What is it about one small restriction that seems to encompass my life? It touches everything. From dinner time, to snack time, to leisure time, to craft time. It's not just that I can't ingest corn derivatives. I can't be around them when they are airborne. And the fact that I have this unique intolerance (which touches all sufferers in unique ways) means that I can not be a pillar. I can't be in a position of supervision because I can't be reliable. There are too many variable in life to prevent exposure completely. Which means reactions are impossible to predict, and just as impossible to ignore. Which, to put it bluntly, makes me unreliable. Not irresponsible, mind you, simply unreliable.
A corn allergy makes me different. It does separate me from the others. Go out for coffee? Sure. But I won't be drinking any. And we need to sit outside. And...hopefully the rest of the group is up for that awkwardness. Because, right or wrong, there is always some awkwardness.
Group projects are a challenge too. It seems like most work done in a group setting convenes around food. Pizza. Coffee. Yoghurt. Even donuts. You meet at a restaurant, or in a small room and bring food to break the ice.
Corn allergy, that sort of puts the chill back in the air. Sometimes, I get so used to this allergy that I forget that I'm the oddball out. I simply can't be a part of 'that' group. I have restrictions.
It's the simplest little things that fall through the cracks. And those little things are the ones discussed over popcorn in informal gatherings, or pizza after the official meeting. Little things that no one thinks are important. But they're details. And without those details, it's hard not to feel left out, as friendly and open as everyone else tries to be.
It's not intentional. I want to stress that I realize it's not intentional. (I have to tell myself not to be paranoid when these things come up) But it's usually an unexpected shock, like someone balanced a bucket of cold water over the front door and I'm the one who opened it.
Corn allergy so drastically impacts what we eat, our dining options as well as choices, that it carries over into every aspect of our lives in ways that other food allergies and even Celiac Disease do not. All food restrictions are hard, but when it comes to corn, that's when I feel really different.
And when I think about why I missed these little impromptu gatherings where details were addressed and dismissed, it's generally the corn aspect that lies at the root of things. I know from the outside I look like I'm just not interested. But the fact is, the risk just doesn't outweigh the potential bonding. I love chatting informally outdoors where I'm not assaulted by perfume or personal care products, and food fumes disperse quickly. But it's hard to get motivated to go somewhere to watch people you almost know enjoy a meal.
And it's hard not to feel like you're in the spotlight when it's the little things you don't do, that make you miss the details.
It's not a bad thing, necessarily. It's just different. Another little quirk. Quirks can be endearing, they can be overlooked. It just takes a little work. And a little more work to keep track of those teensy little details that slip through the coffee-hour cracks. And, of course, a good sense of humor to avoid letting those details get to you. (This is the part I'm struggling to keep this weekend)
Corn. It doesn't just affect our diet. It affects our lives.
Showing posts with label Corn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corn. Show all posts
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
What I've gained from having a Corn Allergy
When restrictions seem to rule your life, it's hard to keep a positive spin on them. You go to a party and find yourself turning down delicious dishes, desserts and drinks. The grocery store is full of off limits food. You have to call and find out if the school's movie night will be serving popcorn before agreeing to bring your child (or finding someone else to chaperone, so you can continue breathing)
Corn puts specific restraints on life; although it is freeing to know that the rashes and gi symptoms that used to parade as normal aren't something you need to accept and live with the rest of your life, it's also difficult to place restrictions on the air you breathe and the food you consume.
However, when I look back over the past few years since discovering I wasn't suffering from increasingly confusing jumbles of letters that added up to 'just stress', I find that I've learned and gained a lot from living with a corn allergy.
Besides the whole "life really is livable" thing, I think one of the biggest gifts has been learning about our food supply. It's disturbing, and I'd love to stuff my head back in the sand somedays. But I've learned a lot about labels and food processing that I otherwise would not have sought out. I've learned about the plight of small, family farms and a little about political power. I've discovered that blind trust in earthly matters is generally misplaced. That's not a bad thing. It motivates me to feed my family better, to actually make that effort to prepare real meals even if they just consist of organic rice and beans.
I've been forced to re-examine the organic issue. I've always thought that organic was better, but I didn't really think about why. Now I know it's much more than a label that I'm concerned about. Learning about how corn infiltrates our food (thus poisoning my poor digestive tract) led me to an understanding of why there are unknown additions to our food, and why it's so important to support local agriculture. I've realized that it isn't just organic that I'm looking to support, but foods grown without pesticides or chemicals. I'm looking for foods that aren't developed in a laboratory. I'm looking for food that is what it looks like, and nothing more.
No compromises. Everyone says fast food is bad. But then they get busy and hit the drive through, munching away on those 'paper bag heart attacks'. I admit, I've fantasized about it myself. But, with a corn allergy, I can't compromise. It's poison to me, why would I give it to my kids if it's not even good for them? Scout night nuggets is not an option, so it's never come up. I cook. Maybe not completely from scratch, maybe not gourmet, but still. It's real food with few preservatives.
What have I gained from a corn allergy? A chance to better define my feelings regarding organics and food quality in general. A better understanding of food politics. A chance to see how little things that seem insignificant or even wise can really throw a wrench in the bigger picture.
I have a corn allergy, and it makes me 'that mom'. A granola mom. The odd ball out. But I refuse to do it because I have to. I'll do it on my terms...I'll define it in ways that make it right for us. Corn free, naturally.
Corn puts specific restraints on life; although it is freeing to know that the rashes and gi symptoms that used to parade as normal aren't something you need to accept and live with the rest of your life, it's also difficult to place restrictions on the air you breathe and the food you consume.
However, when I look back over the past few years since discovering I wasn't suffering from increasingly confusing jumbles of letters that added up to 'just stress', I find that I've learned and gained a lot from living with a corn allergy.
Besides the whole "life really is livable" thing, I think one of the biggest gifts has been learning about our food supply. It's disturbing, and I'd love to stuff my head back in the sand somedays. But I've learned a lot about labels and food processing that I otherwise would not have sought out. I've learned about the plight of small, family farms and a little about political power. I've discovered that blind trust in earthly matters is generally misplaced. That's not a bad thing. It motivates me to feed my family better, to actually make that effort to prepare real meals even if they just consist of organic rice and beans.
I've been forced to re-examine the organic issue. I've always thought that organic was better, but I didn't really think about why. Now I know it's much more than a label that I'm concerned about. Learning about how corn infiltrates our food (thus poisoning my poor digestive tract) led me to an understanding of why there are unknown additions to our food, and why it's so important to support local agriculture. I've realized that it isn't just organic that I'm looking to support, but foods grown without pesticides or chemicals. I'm looking for foods that aren't developed in a laboratory. I'm looking for food that is what it looks like, and nothing more.
No compromises. Everyone says fast food is bad. But then they get busy and hit the drive through, munching away on those 'paper bag heart attacks'. I admit, I've fantasized about it myself. But, with a corn allergy, I can't compromise. It's poison to me, why would I give it to my kids if it's not even good for them? Scout night nuggets is not an option, so it's never come up. I cook. Maybe not completely from scratch, maybe not gourmet, but still. It's real food with few preservatives.
What have I gained from a corn allergy? A chance to better define my feelings regarding organics and food quality in general. A better understanding of food politics. A chance to see how little things that seem insignificant or even wise can really throw a wrench in the bigger picture.
I have a corn allergy, and it makes me 'that mom'. A granola mom. The odd ball out. But I refuse to do it because I have to. I'll do it on my terms...I'll define it in ways that make it right for us. Corn free, naturally.
Friday, September 23, 2011
GM corn and our rights as consumers
If you're a regular reader, you probably know how I feel about corn. And you might think that if Monsanto has developed a new GM corn that can resist even stronger doses of the pesticide Round Up, and resists at least two different corn-loving insects; well, since the corn itself attacks ME regardless, it won't matter to me if it's on the market or not.
You'd be wrong.
I won't be buying this GM corn because I don't buy corn. But, I object to it on principal. Frankly, it scares me to read that the federal regulators don't require any approval, and it doesn't need to be labeled.
It terrifies me to think that big corporations don't feel a need to label food with origins that they think I might object to. As a consumer, I have the right to know what I'm purchasing. What my purchase supports, what I'm putting into my and my children's bodies.
I have an obligation to make informed decisions regarding my kids' health. That includes what I feed them. There is a reason I try to buy organic. But simply buying organic isn't good enough. Regardless of my personal desires, I have to balance ideals with the cold hard facts of my checking account. If I can't afford an organic certified label one week, I should be able to make an informed choice among the non-organically grown options. Which means, GMO need to be labeled.
This isn't about whether or not there should be genetically modified organisms on the market. I think most people agree that they don't want to ingest GMOs or feed them to their kids; but that's not the point either. I may not want GMOs to be mass marketed, and I may be concerned about the possibility of GMO pollen contaminating organic fields, but that isn't the issue here either.
The real issue is that if GM corn is sold unlabeled, then we as consumers lose our right to choose. We lose our right to make an informed decision about what we buy and what we eat. As consumers, we shouldn't have to research every morsel that enters our mouth. (Trust me, as a corn allergy sufferer I do have to research every product. It's hard work and the company representatives aren't always happy about the research I ask them to do.) I'm guessing that companies are assuming that as busy individuals, we don't have the time or inclination to make a phone call prior to every purchase ascertaining it's GMO status. And I'm also guessing that they are assuming that once the reveal that GMO corn has been on the shelf and a pantry staple for a certain number of months or years, we as a society will be more open to embracing other GMOs. And that, in turn, can lead to an easier approval process. Which, of course, won't need to be labeled because as a society we will already have accepted the use of GMOs in our everyday lives.
This is what I object to.
I don't know the long term consequences of GMO. And maybe there won't be any.
But maybe there are some unforeseen consequences. As a consumer, as an American Citizen, I have the right to choose. The right to protect my family, if it makes me happy and doesn't impede anyone else's rights. As a city-girl (like most of America) I can't grow all my own food. Which means I need to rely on grocery stores. And I deserve to know what's in the foods I purchase. I deserve to choose whether or not to support GMOs. We all deserve the right to avoid ingredients we don't want whether it's for physical, spiritual, religious or ridiculous reasons. And we deserve the right to seek out specific foods if we so desire. (Like raw milk, or even GMO if you really wanted it) In order to exercize our right to choose, we need information. Which means, GMO should be labeled.
While we work on that as individuals, companies can work on it as well.
Trader Joes and General Mills have indicated that they won't purchase unlabeled GM sweet corn (the kind that's sold frozen and/or canned.) Today I sent a message through the True Food website asking other food manufacturers to do the same. If you want to maintain your right to choose, consider doing the same.
You'd be wrong.
I won't be buying this GM corn because I don't buy corn. But, I object to it on principal. Frankly, it scares me to read that the federal regulators don't require any approval, and it doesn't need to be labeled.
It terrifies me to think that big corporations don't feel a need to label food with origins that they think I might object to. As a consumer, I have the right to know what I'm purchasing. What my purchase supports, what I'm putting into my and my children's bodies.
I have an obligation to make informed decisions regarding my kids' health. That includes what I feed them. There is a reason I try to buy organic. But simply buying organic isn't good enough. Regardless of my personal desires, I have to balance ideals with the cold hard facts of my checking account. If I can't afford an organic certified label one week, I should be able to make an informed choice among the non-organically grown options. Which means, GMO need to be labeled.
This isn't about whether or not there should be genetically modified organisms on the market. I think most people agree that they don't want to ingest GMOs or feed them to their kids; but that's not the point either. I may not want GMOs to be mass marketed, and I may be concerned about the possibility of GMO pollen contaminating organic fields, but that isn't the issue here either.
The real issue is that if GM corn is sold unlabeled, then we as consumers lose our right to choose. We lose our right to make an informed decision about what we buy and what we eat. As consumers, we shouldn't have to research every morsel that enters our mouth. (Trust me, as a corn allergy sufferer I do have to research every product. It's hard work and the company representatives aren't always happy about the research I ask them to do.) I'm guessing that companies are assuming that as busy individuals, we don't have the time or inclination to make a phone call prior to every purchase ascertaining it's GMO status. And I'm also guessing that they are assuming that once the reveal that GMO corn has been on the shelf and a pantry staple for a certain number of months or years, we as a society will be more open to embracing other GMOs. And that, in turn, can lead to an easier approval process. Which, of course, won't need to be labeled because as a society we will already have accepted the use of GMOs in our everyday lives.
