Podcast Episode 2 – Food Sensitivities, Intolerances, Allergies, Oh My!

In this episode we are discussing how to creatively solve for food sensitivities, intolerances and allergies within family and corporate situations.

With over 3 million new cases of food intolerances reported each year in the US and growing awareness of intolerances and allergies, how do we deal with food sensitives in family get togethers? Networking and corporate dinners? Or look at ways to creatively solve the isolation of a food sensitivity? How do you make a thanksgiving dinner to accommodate everyone’s food intolerances? How do you handle a gluten free situation while eating out? How about a glucose intolerance and family gatherings?

Websites Mentioned:

• P.H.A.C.T. (Parents Having Allergic Children Team) in Chester County, PA, http://www.phactfoodallergy.com/online-resources.html and http://www.PHACTfoodallergy.com/
• F.E.A.S.T. (Food and Environmental Allergy Support Team) in the Philadelphia area – http://www.feastofthemainline.org/aboutus.html
• Nationally prominent food allergy research and education groups, FARE and FAACT
• The Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP): lists certified restaurants (chain and independent restaurants) throughout the United States and a few in Canada. All have undergone rigorous menu and restaurant audit. Searches can be done by city, state and zip code. Website: www.glutenfreerestaurants.org.
• Triumph Dining: publishes The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide, a directory that contains more than 5,000 gluten-free establishments, including 80-plus chains. Triumph also sells a product guide and dining cards in many languages. Website: www.triumphdining.com.
• Gluten-Free Passport:  specializes in tools and tips for dining out and traveling. Website: www.glutenfreepassport.com.
• Gluten Free Travel Site: www.glutenfreetravelsite.com features information on restaurants (chains and independent restaurants), grocery stores, resorts, cruises and more. Each year, readers vote for the most gluten free -friendly destination. Two years ago, it was New York City. Last year’s winner was Disneyworld. In 2012 – Philadelphia actually gained this award! Who knew Philly Cheese steaks could be gluten free.

Full Summary:

Research publications in the US National Library of Medicine tell us that there is evidence indicating that food allergies are increasing in Western populations. The most common food allergens are:  cow’s milk, hen’s eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts.  While it appears that these allergies occur more often in developed countries, more rigorous research is needed.  Even in Western countries, most of what is known about food allergies has been collected through questionnaires and self-reporting, rather than diagnostic testing.  It is still not known what causes these allergies, why they are on the rise, and why they persist into adulthood.

When you learn that you have food sensitivities or that you are the parent of a child or children with food allergies, daily life can be overwhelming.  The constant vigilance that is needed is often stressful and anxiety-provoking.  Every nutrition choice must be deliberate.  You have to consider – not only every ingredient of every food – but, also, how the food was prepared in order to weigh the risk for cross-contamination.

In addition, when you live with food allergies, you have to educate your communities including relatives, neighbors, teachers, friends, and colleagues.

What questions we plan to answer:

• Tips on how to enjoy social settings while not risking your health
• Some strategies to help you to live well with food sensitivities and allergies
• Resources to help you to stay informed about scientific learnings and treatments for food allergies

Linda – Food is part of being social

Can you imagine celebrating a birthday without cake and ice cream?  Or watching the Super Bowl game without chips and dip?  For an increasing number of people, foregoing these and other foods is not a choice; it is a requirement that is essential for daily survival.  For those with food sensitivities and allergies, social gatherings pose challenges and often bring a lot of anxiety.  The tedious investigation of food labels and beverages is a daily ritual.  Any lapse in vigilance can have serious, even life-threatening consequences.  This has been the life of my sister-in-law, Helen, who has three boys with varying food allergies.

Perhaps fortunately, Helen is a caterer and events planner.  Over the years she has wowed us again and again with her celebration innovations.    As years passed, we learned an adult relative has Celiac disease and her daughters have gluten sensitivities.  For a few years this challenged our holiday gatherings.  When dinner was ready, the family would separate as everyone headed for the appropriate food stations.

Perhaps miraculously one Thanksgiving, Helen decided she wanted to have the family enjoy the meal together.  Being the creative chef that she is, Helen found a way to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving feast complete with stuffing and all the fixings that accommodated the dairy, nut, and gluten allergies in the family.  The food was delicious and many of us could not believe how she so masterfully accommodated everyone.  Let’s face it those without allergies want to enjoy the traditional holiday treats.  Helen showed us how she was able to ingeniously innovate a holiday menu to the joy and delight of everyone.

