Chelsea Vineyard – Miss Teen Ottawa World 2013

Chelsea Vineyard recently received the title of Miss Teen Ottawa World. She is 18 years old and is participating in this year’s Miss Teen Canada-World Pageant! Chelsea also has a food allergy to peanuts and has chosen anaphylaxis as her platform in hopes to raise allergy awareness. Anaphylaxis Canada spoke with the new member of their Youth Advisory Panel and asked her questions about life with allergies and her Miss Teen Ottawa crown.

 

1) What are you allergic to?

I have an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts but I am also allergic to penicillin.

2) When did you get involved in pageants?

My first pageant was in January when I won my title. I have also been modeling for a while in Ottawa.

3) How did it feel to win the Miss Teen Ottawa crown?

To win the Miss Teen Ottawa crown felt amazing! It is such an amazing moment when you feel that you can make a difference and actually have a chance. You also just feel on top of the world standing on the stage. It was probably one of the best moments of my life!

4) Why did you choose food allergy awareness as your campaign issue?

I chose food allergy awareness because I have lived with my allergy for my whole life and have gone through a lot of challenges. Some of them are people not understanding, to actually getting peanut butter pushed at me. I want to help the children growing up with allergies have a happier and safer life.

5) Why do you think food allergy awareness is important?

I think food allergy awareness is important because it is becoming more common. As more children develop allergies, people have to be more understanding and have knowledge on the issue. Not just parents with children with allergies, but every person because they can never know when they will be in a situation where they should refrain from eating a certain food item, or even worse, have to give someone an epinephrine auto-injector.

6) What are your future goals with your Miss Teen Ottawa crown?

My future goals with my Miss Teen Ottawa crown is to keep moving forward with my allergy awareness platform and possibly going to schools and speaking about it. I also want to be a role model for children and show them that they can follow their dreams no matter what life challenge they have. I also would love to become Miss Teen Canada World 2013!

7) What’s one piece of advice you would like to give teens with food allergies?

One piece of advice I would give teens is don’t let your allergy stand in the way of your life. I was so worried about going away to school because of my allergy, but I did anyway because I don’t want my allergy to affect my choices in life. Teens should go have fun and live their life and know that their allergy is manageable and shouldn’t restrict them from doing things. They should still take precautions but know that they don’t have to sit at home and not go out because of their allergy.

For more information on Chelsea Vineyard -

Visit her blog: 
http://missteenottawa.com/

Like her Facebook Page: 
https://www.facebook.com/MissTeenOttawaWorld2013

June 21st Deadline for the Sabrina Shannon Memorial Award

Are you raising awareness about anaphylaxis at your school or in your community? You might be eligible to apply for the Sabrina Shannon Memorial Award. Two $1,000 awards will be granted, but hurry, the application deadline is Friday, June 21st, 2013.

For more info: 
http://www.whyriskit.ca/pages/posts/apply-for-the-2013-sabrina-shannon-memorial-award41.php

 

Travelling to Tanzania with Food Allergies

My name is Caitlyn and I am allergic to wheat, eggs and nuts.  One of my biggest interests is travelling.  I personally caught the travel bug in high school when I travelled for a week and a half to England and France on a school trip.  My first solo trip happened right after I graduated high school when I travelled to Costa Rica for two weeks, where I volunteered to work at a sea turtle conservation site.   Currently, after finishing my second year of nursing school, I am combining two of my passions—travelling and nursing by volunteering for three weeks in Tanzania working in a hospital with the organization Work the World.  With any kind of travelling there is a lot of planning and organization involved, especially if your travels are for an extended period of time.  On top of this, having allergies adds a lot of responsibility and things that need to be accounted for.

Though this isn’t my first time travelling abroad, to organize this trip there were still a lot of measures and precautions I had to take to make sure I stay safe with my allergies.  Precautions that I took included making sure I will be able to safely eat when I am in Tanzania.  To do this, I informed the organization I am working with about my allergies very early on.  This allowed them to take steps to ensure there is food for me. I will be staying at a house through the organization that has a cook who can make sure all meals will be allergy friendly.  When it comes to eating out, language barrier is a huge issue and something that always concerns me a great deal when travelling.  To help with this, I was able to find a company that provides wallet size pocket cards that state all my allergy information in Swahili.  I will still have to be vigilant when eating food, always carry my medicine with me and make sure I know where local medical facilities are located just in case.

Other preparations I have taken to make sure I stay safe during my trip with my allergies include making sure all my medications are up to date (something that should be done anyways!) and making sure I have multiples of my medications as well.  I will be packing these medications in different bags reducing my chances of losing any medications for reasons such as loss or misplaced luggage.  In order to make sure I am safe in flight, I contacted the airlines I will be travelling with and made sure all snacks provided are nut free—I have a nut allergy and some airlines apparently will still distribute peanuts as snacks, luckily my airline does not.  I did have trouble finding a meal that is offered by the airline which is egg, nut and wheat free since my airlines were unfortunately not that accommodating.  Since I am aware of this I am able to plan ahead and make sure I bring enough food to last me for the long flight.

