allergies – in thriver words

Maybe the Big Picture is Really Smaller Than You Think

When it comes to living a fulfilling, healthy life, maybe the big picture is really smaller than you think. I’ve spent a week surrounded by irony. My sister and I are cleaning out my mom’s house. It’s a four room farmhouse that over the years grew to 3500 square feet. Located seven miles south of the nearest town and 10 minutes from the first national river, the setting is lush, green, pastoral.
porch
Mom was obsessed with her health. Well, not so much health as her “something must be wrong”. It’s a well catalogued journey. The house is filled with handwritten lists, typed medical history, actual medical records, lab reports, and book after book after book on health, healing, diet, meditation, spiritual healing, and alternative medicine.

It is also filled with spiders, trash, mouse poison dumped in odd places, and dust. The furnace filters clearly haven’t been changed recently. The kitchen counters were so dirty when we arrived that we had to scrub them before we’d even sort dusty dishes on them. The irony? One of Mom’s primary health obsessions was allergies. She wore a dust mask if she went outside and sometimes inside. Well, okay clearly she needed it inside this house.
trash
Another favorite focus was food allergies. In the past two days, I’ve read three allergy reports in which she had skin tests for food allergies. According to an email she wrote, she tested allergic to all but 14 foods. In the lab results I read, there was only one allergy common to all 3 reports – brewer’s yeast, and only 3 foods overall above the moderate range of sensitivity. This wasn’t all that surprising. One of our favorite family stories is the time she told a waiter not to bring her coffee with dessert because she couldn’t have caffeine and then asked him to please bring her a coke. Not only did he look confused, he actually asked her which way it was. Was she allergic to caffeine or not?

For all the time, energy, and attention devoted to identifying foods she could have in order to protect her health, she ate little nutrition at all. We used to laughingly say she lived on Dr. Pepper, saltine crackers, and the occasional piece of cherry pie for 20 years.

That is how I remember it, but I’ve always doubted whether that memory was accurate. Then I found a health history Mom had written. In it she says she drank 12 to 14 twelve ounce Dr. Peppers per day. I read it three times to make sure. 12 to 14. That’s 1800 – 2100 calories per day of nothing but soda. My mom was 5’7″ and never weighed over 125 lbs. It sounds like I wasn’t that far off. She was mostly living on Dr. Pepper.

After days and days of following her health saga in bits and pieces as I sort trash, recycle, shred, donate, sell; trash, recycle, shred, donate, sell; trash, recycle, shred, donate, sell, a clear pattern has emerged. If only Mom had taken small steps each day to change her environment, perhaps she would achieved the overall health or healing she was seeking. Instead, she created an environment that isn’t healthy for anyone. Each decision she made contributed to exactly the health crisis she feared.

If she had chosen not to buy over 300 books (we’ve boxed 310 so far) on allergies, alternative cures, cancer prevention, and spiritual healing, she would have had room on the book shelves for books that stimulated her passion or imagination. Or better yet, she’d have had less books to collect dust the dust that irritated her allergies.

If she had chosen to sit on the porch swing every morning and watch the bluebirds, cardinals, swallows, and woodpeckers I saw this morning while drinking a cup of coffee, maybe she would have felt a greater sense of wonder at the beauty in her front yard.

If she had chosen to ride horses with my dad and me, she could have felt the freedom of a rush of wind when the horse hits a gallop.

If she had tried the vegetables from my grandmother’s garden next to our house, perhaps she would have feared eating them less.

Or perhaps she just would have decided she didn’t like them any more. Last year when the blackberry bushes began to produce loads of delicious blackberries, she decided she wasn’t too fond of them after all.
black berries
I will never understand or be able to explain why my mother made the choices she made, but she has provided me with many reminders that the way to create overall health lies in the small choices I make to improve the quality of my life each day.

