The Food Allergy Queen

Thanks Mama Pickles, I appreciate you sharing your...

2012-01-12T15:20:21.429-08:00

Thanks Mama Pickles, I appreciate you sharing your situation. I'll see if anyone else responds then share the results with Evan.

Have a great day!

The FAQ

My son has a PDD-NOS diagnosis and we knew about h...

2012-01-12T14:00:10.890-08:00

My son has a PDD-NOS diagnosis and we knew about his food allergies way before we knew about his autism. I don't think autism causes food allergies, but I do believe that some kids with autism may have a harder time processing some foods. Take food dyes for instance- we know my son is not allergic to food dyes, but when he consumes food dyes it has a negative effect on his body. His behavior is way out of control and he is just all around out of sorts. I think too that a lot of people are confused as to the differences between food intolerances and food allergies. If you eat something you are intollerant of, you may feel sick or out of sorts. If you eat something you are allergic to, you could potentially die.

Dawn, so thrilled to hear that you had a happy, de...

2011-12-27T21:54:49.522-08:00

Dawn, so thrilled to hear that you had a happy, delicious Christmas! People say I'm crazy, but it's a really great time to have food allergies. There are so many more options than before. Yay us!

This coconut spread saved my Christmas, along with...

2011-12-27T18:30:24.720-08:00

This coconut spread saved my Christmas, along with So Delicious coconut milk & French vanilla creamer. I made mini gluten free, dairy free, soy free cherry pies, gf, df, sf lasagna, gf, df, sf eggnog and it was all so delicious that I nearly cried with joy. I thought I would be waiting until I was called to the Pearly Gates to eat food that I enjoyed. WOOOOOOOT! :)

Unknown -- sorry, you can't substitute a starc...

2011-12-14T15:25:57.277-08:00

Unknown -- sorry, you can't substitute a starch for these because they'd be too soft. Try the peanut butter cookie recipe on here instead. Go to the word cloud and click on "Recipes".

Linda, thanks for your sweet note.

The FAQ

So glad to have found you and look forward to '...

2011-12-14T10:26:50.581-08:00

So glad to have found you and look forward to 'seeing' you on FB! Happy holidays--Linda

whitejl13, I'm so sorry I took so long to resp...

2011-12-08T14:35:36.376-08:00

whitejl13, I'm so sorry I took so long to respond, I missed your comment!

Has your child been tested by an allergist? Or have you self-diagnosed? I highly recommend getting her tested if she's having severe problems. You don't say what kind of reactions your daughter has. If you have an allergist, ask him/her about food allergy cross-reactions. Some fruits are related to Oral Allergy Syndrome, some are more active seasonally. I have a post about cross reactions here. http://www.foodallergyqueen.com/2007/04/food-allergy-cross-reactions.html

Citric acid is used liberally in most processed foods, esp drinks. If she is allergic to citrus I'd recommend avoiding processed foods as much as possible.

Some people outgrow foodallergies, some get new ones after several years. An allergist will be able to help explain better than I.

Best,

The FAQ

Amyloo, dehydrated mashed potatoes are not the sam...

2011-12-08T14:25:49.072-08:00

Amyloo, dehydrated mashed potatoes are not the same thing. Don't use them for baking unless your recipe specifically asks for it. In gluten-free baking, potato starch is usually used because it's more refined. You can find it at Gluten Free Mall if your local health store doesn't carry it.

Hi Anonymous (the registered nurse). While you ca...

2011-12-08T14:23:46.125-08:00

Hi Anonymous (the registered nurse). While you can't realistically control over all your own personal airspace, you can be personally prepared with your Epipen. And you will also need to train those around you to be sensitive to your allergy...Allergic Girl's book is a great resource on how to build a "Team You" support system so that you don't live in fear. But can be confident to handle it. Best,

The FAQ

Hi Katherine, actually this post is two years old....

2011-12-08T14:19:41.244-08:00

Hi Katherine, actually this post is two years old. The followup was short since I was exhausted for several reasons:

http://www.foodallergyqueen.com/2009/11/traveling-with-food-allergies-homemade.html

And I also advised a reader who was going to China, here was her story. It may be more helpful. Good luck!

http://www.foodallergyqueen.com/2010/11/report-from-reader-foodallergy-in-china.html

Let us know how the trip went! My fiance is Indone...

2011-12-07T21:02:12.555-08:00

Let us know how the trip went! My fiance is Indonesian and I have an allergy to soy, so I'm curious as to how you managed traveling to an Asian country with a soy allergy.

Helen, that's great to hear. I'm guessing...

2011-12-07T10:03:54.335-08:00

Helen, that's great to hear. I'm guessing the bananas replace the egg to keep the batter thick? Going to Whole Foods today to get some. Will report back!

The FAQ

I not only made this French toast, I've been g...

2011-12-07T10:00:47.846-08:00

I not only made this French toast, I've been getting a really hard time from my kids on the mornings I don't make it! It's so super yummy!

Hi TK, thanks for your note. There are lots of re...

2011-11-28T14:24:24.390-08:00

Hi TK, thanks for your note. There are lots of resources for gf recipes out there, here are some places to start. In no particular order:

Celiac.com
Robin Ryberg http://robenryberg.com/
Karina Allrich Gluten free Goddess http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
Carol Kicinski http://simplygluten-free.com/
Elana Amsterdam http://www.elanaspantry.com/ (bases hers on almond flour)
For online shopping: http://www.celiac.com/glutenfreemall/

For the eggs, you can use Ener-G egg replacer, or try 1 TBSP of unsweetened applesauce, or flax seed soaked in water (I'm allergic to flax so don't know the proportions, but vegans use this a lot. I'm sure someone posted a recipe.) Don't be discouraged, there's lots of info out there. Good luck! The FAQ

I am seeking recipes or suggestions for my househo...

