The seriousness of food allergies
admin January 13th, 2009
You know everyone has an opinion on food allergies and sensitivites. Some people think that food allergies and sensitivities are due to other factors such as stress and overwhelming situations. Some people don’t understand that if products are left on the table and a child is to touch it and then put it to their mouths there is a potential for an allergic reaction especially if the child is anaphalactic to it.
Syndey over the last few years has developed some very irritating sensitivities to certain foods and on the other side of the spectrum she has develop and anaphalactic allergy to some foods. It has been a world wind of food exploration over the last couple of years. Because all of these allergies were not figured out all at once to some people it might seem a little confusing.
Anyone with a child who has any kind of allegy or sensitivity is fully aware of how horrible you feel when you look at your child who has the most angelic face and see it balloon out to horrific proportions where you can’t even tell that it’s your child in there unless they speak. Sydney’s sensitivity is not fatal by any means but what happens is that her body can not handle the food or addititve and shortly after she eats it she ends up bringing it back up again. I know for a fact that certain family and friends do not understand the whole food allergy/sensitivity thing and in their defense unless you are living in the realm of reading every ingredient it is a little hard to understand.
What is frustrating to many parents with children suffering from allergies and sensitivities is the lack of understanding and open minded idea that sometimes we will bring food in tow just to be sure. Yes, it is not fatal if my daughter eats red food colouring but why would I give her something that I know for sure will make her sick. Why would I chance a meeting with her and walnuts when the last time she ingested it she was in the hospital because of trouble swallowing and breathing and she her eyes were so swollen she couldn’t even see. Why do I carry around an epi-pen? In this day and age there are so many allergies with so many children and as I said before it’s hard to get your head around the concept until you have to read every label and have a garbage can at the foot of the bed at your disposal for those “just in case moments”.
It ceases to amaze me how different opinions can be on the subject and I have spoken to a number of others who are in the same boat as we are and we all agree on a few things. When at a party or function I do not expect for the host to completely alter the menu but what I and others do hope for is the understanding that we may bring our own meal for the child or we may eat before hand just and come a little later. If it’s a birthday party and there is cake involved we will probably bring an alternate treat just for the child. This in no way is meant to insult the hosts it is just to reassure that the child does not feel out of place and can too enjoy his/her self.
I can not tell you how touched I am when people call before a function and ask if there is something specific that they can have so that Sydney can enjoy the menu too. It’s a simple thing but it means so much to parents when you just ask “what can we do”.
I suppose that saying, “Walk a mile in my shoes and you’ll understand” rings so true. After months of seeing Sydney heave after eating items that contained red and yellow food colouring and after working with her and her naturopath for so many months to get her well why would I expose her to something that has the potential to make her sick? They aren’t the ones holding her head over a garbage can at two o’clock in the morning are they?
I’ve seen both sides because Ehren has no food allergies or sensitivities that we are aware of. I am the first to admit that I miss my nuts and seeds and the whole red and yellow food reaction has been very enlightening. It has made me question things I am putting in my mouth and made me more aware of what I am feeding my family. There are a few wonderful companies out there that are paving the way to make every day eating easier for families with food issues. Which leads me to the second part of my blog post for today. I’ve found a wonderful company that is Guardian Angel Foods. They are a company from Quebec who have their products out in various stores across the city. I have tried a number of their items and everything I have tried so far is so good.
Welcome to our web site ! Why “Guardian angel” ? Did you know that even a trace of an allergen can cause an allergic reaction in some people? Food allergy sufferers need a watchful presence to ensure that what they eat is safe. And this is precisely my mission: to apply the greatest possible rigour in watching over those for whom food poses a daily challenge.
My involvement doesn’t end there. I also wanted to offer desserts that are as delicious as they are appealing — cakes that signify “joy” and “celebration” for children and adults alike while alleviating any lingering worries about eating foods that may contain allergens.
Much like my fight for others to understand social anxiety it is tied for us hand in hand with food allergies. Everyone knows if you feel good from the inside out it shows and you are more confident and happy with yourself. Let’s hope that we can build tolerance and understanding that for some eating takes a little more preparation and thought…which in this day and age with the processed foods on the market thinking about what you’re putting in your mouth isn’t such a bad thing!
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