Ruth Holroyd's Blog, page 21

Sources of Calcium for vegans or dairy allergic people

Anyone on a vegan, plant food based diet and anyone has a dairy allergy will have no doubt worried about their calcium intake. This blog post is for you, because I want to make sure I’m consuming easily absorbed sources of calcium, not just powdered supplements which are arguably not as readily utilised or absorbed into our bodies as we might hope.

Vegans, just a warning, I have also included egg, fish and meat sources for those who are dairy allergic but not sticking to a completely vegan diet.

You might be surprised to learn also that dairy milk is not the highest source of calcium!

What you need to know about calcium

Calcium is needed at all ages for strong bones and teeth. It also helps to make our blood clot normally and regulate our heartbeat. (Source: NHS)

The amount needed, or Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) needed in your diet varies from infants who need 525 mg, children 350-550 mg, adolescents 800-1000 mg and adults at 700mg. This figure varies for post menopausal women, breastfeeding women and those with coeliac disease who need more as the may struggle absorb nutrients.

Vitamin D – Did you know that taking a Vitamin D supplement or making sure you are getting Vit D in your diet will help you absorb calcium and regulate both calcium and phosphate. Vitamin D can be found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, Red meat and liver, Egg yolks and Fortified margarine / butter and breakfast cereals. It is important to also get Vitamin D from sun exposure.

Magnesium – is also needed to help calcium absorption and transportation to the right places in the body e.g skin, bones and teeth. Without magnesium too much calcium can cause arthritis as deposits get left in the wrong places in the body.

Natural Calcium supplements

I’m not sure whether calcium supplements are the best way to get calcium into your diet. There is evidence that it’s not easily absorbed. I’m taking Alfalfa Supplements from G&G Food Supplies each day – it’s a much better way of getting some calcium into your body if you aren’t sure you diet is achieving that. The alfalfa contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and E and K.

Sources of Calcium in foodType of foodQuantityCalcium (mg)Collard greens, cooked1 cup266 mgBroccoli rabe, cooked1 cup100 mgKale, cooked1 cup179 mgSoybeans, cooked1 cup175 mgBok Choy, cooked1 cup160 mgFigs, dried2 figs65 mgBroccoli, fresh, cooked1 cup60 mgSesame seeds1 cup1404 mgSunflower seeds1 cup35.88 mgPumpkin seeds1 cup59.34 mgSpinach (cooked)1 cup244 mgAlmonds1 cup378 mgBlackstrap Molasses1 Tablestpoon10% RDARhubarb1 cup cooked348 mgAmaranth100g47 mgEdamame and Tofu1 cup98-334 mgEggs1 large cooked29 mgNori flakes1 sheet29 mg Quorn50g15 mgSardines (tinned)1/2 tin260 mgOrange (fresh)1 medium75 mgAlmond butter1 tbsp36 mgPeas (cooked or frozen)1-2 tbsp25 mgSoya (minced)50g40 mgSalmon (tinned)1/4 tin25 mgPrawns10 or 30g50 mgWholemeal bread1-2 slices27-54 mgPitta bread160 mgBaked beans100g50 mgNettle leaf tea1 cup5-10mgNettle infusion*1 cup500mgCow’s Milk (for comparison only)1 cup300 mgDairy free Sources of Calcium – whatallergy.com

There are some really interesting foods above, and particularly the amount of calcium in sesame is staggering!

Other great sources if you like a bit of foraging are:

Dandelions from my garden – you can eat fresh young leaves and the flowers in salad and herbal teaDandelion leaves – best foraged early in spring when they are fresh and tastyPlantain – like dandelions and common in most cities and gardensNettle leaves – fresh harvested and added to soups last minute or in fresh mint tea. * To make an infusion you would put the nettle leaves into a jar and soak for 4-8 hours.Lambs quarters – a weed that tastes a bit like spinach

You could also choose fortified cereals, orange juice and plant milks but I’ve focused above on those naturally occurring in our daily foods.

Sources and Resources

A guide to Calcium rich food – The Osteoporosis Foundation

15 most calcium rich foods – Healthline

Calcium Information from the NHS

Healthiest backyard weeds

Should Magnesium and Calcium be taken together

If you’re worried about Osteoperosis you might be interested in this very interesting article which discusses that it’s not just about calcium, in fact it’s a whole lot more complex than that. Read Osteoperosis – Bone Density loss here.

I’d love to know if you found this useful. I found it very interesting to compile and will be making a concerted effort to incorporate as many of these as I can.

The post Sources of Calcium for vegans or dairy allergic people first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

New Topical Steroid Withdrawal Frequently asked questions

I get asked the same questions over and over again, so here, finally, is a work in progress, my topical steroid withdrawal frequently asked questions.

I will be keeping this updated as I get asked more questions and discover new exciting resources that might help you guys.

