precautions for going out



as you can imagine, we don't eat out very often. or do many things based around eating, like school picnics or birthday parties or holidays at other peoples' homes - or even going to friends' houses for dinner. not many people invite a family with 5 kids to dinner, anyway, so maybe this one isn't solely due to the food allergies ! ;-)
we've taken a lot of precautions to make our own home safe, like removing anything containing peanuts and the other most severe allergens.

~we also ask guests to wash hands and remove shoes upon entering.
~we ask service people coming to perform repairs/maintenance on household products to wash hands and remove shoes or wear those paper booties over their shoes.
~we have had bright stickers made and placed on the front glass door announcing that we have a child with life-threatening peanut allergy in the home and that we are a peanut free house as well as one requesting people to wash hands and remove shoes upon entry.
~we keep the sandbox tightly covered and the shed door always shut when not in use because we live on a park with a lot of squirrels & raccoons and neighbors leave out bowls of nuts and we are always finding peanuts in our yard and plants.
~i locate and identify these peanuts and explain the danger to all of our children, as well as any friends that might be over.
~we have no carpeting -to prevent trapping food and animal allergens.
~ we vacuum the one area rug daily and sweep several times daily.
~ we educate our children about signs of reactions and handling any foods or animals not from our own home.
~we always make sure to have an epi- pen close by.

however, we don't let this issue turn us into agoraphobes, either. we still go to the movies and out to eat at restaurants and other normal activities, we just have to plan for it and take some precautions. the movies, for example, are a big risk of a venture. elijah's corn allergy is very severe and even touching corn products breaks him out in a blistery rash. jovie's peanut allergy is life-threatening/anaphylactic, so she is also at risk in a movie theater, where she will be sitting in seats previous occupants were most likely eating peanut products in. here are some of the things we do to make the outing safe and still fun for all of
us:
~before leaving, we slather the 2 year old multiple allergy guy from head to toe in raw, organic shea butter. this acts both as a reparative cream for his fragile skin as well as a barrier to allergens he may come into physical contact with. i also swab & line his nostrils with this or aquaphor anytime before we take him to a public gathering place - as a barrier to allergens as well as germs, since there are no medications safe for him to take should he pick up a bug. ( i actually do it for all my kids every morning and night because i don't want any of them sick if i can help prevent it !)
~i do the same for my peanut allergy 4 year old, just in case she touched a smear of peanut butter somewhere and then rubbed her nose. every little bit of barrier could only help in a case like that!
~i make sure she has her epi- pen on her at all times when we step outside the house - she has several cute little purses she carries it in and is well-educated and trained about not playing with it or showing it to other children. i carry the 2 year old's epi-pen in my bag.
~ i always try to nurse them before we leave the house. human milk has many properties that are extremely beneficial to a child with food allergies, including lysozymes that reduce swelling and redness, should an accidental ingestion of an allergen occur. it makes me feel better to know they have a belly full of breastmilk to help heal them should something harmful find its way in there next!
~ i make everyone go to the bathroom before we leave the house, to lessen the odds that we have to touch more surfaces & door handles at the theater by using theirs.
~ we bring a blanket to lay across 2 seats in the theater, for the 2 allergy kids & myself to sit on and avoid direct contact with the seats.
~ we bring our own snacks to eat. if the older boys want popcorn, we separate them from sitting near the allergy kids by a parent. we've never had a problem bringing our own food, when we show the note from our dr. specifying the multiple food allergies and stating that elijah can only eat foods prepared at home.
~while there, i absolutely accommodate any requests to nurse - feeding at the breast is the one place i can be certain they are 100% safe and getting nothing harmful. also, if a very minor contact w/ an allergen occurred, breastfeeding can be just what the doctor ordered to soothe mild irritation and prevent a wailing, itchy toddler from ruining a movie for everyone else.
~we don't normally use the stroller at this age for outings where we won't be walking much, but it's perfect to put the allergy kids in and keep them from touching door handles and other people and items around a theater. we wheel them to the theater and then fold it up and put them on our laps or the blanketed seats - and then use it again to wheel them out and keep them isolated from touching everything.
~ we make sure to have the other kids wash hands when exiting the movie. if the allergy kids have to go to the bathroom, we either carry them or play a game called 'hands in your pockets' to make sure they don't touch any door handles. while in the bathroom, i remind them constantly not to touch their faces. we wash hands and get them back into the stroller.
~when we get to the van, we wipe hands again with wet wipes.
~when we get home, everyone that ate popcorn/chocolate has to change clothes.

