I’ve been reluctant to keep a food diary for my son. I know that I should keep track of what he eats and what his moods are each day to stay on top of the allergies but I haven’t. I think its part laziness, part fear that I’ll discover a new allergy, part too time consuming, part I don’t have complete control over his diet (yet), part I don’t know what… Time to stop making excuses! I’ve read enough and experienced first-hand the physical and emotional effects of a change in diet. I know that, despite my fears, whatever I find out will only be for the good. I might also discover the nutritional gaps in his diet. I’m sure there are plenty – Lately, all he wants to eat is cereal (or ceredoll, as he calls it). Have you kept a food diary for yourself or your child? How was the experience for you? What did you discover? I’d love to hear from you! … [Read more...]
The Vegan Cupcake Experiment
Since my son is allergic to milk and eggs (among other foods), I turn to vegan recipes to make bake goods. For birthdays, I usually use the Divvies cupcake recipe. It’s easy, delicious and a crowd-pleaser with the littles. My first attempt – the toddler’s first birthday cake – was not such a crowd-pleaser (that was before I discovered Divvies). It was very dense, more like bread than cake. Fortunately, he was more interested in the icing – a vegan buttercream that I adapted from the cake class I took earlier that year (delicious but not conducive to making buttercream roses because it’s too soft). For his birthday this year, I wanted to make something different. So, I cracked open Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Lots of yummy options but I decided to make the “Sexy Low-Fat Vanilla Cucpakes.” The name didn’t scream toddler birthday party but I had the ingredients on hand and could work the Fourth of July theme into them easily. And … [Read more...]
Paging Dr. Wood
Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend a Q&A session with Dr. Robert Wood, director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Dr. Wood is a leader in the fight against food allergy. He treats some 4000 patients in his practice, heads up a research team dedicated to finding a treatment and cure for food allergies and suffers from a peanut allergy himself. Dr. Wood knows food allergies. At the Q&A, Dr. Wood shared updates on the research his team has been doing and answered questions from many of the 50 or more parents who were in attendance. I learned a lot from the Q&A. Here are a few things I found interesting (and a little disheartening): Boys are twice as likely to develop food allergies as girls. Siblings have an increased chance of developing food allergies, although other factors come into play. (fingers crossed for a girl if we have another child) Food allergies peak between the ages of 1 and 3 whereas environmental … [Read more...]
For the Love of Elmo
My son has fallen in love with Elmo! I took him to a children’s concert recently and his red furry friend was there greeting everyone. I thought my son would be afraid of the adult size Muppet but no, oh no. He was infatuated. I literally had to hold him back so the other kids could take a turn. Afterwards, the rusty wheels in my mommy brain began to turn and I thought it might be fun to plan a family trip to Sesame Place for his birthday. I went online, gasped at the prices, and then checked the menu options for my food allergic boy. I was disappointed by what I found online. We would be permitted to bring our own food (my preference) if it was medically necessary, which it is, but did I need a note from his allergist as proof? Ugh. And if I elected to buy food at the park (their preference), the employees were happy to help with menu selections. I’m not sure how much faith I want to put in the teenagers working there for the summer. My experience has been that people who don’t … [Read more...]
Going Dairy-Free
At the close of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I’d like to share my experience eliminating dairy from my diet. I went cold turkey from milk on New Years Day 2009 to determine if my son was allergic to it. I did a little research beforehand (www.kellymom.com is an excellent resource for breastfeeding moms facing any bf challenge) and knew that it would take two to three weeks for the milk proteins to work their way out of my body. Those two weeks were extremely difficult. I felt like there was nothing I could eat because, as I began reading food labels, I discovered that milk hides in a lot of foods. I distinctly remember making dinner one night and, just as I was adding in the last ingredient, realizing that the gravy I was using contained milk. I cried. I screamed. I thought about throwing the dish I had just made against the wall. What was I going to eat now?!!! This new diet was extremely frustrating. But, alas, it was necessary. My son’s symptoms improved and he was diagnosed … [Read more...]