This is what I object to.
I don't know the long term consequences of GMO. And maybe there won't be any.
But maybe there are some unforeseen consequences. As a consumer, as an American Citizen, I have the right to choose. The right to protect my family, if it makes me happy and doesn't impede anyone else's rights. As a city-girl (like most of America) I can't grow all my own food. Which means I need to rely on grocery stores. And I deserve to know what's in the foods I purchase. I deserve to choose whether or not to support GMOs. We all deserve the right to avoid ingredients we don't want whether it's for physical, spiritual, religious or ridiculous reasons. And we deserve the right to seek out specific foods if we so desire. (Like raw milk, or even GMO if you really wanted it) In order to exercize our right to choose, we need information. Which means, GMO should be labeled.
While we work on that as individuals, companies can work on it as well.
Trader Joes and General Mills have indicated that they won't purchase unlabeled GM sweet corn (the kind that's sold frozen and/or canned.) Today I sent a message through the True Food website asking other food manufacturers to do the same. If you want to maintain your right to choose, consider doing the same.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Something Sweet...
"I want to bake something," said Penguin.
The thing with allergies is that EVERYthing we make gets made from scratch. It's a hot day. Turning on the oven may not have been high on my list of priorities. And baking means extra dishes to wash, standing over a hot sink. There's still dinner to cook, too. And I'm fairly certain there are some not-corn-free cookies in the cupboard.
But while she might have a few secondary options, if I want something sweet, I can eat ingredients or I can bake something. And since I was craving something sweet (besides a handful of chocolate chips), I grinned at her. A slow, shy grin was returned.
"Really?" She asked, and I nodded, asking what she had in mind.
Something different, she told me. But not too different. Something like...hmmm...Chocolate chip cookies.
And since chocolate chip cookies just happened to be exactly what I've been craving, I told her this was a good plan.
She asked if the 'something different' could be putting them in a cake pan instead making little cookies. And since that meant one batch of cookies instead of 2 or 3 panfuls, I told her this was another good plan. I figured worst case scenario, there would be sweet and chocolatey crumbs for me to munch on, warm dough for my husband, and she could resort to Soy Creamy ice cream.
She didn't have to. The chocolate chip bars came out delicious. Between the four of us, we polished off the entire pan full.
Well, except for 1 small corner which I'm currently eyeing. Hmmm. As the one with the most allergies, I'm pretty sure I get dibs.
Sometimes, being allergy free has it's advantages.
The thing with allergies is that EVERYthing we make gets made from scratch. It's a hot day. Turning on the oven may not have been high on my list of priorities. And baking means extra dishes to wash, standing over a hot sink. There's still dinner to cook, too. And I'm fairly certain there are some not-corn-free cookies in the cupboard.
But while she might have a few secondary options, if I want something sweet, I can eat ingredients or I can bake something. And since I was craving something sweet (besides a handful of chocolate chips), I grinned at her. A slow, shy grin was returned.
"Really?" She asked, and I nodded, asking what she had in mind.
Something different, she told me. But not too different. Something like...hmmm...Chocolate chip cookies.
And since chocolate chip cookies just happened to be exactly what I've been craving, I told her this was a good plan.
She asked if the 'something different' could be putting them in a cake pan instead making little cookies. And since that meant one batch of cookies instead of 2 or 3 panfuls, I told her this was another good plan. I figured worst case scenario, there would be sweet and chocolatey crumbs for me to munch on, warm dough for my husband, and she could resort to Soy Creamy ice cream.
She didn't have to. The chocolate chip bars came out delicious. Between the four of us, we polished off the entire pan full.
Well, except for 1 small corner which I'm currently eyeing. Hmmm. As the one with the most allergies, I'm pretty sure I get dibs.
Sometimes, being allergy free has it's advantages.
Navigating Maize
I'm again frustrated with the lack of appropriate wording for corn allergies.
The only word we have for a potentially debilitating reaction caused by an ingested substance is 'allergy'. But when it comes to corn and corn derivatives, allergy doesn't describe the half of it.
You see, food allergies indicate potential anaphylaxis. And while with corn, we do have the potential for anaphylaxis, most professionals also associate true food allergies with food proteins.
Corn derivatives like xanthan gum, citric acid and microcrystalline cellulose are 'pure'. They don't have protein. But they still manage to pack quite the whollop. So, Corn avoiders tend to avoid all corn derivatives, at least until they figure out which ones they, personally, can tolerate.
Most allergists run diagnostic testing when determining food allergies. They start with skin tests, and then draw blood. The intention is to measure the antibodies present and then determine the likelihood of a severe reaction.
However, as this South African Journal notes, corn/maize frequently reveals a false negative result. Double blind placebo trials reveal reactions.
In short, corn/maize does NOT follow the typical allergy rules. It's not always protein mediated. And the typical allergy testing rarely reveals a positive result.
There are also multiple potential allergens in corn, although studies have not been done to evaluate them thoroughly.
While I know all this, not everyone in the medical community seems to. Even worse, the companies who produce and package my food, and everyone else's, tend to have a very tenuous hold on the understanding of corn and it's potential for causing reactions.
This understanding is encouraged by the belief that food proteins are the problematic substance when dealing with food allergies; and that the Top 8 are the main (frequently misunderstood as 'only') foods responsible for 'real' reactions.
So when I contact a company and say "Is there corn in this?", they respond with "Of course not, it's a bottle of fruit juice." When, in fact, there may be 3 or 4 different corn derived ingredients either on the label or used as a processing agent.
(If you're wondering, off the top of my head: Ascorbic acid, citric acid, xanthan gum, and vitamin enrichments are the first 4 ingredients I can think of found in juice drinks that are often corn-taminated)
Some companies get it. When they say "There are no corn derivatives" they mean that they pick the fruit, squeeze it directly into pure, clean glass bottles and seal it up for distribution. They KNOW what's in there.
Shopping with a corn/maize allergy (or whatever it is you want to call this condition) is a completely different experience from what shopping used to be. There are entire aisles in the grocery store that are off limits. And even the aisles that are inviting seem ominous. New products are tempting, and yet need to be cautiously evaluated. First, the label is scrutinized. Questionable ingredients noted. The company then needs to be contacted to verify the source of questionable ingredients, and to ask about processing. And then comes the moment of truth. The deep breath, the taste. And hopefully, if the evening passes without reaction, a full out meal.
And then it gets added to the normal rotation. However, just because an item is familiar doesn't mean that a shopping trip is filled with confidence or that each purchase is quick and safe. Every single time I go to the store, I read ingredients. I scan for red flags that sound 'different' from last time. If packaging changes, it means I need to contact the company (and/or double check with the corn-free community on delphi) to see if any portion of the packaging process has changed.
If corn were like dairy or eggs or even gluten, answers would be easier to get. The protein would be the main item of concern, the answers would be straight forward. They are for my daughter. But corn...corn is complicated. It has so many facets and is used so many different ways.
Learning life without corn derivatives is truly like navigating a maze, except that rather than navigating a complicated labyrinth to discover a vicious minotaur, the maze itself is the danger and once we find the center, the danger is over...as long as we continue to stay vigilant.
The only word we have for a potentially debilitating reaction caused by an ingested substance is 'allergy'. But when it comes to corn and corn derivatives, allergy doesn't describe the half of it.
You see, food allergies indicate potential anaphylaxis. And while with corn, we do have the potential for anaphylaxis, most professionals also associate true food allergies with food proteins.
Corn derivatives like xanthan gum, citric acid and microcrystalline cellulose are 'pure'. They don't have protein. But they still manage to pack quite the whollop. So, Corn avoiders tend to avoid all corn derivatives, at least until they figure out which ones they, personally, can tolerate.
Most allergists run diagnostic testing when determining food allergies. They start with skin tests, and then draw blood. The intention is to measure the antibodies present and then determine the likelihood of a severe reaction.
However, as this South African Journal notes, corn/maize frequently reveals a false negative result. Double blind placebo trials reveal reactions.
In short, corn/maize does NOT follow the typical allergy rules. It's not always protein mediated. And the typical allergy testing rarely reveals a positive result.
There are also multiple potential allergens in corn, although studies have not been done to evaluate them thoroughly.
While I know all this, not everyone in the medical community seems to. Even worse, the companies who produce and package my food, and everyone else's, tend to have a very tenuous hold on the understanding of corn and it's potential for causing reactions.
This understanding is encouraged by the belief that food proteins are the problematic substance when dealing with food allergies; and that the Top 8 are the main (frequently misunderstood as 'only') foods responsible for 'real' reactions.
So when I contact a company and say "Is there corn in this?", they respond with "Of course not, it's a bottle of fruit juice." When, in fact, there may be 3 or 4 different corn derived ingredients either on the label or used as a processing agent.
(If you're wondering, off the top of my head: Ascorbic acid, citric acid, xanthan gum, and vitamin enrichments are the first 4 ingredients I can think of found in juice drinks that are often corn-taminated)
Some companies get it. When they say "There are no corn derivatives" they mean that they pick the fruit, squeeze it directly into pure, clean glass bottles and seal it up for distribution. They KNOW what's in there.
Shopping with a corn/maize allergy (or whatever it is you want to call this condition) is a completely different experience from what shopping used to be. There are entire aisles in the grocery store that are off limits. And even the aisles that are inviting seem ominous. New products are tempting, and yet need to be cautiously evaluated. First, the label is scrutinized. Questionable ingredients noted. The company then needs to be contacted to verify the source of questionable ingredients, and to ask about processing. And then comes the moment of truth. The deep breath, the taste. And hopefully, if the evening passes without reaction, a full out meal.
And then it gets added to the normal rotation. However, just because an item is familiar doesn't mean that a shopping trip is filled with confidence or that each purchase is quick and safe. Every single time I go to the store, I read ingredients. I scan for red flags that sound 'different' from last time. If packaging changes, it means I need to contact the company (and/or double check with the corn-free community on delphi) to see if any portion of the packaging process has changed.
If corn were like dairy or eggs or even gluten, answers would be easier to get. The protein would be the main item of concern, the answers would be straight forward. They are for my daughter. But corn...corn is complicated. It has so many facets and is used so many different ways.
Learning life without corn derivatives is truly like navigating a maze, except that rather than navigating a complicated labyrinth to discover a vicious minotaur, the maze itself is the danger and once we find the center, the danger is over...as long as we continue to stay vigilant.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
How to make a sandwich...with food allergies
No corn. No gluten. The first thing to go, without a backward glance, was sandwiches. Bread is chock full of both those items, in fact...since wheat and yeast and salt make up the gist of most sandwich bread recipes, it seemed impossible to ever find a substitute, beyond rice cakes that is.
However, life went on. I didn't really look backwards.
At least, not until Bumblebee passed the peanut challenge. Something about peanut butter simply begs for a sandwich. It's good on a spoon. It's divine dipped in chocolate. But it's better on bread.
The trouble is that most yeast is grown on corn. I really didn't even want to go there. And experimenting with a yeast dough using only flours I, personally, am safe consuming seemed simply overwhelming. It's not like I had a lot of experience with what it's supposed to look like. And if I screwed up with expensive flours...well. Lets just say I wasn't anxious for this specific learning experience.
I'm still not interested in a yeasted dough.
But, it's been 7 years since I was first diagnosed with corn allergies. 5 or 6 years since I went gluten free and got corn savvy. I've learned a thing or two about cooking, we have cookies and cake and muffins.
And so, the corn free, gluten free peanut butter sandwich was born.
Most people start with a store bought loaf of bread. Me? I start with a cup of water. I beat in a few eggs. Add my preferred blend of rice and tapioca flours, some sugar and oil, and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake. Slice. Smear with peanut butter and...yum.
It's not that healthy. There's an awful lot of sugar and carb content. But, it sure is satisfying.
However, life went on. I didn't really look backwards.
At least, not until Bumblebee passed the peanut challenge. Something about peanut butter simply begs for a sandwich. It's good on a spoon. It's divine dipped in chocolate. But it's better on bread.
