That's Fit

When I became a mom for the first time, my own mother remarked on how much parenting techniques had changed since she was a young mother. I told her frequently, "Just you wait." I know how quickly health advice can change, and I'm sure that by the time my own girls are mothers they'll roll their eyes at our co-sleeping, sling-wearing ways.

One piece of advice that isn't likely to change is that breast milk is the best first food for babies. But a piece of breastfeeding advice that's been commonly dispensed for the last several years is being discarded due to lack of evidence.

Expectant and breastfeeding mothers have often been told to avoid eating foods like milk and peanuts to prevent allergies in their unborn or nursing children, but the American Academy of Pediatrics is now saying that there's no evidence that avoiding allergenic foods will reduce the risk of your child developing allergies.

Good news, especially if you're in your third trimester and craving a milkshake!

Having food allergies can really make eating healthy and good tasting food difficult, especially when it comes to family get-togethers and other social functions. But depending on what exactly your food allergy or allergies are, there may be more options out there than you realize. From nut-free power bars to dairy-free milk that doesn't sacrifice any calcium, if you know where to look and are a smart shopper you can eat as well and with as much variety in your diet as anybody. Check out this list of some of the best "allergy-friendly" foods and see if there isn't something new you didn't know was out there.

Do you know if your child has any food allergies? Nuts, milk and even some fruits may cause your youngster to have strong to mild allergic reactions. The odd thing is that some parents may not recognize these are allergies at all.

The reason? Because there is a difference between food allergies and food intolerances. There is a medical difference, although both conditions are commonly connected by the public. Food intolerances are not as drastic as allergies, but allowing food allergens to stay in one's diet can be filled with consequences.

The introduction of new foods, for example, needs to be done slowly and surely to ensure food allergies are discovered early, even if there is no family history of disease. In other words, be cautious and observant.

If you or someone in your family has food allergies, then you know that cooking meals that everyone can enjoy can be a little tricky sometimes. If you're looking for allergen-free and tasty recipes, check out Cooking Allergy Free. Chock full of tasty looking recipes, Cooking Allergy Free allows you to create a unique user account where you can identify the ingredients you want to avoid. Then, when you search for recipes, the site will automatically identify those that are safe or unfriendly.

To date, their database includes 77 allergens and over 300 recipes. You can add your own tasty dishes, and like other popular cooking sites, you can save the recipes you like to a virtual cookbook. We don't have any food allergies in our family, but I still may have to try out a few of their recipes!

Does your child have a severe food allergy? Do you worry whenever you send them off to a field trip or other function where you might not be around to keep an eye on what ends up on their plate? If so, Allergators might just be for you. The company carries shirts, sweatshirts, lunch bags, dresses, even disposable wristbands and watches that warn others of their severe food allergy. The toddler sizes are cute, and they even carry up to an adult size large for older kids and teens (or for adults who want to warn others, I suppose).

As a parent, I haven't had to deal with food allergies, but this seems like a good idea if you know you're sending your child into a situation where they're going to be exposed to trigger foods, or if you have a child who, despite your best efforts, just isn't compliant. It also seems like it might be useful for a very young child or a child with special needs who may not be able to communicate their allergy. I can also see, however, if you made your child wear an Allergator shirt to every event, that they might get tired of being singled out. Parents of children with allergies, let's hear your take -- what do you think of Allergators?

If you suffer from eczema, I don't envy you. It runs in my family and while I've been lucky with my skin, several relatives of mine struggle with the dreaded condition that leaves them itchy and uncomfortable and prevents them from using so many products on their sensitive skin. But according to this, eczema might not simply be a skin disorder -- it may be symptomatic of something bigger such as a food sensitivity or allergy. That leads to the question: just what role does one's diet play in eczema? Exclusion diets can often give answers as to what foods, if any, trigger or improve the skin condition, but in the meantime, it's best to talk to your doctor. Of course, maintaining a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle should help if you don't already.

I'm interested in hearing from Eczema suffers -- have you found that certain foods have contributed to your symptoms?

Eating out with food allergies has got to be a difficult experience. Not only do you have to be very careful what to order, you have to rely on the people preparing your food and the wait staff to remember your requirements, and in some cases, if someone makes a mistake, it can be a life threatening.

If you have a food allergy and love to eat out, check out the Food Allergy Buddy card. Follow just a few simple steps online and the card will be created for free to print out and use at your next restaurant outing. Though I don't suffer from food allergies myself, I created a dummy card to see how they looked. The cards include your name, a list of allergies, an emergency contact number, and a place for your server to write in your table number. It was a very simple process, and there was even a space for additional allergies not listed.

The cards fit in your purse or wallet and designs for children are available. The cards might also be nice to hand to your child's teacher or day care provider. I love simple solutions to difficult problems, and this card seems to fit that bill. Has anyone ever used one of these? I'd love to hear about it!

(via ediets)

Australian teachers in Victorian schools will soon receive training on dealing with school kids that are at risk of severe allergic reactions, according to reports. Since kids can be allergic to anything from peanuts to shellfish to milk, this is good news for Australian parents.

The new training kit will go to more than 2,300 government and non-government schools and will instruct teachers on how to treat students with the potentially deadly condition should an even arise.

In general -- from what I have seen -- most parents are diligent about ensuring their kids know which foods and drinks can cause allergic reactions -- but it's great to know that teachers will have the tools to deal with a situation should one develop due to an accident or other unforeseen occurrence.

As fabulous as we here at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

Allergies aren't just a warm weather problem. Long after the hay-fever season is over, people are still battling allergies to food, perfumes, fabrics, plastics - even that romantic Valentine's bouquet can be a source of misery for some allergy sufferers! Here's some links to keep you informed in your battle against allergies:

Achoo! The Blog: cute name, serious blog. This site covers allergy news and personal experiences with allergies and the latest treatments.

Allergy Alert Stuff also covers news, but since this blog is based in the UK it offers some stories you may not have seen elsewhere, with a focus on eliminating allergy sources in your home.

The Healthy House Allergy Blog is a great resource for those with severe food allergies. This blog offers fast updates when common allergy-causing ingredients are discovered in unlisted sources.