we do pretty much the same when going out to a restaurant, except we don't usually bring the big double stroller in, just hold their hands and/or carry them.
~i call ahead and speak to a manager to make sure they will be okay with us bringing our own food for the 2 of us that can't have even a trace of corn.
~i usually bring some leftovers, warmed up in a thermos for us - like a soup or stew or spaghetti.
~ if it's a special occasion and the rest of the family is going to have dessert, i bring us some store-bought coconut milk ice cream and ask the server to put it in the freezer until they bring dessert for the rest of our table - or i make cookies and bring those in a tiffin or brown paper bag.
~ i always specify that i'd like our food left in the containers it is brought in and try to keep them with me as much as possible, to cut down on the risk of cross-contamination.
~ we bring our own high chair cover, so the little guy isn't directly touching the surface of the high chair.
~ i wipe off the table in front of my allergy kids myself when we're seated, with wet wipes i bring.
going out to eat is actually still quite enjoyable and much less risky than going to the movies for us - restaurants these days are very accommodating to food allergies and when we'd venture out before the corn allergy, they'd bend over backwards to find us things we could eat and even make things not on the menu!

going to places with lots of other kids like chuck e. cheese or public pools/beaches can be a bit harder. we have to really keep an eye out for kids wanting to share food with ours, kids with pb&j hands touching my allergy kids' faces... and my kids touching them. just yesterday at the chiropractor's office, my 2 year old was in love with a toddling 1 year old and kept petting, stroking and kissing him - it was all i could do to get him to at least stop kissing the baby. in a perfect world, i'd love to ask the mother if i could wipe her baby down with wet wipes and let mine continue mauling him. here are some of the things i do instead:

~ i buy allergy awareness clothing for them. a shirt that says, 'i have food allergies' or 'no peanuts, please!' really goes a long way toward not offending other parents when you fend off a friendly hug from their child. it's also always quite a kick in the pants when that parent informs you that *their* child has food allergies and they were worried about *yours*, too ! i've made a couple of good friends this way.
~ i also put bright red rubber bracelets on them when we go out that announce food allergies.
~ i always have natural, gentle wet wipes with me and once i've had a chance to explain the food allergy severity and ask the parents, i ask that the child who wants to play with mine have their hands and face wiped if there was any chance they've eaten peanuts recently. most parents are great about understanding!
~ i always bring allergy-friendly 'yummy earth' brand suckers for my kids to share and hand out to anyone whose feelings might have gotten hurt by a refusal of a hug or a treat. so instead of just not being able to share or accept an offered treat, we have a safe option everyone can enjoy.

as for places like chuck e/ cheese, that's just not an option with this many allergies that are this severe. it would be a complete nightmare to even try, so we don't. i try to be realistic about what i can handle, and chuck e. cheese isn't it!

for activities like dance class or gymnastics, i contact the facility before we start and explain the situation.
~i ask if i can post a note informing other parents of the life-threatening peanut allergy and requesting them to refrain from eating or providing peanut-containing snacks in common areas.
~ it further asks that parents of children attending a class with my daughter have their child(ren) wash their hands before beginning that class.
~ i also always send her in with her epi-pen and make sure i use the trainer with her instructors before she starts a class.
most facilities have been awesome about letting me post the note and have even stopped carrying items with peanuts as an ingredient in their vending machines because of my daughter's allergy.

