Eggs and H1N1…what’s the connection?

Egg allergies are one of the top 8 most common allergies.  As mentioned in previous blogs, a food allergy can be very frustrating because of all the label reading that has to be done to prevent allergic reactions.  However, people with food allergies not only have to read food labels, medications are a concern too.

Take the flu vaccine for example: vaccines are cultured in an egg base, so if you have a severe egg allergy it would not be wise to get vaccinated. However, there are different schools of thought.  I have met parents (with children who have an egg allergy) who have decided to give their child the H1N1 vaccine and those who have not.  Those who have, have done so in a controlled environment. Some allergists believe that as long as the vaccine is given to the person  in a controlled environment  (with precautions set up in case of a reaction), and the dose given very slowly, the person’s response can be monitored safely and they can have no adverse reactions.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that:

You should NOT get the H1N1 vaccine if you have a hypersensitivity to eggs (e.g. hives, swelling of mouth and/or throat, breathing difficulty)

For those of you with an egg allergy this information might be old hat, but it was something I never considered.  Just one other reason to emphasize the importance of being extremely vigilant with your ingredient knowledge if you have food allergies.

A website that would be  helpful to you if ”YOU can’t eat egg” is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They offer information on alternative names for egg ingredients, any recalls, food and non-food sources of egg and much more. Other sources of information include:  Anaphylaxis Canada and the Allergy/Asthma Information Association .

Remember you can never be too cautious. If you’re not sure, don’t eat. Make sure you always have your Epipen with you and tell the people you’re with about your allergies in case of an emergency.

Colourful Quinoa Salad

Another crowd pleaser. It’s such a beautiful salad, nobody will realise how healthy it is. Go to my “What’s on the menu” page for the recipe.

‘Free from” foods high in salt

Imagine that you’ve recently found out that you have a food allergy, that you’ve just got a handle on reading labels and figuring out what foods you can’t eat… then to add salt to your wound you read an article on the BBC news website: “Salty ‘ free from ‘ foods revealed”.

The article refers to a recent survey completed by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) in the UK. The research revealed that ‘free from’ products, particularly wheat and dairy free products, have more salt than the regular equivalents (up to six times more salt per 100 g).

A high salt intake is associated with the risk of heart disease. Thus, people with allergies or Celiac disease (who are already nutritionally compromised), and who consume these products out of necessity, risk compromising their health even further.

Salt consumption in Canada is a huge public health concern and there has recently been a move towards addressing this issue. Many organizations have put out position statements regarding salt including: the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Dietitians of Canada.  Health Canada provides information on the risks of excess sodium intake.

I wonder , if Canadian ‘free from’ foods suffer from the same salty problem. If so, this would be a great little study for Health Canada.

What do you think about the fact that food, considered to be healthier in many respects for allergy sufferers, could possibly be causing them more harm?

The lighter side of lactose intolerance

Those of you who have food allergies or intolerances have all found yourself in a bit of pickle at some time or other.  At the time, it seemed like the end of the world, but looking back you giggle at the thought of your near miss (that is, of the toilet ) or your discovery that collagen injections to plump your lips won’t be your plastic surgery of choice (ie your lips swelled from hidden fish ingredients, and you turned out like Will Smith in the movie “Hitch” when he unknowingly eats fish while trying to impress a young lady on a date).  Come on, you know you have a story like this to share.

Here’s mine:

Summer 2009. Vegas.  I thought I’d died and gone to hell…the temperature was 45 deg celsius under the builder’s scaffolding, the closest thing you’ll get to a tree on the Strip.  Don’t gamble, too hot to lie by the pool. The only thing left to do is eat ice-cream and shop!

The air-conditioned Fashion Mall beckons to me like the smoke-filled High Rollers Lounge, in the Golden Nugget, beckons to the addicted poker player.  I have no choice but to drag my husband there, but first ICE-CREAM!  Someone forgot to remind me that I’m lactose intolerant.

