Tag Archives: Dylan B.

Eating and Drinking with Allergies, Sport, Travel and Allergies

The Dangers of Complacency with a Food Allergy: The Black Bear Tale

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This past spring, two friends and I went interior camping near Gravenhurst. We found a really cool map online of an unmaintained provincial park that is essentially a big playground waiting to be explored by camping geeks like us. We prepared for weeks, slowly purchasing new gear, mapping out potential routes, acquiring additional auto-injectors, and discussing all the great trails waiting for us. As the big day grew closer, we began planning out our menu. This is where things can get tricky. I am at-risk for anaphylaxis for peanuts and tree nuts and my other friend, let’s call him Ted, is at-risk for anaphylaxis for peanuts, tree nuts, raw fruits and vegetables, and salmon. Luckily some of our allergens cross-over so we went with some of our staple foods that were easy to carry: Noodles, rice, oatmeal, chips, etc. Before long, we had our menu completed, our food purchased, and our bags packed. We didn’t think twice about the food since we ate them all the time and felt confident that what we had was safe to eat.

Entering the park was quite the experience. The road in starts as pavement, then turns to gravel, then abruptly turns into pot-holed, uneven dirt for several kilometers. Once we parked our car and took off down a trail, we soon realized we had missed the trail we wanted and had to double back. Whenever we stopped moving, the black fly army would swarm us and leave itchy reminders that this was their land. Clearly, we were off to a great start… The actual trail we wanted started as hardly more than a half foot of compact grass but regardless, we were finally on the trail and making up ground.

DSCN1407The scenery was beautiful! The trails meandered up and down, left and right, and popped us out on some really nice ridges overlooking forest and marsh below. This park was like a dream come true for us! We couldn’t believe we hadn’t discovered it earlier.

Anyway, that night we found a great little campsite beside a lake and stayed there for the night. The next day, we made some oatmeal and Ted had a packet of noodles and off we went down the trail to continue our exploration.

DSCN1410Flash forward about an hour later. We had been hiking through a dense forest that took us over a little stream and up a steep ridge. At the top of this ridge, we took a break to take in the incredible view of a marsh below and drink some water. Andy, the second friend, points down to the marsh and says, “Whoa! Look! A bear!” Lo and behold, there was a massive black bear trudging along the marsh in a line away from us where we had been hiking not even twenty minutes prior! We marvelled at catching this sight and probably got a little too loud because the bear turned and looked up the ridge towards us.

Bear in the morning on the loop in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.

We all paused, not knowing what to do next.

The bear seemed uninterested in climbing the steep ridge and continued to the other side of the marsh while we picked up our bags and continued to hike the ridge, still excited that we saw a bear!

About ten minutes later, Ted started to breathe heavily. He took out his puffer and took a couple puffs thinking it was just his asthma that sometimes flares up.

We continued our hike.

A few minutes later, Ted took a few more puffs which raised a few red flags in my head. We took another break near a split in the trail and he told us that his chest felt very heavy and his breathing felt oddly similar to one of his past anaphylactic reactions. Now all red flags were up!

We quickly looked at the map. Luckily there was a fork in the trail right beside us that led a kilometer straight back to our car. There was a river to the left and the marsh to the right. There was only one way to go.

Oh, I forgot to mention…the bear was last seen at the end of that trail. So now we had quite the scenario. Ted needed to get to the hospital and the only way to get there was down a trail blocked by a bear! …Are you kidding me?!

There was really no choice. We took out some pots, I had my hatchet, and we made as much noise as possible while we walked down the trail. The bush was so thick that we had no idea where the bear might be hiding so we kept our eyes peeled and kept moving.

No sign of the bear.

The car was now in sight and Ted’s breathing had gotten worse, so he took his auto-injector.

We loaded the car as fast as we could and I sped down the pot-hole road. I had only one thing on my mind: Drive Fast! The hospital was 45 minutes away and I wasn’t going to be the reason Ted didn’t make it there.

After he took the auto-injector, Ted’s symptoms didn’t get better but they weren’t worse either which was a good sign. After 35 minutes of winding roads, we made it to the hospital and everything turned out great. Ted was fine and we ended up going to a friend’s cottage nearby instead of braving the trails again.

We looked back at our food and meticulously read every ingredient twice. It turns out that the noodles that Ted insisted he ate daily may contain peanuts, tree nuts, AND fish. A triple threat for Ted!

