Allergy Friendly Recipe's Contest

Hello Everyone,

Win Food and Fame in the First Annual “Allergy Free” Food Recipe Contest!

Do you have that fantastic recipe that your family just RAVES about? Do you think you have what it takes to beat out the competition and win with it? Allergiesandme.com wants to know.

The online store, Allergiesandme.com, is offering three lucky winners the chance to win a shopping spree in their store and, for the lucky First Place Winner, an autographed copy of Kelly Rudnicki’s “Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book” cookbook. Ms. Rudnicki has just released this fantastic recipe compilation full of great Dairy-free, Egg-free and Nut-free treats for the whole family.

The rules are simple. Submit an allergen-free recipe with one of the top food allergy restrictions and you could win shopping coupons of up to $150! This would help stock your pantry with many of the allergen free foods and mixes offered at www.allergiesandme.com. For more about the contest rules, go to the Allergiesandme.com homepage and follow the Recipe Contest link. This contest ends February 28^th, 2010.

So, warm up your baking pans, put on your lucky apron and share your favorite winning recipe. The Team at Allergiesandme.com wishes all of you good luck and Happy “Allergy Free” Cooking.

 Jamie Stern

 www.AllergiesAndMe.com

  

  813.641.7850

Research Study of a Coping Skills Group for Children with Food Allergy

We are pleased to pass along an announcement from Children's Hospital, Boston
about research on coping skills for children with food allergies.

See description below, including contact information, if you are interested in having your child participate.

Research Study of a Coping Skills Group for Children with Food Allergy

Children's Hospital Boston is conducting a research study to investigate the usefulness of a group program for children with food allergy ages 9 to 12 years and their parents. The group is designed to help children develop coping skills to manage food allergies, as well as manage stress and anxiety that can go along with having food allergies.  We hope that results of the study will help us to improve the services offered to children with food allergies and their families in the future.

If you participate in the study, you and your child will be asked to attend four 90-minute group sessions at Children's Hospital Boston.  Additionally, you and your child will be asked to attend two other study visits at Children's Hospital Boston: the first within two weeks prior to the first group session, and the second about a month after the last group session. During these visits, you will be asked to complete questionnaires about your child's medical history and the impact of food allergy on your and your child's quality of life. Your child will be asked to complete questionnaires about the impact of food allergies on quality of life, attitudes about food allergies, and confidence in completing allergy management tasks.  The study questionnaires will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. There is no cost to participate in the study.  Participating families will receive parking vouchers and gift certificates.

This research is being conducted by Jennifer LeBovidge, Ph.D., Michael Pistiner, M.D., M.M.Sc., and Lynda Schneider, M.D.  If you are interested in participating or have questions, please contact the study coordinator at (617) 355-2195.

News From FAAN

Deadline This Week

Time is running out to submit a nomination for the Mariel C. Furlong Awards for Making a Difference and theGrandparent Awards! All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST Friday, Jan. 15. For the past 13 years, FAAN has honored individuals, schools, and corporations that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to raise awareness or educate others about food allergies and anaphylaxis. Categories include community service (support group and awareness), food industry, health professional, and school (including separate awards for principal, nurse, teacher, and dining services).

And for those grandparents who have done an outstanding job of supporting and advocating for their grandchild, we will once again accept nominations for the second annual Grandparent Awards. To learn more or to make a nomination, visit our website.

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Food Allergy Conferences

Registration is now open for FAAN’s 17^th Annual Food Allergy Conferences, which will be held in Baltimore(March 27), Las Vegas (April 24), Tarrytown, N.Y. (May 8), and Oak Brook, Ill. (May 22). These daylong conferences will feature topics such as the psychological impact of living with food allergies, current food allergy research, managing food allergies while dining at restaurants, keeping children with food allergies safe at school, and Camp TAG, a summer camp for children who have food allergies and their siblings.

The conferences will also feature educational break-out sessions for teens, parents of teens, registered dietitians, school nurses, and caregivers such as grandparents, nannies and babysitters. To register for the conference, visit our website or call us at (800) 929-4040.

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Finding Support is Quick and Simple

Among the many user-friendly features of our newly redesigned website is the easy support group look-up tool, where visitors to the website can connect with a support group near them by searching by state or city. You’ll definitely want to pass along this link to friends and family members managing food allergies, who can benefit from connecting with others who share similar experiences.

