People say to me “Wow, that must hard” when I tell them about my daughter ’s food allergies. “Eh,” I say with a shrug, “you just do what you have to do.” And I almost never cry about it. (You can read about the last time I cried).

But last night, I read an article about a 30 year old guy who collapsed in anaphylactic shock and died after taking a bite out of a cookie that contained peanuts. He had 2 previous reactions in his life, according to the article: when he was 3 months old, he had a rash and blistering after peanut oil got on his skin, and when he was a little older, he had blistering in his mouth after eating a chocolate. Then, 29 years later, a fatal reaction.

After reading the article I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and my whole body tensed up. I went to talk to my father, a retired pediatrician, about the article (I was visiting my parents) and as I spoke, I began to cry. I’m not sure why this particular story affected me so much, but I think it was because of what Gina at Allergy Moms said about this story: “This is a tragic reminder that past reactions cannot predict the severity of future reactions…”

When my daughter was tested for cashews, her scratch test indicated she was allergic, but according to the allergist, the test is not a reliable indicator of the severity of the allergy. Then, her lips swelled one time after kissing someone who ate cashews. I asked the allergist about the need for an epi-pen, and he thought that I was being overly cautious. He didn’t think it was necessary because since she hadn’t had a systemic reaction, meaning that her blood pressure didn’t drop the first time, then she most likely is not at risk for anaphylactic shock. Most likely. Well, unless that doctor could tell me that there was a 100% certainty that my daughter is not at risk, I was getting that epi-pen prescription. My father and my daughter’s pediatrician agreed with me. Why not carry one? Plus, I don’t know what would happen if she actually ate a cashew. So I am erring (in the allergist’s mind I guess) on the side of caution.

One of the things that I uttered to my father through my my tears was “I feel like I’ve done everything that I can do for her, but then it’s out of my control.” There is a feeling of powerlessness that parents of food-allergic children have. We can control our immediate environment, but beyond that we have to hope that our children really understand the seriousness of their allergies, we have to rely on other people to remember the dangers, we have to trust that schools are prepared for an emergency, we have to have faith in grandparents and friends that they will not take it lightly, and then, after all that, we just have to pray that everything is going to be all right. (Breathe.)

I think we are allowed a little cry now and then, don’t you?

Filed under: Babies & Kids, Peanuts/Nuts Allergy, Symptoms, Emotions | 5 Comments »

The 4th of July is near. This makes me think of freedom… which makes me think of being allergy-free! Believe it or not, thinking of freedom from food allergies makes me joyous. Even though at times I feel a loss of freedom when I have to avoid gluten, or when my daughter can’t partake in the dessert being offered at a party, I prefer to think of the freedom from all the health problems we experienced before being allergy-free:

for me, it means freedom from stomach pain, fatigue, leg cramps, asthma (and lots more)

for my husband, it means freedom from migraines (dating back to junior high), burning stomach, and acid reflux

for my daughter, it means freedom from hives, rashes, a bad tummy and sudden tantrums

Now go celebrate your freedom with a good ol’ allergy-free barbecue! Here are some tips to make your summer BBQ a hit:

Barbecue sauces
If you like your meat saucy, just be sure to read labels for allergens — manufacturers are required to list the top 8 allergens in plain English on their labels (and Kraft brand will also list if there is barley, rye or oats for gluten-free people). My personal favorite barbecue sauces are

• Daddy Sam’s (gluten-free and free of all top allergens) — spicy and delicious
• Bone Suckin’ Sauce (gluten-free and free of all top allergens) — it’s got a sweetness along with a spiciness that is so good. Go ahead and buy some!

Gluten-free hamburger and hot dog buns
I can’t say I have found any pre-made buns that I think are very good (please enlighten me if you have). My favorite buns I have made out of Pamela’s Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix. If you have English Muffin rings, you can use those for hamburger buns. If you don’t, just use tin foil to make a ring to fill with the bread dough.