there's not much i can do about my son's multiple allergies, as they are not life-threatening like hers are and are also mostly a problem if he actually ingests the food. he does break out in a rash from contact with many of his allergens, but again - that's not as concerning as what happens to her - she could go into anaphylactic shock if she touches peanut proteins and then rubs her face. so for him the precautions i take include:
~slathering him in raw, organic shea butter before we leave the house.
~dressing him in long, light layers. for example, when he was in gymnastics, i put a long-sleeved, snug onesie on him with leggings over it and soft slipper-type shoes (like moss feet or bobux) on his feet.
~always making sure the instructors are aware of his allergies and know how to use an epi-pen and keep one in the same room he's in at all times.

and my best tip for being out of the house is that i don't let them out of my sight. it's simply too risky when they're this young and people might not know how to deal with an allergic reaction - or even that one is occurring. at 2, my son is not old enough to recognize that hives on his face mean he's having a food reaction that could turn anaphylactic. he will simply cry and ask to nurse. the first sign that my daughter has had peanut protein come into contact with a mucous membrane on her face is vomiting. most people around her would deal with the vomiting and then when her airway began to close up, they might think she's choking and try to do the heimlich or swat her back, when what she really needs is an injection from her epi-pen. i'm always very careful to tell the instructors and teachers of their activities exactly what a reaction might look like - and i make sure i'm always right in the building. until your kids are old enough to advocate for and protect themselves, you've got to do it for them when it comes to food allergies.



Feeding Ourselves Plastic

Where do i even start?
Just recently a law was proposed to ban plastic in our state of Oregon. I was thrilled about it because it's definitely the right direction. We used reusable bags made out of canvas or recycled plastic and I've seen many people do the same. It's time to make others realize it's not a choice anymore. We need to switch now!

The massive amounts of plastics we use are so huge that we are impacting our food.

Plastic Sushi Anyone? from 5 Gyres on Vimeo.



When we talk about the impacts we also have to think about the environment. I'm not posting these images for shock value. It's more from a mother's view. The albatross collects food to feed it's young and so many baby animals are dieing of starvation with full bellies. Makes my cry every time I hear about this. We as mother's are trying to feed our babies the best we can. We have choices. These animals do not know the difference between a bright bottle cap and food.



This huge waste is also effecting our oceans. Massive pools of swirling plastic junk are in our oceans. There are 5 major pools now. Check out this site for more info and what to do about changing your habits. http://5gyres.org/


We as consumers do have the power to change this. Next time you go shopping be aware of what you put in your cart. Count the items that are in plastic containers. Be aware of your impact is regarding your waste. And if you aren't already recycling...Please find a way to make small changes everyday to eventually recycle all the plastic products you use.

~nancy

Pizza for Breakfast? Really??

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is Coming to West Virginia
by Gina Telaroli

Commercials and TV promos are pretty bad these days, which is one of the main reasons not to watch a lot of television. But on Monday night I was flipping through the channels and landed on ABC’s bizarre Bachelor special. And I'm honestly glad I did because while I was mesmerized by how ridiculous and problematic The Bachelor actually is, I also saw a promo for a television show that I can’t wait to watch, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Hearing him yell out “french fries are not a vegetable” and seeing him upset that pizza is really being fed to children for breakfast was nothing short of inspiring.

The show, which premieres on March 26th, follows the famous British chef as he heads to Huntington, West Virginia. But Huntington isn't just any town, it’s the unhealthiest town in America. Upon arrival Oliver is amazed and disgusted by the processed garbage that is being fed to the children in the town by both their parents and their school system. And from the looks of the on air and online promos, the town isn’t very excited at the prospect of being told they're eating crap. It's amazing to watch the lunch ladies in the trailer tell Oliver that they think a rubbery piece of “meat” (I think that’s what it was) is good and that they enjoy eating it.

It's still somewhat amazing that a major network is going to air a show about eating healthy and fixing the lunch programs in schools. It’s a giant step forward, to be sure. Let’s just hope that American families do more than simply watch the show while eating TV dinners.

Watch the trailer below and inspire yourself to cook a healthy dinner with fresh ingredients.