The trouble is that most yeast is grown on corn. I really didn't even want to go there. And experimenting with a yeast dough using only flours I, personally, am safe consuming seemed simply overwhelming. It's not like I had a lot of experience with what it's supposed to look like. And if I screwed up with expensive flours...well. Lets just say I wasn't anxious for this specific learning experience.
I'm still not interested in a yeasted dough.
But, it's been 7 years since I was first diagnosed with corn allergies. 5 or 6 years since I went gluten free and got corn savvy. I've learned a thing or two about cooking, we have cookies and cake and muffins.
And so, the corn free, gluten free peanut butter sandwich was born.
Most people start with a store bought loaf of bread. Me? I start with a cup of water. I beat in a few eggs. Add my preferred blend of rice and tapioca flours, some sugar and oil, and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake. Slice. Smear with peanut butter and...yum.
It's not that healthy. There's an awful lot of sugar and carb content. But, it sure is satisfying.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
When I was a kid, vegetarianism was the dreaded dietary trend of teens and tweens. It was a right of passage that half of us experimented with after reading Charlotte's Web, and probably a quarter of us actually continued with. It's still a phase discussed in numerous books and magazine articles. But the newest dietary trend (the kind that isn't for weight loss) seems to revolve around organic choices.
When my daughter came to me and said she was considering cutting out corn and soy (on top of the gluten and dairy she already avoids) I was a little worried that she wasn't feeling well. No, no, she was quick to assure me, it's just that corn and soy are usually GMO in the US. And she doesn't want to eat genetically modified organisms.
She reassured me that it wasn't my reading choices that made her think. It was an article about how good GMOs are that convinced her. She disagreed with the article, and their evidence that most corn and soy grown in the USA are GMO and 'not hurting anyone' really concern her. People have cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and increased incidents of food allergy and intolerance. We don't know why, but diagnosis like chronic fatigue and various depression issues appear to be on the rise as well.
I was impressed by her argument, and we discussed how we can focus on organics but I don't want her to obsess over small amounts of corn or soy or conventional fruits and veggies. It's more important to have a varied diet than to avoid specific farming practices. Besides, as a family, we have enough to worry about when it comes to what goes into our bodies! In fact, I figured that our own dietary awareness was what set her off.
But I've been listening in check out lanes. And at playgrounds. Not to mention while waiting for classes to let out.
It seems that my teenager isn't the only young lady concerned with the safety of genetically modified foods, and corn syrup. Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dillemma" was published in a kid friendly format (which I need to look up) and has been making the middle and high school rounds. Parents are commenting that their kid's sudden interest in ingredient lists, and desires to avoid high fructose corn syrup or soy are taking parents by surprise. Some are asking to shop at Whole Foods, or refusing to eat anything not labeled organic. Their parents aren't sure what to think. Or how far to support the cause.
After all, teenagers are famous for changing their minds. Like the parents of the 70's who were tempted to sneak ground chicken into the tofu, today's parents wonder if they should hide the corn syrup laden foods. And how exactly to do that.
I had to laugh at the conversation about hiding conventional foods. After all, there is nothing inherently nutritious about corn syrup. Even the most ambitious propaganda from the corn refiner's association doesn't go so far as to suggest that corn syrup laden food is anything more than equivalent to cane sugar laden food. The point has always been to convince the public that food is food regardless of how much processing or chemical processes they put it through.
The concern, which no one seems able to voice properly, is that corn is so entrenched in our food supply that totally eradicating it does cause potential problems. It doesn't mean that corn is inherently good. It just means that total avoidance is to today's diet as a vegetarian diet was to the meat and potatoes fare our parents were raised on. Maybe worse, since there can be corn derivatives used to wash meat or eggs, used in the waxing of fresh fruits, even in the fortification of vitamins.
The answer isn't to do a better job hiding it. The Corn Refiners association and the FDA seem to be doing a good enough job, if the experience of the Delphi Avoiding Corn forum is any example. The answer is to look, really take a good, hard, critical look at our dietary staples. Ask about sources. Make preferences known, and look for variety as well as organic symbols. Support local farmers (if you don't avoid corn, include the ones who grow it organic, the on-the-cob variety) and eat close to the source.
The next generation knows they want to make a change. They know there is something inherently wrong with genetically manipulating plant DNA. They don't have the words or experience to explain or defend their objections, but that doesn't invalidate them.
The next generation may need guidance in defining their objections. They need help modifying their choice of diet, whether it is vegetarian or organic or paleo, into something nutritious and balanced. But they don't need adults to circumvent or override their decisions. Just as the vegetarians in my day were objecting to the rise of factory farms, today's organic activists just want to make a change. They want to be proactive. And like any change in this world, the best place to start is at home. I hope today's youth is more successful at avoiding corn than my generation was at eradicating factory farming. But since it's easier to make a statement with a choice to buy organic, to put dollars toward local pesticide free produce rather than processed calories, maybe they'll have a chance.
I support the cause. It's not just about corn. It's about health, for my kids and their future.
When my daughter came to me and said she was considering cutting out corn and soy (on top of the gluten and dairy she already avoids) I was a little worried that she wasn't feeling well. No, no, she was quick to assure me, it's just that corn and soy are usually GMO in the US. And she doesn't want to eat genetically modified organisms.
She reassured me that it wasn't my reading choices that made her think. It was an article about how good GMOs are that convinced her. She disagreed with the article, and their evidence that most corn and soy grown in the USA are GMO and 'not hurting anyone' really concern her. People have cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and increased incidents of food allergy and intolerance. We don't know why, but diagnosis like chronic fatigue and various depression issues appear to be on the rise as well.
I was impressed by her argument, and we discussed how we can focus on organics but I don't want her to obsess over small amounts of corn or soy or conventional fruits and veggies. It's more important to have a varied diet than to avoid specific farming practices. Besides, as a family, we have enough to worry about when it comes to what goes into our bodies! In fact, I figured that our own dietary awareness was what set her off.
But I've been listening in check out lanes. And at playgrounds. Not to mention while waiting for classes to let out.
It seems that my teenager isn't the only young lady concerned with the safety of genetically modified foods, and corn syrup. Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dillemma" was published in a kid friendly format (which I need to look up) and has been making the middle and high school rounds. Parents are commenting that their kid's sudden interest in ingredient lists, and desires to avoid high fructose corn syrup or soy are taking parents by surprise. Some are asking to shop at Whole Foods, or refusing to eat anything not labeled organic. Their parents aren't sure what to think. Or how far to support the cause.
After all, teenagers are famous for changing their minds. Like the parents of the 70's who were tempted to sneak ground chicken into the tofu, today's parents wonder if they should hide the corn syrup laden foods. And how exactly to do that.
I had to laugh at the conversation about hiding conventional foods. After all, there is nothing inherently nutritious about corn syrup. Even the most ambitious propaganda from the corn refiner's association doesn't go so far as to suggest that corn syrup laden food is anything more than equivalent to cane sugar laden food. The point has always been to convince the public that food is food regardless of how much processing or chemical processes they put it through.
The concern, which no one seems able to voice properly, is that corn is so entrenched in our food supply that totally eradicating it does cause potential problems. It doesn't mean that corn is inherently good. It just means that total avoidance is to today's diet as a vegetarian diet was to the meat and potatoes fare our parents were raised on. Maybe worse, since there can be corn derivatives used to wash meat or eggs, used in the waxing of fresh fruits, even in the fortification of vitamins.
The answer isn't to do a better job hiding it. The Corn Refiners association and the FDA seem to be doing a good enough job, if the experience of the Delphi Avoiding Corn forum is any example. The answer is to look, really take a good, hard, critical look at our dietary staples. Ask about sources. Make preferences known, and look for variety as well as organic symbols. Support local farmers (if you don't avoid corn, include the ones who grow it organic, the on-the-cob variety) and eat close to the source.
The next generation knows they want to make a change. They know there is something inherently wrong with genetically manipulating plant DNA. They don't have the words or experience to explain or defend their objections, but that doesn't invalidate them.
The next generation may need guidance in defining their objections. They need help modifying their choice of diet, whether it is vegetarian or organic or paleo, into something nutritious and balanced. But they don't need adults to circumvent or override their decisions. Just as the vegetarians in my day were objecting to the rise of factory farms, today's organic activists just want to make a change. They want to be proactive. And like any change in this world, the best place to start is at home. I hope today's youth is more successful at avoiding corn than my generation was at eradicating factory farming. But since it's easier to make a statement with a choice to buy organic, to put dollars toward local pesticide free produce rather than processed calories, maybe they'll have a chance.
I support the cause. It's not just about corn. It's about health, for my kids and their future.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Real Food
Recently, struggling to come up with food for Bumblebee, I couldn't help but wonder when we got to this point. And was immediately assaulted by the memory of sitting in a professionals office, discussing Bumblebee's reluctance to attend school and food issues and being told that she shouldn't be expected to eat the veggies and whole grains I make, since she doesn't have Celiac Disease she deserves "real food". And an interview with a nutritionist shortly after I was diagnosed with both Celiac Disease and Corn Allergy, tearfully explaining that there was NOTHING I could eat, and the kids needed food too...and being told that I couldn't deprive them of "real food".
Each time I was on overload, so I nodded, blinked away any tears threatening to fall, and agreed that my limited diet was intolerable for kids.
But I never thought to step back, narrow my eyes and ask what exactly they considered "Real Food"? What, exactly, is wrong with a gluten free diet that makes people think of it as "fake" food? Rice bread isn't any less valid than wheat bread...it just tastes different. Rice pasta, again, simply has a different texture and taste than 'regular' pasta. It's not fake. It's just made from a different grain.
Looking through gluten-free cookbooks always makes me shake my head. While I am in need of inspiration for nightly meals, I find that specific cookbooks for gluten free foods have a distinct focus on baking. Breads, cakes, cookies. Carbs. Of which we, as a society, get way too many of to begin with.
Real food. Is it cake? Pizza? Macaroni? And when did it get that way?
I look at last night's meal (which was a sort of quiche-filling poured over leftover pasta. Not gourmet, but tasty and chock full of spinach and pepper and onion, as well as protein from eggs) I wonder what ever possessed me to think that serving cereal or a sandwich to Bumblebee was somehow superior? A valid choice if she doesn't like the meal, sure. But more appropriate because it's "real" and has gluten and/or dairy plus corn?
What's happened to our priorities?
I'm exaggerating a bit. I've never really thought a sandwich was "superior" to the rest of the meal. But there's been that nugget of guilt. Poor Bumblebee. Poor Mr. Violets. They have to put up with fake food, when they could be eating...GLUTEN.
Well, the guilt is ending (er, well, okay...by ending I mean 'being hidden away and ignored to the best of my ability') right now.
Tonight's meal is rice and beans with salad. It's a meal offered on dozens of restaurant menus, and enjoyed by thousands of households in the american continents. Plural. There's nothing fake about it, even if I only serve avocado and no cheese or sour cream. In fact, I believe some would find it even more traditional that way.
Real food isn't about gluten, or dairy, or any other allergen. It's about food. It's about seeing your food, knowing where it came from, and enjoying it. It's about food that's approachable. Simple. Nourishing. It's the opposite of what you'd pull out of the Star Trek Enterprise holo-replicator mechanism. It's the good chocolate. (you know, the only kind I can safely eat that costs a fortune) It's old fashioned oats or Quinoa flakes. It's pure cane sugar. It's water instead of Kool Aid. It's food that formed on a farm, not in a laboratory, and grew from seeds that weren't GM. (at least, in my opinion)
Real food is a recurring theme on allergy boards. Missing, wishing, dreaming of "real food". But food without allergens IS real. It's valid. It's tasty. It's nourishing because of what IS in it, not lacking because of what's not.
And you know what? In many ways, it CAN be superior to the so called "real" of the Standard American Diet. Real Food is often gluten free. Why shouldn't it be?
Each time I was on overload, so I nodded, blinked away any tears threatening to fall, and agreed that my limited diet was intolerable for kids.
But I never thought to step back, narrow my eyes and ask what exactly they considered "Real Food"? What, exactly, is wrong with a gluten free diet that makes people think of it as "fake" food? Rice bread isn't any less valid than wheat bread...it just tastes different. Rice pasta, again, simply has a different texture and taste than 'regular' pasta. It's not fake. It's just made from a different grain.
