Sweethearts Candy Blog's

Many times I'm asked questions that are health or medical in nature and I always refer these questions to an allergist. Of course, you should always speak to your own doctors about your specific needs, but I want to introduce you to a terrific allergist who has his own web site and book that answers many of the questions we have about food allergies: Dr. Robert Wood.

Dr. Wood is a world-renowned allergist and a medical advisor to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. He is also a lifelong peanut allergy sufferer. His best-selling book "Food Allergies for Dummies" combines medical knowledge and facts with tips handling any food allergy. He also has written helpful articles that educate others such as one that addresses commonly-held beliefs and myths about food allergies.

Food Allergies for Dummies and Dr. Wood's web site have been two of my favorite resources over the years. If you don't own the book, get it. It's a great one to share with friends and family, too.

As a parent I feel that I'm an involuntary "expert" on many of the lifestyle issues that affect us all. However, Dr. Wood's website is the one I turn to time and again for solid medical facts about nut allergies.

Food Allergy Awareness Week is all about spreading awareness and accurate food allergy information. I hope you'll check out this site and share it with friends and family members.

Join me tonight, Monday, May 9 at 8 pm EST for a food allergy Twitter party! @AllergicLiving, @JenRoeder (of FAAN), @foodallergymamam, @allergicgirl, @cybelepascale, @ginaclowes and @foodallergybuzz will all be co-hosts of this fun, fast-paced and informative event. Come with your questions and comments!

Sometimes it may seem as if every week is Food Allergy Awareness Week at your house, but since May is also Allergy Awareness Month, let's take some extra time to spread the word about food allergy facts.

A recent study by the journal Pediatrics finds that 1 in 12 U.S. children have food allergies, with nearly half of those (and estimated 40%) classified as life-threatening. That's a huge increase, so clearly we need to educate, advocate and encourage those around us to respect food allergies and learn more about them.

One great way to do this? Just check out this terrific NBC segment that features Nicole Smith of Allergic Child and her teen son, Morgan. Nicole is also the author of "Ally the Allergic Elephant" which was the first food allergy book by daughter ever read. Since her name is Alexandra, we used to call her "Ally" and did this book ever help her when she was young. You can buy it here.
My daughter and I just met this dynamic duo at the FAAN conference in Chicago and in fact, Morgan helped to lead the teen/young adult session that my daughter attended. Alexandra is still talking about how much the "older kids" inspired her and gave her good advice for handling food allergies as she approaches middle school and finally, high school.

We will have much more on my blog this week and throughout the month to promote FA Awareness Week and Allergy Awareness Month!

My Twitter handle is nut_freemom--hope to see you tonight at the Twitter party!

Welcome to Food Allergy Awareness Week! I'm happy to say that many governors issued state proclamations about FAEW, so thanks to everyone who contacted your state officials.

The Illinois Food Allergy Education Association sent me info about two Food Allergy Awareness Week Events taking place in the Chicago area.

Wednesday, May 12th, 4:30-6:30, at New York Slices, 1843 Second Street, Highland Park, Kelly Rudnicki will sign copies of her book, The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book (nuts, dairy and egg free recipes).

Kelly is a local food allergy mom who I met last year at the FAAN conference. She's a great food allergy advocate and her baking book is fantastic! If you don't have it yet, you'll want to get a copy. I love the recipes in this book! Plus, every recipe has a full-color photo. A beautiful book for you, friends, family--anyone you know interested in nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free baking, or just baking, period. Visit her web site at Food Allergy Mama.

Saturday, May 15th, 11-2p.m. at Free From Market, 14482 South LaGrange Road, Orland Park, Lisa Williams will have cooked tasty food for allergenistas. Directions at: http://www.freefrommarket.com/location.php Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams is a Chicago-area "allergenista" who hosts allergy-free restaurant events and has a great website: Lisa Cooks Allergen Free.

Plus, for all of you looking for nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free baked goodies for your family or school, Sweet Alexis Bakery is offering a 15% discount to help celebrate Food Allergy Awareness Week. This is your chance to stock up! Don't forget that Sweet Alexis treats are great to store in your freezer for safe treat emergencies (don't forget the grandparents, friends and relatives)! Enter coupon code: allergy10 at http://www.sweetalexis.com.

Now I have a question: what is your best experience teaching a non-allergic person about food allergies? Did they accommodate you in a special way? Did they go out of their way to help your child in some way? We hear so many negatives stories, so let's share some positive ones for Food Allergy Awareness Week. E-mail me your stories at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net.

Hi everybody,

I'm thrilled to share this press release from The Food Allergy Initiative.

Food Allergy Initiative Launches “Give It Up” Advocacy Campaign in Conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week

New York, NY – May 4, 2010 – The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) today announced the launch of its new “Give It Up” national advocacy campaign in conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 9 through May 15, 2010.

