I've just read the recent article in the Daily Mail about Raymond's Blanc's issues with food allergic and intolerant diners. I have always loved Raymond, not least because his rather more affordable Braserie Blanc restaurant has an allergen menu which I can order from safely. You can read about Brasserie Blanc with allergies here. So I was a little disappointed to … [Read more...]
A quarter of the population think people with allergies are fussy eaters!
This week is Food allergy and intolerance week, from 23rd to 29th January 2012. Thanks to Allergy UK for building awareness of what allergies really are and the difference between allergies, food intolerance and coeliac disease. About 2% of the population in the UK have a true life threatening allergy which can lead to anaphylaxis, and in rare cases, death. However the … [Read more...]
Understanding food intolerance: fact from fiction
My understanding has always been that food intolerance tests are not entirely scientific. I've been told this by lots of different people, including my own doctor, who told me that you can't test for food intolerances. Recently I've had allergy blood tests done which helped diagnose the foods I knew I was allergic to; food allergy tests look for IgE reactions in the blood which … [Read more...]
Allergy UK 20th anniversary awards – 1 April 2011
I was excited to be visiting the Rainforest Cafe in Piccadilly, London for the first time. I'd heard it was great fun and able to cope well when catering for people with allergies. This was no ordinary visit though. I had been invited to attend the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of Allergy UK as a thank you for helping out as a volunteer; speaking to journalists and providing … [Read more...]
Can’t drink milk? You’re normal!
On a recent visit to my father's house in Devon, I found myself flicking through a copy of Creation magazine, which aims to proclaim and uphold the truth and authority of the bible around the world. It includes many articles about Darwin's theories, carbon dating and lots of fascinating analysis of theories such as creationism, evolution etc. Not everyone's cup of tea I'm sure, … [Read more...]