Looking through gluten-free cookbooks always makes me shake my head. While I am in need of inspiration for nightly meals, I find that specific cookbooks for gluten free foods have a distinct focus on baking. Breads, cakes, cookies. Carbs. Of which we, as a society, get way too many of to begin with.
Real food. Is it cake? Pizza? Macaroni? And when did it get that way?
I look at last night's meal (which was a sort of quiche-filling poured over leftover pasta. Not gourmet, but tasty and chock full of spinach and pepper and onion, as well as protein from eggs) I wonder what ever possessed me to think that serving cereal or a sandwich to Bumblebee was somehow superior? A valid choice if she doesn't like the meal, sure. But more appropriate because it's "real" and has gluten and/or dairy plus corn?
What's happened to our priorities?
I'm exaggerating a bit. I've never really thought a sandwich was "superior" to the rest of the meal. But there's been that nugget of guilt. Poor Bumblebee. Poor Mr. Violets. They have to put up with fake food, when they could be eating...GLUTEN.
Well, the guilt is ending (er, well, okay...by ending I mean 'being hidden away and ignored to the best of my ability') right now.
Tonight's meal is rice and beans with salad. It's a meal offered on dozens of restaurant menus, and enjoyed by thousands of households in the american continents. Plural. There's nothing fake about it, even if I only serve avocado and no cheese or sour cream. In fact, I believe some would find it even more traditional that way.
Real food isn't about gluten, or dairy, or any other allergen. It's about food. It's about seeing your food, knowing where it came from, and enjoying it. It's about food that's approachable. Simple. Nourishing. It's the opposite of what you'd pull out of the Star Trek Enterprise holo-replicator mechanism. It's the good chocolate. (you know, the only kind I can safely eat that costs a fortune) It's old fashioned oats or Quinoa flakes. It's pure cane sugar. It's water instead of Kool Aid. It's food that formed on a farm, not in a laboratory, and grew from seeds that weren't GM. (at least, in my opinion)
Real food is a recurring theme on allergy boards. Missing, wishing, dreaming of "real food". But food without allergens IS real. It's valid. It's tasty. It's nourishing because of what IS in it, not lacking because of what's not.
And you know what? In many ways, it CAN be superior to the so called "real" of the Standard American Diet. Real Food is often gluten free. Why shouldn't it be?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Grocery Bill
Some days, I look at the grocery bill and feel guilty. After all, I'm the one who has the most restrictions. Chocolate chips cost $3.39; rather than $1.99. Pasta is pretty close to the same. I can't swap brands for a better price. My daughter may be gluten free...but she isn't corn free. And sometimes gluten free by itself isn't all that expensive.
But recently I was given a puzzle. As you may recall if you read my blog regularly, I was recently on an extended liquid diet. Consisting of mostly broth, pureed veggies from said broth, applesauce and gelatin.
It wasn't a very expensive diet.
I was still making meals. The grocery bill should have gone down a bit, with Mr. Violets having extra leftovers for lunches and Penguin having extra leftovers for munching. Oddly, it went up quite a bit...just for those two weeks. I was truly puzzled when I looked over the credit card bill.
But then I turned to the receipts, and I looked in the fridge.
It seems that instead of using those leftovers, new meals were made and consumed. And instead of finishing off the last bit of hummus, it was pushed to the back to make room for a new tub. There were 3 tubs of (unsafe for me) margarine in there. And the summer sale stash I'd stockpiled?
Gone.
So this is what happens when moms get sick.
No one went hungry while I was down. (And no one goes hungry when I'm *not* down) Actually, I wasn't all that down and out...the liquid fast thing helped a lot. I was tired, but mostly functional. I did work more on "get that yourself".
I had noticed that the tupperware cupboard was looking a little bare. I hadn't noticed how much toast Gluten Free Penguin was enjoying. I was just mentioning the leftovers and presuming the family would follow through.
Before this turns into some sort of poor me rant, I want to skip straight to the point.
Eating allergen free doesn't have to be all that expensive. It's only expensive when you don't mediate your choices. Look in the fridge, use those leftovers. Put off shopping trips, and while it's important to stock up on sale items when they are on sale...they need to still be used as if you don't have a huge stockpile and are still limited to one or two packages a week or month.
I can make a tuna casserole that's safe for all of us. It's not gourmet, but it's tasty. It costs about a dollar a serving. But if we throw half of it away, it costs $2 per serving. And the amount that is thrown away gets replaced by other, often more expensive, snacks and lunch items.
Likewise...rice and beans costs maybe $4 total? And after it serves us, there is enough rice leftover, generally, for fried rice tomorrow night. But if we throw half of it away, the cost doubles. And leftover night becomes "easy meal" night...and easy meals are generally a little more expensive at least for the ones eating single serve items.
On the other hand, the old standby, a sandwich, costs about $2 each for Penguin. More if dairy free cheese is involved. And it's not filling by itself. $2 doesn't sound like much, but it adds up quickly. The worst part is that gf bread may be a good vehcle for hummus, tomatoes and other items...but it isn't in itself very nourishing.
It's good to know that my corn-free status isn't the sole source of high grocery bills. Allergy eating can be expensive...but it can be affordable, too. With a little bit of planning.
But recently I was given a puzzle. As you may recall if you read my blog regularly, I was recently on an extended liquid diet. Consisting of mostly broth, pureed veggies from said broth, applesauce and gelatin.
It wasn't a very expensive diet.
I was still making meals. The grocery bill should have gone down a bit, with Mr. Violets having extra leftovers for lunches and Penguin having extra leftovers for munching. Oddly, it went up quite a bit...just for those two weeks. I was truly puzzled when I looked over the credit card bill.
But then I turned to the receipts, and I looked in the fridge.
It seems that instead of using those leftovers, new meals were made and consumed. And instead of finishing off the last bit of hummus, it was pushed to the back to make room for a new tub. There were 3 tubs of (unsafe for me) margarine in there. And the summer sale stash I'd stockpiled?
Gone.
So this is what happens when moms get sick.
No one went hungry while I was down. (And no one goes hungry when I'm *not* down) Actually, I wasn't all that down and out...the liquid fast thing helped a lot. I was tired, but mostly functional. I did work more on "get that yourself".
I had noticed that the tupperware cupboard was looking a little bare. I hadn't noticed how much toast Gluten Free Penguin was enjoying. I was just mentioning the leftovers and presuming the family would follow through.
Before this turns into some sort of poor me rant, I want to skip straight to the point.
Eating allergen free doesn't have to be all that expensive. It's only expensive when you don't mediate your choices. Look in the fridge, use those leftovers. Put off shopping trips, and while it's important to stock up on sale items when they are on sale...they need to still be used as if you don't have a huge stockpile and are still limited to one or two packages a week or month.
I can make a tuna casserole that's safe for all of us. It's not gourmet, but it's tasty. It costs about a dollar a serving. But if we throw half of it away, it costs $2 per serving. And the amount that is thrown away gets replaced by other, often more expensive, snacks and lunch items.
Likewise...rice and beans costs maybe $4 total? And after it serves us, there is enough rice leftover, generally, for fried rice tomorrow night. But if we throw half of it away, the cost doubles. And leftover night becomes "easy meal" night...and easy meals are generally a little more expensive at least for the ones eating single serve items.
On the other hand, the old standby, a sandwich, costs about $2 each for Penguin. More if dairy free cheese is involved. And it's not filling by itself. $2 doesn't sound like much, but it adds up quickly. The worst part is that gf bread may be a good vehcle for hummus, tomatoes and other items...but it isn't in itself very nourishing.
It's good to know that my corn-free status isn't the sole source of high grocery bills. Allergy eating can be expensive...but it can be affordable, too. With a little bit of planning.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Corn Crazies
I can have chocolate. But not Hershey. (Or Dove, or Palmer, or Nestle)
I can have eggs. But only certain, specific eggs. Not generic grocery store eggs.
I can eat apples. If they are unwaxed and peeled. But that doesn't mean I can have any old applesauce.
I can eat rice. But only if it's un-enriched, and only from certain farms that don't grow corn.
The restrictions sound crazy. Laughable, even.
I can remember being relieved that I was "just" allergic to corn. Just corn. It sounded so easy. But things got harder, I sought help. I started reading and found a community of corn-allergic individuals. My eyes widened, I shook my head, I congratulated myself on not going overboard. And then, slowly, I learned that I needed to be just as fanatical as others seemed to be. There are times I wonder if I've gone crazy. But I've spent too much time recovering from unplanned, unexpected, hindsight revealed 'oopses' to believe that it could possibly be just in my head.
Every so often it gets to be too much. I step outside myself and look at the restrictions through a stranger's eyes and think I'm going too far. And although I try to rationalize it out, and even talk myself into taking chances, I find others in a similar situation voicing their own shaken faith in their bodies' reactions to normal, healthy, should-be-safe food. More often than not, the culprit is quickly and easily identified in the form of an added enrichment, or a new preservative. Sometimes it requires a little digging...like a cross contaminated batch of almonds (perhaps shipped in the same loading truck as corn?) How can you dispute unintentional blind trials that end in proof? Especially when there are multiple people reporting the same experience. Maybe our methods aren't scientific, but they aren't easy to dismiss either.
That's what makes social events so hard. Even water is softened with corn derived citric acid, or the taste is improved by corny minerals, or it's bottled in a corn-based environmentally 'friendly' polymer. People might overlook the fact that you abstain from cookies. But if you can't even accept the water they hand you due to allergies...well, the looks are enough to make even the least self conscious of us blush.
Whispers of eating disorders aren't uncommon, or surprising. Especially now that Orthorexia is the diagnosis du jour.
For me, as I suspect it is for others, the truth is much more complicated. There is no self-loathing involved. I'm tempted to give in, and hang the consequences. Regardless of caloric content, I'd love to eat that cookie. Taste the pasta salad, or at least have a few pieces of the fruit plate. (I'd settle for drinking some of that new-branded water in the cooler) But in reality, the consequences aren't worth it. I want to share the meal, but I want to function tomorrow. Whether it's hives, boils or GI malfunction...the reactions are not fun, comfortable, or something to be shared in public. They also aren't mediated by any part of the brain other than the immune system. IgE, IgG...the body is attempting to protect itself.
It's unfortunate that without demonstrating those reactions, it's difficult at best to convince others that they are nonetheless real and valid reasons for food avoidance.
The trouble with corn is that even when I'm avoiding everything as I should be, there are little, subtle exposures that slip in. These exposures seem to keep me from fully recovering or ever being 100% reliable. And the years of damage have affected my daily stamina. I don't have the energy I should, and it isn't depression...it's malnutrition. Even if/when I'm eating healthfully, the long term damages are still there.
With a corn allergy, sometimes it feels like I'm sitting in a box seat. I'm not entirely alone, thanks to the internet, but I don't exactly fit in with most of the other groups. Whether it's the food allergy advocates, the Celiac sufferers or the tree-huggers; I have 3/4 of the values in common...but there's still a wall between us made of that eco-friendly kernel, insidious yellow seed, corn.
I can have eggs. But only certain, specific eggs. Not generic grocery store eggs.
I can eat apples. If they are unwaxed and peeled. But that doesn't mean I can have any old applesauce.
I can eat rice. But only if it's un-enriched, and only from certain farms that don't grow corn.
The restrictions sound crazy. Laughable, even.
I can remember being relieved that I was "just" allergic to corn. Just corn. It sounded so easy. But things got harder, I sought help. I started reading and found a community of corn-allergic individuals. My eyes widened, I shook my head, I congratulated myself on not going overboard. And then, slowly, I learned that I needed to be just as fanatical as others seemed to be. There are times I wonder if I've gone crazy. But I've spent too much time recovering from unplanned, unexpected, hindsight revealed 'oopses' to believe that it could possibly be just in my head.
Every so often it gets to be too much. I step outside myself and look at the restrictions through a stranger's eyes and think I'm going too far. And although I try to rationalize it out, and even talk myself into taking chances, I find others in a similar situation voicing their own shaken faith in their bodies' reactions to normal, healthy, should-be-safe food. More often than not, the culprit is quickly and easily identified in the form of an added enrichment, or a new preservative. Sometimes it requires a little digging...like a cross contaminated batch of almonds (perhaps shipped in the same loading truck as corn?) How can you dispute unintentional blind trials that end in proof? Especially when there are multiple people reporting the same experience. Maybe our methods aren't scientific, but they aren't easy to dismiss either.