There’s no question there is a lot of extra planning needed for travelling when you have food allergies but your allergies should never be a limitation from exploring the world.  Stay tuned and I will post a follow up blog in June talking about how my trip went and how I was able to manage my allergies while travelling.

What are some of your travel experiences, and how did you accommodate your allergies?

Feeling Special

I was sitting around my house trying to think of my favourite allergen free food. I couldn’t really pinpoint any stand-out favourite. And then it hit me.

A few years back, I went to a dinner play with my family. If you’ve never been to one, you essentially eat a buffet style dinner then enjoy a wicked-awesome play. My mom had called ahead with concerns over the nut allergy of my brother and I. They made the appropriate preparations to make us feel comfortable. Those preparations consisted of bringing out the head chef to our table (tall chef hat and all) to speak with us. He told us that we could have anything we wanted and he would personally make it for us. So we said we would go take a look at the buffet and let him know what we thought. He said “no no no, don’t go over there, you just tell me what you want and I’ll make it especially for you, even when you want seconds.”

IS THIS REAL LIFE?!

I got a hint of what celebrities feel like every day. I obviously chose a chicken carbonara pasta dish. But that wasn’t my favourite food. What happened after dinner was the real kicker. As an allergic youth, I had pretty much given up on desserts. I always tell myself that it keeps me healthy. That’s the truth. But on this particular day, the chef brought out a baked cheesecake. Sorry if you’re allergic to dairy or eggs or anything else found in cheesecake but it was the best thing EVER. The End. But not actually the end. I have to describe it first. It was baked! I’m talkin’ flaky baked. In cherry cheesecake flavour! Who even thinks of that!? And he drizzled some kind of fancy sauce over top and it just all melted in your mouth with awesome perfection. If you’re not drooling yet, you can start. I haven’t had any dessert as good as that since but I am always searching. If you come across one, let me know! Dylan over and out.

Explaining Allergies to your Friends

My name is Caitlyn and I’m allergic to wheat, eggs and peanuts.  Like so many others, I have gotten pretty used to informing people about my allergies. However, doing so can vary a great deal in terms of who I am actually talking to.  When it comes to explaining food allergies to my friends, it’s a lot different than explaining food allergies to a chef at a restaurant. Talking to my friends about allergies is at a much more personal level. It often involves more questioning and explanations which helps friends gain a greater understanding of what your going through living with allergies.  Situations however, can vary depending on how well you know the person (e.g. A best friend since forever or newly met acquaintance), as well if you’re having a one-on-one conversation or are in a large group setting.  Either way it’s always important to stay open about your allergies!

        Personally, I find whenever I begin to become friends with someone and inform them about my allergies, there are some pretty typical responses. One being: “WHAT DO YOU EAT!?” or another common one being: “So what happens if I eat ______ in front of you?”  No matter what their questions are, I always answer them since I see it as something positive in that they are showing an interest in trying to  understand my allergies.  I also take that time to inform them of simple precautions that they can take such as avoiding eating nuts around me.  Being in a larger group of friends and explaining allergies can be more intimidating, especially if the attention shifts all of a sudden on you.  If you have informed people about your allergies, don’t feel pressured to keep talking about your allergies after you have explained all that you can. Simply change the topic.  Personally, I never try to dwell on my allergies more than is necessary. After all, there are many other things I like to talk about! I still find it important to make sure my friends are informed about my allergies. If they are true friends they will be interested in knowing about them too and how to be safe around me.

        Even when your friends know about your allergies, they still may struggle fully understanding what you can and can’t eat.  For things such as social events where people want to bring food, they may become concerned about bringing food that’s allergy friendly.  In his situation, I don’t just inform people of the foods I can’t eat and what they should avoid bringing, but I also inform them of everything I CAN eat and give them as many ideas and options as possible.  I also bring my own allergy-free alternatives such as a gluten-free bun to a barbeque or my own cupcake to a birthday.  By doing this, not only do you feel more included by eating what everyone else gets to eat (I mean who doesn’t want cake at a birthday right!?), but others will also feel better knowing you can eat something too.   When it comes to eating out somewhere, be open with your friends about where you can’t eat so you don’t end up at a restaurant that can’t accommodate your allergies. Again, give them options about other places that work for you so that everyone can still make a decision together.

        It can be a challenge explaining allergies to friends, especially in a group situation.  Just keep in mind that it’s important for your friends to know about your allergies and how to help keep you safe. Plus if they’re good friends then they’ll be just as interested in your allergies and want to learn everything they can!

