Sure Foods Living – gluten-free and allergen-free living

Children with low vitamin D levels were found to be 2.4 times more likely to be allergic to peanuts than children with adequate vitamin D levels, researchers discovered, according to a new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This was just one of 17 allergens tested in kids with vitamin D deficiency. These children were also more likely to be allergic to 11 of the 17 allergens tested, which included both environmental (such as oak and ragweed) and food (such as shrimp) allergens.

What does this mean? Researchers aren’t quite sure what the link means, but there has been a lot of emerging research about vitamin D deficiency and also about the role of vitamin D in protecting against various health conditions. Food allergies, like many other immune conditions, are on the rise, as is vitamin D deficiency.

In 2010 the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D were raised to 400 IU/day for infants, 600 IU/day for people age 1-70, and 800 IU/day for those over 70 years old. In addition, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), meaning the dose at which there are no known adverse effects, was set at 4,000 IU/day for people age 9 or older, with gradually lower amounts for lower ages. See the National Institutes of Health Vitamin D fact sheet for more information.

These new RDA levels for vitamin D, though higher than before, are thought to be still too low, according to many researchers, doctors and health practitioners. I personally supplement with vitamin D (my levels tested low) and give my kids vitamin D supplements on the advice of a nutritionist and based on my own research. My experience is not meant to be taken as medical advice. I suggest that you see a health professional for his/her recommendations on vitamin D supplementation, especially if you suffer from any chronic health condition.

If you have undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you may be at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Vikki Petersen explains the correlation very well in this video:

Research continues, and there’s a lot more to learn about vitamin D and its crucial role in our health.

Tonight my girls chowed down a plate of kale and fought over the last bite, which I then had to split in half. No, I’m not magic! The kale tasted good. Take it from my 4 year old who looked at it and said “Yuck” and then tasted it and said “Yum!” It feels good to watch your kids eat such a powerhouse veggie, packed with vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B6, and magnesium! Plus, it’s in season now (winter).

I was first introduced to the idea of kale chips by Michelle of What’s Cooking With Kids many months ago when she shared with me her simple recipe as we walked through the Marin farmer’s market. Combining her instructions, a few tips from Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, and my own advice, I am sharing how I made the kale chips that my daughters loved so much.

KALE CHIPS

Ingredients:

• One bunch of organic kale (try to get Lacinato kale, otherwise known as Dinosaur or Tuscan kale — the hearty leaves are dark blue-green) UPDATE: I’ve decided I like regular old green kale better for chips and it is easy to break the leaves off the stem.
• Olive oil
• Salt (I prefer fine grain sea salt for these chips)

Directions:

1. Wash the kale leaves and spin dry in a salad spinner, or dry with a towel or paper towels. CONTINUE READING »

Well, it happened. My daughter had an allergic reaction on her 6th day of 1st grade. She never had a reaction when she was in kindergarten at the same school, and at first I couldn’t even figure out what had happened. But the mystery has been solved and I am left wondering how far I should go to protect my daughter.

Here’s what happened:

The school called me to tell me that my daughter was coughing and couldn’t stop, that she had left class and was in the office. They gave her water, but that didn’t help. I wasn’t thinking food allergy at all. I was thinking that she had a tickle in her throat, or maybe allergies to pollen. I didn’t react like it was an emergency. I headed for the school.

When I reached the school, her coughing had gotten worse and she couldn’t stop. Her breathing was affected, but she told me that she hadn’t eaten any food yet that day (it was still early). I was still trying to figure out what could have happened and asked her a bunch of questions as I drove her home. She was still coughing uncontrollably. At home I gave her Benadryl and waited. Luckily, her coughing gradually subsided and her breathing was better.

Later that day I spoke to the teacher and told her that I couldn’t figure out what happened to my daughter but that it seemed like an allergic reaction. The teacher’s eyes got wide and she said, “Ask her if she was playing with Julia. She had a big glob of peanut butter on her shirt and I sent her to the bathroom to wash it off.”

Now, my daughter has never had peanuts in her life, nor has she had a reaction to peanuts. She tested positive for peanuts on the allergy test along with other nuts, so we are very careful, but it has never been tested in real life. Until now.

I asked her if she had played with Julia. No, she said. I asked her again if she played with Julia. No, she said again. Hmmm… I asked her if she touched her shirt by any chance? Yes! Why?? “Because her shirt was fuzzy and she said I could feel it if I wanted.” Bingo! Later I confirmed that the girl in her class had eaten some of her peanut butter sandwich at recess. My daughter touched the girls’s shirt right after recess and then her reaction started. Most likely my daughter put her fingers in her mouth as she sometimes does when she is doing her work.

According to the Food Allergy Action Plan given to me and to the school by our doctor, her coughing was a reaction that warranted the use of an epinephrine injection (Epi-Pen) because her throat and lungs were being affected, and the reaction can suddenly get more severe, leading to anaphylaxis. Because I didn’t think there was food involved, I was so slow to react. I’m not sure if I am in denial or just plain dumb, but this has been a real wake up call for me. I have a whole new perspective on the benefits of having a school be nut-free, but I am not sure I am ready to lead that fight, or even if I feel it is necessary, but it sure would be nice.