The moral of the story is that it is easy to become complacent with food allergies. Reading the label can become so routine that we just trust that the ingredients of our favourite brands won’t change. Ted and I learned a very scary lesson that food ingredients should always be read multiple times no matter how often you buy a certain brand. Companies can change ingredients at any time. All it takes is you eating one package of “may contain” out of a thousand other times to trigger an anaphylactic reaction. It is never worth the risk. Do yourself a favour and always stay sharp with your food allergy. Be alert and stay safe.

– Dylan B.

AdultswithAllergies.com

100 Posts of Adult Food Allergy Awareness!

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Hello blog-world! As blog editor for Adults with Allergies, I am very happy to announce that this is our 100th blog post! On behalf of our writing team, I’d like to personally thank you for taking the time to visit our webpage and read a blog or two. If you are currently following our blog, thank you so much! If you are not yet a follower, please follow us as we have quite a few really awesome blog topics that will be posted soon and we want to make sure you won’t miss them!

Drawing sparks on a black background

As part of our constant drive to make the Adults with Allergies blog better, we would like to hear from you. I can look at site statistics about what blog topics had the most views, but that doesn’t tell me enough about what you, the reader, want to hear more about. No matter how trivial or silly you think your suggestion is, please comment below or send us a private comment through the “contact” tab above. This will really help us target food allergy blog topics that interest you.

Once again, thank you so much for checking us out! Please follow our blog, read through our new hot topics, comment, start discussions, and keep being awesome!

– Dylan B.

Allergies and Attitude, Allergies and Relationships, Allergies in the Workplace, Dating and Allergies, Eating and Drinking with Allergies

Top Ten Tips Series: How to “Rock” Your Food Allergies

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As someone who has grown up since the age of nine avoiding peanuts and tree nuts, I like to think I “Rock” at managing my food allergies. If you aren’t as confident, or if you want to become even more confident, then here are my top ten tips on how to completely “Rock” your food allergies:

  1. Wear your MedicAlert® or medical identification in case of emergency. For those like me who were really self-conscious about wearing these, there are now tons of really awesome new pieces of identification right down to military-style dog tags! Pick the one most stylish for you, then rep it and tell everyone about your food allergy.Man jump through the gap. Element of design.
  2. Show and tell. Show off your auto-injector and teach others how to use it.
  3. Be a master chef. Create a special food recipe that is allergy safe and share it with your friends to show that you too can eat delicious foods.
  4. Don’t keep your food allergies or an allergic reaction a secret. Be proactive and tell friends what to expect before a reaction occurs. Tell them what steps they should take in an emergency.
  5. Lead the way, spread the word! This can be done so many ways. You could write a song, create a sketch comedy routine, paint your thoughts, write a blog, write to a politician, or create a twitter account with tips on staying safe with food allergies. There’s an endless chain of possibilities here to really pave the way for every other food allergic person!
  6. Be suave. If dating, be flirty with potential dates by incorporating your food allergy into texts. One line that has proven to open the lines of communication for me time and time again is: “Hey, please try not to eat any peanuts or tree nuts from now until I see you tomorrow ;)” The wink face may seem corny but it is very helpful in keeping the message light, but serious, by implying that I may go in for a kiss and want to be as safe as possible. Her follow-up will likely involve some opportunity for me to educate her on the potential risks of kissing if my allergens are present.
  7. Educate co-workers. There are a lot of people who have never been exposed to food allergies and have no knowledge of the potential consequences allergen exposure can have on someone at-risk for anaphylaxis. For this reason, I think it’s important to teach the people you work with (and see every day) about food allergies. Teach them about signs and symptoms, how to use an auto-injector, where they can find yours, steps to take in case of an emergency, and how to avoid cross-contamination. If you want more advice on how to do this, check out Jason’s take on how to educate co-workers: https://adultswithallergies.com/2016/04/01/explaining-my-food-allergies-series-to-a-co-worker/
  8. Learn from past mistakes. I’m sure we have all had a close-call (or two…or many) in our lives. I like to think that mistakes are made so that we can learn from them. I try not to dwell on them. I figure out where I went wrong and how I can improve to ensure I remain safe in the future.
  9. Remain confident when facing adversity. No one knows you better than yourself so when you face a difficult food allergy scenario, remain confident, and stick to your safety game plan! You are the master of your food allergies.
  10. Continue to be AWESOME! Use my tips or find your own way to rock your food allergies! Just remember, to keep being awesome.

Awesome comic bubble retro text. Pop art style

Do you have any other tips that you think would benefit other adults with allergies? Feel free to post in the comments below and start a discussion.

