Do you know Keeley? You should. She’s our hero.
There are so many reasons we love Keeley McGuire. The most obvious would be that she’s making the ever-so-daunting task of lunch and snack prep easier for us food allergy parents via her blog. But we also love her because she’s laid back and just plain fun in spite of everything we go through and […]
Read More
Do you know Abbey? You should. She’s our hero.
If you’ve attended a food allergy-related event in the New York City area, you know who Abbey Braverman is. She’s an organizer, a people connector and a fund raiser. And for those of us dealing with food allergies, we’re lucky to have her crusading for us, because all of the things she does are ultimately working towards finding a cure for all of our kids. For this reason, I’m proud to not only name Abbey our AllerMates Hero for February, but to also have the pleasure of calling her a friend. Read all about Abbey’s wonderful work...
Read More
Feed your newborn peanut butter?! #umm #nothanks
In case you've sworn off the news or have been in another world, researchers are now suggesting that we should give our babies peanuts, in small amounts as early as possible, to help them avoid a peanut allergy. Even though we're typically eager to hear their latest findings, this one in particular is rubbing many moms, dads and caregivers of food allergy kids the wrong way. Why? This risk that they're asking new parents to take is A HUGE RISK. And one that will bring many of them bad results. How do I know this? Well, let's just let the AllerMates community answer that...
Read More
After the epinephrine: 7 things to expect at the hospital
So I’ve had the displeasure of racing my sweet-natured, allergy-asthma kid, Ben, to the ER on about half a dozen occasions. Not TOO bad, considering he's 11, right? Even though our allergy and asthma scares take the lead in our ER trip count, I'm certainly no expert (thank God) in ER protocol. However, I do want to share my experiences with my fellow allergy and asthma moms in hopes of passing on some helpful info about what to expect, especially to those of you who may not yet have known the sheer and utter joy of racing your child to the ER. I believe the more we know, the better prepared we are, making the experience less traumatizing (or so I tell myself). With that said, here are seven things many of us can expect when visiting the ER...
Read More
And the most common asthma trigger for children is…
Do you know which of these is the most common asthma trigger among children: a) second hand smoke, b) cats, c) colds, or d) house mites? Read on to find out if you're right or to learn the answer!
Read More
What I learned about love from you.
In celebrating the deep love we have for children at AllerMates this week, we asked our community on Facebook to tell us about their relationship with their kids, and I learned so many wonderful things about the love within their families. One thing I’ve always known, but you reaffirmed all week, is that...
Read More
The big debate: Tree Nut Allergy VS. Peanut Allergy. Which one sucks more?
My son is allergic to tree nuts (and as all us allergy moms know, tree nuts do not include peanuts). Unfortunately, most of the world thinks they are one and the same, which normally would not really matter much. Just as it doesn't matter that most of the world believe an avocado is a vegetable, when in fact it's a fruit. No big deal there. However, if your child is allergic to tree nuts and not to peanuts - then it kind of does matter! As a matter of fact, I find the whole peanut/tree nut confusion thing to be majorly annoying for a few reasons. First of all, it irks me that peanut allergies...
Read More
My four-year old is a better food label reader than my husband. #WTH!
I love my husband. Believe it or not, I knew he was THE ONE by our third date. 15 years later, he remains my best friend. An amazing father to our three children. My partner in every possible way. My saving grace. EXCEPT when it comes to reading food labels. UGHHH! So I need to know, Allergy Moms, am I the only one whose...
Read More
The Sneaky Chef’s No-Nut Butter… good enough to eat with just a spoon.
I say it's good enough to eat with just a spoon because that's exactly how the two-year-old daughter of one of my team members likes to eat her No-Nut Butter from The Sneaky Chef®. But who am I kidding? I've eaten it like that, too. : ) Speaking of The Sneaky Chef, there's no doubt that she got her name honest. Turning PEAS...
Read More
Have you met Lianne? You should. She’s our hero.
Lianne Mandelbaum, founder of NoNutTraveler.com, is a mom to three kids, former physical therapist and Bikram yoga instructor with a passion for feeding the homeless. Despite her obvious caring nature, if you would have told her two years ago what she’d be doing today, she probably wouldn’t have believed you. That’s because her strong allergy awareness stance was acquired the hard way just over a year ago, when a major airline refused to help protect Josh – her son with a severe peanut allergy. This event, though unfortunate, has driven Lianne...
Read More
Flu vaccines: Why don’t they seem to WORK when they’re supposed to?!
Don't let the title fool you... I'm a stickler for flu vaccines, and my family of five gets them every year because a) my son's preschool won't let him in without one and b) how horrible would I feel if it DID work and I didn't take myself and the kids to get one?! So why on God's green earth does it seem like we are strongly encouraged by our physicians and community, year after year, to get the flu shot - only to find out that "it didn't really help with this year's flu virus." (Gee, thanks... I'm so happy that I got a shot that would've been perfect for the 2001 flu virus.) In fact, the CDC reports that if you got this year's vaccine...
