Food Allergy Awareness & Food Bullying

We embarked on a commitment and journey about a year ago in hopes to eventually achieve food freedom for Liam. Actually, it began about 3 years ago. At that time, Liam had incurred several food bullying incidents at school. Classmates did not believe him with his food sensitivities and intolerances, and tried to trick him into eating foods that would trigger varying degrees of reaction. There were instances of taunting and using food as a threat against him. Liam does have a 504 plan to protect him, but kids are kids, people are people, and incidents still happen.

https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics

August 10-12, 2017. First time with a serious reaction. We picked Liam up from a YMCA summer camp. Supposedly he was separated from the kids eating peanut butter sandwiches. There was no confirmed information on the allergen and exact cause. Suspected peanut cross-contamination.

We didn't know the extent of his reaction, the next morning Liam was found with his face so swollen, he was in pain and could not open his eyes. We were lucky it was external swelling versus internal swelling over the night.

This was 1 day after our ER visit where he was put on immediate steriod treatment to dampen the immune system and reduce swelling. It would take a week before his face returned back to normal.

As Liam aged, the trigger mechanisms and his reactions became more worrisome. One instance he had swelling so intense, it was as large as a softball, sticking out on the side of his neck like a grotesque disfigurement of a tumor. Lucky for us, Liam's reactions up to this point had been external swelling, Angioedema, instead of the internal swelling, which results in Anaphylaxis. 

October 26, 2019 - Waiting in the ER after reaction to ingestion of 1/4th of a donut with peanut crumbs. Angioedema starting to kick in below his right ear. At this point his jaw was hurting and he was having a hard time moving or swallowing.

Emergency trips to the ER are a regular yearly occurrence (I do not have photos of every incident), where he would be given doses of steroids to dampen his immune system, and take a week's time for recovery. As a family, juggling everyone's schedules and time, it was always in the back of our minds not if, but when the next occurrence would happen. This was our standard life of a family that lives and deals with a child with severe food allergies. At the allergist, we were also lectured on not being careful enough, that Liam had experienced way too many incidents and we had to do better because there is never a guarantee or a predictor of how severe the next reaction could be. The allergist was right. Each and every failure should be able to be prevented, yet we didn't know how to protect him from the actions of others.

Ryan learned about the one-of-the-kind SoCal Food Allergy Institute program through word of mouth and researched it. Fairly new research program, about 10+ years old, that uses biotech research combined with artificial intelligence. Highly sophisticated and complex methodologies are used to evaluate hundreds of biomarkers across allergen proteins to the individual's immune system's state of allergic potential and analyzes the comprehensive data through diagnostics with big data analytics, combining applied mathematics, machine learning models, and complex diagnostic evaluation. Science and data, not guess work. We knew this program is a life changing potential, though it is time intensive, requires full commitment, expensive, yet with a high rate of success... and so we signed Liam up, 3 years ago. This program has patients from all over the country that fly in for regular appointments and we were number 2600+ on the waitlist.

A misconception of food allergies is that it is assumed if a person is allergic to say, peanuts, that oh, you just avoid peanuts. However, it could be more than just peanut. There are foods with similar protein makeup, while it may not be as severe in symptomatic response, are still foods that can trigger negative symptoms - bloating, gas, itchiness, hives, stomach aches, etc. Peanuts have proteins similar to those of other nuts as well as legumes. 

We didn't expect to get into this program for many years later, but with Covid hitting, families putting the program on hold due to restricted travels, and the institute expanding, Liam was able to be admitted into this program at the end of 2020. I did not know if we could commit, as Covid had impacted Ryan's business significantly and the financial costs are not light, the time commitments to prepare and cook daily foods for him to eat for years to come, and the doctor's appointments, 2 days every 6 weeks where we need to pause our schedules, to drive up to Long Beach for progressive food challenges and progress evaluations. Full commitment is required for the success of the program, and it is not an easy commitment because it demands a lot of time. But then, how could we not commit?