I made hot dog bun molds out of aluminum foil and they turned out great. My advice is to make them skinny — mine turned out a little too big. I followed the bread directions, filled my molds and let them rise. I sprinkled sesame seeds on before baking and baked until they were done (normally this bread takes 60 minutes, so I think I baked them for 30 or 40, but it depends on the size of the buns). The result was a soft, not crumbly, bread-y bun.

Side dishes
For a refreshing and unique side dish try making a quinoa salad – it’s easy, delicious, and nutritious! Check out a quinoa salad recipe.

Roasted potatoes are a satisfying gluten-free side dish that everyone loves.

Gluten-free cornbread or biscuits also make a great accompaniment to the meal. Here are some I recommend:

• 1-2-3 Gluten Free Biscuit Mix
• gluten-free biscuits recipe using Bob’s Red Mill flour
• “Bisquick-type drop biscuits” from Pamela’s recipe pages
• The Really Great Food Company’s Cornbread Muffin Mix
• Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread and Muffin Mix

Dessert
Don’t forget the gluten-free apple pie!

Have a happy 4th!

Filed under: Food Ideas, Recipes and Cooking Tips, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms, Holidays/Special Events, Emotions | 7 Comments »

Knowing that I helped someone keeps me motivated to keep raising awareness about the effects of food on people’s health and happiness. Yesterday I received an email from a friend of mine thanking me. Here is what she said:

Now you’re probably wondering what I’m thanking you for. Well, in the last 2 weeks, my son has been an absolute angel. He is like a different child. Last night, he slept 8 hours and he’s not even 8 weeks old yet. After cutting dairy out of my diet, he was still a little bit fussy, so I experimented a little more and cut out soy & nuts (I was eating a lot of both) too and it’s been a miracle AND I would have never done any of that if it weren’t for you. He’s not congested anymore either. It makes me so happy that my little guy isn’t uncomfortable anymore. So that is why I’m thanking you.”

That makes me so happy! And confirms why I don’t believe in colic or that some babies are just really “fussy” (I never liked that word!)

Colic is a term that describes a set of symptoms in an infant with no apparent cause.

Characteristics of colic:

• episodes of uncontrollable, extended, shrieking crying often after a feeding
• episodes occur at a predictable time of day, usually late afternoon or evening (”the witching hour”)
• physical changes during the episodes such as a distended belly, clenched fists, curled up legs or arched back
• passing of gas after an episode
• difficulty falling and/or staying asleep

Hmmm… what could it be? Nothing, nothing, nothing comes to mind… oh, wait, could it be something the baby is eating?? No, that’s silly. It’s probably just NOTHING. You just need to jiggle the baby for a few more hours and he’ll be fine.

Why doesn’t every new mother get some forewarning: if your baby has excessive or uncomfortable gas, or reflux, or excessive spitting up, has congestion, or is cranky or crying all the time or not sleeping well, you may think about the possibility that something in your diet is affecting your baby.

I don’t expect the pediatrician to have the time or the ability to work with the mother on identifying the problem foods and changing her diet, but rather than automatically switching from breastmilk to formula (which often doesn’t solve the problem), or telling the mother that it’ll all get better eventually, how about at least giving a heads-up, and then handing out a list of resources, either for local dietitians, breastfeeding experts, or even websites that offer help in this area.

Being a mother for the first time is hard enough as it is, and then you are left to think that you and your baby being completely miserable is normal, expected and incurable! Don’t believe it!

Thanks, Beth, for the inspiration for this post!

Related reading:
Gluten Free Babies & Kids
Four Hidden Medical Causes of Colic by Dr. Sears

Filed under: Babies & Kids, Food Allergies, Symptoms, Emotions | 2 Comments »

Some common symptoms of Celiac Disease include:

• Recurring bloating, gas, or abdominal pain
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation or both
• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Pale, foul-smelling stool
• Unexplained anemia
• Bone or joint pain
• Migraine headaches
• Behavior changes/depression/irritability
• Vitamin K Deficiency
• Fatigue, weakness or lack of energy
• Delayed growth or onset of puberty
• Failure to thrive (in infants)
• Missed menstrual periods
• Infertility – Male/Female
• Spontaneous miscarriages
• Canker sores inside the mouth
• Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel

Anyone who can identify with one of more of the symptoms listed may have Celiac Disease and should consult a doctor for more thorough testing, which typically starts with a blood test.