– Dylan B.

Allergies in the Workplace, Uncategorized

Attending Conferences with a Food Allergy

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Speaker at Business Conference and Presentation.
There are ways to attend conferences safely with food allergies

While completing my master’s degree at Western University, I had the privilege of presenting my research at a number of conferences. Through my work with Food Allergy Canada, I have also attended a few conferences, both as a general attendee and as a moderator/facilitator. Living with a peanut/tree nut allergy, I have to prepare for conferences with a little more planning than the classic presentation prep. I find it useful to view the conference agenda ahead of time. This allows me to figure out when food can realistically be consumed.

In most cases, the conference admission will include some sort of lunch or, if you’re lucky, a full dinner. If this is the case, I make a point of contacting the conference organizer to speak about my food allergy and discuss what a safe meal entails. I think that trying to explain the severity of my food allergy through emails is risky because emails can get lost in the ‘spam’ folder, read but not processed, or they can simply be overlooked. For this reason, I think a phone call is always the best option for meal preparations. Here’s a couple examples of recent conferences I attended and what I did:

I recently attended a food allergy conference in Washington, DC, where I was surrounded by teens and parents living with food allergies. There was no food permitted in any of the meeting or conference rooms. This kept the conference very safe for the countless people with food allergies present. In fact, the only food I saw at the venue was sample packs of snacks from a vendor who made a point of asking what your food allergy was before offering any samples. The lunch time slot was extended to just over an hour to allow attendees to leave the venue, find allergen-safe food, and journey back to the venue in time for the afternoon sessions. This is an example of a well-planned, allergy-friendly conference.

Another conference I attended was less allergy-friendly but still very accommodating. It was a conference held in Niagara Falls for the Canadian Association on Gerontology. With over 1000 people in attendance, I knew I would need to plan my meals extra carefully. I contacted the conference organizer and had a special meal made for each of my lunches, which was great! However, when I picked up my lunch, I quickly realized that all of my friends had chocolate bars with nuts in them AND little packs of trail mix! When I realized this, I had to be extra diligent with my hand washing and careful not to eat anything that may have come in contact with the tables, or really anything at the conference. This is an example of a well-planned, but less allergy-friendly conference.

In most cases, it is likely unrealistic to request a complete ban of your allergen at a conference. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask. If you ask and the organizer says no, you’re in no worst condition. At least you tried! In any case, remember to plan your meals ahead of time. If the organizers cannot accommodate your allergy, simply make them aware of your allergy and pack food that you know is safe. Then wash your hands before eating. Lastly, always bring your auto-injector with you to the conference and ensure it is with you at all times. This is important in the case of an emergency.

After thoroughly preparing for all food possibilities at the conference, remember to prepare your slides, dress sharp, and have some fun! Happy conferencing everyone!

– Dylan B. 

Allergies and Attitude, Eating and Drinking with Allergies

Movie Nights at Home: The Snacker’s Guide

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Woman Masked

I recently hosted a Hobbit movie marathon at my house with a few of my Middle-Earth-loving friends. For those unfamiliar with The Hobbit trilogy, it’s essentially three awesome fantasy adventure films based on a single short children’s novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Some people say three movies was excessive. I disagree. But that argument can be saved for another time.

A very essential part of this marathon day, and any movie night at home for that matter, is FOOD! If you’re like me, snacks are a big part of the movie watching experience. However, with a food allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, I have to be careful what I eat and what the people around me eat. For this reason, I like to involve myself in the snack planning. That way, I can enjoy the movie more as I will be more confident that everything will be safe to eat. As a side note, before I share some of my snack ideas, be sure to clean the surfaces where you will be sitting. If it’s at a friend’s house, offer to clean the couch and nearby tables to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. Also, politely ask everyone to wash their hands before handling any food. It’s really not a big deal to ask and your friends will appreciate your diligence.

Here are a few ideas for allergy-friendly snacks for a movie night at home. Please keep in mind your own food allergies while reading through this list and adjust according to your food preferences and requirements.

1) Popcorn. This is a staple food for most movie watchers. I like to buy unpopped kernels so that I can prepare them how I like. If I’m feeling adventurous after popping them, I’ll sprinkle cinnamon on top. Or sometimes butter and salt. If you like spicy foods, chili powder is also a fun popcorn topping. You could also try coconut oil for something different. The possibilities are really endless with popcorn!

