Nut Allergy Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Nut Allergy And Managing Your Food
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
Nut allergy is quite common these days. Every day, there seems
to be someone on the news who has had an adverse reaction to nuts
in food. The other day, there was a little boy who shared a peanut
butter sandwich with his pre-school friend. Unfortunately, the
effect on his health was fatal.
If there are people in your family, who have food allergies,
then you need to review your options and buy food products without
these food ingredients. For example, many food products like cookies,
chocolates, ice creams, desserts and cakes contain nuts or traces
of nuts.
Seek Alternative Food Products
But, there are alternative versions of the same food products,
that do not contain nuts. You need to check the list of ingredients
on the label of the food product for nuts and traces of nuts,
to confirm there are no nuts in the food product you are about
to buy.
If you have doubts about the safety of a food product, then do
not buy it.
A Severe And Dangerous Food Allergy
Of all of the food allergies out there, the nut allergy is one
of the most dangerous and severe. Your typical food allergy only
flares up if you are actually eating the food you are allergic
to. For example, my wheat allergy doesn’t effect me unless I actually
eat wheat. I can be in the same room with people eating bread
and it will not bother me at all.
With nut allergies, things are often very different. I have a
niece with a peanut allergy so severe that she can not even be
in the same room with peanuts. It can be a really dangerous situation
if she is.
Her throat will swell up, she will start to wheeze and, if she
does not get out of the environment, she can actually asphyxiate.
Many other folks with tree nut allergies have the same situation.
If someone goes into their school with peanut butter, for example,
they may need to go into the hospital.
Not All Nut Allergies Are The Same
Of course, not all nut allergies are that severe. It really depends
on the individual. Sometimes people are only moderately allergic
to nuts. When this is the case, they can be around them as long
as they do not eat them. At other times, the problem is not the
nuts at all, but the mold that is often found in tree nuts.
Nuts from trees can sometimes have mold even if they are relatively
fresh, and some people are really sensitive to even a small amount
of mold. Although eating nuts is pretty dicey for mold-sensitive
people, if they know a particular company they can trust, they
can eat nuts grown by that company.
Treatment To Help You Cope
Sometimes, food allergy sufferers can get over their allergy
with the help of injections and other sorts of treatment. I have
a friend who had a really bad nut allergy which suddenly developed
a few years ago. It was a big pain for him until he started getting
allergy shots.
After about six months on the allergy medicine, however, his
allergy started going away. About a month after that, he could
eat a few nuts with no reaction whatsoever. Although my friend
can not exactly gorge on peanuts, he is able to have a few as
a treat every now and then.
More importantly, if he accidentally eats some, he does not have
to worry about a severe reaction. He does not have to be concerned
about being rushed to the hospital for his nut allergy.
Shopping For Nut Free Food Products
If you have a nut allergy, then you need to be careful with ingredients
in food products. You should always read the label, to confirm
if nuts are included as an ingredient. Many food products contain
nuts, but are not immediately evident.
For example, many types of cookies, cakes, chocolates, desserts
and ice creams contain nuts. There are many alternatives of these
food products that do not contain nuts, or traces of nuts. To
prevent any adverse health reaction, read the food label carefully
to ensure you buy the products that does not include nuts.
Be Vigilant At Social Events
If you or someone in your family has a nut allergy, then you
need to ensure that when you are at social occasions, you do not
consume any products containing nuts. Many party foods contain
nuts, so this is an area where you will have to be vigilant.
These are some of the many steps you can take to avoid any adverse
health reactions when managing your nut allergy.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on dieting, nutrition and cooking including
General Nutrition,
Meal Plans,
Teapot Cake,
Low Carb Cheese Cake,
Fresh Fruit,
Nutritional Information,
Healthy Appetizers,
Low Carb Dinners,
Health Food Store.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Can child food allergies be dangerous?
Yes, child food allergies can be very dangerous.
Most reactions are fairly mild and may only involve some upset
stomach symptoms. But other reactions can cause the throat to
swell or even cause the child to go into shock.
That is why it is extremely important to
know exactly what your child is allergic to so you can prevent
them from coming into contact with or eating that particular food.
If the allergy is severe enough your child
may have to keep an Epi-Pen with him or her at all times just
in case they do ingest something they are allergic too. An Epi-Pen
is a dose of epinephrine that acts as a stimulant to the body.
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