In addition, anyone who has been diagnosed or has a family member who has been diagnosed with any of the following may also be at risk:

• Type 1 diabetes
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• fibromyalgia
• irritable bowel syndrome
• eczema
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy
• thyroid disease
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• osteoporosis

Thank you to Mary’s Gone Crackers and the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) for releasing the above checklist of symptoms in recognition of National Celiac Disease Awareness Month in May. More than three million Americans are estimated to have Celiac Disease, yet 97 percent of people go undiagnosed. The number of Celiacs is in fact greater than those with Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease combined.

Celiac Disease is one of the most common genetic conditions in the world that often goes undiagnosed because it is a multi-symptom, multi-system disorder. Symptoms vary and are not always gastrointestinal.

“We are proud to partner with Mary’s Gone Crackers to help raise awareness of Celiac Disease, said Elaine Monarch, founder/executive director, Celiac Disease Foundation. “We hope this checklist will encourage people to consult their healthcare professionals for proper diagnosis.”

“Celiac Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to shed some light on this widespread condition, and we are pleased to help educate people that there may be a name for the symptoms they thought they had to live with,” said Mary Waldner, co-founder of Mary’s Gone Crackers. “I spent years trying to find the source of my digestive pain and fatigue and my son’s migraines. I want others to know that they can achieve real health when they avoid gluten containing foods.”

Mary was inspired to create Mary’s Gone Crackers after she was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had scoured store shelves for tasty foods that she and her son could enjoy. Mary’s Gone Crackers are delicious and nutritious — I highly recommend them! Whenever I serve them to guests, they have a pleasantly surprised look on their faces! I am looking forward to trying their new Sticks & Twigs snacks, coming this summer (hopefully I will have a sneak preview here!)

Learn more about celiac disease and its symptoms.

Filed under: Celiac Disease, Symptoms | No Comments »

Years ago, when a boyfriend of mine spent the night at my apartment for the first time (nothing happened, I swear!), he awoke to someone screaming. He jumped out of the bed in full combat mode, ready to attack whatever hideous creature was making those awful sounds. That hideous creature, of course, was me. “Help me! Help me!” I was shouting. “My legs! My legs!” Both of my calves were in painful cramps. If you have ever had one leg cramp, you know that you can pull yourself up and stretch it out. But double leg cramps means you are basically paralyzed, unable to maneuver yourself anywhere.

I gotta hand it to that boyfriend, he came through in crisis — he immediately grabbed my feet and pushed my toes toward me, slowly relieving the cramps. Surprisingly, he stuck around and got used to the middle-of-the-night cramp drill and even married me eventually, despite all my weird ailments!

The leg cramps were worse at night, but also occurred during the day. They came on stronger if I was dehydrated or if I drank beer. Sitting for a long time in one position could bring it on, such as the time I was on airplane returning from a weekend volleyball tournament, where days were spent playing in the hot sun and nights were spent in the bars. The plane had just landed, and as everybody rose to get ready to exit, both my quad muscles in my legs cramped. It was so painful that I involuntarily began shouting profanities (namely, the f-word). I looked up and saw a sea of faces looking down at me. “Leg cramps” I said in a little apologetic voice to the crowd. I looked over at my friend sitting next to me for support but she could only hide her own face and her giggles.

I not only had leg cramps, but I also got cramps in my hands, feet and a few times the muscle between my chin and neck cramped after I yawned (I didn’t even know I had a muscle there until it popped out!)

So what was causing these cramps? Not potassium deficiency, as everyone liked to believe. “Eat more bananas!” people would say. So I ate more bananas. I even drank tonic water because it contains quinine which was used to treat nocturnal leg cramps (now the FDA warns against using it). I had my potassium levels checked and they were normal.

