Allergy Girl Eats (Note – this site is now retired)
- Kortney’s partnership with an allergy mom to share the positive side of food allergies through an online magazine called The Zestfull
- Traditional, cultural foods and food allergies
- Intuitive Eating -listening to your body and eating mindfully
- The Itch Podcast with Dr. Gupta – where Kortney and Dr. Gupta dive deep into allergic disease and asthma – you will learn and understand while keeping it simple enough for the lay person to get it
- Kortney’s asthma wake-up call – how she learned the serious cues she was ignoring and what she did about it
- …and more!
Kortney’s Links:
The Zestfull Online Allergy Magazine https://thezestfull.com
Zestfull on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/theZestfull/
Kortney @allergy_girl_eats https://www.instagram.com/allergy_girl_eats/ on Instagram
Zestfull on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/zestfull/
Zestfull on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theZestfull
Zestfull Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPzqK_oY93Xd823Hy3XZNw?fbclid=IwAR1gx5xwhGKeK3-yabaLRLZBHSjkPF3HvGcHG81N-pGqw4nPxLNPq6rm9SQ
Welcome to Episode 13 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with Heather Brooker: Actress, Emmy Award-winning journalist, and host of the popular podcast, Motherhood in Hollywood.
About Heather:
Heather Brooker has appeared in over 40 films and TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Office,” “Fresh Off The Boat,” “The Mindy Project” and more. Heather is also in the groundbreaking role of digital entertainment reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles, where she regularly interviews celebrities and influencers in Hollywood. On her podcast, Motherhood in Hollywood, Heather discusses her two passions — parenting and showbusiness — and has a hilariously addicting, tell-it-like-it-is personality. She recently spoke at the GirlUp Leadership Summit alongside Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Meghan Markle about gender equity and body positivity. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, 7-year-old daughter and internet famous cat, Gracie I Love You. Heather has also recently been working with FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) to share her humour and insights into the trials and tribulations of motherhood in an allergy context. You can check out her YouTube videos for FARE on their Living Teal Channel.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Humour when talking about serious subjects such as food allergies – the good, the bad and the ugly!
- Humour as therapy and as a source for education and advocacy
- How Heather became involved in the Food Allergy World
- Food allergy bullying
- Teal Pumpkins
- …and more!
Heather’s Links:
Heather @theheatherbrooker on Instagram
Heather @theheatherbrooker on Facebook
Heather @heatherbrooker on Twitter
Heather @heatherbrooker on TikTok
Heather’s podcast site: motherhoodinhollywood.com
Heather’s acting website: heatherbrooker.com
Stay Tuned:
That is Episode 13! Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already– there are so many amazing interviews and topics coming out in the next few weeks that I don’t want you to miss including:
- TIP vs OIT
- Get Zestfull with Kortney Kwong Hing (Allergy Girl Eats)
- The Alan App – An app for allergy sufferers
Welcome to Episode 12 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with Daniel Kelly of May-Contain. I came across Daniel’s instagram and loved the images he shared from his May Contain Allergy Magazine – a project that he designed that took the epi-pen out of the medical context to make it more relatable and engaging for young people.
About Daniel & May-Contain:
Daniel Kelly is the founder of May Contain; an Allergy Blog and Podcast breaking the stigma of allergies. He is also the host of an allergy podcast on iTunes of the same name and has amassed a widely engaged allergy audience through social media (IG: @_maycontain). Recently Daniel became the First-Ever Youth Ambassador for Anaphylaxis Campaign.