I can choose to lift weights because it makes my muscles feel more loose and I like that feeling. I can choose to practice yoga because it helps me recognize my tendency to hold my breath when I feel stressed. I can choose to spend time with people who love to laugh. I can make time to sit on the porch and watch the birds. I can read something interesting every day. I can let go of possessions when I no longer need them. I can say no to buying something new unless it solves a problem. I can spend time playing with my granddog. I can show up to help when I’m needed and stay out of things when I’m not. I can take time to plan my meals so that I eat a variety of fresh food that tastes great. I can make time for those I love. I can sit still. I can get plenty of rest and drink plenty of water. I can practice gratitude and always, always tell myself the truth no matter how ugly it is.

Each of these choices is small and each of them improves the quality of any day. When I choose well, then add the days together, I construct a life that is improved one small choice at a time. Eventually, taking care of the small stuff every day will give me the big picture result I desire. And thus, the big picture turns out to be nothing more than one small choice at a time.

Corn is Everywhere!

If you have an allergy to, or intolerance for, corn, trying to avoid it can seem like wandering through a maze – there’s corn all around and it’s hard to find a good path through it because corn is everywhere!
corn
I’m experiencing an allergic reaction. I have huge red spots on my face, an itchy rash on my neck and my lips are burning like the worst chapped lips you’ve ever had. Benadryl is making me sleepy. I know that the quickest way to feel better is to avoid the allergen.
allergy
The problem is that I don’t know what triggered my reaction. That means I’m eliminating any possible culprit from my diet and one of those possibilities is corn. In order to eliminate corn, I’m making a list of the things I need to avoid. Some of those are obvious like corn, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, corn meal, corn chips, corn bread, corn dogs, Corn Flakes, Corn Chex, tortilla chips, corn tortillas, corn flour, popcorn, and cornstarch.

Other things containing corn may not be as obvious. Cheetos, Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Tums, baking powder and confectioner’s sugar fall into that category. Many gluten-free pastas contain corn. Hominy, grits, and polenta are all made from corn. Most of these list corn on the label, but then there’s the ever present food starch. It may contain corn and be listed on a label as food starch, modified food starch, or pre-gelatinized starch. The word corn is never mentioned.

To make things even more confusing, familiar products contain a multitude of ingredients that may or may not contain corn and labeling requirements do not require that corn be listed on the label as an allergen. For instance, natural flavorings, xylitol, xanthan gum, citric acid, distilled white vinegar, maltodextrin, ethyl alcohol, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, and even IV dextrose may contain corn. It’s a fairly steep learning curve when I’m not even sure corn is the culprit.

Luckily, I have lots of practice reading labels and researching ingredients that will come in handy while I try to isolate the allergen that’s bothering me. I don’t plan to eat any processed food or at restaurants until I get this under control. Cooking is an easy way to know what I’m ingesting and with my lists at hand, I can leave out any questionable ingredients. I’m not the only one who follows this approach. To quote UAMS Registered Dietitian, Meghan Dixon, “These skills, cooking skills, are really life-changing. These are the skills that develop lasting lifestyle changes for people,…If you learn how to cook, you’re not outsourcing your health.” (1)

While the itching isn’t fun and I don’t love looking like I just got out of the boxing ring…as a loser…using those skills, I feel confident that I can make progress quickly.

If you have experience with corn allergies, let us know what triggers your symptoms. If you are struggling with a corn allergy or intolerance, you may want to peruse the more comprehensive lists available on these sites:

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

http://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/corn-allergy-symptoms

1) Storey, Celia. “Food and Medicine Meet for Dinner.” Arkansas Democrat Gazette [Little Rock] 08 Feb. 2016, Style sec.: n. pag 1. Print.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Should My Whole Household be Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Shellfish-Free, Soy-Free? Ten Important Considerations

pantry mix I’ve been visiting my son in LA and the question keeps coming up, “Should my whole household be gluten-free?” I think it first arose with the smell of chocolate chip cookies coming from the kitchen. They were for a client and contained the traditional wheat prevalent ingredients.