His sensitivities and reactions were getting worse, and always potential for life threatening. And in Dec 2020, instead of the traditional allergist office that can run only a few selected sample of skin prick test or even blood draw analysis on selected foods, which provide a limited and sometimes inaccurate scope of allergic foods, we finally had SOCAI's (SoCal Allergy Institute) scientific data and evidence from his blood draw and biomarker comparisons to know the actual gauge of all the foods that he is intolerant to and the varying levels from borderline intolerances, to sensitivities, and then to severe anaphylaxis. Knowing the exact foods, the relationship of the similar foods, have reinforced what I had observed and experienced before as foods that are harmful for Liam. 

Nice visual summary

* Peanuts, Hazelnut, Almonds, Soy, Pea, Chickpea, Lentil, and beans are all in one category of similar proteins with varying food allergy reactions, from borderline intolerance to anaphylaxis. 
* Cashew, pistachio, and macadamia are another category of similar proteins with varying severity. 
* Walnut, pecan, Brazil nut, Chestnut, pine nut, and coconut are another category. 
* Sesame seed, sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds, flax, mustard, poppy and chia are yet another category. This category explains why Liam used to get stomach aches when I fed him Dave's muli-grain Killer Bread thinking it was a more nutrient dense bread for lunches versus plain white bread.
* And then there's another group with seafood. 

Liam has been in the Tolerance Induction Program for 10+ months, and it's no joke, it is not easy. While there are different groups of food that affect him in the list above, in the program, we are focused on addressing the ones that are anaphylactic.The rest of the foods, we practice avoidance. The program works to slowly and gradually increase his tolerance so that one day, he can eat the severe anaphylactic foods without his body trying to kill him.

This will take years, assuming he can stay consistent and on track, as his body is stressed every single day. He takes adult dosage antihistamines every day as well, to dampen his immune system's response. And once he graduates from the program, he is in remission, he still needs to follow a maintenance program to upkeep the tolerance, and continue to do yearly blood testing for comprehensive data analysis comparison with biomarkers. There are cases where a graduate doesn't do due diligence with following the maintenance, and then becomes allergic again and has to go back to actively doing TIP again. 

Food allergies are not like an illness that has a "cure". It is lifelong. The foods above are foods that make him sick to varying degrees, that we hope he will be tolerant of one day. Tolerant. Tolerance is not thriving, and while he may one day be tolerant, these are still foods that his body naturally rejects.

Part of the reason for this post is to bring awareness to food allergies and give a glimpse of how it impacts. Another is to highlight that food bullying exists, from childhood to adulthood, due to a real lack of understanding from others that have not had the experience of food allergies and the struggles with it. Others may have strong convictions on what and what not to eat based on internet researched rhetoric of ethical diets or lifestyles. That is dangerous. What you eat is a personal choice as every individual's body responds different to foods. Food allergies are one very valid reason for that. And no one other than a certified nutritionist and allergists that understands your body's metabolism and reactions, can tell you what will be nutritionally sound and healthy for your own body. 

100% Paleo

Emilia and I had a healthy, pancake treat this morning! Paleo pancakes made from only two ingredients - bananas and eggs. Added some cut up strawberries, and, just in case syrup was needed, I have Coconut nectar. But no sweetener was required since the pancakes were delicious as is!

At the end of last year, especially with the holidays and the inability to exercise, I fell off the Paleo-eating lifestyle. I definitely notice there is a difference in energy level. I was more sluggish and more "bloated" associated with the intake of sugars and grains. My weight had gone back up a few pounds as well.

So, I love New Years and always use it as a kick-start to get back into positive habits. Since January, I have been focusing on healthy habits... going to sleep earlier (no late night bloggings anymore), getting consistent exercise and knee rehab, and back to eating Paleo. In fact, my former chiropractor was hosting an "8-Week Paleo Challenge" which I signed up for as extra motivation.

