Turkey Day Palate Pleasers for Those With Food Allergies

Page 3 of 3

Nov. 17, 2009

Since Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude, focus on activities that will bring the family closer together. Dust off your Boggle game or volunteer at a homeless shelter for the afternoon. If the sporty cousins are in town, initiate a game of flag football, or go for a walk. The nonprofit organization Kids With Food Allergies, which seeks to support and educate the allergy community, has several suggestions for ways to pass the holiday without sacrificing the spirit.

Be Prepared Just in Case

With more than 150 foods that can result in allergic responses in those prone to allergies, monitoring one's diet can pose a challenge. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, food allergy occurs in 6 percent to 8 percent of children four years of age or younger, and in 3.7 percent of adults.

Symptoms of food allergies include hives, swelling, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps, wheezing and loss of consciousness. While a resistance to gluten, or celiac disease, is often associated with food allergies, one who can tolerate gluten should not be mistaken as someone who is allergic to gluten. Allergies can also be life-threatening, causing anaphylaxis, often resulting in shock, suffocation and inability to breath. Each year in the United States, it is estimated that there are approximately 30,000 episodes of food-induced anaphylaxis, which result in as many as 200 deaths.