2011-11-22T11:22:30.091-08:00

I am seeking recipes or suggestions for my household, my eldest daughter is allergic to eggs (whole egg) and my youngest daughter is gluten intolerant. Any clue where I can locate recipes or alternatives that will not have me making two separate full meals for them?
Thanks
Trish

CAn I substitute the almonds for either tapioca, c...

2011-10-28T07:15:42.891-07:00

CAn I substitute the almonds for either tapioca, corn, or potato flour? We have nut, grain, and sorgum alleries.

WOW - just found this site - THANKS!

Hi when someone peels an orange me I go into a sev...

2011-10-22T20:18:55.506-07:00

Hi when someone peels an orange me I go into a severe asthma attack and feel like I will stop breathing, the sensation does not subside in my chest until the fruit is gone, each time gets worse, it is really frightening and has been happening to me for 2 years now, I myself am a registered nurse, I also react much the same way to perfumes and don't most perfumes have a citrus component, I am very concerned that I will have an anaphylactic reaction eventually

This is delicious! I went back for seconds! I adde...

2011-10-20T17:56:21.073-07:00

This is delicious! I went back for seconds! I added about 1 cup of carmelized left-over spaghetti squash, and used 3/4 cup of almond milk (I just added the milk about 5-10 minutes before I took it off the stove to blend). It all blended up nice and creamy in my Ninja blender.

I have a citrus intolerance also. And yes any Dove...

2011-09-15T09:02:55.319-07:00

I have a citrus intolerance also. And yes any Dove product is amazing! I have to be extra careful with everything. I have to ask about marinades and dressings and all sorts of stuff when I eat out. I can't have energy drinks and the only soda I've found that doesn't have citric acid in it is Dr Pepper. With my job, i have to wear gloves and a mask when I clean with certain products. Don't feel bad about the lemon slice in water, dear. I have to do it all the time!

Is there any specific brand that sells potato flou...

2011-08-24T10:40:01.813-07:00

Is there any specific brand that sells potato flour, or should i use those dry potatoes that you add water to make mashed potatoes to make cupcakes?

I'm so glad I found this post. I have hayfeve...

2011-08-24T08:10:45.965-07:00

I'm so glad I found this post. I have hayfever symptoms now with the pollen count getting high. I ate canteloupe this morning for the first time in over a year. Now have swollen throat and roof of mouth. This has allergic reaction started happening in the last six years. My throat will swell so bad I can hardly swallow. Took a Benadryl and hope it helps. Glad I found out what the problem food is. Thanks!

I have a question and I'm sorry if this is som...

2011-08-19T18:11:18.133-07:00

I have a question and I'm sorry if this is somewhere or someone else has asked this but my 22 month old daughter has always been allergic to strawberries. I just found out now she's allergic to apples,grapes,and oranges. They are saying to go ahead and avoid citric acid too is this correct? There was something in frito lay products breaking her out and I thought it was canola oil and they said they can't test for it but citric acid is in them so this makes sense. One more thing has anyone seen an allergy like a citrus allergy come after a child is a toddler?

I have a question and I'm sorry if this is som...

2011-08-19T18:09:10.545-07:00

Hello. My daughter age 6 has a severe citrus aller...

2011-08-17T12:54:13.070-07:00

Hello. My daughter age 6 has a severe citrus allergy. She hasn't yet had a reaction to citric acid. Here reaction starts with simple hives then it progress to anaphylaxis within five minutes. Her throat closes and she turns blue. This reaction can happen by simple inhaling citrus particles. (i.e. the spray from an orange peel or misted lemon juice.) Her allergy very closely resembles a severe peanut allergy. School has been a nightmare. She just started 1st grade two days ago and the school has called about every two hours asking questions or with concerns they need to go over with me. Our pediatrician has suggested that her allergy will most likely worsen with age. Also, apricots should be added to the citrus allergy list. That was the 1st fruit we ever had a reaction to and it is her most aggressive reactor.

As a child I had seasonal hayfever but no food all...

2011-07-29T23:22:24.598-07:00

As a child I had seasonal hayfever but no food allergies that I knew of. In my twenties the hayfever decreased but skin conditions of various types increased (canker sores, little blisters on my fingers that would flare up, etc.). Then a few years ago, about age 45, I developed a wheal on my cheek when I took Advil after years of uneventful usage. No more Ibuprofen or correlates. In recent days we've been eating a lot of melons, and during this time I've found myself coughing as if I had a light hayfever attack. Then tonight we ate watermelon and galia melon. One bite of galia and my mouth burned and throat got sore all the way to my stomach, continuing to burn for hours. Mouth blisters appeared and I felt lightheaded and fatigued. My throat and lips felt swollen. I instantly knew I was having an allergy attack. Soon I took some Benadryl we had in the house, and slept. A few hours later I feel better but still have the congestion, fatigue, sore throat, etc. Scary! I had no idea melons could cause allergies. I googled it and discovered Oral Allergy Syndrome and cross-reactions. Ahh...very helpful. I'm concerned, though, that I'm now sensitized to other foods (like bananas, tomatoes, and nuts, all of which I enjoy often). We'll see.

Btw, Anonymous (who posted on 5/10/11), today is 7/28/11.