- First-ever Youth Ambassador for the Anaphylaxis Campaign Charity – https://www.hud.ac.uk/news/alumni/anaphylaxis-campaign-youth-ambassador/
- Created an allergy magazine at Univesity that went viral within 24 hours – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsKWESXh3tQ
- Daniel felt his podcast was the way forward to break down the stigma of allergies
- He gave his first-ever talk at St Johns College, Cambridge University – Amazing experience and story
- His blog May-Contain is one of the fastest-growing allergy blog in the UK
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Dan shares his allergy journey and how he’s been led to advocate for this community through his university project, blog and podcast
- The increased prevalence of allergies in the UK and Europe
- Living and travelling with food allergies
- Advice for teens (and their allergy moms and dads) as they move into high school and the years of growing independence
- Educating others for empathy to create awareness and caring for individuals with food allergies
- Daniel’s scariest food allergy incident story – a delayed reaction
- Eating in restaurants with severe allergies
- Educating your friends on what to do in the event of a reaction – “Keep calm and carry on” with seeking medical attention
- Daniel’s advice for allergy moms and dads as someone who grew up as a child with severe food allergies
Stay Tuned:
That is Episode 12! Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already– there are so many amazing interviews and topics coming out in the next few weeks that I don’t want you to miss including:
- TIP vs OIT
- Get Zestfull with Kortney Kwong Hing (Allergy Girl Eats)
- Heather Brooker, Emmy Award-winning journalist and host of the Motherhood in Hollywood Podcast
Welcome to Episode 11 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with Jim Garner, Chief Executive Officer of AllerGenis . AllerGenis’ mission is to develop precision diagnostic solutions that can help healthcare providers better assess and manage the well-being of millions of food allergy patients. Specializing in immunology and bioinformatics, they have created a highly multiplexed analytical platform to address the limitations of current food allergy diagnostic tests.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- 21st century diagnostic methods that allow us to look at the antibody response to proteins that cause allergic reactions
- Without having to do a food challenge, you can find the same information with a drop of blood – this means you can bypass having a patient having to ingest the protein to gauge the response (hives, shortness of breath, cardiac and Gastrointestinal issues – aka an allergic reaction)
- Statistically these tests are the same as doing an oral food challenge and they are reproducible results providing a more objective measure without the stress and anxiety of doing an oral food challenge
- These diagnostics will tell you a) what you’re allergic to and b) what to do next
- If a test comes back negative, the likelihood of the child having a reaction is low and so the doctor can safely do an oral food challenge
- This also prevents people from unnecessarily avoiding foods that they could safely ingest foods
- These tests take the risks and guess work out of whether there is going to be a reaction
- Introducing allergenic foods to children at a young age and the threat of avoidance and putting kids at risk for developing allergies
Jim’s Links:
www.allergenis.com
https://www.allergenis.com/technology
https://www.allergenis.com/resources
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.19.20136002v1
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(18)31567-7/abstract
That is Episode 11! Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already– there are so many amazing interviews and topics coming out in the next few weeks that I don’t want you to miss including:
- TIP vs OIT
- Daniel Kelly from May Contain
- Heather Brooker, Emmy Award-winning journalist and host of the Motherhood in Hollywood Podcast
Welcome to Episode 10 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with Jennifer Roberge, founder of The Eczema Company, Yoro Naturals and the blog Itchy Little World. Jennifer is an expert on eczema and in this episode we get down to the nitty gritty – or should I say… itchy, twitchy details of everything Eczema related!
It’s an Itchy Little World features natural remedies for eczema, allergies and asthma that work based on Jennifer’s family’s experience in battling these conditions using an integrative approach. It also features related news and stories from guest bloggers and industry professionals.
Jennifer's Journey:
Years ago, Jennifer’s son Tristan suffered from terrible eczema. At only 3 years old, he was covered head to toe in red, itchy, dry skin that was inflamed and extremely painful looking.
She desperately searched for answers and tried everything she could to help him. Her and her husband argued constantly about the best way to treat their son’s skin. Physicians encouraged them to apply ever increasing strengths of topical medication to his angry looking skin. But his skin continued to get worse. Something didn’t feel right.
It was when JenniferI hit rock bottom, crying all day and night, not sleeping in order to prevent her son from scratching, and feeling so hopeless when conventional medicine didn’t work for them, that she decided to look into healing from within and holistic treatments.
They tried countless herbal eczema creams, eczema clothing and a variety of natural and holistic treatments before they started to see healing. They also learned their son had many pollen allergies, food allergies and food sensitivities (through an elimination diet) which exacerbated his flare-ups. Removing those triggers was huge for them.
Out of research and their own trials, they discovered a variety of products that helped their son’s and many other eczema sufferers’ skin. Today, those very same products are sold at The Eczema Company.
Jennifer started this store in hopes of bringing you and your loved ones relief from eczema. She knows first hand how unbelievably difficult eczema can be both physically and emotionally. Her hope is that The Eczema Company can help bring relief to your itchy little world!
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Eczema and the Allergic March
- Jennifer’s experiences with allergies and eczema with her son
- Homeopathy, natural treatments and all the other things Jennifer and her family have tried over the years
- What she’s learned along the way and how she helps other families now!