Ice-cream devoured, purse in hand, husband in tow, and a whole lot chillier…the Mall is my oyster (thank goodness I don’t have a seafood allergy).  Humouring my darling hubby I patiently look at the “Croc” stand while day-dreaming about the 5 pairs of shoes I’m going to buy at the Nine West store. Aah shopping is bliss.

Wait, what’s that? Did someone just stab me in the abdomen? I am in the US after all… it’s possible. Quick  honey call the ambulance. Reality sets in. Before “honey” turns around to get my opinion  on a pair of Crocs (what’s the point, they’re all ugly plastic anyway) I’m half way down the hallway.

Fear sets in. Nothing but panic in my eyes.  I’m running down the Mall like I’m being chased by Siegfried and Roy’s tigers.  I have no idea where the loo is, I mean washroom, I mean bathroom…Oh who cares I just need to sit on something that flushes.  The sweat starts beading on my forehead, the pain rips through my bowels.  Soon I have a following of ladies on my tail..they all think I have inside information about a once-in-a-lifetime sale, and get annoyed when I ignore their requests to share this lucrative information.

At this point I’m not sure I’m going to make it.  Adrenalin kicks in, my life flashes before my eyes.   I start preparing my defense for when Mall Security and Customs  usher me out of the country for knocking over five  small children, four gossiping teens, three old ladies, two Ming vases  and a partridge in a pear tree (oops, it wasn’t Christmas).

Through my tears I see the picture of the little boy and little girl. I’m so close. I start undoing my belt, unbuttoning my shorts, whip around the corner, slide onto 3rd base…plonk my buttocks down on the throne…just in the nick of time. Relief!

Please share your story if you’re brave enough. Think of it as our little support group. My name is Deborah and I am lactose intolerant….see it wasn’t that difficult. What you say on the blog stays on the blog!

 Laughter is the best medicine.

My “secret” free-of-everything banana, peanut butter, chocolate chunk muffins

My secret is out…

You HAVE to try these. I promise you won’t be disappointed. This is my very own recipe adapted from my mom’s banana muffin recipe. Go to my “what’s on the menu page” and you’ll be baking up a storm.  I made these wheat, dairy and egg free. You could also make them peanut free by using the margarine/butter option instead of the peanut butter.  Have fun with it and try your own substitutions! How about adding some walnuts and removing the chocolate.

Wheat allergy versus Celiac disease

 

Did you know that a wheat allergy is not the same as Celiac disease?

In a previous post I discussed what happens physiologically when you have an allergy.

A wheat allergy follows the same process as any food allergy. A short recap: you consume wheat , your body launches an immune response by releasing antibodies, this causes the excretion of inflammatory substances such as Histamine, which in turn cause you to experience symptoms. 

Symptoms of a wheat allergy can include:

• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting 
• gas, bloating and pain
• nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy watery eyes
• hive
• eczema

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where the consumption of gluten damages intestinal cells. Gluten is a protein found in:

• wheat
• rye
• barley
• oats (due to contamination)

The damage caused to the intestinal villi results in maldigestion and malabsorption of nutrients, which in turn leads to deficiencies. Celiac can be diagnosed by antibody tests however, the gold standard is an intestinal biopsy which will show the shortening/damaged villi on the intestinal cells.

Symptoms include the following, but can vary from person to person with some people being asymptomatic:

• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• bloating
• gas
• fatigue
• skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)

 

•  Dermetitis herpetiformis
•  This photo is from Medline plus which also provides more information about the condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only treatment for Celiac Disease is a gluten free diet. This allows the intestinal villi to “grow back” which in turn will alleviate the symptoms. As with any other allergy, reading labels is extremely important for people with Celiac Disease. The Canadian Celiac Association has written a pocket dictionary that is an easy to use, comprehensive book that you can keep with you at all times. This would be especially useful to carry with when you do your grocery shopping. Click on pocket dictionary and order yours online. 

The following is an informative, casual discussion from the television program “The View”. 

For a more formal overview of the disease, Dr Murray, a gastroenterologist, from the Mayo clinic goes over the pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis etc.

