Halloween and Food Allergy Safety

While Halloween can be a fun holiday for children who trick-or-treat, it can be a frightening experience for any of the three million kids who suffer from food allergy. Experts estimate that food allergy occurs in six percent to eight percent of children four years of age or under, and in four percent of adults. In recent years, it was reported that an estimated 29,000 people go to U.S. emergency rooms each year as a result of allergic reactions to food.

Amal Assa'ad, M.D., director of the food allergy clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, advises that parents and adults who pass out candy on Halloween become very cautious about the types of snacks they give. "Every year, I see a few children who suffer from allergic reactions around Halloween time," says Dr. Assa'ad.

He notes that it is extremely important that parents are extra-cautious about inspecting their children's candy on Halloween, especially if one of their children has allergy problems and other children do not. "Usually, parents are more careful about watching what their kids eat around Halloween time, but sometimes kids who have allergy will get into their siblings' candy that hasn't been sorted out yet," he says.

Some safety precautions:

• Don’t leave candy lying about where it’s easily accessible.
• Check each label carefully.
• Inspect the packaging to make sure it’s intact.
• Kids should politely refuse any homemade items.
• Have medication at the ready, in case a reaction does occur.
• Adults who are concerned about allergy can pass out alternatives to candy, such as stickers, temporary tattoos and the like.

The good news is that there are some suitable edible options for allergic or gluten-free kids. A couple treat ideas:

I was shopping over the weekend and found the Mini Glee Variety Pack of gum. I saw it and thought, Perfect! There are 21 little boxes in three different flavors. I got a bag, and am planning on passing out gum on Halloween, in addition to other candy.

Another might be Orgran’s Mini Outback Animals. Available in chocolate or vanilla, they come in multipack versions, with eight packs per package.

While they may be purchased online from various venues, but not likely in time for the holiday, they also can be found at different retailers. I purchased both at Fruitful Yield (Availability can differ between stores; confirm ahead of time that the location near you carries these particular products).

Check out these treats to see if they would meet your needs. I bet gf and allergic trick-or-treaters will be glad you did.

Time for Brunch

M.F.K. Fisher wrote, "There is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk." It's a beautiful thought, and one I believe wholeheartedly. Something amazing can happen when you sit down to share a meal with someone, particularly people who are special to you. Conversation occurs, connections are made or strengthened, souls are fed.

This morning, I had the opportunity to do a brunch for some dear friends. Today's menu:

A signature salad with orange dressing
Pumpkin bread
Crustless dill and onion quiche
Fruit salad
Brownie

For the baked goods, I admit I used mixes -- namely, Breads From Anna Pumpkin Bread and Namaste's brownie mix, both of which are go-to products for me. Each have passed the is-it-tasty-for-someone-who-isn't-gluten-free? test. I've gotten rave reviews for both, and until I create better recipes of my own, they remain staples on my pantry shelf. The others are creations of my own, and comfort foods all.

Best was spending several hours with cherished friends. Time very well spent.

New Game-day Favorite

Football is something of an institution in my family, to put it mildly, and with the season in full swing, tailgate menus are on my mind. Brats, a one time weekend staple, now are off-limits for me -- finding a gluten-, casein- and soy-free bratwurst has proved difficult -- but happily, I have found a suitably satisfying substitute.

A new favorite for football Saturdays: my version of arancini, a southern Italian street food, that I make from leftover risotto. They fry up quickly, and then are gone nearly as fast.

Indulgent? Yes, but also equally fortifying on crisp fall days. Who wouldn't love such fried savory goodness? They serve as a buffer against crushing defeats or as a course for victorious celebration.



Can you believe these are celiac-friendly? I don't think they look gluten-free, and they certainly don't taste like it.

Protect Those Bones

More reasons to adhere to a gf diet, but it may not be enough

One of the pitfalls of having an autoimmune disorder is the possibility of developing other related issues. Osteoporosis is a known complication of celiac disease, and two new studies reaffirm that people with celiac disease have an increased risk for bone loss problems. The good news: following a gluten-free diet can truly help, particularly children. The bad news: for adults with higher autoimmune responses, diet alone may not be sufficient to arrest the damage.

Reduced bone mineral density is often found in individuals with celiac disease. A new article in the journal Nutrition Reviews examines the literature on the topic and reveals that a gluten-free diet can affect children's recovery.

Metabolic bone disease remains a significant and common complication of celiac disease. Reduced bone mineral density can lead to the inability to develop optimal bone mass in children and the loss of bone in adults, both of which increase the risk of osteoporosis. There also exists an additional risk of fracture in people with celiac disease.

That said, evidence suggests that a gluten-free diet promotes a rapid increase in bone mineral density that leads to complete recovery of bone mineralization in children. A gf diet improves – although rarely normalizes – bone mineral density in adults. Children may attain normal peak bone mass if the diagnosis is made and treatment is given before puberty, thereby preventing osteoporosis in later life.

Also, nutritional supplements consisting of calcium and vitamin D seem to increase the bone mineral density of children and adolescents with celiac disease.

"Our findings reinforce the importance of a strict gluten-free diet, which remains the only scientific proven treatment for celiac disease to date," the authors conclude. "Early diagnosis and therapy are critical in preventing celiac disease complications, like reduced bone mineral density."