*Image courtesy of Jamie Oliver
Take Action Sign Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution petition.
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I'm so excited to see a show like this come to America staring Chef Jamie Oliver. He's the chef that shocked the nation by showing his clients where their food came from and how it is treated before it got to their dinner plate. I've watched "You Are What You Eat" for some time now and it has really changed the way I look at food and the way I feed my family. Hopefully this show will have the same effect on our country. The British are so much more brutally honest. This show I can already tell will bring up a lot of controversy. We need it! We need a HUGE WAKE UP CALL!! So mark your calendars and PLEASE sign the petition!
~nancy

Why We Should All Eat More Organic Food

Organic Food is More Nutritious
  • Organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.
  • On average, organic is 25% more nutritious in terms of
    vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture. Since on the average, organic food's shelf price is only 20% higher than chemical food, this makes it actually cheaper, gram for gram, than chemical food, even ignoring the astronomical hidden costs (damage to health, climate, environment, and government subsidies) of industrial food production.
  • Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic foods.
  • Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essenti al minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil. UK and US government statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in (non-organic) fruit and vegetables fell by u p to 76% between 1940 and 1991.
Organic Food is Pure Food, Free of Chemical Additives
Organic Food Is Safer
Organic Food Contains No Hidden Costs

As taxpayers, we pay for the hidden health and environmental costs of industrial agricultural. These include the pollution of our drinking water with pesticides, fertilizer and animal waste from conventional farms.

Organic Food Is Certified to High Standards

Organic food comes from trusted sources that are inspected to ensure complian

ce with the rigorous organic standards.

Organic Food Protects Animal Welfare

Organic methods provide for animals. Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards.

Organic Food Is Good for the Planet

Organic food is good for wildlife and the environment. Organic farming is better for wildlife, causes less pollution and waste, and produces fewer global warming gases.

Organic Food Tastes Better

Organic food is more flavorful. Many people prefer organic food because they say it tastes better.

How to Identify Real Organic Food
Look for the USDA Organic Seal or the Words "Made With Organic Ingredients"

When you see the USDA Organic seal, you know that the food is at least 95% organic, does not contain genetically modified organisms, was not irradiated, and comes from a farm that:

  • Employs positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices.
  • Provides outdoor access and pasture for livestock.
  • Refrains from antibiotic and hormone use in animals.
  • Sustains animals on 100% organic feed.
  • Keeps records of all operations.
  • Is inspected annually by an accredited Third-Party Organic Certifier.

If it is a multi-ingredient product, it was made at a certified organic processing plant that takes strict measures to avoid contamination of organic products.

Products that are "Made With Organic Ingredients" are at least 70% organic and are also free of genetically modified organisms and food irradiation.

Organic Food On a Budget

When comparing prices in the grocery aisles, the organic version of particular items is often 20% on the average more expensive, but if you make a pledge to eat more organic, you'll likely save money overall by eating out at restaurants less often, packing your lunch, and cooking from scratch. Learn more.

from Organic Consumers Association

http://organicconsumers.org/organlink.cfm

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I knew Organic was good but this just confirms how great it really is. It really does help to know that Organics are more nutritious. Have to keep in mind when I’m paying for it at the register.

I bought Brussels sprouts last week at 6.99$ a pound.. ouch! a good motivator to grow my own ;)

~nancy

Seafood Is a Health and Environmental Nightmare

Shrimp's Dirty Secrets: Why America's Favorite

  • The environmental impact of shrimp can be horrific. But most Americans don't know where their shrimp comes from or what's in it.
    By Jill Richardson
    Alternet, January 25, 2010
    Straight to the Source

Americans love their shrimp. It's the most popular seafood in the country, but unfortunately much of the shrimp we eat are a cocktail of chemicals, harvested at the expense of one of the world's productive ecosystems. Worse, guidelines for finding some kind of "sustainable shrimp" are so far nonexistent.