That's what makes social events so hard. Even water is softened with corn derived citric acid, or the taste is improved by corny minerals, or it's bottled in a corn-based environmentally 'friendly' polymer. People might overlook the fact that you abstain from cookies. But if you can't even accept the water they hand you due to allergies...well, the looks are enough to make even the least self conscious of us blush.
Whispers of eating disorders aren't uncommon, or surprising. Especially now that Orthorexia is the diagnosis du jour.
For me, as I suspect it is for others, the truth is much more complicated. There is no self-loathing involved. I'm tempted to give in, and hang the consequences. Regardless of caloric content, I'd love to eat that cookie. Taste the pasta salad, or at least have a few pieces of the fruit plate. (I'd settle for drinking some of that new-branded water in the cooler) But in reality, the consequences aren't worth it. I want to share the meal, but I want to function tomorrow. Whether it's hives, boils or GI malfunction...the reactions are not fun, comfortable, or something to be shared in public. They also aren't mediated by any part of the brain other than the immune system. IgE, IgG...the body is attempting to protect itself.
It's unfortunate that without demonstrating those reactions, it's difficult at best to convince others that they are nonetheless real and valid reasons for food avoidance.
The trouble with corn is that even when I'm avoiding everything as I should be, there are little, subtle exposures that slip in. These exposures seem to keep me from fully recovering or ever being 100% reliable. And the years of damage have affected my daily stamina. I don't have the energy I should, and it isn't depression...it's malnutrition. Even if/when I'm eating healthfully, the long term damages are still there.
With a corn allergy, sometimes it feels like I'm sitting in a box seat. I'm not entirely alone, thanks to the internet, but I don't exactly fit in with most of the other groups. Whether it's the food allergy advocates, the Celiac sufferers or the tree-huggers; I have 3/4 of the values in common...but there's still a wall between us made of that eco-friendly kernel, insidious yellow seed, corn.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Cook Naked
This was the theme of a post in honor of this article, which sheds a little more light and awareness on food sensitivities. Although I must say, the title and the article weren't as developed as I expected. The concept rings true.
I find with food allergies, my goal is simplicity. Simple flavors. Texture. Few ingredients. I don't have a lot to work with, and the more we use at one time, the more risk there seems to be.
Spices, the salt of life, are still limited here. After all, the best way to stop them from clumping is to add corn starch. And some of them, of their own accord, bite back.
Sauces...a common and easy way to spice up just about anything old and boring are a powerhouse of hidden gluten, corn, preservatives and artificial colors. Not to mention other possible allergens.
New ingredients, new flavors, bring new fears. Anything can cause a reaction and when you have confirmed food intolerance, your food fears are founded in experience and have little to nothing to do with taste buds.
So for us, when I think of cooking with food allergies, "cook naked" makes perfect sense. It's not about avoiding specific ingredients, because only a person who is allergic to an ingredient truly understands their own level of tolerance. Some people with Celiac Disease only eat certified gluten free products. Others simply read the label.
For me, "cooking naked" means cooking simply, transparently. Enjoying the full flavor of foods, without having to disguise them. It's peas, simmered and dressed with a bit of oil (or butter...at the table) and salt. It's sweet potatoes, roasted in their own juices and a touch of approved oil. It's brown rice parboiled in water or homemade broth. And broth that is made with just carrots, celery and onions...no boillion cubes or MSG or autolyzed yeast extract. It's what you see is what you get.
Cooking naked is all about letting food speak for itself. Several months ago, a child was spending an afternoon with Bumblebee and they clamored for a snack. I offered celery or apples. The child looked at the celery and said "That looks like a PLANT!" To which I agreed it did...it still had the leaves at the end. Her eyes got wide before she said "My mom will not be happy if I come home and say I ate a plant!"
Penguin felt immensely sorry for the child as soon as the statement was spoken, and has mentioned the incident several times since. I think shame (of our abnormal diet) and horror that the child didn't realize that vegetables and plants are one and the same are equally disturbing to her.
And that, perhaps, to me is the heart of cooking naked. As much as I want Bumblebee and Penguin to fit in...I want them to know what real food is and where it comes from. And so, we will continue to have celery in it's natural state, attempt to grow a few fruits and veggies in our yard, eat undressed sweet potatoes and place more value on the nutritional value of food than on it's looks.
Maybe, if we didn't have food allergies, we wouldn't have thought so much about what we eat, and what's in what we eat. But that just means that food allergies has done us a favor by making us more aware, not just of the content of our food supply, but of the nutritional content (and lack thereof). It's made us want to know what's in our food, so we can appreciate it more.
Besides, the simpler our meals, the less time we have to spend preparing them.
I find with food allergies, my goal is simplicity. Simple flavors. Texture. Few ingredients. I don't have a lot to work with, and the more we use at one time, the more risk there seems to be.
Spices, the salt of life, are still limited here. After all, the best way to stop them from clumping is to add corn starch. And some of them, of their own accord, bite back.
Sauces...a common and easy way to spice up just about anything old and boring are a powerhouse of hidden gluten, corn, preservatives and artificial colors. Not to mention other possible allergens.
New ingredients, new flavors, bring new fears. Anything can cause a reaction and when you have confirmed food intolerance, your food fears are founded in experience and have little to nothing to do with taste buds.
So for us, when I think of cooking with food allergies, "cook naked" makes perfect sense. It's not about avoiding specific ingredients, because only a person who is allergic to an ingredient truly understands their own level of tolerance. Some people with Celiac Disease only eat certified gluten free products. Others simply read the label.
For me, "cooking naked" means cooking simply, transparently. Enjoying the full flavor of foods, without having to disguise them. It's peas, simmered and dressed with a bit of oil (or butter...at the table) and salt. It's sweet potatoes, roasted in their own juices and a touch of approved oil. It's brown rice parboiled in water or homemade broth. And broth that is made with just carrots, celery and onions...no boillion cubes or MSG or autolyzed yeast extract. It's what you see is what you get.
Cooking naked is all about letting food speak for itself. Several months ago, a child was spending an afternoon with Bumblebee and they clamored for a snack. I offered celery or apples. The child looked at the celery and said "That looks like a PLANT!" To which I agreed it did...it still had the leaves at the end. Her eyes got wide before she said "My mom will not be happy if I come home and say I ate a plant!"
Penguin felt immensely sorry for the child as soon as the statement was spoken, and has mentioned the incident several times since. I think shame (of our abnormal diet) and horror that the child didn't realize that vegetables and plants are one and the same are equally disturbing to her.
And that, perhaps, to me is the heart of cooking naked. As much as I want Bumblebee and Penguin to fit in...I want them to know what real food is and where it comes from. And so, we will continue to have celery in it's natural state, attempt to grow a few fruits and veggies in our yard, eat undressed sweet potatoes and place more value on the nutritional value of food than on it's looks.
Maybe, if we didn't have food allergies, we wouldn't have thought so much about what we eat, and what's in what we eat. But that just means that food allergies has done us a favor by making us more aware, not just of the content of our food supply, but of the nutritional content (and lack thereof). It's made us want to know what's in our food, so we can appreciate it more.
Besides, the simpler our meals, the less time we have to spend preparing them.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Easter Greetings
Most people don't think of Easter as a very corn filled holiday. It's...more...carrots. And maybe celery. And...jellybeans.
Actually, for most people with food allergies, Easter celebrations can be pretty safe.
But, again, corn rears it's ugly head. Ear? Whatever.
Jelly beans may generally be free of the top 8; but their rainbow appeal generally comes from a rainbow of artificial food colorings. These are linked with behavior issues, and possibly further health problems, in some individuals. There are naturally colored jelly beans from Surf Sweets, Green Beans, and even Jelly Belly superfruits.
Unfortunately, the above are either made with corn syrup, or the corn containing citric acid.
Gummy candy is another perrenial favorite...Gummy bears fit just perfectly into the plastic colored eggs. (And of course an egg laying bunny is going to hatch red and yellow bears, right?) Surf Sweet candies, Yummy Earth candies, and Annie's Naturals all have delicious alternatives. (Containing corn)
Florida's Natural Nuggets taste good and fit well in the eggs...but again contain corn derivatives.
For a corn free candy, you might have to resort to St Claire's Hard candies. (Tasty, but not quite as seasonal)
And then there is the chocolate bunny. Nut warnings, dairy derivatives, even gluten show up in those mischievous iconic candies. Alternatives may be maple sugar shapes (I haven't seen a bunny, though), chocolates bought from a premier specialty facility like Premium Chocolatiers, or chocolate chips melted to fit various candy molds available in the market place.
The only real candy novelties safe for corn avoiders are the ones we make ourselves. But some have gotten creative with Erewhon rice cereal and homemade marshmallows to shape krisie treats, gelatin mold eggs, and shaped chocolates.
Of course...the best egg stuffers are non candy...Littlest Pet shop figurines, In My Pocket pets, and small vehicles will delight kids 3-7; as will mardi gras beads and other small party favors (these aren't great for the environment, though)
As an adult with the corn allergy (and parent to a dairy free, gluten free kid and 2 who avoid artificial colorings) I prefer to not worry about the sugary novelties.
Spice cake sounds good to me; and maybe if we have a few carrots I'll grate them in for corn free carrot cake. I'm still working on a white frosting recipe. Powdered sugar has not been easy to find, but I'm certain there is decent frosting to be had without it. (after all, people have been frosting cakes for generations...haven't they?)
The kids are looking forward to egg dyeing. Although every year I tell myself we'll find some nice, safe, all natural dyes...I got lazy (and cheap) and purchased a sponge paintng kit. We will dye 2 dozen eggs, of the cheapest brand I find, and Mr. Violets will bring what he wants to work. The rest will be a tragic waste of resources...but at least they'll serve a purpose in entertainment, art exploration, and decoration. And they'll decompose quickly, a nice Earth Day bonus.
Maybe we'll work in a short hike, or at least a trip to the park. After all...the whole point of Easter is to welcome spring back to our lives. And part of springtime is getting back outside. We'll also be attempting another garden. We've already fed a honeydew seedling to the snails in our yard, and (after putting down salt) are considering ttempting strawberry plants. They grow well and Bumblebee enjoys them. Maybe I'll even be able to handle a few despite the prevalence of seeds. (Or maybe I'll puree them and strain the seeds) At least if they're homegrown, I'll know if it was the strawberry or the 'industry standard' rinse that didn't get scrubbed off.
Actually, for most people with food allergies, Easter celebrations can be pretty safe.
But, again, corn rears it's ugly head. Ear? Whatever.
Jelly beans may generally be free of the top 8; but their rainbow appeal generally comes from a rainbow of artificial food colorings. These are linked with behavior issues, and possibly further health problems, in some individuals. There are naturally colored jelly beans from Surf Sweets, Green Beans, and even Jelly Belly superfruits.
Unfortunately, the above are either made with corn syrup, or the corn containing citric acid.
Gummy candy is another perrenial favorite...Gummy bears fit just perfectly into the plastic colored eggs. (And of course an egg laying bunny is going to hatch red and yellow bears, right?) Surf Sweet candies, Yummy Earth candies, and Annie's Naturals all have delicious alternatives. (Containing corn)
Florida's Natural Nuggets taste good and fit well in the eggs...but again contain corn derivatives.
For a corn free candy, you might have to resort to St Claire's Hard candies. (Tasty, but not quite as seasonal)
And then there is the chocolate bunny. Nut warnings, dairy derivatives, even gluten show up in those mischievous iconic candies. Alternatives may be maple sugar shapes (I haven't seen a bunny, though), chocolates bought from a premier specialty facility like Premium Chocolatiers, or chocolate chips melted to fit various candy molds available in the market place.
The only real candy novelties safe for corn avoiders are the ones we make ourselves. But some have gotten creative with Erewhon rice cereal and homemade marshmallows to shape krisie treats, gelatin mold eggs, and shaped chocolates.
Of course...the best egg stuffers are non candy...Littlest Pet shop figurines, In My Pocket pets, and small vehicles will delight kids 3-7; as will mardi gras beads and other small party favors (these aren't great for the environment, though)
As an adult with the corn allergy (and parent to a dairy free, gluten free kid and 2 who avoid artificial colorings) I prefer to not worry about the sugary novelties.