Of course the aroma piqued our desire for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies as well. It seemed like a good idea to bake both while the oven was hot, but the kitchen hadn’t been fully cleaned from prepping the traditional dough. Was it a good idea to mix up the gluten-free cookies yet?

This question led to a discussion of the labels on the pimento cheese containers and the two containers of yogurt (one used for traditional baking) in the fridge and the stash of teeny tiny jellies in the cupboard which then led to a debate on the possible merits of eliminating all gluten from the household.
contaminated
My family has members who are celiac, gluten-intolerant, allergic to shrimp, and able to eat absolutely anything. If your family is like mine, you’re familiar with the balancing act required to keep the affected parties away from harm while keeping the rest of the family satisfied.

Of course there’s no one size fits all solution for determining what works best, but here are a few things to keep in mind when discussing the options:

1)How severe is the allergy or intolerance?

The last time I ate shrimp, my throat swelled shut and I sounded like I had whooping cough when I tried to breathe. Households with peanut allergies may have experienced the horrible helpless feeling that comes along with severe anaphylaxis. Reactions of this level or that are obviously progressively worse with each exposure mean a food allergen will be eliminated from my house.

With gluten, the response to a tiny amount can vary widely. While I would not cook a gluten-free grilled cheese in the same skillet you just used for your regular sandwich without washing it in between, I have no hesitation about using the same skillet once it’s washed. I’ve never had a problem from a burger cooked on a grill where they heat regular buns. There have been times I’ve inadvertently eaten fries that were fried in the same oil as onion rings without suffering any ill effects. But that’s me and those were unique events. Your experience may be very different.

The severity of response to a particular allergen may require some patient observation. Once my gut had healed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I returned to a gluten-free regimen only to discover that I can’t tolerate very much corn. It seems that some of my previously assumed gluten reactions were actually corn related.

2)How is an allergen or irritant stored and who has access to it?

My household has a different rule for medications. Since I have no allergic children or mentally impaired relatives living with me, I don’t mind placing a bottle of aspirin or cough syrup with codeine in the medicine cabinet even though ingesting a single aspirin will have me covered in hives in less than 30 minutes. I simply avoid opening the bottles and consuming the meds.

3)How many people in the household are detrimentally affected by the substance in question?

In the beginning of my gluten-free days, I was one-third of the household and the only one who had to follow the regimen. In other words, I was outnumbered. While I was careful to clean pots, pans, utensils, and surfaces in between, I continued to cook regular pasta, pizza, and dinner rolls for the rest of the family. (A gluten molecule is too large to pass through the skin, so any risk from cleaning up surfaces was easily avoided.) Another option would have been to designate certain pots and pans gluten-free. And, of course there were many more prohibitive options, but it seemed extreme to me to restrict 2/3 of the household as long as I was not suffering any detrimental effects.

4)What are the ages and temperaments of the parties at risk?

Young children cannot be expected to read labels on packages or to consistently make good choices. Having a system in place that minimizes their risk and helps them learn at the same time is ideal. Children who tend to follow the rules may respond well to having only gluten-free options in the refrigerator door and a “special” shelf in the pantry from which they are allowed to make their own choices.

Children who are more prone to challenge or mischief may mean a need to eliminate all gluten from the household to minimize your risk as well as theirs. There was some rethinking of my system when my kids decided celiac was a “mental disorder”, meaning it was all in my head, and set out to develop secret tests to see if I would get sick. Funny how all that changed when one of them had to go gluten-free. Ahhhhh, irony…and paybacks! If you have enough patience, these things often work themselves out.

5)What is the cooking environment like?
Is a ceiling fan always running in the kitchen? Is there often a breeze blowing through the open windows or door when you bake? Strong air currents in the kitchen will carry flour particles a long way potentially causing a gluten cross contact problem. You may be careful to clean up the countertop where you’re working, but flour can ride the airwaves across the room to land on gluten-free muffins cooling on another counter.

