Lupins are quite common in most English gardens, recognisable for their tall, elegant stems with many tiny clustered and tightly curled flowers. They are related to the legume family e.g. peanuts, peas, lentils and beans. The seeds from some types of lupin can be used in foods such as seeded bread and can also be ground to make lupin flour, which is used sometimes in foods … [Read more...]
Mastocytosis – you don’t want this!
Mastocytosis is a very rare disorder that can affect both children and adults. It's caused by the presence of too many mast cells in various organs in a person's body. When too many mast cells exist and undergo degranulation, the additional production of histamine can cause a number of symptoms which can vary over time and can range in intensity from mild to severe. A mast … [Read more...]
30 Tips for Eating Out with Allergies!
If you have life threatening allergies, the chances are you'll have felt fear and anxiety at the thought of eating out, trusting staff and risking a potential reaction to your food allergen. The fear is real and I completely understand. Having struggled with panic attacks and serious anxiety myself, it's something I take very seriously, and if i eat out I make sure I'm as sure … [Read more...]
Exercise induced anaphylaxis – scary!
I recently agreed to speak to a magazine about my allergies, which are greatly exacerbated by exercise. Basically if I eat a small amount of dairy and am at home, or sitting down somewhere in a restaurant, chances are I'll know about it, but will suffer no worse than a tingling mouth, asthma, and skin rashes the next day, once my stomach has had a chance to work on it … [Read more...]
Can you enjoy fast food with allergies?
Food labelling has come on leaps and bounds over the years, and although vague 'may contain' warnings can be very frustrating, at least it's better than not being warned at all. So what are our restaurants and fast food chains doing about this? Have you ever seen a menu in a restaurant that listed the allergens in each meal? There are very few who offer this, and it isn't … [Read more...]