So how did she do it?!  Perhaps most importantly Helen began by believing it could be done.  It is so easy to become overwhelmed.  Here’s a suggestion when planning a complex meal, consider the core ingredients and essential features for each beloved dish.  These include flavor, texture, and smell, even color.  Helen creates the luscious texture and aroma of stuffing with gluten-free ingredients.  She ingeniously substitutes and spices her dishes.  She also approaches her menus like the conductor of an orchestra; she artfully prepares dishes that compliment each other to enhance the overall dining experience.

Those who live life with food allergies know that there is not a wealth of information and resources to support them.  Fortunately there are advocacy groups like P.H.A.C.T. (Parents Having Allergic Children Team) in Chester County, PA, and F.E.A.S.T. (Food and Environmental Allergy Support Team) in the Philadelphia area.  PHACT was founded in 2004 by young mother who came to feel frustrated and isolated due to the lack of resources to support parents of children with food allergies.  She was certain that there were other parents like her, so she started PHACT as a Yahoo group so mom’s could have a night out to connect and learn from each other.

The group’s mission is to help families who manage food allergies to connect with each other and support each other, so that they and their children may thrive. PHACT has a Facebook page where parents may exchange information and support. It is recognized by the nationally prominent food allergy research and education groups, FARE and FAACT.  Doctors who diagnose children with allergies point parents to the FARE website to learn about advocacy groups near them.

In PA there is State-approved training and certification available through the advocacy group FARE.  People who complete the training and certification often provide training at no charge for restaurants, cafeteria staff at businesses and in schools.  One woman trainer shared that she believes that by raising awareness and providing education for the community, she builds an important bridge to enable families with food allergies to engage fully within their communities.  Certainly when families are welcome and able to engage fully in their communities, the local businesses benefit too.

With incidence of food allergies increasing, all businesses and community groups should learn how becoming food allergy aware can be simple yet life-saving.

Mary – Gluten Free at a restaurant

Living with a chronic digestive problems that occur after a certain food is eaten can create awkward moments over a meal. While we can only hide so much around food sensitivities. When the rolls are being passed around the table and you don’t take one. Or when someone offers coffee and you say ‘no thank you.’ Or when offered dessert you have to say ‘no’ – It makes one look like a picky eater or an awkward conversation of why I can’t eat something.

Before: When someone would ask me to coffee and I would order hot chocolate … it was like I was a kid, now …

Thankfully there has been change happening for the gluten sensitive community and in a recent report, most restaurants will see a 14 percent increase in revenue from offering a gluten-free menu so there is incentive to change. Education of restaurant staff is key. Training must be applied in a way that is practical and can be understood by everyone, from dishwashers and servers to the chefs.

For example, one of my favorite restaurants Red Robin trains staff to ask if the gluten sensitivity is an allergy or preference so they can better educate the customer on their choices.

What questions do you ask the restaurant?

• Call ahead and make a reservation and inform the staff of your allergies when you call. Try to call during non-peak hours to get better attention.
•  Bring a typed card that lists your allergies. It is helpful for the chef and is helpful when traveling to new places and translating ahead of time.
•  Ask until you feel comfortable.
• The key to safety is to be vigilant and to ask questions.What procedures are in place at the restaurant to ensure a safe meal that is free of gluten? How does the kitchen staff become aware of your dietary needs? Does the chef know all the ingredients in your dish?
• Don’t assume.Confirm that the waiter understands the diet restrictions. Double-check when your meal arrives to be sure you have received the correct plate. (The waiter who took your order may not be the same person who delivers your plate.)
• People with food allergies are wise to seek out restaurants that have gluten-free menus.An establishment that is knowledgeable about one type of special diet is better able to accommodate another.

How do you respond to questions about food sensitivity from co-workers?

• I try to use the moment to educate between preference, intolerance and allergy. If I really don’t like it, then I say it just not my type of food and it is my preference not to eat it. Such as it is my preference not to eat sugar. If I have a certain intolerance to gluten – then I say I am have a food intolerance to gluten and that I avoid gluten and caffeine products. If I did have a true allergy then I would state my allergies and the severity so people would know that I may need assistance if I were to encounter this or to inform me of the menu ingredients.