From FAAN: Food Allergy Study Update

Hello Support Groups:

FAAN would like to share an important study with you located in Chicago, Illinois at Children’s Memorial Hospital Department of Allergy.  Please read below.  Thank you.

Children’s Memorial Hospital Food Allergy Study Update

The Children’s Memorial Food Allergy Study is gaining momentum and gearing up for a big push in 2010 to reach its goal of having 1,000 families participate in the study.

Here’s what’s new:

• The Study recently received a groundbreaking new grant from the National Institute of Health to do genetic analysis that will be the first of its kind in the country. 
• As of November 2009, nearly 600 families have enrolled so they are still looking for another 400 families to participate in the next year. 
• Study visits are now being conducted at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview.
• Evening appointments now available at the main hospital (as late as 5:00 pm).
• Saturday appointments offered once a month.
• The study is able to coordinate the blood draw with your pediatrician or allergist so there is only one poke.
• Funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Chicago Community Trust, The Food AllergyInitiative and other generous donors.

The study team is seeking families from and all over the U.S. to join, not just the Chicago metropolitan area. An eligible family has at least one food allergic child under the age of 21, and both biological parents willing to participate. Participation consists of a one-time visit at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, with optional follow-up visits every one to two years. Visits last only about two hours, medical care or insurance are not affected in any way, and participation is completely voluntary.  Participants receive Target gift cards, validated parking, and goody bags for the kids as well as this beautiful allergy keychain:

  

 What is the situation?

• Peanut allergy occurrence has doubled in the past 5 years.
• Food allergy now affects an estimated 6-8% of children in the United States.
• With the incidence of food allergies increasing so rapidly, the triggers and underlying causes of this condition need to be identified.
• Diagnostic tools are unreliable.
• Avoidance of food allergens is currently our only solution.
• We don’t understand the who, why, or when of food allergy.

 Why are 1,000 trio families needed for the study?

• To do a unique genotyping analysis, the first of its kind in the country
• To have sufficient statistical power to do a genetic analysis and be able to study more than a milliongenetic markers and environmental exposures that potentially affect food allergy.
• To build a solid foundation on which to determine the causes, find better diagnostic and treatment methods for, and eventually maybe even find a cure for food allergy.
• To research the role of genetics, the environment AND the immune system on food allergy

What can you do?

1. Enroll your family in the study.
2. Tell someone about the study. Do you know a friend, relative, neighbor or acquaintance with food allergic kids (anywhere in the country)? Share your experience!
3. Pass out the study’s brochures at your local health food store, allergist’s office, school, day care, support group meeting or pediatrician’s office.
4. Put a blurb about the study on your blog or favorite food allergy website; ask your favorite group or organization to include info about the study in their next newsletter.

So the next time you see a friend, family member, or doctor who shares your concerns about raising kids with food allergies, ask them to call 1.888.573.1833 or email allergystudy@childrensmemorial.org for more information. The study needs to reach its goal by the end of 2010!  Doing something that simple can have a big impact on our understanding of the causes of food allergies in children.  Let’s get the word out!

Kind Regards,

Eleanor Garrow-Majka

Vice President of Education & Outreach

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

At last night's meeting we shared some favorite holiday recipes. Mine is below. It is a traditional recipe with no modifications. (It comes out great with Ener-G egg replacer.) Have a favorite recipe, send it to me and I'll post it on the blog.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

2/3 cup cooking oil

1 c sugar

1 c molasses

1 egg (or egg replacer equivalent)

3 tsp baking soda, dissolved in 1/2cup boiling water

5 ½ c flour

3 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Beat together oil & sugar. Add molasses & mix well. Add boiling water/soda. Add egg. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Chill several hours or overnight. Roll out to ¼ inch thick on floured & sugared board. Cut cookies & bake on greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes in 400 oven. Watch carefully.

This recipe is at least 150 years old. These are fat, puffy gingerbread cookies that make excellent gingerbread boys & girls. Makes oodles of cookies!

"Caution: Relatives Ahead"

It can be stressful dealing with relatives who don't understand your child's food allergies. Check out this article by M. Carolyn Black from Allergic Living Magazine.
Food Allergy: Caution, Relatives Ahead

Allergy Friendly Cookies

Allergic Living Magazine has ideas for allergy-friendly cookies for the holidays.