Click here for the Podcast Episode Page with all of Jennifer's Links to the sites and topics she discusses in the show!
Welcome to Episode 9 of the Allergy mom podcast, an interview with Kyle Dine of Equal Eats amongst his other amazing endeavours to support the Allergy Community over the years.
Kyle Dine is a food allergic individual who has turned his diagnosis into several positive impacts for the food allergy community. Growing up with multiple food allergies, Kyle experienced first-hand the challenges that food allergies play during adolescence. After experiencing a harrowing anaphylactic reaction in his early twenties, he changed his career path in order to create tools and resources to help people avoid allergic reactions and improve overall quality of life.
He is a trusted food allergy educator and musician who performs engaging allergy awareness assemblies in elementary schools across North America. Along with his “Kyle Dine & Friends” DVD, which was funded through the allergy community on Kickstarter, his music and live assembly contain empowering, supportive, and educational messages for children with or without food allergies.
His educational efforts guided him to working with Food Allergy Canada on their programs, resources and advocacy. Since 2008, he has specialized in the development of materials for youth and led projects such as elementary and high school awareness programs, educational books, videos, and the Allergy Pals online mentorship program.
An avid traveller, Kyle founded www.allergytranslation.com in 2006 to help people travel with allergies by providing cards with professional translations of allergens in foreign languages. He earned a master’s degree in 2019 at Queen’s University for innovation management and entrepreneurship, and is currently relaunching his allergy travel resources under the new name Equal Eats. His goal is to help people with dietary restrictions enjoy food safely all around the world.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Food allergy safety when travelling and eating out in public spaces.
- Kyle Dine’s history of advocacy, education and support for the Food Allergy community.
Kyle’s Links:
- Allergy Education Video (Free to watch) – www.foodallergyvideo.com
- School allergy assemblies – www.kyledine.com
- Equal Eats – www.equaleats.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/equal_eats
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kyledinemusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kyledinemusic
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kyledine
Welcome to Episode 8 of the Allergy mom podcast an unboxing of my new Candid Clean safety products with the founder of Candid Clean Corp. – a neuroscientist, mom, and in general AWESOME human being who is making it her personal mission to provide SAFE, healthy products with natural and non-toxic ingredients to protect yourself and your loved ones from the Coronavirus as we head back to work and school this Fall. These products are also great for families with severe allergies who are always looking for ways to prevent cross-contamination, keep surfaces clean and protect themselves and their loved ones from their allergens.
As we start to recognize that having to wear masks and use hand sanitizers amongst other protective measures are the “new normal” and not going away anytime soon, we are thinking more and more about what the ingredients and materials are in these products and how they affect our health and wellness. In this interview we deep dive into the various products and measures that are being undertaken and important considerations when choosing your PPE.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- All about masks – how to wear them safely, how to prevent fogging of your glasses when wearing, how to remove them safely and the do’s and dont’s of mask wearing and safety!
- Hand sanitizers – gels vs. sprays, what’s in them, how to know they are regulated and safe, and more!
- Portable Hand Soaps – these are AWESOME! They smell amazing and are the greatest little things! As an allergy mom, I absolutely LOVE these and am sure you will too! For years, I told Kate NOT to use the soap at stranger’s homes and in public for fear of allergens contained within them – this is the best portable BYO-Soap option I’ve come across!
- How to save your ears when wearing a mask with ear-savers and headbands
That is Episode 8! Thanks for listening! If you have questions about any of the topics discussed in this episode I highly encourage you to reach out to Candid Clean or myself for more information. Candid Clean has graciously offered discount codes for The Allergy Mom followers: Use code: allergymomgetscandid for 10% off your entire order! They are also offering free shipping over $75 and for friends and family in my local area you can get free shipping with code pickupcandid02 – let me know if you are doing this and I will let you know when your items arrive!
About Lisa Gable: Lisa Gable is the CEO of FARE.
Lisa Gable has served four U.S. presidents and two governors, counseled Fortune 500 CEOs, and represented global public-private partnerships and nonprofits with an end goal of moving organizations to higher levels of performance.
As the former President of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, Lisa created and led a coalition of food and beverage industry corporations and public health and government agencies resulting in the reduction of 6.4 trillion calories from the American diet.