It wasn’t until I had to change to a gluten-free diet after being diagnosed with celiac disease that the leg cramps went away. What a relief! Now I think that the cramps may have been related to my iron deficient anemia (caused by celiac), but no one is sure. All I know is that I don’t miss them one bit (and neither does my husband)!

Filed under: Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms | 9 Comments »

Q. I am 30 years old. My question is that for the last 6 months I have been getting really sick during the night. I have hypothyroidism, and am really hypoglycemic. It wakes me up at all hours of the night and running to bathroom with diarrhea. I called my doctor about 2 months ago and did a stool culture, but nothing showed up. I am at loss!! I have no idea what is going on with me? Is it stress?? I am going to school, but I don’t feel that stressed out. I am not on any thyroid med because for the last year my thyroid has been normal, I just had it checked two months ago. I had a really nasty stomach flu about 6 months ago, ever since then my stools are not normal. I am fine one minute and then sick the next. No throwing up, just the other end. All I know is I want to feel better. Any suggestions??? I am also wondering if I could have some sort of wheat or milk allergy? I eat a lot of wheat being hypoglycemic. And I do notice sometimes after having something from milk in my food, sometimes I wake up sick. The weird thing is that it happens in the night most. I do not feel like it is heart burn. Thank you for listening!! I would appreciate any suggestions!!

A. Any nocturnal diarrhea needs to be aggressively investigated. Celiac disease is a real possibility as is inflammatory bowel disease. Diabetes can present like this, and post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome is an outside possibility. You must see a gastroenterologist soon.

Health and happiness,
Dr. Aron

Have a question?

Filed under: Ask the Doc, Celiac Disease, Symptoms | 1 Comment »

Nobody wants to have a food allergy or gluten intolerance and have to eliminate something from their diet. But what I find interesting is the reaction that people have if it is suggested that their or their children’s health problems (like rashes, eczema, asthma, stomachaches, gas, colic, reflux, headaches — the list goes on) or behavioral/developmental problems in kids (clinginess, tantrums, excessive, crying, delayed speech, attention deficit disorder, and more) or emotional/psychological problems in adults (depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, addiction) could be due to a food sensitivity.

I have observed people having the following three types of reactions:

Reaction #1: “No way, not me”

For most people, believing that food could cause the above symptoms is difficult. Why is it so hard to believe that what we put into our bodies could actually affect our whole bodies, including our brains (last time I checked, this was part of the body)? Food is our nourishment — we need it to survive — so surely it can’t be harmful. I have heard people argue, “but food is natural.” OK, I say, but some mushrooms are poisonous — go ahead, I dare ya!

Sometimes a person tells me about a problem and how it is affecting his/her life or the life of the child. When I gently suggest gluten intolerance or food allergy, suddenly the problem is “not that bad.” Let’s see, so the problem is bad enough to go to a doctor, it’s bad enough to take medicine for it, it’s bad enough to see a specialist, it’s bad enough to make someone miserable, but it can’t be bad enough to have to change one’s diet… that would be AWFUL!

When I have suggested to someone that they might be gluten intolerant, I have heard the no-way-not-me variation of “Well, I don’t really eat that much wheat anyway.” I challenge anyone to see if they are not eating wheat at least 3 times a day, including snacks. People eat so much wheat! And dairy! And now soy because it’s in everything. Most people are simply not aware of what they are eating. Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease and had to begin to carefully read labels, I thought I ate a very healthy diet. I now realize that I didn’t really know what I was buying or eating.

Some no-way-not-me people do come around after a while and begin to have Reaction #2 below. Many do not (and continue to be miserable).

Reaction #2: “Hmm… I’ll think about that.”

These people know that something is not right and once food allergy is suggested, they are open to considering it as a cause. They may sit with it a while, observe, talk about it some more, read about it, and/or plan it out, and then they may get testing done or do their own elimination diet. However they approach it, sometimes a change is made and ultimately, hopefully, an answer is found. Most people with the I’ll-think-about-it type of reaction feel that changing the diet is a sacrifice that they are willing to make for their own, or their children’s, health.