I know there are parents out there who feel that making a nut-free school puts a burden on them as parents of the non-nut-free kids. I know there are lots of children with issues surrounding food, but honestly, when you think about the fact that a child could die from touching a kid’s shirt, doesn’t it put things in perspective?

I don’t really know where I’m going with this post, but I hope to at least raise some awareness about the dangers that kids with food allergies face. If you know your child’s friend has a life-threatening food allergy, talk to your child about it and suggest that he/she doesn’t bring that food item to school. Just today, one of my daughter’s friends told her dad to pack her a salami sandwich instead of peanut butter so that she could sit near my daughter at lunch. Kids are amazingly receptive and thoughtful when it comes down to it.  The grown-ups sometimes are the ones who need the convincing!

Last night my daughter ate a dinner of pasta (gluten-free) with a sauce of olive oil-sauteed red onions, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and chicken apple sausage. There was nothing left in her bowl… not because she is an amazing kid who eats anything, but because tonight she cooked it with me.

Let me back up a bit and introduce you to Michelle Stern of What’s Cooking. I was introduced to Michelle on Twitter by Stephanie O’Dea, the Crockpot Lady — this is the virtual blogger world that I live in, but we all live in the Bay Area and I now know them as real people. Michelle teaches cooking to kids. She has built a business around it, not because she is a businesswoman as much as she is a teacher, which is where she and I really connected. It turns out that she was a student teacher for a science class at the same high school where I was teaching history. Our paths didn’t cross at that time, but here we are now!

Michelle’s work inspires me to get my kids more involved in cooking and understanding where their food comes from. Her blog is full of great advice… recently she gave two tips for cooking with kids:

1. “Let go of perfection.” – I don’t know about you, but this is a hard one for me!
2. “Let kids DO.” – seems obvious, but this is easy to forget.
3. And I would like to add: “Have patience.” Give them time to learn.

Michelle and I met up for the first time at the farmer’s market where she encouraged me to buy kale to make kale chips (they were yummy!) Her passion has stuck with me since that day, although I really do forget to involve my kids enough in food preparation.

But not last night! Last night my daughter cut cherry tomatoes in half with a serrated knife for the first time. I taught her how to hold the knife, how to hold the tomato and how to cut with a forward and back motion. She was so proud of herself. (If your child isn’t ready to use a sharp knife, you can let him/her use a butter knife to cut olives, as shown in the picture.) She also stood at the stove on a step stool and stirred, as I added each ingredient. The result was that she felt that she cooked the dinner, and so of course she thought it was delicious! (Bonus: little sis also ate most of it, even the yellow peppers, because big sis was eating it!)

Involving your children in the preparation and cooking of healthy food helps them to appreciate it, understand it, and best of all — eat it!

I grew up opening those little packets of Quaker Instant Oatmeal — I can remember the smell and taste of the Maple & Brown Sugar flavor and how all the sugary stuff came out at the end. Since most commercial oats, Quaker included, contain gluten because of the contamination with wheat, only “gluten-free oats” are considered safe for a gluten-free diet.

I have tried other gluten-free hot cereals, and some are very satisfying, but my favorite (and my daughter’s favorite) is Eco-Planet Organics Instant Hot Cereal. Maple & Brown Sugar flavor of course!

The hot cereal contains 7 whole gluten-free grains: oats, buckwheat, sorghum, brown rice, puffed amaranth, quinoa and millet. It also contains flaxseeds and chia seeds! There are three flavors: Original, Apples & Cinnamon and Maple & Brown Sugar. The product is made in a dedicated gluten-free facility, tested for the presence of gluten, and certified gluten-free. It is also free of the top 8 allergens.

The ingredients of the Maple & Brown Sugar flavor are:
Organic Instant Rolled Oats, Organic Puffed Amaranth, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Maple Flavor (Organic Brown Sugar, Natural Maple Flavor), Organic Chicory Root Powder, Organic Flaxseed Flour, Chia Flour, Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Sorghum Flour, Organic Quinoa Flour, Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Millet Flour.

This is a satisfying, delicious and quick breakfast. Healthy too — there are 5 grams of protein and 500 mg of Omega-3s in every serving. Add your own fruit or nuts for variety.

Eco-Planet Instant Hot Cereal is available in natural foods stores and online. Contact the company directly for more details.

Did you enjoy summer camp as a child? Have you been hoping your child would have the same opportunity to learn and grow in a summer camp environment? This can be difficult, even impossible, if your child struggles with food related health problems. That is why Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake in Michigan (www.campwestminster.com) is offering camp opportunities for children who require special menus. GFCF camp will be the week of June 20-26, 2010.

The summer camp program allows children and youth to develop a sense of responsibility and self-worth in a Christian community. The enthusiastic, gifted, and multicultural staff are carefully selected and thoroughly trained. The camp director is year-round staff at the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Detroit.

NEW THIS YEAR: A gluten free menu will be available, with advance registration, during any week of camp in 2010. If your child has other food issues, contact us to discuss accommodations. Last year we accommodated kids with allergies/sensitivities to gluten, casein, eggs, soy, corn, nuts and legumes. If you have food related camp questions, please contact Deanna at dkseng99@voyager.net or Pam Jann at pamelajann@hotmail.com.