However, new links have been found between osteoporosis and celiac disease.

People with celiac disease also may develop osteoporosis because their immune system attacks their bone tissue, a new study has shown. According to this research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it is the first time an autoimmune response has been shown to cause damage to bones directly.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh studied a protein called osteoprotegerin (OPG) in people with celiac disease. In healthy people, OPG plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health by controlling the rate at which bone tissue is removed. The latest research shows that 20 percent of celiac patients produce antibodies that attack the OPG protein and stop it working properly, resulting in rapid bone destruction and severe osteoporosis.

It was previously thought that osteoporosis develops in celiac patients simply because they cannot properly absorb calcium and vitamin D. The team found that although this new form of osteoporosis did not respond to calcium and vitamin D supplements, it can be treated with drugs that prevent bone loss.

A Word to the Wise

More and more, I'm hearing stories of people going gluten-free, celiac or not, diagnosed or not; people are claiming they feel better removing gluten from their diets, if only the macro items, like whole wheat breads. It must be quite the trend, given that the Grain Foods Foundation recently argued that only people with a medical need -- that is, celiac disease, gluten intolerance and wheat allergy -- should go gluten-free. I disagree. One example to the contrary: People with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders also respond quite well to following gluten- and casein-free diets; eliminating those proteins helps manage their symptoms. I suppose you could argue that those are medical needs, too, yet they were overlooked. Quite frankly, I don't think gluten is good for anyone, but I admit my bias. And while I absolutely commend those taking control of their diets and health by going gluten-free, I do have a word of caution.

For those of you who think you might have celiac disease but haven't been tested yet, removing gluten from your diets prior to getting diagnosed actually can make getting a conclusive diagnosis more difficult. Even if you have eliminated only obvious things like breads, cereals and beer without worrying about hidden glutens, you still may have a problem getting an accurate diagnosis. A blood test tends to be the first method used to diagnose sprue; if the results come back borderline, beware. An endoscopic biopsy may be the only way to determine whether or not you have it. A case in point: after my mom and brother were diagnosed, I began limiting the amount of gluten I consumed, but did not completely remove it from my diet until I was tested. Lo and behold, my blood test came back borderline, but the biopsy confirmed that yes, indeed, I had celiac disease.

It makes sense: People with celiac disease go and stay gluten-free to heal their guts, which do start repairing themselves a short while after gluten is eliminated from their systems. If you have stopped eating gluten because you're concerned you might be celiac, but have yet to be tested, at the very least, I strongly recommend you tell your doctor prior to undergoing the diagnosis process.

That said, if you stopped eating gluten-based foods simply because you think it's healthier, good for you. Just make sure your diet is balanced.

Season of Change

Welcome, autumn! Summer was long -- an ordeal, in fact -- and I'm more than glad to see it go. I experienced a health crisis, which began just shortly after my last blog entry, and it took until mid-September for it to be resolved and for me to recover. It wasn't celiac- or allergy-related, so I won't devote much time to it here, but suffice it to say, I'm reminded yet again of how all-important health truly is and how difficult it can be to accomplish anything without it. It also helped bring certain things into greater perspective for me -- what's important, what isn't. When a hematologist tells you, essentially, that you were lucky you didn't die, it has a stilling effect -- you pause, you reflect, you move on, but not without some change in your thinking.

I work very hard to be healthy, and at times, it seems like health is something that eludes me, in spite of my best efforts. Something I don't understand is how people can repeatedly abuse their bodies, yet they don't appear to suffer any ill effects. The number of people who still smoke in complete disregard of all warning astonishes me. "Normal" people who cram their bodies full of junk, a mystery to me; I wonder what their internal organs look like. People who have celiac disease yet still consume gluten are completely baffling; they are destroying their guts and immune systems. What really gets me is that many of the aforementioned seem to function fine -- or better than fine, seemingly with plenty of energy and vigor.

I guess what frustrates me is that I have to work to be healthy, but others don't need to -- and don't suffer any apparent consequences. Perhaps it's because I don't have those options that I can't comprehend those choices. I've had asthma all my life; I know what it's like to struggle to breathe. I never had to be told I shouldn't smoke: why would I want to further impair my lungs? I don't "cheat" on my diet; I don't have that luxury. Perhaps if I just bloated a bit or got a little rash after eating gluten, maybe my approach would be different, but that's not remotely my experience. A bite of "real" cake or whatever isn't worth it to me ... and maybe that's the secret -- it's about what the individual values.

My ordeal over, I've come to realize with greater clarity what I need to do to be healthy, including focusing less on other people's options and more on mine, and that's the important thing for me.

With these things in mind, yes, I'm celebrating summer's end. Fall represents a much-needed transition, and regardless of the dying vegetation I see, it means new beginnings. I've breathed a sigh of relief. I'm rebuilding my stamina. I've bought pumpkins and flower bulbs, have brought out my sweaters, and have been making Christmas lists. I am thinking about heartier recipes, like chili, shepherd's pie and pumpkin bread, and planning winter projects. I'm enjoying the bounty of the harvest season, with sweet corn, crisp apples and the like. It's, indeed, a welcome change.

Happy fall!