The Paleo Challenge starts and ends with hydrostatic body fat and composition measurements, which is known as the gold standard (most accurate) for body fat measurements. We have a scale at home that does have body composition measurement breakdown through bioelectrical impedance analysis and I have always measured in the "athletic" range.. which is where I want and expect to be. The bioelectrical impedance analysis though is not as accurate, and now I know, it is actually 3-4% lower than actual. I always thought I was in the athletic range and attributed it to good family genes, but now I know.. nope. If I want to be athletic, then I have to work for it. So, it was an eye opener getting my initial accurate body composition numbers. Yup. Knee injury was my excuse to becoming "lazy", and the numbers reflect it.

I am mentally back on track with being disciplined and consistent. Currently I am at the half-way point of the Paleo Challenge and it feels great to be 100% Paleo. My energy is back up and I can tackle the early morning workouts and also still have good amount of energy for the rest of the day. Weight is back down to where I like it to be. Two years ago I would have thought being 100% Paleo is crazy. Now, I am surprised it took me this long to optimize my food intake for efficient body performance.

A misconception people have of the Paleo diet, is that it means you get free range to eat any and all kinds of meat. Not true. You should still eat a balanced diet with meat consumption in moderation and other details such as eating in a way to naturally balance out your body's omega6 to omega3 ratios. I modify the Paleo for what works best for my body - lean protein, lots of variety of veggies and fruits. No processed foods, refined sugars, grains, beans, dairy, or nuts for me. (Nuts are Paleo, but I always feel not right when I eat nuts. Besides, Liam is allergic to nuts.) Family sort of goes along with it since I'm the one doing the shopping! We eat organic turkey, chicken/eggs, and bison meat (also sardines and beef tendon, though only me). All other meats are once in a while.

I aim to eat a pound of leafy greens a day (based on reading recommended nutritional intake from several sources from the raw food community), and 2-3 servings of fruit. On top of that, I try to eat foods that lower the omega6 intake and increase the omega3s. And yes, I DO have dessert! Healthy dessert. The kids and I eat banana strawberry "ice cream" almost every weekend. I recently tried Paleo brownies with yams and unsweetened cocoa powder. The texture is cakey-like and tastes very similar to a brownie if you follow the instructions. I would, however, next time, reduced the amount of sweetener to 1/8th cup, reduce the coconut oil/butter to 1/8th cup, and increase the cocoa powder by 1 Tbsp. This would still give a brownie-like treat, but lightening it a little.

And, since we have avos that fell off the trees from the recent storm... another avo recipe! Avocado Chocolate Mousse recipe! Super easy and decadent.

All in all, I am finally at a point where I am happy with my way of eating. It has taken 2 years to change to a healthier eating lifestyle and it now comes natural and easy without feeling like I am "missing out". As Paleo is becoming more main stream, there are even friends and co-workers that have started to go Paleo 80% and have felt the benefits. We share recipes, and help with research and discuss the finer details of what we should eat to optimize nutrition intake. So.. going Paleo, one of my 2012 New Years Resolution, is finally complete! Now I need to continue with getting my knee back to 100% so I can to catch up and complete the rest of the goals from 2012 and 2013!

Food Allergy Awareness

Ryan and I both have food allergies. Ryan is lactose-intolerant. Both of us have adverse reactions to certain high-fat content foods. My throat feels like it closes up and a sore throat occurs. In addition to the self-diagnosed allergies, I also have random skin sensitivity and rashes. Emilia and Liam also both have skin sensitivities. So given our background, I would think I should be more aware.