I’ll-think-about-it people often end up having Reaction #3 below, although some waffle between Reactions #1 and #3.

Reaction #3: “I’ll do it!”

I am always surprised by the people who are willing right away to try eliminating something from their diet. They just do it. They don’t make a big deal about it, they don’t stress over it, they just do it. I don’t know why I am surprised, since I was one of those people. Once I knew that celiac disease and gluten existed (from reading about it on the web), I began eating gluten-free that very minute. When my doctor told me not to go gluten-free until I took a blood test (because it could affect the test results), I cried. I didn’t want to eat gluten ever again!

Still, I am impressed by the mother who stops eating dairy while breastfeeding to see if her infant becomes less colicky, the guy who stops eating gluten to see if his eczema goes away, the mother who stops feeding her baby gluten and dairy in hopes that it will help with seizures, and the many others who removed something from their diet in an attempt to feel better. They decided it was worth a try — if it worked, then hooray! If it didn’t, they were no worse off than before.

Why these reactions?

I have wondered, does the severity of the problem determine a person’s reaction? In my experience, not necessarily. Yes, some people with very serious health problems may be more willing to try a change in diet because they haven’t found answers elsewhere. But I know parents with sick children — and I mean very sick — and people who are suffering with undiagnosed health problems who will not try a gluten-free diet, will not try eliminating dairy, will not make any dietary change to see if it makes a difference.

What drives these reactions, I think, is whether one believes or not. This is also true of doctors — if they themselves don’t believe that food can cause ill health, then they don’t suggest it to patients, and in many cases make patients feel silly (stupid) for asking about it.

So what’s your reaction?

Filed under: Babies & Kids, Food Allergies, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms, Emotions | 6 Comments »

I have good bones. In fact, I have never broken a single one (knock knock knock on wood). Somehow my untreated celiac disease decided to take out its anger on other parts of me, but left my bones strong and healthy. Some people’s bones, however, are weakened by the effects of gluten, making them more susceptible to fracture.

Untreated celiac disease can greatly affect the bone health in children and adults. A new report from the Laboratory of Pediatric Endocrinology and BoNetwork in Milan, Italy says that bone mass measurements are greatly reduced in children with untreated celiac disease compared to other children. Lower bone mass can lead to bones breaking more easily. Osteoporosis in adults has been linked to celiac disease, believed to be caused by either the inability to absorb necessary nutrients (calcium) for optimal bone health, or by chronic inflammation present in the body due to celiac disease.

Anyone with poor bone health should look at gluten as a cause, even if they don’t have the gastrointestinal symptoms of celiac disease. One study published in early 2008 suggested that screening of osteoporosis patients for celiac disease is advisable, since it may be the only sign of undiagnosed celiac disease.

Luckily, removing gluten from the child’s diet can restore bone mass to normal levels. The bone density of adults can also be improved with a gluten-free diet, but they may not regain bone mass to normal levels. Anyone diagnosed with celiac disease should talk to their doctor about having a bone mineral density test and about nutritional supplements to help restore bone mass.

Related reading:
About celiac disease
Symptoms of celiac disease

Filed under: News & Research, Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms | 1 Comment »

It is 1992 and I am on a train heading from the south of Spain to Madrid, where I am living and studying for the semester. I have just spent 5 days in Morocco, eating cous-cous, drinking mint tea and staying in beautiful mosaic hotel rooms. I am 21 years old and I am having trouble breathing and it is the first time it ever crosses my mind that I could actually die from an asthma attack.

Inhaler in hand, I take a puff every hour, then every half hour, eventually every few minutes and I am watching the clock to see how long I have until we arrive in Madrid, where I will have to take the subway and then walk to the boarding house where I live. It is taking so long. And I can only breathe short breaths, I can’t get air deep into my lungs. I am starting to feel panicky which only makes asthma worse. I talk to myself — you’re ok, you’re ok, we’re going to get there.