Lisa was appointed the first female U.S. Commissioner General to the 2005 Aichi World EXPO, holding the personal rank of Ambassador, served as a U.S. Delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and served in the Reagan White House and Defense Department. Her corporate experience included serving as senior vice president of Global Public Policy at PepsiCo and 15 years in Silicon Valley. Among her varied volunteer activities, she has served on several boards including as a National Trustee for the Boys and Girls Club of America, a board member for Girl Scouts of the USA and as a member of the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. A published writer, Gable also had recurring media appearances including four years as a regularly scheduled guest with Lifetime’s national morning program The Balancing Act.
She is a graduate of University of Virginia and holds an MA from Georgetown University.
About FARE: FARE enhances the lives of individuals with food allergies empowering them to lead safe, productive lives with the respect of others through education and advocacy initiatives and improved awareness around healthcare options and treatment.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- How Lisa became involved in the world of Food Allergies
- Airline Travel, Allergies and how FARE is supporting making airline travel safer for those with allergies
- The FASTER Act – The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education & Research (FASTER) Act, H.R. 2117, S. 3451
- The Covid Pandemic & Food Labelling
- Feeding babies new foods including the major allergens early and often & BabiesFirst.org
- OIT & TIP – Oral Immunotherapy and Tolerance Induction Programs and the disparity and barriers for access to these programs
- FARE’s Patient Registry – Why U.S. citizens are encouraged to register and share their journey with allergies!
- The “Contains Courage” campaign and “Living Teal” – both programs which focus on living life with allergies (my tagline!)
- The future of research on biomarkers and precision medicine for food allergies
- Upcoming retreats – Research Retreat and Living Teal Summit – register at foodallergy.org – these will both be virtual events! I
Access the full podcast show notes here!
Welcome to Episode 6 of the Allergy mom podcast an interview with Daniel Zakowski, founder of Ready. Set. Food!
- Clinical research shows we can prevent up to 80% of allergies from developing in the first place through following a protocol of early allergen introduction (Examples of studies that support this include: The LEAP (Learning Early about Peanut) studyfocused on giving small amounts of peanuts to babies frequently and on an on-going basis; the PETIT (Two-step egg introduction for prevention of egg allergy in high-risk infants with eczema) trial – looking at egg introduction, and the EAT (Enquiry About Tolerance) trial – multiple different allergenic foods (peanut, egg, milk, sesame, fish and wheat) introduced early in a child’s diet to determine possible prevention of food allergies.
- Challenge is how to feed babies multiple allergens on a regular basis – there was a need to support parents in making this easier to follow the evidence of how to prevent 80% of these food allergies – that’s how Ready. Set. Food! was created and the idea was born to find a bottle-feeding solution to introducing food allergens to infants.
- Early allergen introduction is recommended at 4 months for now – hasn’t been studied for earlier yet so at this point this is the recommended time.
- According to U.S. guidelines, Pre-screening is recommended if your child has eczema or other diagnosed allergies before introducing allergens. In other countries there is not this recommendation. Even if you have a family history of food allergies, they are still advocating for early introduction of allergens apart from the recommendations for pre-screening above in the U.S. The reason for that being that severe eczema is a warning sign for development of food allergies.
- Delaying introduction of allergens to infants is the worst thing according to their findings. This is a complete 180 from the advice I was given when my children were infants!
- Recent research entitled “Age Differences in Food Reaction Severity During Oral Food Challenges in a Large Pediatric Population” retrieved from: (https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(19)31863-9/fulltext) shares the findings Daniel speaks about in this interview that EVERY MONTH YOU WAIT poses increased risks for more severe reactions and that babies generally have more mild reactions. This research supports his suggestions that the earlier introduction the better for introducing allergens to your child.
- The Allergy Mom, Ready. Set. Food! and other partners have partnered up to support the launch of PreventAllergies.org – a non-branded website created as a separate resource to support doctors in providing education about food allergy prevention.
- Continued exposure to allergens is key to maintaining the preventative effects of early introduction of food allergens in preventing food allergies and maintaining tolerance throughout a person’s life.
That is Episode 6! Thanks for listening! Check out Ready. Set. Food’s website as well as PreventAllergies.org – which I have been happy to partner with to share the important research being done about preventing allergies in children.
Welcome to Episode 5 of the Allergy mom podcast – the second in a special series of Covid-related episodes to support families managing chronic health conditions such as severe allergies and anaphylaxis during a pandemic.