A lifetime of eating gluten free can be frustrating and socially limiting for some people, but the good news is that there are more and more gluten free products on the market, more exciting gluten free cookbooks to guide you in the kitchen and many organisations , associations and  support groups for people with Celiac disease.

Coming soon:  another gluten/wheat free recipe …so check out my “what’s on the menu” page.

Cookies-free of everything , but still delicious

I have just a tried a new cookie recipe to share with you. Go to my “What’s on the menu” page for the recipe and ingredient substitutions.  I made them dairy and wheat free and they turned out very well. So easy to make!

Got Milk?

…I just couldn’t resist throwing this in. 

You’re probably wondering what breastmilk and allergies have in common.

 Health Canada maintains that exclusive breastfeeding for four months has a protective effect for infants with a hereditary predisposition to an allergy.

Honestly, I just wanted an excuse to mention breastfeeding. I am an avid breastfeeding enthusiast and look for any excuse to show my support. Go BOOBIES! If you’re interested in your rights to breastfeed WHEREVER you choose to, check out the link to the Infant Feeding Action Coalition (INFACT).

Alright that was a little tangent…back to MILK…of the dairy variety.

Milk allergies are one of the most common food allergies, and  if you add lactose intolerance on top of that, you’re looking at quite a few people who are not best friends with milk.  

(Side note: dairy products are very nutritious, and play an important role in a healthy diet…so, dairy farmers, please know that I’m not against your yummy food, it’s just that some of us CAN’T EAT it.) 

 Health Canada is a trusted source of information about symptoms of milk allergies versus milk intolerances, ingredients to be aware of and alternative names used for milk. More about reading labels below.

If you have an allergy to milk you might find yourself feeling a little concerned about your nutrition.  In our western diet, milk and milk products form a large part of our daily nutritient intake.  We use milk/milk products as our main source of calcium, and in northern climates, we also use it as a source of Vitamin D  (milk is fortified with Vitamin D in Canada).  It is therefore important to find alternative foods to replace milk/ milk products and other foods rich in calcium and Vitamin D.

The food industry has developed many products that are nutritious and delicious for people with milk allergies or intolerances.  Soy, rice and almond beverages are yummy, come in a variety of flavours and are often fortified with calcium and vitamins.  You can enjoy them with cereals, in your smoothies and in baking.

If you’d like a list of food sources of Calcium and Vitamin D, HealthLinkBC has a great resource.

Another concern for those of YOU who CAN’T EAT milk products are those pesky little hidden ingredients found in processed food.  From my own personal experience, I know how difficult it is to keep away from milk.  Industry tends to sneak milk products into absolutely everything. I was most upset to find out that chips, yes good old potato chips, have milk ingredients.  The flavourings on chips all have milk…with the exception of plain salted potato chips, I have yet to find any other flavours that are “milk free”.

 Remember to “read between the lines” because the ingredient list will not always say “milk” .

  

Not all manufacturers are this nice. You can see that they actually wrote next to an ingredient that it “contained milk”. This is not always the case.

Therefore, it is important to read food labels and to be aware of ingredients that perhaps don’t sound like milk but are milk,  for example: casein and whey.  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is a reliable source for lists of milk and milk derivatives in food.

  

What’s in the news:

As a food allergy sufferer, it’s really important to keep up to date with any food recalls. You can find this information from your governement food inspection agency or government health agency websites. Products that claim to be “dairy/milk free” (or free of other types of allergens) might find their way onto the shelves . So be vigilent. This month we had a product recall/milk allergy alert,  in Canada. This information was available on the CBC website. So as you can see, your local news providers can be a great help.

Be safe! If you’re not sure of the ingredients… don’t eat!

What’s the Difference? Part 2

I left you wondering what a “food intolerance” is.

To be honest, I searched and searched and eventually realised it’s easier to define what a food intolerance is NOT!

A food intolerance does NOT involve an immune response to food (as is the case with a food allergy).

MedlinePlus defines an intolerance as:

an exceptional sensitivity (as to a food or drug); specifically : inability to properly metabolize or absorb a substance.