Spice cake sounds good to me; and maybe if we have a few carrots I'll grate them in for corn free carrot cake. I'm still working on a white frosting recipe. Powdered sugar has not been easy to find, but I'm certain there is decent frosting to be had without it. (after all, people have been frosting cakes for generations...haven't they?)
The kids are looking forward to egg dyeing. Although every year I tell myself we'll find some nice, safe, all natural dyes...I got lazy (and cheap) and purchased a sponge paintng kit. We will dye 2 dozen eggs, of the cheapest brand I find, and Mr. Violets will bring what he wants to work. The rest will be a tragic waste of resources...but at least they'll serve a purpose in entertainment, art exploration, and decoration. And they'll decompose quickly, a nice Earth Day bonus.
Maybe we'll work in a short hike, or at least a trip to the park. After all...the whole point of Easter is to welcome spring back to our lives. And part of springtime is getting back outside. We'll also be attempting another garden. We've already fed a honeydew seedling to the snails in our yard, and (after putting down salt) are considering ttempting strawberry plants. They grow well and Bumblebee enjoys them. Maybe I'll even be able to handle a few despite the prevalence of seeds. (Or maybe I'll puree them and strain the seeds) At least if they're homegrown, I'll know if it was the strawberry or the 'industry standard' rinse that didn't get scrubbed off.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Corn allergy Dramatics
The girls have the week off of school for Spring Break. Of course, I promised them a trip to the zoo as well as a few new parks.
Unfortunately...Mr Violets caught a nasty bug that nixed our plans early in the week. And then it rained. The girls and I rallied though, and were set to go today if all else failed. Even if it rained.
Until I came down with another UTI last night. Ugh.
I called the doctor first thing this morning. Talked to the nurse. They have a fairly painless system set up. If...If you don't have a corn allergy.
I need to say that they've made progress. It's just the frustration that I've already been through the learning process, I already know the next step...I already have the info they need but they won't take it from me until they realize that they need it. I'm trying to be patient and acknowledge that they have a learning curve as well. It just takes time.
Anyways, if all was normal with me, I would have had an oncall doctor call in a prescription for me and that would have been that.
But all is not normal.
So, at 11:40 my doctor called me to figure out why things weren't going according to plan. And I explained that the prescription needed to be called in to the compounding pharmacy. And offered the phone number, again. I don't think she took it that time either. She did offer to find the inactive ingredients for me and call back, which she did in about 10-15 minutes...assuring me that they had a safe medication waiting at the pharmacy but I should double check with the pharmacist.
So...I trotted down to the office, left a sample, and waited in line to pick up my rx. They were friendly...and explained that I needed to wait a few more minutes to talk to a pharmacist. I ran to relieve myself and waited some more.
The pharmacist was on the phone with the manufacturer, and she approached me with the information that the prescribed medication was not safe for me (dumb microcrystalline cellulose in everything!) and asked if there was an alternate med I'd taken before.
I explained, again, that in the past I've needed to have antibiotics compounded. The only ones I've taken that were safe pre-filled were -cillins. She looked pretty uncomfortable at that revelation, did not take my compounding pharmacist's phone number, and said that she will talk to the doctor but at this point in the day I probably won't get an antibiotic until at least monday which is an awfully long time to wait when you have a UTI!!!
So what did I want to do?
I weighed my options. Corn reaction...or wait for something safe.
I decided to keep flushing my kidneys with as much water as I can manage while waiting for them to accept my compounding pharmacy phone number.
It's 2:15 now.
I'm not feeling terribly hopeful.
But maybe next time, when I call between 9 and 10, they will take the info and TRUST me; and just skip to the end step of making the necessary phone calls.
How hard is it to call a compounding pharmacist and say "I need an antibiotic for a UTI with no corn derivatives in it. What do you have in stock?" It can't take much longer than spending the day playing phone tag. :-(
I'd rather be at the zoo.
Unfortunately...Mr Violets caught a nasty bug that nixed our plans early in the week. And then it rained. The girls and I rallied though, and were set to go today if all else failed. Even if it rained.
Until I came down with another UTI last night. Ugh.
I called the doctor first thing this morning. Talked to the nurse. They have a fairly painless system set up. If...If you don't have a corn allergy.
I need to say that they've made progress. It's just the frustration that I've already been through the learning process, I already know the next step...I already have the info they need but they won't take it from me until they realize that they need it. I'm trying to be patient and acknowledge that they have a learning curve as well. It just takes time.
Anyways, if all was normal with me, I would have had an oncall doctor call in a prescription for me and that would have been that.
But all is not normal.
So, at 11:40 my doctor called me to figure out why things weren't going according to plan. And I explained that the prescription needed to be called in to the compounding pharmacy. And offered the phone number, again. I don't think she took it that time either. She did offer to find the inactive ingredients for me and call back, which she did in about 10-15 minutes...assuring me that they had a safe medication waiting at the pharmacy but I should double check with the pharmacist.
So...I trotted down to the office, left a sample, and waited in line to pick up my rx. They were friendly...and explained that I needed to wait a few more minutes to talk to a pharmacist. I ran to relieve myself and waited some more.
The pharmacist was on the phone with the manufacturer, and she approached me with the information that the prescribed medication was not safe for me (dumb microcrystalline cellulose in everything!) and asked if there was an alternate med I'd taken before.
I explained, again, that in the past I've needed to have antibiotics compounded. The only ones I've taken that were safe pre-filled were -cillins. She looked pretty uncomfortable at that revelation, did not take my compounding pharmacist's phone number, and said that she will talk to the doctor but at this point in the day I probably won't get an antibiotic until at least monday which is an awfully long time to wait when you have a UTI!!!
So what did I want to do?
I weighed my options. Corn reaction...or wait for something safe.
I decided to keep flushing my kidneys with as much water as I can manage while waiting for them to accept my compounding pharmacy phone number.
It's 2:15 now.
I'm not feeling terribly hopeful.
But maybe next time, when I call between 9 and 10, they will take the info and TRUST me; and just skip to the end step of making the necessary phone calls.
How hard is it to call a compounding pharmacist and say "I need an antibiotic for a UTI with no corn derivatives in it. What do you have in stock?" It can't take much longer than spending the day playing phone tag. :-(
I'd rather be at the zoo.
Friday, April 01, 2011
April Fools
Most people diagnosed with a corn allergy for the first time, breathe a sigh of relief. At least it isn't something really hard, like gluten or dairy.
And then they read the list, and check their calendar.
Today's April Fools day, and I can't help but thinking it should also be Corn Allergy Awareness day. (Or maybe April 2nd should be...when the realization that it ISN'T a joke sinks in). Because as surreal as food restrictions seem, especially ones that extend to medication and what an animal ate before it was slaughtered not to mention the slaughtering process, they are real. And many of us lead a surreal life in order to actually live...or at least, in the hopes of actually LIVING. Breathing. Dreaming. Enjoying.
It seems crazy. Which is why it's important to keep our sense of humor. It helps deal with uncomfortable situations like the side-long glance when you turn down water for a corn allergy (Yeah, well, certain brands...) Or when you have to go sit on a porch because the host decided to pop some corn, or did some nice deep cleaning before you got there. You see...April 2nd really would be the ideal awareness day...humor mixed with reality, and acceptance.
And since April is also the month for Autism Awareness, let's expand it to be the month to solve puzzles in healthcare...and accept that there is more than we understand about the body, not just something to blame on stress.
And then they read the list, and check their calendar.
Today's April Fools day, and I can't help but thinking it should also be Corn Allergy Awareness day. (Or maybe April 2nd should be...when the realization that it ISN'T a joke sinks in). Because as surreal as food restrictions seem, especially ones that extend to medication and what an animal ate before it was slaughtered not to mention the slaughtering process, they are real. And many of us lead a surreal life in order to actually live...or at least, in the hopes of actually LIVING. Breathing. Dreaming. Enjoying.
It seems crazy. Which is why it's important to keep our sense of humor. It helps deal with uncomfortable situations like the side-long glance when you turn down water for a corn allergy (Yeah, well, certain brands...) Or when you have to go sit on a porch because the host decided to pop some corn, or did some nice deep cleaning before you got there. You see...April 2nd really would be the ideal awareness day...humor mixed with reality, and acceptance.
And since April is also the month for Autism Awareness, let's expand it to be the month to solve puzzles in healthcare...and accept that there is more than we understand about the body, not just something to blame on stress.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Corn Allergy
The thing about a corn allergy is that sometimes it;s not just socially isolating, it feels like a downright punishment.
It's bad enough that you can't just go out to eat with friends, or try out a new restaurant, or stop for coffee and a muffin if you're caught in traffic on a long commute.
A simple headache remedy costs a fortune, and you have to jump through hoops of red tape before you are given the privilege of paying it. But the worst is going to the doctor.
You're sick, with some complaint or another that simply doesn't improve on it's own. You need medical advice, and probably medical treatment. And you're tired, worn down from your ailment.
However, you need to remind your dr that those latex gloves could be dusted with cornstarch. Women need to bear in mind that the lubricant used during an internal exam is probably corny. (and generally just put up with the itch of a topical one-time exposure) And then you get to the prescription.
"Is there corn in that?"
You get The Look. Stifled laughter, poker face. Why would there be corn in medication? Corn is a vegetable. It grows in fields, it's easy to spot on the dinner table.
"There are often corn derivatives used in the excipients of medication."
This gets a little better reaction, at least it sounds as if you know what you're talking about. There's hemming, and hawing, shuffling papers or clicking of a computer mouse.
"Dextrose, microcrystalline cellulose, xanthan gum..."
At some point, you're told to talk tot he pharmacist, who blinks, and tells you to talk to your dr.
Eventually, you either get an answer and start the "What are my other options" routine.
Ideally, since you're not feeling well, the dr and pharmacist would be proactive in helping you track down a brand name of a medication that will work for your condition and is safe. But more often than not, they leave you to do the legwork. Once you've exhausted all other avenues, you get to explore the world of compounding.
I find that doctors are reluctant to write a prescription for compounded medication. They prefer prefabricated pills, probably because the strength is guaranteed and they don't have to think about dosage or scheduling or anything like that. With the pre-prepared prescriptions and over the counter medications, there are also pre-prepared instructions. They fit into a neat little niche in your chart. Compounding confuses things.
Eventually, you usually get what you need and it only costs a small fortune. :P Or, if you don't *really* need it, you give up and save a small fortune.
And then there are medical procedures and tests. Some require contrast dyes and other niceties that just don't come with handy ingredient labels. And the personnel don't have time to argue with you or track down answers. So you either play a squeaky wheel, or give up and play the martyr. It's only a few days/weeks of reactions, and the benefits outweigh the discomfort.
Or there are tests where they say "If it's too uncomfortable we can always give you something."
Except...with a corn allergy, you need to prepare for that scenario and have something safe available. Which is expensive if you end up not needing it, and stressful even if you do.
So you suck it up and just deal. Cavities, biopsies, freeze off a mole. Things no one likes to do. As a human being, you suck it up and deal because you know that the end result is worth the discomfort.
But with a corn allergy, you quake inside because you know that if something goes wrong, they'll make you a whole lot more miserable the more they try to fix it. And you have a very limited number of options to minimize the discomfort to begin with.
It's no wonder they tell us it's just stress. The miracle is that we don't all turn gray the first year after diagnosis!
It's bad enough that you can't just go out to eat with friends, or try out a new restaurant, or stop for coffee and a muffin if you're caught in traffic on a long commute.
A simple headache remedy costs a fortune, and you have to jump through hoops of red tape before you are given the privilege of paying it. But the worst is going to the doctor.
You're sick, with some complaint or another that simply doesn't improve on it's own. You need medical advice, and probably medical treatment. And you're tired, worn down from your ailment.
However, you need to remind your dr that those latex gloves could be dusted with cornstarch. Women need to bear in mind that the lubricant used during an internal exam is probably corny. (and generally just put up with the itch of a topical one-time exposure) And then you get to the prescription.
"Is there corn in that?"
You get The Look. Stifled laughter, poker face. Why would there be corn in medication? Corn is a vegetable. It grows in fields, it's easy to spot on the dinner table.