2) Veggies and dip. This one takes a little more planning. I like to make sure that I buy the veggies and prepare them myself so that I am confident that there is no cross-contamination risk when chopping them up. As for dip, store bought dips are great. But sometimes I prefer to make my own. Adding spices to a mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt base can make for great dips. Then simply serve and enjoy!

3) Chips. I’m a big chip fan. However, if you are allergic to wheat or any other chip ingredient, the good news is that some companies have found innovative ways to make chips. For example, using beans instead of wheat (very, very tasty!!). You can also make your own using other ingredients. There are hundreds of simple recipes and instructions online or in books describing how to make chips out of bananas, kale, apples, potatoes… pretty much anything! These are great for impressing your friends with something homemade and tasty.

4) Candy. This one is tough to make at home. But I’m sure there are recipes out there somewhere on how to do so. If not, just be sure to read the ingredients twice to ensure that your allergen(s) are not present.

5) Pizza. This is another great food for movie night at home. Just be sure to read ingredients and/or inform the pizza maker about the severity of your allergies. If you feel uneasy about ordering or buying oven-ready pizzas, it’s really simple to make your own. Use a tortilla or a bagel, top it with your favourite ingredients, bake, and share!

6) Other. I will leave this other section for you to fill in with your own ideas. Be creative and safe!

Also, feel free to post comments about your allergy-friendly snack ideas for movie nights at home. I’d love to hear them!

 Dylan B.

Allergies and Relationships, Allergies in Popular Culture, Dating and Allergies, Eating and Drinking with Allergies

Five Allergy-Friendly Date Night Ideas

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young couple having fun in the kitchen

When it comes to planning a date night, ideas have a tendency to cloud my brain. I’ve thought of so many unique date night activities at random times but when asked, “what do you want to do?” flat out by a girl, my brain often likes to jumble them all up at once. Coffee or beer is an easy option. Flying a kite might be fun. Going to see a movie is always a good move. Food is an easy option too. But what about my food allergies? Being allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, I have to keep food allergy-friendly date night ideas in my back pocket or I risk setting myself (and my date) up for a night of no activities. For a food and drink junkie like me, it’s hard to envision a date night that doesn’t involve food in one way or another. So here’s a countdown of my five favourite allergy-friendly date nights (or days) and how I planned them to help you out if you ever get stuck. Keep in mind that a couple of these dates haven’t actually happened yet. But my blueprint plan is still all laid-out and waiting for that special someone.

  • Day trip to Toronto Island (or the beach or a nice big park). For this one, try to go somewhere that is spacious and beautiful with lots of open space. I find that fresh air on a date helps wash away any stress I may have and really keeps me happy. When I went to Toronto Island, I packed my own picnic lunch in a backpack. Food was never discussed with my date since I love giving surprises and the picnic lunch was the main surprise. By packing my own food, I had full control of what foods I would eat and what foods my date would eat. I asked her ahead of time what kinds of food she liked so she wouldn’t be disappointed by my surprise. Then I made sure I prepared some of those foods with little tweaks to ensure that they were allergen-free. I also clearly explained to my date the severity of my allergy and how to properly administer my auto-injector before date night. The important word there is before date night. Introducing my food allergy early is something I try to do as I find it keeps things more comfortable for both of us on date night. The last thing I did while planning this particular date was visit the area to make sure that there were no surprises (like a peanut café or a beach full of nut shells). If there are ever surprises, I would have to re-adjust my plans and it’s better to do that sooner rather than later.
  • Take a pottery class together. This is literally on my bucket list of dates-to-do. Taking a class like this is great because you get the chance to talk but you also work on something together that you can take home as a memory. Plus it just looks fun. The other bonus? Pottery class doesn’t have much risk for food allergy reactions. That being said, if you choose to do this, make sure you call the pottery people ahead of time to get a rundown of the process. Ask questions like, does everyone wash their hands before handling the clay? Do you have a vending machine on site? Think about any risks you can think of and ask if they may be present. Then just plan ahead and have some fun!
  • Homemade cooking/baking. For this one, the ball was completely in my court for planning. First, I brainstormed ideas about what my date and I wanted to make (oreo chocolate cheesecake brownies, of course!). Next, I looked up recipes. At this stage, I try to find allergy-friendly recipes but they don’t have to be. When I stumble upon a recipe that sounds undeniably delicious but contains my allergen, I immediately look up alternatives on the internet (Google is a huge help). Next, I went to the grocery store and picked up all the necessary ingredients and read each ingredient list carefully to ensure that nothing even “may contained” my allergen. With these steps meticulously complete, I was able to relax on date night and the final product was delicious!
  • Attend a baseball game (or other sporting event). This one was tricky since peanuts are everywhere at the ball park (or any sporting event for that matter). To plan, I called the venue ahead of time to ask if they had any allergy-safe sections for that match-up. Sometimes a venue will host a game where an entire section is peanut/nut free in the stands. So I try to keep my eyes out for those and plan my date night around them. When they told me they didn’t, I went to plan B: caution. I packed two auto-injectors, just in case. I made sure both my date and I had a hearty allergen-free meal before the game so we wouldn’t feel the need to buy food at the game. This was a relief for both my wallet and me. That being said, we were both snackers at events like this so we snuck in a pack of candy I knew was safe. When we decided to snack, we both washed our hands at the washroom and made sure not to touch anything before eating the candy. As for drinks, we stuck with bottled water! Simple planning for a great date.
  • Lord of the Rings trilogy marathon. This one will likely never ever happen but I can dream. Planning a movie date night is simple and can be really fun. Put a bunch of movie names in a hat, then pull one out and watch it. I like to add in silly movies that I’ve never heard of because it adds to the fun of pulling one out of the hat. To make it more engaging, make it a themed movie hat night and only add movie titles into the hat that fit the theme (for example, Leslie Neilson night). I asked my date to bring the hat and volunteered to think of snack ideas. Again, this kept me in control of what we both ate, just in case my date let my allergy slip her mind. By this point in our relationship, she was already quite familiar with my allergy but it never hurts to remind them not to eat your allergen within 24-48 hours of seeing you. Then just kick back, maybe cuddle, and enjoy the movie!