I always have a cutting board sitting on the peninsula – usually the same one. Are you in the habit of using a single cutting board for everything? Is that cutting board made of a permeable material? How often does it get a thorough cleaning and will you remember to clean it each time it comes in contact with an allergen? All of these things must be considered when determining whether your kitchen environment is conducive to safely using allergens.

6)How many different people in the household cook?

If cooking is a shared duty, it will be necessary to assess the knowledge level and commitment to cooperation of each cook before making a plan.

7)What is your style of cooking or serving food?

Ben and I cook using primarily fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, and individual baking ingredients. James and my sister use more premixed seasoning packets, boxed meal extenders, and batter mixes. You may purchase mostly precooked, frozen or packaged foods. Some folks put the food in serving bowls, others fill plates in the kitchen, and still others put pots on the table and use a single spoon to dish out the food. You may remove jelly from the jar to your plate with a spoon that never touches your biscuit. We’re in the habit of sticking a knife in the jelly jar to drive my mom crazy. If you do that and smear a piece of regular toast with jelly then stick the knife back in the jelly jar, you’re trailing pieces of toast into the container and contaminating it with gluten.

Your family’s style of cooking and eating will present a unique set of considerations: Are you able to vary the pancake recipe if your child is allergic to eggs and milk? Do you stick your measuring cup in the wheat flour container and then in the sugar when you’re baking? If so, are you willing to break that habit or do you prefer to keep two different containers of sugar so that your gluten-free cupcakes don’t contain contaminated sugar? Are you in the habit of reading labels when pulling something out of the pantry or refrigerator to make sure it doesn’t contain any problem ingredient or do you prefer to be able to use anything in the house without having to think about it?

8)How much space do you have and how organized is your family?

Some families have elaborate storage systems and ample pantry space in which to easily categorize. In my kitchen with its narrow, deep pantry, reused plastic containers are stacked on plastic pull-out organizer drawers from The Container Store. It’s not unusual to see trail of white rice flour on the top of the sorghum flour container. Adding a container of wheat flour to this collection would be ill advised even if it were clearly labeled. In a different environment, a labeling system would be sufficient for preventing cross contact.

9)How much waste will be created by having a dual system?

The discussions that prompted this post have often centered on how much food is getting thrown away. If everything were gluten-free in my son’s house, there would be less waste. Of course this means that to get a consensus for such an arrangement, there must be a high standard for the taste and texture of the gluten-free food so that it is pleasing to everyone. Households like this are one of the reasons Cooking2Thrive is committed to developing gluten-free recipes that go beyond providing an acceptable substitute in order to please the discerning gluten-eating palate.

10)Is it more costly to remove all allergens and irritants from the household or to purchase some of both?

Even with the finances, there’s no specific formula for deciding which will cost more. The answer will vary depending on how many packaged foods you buy, how many different allergies or sensitivities you must accommodate, and whether or not you end up regularly throwing away food. The more data you collect and the more accurate your observations, the greater your ability to determine this outcome.

There’s rarely an easy answer to the question, “Should my whole household be gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, shellfish-free, soy-free?”, but exploring the options will make you more aware of your habits and the concerns of other family members. That is valuable information upon which to build. My family has found that developing an acceptable plan can reduce stress in the household and make it easier to support each other’s health.

And that would be a good thing for most families…problem is, we LIKE to argue the relative merits of pretty much anything. Of course, you can help us out. Start a whole new discussion by telling us how things work in your household.