Read More
Out with the nuts, in with the seeds!
After my husband and I learned of our son Ben’s severe nut allergy diagnosis so many years ago, we had to suffer the loss of something we had both really loved for a long time… NUTS. From salted to plain, and from salads to sundaes, our love for nuts knew no boundaries. But OF COURSE, our love for Ben trumps nuts any day, so out they went and gone they stay. Lucky for us, we found a pretty cool alternative to nuts...
Read More
My son experienced anaphylaxis… And I’m (sort of) glad.
My very laid back & quite often forgetful son, Ben, doesn't take his allergies as serious as I’d like him to (or at least he doesn't seem to remember to). And unfortunately for both of us, his somewhat relaxed attitude has turned me into one of my worst fears… a NAG! Ben, don't forget to take your auto injectors with you! Ben, did you even ASK before eating that? Ben, where did you leave your emergency meds? Ben! Ben! BEEEEEN! The one time I didn’t nag, which was just a couple of weeks ago, IT finally happened. Yep, the "it" all allergy parents dread… My son had a severe allergic reaction, AKA anaphylaxis.
Read More
Placing a peanut in the mouth of a peanut allergy kid?!? The latest on CURES from our nation’s expert.
With the new year comes interesting and GREAT news from the nation's leading expert on pediatric allergies, Dr. Hugh Sampson, who asks "Is Better Treatment Possible for Children with Food Allergies?." As a mom to a son with severe food allergies, I'm pretty sure I muttered out loud, "Well, I certainly hope so." And after reading the article, it appears in the near future THERE JUST MIGHT BE!
Read More
Kale, Carrots & More: Can these goodies help prevent winter allergies?
There are so many articles these days about the wonders of fruits and veggies in preventing and fighting colds, flu, allergies and even asthma. We have our skeptics, who say we should just leave it all up to modern medicine, and believe me, I’m NOT telling you to go off the meds by any means. But we all know that these foods are GOOD for us, so what’s the harm in eating them?! I recently read a blog post from One Green Planet...
Read More
Food allergy kids… bullied or supported?
Many people still don’t seem to understand the severity of food allergies. For example, I can recall a situation on my kids’ school bus, not too long ago, where a kid threw his PB&J sandwich at a girl simply because he knew she had a peanut allergy… I’m sure you can imagine my disgust. On the flip side, my son, Ben, has many caring friends...
Read More
Meet Pepe, the autism-support dog. And the reason we may have to get a pet.
I’ve always been amazed at service dogs. They sniff out drugs, they find missing people, they lead the blind! But a dog that protects an autistic girl?! This is a dog after my own kid-safeguarding heart. Meet Pepe. He’s a chocolate Lab that’s done what many humans are unable to...
Read More
ALLERGIC TO THE HOLIDAYS?
This time of year – THE time to be making fun, festive memories with family and friends – is without fail the same time every year that my son, Ben, is at his asthma worst. In fact, his condition is so predictable I used to joke that he was allergic to the holidays. The positive side is that I've become really quick to eye his typical holiday triggers, like smoky fireplaces and dusty or fragrant holiday décor. But we’re just surrounded by so many “new” things during the holidays that sometimes triggers are overlooked or unknown. And in the past, when Ben was short of breath and I couldn't figure out why,...
Read More
With a heart of thankfulness… A word from Lacy Wade of Making it Milk-free
I am proud to welcome Lacy Wade as AllerMates first guest blogger! Lacy has a son, Mason, with a dairy allergy, so she is certainly no stranger to our issues, concerns and hopes. Read her sweet, insightful post below, and be sure to check her out on her own blog, Making it Milk-free, where you'll find some yummy dairy-free recipes and other mom-friendly advice. : )
Read More
Celebrate with us, with a FREE gift!
All celebrations usually involve gifts, right?! Either way, this one certainly does! ;) So celebrate AllerMates new website and blog with us and get your FREE alert bracelet, no strings attached. Simply go to “Our Store” on the AllerMates website, put one of our single health alert bracelets (valued $5.99) in your cart and then use...
Read More
A nut-free trail mix – yes, please!
If you're like me, you're always on the hunt for a snack that is safe, yummy and of course healthy for your kids without all that crazy sugar! Not to mention - easily accessible (available at a local supermarket). NOT an easy feat. Luckily for me, I ran across Enjoy Life'S Not Nuts!™ - seed and fruit mix this past weekend and I was really pleased to see this additional to their ever growing line of allergy-friendly foods. I have had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with their CEO, Scott Mandell, and their Chief Marketing Officer, Joel Warady, a couple of years ago...
Read More