Category: Parents’ nuggets of wisdom

Over the years, my posts have always been from the point of view of a mom and a caretaker. Today, my son is a Freshman in High School and I chanced upon an essay written by him (yes, he is a typical teen who does not want his parents to read his schoolwork!). With a lot of cajoling, he finally gave me permission to share the essay. Poignant yet humorous view into the mind of a child who has never known not to be afraid of food…

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I was nervous. Well, I usually am when I try new things, but this was different. All of my life and still today, I’ve had food allergies. Allergies to a lot of foods like nuts and soy, however, the one I was about to try for the first time were eggs. I never hated eggs just because I was allergic to them, and actually I thought they looked delicious. The ones that looked the tastiest in my mind were probably hard-boiled eggs and fried eggs. However, the thought of finally being able to eat those things was not on my mind right now, instead, I was scared. In my mind, I thought that I could die today. I was worried that I might have an allergic reaction, something I had never had. My mom had reassured me and told me countless times that if they thought I was going to have a reaction, I wouldn’t be taking the test, and that the reason they do this in the doctor’s office is to make sure it was safe. Still, I was worried. We walked into the office I had seen twice every year since I was born, and after the nurse called us in, we walked into a white room. The room had a bed with paper wrapping on top, like the type in most doctor’s offices. There were also three regular chairs and a table with a laptop. On one of the walls was a photograph of some nature related place with a motivational quote underneath. It looked like every other doctor’s office I had ever been in. We sat down and after what seemed like ages of waiting in the room, the doctor came in. She explained that she would give me an extremely small piece of a plain omelette then wait 15 minutes. Then she would give me a slightly bigger piece, and wait another 15 minutes, and we would continue this process for about three hours. I was starting to get excited now.

When the doctor handed me a plastic fork with a thin yellow square on top, I got scared. I nibbled off a piece and then slowly ate the rest. I remember thinking at the time that it tasted like string cheese, although eggs taste nothing like that to me nowadays. 

I was happy when I finished eating, not because I had tried a new food, but more because it meant that I could go back to playing Pokemon on my 3ds for 15 minutes. This went on for a few hours until the end. I still eat eggs, especially omelettes, a lot. Funnily enough, I actually hated both boiled and fried eggs when I first tried them. I do have to say though, it was a pretty eggceptional eggsperience (sorry not sorry).

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2014! I rang in the New Year quietly – watching the ball drop over Times Square from the warm comfort of home with my little boy cuddled up next to me and a glass of Conundrum red wine.

It’s at in that mellow moment that some random allergy friendly tips popped into my head which I feel compelled to share with all Food Allergy sufferers and caretakers…I will add more as we cruise through the year!

1. French Macaron: Did you know that this fancy, brightly colored French confection that has suddenly become omnipresent in the US is not a humdrum flour based cookie with a jelly filling? They are made with Almond flour. I almost gave it to my son since he is no longer allergic to wheat and can even have dairy and eggs in baked items. Of all his allergies – my son is most severely allergic to almonds so you can imagine what an accidental bite might have done to him.
2. Thai food: The crunchy vegetables and healthy meats seem the right choice but wait…very often this cuisine uses fish or shrimp paste in many of its dishes. Thai cooking also uses Soy, Sesame, Peanuts and Tree Nuts extensively. So, unless you understand the nitty-gritty of Thai food – this is best avoided.
3. Chinese cuisine: I love Chinese fare but then I don’t have any food allergies. Peanuts, Soy, Sesame and Tree Nuts are an integral part of this cuisine hence better avoided completely even though it is the most easily available food when traveling apart from the quintessential pizza slice!
4. Indian cuisine: Now this is one cuisine I understand well and that is exactly why it freaks me out. Tree nuts and Peanuts are used in gravies, chutneys in such sneaky ways that it isn’t funny. On top of that dairy, mustard seeds and poppy seeds are used across the board – stay away from Indian or any South Asian dishes unless it is homemade or you understand the prep process completely.
5. Some other cuisines to watch out for: Definitely Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese – all of them use Soy and Fish extensively
6. Hidden sources of food allergens: As I have learnt from my readers who have contributed to spreading awareness about flax seed allergy through Allergy Foodie – a food allergen may creep into our lives in insidious ways. An allergen may be present in cosmetics, toiletry, pillows/ cushions, jackets and more. In other words – always be conscious of what you come in contact with.

Safe eats!

Love,                                                                                                                                                      Anu

I truly believe that a memorable birthday is one of the best memories you can gift your child. I still remember every birthday party my parents threw  me despite their extremely modest means from the special birthday frock to the cake.  My baby – all of 8 years old and maybe, just maybe even I have to admit that he is a baby no more!

This year he wanted a pirate themed birthday party…

The birthday cake was Homemade Martha Stewart’s Red velvet cupcakes (to ensure zero cross-contamination with nuts) featuring his favorite sport – baseball!