In his book, Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, Taras Grescoe paints a repulsive picture of how shrimp are farmed in one region of India. The shrimp pond preparation begins with urea, superphosphate, and diesel, then progresses to the use of piscicides (fish-killing chemicals like chlorine and rotenone), pesticides and antibiotics (including some that are banned in the U.S.), and ends by treating the shrimp with sodium tripolyphosphate (a suspected neurotoxicant), Borax, and occasionally caustic soda.

Upon arrival in the U.S., few if any, are inspected by the FDA, and when researchers have examined imported ready-to-eat shrimp, they found 162 separate species of bacteria with resistance to 10 different antibiotics. And yet, as of 2008, Americans are eating 4.1 pounds of shrimp apiece each year -- significantly more than the 2.8 pounds per year we each ate of the second most popular seafood, canned tuna. But what are we actually eating without knowing it? And is it worth the price -- both to our health and the environment?

Understanding the shrimp that supplies our nation's voracious appetite is quite complex. Overall, the shrimp industry represents a dismantling of the marine ecosystem, piece by piece. Farming methods range from those described above to some that are more benign. Problems with irresponsible methods of farming don't end at the "yuck," factor as shrimp farming is credited with destroying 38 percent of the world's mangroves, some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on earth. Mangroves sequester vast amounts of carbon and serve as valuable buffers against hurricanes and tsunamis. Some compare shrimp farming methods that demolish mangroves to slash-and-burn agriculture. A shrimp farmer will clear a section of mangroves and close it off to ensure that the shrimp cannot escape. Then the farmer relies on the tides to refresh the water, carrying shrimp excrement and disease out to sea. In this scenario, the entire mangrove ecosystem is destroyed and turned into a small dead zone for short-term gain. Even after the shrimp farm leaves, the mangroves do not come back.

from Organic Consumers Association
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_20100.cfm

Shoppers Guide to Pesticides

The Full List: 47 Fruits & Veggies

RANK

FRUIT OR VEGGIE

SCORE

1 (worst)

Peach

100 (highest pesticide load)

2

Apple

93

3

Sweet Bell Pepper

83

4

Celery

82

5

Nectarine

81

6

Strawberries

80

7

Cherries

73

8

Kale

69

9

Lettuce

67

10

Grapes - Imported

66

11

Carrot

63

12

Pear

63

13

Collard Greens

60

14

Spinach

58

15

Potato

56

16

Green Beans

53

17

Summer Squash

53

18

Pepper

51

19

Cucumber

50

20

Raspberries

46

21

Grapes - Domestic

44

22

Plum

44

23

Orange

44

24

Cauliflower

39

25

Tangerine

37

26

Mushrooms

36

27

Banana

34

28

Winter Squash

34

29

Cantaloupe

33

30

Cranberries

33

31

Honeydew Melon

30

32

Grapefruit

29

33

Sweet Potato

29

34

Tomato

29

35

Broccoli

28

36

Watermelon

26

37

Papaya

20

38

Eggplant

20

39

Cabbage

17

40

Kiwi

13

41

Sweet Peas - Frozen

10

42

Asparagus

10

43

Mango

9

44

Pineapple

7

45

Sweet Corn - Frozen

2

46

Avocado

1

47 (best)

Onion

1 (lowest pesticide load)

http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php

Click here for the printer-friendly version.

Note: We ranked a total of 47 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples.

- - - - - - -

Print this out and put it on the fridge. Learn it. It will save you money. If you have an iPhone make sure you get the new cool app!

http://www.foodnews.org/


CORN Allergen

Is Corn Allergy a Growing Threat to Your Child?
Corn is one of the fastest growing food allergies in children, though one of the most unrecognized and underreported.

AllergyKids wants to highlight current research on corn, how it may be "hidden" in food and steps that you can take to help protect the health of your family, especially given that corn is often consumed by those with Celiac’s disease or a wheat allergy.

How do I know if my child has a corn allergy?
Many families arrive at the diagnosis of "corn allergy" on accident, initially thinking that their child might be allergic to preservatives or additives found in food when their child is actually reacting to the corn ingredients, corn products or high fructose corn syrup found in many food products.

Corn is considered a "new" food allergy, as corn was never known to have allergy-inducing properties. It is often found in families that consume a diet high in processed foods.