How do you explain your allergies to your friends?

Asking and Observing when Dining Out

My name is Mathew and I have allergies to all nuts and some fish.  I recently wrote a post about the reasons why I think allergy sufferers tend to undertake risky behaviour in regards to their allergies.  In this post I hope to provide helpful information about what I do when I eat at a restaurant.  I ask questions and more importantly, I make observations.

Asking restaurant staff about their food allergy policy is always necessary when eating at a restaurant.  Sometimes the restaurant will state their policy on the menu or where patrons place their orders.  Although asking is important, it is subject to human error and therefore making your own observations and using common sense is important too.  Some things that I look out for include:

• Other menu items that have allergens in them.  An example would be if you are ordering pasta with tomato sauce and the restaurant serves a pasta dish with nuts.  There is a chance that there could be cross-contamination.

• Menu items that have “hidden” allergens.  An example is pesto sauce on pizza.  Pesto may be put on a pizza and may not be visually obvious.  Pesto may or may not have nuts in it (but usually does as it’s commonly made with pine nuts).

• Set-up of the kitchen.  If I can glance into the kitchen on the way into the restaurant I will observe the set-up of the kitchen.  I look for any potential cross-contamination issues.  One time I was at a restaurant for breakfast and the waitress assured me that I was safe eating there as they had no nuts on the menu.  I was able to sneak a look at the grill and noticed that on “special order” (which means that it was not on the menu) the chefs were using peanut butter in the pancakes (on the grill).

The problem is that not everybody is educated in food allergy safety and relying on their assurances is not always sufficient.  This is why it is so important to not only speak with the wait staff, but also with a manager and the chef if possible. When I do make inquiries, I am careful as to how I frame my question.  I often notice that people ask, “does the pizza have allergen X in it?  I am allergic”.  That question warrants a basic yes or no answer and implies that if there are no allergens directly on the pizza you ordered then you will be okay.  A better question is, “I am allergic to X, what is the restaurant’s policy in regards to allergens”.  This question sounds more serious and will often result in the wait staff inquiring with the chefs or management.

The next time you dine out, be sure to ask the right questions, observe, and never take a chance with a food you don’t feel 100% safe with.

Reasons for Food Allergy Risk-Taking

My name is Mathew and I am allergic to all nuts and some fish.  For many years I have observed; and I have not been surprised by the fact, that people who do not suffer from severe allergies often misunderstand the risks associated with severe allergies.  Recently I have noticed; and was surprised by the fact, that some allergy sufferers themselves downplay their allergies by taking risks.  I believe that the most prevalent reasons for the risk taking behaviour of allergy sufferers are carelessness, a lack of understanding and embarrassment.

Carelessness

From my experience, allergy sufferers can be careless when making decisions that are impacted by their allergies.  I have observed allergy sufferers who have claimed to have mild to moderate allergies, eating foods knowing that the food contained an allergen that would adversely affect them.  I asked them about their actions and the response was a very simple, “I’ll be fine”, followed by a shrug.  Although they thought their allergy was not severe, they still had a significant allergic reaction to the allergen.  Their actions may be evidence of their carelessness.  When I am with people who suffer from a known severe food allergy, I’ve noticed that they rarely ask the server about the restaurant’s policy in regards to food allergens.  I have questioned them on why they did not inquire and have received responses such as, “its fine, whatever”.  The responses may be confirmation that the individuals are careless but they may be evidence of the individual’s lack of knowledge about the risks that they are taking.

Lack of Understanding

I think the most common and dangerous reason why individuals take risks when it comes to their allergies is a lack of understanding of the risks that they are taking.  I know of people that will eat products that are labeled with, “may contain allergen X”.  I have questioned their actions and I often receive responses such as, “most of these warnings are there for legal reasons”.  Although there are laws regarding the labeling of food with allergen information, studies suggest that 7% of foods labeled with “may contain allergen X” do contain the allergen (S. Sicherer, 2007).  The fact that individuals are under the impression that the warnings are present strictly for legal reasons suggests that there is a lack of understanding of the risks being taken by some allergy sufferers.

Embarrassment

This category is relatively broad but it is important because I think every person with a severe allergy has been subject to these feelings in regards to their allergies more than once.  I know from experience that it can become quite mundane having to inquire about your allergies in a social situation when you are the only person suffering from allergies.  I often feel like I am being a bother and although I always inquire about the establishment’s policy regarding food allergies, it never is without the feeling of being the centre of attention for that brief moment.  Restaurant employees are often trained to deal with allergies but I often find myself in situations where I am inquiring with someone who does not understand allergies.  I, as most other allergy sufferers, can identify unsafe situations when non-allergy sufferers cannot.  Many people are under the impression that if they do not use an allergen in a dish then the dish is safe for an allergy sufferer.  The person who cooked the dish may insist you will be fine eating it when in reality the allergy sufferer knows they are at risk.  It is somewhat embarrassing to have to turn down the food in this situation because it may appear as if you are rejecting the food being offered to you because you are not interested in it.