In this episode I speak with Jon Terry of the Allergy Advocacy Association, a not for profit out of New York that strives to provide education and awareness to the public at large and at-risk individuals about allergies and anaphylaxis.
I reached out to Jon after seeing posts he was sharing about his involvement in advocating for safe food labelling during the pandemic.
Jon is passionately advocating due to his grave concerns in light of the Food & Drug Administration’s new “relaxed” food allergen labeling regulations- which allowed for manufacturers to substitute up to 2% of ingredients -without changing their product labels!
While substitutions cannot include top allergens, you can imagine that this is still highly concerning to families dealing with food allergies and dietary restrictions. When dealing with a severe food allergy, NOTHING is more important that knowing exactly what is in the food you are eating and seems like such a basic right to me that I’m always baffled by these types of issues when they arise.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Jon as much as I did – it’s always a pleasure to speak with a like-minded individual who advocates on behalf of our allergy community.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Jon lost his sister due to an anaphylactic reaction to bees and founded Allergy Advocacy Association in her memory
- Jon stresses that while deaths due to anaphylaxis are relatively low, the prevalence of this disease and the risks to people is increasing
- Jon discusses how ingredients such as sesame are becoming more and more pervasive as allergens and that there is a need for food labelling that indicates accurately all ingredients in a food product
- Jon shares his efforts along with those sharing in his mission such as FARE and the AAFA amongst others to advocate for people with allergies through consulting the FDA in regards to their relaxed food labelling guidelines during the pandemic which put those with allergies at risk
Key Takeaways:
- We need to speak out and advocate to food manufacturers and policy makers to ensure that our food labels are accurate and representative of allergens that may pose a risk to those with food allergies
- During a pandemic, food manufacturers may be using alternative ingredients and not labelling their products accordingly due to relaxed guidelines by the FDA – if in doubt you must contact the manufacturer to ensure that your favourite products are STILL SAFE
- You can support individuals with severe allergy by reaching out to the FDA, advocacy groups and key stakeholders in food labelling (manufacturers and policy makers) and letting them know how serious of a concern this is for people with serious allergies and dietary restrictions.
That is Episode 5! Thanks for listening! Check out Jon’s website for articles such as this one: Pandemic Jolts Federal Policy for Food Labeling to keep abreast of this issue.
There are many serious issues that are arising for those with allergies, asthma, anaphylaxis and serious, chronic health conditions during this global pandemic. One of them is the internal debate whether to go to the hospital (Emerg) in the event of a medical emergency. The fear of Covid is causing people not to seek emergency medical care or making them very nervous to do so. It is SO IMPORTANT to get prompt medical care in the event of anaphylaxis or a severe allergic or asthmatic episode.
In this episode, I chat with That Allergic Girl , Kasia Kalinowska, a young person living in New York during the pandemic who experienced a severe allergic reaction and did not go to Emerg. out of fear of the Coronavirus. She wrote about her experience in an article entitled: Gambling on an Allergic Reaction in a Pandemic and shared via social media which is how I came across her story. I speak to her in this episode to discuss the thought process behind that decision and what she has learned from the experience…and most importantly what she would do if (heaven forbid) it happened again in the future – spoiler alert: SHE WOULD GO!
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Kasia’s experience with a severe allergic reaction from eating a contaminated sushi roll and her decision NOT to seek emergency medical care
- Her multiple food allergies and how those have affected her throughout her life
- FARE‘s newly released Protocol for Acute At Home Management of Anaphylaxis During the Covid-19 Pandemic
- The importance of administering epinephrine and seeking emergency medical care immediately when experiencing a reaction
- The reality of the panic of the moment and that you should mentally prepare yourself beforehand with a plan of the best course of action so that you can ensure you react accordingly in the heat of the moment during a reaction
- What allergy life is like for tweens, teens and young adults – a frightening stage for allergy moms as children in those age groups tend to engage in more risky behaviour – Kasia speaks to her experiences through these ages and stages and how she survived!
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of administering epinephrine right away if you’re having a reaction and going to EMERGENCY – EVEN IN A PANDEMIC! “Patients should be empowered to activate emergency medical services (EMS) if they feel concerns or feel urgent care is needed after epinephrine use” Source: (Acute At Home Management of Anaphylaxis During the Covid-19 Pandemic – Protocol)
- Eating out with food allergies – knowing that cross-contamination is real and possible and does happen.