We arrive at the train station. I take the subway, and then a friend carries my duffel bag in addition to his because I can barely even carry myself up the steps of the house. I make it. I take the prednisone that I had left behind, never suspecting that I would need it. I lay sick in bed for 2 days, exhausted from trying so hard to breathe.

I have asthma, or as I now say, I had asthma. Since I was a kid I carried around my inhaler, taking a puff or two at the halftime of my soccer game or if I got a cold. Mine was not serious enough that I ever had to go to the hospital, but in my 20s, it got worse to the point that my doctor recommended I take a steroid inhaler every morning and every night to prevent attacks from happening.

It wasn’t until my diagnosis of celiac disease at age 32 that it ever occurred to me that my asthma could be triggered by food. Not one allergist had ever suggested it. It was my own idea to stop inhaling the steroid medication after 3 months on a gluten-free diet… I have not used it since.

I now know that my asthma was caused by gluten. It got worse with other triggers such as the flu, dust and exercise, but these weren’t the causes, they just made it worse. All those years I believed I had exercise-induced asthma, but within months of changing my diet, I ran an 8 mile race — without a puff!

To those of you out there suffering from asthma or whose kids are suffering from it, think about food being a cause. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) website, “asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing due to narrowed airways, may be triggered by food allergy, especially in infants and children.” According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America website, “babies in particular may have food allergies that can bring on asthma symptoms. Some of the foods to which American children are commonly allergic are eggs, cow’s milk, wheat, soybean products, tree nuts and peanuts.” Even adult-onset asthma could be caused by food.

It’s up to you: try a change of diet or be on medication the rest of your life. If you decide to try it, look at which foods are being consumed the most, usually gluten and dairy, and trying cutting one or both out for a few months. Of course, consult your doctor before reducing any medications (not like I did), but also know that your doctor may not believe that food could be the cause of asthma. But it can. Just look at me.

Filed under: Babies & Kids, Celiac Disease, Food Allergies, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms | 2 Comments »

There has been much research on the relationship between celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disease, and a new study out of Italy confirms that indeed celiac disease “is significantly increased in patients with thyroid autoimmune disorders.”

People with either Hashimoto’s Disease (also known as hypothyroidism) or Grave’s disease (also known as hyperthyroidism) should be screened for celiac disease, according to doctors and researchers knowledgeable about the relationship between the two disorders.

A 2005 study found that the prevalence of celiac in patients with Graves’ disease was 4.5% as compared with 0.9% in matched healthy controls. A 2007 Dutch study found that 15% of people with Hashimoto’s disease has positive blood work for celiac disease, and 4.8% had villous atrophy (flattened villi in the intestines), a higher number as compared to the general population.

According to Dr. Peter Green, in his book Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic, celiac disease may predispose a person to thyroid disease, meaning that celiac disease actually happens first, but that doctors will more often test for thyroid disease first. Therefore, celiac disease is being missed in people who are being treated for their thyroid problems. And to make it even more confusing, many of the symptoms of these thyroid diseases can also be symptoms of celiac disease or gluten intolerance — fatigue, feeling run down, feeling cold, constipation, weight gain, weight loss, just to name a few. Interestingly, many of the people with thyroid disease who test positive for celiac have “silent” celiac disease, meaning that they don’t have the obvious gastrointestinal symptoms.

Can a gluten-free diet improve thyroid conditions? If a person has celiac disease or gluten intolerance underlying a thyroid disease, then the person must be gluten-free to relieve other symptoms and to lower the risk of developing other autoimmune disorders. Whether or not it will reverse the thyroid disease just depends on the individual. According to one study, most patients with hypothyroidism normalized after a year of following a strict gluten-free diet and so, the researchers concluded, “gluten withdrawal may single-handedly reverse the abnormality.”

Related reading:
Symptoms of celiac disease
Testing for celiac disease

Filed under: News & Research, Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Symptoms | No Comments »