"There are often corn derivatives used in the excipients of medication."
This gets a little better reaction, at least it sounds as if you know what you're talking about. There's hemming, and hawing, shuffling papers or clicking of a computer mouse.
"Dextrose, microcrystalline cellulose, xanthan gum..."
At some point, you're told to talk tot he pharmacist, who blinks, and tells you to talk to your dr.
Eventually, you either get an answer and start the "What are my other options" routine.
Ideally, since you're not feeling well, the dr and pharmacist would be proactive in helping you track down a brand name of a medication that will work for your condition and is safe. But more often than not, they leave you to do the legwork. Once you've exhausted all other avenues, you get to explore the world of compounding.
I find that doctors are reluctant to write a prescription for compounded medication. They prefer prefabricated pills, probably because the strength is guaranteed and they don't have to think about dosage or scheduling or anything like that. With the pre-prepared prescriptions and over the counter medications, there are also pre-prepared instructions. They fit into a neat little niche in your chart. Compounding confuses things.
Eventually, you usually get what you need and it only costs a small fortune. :P Or, if you don't *really* need it, you give up and save a small fortune.
And then there are medical procedures and tests. Some require contrast dyes and other niceties that just don't come with handy ingredient labels. And the personnel don't have time to argue with you or track down answers. So you either play a squeaky wheel, or give up and play the martyr. It's only a few days/weeks of reactions, and the benefits outweigh the discomfort.
Or there are tests where they say "If it's too uncomfortable we can always give you something."
Except...with a corn allergy, you need to prepare for that scenario and have something safe available. Which is expensive if you end up not needing it, and stressful even if you do.
So you suck it up and just deal. Cavities, biopsies, freeze off a mole. Things no one likes to do. As a human being, you suck it up and deal because you know that the end result is worth the discomfort.
But with a corn allergy, you quake inside because you know that if something goes wrong, they'll make you a whole lot more miserable the more they try to fix it. And you have a very limited number of options to minimize the discomfort to begin with.
It's no wonder they tell us it's just stress. The miracle is that we don't all turn gray the first year after diagnosis!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Puzzle Pieces
Over dinner, Penguin told us about her day. She's learning nutrition, and a little bit unhappy about the milk info. (It's not good for you if it makes you sick. I agree with her. But the coursework insists that there's a "Dairy" group, not a "calcium foods" group.)
She also learned "something gross".
She learned that many supermarket foods are coated in or gassed with ethylene.
Of course, this is where I pipe in that ethylene is often corn derived...and she nods, uh huh, they learned that.
It's also a plant hormone.
I find this intriguing. I want more info. Hmmm....a plant hormone. We know that corn is an endocrine disruptor. We know that the majority of participants in online discussion of corn reactions are women, and that corn reactions seem to make 'that time of month' that much worse. We know that corn allergy does not follow the typical allergy path, and that those of us reacting have a variety of inexplicable sensitivities and tolerance levels. Could the fact that a derivative is actually a plant hormone be significant?
I tell her that it is gross. That it's terrible that 'they' can play with our food, that it looks normal but 'they' don't have to tell us that it's been gassed, or waxed or treated if it's an "industry standard". She agrees. "It's a plant hormone! They put it in all our food, the fresh food. The kind you buy in the market and it's not labeled."
I'm impressed. She gets it. She's outraged at the duplicity, the fact that the industry doesn't trust us, the consumers, with knowledge. She's indignant.
"I mean, it's a hormone. A plant hormone. Everyone thinks it's gross."
The next generation might just make a difference after all.
And then it occurs to me. She's...12.
"Is it gross because it's a hormone?" I hesitantly ask, but she doesn't even have to open her mouth to answer. My husband chokes on his snack and stands coughing over the sink.
"Yeah...she's 12," he says, still chuckling, "The teacher said the word 'hormone' in class, in front of the boys."
"It was so, so...gross!" Penguin repeated.
Well...her reasons may be misguided, but her reaction is still right. Treating our food, especially our farm fresh produce, with plant hormones for farmer's convenience is just...well, gross.
And I have more puzzle pieces to research.
She also learned "something gross".
She learned that many supermarket foods are coated in or gassed with ethylene.
Of course, this is where I pipe in that ethylene is often corn derived...and she nods, uh huh, they learned that.
It's also a plant hormone.
I find this intriguing. I want more info. Hmmm....a plant hormone. We know that corn is an endocrine disruptor. We know that the majority of participants in online discussion of corn reactions are women, and that corn reactions seem to make 'that time of month' that much worse. We know that corn allergy does not follow the typical allergy path, and that those of us reacting have a variety of inexplicable sensitivities and tolerance levels. Could the fact that a derivative is actually a plant hormone be significant?
I tell her that it is gross. That it's terrible that 'they' can play with our food, that it looks normal but 'they' don't have to tell us that it's been gassed, or waxed or treated if it's an "industry standard". She agrees. "It's a plant hormone! They put it in all our food, the fresh food. The kind you buy in the market and it's not labeled."
I'm impressed. She gets it. She's outraged at the duplicity, the fact that the industry doesn't trust us, the consumers, with knowledge. She's indignant.
"I mean, it's a hormone. A plant hormone. Everyone thinks it's gross."
The next generation might just make a difference after all.
And then it occurs to me. She's...12.
"Is it gross because it's a hormone?" I hesitantly ask, but she doesn't even have to open her mouth to answer. My husband chokes on his snack and stands coughing over the sink.
"Yeah...she's 12," he says, still chuckling, "The teacher said the word 'hormone' in class, in front of the boys."
"It was so, so...gross!" Penguin repeated.
Well...her reasons may be misguided, but her reaction is still right. Treating our food, especially our farm fresh produce, with plant hormones for farmer's convenience is just...well, gross.
And I have more puzzle pieces to research.
Halloween Horrors
It's that time of year, again. My sewing machine has been singing, cloth snippets sprinkle the floor, and everyone checks clothes piles for pins before snatching them off the sofa or lounging over them. (A nasty habit I discourage, growl about, snap over yet never quite manage to eradicate)
Costumes have taken shape. Plans are made to decorate the front yard (although I'm not so sure the cobwebs will make it out...) and the excitement surrounding trick or treating is beginning to build.
School parties are also being planned, and the buzz on all the parenting with food allergy boards centers on the challenge of preparing appealing treats that the kids will enjoy.
Unfortunately, although we've all read and raved over "The Unhealthy Truth", I see that it just hasn't been taken to heart by many.
In the face of adversity...and potential tears or disappointment...the worst in us comes out. Parents who spring for organic milk, hormone free meat, and all natural juice are stocking their cupboards with vibrant sprinkles, frighteningly neon chewy candies, bright lollipops and other chemical experiments. Favorite ghoul goodies of the year include crispy rice treats, made with marshmallows (corn syrup, blue dye and powdered sugar), crisped rice cereal, margarine and lots of sugar, colored with bottled coloring or decorated with canned frosting (more corn syrup and several preservatives and artificial flavoring compounds) and food coloring gels; clear cups filled with artificially vibrant colors of gelatin decorated to look like monster heads, and of course homemade cookies and cupcakes with monstrous amounts of tinted icing.
These goodies can be made without gluten, or dairy, or nuts. They are free of the top 8 allergens and sometimes even a few more. They can delight kids who eat the evil eight on a daily basis, while allowing our own necessarily deprived kids feel like one of the bunch.
It's lonely having allergies that preclude even those decorations. Although, I'm happy for the excited parents and the smiling recipients.
Unfortunately, I can't help but wonder what the long term trade off is.
Artificial colors trigger major migraines in my oldest. Studies show that they cause hyperactive activity in children not diagnosed with ADHD. They are a neurological stimulant. And certain ones are linked to cancer in laboratory animals.
And they don't even have any redeeming nutritional flavor. And, as petrochemicals derived from coal tar, they're bad for the environment to boot.
Halloween isn't just a once a year, rare treat excuse for a food fest. It's the gateway to 3 months full of food related activities. As we finish off the Trick or Treat leftovers, we'll start in on Friendship Feasts, winter wonderlands, and ending with Valentines. Then a short break before spring and summer parties. More sugar, more food coloring to cover the absence of allergens.
As we drift farther into the year away from 'candy day' we tell ourselves that we're cutting back. But in reality, Halloween is the setback day. We make an allowance for this one "special day" of sugar and sweet poisons, then we simply spend the next several months making less bad choices, remembering how much junk we sent coursing through our brains and intestines to celebrate the spirits...and congratulate ourselves on comparative restraint.
My kids know that food colorings aren't a special treat. They'll be not only content, but giddy over a few chocolate bars and some Yummy Earth Lollipops, supplemented with silly bandz.
Of course, they are blessed with an immediate reaction. They can look at a confection and weigh it's tantalizing taste with tonight's pain, and although I recognize the maturity involved it breaks my heart to see them struggle.
Unfortunately, this is the time of year when dye triggered reactions or 'allergies' are the loneliest. As I bond with other food allergy moms, I'm still the odd man out...but even if I COULD give my kids that stuff, I like to think I wouldn't want to. I realize that it would be a slippery slope, one I'm glad not to have to navigate.
Meanwhile, we'll enjoy the finer points of Halloween. The harvest festivals, the scarecrows and pumpkin carving, the costumes and spooky decorations. We'll bake cookies, and squash, and put away the air conditioner. We'll turn on the porch light and sip cocoa. And the kids will tumble into bed, having survived the toughest food allergy holiday of the year.
Costumes have taken shape. Plans are made to decorate the front yard (although I'm not so sure the cobwebs will make it out...) and the excitement surrounding trick or treating is beginning to build.
School parties are also being planned, and the buzz on all the parenting with food allergy boards centers on the challenge of preparing appealing treats that the kids will enjoy.
Unfortunately, although we've all read and raved over "The Unhealthy Truth", I see that it just hasn't been taken to heart by many.
In the face of adversity...and potential tears or disappointment...the worst in us comes out. Parents who spring for organic milk, hormone free meat, and all natural juice are stocking their cupboards with vibrant sprinkles, frighteningly neon chewy candies, bright lollipops and other chemical experiments. Favorite ghoul goodies of the year include crispy rice treats, made with marshmallows (corn syrup, blue dye and powdered sugar), crisped rice cereal, margarine and lots of sugar, colored with bottled coloring or decorated with canned frosting (more corn syrup and several preservatives and artificial flavoring compounds) and food coloring gels; clear cups filled with artificially vibrant colors of gelatin decorated to look like monster heads, and of course homemade cookies and cupcakes with monstrous amounts of tinted icing.
These goodies can be made without gluten, or dairy, or nuts. They are free of the top 8 allergens and sometimes even a few more. They can delight kids who eat the evil eight on a daily basis, while allowing our own necessarily deprived kids feel like one of the bunch.
It's lonely having allergies that preclude even those decorations. Although, I'm happy for the excited parents and the smiling recipients.
Unfortunately, I can't help but wonder what the long term trade off is.
Artificial colors trigger major migraines in my oldest. Studies show that they cause hyperactive activity in children not diagnosed with ADHD. They are a neurological stimulant. And certain ones are linked to cancer in laboratory animals.
And they don't even have any redeeming nutritional flavor. And, as petrochemicals derived from coal tar, they're bad for the environment to boot.
Halloween isn't just a once a year, rare treat excuse for a food fest. It's the gateway to 3 months full of food related activities. As we finish off the Trick or Treat leftovers, we'll start in on Friendship Feasts, winter wonderlands, and ending with Valentines. Then a short break before spring and summer parties. More sugar, more food coloring to cover the absence of allergens.
As we drift farther into the year away from 'candy day' we tell ourselves that we're cutting back. But in reality, Halloween is the setback day. We make an allowance for this one "special day" of sugar and sweet poisons, then we simply spend the next several months making less bad choices, remembering how much junk we sent coursing through our brains and intestines to celebrate the spirits...and congratulate ourselves on comparative restraint.
My kids know that food colorings aren't a special treat. They'll be not only content, but giddy over a few chocolate bars and some Yummy Earth Lollipops, supplemented with silly bandz.
Of course, they are blessed with an immediate reaction. They can look at a confection and weigh it's tantalizing taste with tonight's pain, and although I recognize the maturity involved it breaks my heart to see them struggle.