So what has changed?
According to an April 2007 report from the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, corn was recently engineered to create its own insecticide. This report states that in 2005 this corn “was modified to produce in its cells a new artificial insecticidal and modified toxin.”

How much of our corn is modified?
Corn is one of the fastest growing modified crops. Not only is corn used in our food supply but it is also used for ethanol, an alternative fuel. It is estimated that almost 70% of our corn is now modified.

What products contain this corn?
Modified corn is often found in pre-packaged and processed foods and pet food products, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup, corn starch and other corn product ingredients.

Modified corn is also used as animal feed for chickens, pork and other animals, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal. Of note, children that are allergic to corn are often also allergic to meat from animals fed a corn-feed diet (chicken, pork, etc.).

Additionally, high fructose corn syrup represents almost 50% of the ingredients found in infant formula in the United States. However, high fructose corn syrup is not widely used as an ingredient in food and beverages in Europe, Australia and other developed countries.

Why is corn modified?
Due to growing concerns by farmers over the health and environmental implications of spraying pesticides and insecticides onto corn crops, scientists genetically engineered these toxins into the crops in order to to address the increased global demand for food by preventing crop loss due to insects, rodents and other pests.

Should I be concerned?
According to Reuters Health and research from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina, exposure to agricultural pesticides in the first-trimester of pregnancy increases a womans risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy.

Another study by scientists at the Columbia Center for Childrens Environmental Health in New York found a link between impaired fetal growth and pesticide use in New York apartments, according to Business Week.

Although we are not a medical organization, AllergyKids concern is that the gastrointestinal tract is a prominent part of our immune system and that no human trials have been conducted to assess the long term impact of consuming foods derived from crops whose proteins have been engineered with insecticidal toxins.

Why havent I heard this before?
As one of the first independently funded food allergy organizations, AllergyKids is in a unique position to work with leading researchers and scientists across the food and agricultural industries (both conventional and organic) in order to highlight the most current global research.

Our goal is to give you the tools to help protect your family.

Why is independent research important?
A recent study from the Children’s Hospital Boston highlighted in the New York Times reveals that food/beverage industry research funded by food/beverage industry groups tends to favor those industries.

According to Rescuing Science from Politics: Regulation and the Distortion of Scientific Research, a book written by leading law professors and reviewed by a former FDA director, "special interests can abuse the law to intrude on the way that scientists conduct research."

At AllergyKids, our sole interest is in protecting the health and well-bring of children. In reviewing all scientific research, we always consider funding ties and any financial relationship that may exist between the funding organization and the researchers.

What else can I do?
At AllergyKids, we are continually inspired by what we have learned from the mothers and fathers of the millions of children with food allergies. You are caregivers, accountants, lawyers, nurses, entrepreneurs, business owners, authors, pediatricians and journalists. You are the voices for our children, and we invite you to be part of the cure.

You can contact the USDA at 202.720.3252 to learn more about these toxins in your familys food.

And although the FDA has been busy with the recent peanut butter and pet food recalls, they are currently focused on genetically engineered foods, specifically addressing the pending approval of rice engineered with human genes and of cloned of animals for human consumption.

Should you wish to contact the FDA to report any unusual allergic reactions that your child may have experienced, you can reach the FDA at 1.800.FDA.4010.

How can I avoid these toxins in my familys diet?
If you are interested in trying to avoid these modified foods in your family’s diet, you can reduce the amount of processed foods that your family consumes.

We have also learned that according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), for a product to be labeled "USDA Organic," it can not contain these genetically modified toxins and ingredients. For a product labeled "USDA Organic," it can not contain "GMOs".

Our Goal: To Learn the "Complex Truth" about Food Allergies
According to Alexis de Tocqueville, a political thinker and historian, "It is easier for the world to accept a simple lie than a complex truth." At AllergyKids, we choose to work on behalf of these children, not because it is easy, but because it is hard and because our children deserve the "complex truth."