Sometimes date night is extravagant and other times it’s really simple. Just remember to plan ahead, always bring your auto-injector, and enjoy the little moments. Happy date night!

Dylan B.

Eating and Drinking with Allergies

Allergies and Eating on Campus 

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College_Uni(manage)

When you enter your University or College years, there’s a lot to initially think about with new schedules, new friends, new living quarters and, of course, new food! I’d like to take a few minutes to share my experiences about eating food on campus to help relieve some of the worries you may or may not have about feeding yourself over the next few years.

First thing is first. Always ask about what foods are safe for you to eat. Cafeterias can be found in a lot of residences and this will likely be the main place that students like you will eat every day. Tell the front-line servers about your food allergy as well as the supervisor or manager. In a place that you could end up eating every day, it’s a good idea for the staff to know your face, the severity of your allergy, and how they can avoid cross-contamination of foods. If they don’t understand something, explain it to them. It may just be a simple case of the staff using different wording than you’re used to using. In the end, stick with your gut feeling! If they just don’t seem to understand the severity of your allergy, or if there is too much food with your allergen nearby to feel comfortable, move on to another cafeteria or restaurant. There are always many options for food on campus.

Another thing you can do is look for restaurant franchises. These are places that use the same menus, food items, and food policies from restaurant to restaurant. Try to locate places you have felt comfortable eating at prior to University or College and eat there. However, just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean the food is necessarily allergen-free or that cross-contamination hasn’t become a habit at this location. Always, always, always ask before you eat! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Now, what about kitchens? There’s a lot to consider when shared kitchens are involved. Shared kitchens in residence can quite frankly get very messy very quick. It only takes a few messy people (and believe me, there’s always one) to make everyone else’s cooking experience a frustrating one. The good news is that you can prepare for this and avoid potentially dangerous situations. My advice is to keep your food in your bedroom with you. This help keeps the food safe from potential cross-contamination and safe from other people taking it. If you can get your hands on a mini fridge, go for it! These are very handy and give you the chance to keep fresh foods fresh without the worries of someone else eating or touching your food! It’s also smart to keep a few plates, bowls, utensils, and maybe a pot or pan with you in your room. This way, you can cook and eat off of equipment you know is clean and safe from your allergen. If this isn’t an option, invest in some dish soap and a cloth and always clean the cooking equipment before you prepare a meal.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to teach the people on your floor about your allergy. If this makes you uncomfortable, ask your Don or residence life staff to host a meeting and explain the severity of food allergies without mentioning your name. It is their job to ensure your safety; so speaking up and getting their help can be very beneficial. If you’re lucky, and get a private kitchen or a semi-private kitchen and only have to share with one other person, your job just got a whole lot easier! It’s easier to manage food and cooking equipment when only one or two other people are sharing it with you.

I know there are many different things to consider while eating on campus; but just be confident, careful, and enjoy the experience!

Dylan B.