 My absolutely amazing clinical nutrition textbook (“Nutrition Therapy and Pathophysiology” by Nelms, Sucher and Long) explains that a “food intolerance is an abnormal physiologic response to food” that often gets confused with food allergies because the symptoms can be very similar.

There are three main causes of food intolerances:

• Histamine
• lactase deficiency and
• food additives

Histamine:

* is a chemical that is present in some foods such as cheese, wine and fish. If it is present in high enough concentrations it can trigger a response that is similar to an allergic reaction.

Lactase deficiency:

* is a deficiency of the lactase enzyme in our body that is needed to digest/break down the lactose sugar found in milk. In other words, if you are deficient in this enzyme you will be lactose intolerant.  Lactose intolerance is the most common intolerance and affects 1 in 10 people.  Symptoms include:

• gas
• bloating
• abdominal pain
• and diarrhea

Food Additives:

While people can have an intolerance to many different food additives, there are two major troublemakers:

• sulfites
• and monosodium glutamate (MSG) 

Sulfites are particularly a problem for people with asthma because they can cause severe bronchospasm (constriction/tightening of the air passages of the lung by spasmodic contraction of the bronchial muscles).

In the news:

On the topic of food additives, perhaps you’ve been wondering why you get headaches after eating sugar-free gum.  I recently read an article (Sensitivity to Aspartame Probed) that suggests you might have an aspartame sensitivity. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is often used in foods. Everything from gum, pop, and even yoghurt falls prey to this additive. 

What’s your opinion on aspartame? Personally, I think there are healthier artificial sweeteners. 

What’s the difference?

 

 

If you’ve read my “about” page you’ve realised this blog is about food allergies and intolerances.  Since there is so much confusion about what the difference is between an allergy and an intolerance, I thought that it would be a great place to begin.

Simply put:

You swell up like a blowfish=Allergy

Emergency sprints to the toilet=Intolerence

It’s not quite as simple as that, so what do the experts say? Health Canada and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases  (NIAID) are wonderful resources, but how about I sum things up for you.

When someone has an allergic reaction to food the body launches an immune response.  After consuming the nasty allergen your body produces immunoglobulin E (IgE) , a food specific antibody which travels around the body attaching itself to basophils ( a type of white blood cell) and mast cells (are found mostly in connective tissues and contain histamine and heparin which are chemicals that also play a role in the allergic response).  These mast cells are found in areas of your body that you generally associate with allergic reactions such as: your skin, nose, throat, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. When the mast cells release the chemical eg Histamine, you experience symptoms in the area of your body where the chemical is released. For example, if histamine is released in the lungs, you will probably find it hard to breathe. Remember, this is an abnormal response by the immune system to a food.

Wow, that was a mouthful…nothing a little “TV-time” can’t fix.  NIAID has a really useful educational video.

The most common food allergens are:

• peanuts
• tree nuts
• eggs
• milk
• fish
• soy
• wheat

In future blogs I plan to talk about some of these individually, about how to get the nutrients you need when you have to avoid these foods, some substitutions you can make when cooking, as well as hidden ingredients to be aware of when reading labels.

So now we know that a food allergy will illicit an “abnormal” immune response to a food in which antibodies and histamine will be produced due to exposure to food that usually is good to eat.  How does this actually present itself in a person, what are the symptoms?

Generally people associate anaphylaxis and in severe cases anaphylactic shock with food allergies.  However, other symptoms may include:

• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• difficulty swallowing
• itchy mouth throat , eyes or skin,
• shortness of breathe
• vomiting.

Anaphylaxis=hypersensitivity, to foreign proteins or drugs, resulting from sensitization following prior contact with the causative agent.

Anaphylactic Shock=an often severe and sometimes fatal systemic reaction in a susceptible individual upon a second exposure to a specific antigen, after previous sensitization that is characterized especially by respiratory symptoms, fainting, itching, and hives.

People who suffer from allergies should ask their doctor if they should be carrying an Epipen, a portable source of epinephrine, with them in case they go into anaphylactic shock.