It is important for readers to be aware of the reasons why allergy sufferers may act as if they do not have allergies.  If you suffer from allergies then being aware of the above information will help you change or reaffirm your behaviour.  If you do not suffer from allergies then being aware of what an allergy sufferer goes through will help you if you are ever in a situation where an allergy sufferer is making a risky decision.  Always remember, why risk it?

Anaphylaxis Canada. (2010). Research. Retrieved from 
http://www.whyriskit.ca/pages/en/learn/research.php#question_3

Teens Talk Allergies Workshop – May 4, 2013, Toronto

 

Join other teens and young adults with food allergies the morning of May 4th for a session filled with fun, new friends, and helpful tips on being safe with allergies.

For more details visit 
http://www.anaphylaxis.ca/en/media/events.html?news_id=23

Eating at School with Allergies

Hi! My name is Davis and I am 15 years old. I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. Being in high school means that I still have to eat in a cafeteria. I was diagnosed with my allergies when I was four so I am now well practiced when it comes to managing them at school! In the early years, it didn’t seem too difficult. When you are eight years old you don’t really care about why you can’t bring this or that to school. If someone with authority tells you that you can’t bring something, then you just don’t bring it!

I think that things start getting more challenging once you get to the higher grades. As you get older, you start to question authority more. As you do this, you start to disobey more. This can lead to allergy-related problems for a couple of reasons. One, if kids know that you aren’t supposed to bring a food, they may be tempted to bring it once in a while just to break the rules. This can put you in serious harm if one day, they bring a food with one of your allergens to school and you have a reaction. Also, not many kids know what to do should a reaction occur.

Another problem you may run into is kids teasing you about your allergy. This didn’t happen to me at school, but instead when I went to a baseball game. I was with some of my teammates and one child didn’t quite understand how serious my allergy was. The boy had a bag of peanuts and decided it would be funny to put it an inch away from my face. I turned away and my mom quickly jumped in and explained the severity of my allergies to the boy’s parents. After that day, I always made sure to tell new people how serious my allergy was, especially if they had food close by that contained my allergens. Whether at school, a baseball game or anywhere, if you see something you are allergic to, you have to speak up and be proactive in keeping yourself safe. Also in case something does happen, the people around you will be better prepared.

I would suggest making sure that some of your friends, teachers, and administrative staff all know how to use an auto-injector. That’s where the beauty of free trainers comes in handy (check the website of your auto-injector for more information). They say practice makes perfect and practicing with a trainer is a great way to make sure you are always ready to help yourself.

I hope this has helped you in gain confidence when it comes to eating at school and has helped you feel more relaxed knowing that there is always someone there to help. Stay Safe!

Staying Safe at Easter with Allergies

Easter is quickly approaching and that does not mean that you have to avoid all Easter candies and not participate in traditional Easter activities! There is always a way to make some accommodations so you can enjoy your holidays with family and friends. Here are my tips on how you can make sure your allergies don’t hold you back.

What to put in your Easter basket!

Like most holidays, Easter involves Candy… but don’t worry there is all kinds of allergen free treats to add to your Easter basket. Here are some suggestions:

• Some brands of mini-eggs are nut-free.
• Some marshmallow chicks are free of many common allergens.
• Homemade Easter goodies are a great idea (Check-out Hannah’s blog post for some delicious Easter recipes!)
• There are a variety of allergen free chocolate Easter bunnies on the market, so take a long hard look at their labels.
• You can also take plastic Easter eggs and fill them with little gifts like hair accessories, coins, gift cards etc.

*Always remember to read labels and confirm with companies.

Easter Egg Hunt Tips

No matter how old you are, an Easter egg hunt is always fun! Large community egg hunts can be scary with allergies so I recommend planning your own. Invite some friends and family over and hide allergen free treats and small gifts. By planning the event you will ensure that you are as safe as possible and everyone is sure to have fun!

Still love to decorate eggs?

Are you allergic to eggs but still love to decorate Easter eggs? Look no further, we have a solution! You can always decorate plastic, wood, Styrofoam or ceramic eggs!!! Get as creative as possible; add some stickers, paint, ribbon and gems. Your Easter eggs are sure to look great and no one will know the difference.

I hope these tips help you enjoy an allergen free Easter weekend! Always remember that holidays are about spending time with family and friends. If you’re not interested in egg hunts or candy, get outside and enjoy the spring weather! Go for a walk, ride your bike and enjoy yourself. Have a great weekend!

Comment if you have any Easter tips for living with allergies!