But, for me the best part about his birthday party was when one of his dearest friends who has a severe dairy and egg allergy felt so special because I had made allergy friendly Cherrybrook Farm chocolate cupcakes  and pizza with Daiya mozzarella cheese for her. The child was ecstatic to have her first slice of pizza albeit allergy friendly in her 8 year old life and cupcakes that other kids wanted too!

It has become a tradition for my boy to start off his birthday with a very special breakfast. This year he wanted black beans and cheese grilled sandwich. Yes, now he can eat small quantities of processed dairy products…

And a ‘Dari-free’ banana berry shake…

Steps to an awesome Dari-free Berry Shake:

Ingredient:

1. Dari-free: 2 heaping tsps.
2. Water: 3/4 cup
3. Banana: 1/2
4. Berry Mix: 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Prepare Dari-free milk according to directions with the water and dari-free powder. You can use  Oat milk, Rice Milk, Coconut Milk or Hemp milk instead.
2. Mix the fruits, Dari-free milk and ice in the blender and there you have it…

Of course, his lunch box had to have a special note from mommy…

And, he has to pick out an outfit from his favorite store, Naartjie! Yes – he is quite the metrosexual little boy who swears by this South African designer because of her attention to detail 😉

And, then dinner was his first time trying what he had been begging for ages – a steak dinner with steamed broccoli at Uno’s Chicago Grill. Now why does mommy like Uno’s?! Quite simple – they were among the first restaurants in my knowledge which have a detailed ingredient listing and waiters that are aware of the precautions to be taken when ‘food allergy’ is mentioned!

My young man has had such an eventful year where he has thrived despite his multiple food allergies. He has learnt that one does not run away from the ball in soccer as his team went on to win the championship…

He has learnt to be a graceful loser as his coach pitch team had an undefeated season but went on to lose the championship. Yes – he and his best pal ran off for an ice cream the moment the last game ended 😉 Arjun’s fav allergy-friendly ice cream is the Spongebob Popsicle though he does hate their awful gum ball eyes!

Yes, he found his love in playing drums – thanks to the awesome atmosphere in School Of Rock…

He also has grown to love skateboarding, snowboarding, golfing, basketball, swimming and chess! He is yet to excel at anything but I am convinced he is on the right path because he has found a joy in learning and is passionate about the journey.

Above all he is a goofy child…

Whose mommy loves him to death and wants to make the world a safer place for all food allergy sufferers…

Yes, my son is small compared to his peers in large part because of his food allergies. Numerous studies have shown that children with multiple food allergies tend to be much smaller but thanks to his personal challenges he is blossoming into an aware, thinking and curious child!

Ending this post with his favorite lullaby…’Into my arms, oh Lord‘! Yes – he listens to it three times every night before he falls asleep 🙂 And, with good wishes to everyone out there!

Cheers!

The past couple of years have been about constantly reminding myself to keep walking though personal conflicts and challenges have constantly threatened to derail me. A landmark Birthday came and went but my spirit could not rejoice and I packed on a whopping 15 pounds. Now, when I look back – I feel humbled and thankful for how far I have come even though its still a long road ahead.  To celebrate, recently I threw myself a much delayed birthday party recently with a few of my dear friends in one of my favorite cities in the world…New York City 🙂

I also have gone back to my older self of working out and eating right with an occasional drink 😉 That tub of ice cream neither makes you feel better nor does it make you look better the next day!

Continue reading “Times of change, challenge and triumph…” →

The first birthday party I attended with Arjun was when he was less than 2 years old. I was just not prepared for the heart-wrenching moment when he was the only one in the room who could not eat either the slice of pizza or the cake. Tears flowed down my cheeks unbidden and I ran out into the play area with my son lest the hosts mistook my tears as those of someone who could not share in their joy. That day, I made a bizzare vow to myself – ‘I would never partake of a birthday cake till my little one could eat it too.’ A tad dramatic?!? Yes, but I am willing to bet that most moms of food-allergic kids have done similar things. However, my son has way too many food allergies so, it was impossible for a foodie like me to stop eating everything 😀

 That’s when I consciously started working on myself and the way I talked to my son about food allergies to ensure that he is an emotionally well-adjusted child despite his food allergies. Here is a link to an informative article I read about the emotional impact of food allergy on children – http://www.foodallergy.org/page/survey-reveals-emotional-impact-of-food-allergy-on-children.

 He is just 6 years now and seems to accept the restrictions imposed by food allergies as a way of life rather than an impediment.  I don’t know how he will turn out to be in the long-term but as of now he just wishes that he was allergic to peas because he dislikes them with a vengeance 😉 Sharing some of my thoughts on helping our children accept their food allergies gracefully (some pointers may be inapplicable for those with severe air-borne food allergies.): 

Continue reading “Dealing with the Emotional Impact of Food Allergies!” →