Other gluten-free camp info:

Camp Celiac

Remember animal cookies or animal crackers from our childhood? What fun to experience them again through your kid’s eyes! But if your child can’t have gluten or has other food allergies, most animal cookies are off-limits. Don’t worry… there are several brands now making them free of gluten and other allergens!

Kinnikinnick Foods

In addition to being gluten-free, Kinnikinnick’s animal cookeis are also dairy-free, nut-free and egg-free. (They contain soy lecithin and pea protein.) Three flavors of animal cookies are available:

• Kinnikritter Animal Cookies
• Kinnikritter Chocolate Animal Cookies
• Kinnikritter Graham Style Animal Cookies

Orgran

In addition to being gluten-free, Orgran’s animal cookies are also dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. Several flavors of animal cookies available:

• Outback Animals Vanilla (also in Mini)
• Outback Animals Chocolate (also in Mini)
• Itsy Bitsy Bears

Nature’s Path Organic

In addition to being gluten-free, Nature’s Path’s animal cookies  are also egg-free, dairy-free and nut-free. (They do contain soy.) Flavor:

• Envirokidz Vanilla Animal Cookies

Jo-Sefs Gluten Free

In addition to being gluten-free, Jo-Sefs animal cookies are dairy/casein-free, lactose-free, egg-free, and nut-free. (They contain soy.) Products are processed in a dedicated nut free and gluten-free kosher facility. Flavors available:

• Vanilla Animal Cookies
• Chocolate Animal Cookies

Mi-Del

Not all cookie flavors made by this company are gluten-free, but the Arrowroot Animal Cookies are. They do contain egg, soy and milk. Regarding nuts, the website says: “Only Pecans are run on the MI-DEL line of bagged cookies. Peanut Butter Cremes are sometimes produced on the same line that makes the MI-DEL Sandwich Cookies but strict sanitation/allergen procedures are in place to avoid any potential contamination.” Flavor available:

• Arrowroot Animal Cookies

Now go make that little person in your life happy!

Registration begins February 1st for Camp Celiac, a gluten-free camp for kids with celiac disease, ages 9 to 17. The camp will run from July 25-30, 2010. The goal of the camp, located in northern California, is to provide children restricted to a gluten-free diet with an opportunity to relax and have fun with kids their age, without having to worry about social acceptance or what foods they can eat.

My cousin’s son Reed who was 13 years old when he attended the camp last summer, has been gluten-free and dairy-free since age 7. He has been to the camp two times and looks forward to going again. He sat down with me after the camp last summer and told me all about it in an interview:

What were your favorite things about the camp?
The ropes course, the lake and the gluten-free dairy-free grilled cheese sandwiches!

Did you worry about food while you were there?
I worried a little that the food would be gone, but not about the gluten.

Was the food good?
Really good.

What were your favorite foods?
Pizza, breakfast — bacon, eggs, pancakes (they had a different tray for the dairy-free ones), and of course the grilled cheese sandwiches. The desserts were really good. My favorite was ice cream in a chocolate cone.

What about snacks?
There was a snack basket with individually wrapped samples whenever you wanted. There was also a snow cone machine!

Did you know any of the kids?
I got to see my friends from last year.

Do you want to go to the camp again?
I want to go every year and then when I am old enough, be a counselor at the camp.

So there you have it — a big endorsement from Reed!

To find out more about Camp Celiac, view photos from the camp, and register, visit the Camp Celiac website.

If you have a gluten-free child or a child with food allergies, you are no stranger to packing his or her “special” cupcake to bring to a birthday party. The challenge is how to send one cupcake and not smush it! I have found the answer my friends… Go Go Cupcake Holders!

These cupcake holders are awesome! Not only are they cute, but they really hold the cupcake in place with a perfectly tight fitting bottom and a spike in the top so the frosting doesn’t get smashed. Stick it in a backpack or hand it to your kid to take to the party (just make sure the latch is completely closed).

Here is a picture from the last time I used them:

The best part is that they are cheap: $6.99 for 2 on Amazon!

My girls turn 5 and 3 this month and once again I have pulled off the double birthday party (one party per year is about all I can handle)! I have no right to complain or take complete credit since I had lots of help… thank you to both set of grandparents, and a special thank you to my mom who volunteered to make 2 gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free birthday cakes! Oh, but that’s not all — they also had to feature Ariel the mermaid as demanded requested by two very excited little girls.

Here are the birthday girls:

Here are the Ariel mermaid cakes (that’s my older daughter’s picture surrounded by red Ariel hair!) :

And here are the girls with their cakes:

Happy birthday my darling girls! (And in case you’re wondering, they really did have friends at the party even though it looks like they were the only 2 there! I swear!)

The cakes pictured were made using Pamela’s Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix with the egg-free version (recipe on package). It always turns out moist and delicious!

Related articles:

• Happy Birthday to My Girls (2008)
• A gluten-free dairy-free egg-free birthday menu (2007)
• Get your allergy-free cupcakes ready