This famous thinker also said that "life is to be entered upon with courage." In no way is this more apparent than in the lives of these children and the millions of families dealing with food allergies.

As we continue to work with global organizations, we are grateful for the leading efforts of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and their recent Allergy Alert on Undeclared Allergens in Pre-Packaged Food Products as it highlights the topic of one of our recent newsletters, "Allergen Labeling Alert," and the critical role that these voluntary labels play in the health of our children.

From - ALLERGYKIDS.COM

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This stuff is really scary. We are being experimented on without our permission.

for a full list of corn allergens go here:
http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

~nancy

Our Intimate Relationship with Food - and 10 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Family

A famous French political thinker once said that the public would rather believe a simple lie than a complex truth.

The truth behind genetic engineering is extremely complex. It has been used for decades, but it is only in the last ten years that neurotoxins have been engineered into our food supply.

No one has studied the long term health implications of children consuming foods containing neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Though to look back over the last ten years, you quickly remember that ten years ago, we didn¹t have to worry about sending a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into school with our children; we didn¹t have to medicate our eight year olds to get them through the school day; and the movie, Rain Man, was all we knew of autism.

Allergy Kids - Gene TransferringToday, at least 1 out of every 17 children under the age of three has a food allergy with at least 5 million American children suffering from this condition (though these statistics underestimate the problem since they are from 2002, over five years old).

Autism, diabetes and obesity are often referred to as American epidemics.

So what has changed?

In 1996, the United States adopted widespread use of genetically modified crops due to growing public concern over the health risks associated with the industrial spraying of insecticidal and pesiticidal toxins.

In an effort to reduce the spraying of these toxins, scientists began using biotechnology to engineer these pesticides and insecticides into the plants themselves.

As these ingredients were introduced around the world ten years ago, government agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia, Japan, Russia and 45 developed countries required them to be listed on food labels, so that consumers could make informed choices when it came to feeding their families.

In the United States, our regulatory agencies do not require these genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled.

So, unlike other developed countries, we have not been informed that almost 70% of our corn, 90% of our soy and 75% of our processed food now contain neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Today one out of every three children suffers from allergies, asthma, autism or ADHD. It appears that we have unknowingly and without informed consent engaged our children in one of the largest human trials in history.

Ten years into this human trial, our children are trying to tell us something.
Shouldn't we listen?
10 Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Family:
  1. Reduce your family's exposure to processed foods
  2. Eat food with ingredients that your grandmother would have used
  3. Purchase organic eggs, as they are not from chickens fed corn engineered to produce its own insecticides
  4. Cook with olive oil instead of butter, margarine or vegetable oil
  5. Avoid conventional soy and corn products (vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup) since most are genetically engineered
  6. Look for meat and poultry that not injected with antibiotics and additional hormones
  7. As recommended by the British Dietetic Association, avoid exposing infants under the age of 12 months to conventional soy
  8. Consume organic foods for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in order to reduce your exposure to pesticides (recently linked to autism and gestational diabetes)
  9. Look for "rBGH-free" milk. rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is a genetically engineered, synthetic chemical hormone that is not allowed in milk in most developed countries given its link to breast and prostate cancers
  10. When discussing vaccines with your child's pediatrician, especially vaccines grown in eggs, request the informational leaflets that accompany the vaccines as they discuss autoimmune conditions like food allergies in detail
SIGN OUR LETTER TO CONGRESS and Help Us Educate Our Lawmakers about the Risk that these Unlabeled Allergens in Our Foods Appear to Present to Children (and All of Us!).
For more information, please visit AllergyKids' Resources Page where additional research is available as well as information disclosing corporate funding ties of leading pediatric allergists.

From Allergykids.com
http://www.allergykids.com/index.php?id=33


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The movie "Killer at Large" mentions why policy makers do not want us to know that they are using these modified seeds because they feel we are not smart enough to understand it as well as that it might hinder sales before they product has a chance to be tested and marketed correctly. I want to know what's in our food... but people with allergies need to "know" what's in their food. It's a matter of life or death. Please be sure to sign the letter to Congress...
~nancy