We recently started Liam on solids and went with the conventional rice cereal. Ryan fed Liam a few bites, and for the next hour, Liam kept burping and spitting up. Didn't think much of it since it was one of his first solids. We continued with solids here and there over the next month, trying some banana and avocado and sweet potato. Liam finally got the hang of opening his mouth, moving his tongue, and swallowing food. Yea! So one night, the sweet potato was too watery, and without really thinking about it, I mixed in some baby rice cereal. Liam was doing awesome and eating all of it. He had eaten sweet potato earlier and had no reaction, so I thought all was good. We put him to bed and he fell sound asleep quickly. A little after midnight, there were gurgling noises coming from his crib and I knew something was wrong. His body was heaving and he started vomiting. Needless to say, the next 1-2 hours were spent with Ryan and I cleaning his crib, giving him a bath, and checking up on him. He continued to have burpings and threw up (just a little) again.

While this is not conclusive for a rice cereal allergy (not common but does exist) and it may be his young system in development, it reminds me that there are food allergies and families that deal with severe food allergies on a daily basis. In fact, people may have minor food allergies and not even be aware of it. My knowledge and awareness has increased especially with going on the Paleo diet/lifestyle, which in short, is dairy-free, gluten-free/grain-free, and legume-free. I have become much more aware of how difficult (and also how easy with the right tools) it is to live with food restrictions in a non-allergic friendly and highly-processed-food society. Luckily for me, the food restrictions are by choice without any adverse effects. Imagine if it isn't!

I have been following a blog, getallergywise.blogspot.com, co-authored by some moms I went to high school with, that document life with severely allergic kids. It definitely sheds light on how different of a life one would have, as a parent, to add something that seems so benign as "eating food" to the list of things that could harm your kid and how one simple lapse is dangerous.

I had taken Emilia to a birthday party recently and with her toddler-ways and a baby boy to tend to, I did not 100% keep track of Emilia. Next thing you know, she's eaten half of a chocolate chip cookie that someone gave her. It happened twice, and while I was not happy that her first tastes of chocolate came from a stranger and she had an overdose of sugar high, Emilia does not have any known food allergies and therefore it was not a freakout moment. I really hope that Liam does not have food allergies. We have yet to see. This does remind me to be diligently cautious when introducing foods to him, and also how fortunate the rest of us without major food allergies are!

A note to end on, while I am not 100% Paleo anymore (that'll be a different post), I take away a lot of positive changes from it and stick with being mostly dairy-free and gluten-free (not grain free though). I do think there may be sensitivities to dairy and gluten, as since being off of them, I have found that my skin rashes occur much less. Could it be from the change in diet and eliminating certain foods?..maybe.. maybe not? Whatever it is, the current lifestyle is working and sure beats going to the docs and taking medication. Last note, please do not feed any kids without first checking with the parents!

Health and Diet

Part of getting ready for the zombie apocalypse is not only incorporating exercise and being fit, but striving to eat healthier than we already do. Luckily for us, it's a lifestyle that comes naturally to us and we are surrounded by lots of friends and family that are very much into healthy living and eating, and it's an interest that we like to talk about and share information. Ultimately, I think a diet is very personal. It's about what one's goals are. A diet for a runner is different than a weight-lifter; a diet for a sedentary lifestyle is different than someone on-the-go, etc.

Here's a recent article that examines the latest popular diets and rates them for best overall.
Best Overall Diets

I was initially checking out the Paleo diet as a means to get back into shape and build muscle, but have since decided against it. Ultimately, the best diet is to listen to your body... what foods make you feel more alert and active and gives you more energy. What food doesn't? I love chocolate and cheese and fatty meats, but at the end of the day, I feel like a lazy slug if I eat that stuff. For me... and my family, it boils down to being dairy-free, minimize processed foods, and incorporating a lot of veggies is key. We have since doubled our intake of green, leafy veggies. We have gone from 6 bunches to 12 bunches of Asian greens a week. We also incorporate lean protein, antibiotic free and hormone free.. organic if possible.

Anyhow, this post is just to get some information on our blog. I encourage adaptation to a healthy lifestyle and eating. Not just because it's "good" for you, but because healthy eating simply makes you "feel" better. At least, I do. With 5-6 hours of sleep a night, I need all the healthy I can get so that I can get through the day. And it's working!