- The benefit of creating an anaphylaxis emergency plan and using it in the panic of the moment of a reaction.
That is Episode 4! Thanks for listening! I will be sharing more Covid-related podcast episodes as we go through this pandemic. Be on the look out for the next one where I interview Jon Terry of The Allergy Advocacy Association and how his organization and others, including FARE are working fervently to address food labelling safety during the pandemic.
The Allergy Mom interviews Amanda Orlando, creator of the blog EverydayAllergenFree, and the author of two amazing cookbooks – Everyone’s Welcome and Allergen-Free Desserts. You may have seen or heard about Amanda and her cookbooks on the Global National Morning Show, CBC Radio, or the Globe & Mail. In this episode, she shares her experiences and knowledge of life with allergies at the teen and young adult ages and stages. Amanda deals with allergies first hand as she is allergic to peanuts, nuts (excluding coconut), dairy, soy protein, and legumes (peas, chick peas, beans, lentils) and all of her allergies are in fact anaphylactic. She’s lived with this autoimmune disease since birth and has a wealth of experience to share on living a life with allergies.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Amanda’s allergies and her most traumatic, emotionally impactful reaction experience
- Eating out at restaurants with food allergies/anaphylaxis – Amanda shares why she finds it MORE CHALLENGING TODAY than it used to be eating out in public with food allergies.
- Amanda’s cookbooks and blog – sharing recipes free from major allergens
- Amanda’s new YouTube Channel
- Amanda’s experiences as a teen -the high school years w/allergies
- Accepting a life with allergies vs. hope for overcoming them
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of administering epinephrine right away if you’re having a reaction!
- Eating out with food allergies – debating whether it’s worth the risk or not.
- There are recipes available that are delicious and amazing that are free from your allergens!
- Shopping with food allergies – it’s not easy but you can do it! How to shop, how to read ingredient labels and how to live a “normal” life with food allergies.
- You can live a full and “normal” life with food allergies and there are silver linings to this diagnosis
That sums up Episode 3! Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast – there are some amazing interviews and topics coming out in the next few weeks that I don’t want you to miss including:
- Daniel Kelly from May-contain.com
- Daniel Zakowski, CEO and Co-founder of Ready Set Food and his experience on Shark Tank and creating a system to PREVENT food allergies in babies!
- A special episode on Covid-19 – Important considerations for allergy-sufferers during the Pandemic.
The Allergy Mom shares the story of her daughter Kate's most serious allergic reaction to food - an anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts. Do you worry that you or a loved one may have a food allergy? Would you know what to do in case of an anaphylactic allergic reaction? The Allergy Mom gives you the low-down on IGE allergies. She also shares her best tips for alleviating seasonal allergy symptoms and her latest partnership with Platejoy to provide a meal-planning service that gives you great allergy-safe dinner ideas and will even help you get the groceries!
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Food Allergies 101: Get the facts on food allergies so that you can determine whether you or a loved one may in fact have a food allergy and what to do about it if you do!
- Seasonal Allergy Question: The Allergy Mom provides her best tips for dealing with pollen, grass and other environmental allergens at this time of year.
- Platejoy Meal Planning Service: The Allergy Mom has partnered with Platejoy - Your Personal Meal Planning Assistant! Weekly custom meal plans and grocery lists to make life easier which is something we can all use when trying to plan meals that are healthy and/or free from allergens and certain ingredients! Get 10% off a subscription with the code: ALLERGYMOM10
- A shout out to Red Output - a new band on iTunes! At only 16 years of age, I couldn't be more proud of Ryan O'Donnell and the rest of the group for releasing their first single!
Click here for the Website Page for this Episode with more information and links!
Meet Melissa Scheichl (B.A. (Psych.), B.Ed., M.Ed., MSW) aka "The Allergy Mom", founder of TheAllergyMom.com website and a passionate advocate, educator, author, blogger, counsellor and therapist, supporting families dealing with life threatening food allergies, allergy, asthma, eczema and related health issues. This podcast will deal not only with the physical issues associated with these diseases but also the emotional and psychological well-being of patients and their care-givers. Melissa provides daily life hacks, advice and product and service recommendations to make your life easier while making life safe for those with serious allergy.
You can find all the info and links about this episode at : https://theallergymom.com/podcast-episode-1-meet-the-allergy-mom/