The Game Plan

My family and I watched "The Game Plan" tonight. It is a new Disney Movie that was just released on DVD. I had read on the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network that this movie was commended for accurate portrayals of food allergies. They were correct!

The movie deals with the father getting a swollen tongue after eating cinammon and the little girl having an anaphylactic reaction. It is a very real portrayal of a severe reaction. If you are watching with a child old enough to understand, you may want to have an explanation ready. It was a very emotional scene for me - much more so than a I expected. I guess it is difficult to see your biggest fear played out in front of you - your child having a severe life-threatening reaction. It is good, however, because the little girl is rushed to the ER, receives proper treatment, and recovers well.

Kudos to Disney!!

Hidden Sources of Fish and Shellfish

If you or someone you know has a fish or shellfish allergy, managing it can be tricky! I have learned so much about food allergies in the last 4 1/2 years and, mainly, I have learned the importance of reading labels. This is key to staying safe if the company labels appropriately.

For example, let's look at an anchovy allergy. My family dines frequently at a fairly well-known bar-b-que restaurant. In their bar-b-que sauce - anchovies! Who would have thought!! We were also surprised the other night when my husband pulled out the croutons for his caesar salad and found that anchovies were an ingredient.

As for fish and shellfish, you need to be very careful! I have met several people that knew that they were allergic to fish but ordered crabmeat at a restaurant. They experienced an anaphylactic reaction but had no idea why. Well, artificial crabmeat is made with fish - it is generally not crab at all. In fact, pollock is used in making the artificial crabmeat - it simply has crab flavoring added.

Here are some facts:
- asian foods and sauces may contain shellfish
- you need to be aware that your food may be cooked in the same oil as shellfish/fish
- many pizza places have anchovies as a topping - they may make their way onto your pizza!

Click on this link with some helpful information on this topic:

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/fish.html