The new “Give It Up” campaign encourages children, parents, families and friends to show their support for the millions of Americans with food allergies by abstaining from eating a favorite food during the week. As part of the campaign, participants are invited to join FAI’s Facebook community and write their elected officials in an effort to raise more awareness about the need to find a cure for food allergies.

The “Give It Up” Facebook page also encourages supporters to share photos and/or videos on how they are “giving up” a favorite food. One lucky person will win an Apple iPad. Individuals and schools can even download an eCertificate that can be personalized and printed, showing their participation in the cause. To join FAI’s Facebook page and learn more, visit www.faiusa.org.

Food allergies have been on the rise over the past decade, especially among children. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 12 million Americans, including three million children, suffer from the disease, which can result in anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction. There currently are no medications to cure or control food allergies. The federal government spends only about $26 million a year on food allergy research – far less than on other important diseases. One of FAI’s primary goals is to increase support of food allergy research at the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies.

“Odds are you have someone in your immediate family or know someone who is afflicted with a food allergy,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, Executive Director, Food Allergy Initiative. “With the incredible advances that researchers are making, there’s no excuse why we can’t develop a cure for this potentially life-threatening disease in the near future. The Food Allergy Initiative is funding many promising studies at major medical centers, but we can’t do it alone. We need more focus and awareness, especially from the government, and we are here to provide just that.”

About the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI):

The Food Allergy Initiative is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds research seeking a cure for food allergies. FAI was founded in 1998 by concerned parents and grandparents to support basic and clinical research worldwide; public policies to make the world safer for those afflicted; and educational programs to make the hospitality industry, schools, day care centers, and camps safer. The largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States , FAI has contributed more than $65 million toward the fulfillment of its mission. For more information, visit www.faiusa.org, call 212-207-1974, or e-mail info@faiusa.org.

About Food Allergies
Food allergies are on the rise in all westernized countries. There are no medications to cure or control food allergies. A strict diet and avoidance of the allergenic food is the only way to avoid a reaction, yet the most common allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy – are staples of the food supply and virtually impossible to avoid completely. Accidental exposure to even a minuscule amount of the offending food can cause an allergic individual to react within seconds, often leading to life-threatening anaphylaxis, which causes throat swelling, a dramatic drop in blood pressure, vomiting and even death within a matter of minutes. Although researchers estimate that food allergies cause approximately 125,000 emergency room visits each year, they do not understand why rates are increasing so alarmingly, particularly among children.

Here's the latest news I received from FAAN:

"An update on Food Allergy Awareness Week proclamations:

As of today, May 3, we’ve received 22:

Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

We’re been informed that 7 more are on the way, yet we still haven’t seen them: California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas."

OK, Nut-Free Mom blog readers, if you're state is on the "not yet" list, visit the FAAN web site and click on Advocacy. You'll be able to contact your governor directly from the site.

May is National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month so now is a great time to contact your state leaders and let them know you want more awareness for food allergies! Good luck and congrats to everyone whose state already has agreed to a proclamation.

Would you like your state to formally recognize food allergy awareness week? The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has some news about how to get this done:

Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 9-15, 2010

Ask your Governor to Issue a Food Allergy Awareness Week Proclamation

Issuing a Food Allergy Awareness Week proclamation is a great way to help raise awareness in your State!

Ask your Governor to declare May 9-15, 2010 Food Allergy Awareness Week!
(Note: We have already received proclamations from Alabama, Illinois (yes!), Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin.)

Follow this link to find a customizable letter you can send to your state governor. It's so easy--they've got all the info you need right there!

Food Allergy Awareness Week is such a great invention--and a wonderful way to get our communities to learn about the realities of what food allergy mean, who they affect and how to prevent reactions. An official state proclamation gives this important advocacy effort even more legitimacy.

If your state isn't on board yet, click this link now and let them hear from you.

May 11 is the beginning of Food Allergy Awareness Week. This is a great time to thank all the people that help your child with their food allergies. You can also use this time to spread awareness to those around you, whether it's reading a story to your child's class, talking to the school principal about ways to make the cafeteria safer or making an "allergen-free" treat.

Education is key. So don't hesitate to tell other parents, restaurant workers, family members and neighbors about how to handle food allergies. When everyone has the info, they're more likely to help and to ask questions about how to keep food-allergic people safe.

Every resource on the list to the right of this page has done a great job in helping spread enlightenment about food allergies. If you have others, I'd love to hear about them.

What have you done to help spread awareness? If you think back, you've probably done more than you realize. What has made a positive difference as cope with your child's food allergies? Be sure to post and let us know what's worked for you and your family.