A Baby Food Mill Can Provide Peace of Mind

kit If you have a family history of food allergies or intolerance, a baby food mill can provide peace of mind because you know exactly what’s in the food your baby is consuming. My mom suffered from what we then called Hay Fever to the extent that her nose ran all the time and would get raw from wiping it with tissues. She solved the raw nose problem by walking around with silk panties hanging out of her nose. I kid you not and I wish I had a photo. Maybe you’ll believe me if I show you this current photo of her with a diaper on her head. She says she was cold. Don’t ask me.
mom
At the time, I can’t remember her attributing the, let’s call it, Silk Panty Situation to foods. It seemed to be more an allergy to ragweed or driving the truck when it was time to haul hay. The latter part resulted in me learning to drive very early and having my first wreck, passengers included, when I was 9. But that’s another story altogether. Back to our discussion of allergies…

When Ben was a tiny baby, he suffered from constant congestion. I mean significant congestion that made it difficult for him to breath through his nose. His pediatrician put him on asthma medication. That made him hyper, fussy, and kept him from sleeping. After a few exhausting weeks of a constantly awake, crying baby, I decided there had to be a better solution.

Through some trial and error, I figured out that if I would avoid dairy products in my diet, Ben’s congestion would disappear. This made some sense. By then we already knew that James did not tolerate dairy well. I decided that I could go without ice cream for a year while I breastfed if it meant Ben could breath without meds and I could get a night’s sleep.

James’ history, and subsequently Ben’s, wasn’t the only reason I followed the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for food introduction to prevent allergies, my sister had a history of turning beet red when she consumed foods containing basil or magnesium. I wanted to make sure that I gave the kids the best chance I could to avoid problems in the future.

As they currently do, the APA then recommended breast milk only for the first 6 months. Once it was time to introduce solid food, I opted for the most control possible over the ingredients and invested in a baby food mill. That simple device allowed me to know exactly what I was feeding my children and it was easy on the budget. I could feed James & Ben the same food their dad and I were eating, but in a baby friendly form.
baby food grinder
Baby food mills are still a good option for the same reasons. While it’s now much easier to buy organic baby food from the supermarket, many brands are only 95% organic, some contain preservatives, and the cost ranges from 23¢ to 48¢ per ounce. When you get to Stage 2 foods, most prepackaged options are blends that may or may not appeal to your child thereby limiting your selection and their nutrient variety.
green grinder
There are many brands of food mills and they come in several shapes and sizes. Most are small enough to be easily carried along on an outing and some even come with a travel pack. In the most common design, you pull the top bowl section upward, fill the tube below with food and as you turn the handle, the food moves up into the bowl section ready to feed to your infant. The components then come apart to be cleaned in the dishwasher.
white grinder
If you want the option of using the mill for other food processing jobs, you can choose an OXO model with 3 interchangeable blades. There are electronic versions as well if you’re a fan of specialized power kitchen gadgets.
oxo
Once you’ve chosen the model that best suits the needs of your family, all you have to do is fill it with freshly prepared food – organic when possible and devoid of sugar, as well as excessive salt or fat. According to the AAP, new eaters only need one or two tablespoons of food at a time increasing to 3 – 4 tablespoons as the child grows. They also recommend that you avoid feeding an infant under 4 months old fresh spinach, beets, green beans, carrots, and squash because of the naturally occurring nitrates. If you follow their recommendation of breast milk only for a minimum of 4 months, this should not be an issue.

There is no evidence that introducing foods in a particular order will prevent allergies. In order to quickly recognize an allergic response, it is best to introduce foods one at a time and feed only that food for 2-3 days before moving to the next food. If your child experiences, diarrhea, rash, vomiting, congestion, hives, or irritability that disappears once a particular food is removed, your child may be allergic to that food.

For those of you who are celiac or have gluten intolerance in your family, your children are at increased risk of being gluten intolerant due to shared genetics. Because gluten intolerance causes an immune response, it is not the same as an allergy. It may be best not to introduce any baby cereals other than possibly rice and oats until the child is older, if at all.

While I can’t say James and Ben are a representative sample of kids who grow up eating table food rather than packaged baby food, they are both chronically healthy. Using a baby food mill helped keep me on budget and give me the peace of mind that I was providing them with the best nutrition possible.

Judging by these photos of James’ first meal of solid food, he was well prepared for the event and satisfied by the content!
jamesone
james 2
james 3