Unfortunately, this is the time of year when dye triggered reactions or 'allergies' are the loneliest. As I bond with other food allergy moms, I'm still the odd man out...but even if I COULD give my kids that stuff, I like to think I wouldn't want to. I realize that it would be a slippery slope, one I'm glad not to have to navigate.
Meanwhile, we'll enjoy the finer points of Halloween. The harvest festivals, the scarecrows and pumpkin carving, the costumes and spooky decorations. We'll bake cookies, and squash, and put away the air conditioner. We'll turn on the porch light and sip cocoa. And the kids will tumble into bed, having survived the toughest food allergy holiday of the year.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Enjoy Life
In the world of food allergies, there are certain companies that stand out.
And in the world of Corn Allergies, company loyalty seems to reach an all-new high. We thoroughly read every label, looking for minute additives...and then catch the hopeful words "No Corn". Of course, we know that these two little words simply mean whatever the company has decided that they mean. Perhaps that there is no unprocessed corn product. Or that there is no high fructose corn syrup (Post declared it's Raisin Bran corn free because they use regular corn syrup) Or maybe it means that they actually, *gasp*, know the origins of all of their products...and not one are derived from corn.
As a corn allergy sufferer, I'm always holding my breath for the latter.
Then there are companies who try, really hard, to understand the dynamics of corn allergy. Who contact FAAN and work with them. Continually proclaiming their product to be corn free while the supersensitive of us shiver, shake and break out in hives. "Well, you see, that's very unusual," is the usual response.
But we asked in advance because we knew this was a potential problem.
You can almost hear the shrugging on the other end of the line.
Fortunately, there is one brand that doesn't shrug it off. Enjoy Life foods does claim their food to be corn free, as per FAAN's standards. But they will be upfront and admit in letters and email that if you are very sensitive to corn, the only products truly safe are the Cinnamon Crunch Granola, the Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips and the Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate Bar. (Note: Only the varieties above are safe to my knowledge. Always read labels, and contact the company directly about any questions.) Other products have minute amounts of maltodextrin or xanthan or other corn derivatives.
While some of my fellow Uncornies scorn Enjoy Life for claiming corn free when they use some corn derivatives, I have to give them credit for patiently walking the middle ground. They are honest and upfront. As far as the general public goes, these products are corn free. And for the majority of corn allergy sufferers muddling through the grocery store, the purer derivatives are safe enough. It's only for a few of us that there is a problem.
And Enjoy Life is kind enough to answer our questions, offer advice, and encourage us to check with a medical professional before taking any risks.
After 7 years (or so) of experience contacting companies and requesting information, I have to say that Enjoy Life is one of the best companies to deal with. They are responsive, and seem open. They are encouraging and do their best to really understand, or at least sympathize with what the food allergy patient deals with daily.
Thanks Enjoy Life!!!
And in the world of Corn Allergies, company loyalty seems to reach an all-new high. We thoroughly read every label, looking for minute additives...and then catch the hopeful words "No Corn". Of course, we know that these two little words simply mean whatever the company has decided that they mean. Perhaps that there is no unprocessed corn product. Or that there is no high fructose corn syrup (Post declared it's Raisin Bran corn free because they use regular corn syrup) Or maybe it means that they actually, *gasp*, know the origins of all of their products...and not one are derived from corn.
As a corn allergy sufferer, I'm always holding my breath for the latter.
Then there are companies who try, really hard, to understand the dynamics of corn allergy. Who contact FAAN and work with them. Continually proclaiming their product to be corn free while the supersensitive of us shiver, shake and break out in hives. "Well, you see, that's very unusual," is the usual response.
But we asked in advance because we knew this was a potential problem.
You can almost hear the shrugging on the other end of the line.
Fortunately, there is one brand that doesn't shrug it off. Enjoy Life foods does claim their food to be corn free, as per FAAN's standards. But they will be upfront and admit in letters and email that if you are very sensitive to corn, the only products truly safe are the Cinnamon Crunch Granola, the Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips and the Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate Bar. (Note: Only the varieties above are safe to my knowledge. Always read labels, and contact the company directly about any questions.) Other products have minute amounts of maltodextrin or xanthan or other corn derivatives.
While some of my fellow Uncornies scorn Enjoy Life for claiming corn free when they use some corn derivatives, I have to give them credit for patiently walking the middle ground. They are honest and upfront. As far as the general public goes, these products are corn free. And for the majority of corn allergy sufferers muddling through the grocery store, the purer derivatives are safe enough. It's only for a few of us that there is a problem.
And Enjoy Life is kind enough to answer our questions, offer advice, and encourage us to check with a medical professional before taking any risks.
After 7 years (or so) of experience contacting companies and requesting information, I have to say that Enjoy Life is one of the best companies to deal with. They are responsive, and seem open. They are encouraging and do their best to really understand, or at least sympathize with what the food allergy patient deals with daily.
Thanks Enjoy Life!!!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Dear Company Spokesperson,
Thank you so much for your response to the inquiry as to whether or not the ingredients in your product contain corn.
I have to point out, however, that you were not being asked to comment on the safety of corn derivatives for individuals with corn allergies. Nor are you being asked to replace the role of medical advisor. And if I took your advice to discuss every product I was considering placing across my lips with my medical provider, my medical provider would not have time to attend to any other patients. That's why they suggest I do my own research. As they advise every patient to do.
Which is why you received a letter inquiring as to the origination of your ingredients.
I'm pleased to hear that you know of no documented reactions to caramel color/citric acid/microcrystalline cellulose etc. Unfortunately, I have experienced reactions under blind trial conditions. These reactions were identified through the use of food diaries and helpful companies who were willing to share the source of their ingredients. How else would I know why ascorbic from batch A made me sick and ascorbic acid from batch B didn't?
I believe my doctor's response was "Huh, that's weird. There are no documented cases of allergic reactions to these derivatives. But if they affect you like this, I think you should definitely avoid them."
Which brings me full circle to the problem at hand.
Where were your ingredients derived? I am asking for my health, not for the heck of it. I'm not asking for proprietary information. I'm asking for sources of ingredients listed in your product.
If you don't want my business, simply respond that you don't serve people with unique allergies. Don't quote the FDA's impressive quality control measures. I presume, since you are still in business, that you adhere to their policies. I don't really care about FAAN's policies since the top 8 allergens, as identified by the FDA, don't really pertain to corn. But I do think that as a consumer, I have the right to know where products come from. What country. What plant. And whether the plant originated as a seedling or a science fiction worthy science experiment.
Thank you.
This letter was inspired by THIS post at Delphi forums.
Thank you so much for your response to the inquiry as to whether or not the ingredients in your product contain corn.
I have to point out, however, that you were not being asked to comment on the safety of corn derivatives for individuals with corn allergies. Nor are you being asked to replace the role of medical advisor. And if I took your advice to discuss every product I was considering placing across my lips with my medical provider, my medical provider would not have time to attend to any other patients. That's why they suggest I do my own research. As they advise every patient to do.
Which is why you received a letter inquiring as to the origination of your ingredients.
I'm pleased to hear that you know of no documented reactions to caramel color/citric acid/microcrystalline cellulose etc. Unfortunately, I have experienced reactions under blind trial conditions. These reactions were identified through the use of food diaries and helpful companies who were willing to share the source of their ingredients. How else would I know why ascorbic from batch A made me sick and ascorbic acid from batch B didn't?
I believe my doctor's response was "Huh, that's weird. There are no documented cases of allergic reactions to these derivatives. But if they affect you like this, I think you should definitely avoid them."
Which brings me full circle to the problem at hand.
Where were your ingredients derived? I am asking for my health, not for the heck of it. I'm not asking for proprietary information. I'm asking for sources of ingredients listed in your product.
If you don't want my business, simply respond that you don't serve people with unique allergies. Don't quote the FDA's impressive quality control measures. I presume, since you are still in business, that you adhere to their policies. I don't really care about FAAN's policies since the top 8 allergens, as identified by the FDA, don't really pertain to corn. But I do think that as a consumer, I have the right to know where products come from. What country. What plant. And whether the plant originated as a seedling or a science fiction worthy science experiment.
Thank you.
This letter was inspired by THIS post at Delphi forums.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Living the Mixed Kitchen Life
Tonight, I ,anaged to get dinner on the table somewhere around the time that 3 of us were hungry. It was nothing fancy. Simply rice pasta (courtesy of Trader Joe's), and a scramble of eggs with carmelized onion and a few greens of varying kinds for those who wanted and could eat them.
Bumblebee ate early, and was requested next door, where I offered to walk her.
"Don't poison my dinner," I teasingly warned Penguin and my dear husband.
Amidst their protests that they love me, would never poison me, did I even have to remind them? I headed out the door with Bumblebee, gave her a kiss, told her when to return and to be good, and returned home.
Writing the prior paragraph took longer than the entire process.
However, when I stepped into the kitchen, Penguin was staring at her plate and my husband was at the sink. My place was empty.
"What happened?" I queried, trying to see the joke in the matter and thinking that it really looked like my dish in the sink that was being furiously scrubbed.
Dh turned and gave me the look that I deserved to give him.
"One thing. You asked me to do one little thing. And I couldn't do it!"
"I was only gone two minutes!" I exclaimed, more confused than upset.
"I know!"
At this point Penguin couldn't help bursting into laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation (and probably scared that her parents were going to start a full fledged fight at the dinner table) And confessed that they'd poisoned my plate accidentally.
Apparently he reached across the table to help Penguin pour some sauce, and a small amount splashed onto my plate.
If we were a normal household, I'd have had a sprinkle of undesired flavoring, and ignored it.
But with food allergies? It meant an extra plate and eating tomorrow's leftovers.
Dh was really upset with himself, but like I told him...better to acknowledge the error and not make me sick (I might have suspected eggs! Or onion! Or the cheaper TJ pasta! Or heaven forbid the handful of chocolate chips I treated myself to after dinner)
It disturbs us because neither of us like the message we send our kids when a crumb, or a drop, of something unintentional happens to land in an unexpected area. But, the kids aren't satisfied on a corn free diet, and my husband doesn't really want to restrict his diet that far. And asking makes me feel bad.
So, we'll continue to be supervigilant. I'll try not to lose my temper when accidents happen (I try...And this time there was plenty to eat so I really wasn't upset!) And he'll have to forgive himself when things do. The real point is that we need to continue to be aware and avert disaster.
Bumblebee ate early, and was requested next door, where I offered to walk her.
"Don't poison my dinner," I teasingly warned Penguin and my dear husband.
Amidst their protests that they love me, would never poison me, did I even have to remind them? I headed out the door with Bumblebee, gave her a kiss, told her when to return and to be good, and returned home.
Writing the prior paragraph took longer than the entire process.
However, when I stepped into the kitchen, Penguin was staring at her plate and my husband was at the sink. My place was empty.
"What happened?" I queried, trying to see the joke in the matter and thinking that it really looked like my dish in the sink that was being furiously scrubbed.
Dh turned and gave me the look that I deserved to give him.
"One thing. You asked me to do one little thing. And I couldn't do it!"
"I was only gone two minutes!" I exclaimed, more confused than upset.
"I know!"
At this point Penguin couldn't help bursting into laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation (and probably scared that her parents were going to start a full fledged fight at the dinner table) And confessed that they'd poisoned my plate accidentally.
Apparently he reached across the table to help Penguin pour some sauce, and a small amount splashed onto my plate.
If we were a normal household, I'd have had a sprinkle of undesired flavoring, and ignored it.
But with food allergies? It meant an extra plate and eating tomorrow's leftovers.
Dh was really upset with himself, but like I told him...better to acknowledge the error and not make me sick (I might have suspected eggs! Or onion! Or the cheaper TJ pasta! Or heaven forbid the handful of chocolate chips I treated myself to after dinner)
It disturbs us because neither of us like the message we send our kids when a crumb, or a drop, of something unintentional happens to land in an unexpected area. But, the kids aren't satisfied on a corn free diet, and my husband doesn't really want to restrict his diet that far. And asking makes me feel bad.
So, we'll continue to be supervigilant. I'll try not to lose my temper when accidents happen (I try...And this time there was plenty to eat so I really wasn't upset!) And he'll have to forgive himself when things do. The real point is that we need to continue to be aware and avert disaster.
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