Summary of helpful tips:

• Do ask questions
• Don’t be afraid to say ‘NO THANK YOU’
• Use this as a moment to teach others to gain awareness to food sensitivity
• Other great resources that can be found on the show notes:
• The Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP): lists certified restaurants (chain and independent restaurants) throughout the United States and a few in Canada. All have undergone rigorous menu and restaurant audit. Searches can be done by city, state and zip code. Website: www.glutenfreerestaurants.org.
• Triumph Dining: publishes The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide, a directory that contains more than 5,000 gluten-free establishments, including 80-plus chains. Triumph also sells a product guide and dining cards in many languages. Website: www.triumphdining.com.
• Gluten-Free Passport:  specializes in tools and tips for dining out and traveling. Website: www.glutenfreepassport.com.
• Gluten Free Travel Site: www.glutenfreetravelsite.com features information on restaurants (chains and independent restaurants), grocery stores, resorts, cruises and more. Each year, readers vote for the most gluten free -friendly destination. Two years ago, it was New York City. Last year’s winner was Disneyworld. In 2012 – Philadelphia actually gained this award! Who knew Philly Cheese steaks could be gluten free.

Glucose Intolerance – Melisa

• This past year I was diagnosed with a different type of intolerance than Mary which is called glucose-intolerance or prediabetes. I was in denial as I didn’t have the typical risk factors. I have no family history; low BMI weight; exercise everyday; my blood pressure is perfect and my HDL cholesterol/ triglycerides are normal. I even have a normal fasting blood glucose. But then I had a blood test called AIC that averages your glucose or sugar for 3 months; it told a different story! My doctor told me you have prediabetes; cut back on carbs & sugars and walked out of the room.
• It was scary to find out 70% of prediabetics will go on to have Type 2 Diabetes. Having too much glucose in the blood stream can cause damage to your blood vessels which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve problems.

So I decided I need to deal with this new diagnosis head-on.

• First I went back to the doctor’s office and asked the nurse for a free glucose meter. I taught myself how to test and found out just on 2 bowls of cheerios my glucose was high…about 200mg/dl! Which is not good!
• Second I researched information on what level your glucose should be at; what foods to eat; and how many carbs per meal.

What specific tactics did you take to start to prevent diabetes? 

Started to test all the meals I ate with my glucose monitor. I figured out the foods and number of carb grams per meal that resulted in higher glucose levels. So to find out how many carb grams in your meals just go on any app like MyFitnessPal or loseit. Now I only eat meals with limit of 15 carb grams per meal not including vegetables. So the moto is EAT TO YOUR METER!  This way you are listening to your own body.

I increased my green vegetables to 7-10 cups a day whether in salads or shakes for lunch or as 2 sides for dinner. I only eat berries for fruit.

I recreate foods that are low carb: I bake my own almond/coconut flour crispy crackers & freeze chocolate avocado ice cream and yesterday I made baked taco shells from green squash & cheese. These are all on Pinterest.

So how do you resist eating carbs….as carbs are everywhere…at the mall, out to dinner, every street corner and 70% of the grocery store?  

I had to totally change my mindset about food…not what my stomach or brain says I want but what is good for my body. Some foods now to me are “unsafe” just like an allergy. If Cheerios raised my glucose level; it’s cut out of my life. I stopped eating high carb foods like crackers, bread, cakes, cookies, popcorn, pies, cereal, pancakes, waffles, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. You can make a choice between controlling your glucose with diet or suffering the complications. Let’s see… eating Cheerios or getting my foot amputated someday? It may not seem that simple but in reality it is. Will you control your disease or will it control you? To me the choice is clear.

So how do deal with resisting carbs at special occasions like large family dinners?  

I plan out my meals at home and when going to family dinners, like Thanksgiving where most people eat 2,000 calories at one sitting. Last Thanksgiving I called my sister-in-law and asked if I could bring an appetizer like vegetables with a dip. Then I fill up on those first. I can eat as much turkey with gravy as I want. Then I pick my favorite carb like ½ cup of stuffing with gravy to eat but eliminate the bread and potatoes.

Recap:

• Problem: You may be just diagnosed with prediabetes and not know where to start.
• Solution: We need to face our issues head on by learning about our medical condition. You need to break free of what used to be your eating habits and now do a paradigm shift of what your body needs to eat. Change your future life story by getting the strength and determination from within.
• Action items: 1. Eat by reading your glucose meter and setting limits. 2. Change your mindset about your thinking about food and what is good for your body. 3. Plan out your food strategy away from home.
• Results: You now have more control over the situation.

We hope you enjoyed today’s podcast. Feedback is always important to us. You can leave a comment on our website and let us know what you think and how you handle food sensitivities.

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