Packed with information, research links, blogs, books, resources and details of my eczema and TSW journey,

These FAQs are for anyone:

Who has eczema, uses topical steroid withdrawal and is worried and would like more informationAnyone going through TSW, from early stages to months and years inAnyone caring for someone with TSWDoctors, dermatologists, pharmacists and scientists who are interested and would like to research moreFriends of someone going through TSWAnyone interested in finding out more about a medication widely prescribed for years to treat eczema, yet creating a skin condition way worse, and untreatable except for a lengthy and painful withdrawal.Topical Steroid Withdrawal FAQs

Having this page will allow me to signpost people to find information easily without having to type out the same messages over and over again.

Talking to some dermatologists on a brain storming session recently, discussing the kinds of questions I an other skin bloggers get asked, I realised just how much of a responsibility this was. The sheer number of people who need someone to talk to, and have questions is growing and not really manageable.

Please take a look and if I’ve missed anything, please pop a question or comment below.

I hope this helps. There are now a growing number of resources out there so I’m not recreating this information, just sending you to where it already sits, waiting to be discovered.

Thanks for your time and I hope you find this information useful.

Ruth, still healing after 2.5 years topical steroid free!

The post New Topical Steroid Withdrawal Frequently asked questions first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

Roundup of oat milks in the UK

Here we go, in alphabetical order, are the oat milks available in the UK and their pros and cons, ingredients, backgrounds, whether they are gluten free and where you can buy them.

Product nameIngredientsGluten FreeWhere availableCommentsAlproOat base (Water, Oat (9.8%)), Soluble corn fibre, Sunflower oil, Calcium (Tri-calcium phosphate), Sea salt, Stabiliser (Gellan gum), Vitamins (B2, B12, D2).Most supermarkets and health food shopsNaturally lactose free & dairy freeCalifia FarmsOatmilk (Water, Oats), Sunflower Oil, Dipotassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea SaltYesSome supermarkets, Health Food Stores and direct from website.US based.
VeganOatoWater, OATS, rapeseed oil, calcium carbonate, dipotassium phosphate (acidity regulator), salt and vitamins (D3, B2, B12, and potassium iodide).Through Milk and MoreUK based. Delivered to your door in glass bottle.PureOaty from Glebe FarmBritish oats, water, sunflower oil and salt.YesAmazon, Holland & BarrettUK based, owned by oat farmers. Also vegan.Minor FiguresWater, Oats, Rapeseed oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Salt.Holland & Barrett and direct onlineCarbon neutral. UK based independent vegan plant milk.Moma Oat MilkOat base (water, oats 10%), rapeseed oil, acidity regulator (dipotassium phosphate), calcium carbonate, calcium phosphates, iodised salt (salt, potassium iodide), vitamins: D, B2 (riboflavin), B12Online direct or AmazonBarista oat milk. Fully foamable, zero splitting. Oatly Oat base (water, oats 10%), rapeseed oil, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphates, salt, vitamins (D2, riboflavin, B12), potassium iodide.Amazon, Supermarkets and Health Food StoresOriginating from Sweden. Not sold worldwide. Only GF in US.Rude HealthSpring Water, Organic Oats (14%), Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea SaltYesMost supermarkets and Health Food StoresOrganic,
Gluten Free,
Without Thickeners,
Dairy Free,
No Added Sugar,
Award WinningOat plant milks in the UK

As you can see, there are 8 competitors and also the supermarket own brands.

Have I missed any?

I’ve tried quite a few of these in cafes, including Califia, Minor Figure, Moma, Oatly and Pure Oaty. So far I think my favourite is Pure Oaty, particularly because the ingredients are so simple. A play on Purity perhaps? PureOaty = Purity!

I won’t go into Oatly and their current legal action against PureOaty here, if you missed my recent blog on this, you can read it here: Shame on you Oatly. All I ask is that you look into the brands you are buying from. Are they ethical, do they source ingredients locally? How do they treat their competitors?

Most of the others include thickeners and added vitamins. I’ve always previously gone for plant milks with added calcium and vitamins but maybe these can be found better from foods in a varied, healthy diet. I take Alfalfa supplements to get calcium into my body as well as eating lots of seeds, green leafy vegetables, figs and eggs. I might do a blog on the best sources of Calcium for those who cannot consume dairy! Would that be of interest?

Have I missed any? Which is your favourite?

The post Roundup of oat milks in the UK first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

Positive Affirmations for your skin

It might sound cheesy, but the more you tell yourself good things the more you brain is tricked into believing it. And this works even if you are lying through gritted teeth.

And you wanna know why? Because if you’re like me, you’ve been feeding your brain negative stuff your whole life. When the voice in your head is mean, and that’s the only voice it hears, what choice does it have?

We are our own worst enemy a lot of the time and our very own resident bully.

I’ll bet no one, or at least not many people, talk to you like you speak to yourself.

I learnt this the hard way. I found myself sitting in my therapists office weeping and in pieces literally because she had asked me to say out loud, I love you Ruth, to myself.

I couldn’t do it. Refused. And when challenged, realised the hard, terrible truth. I didn’t love myself.

This just didn’t make sense as I have so much empathy for others that it hurts.

Yet none for myself. This was a turning point to discovering the joy of being selfish, looking after myself and no one else and starting to love myself again.

And in turn, to love this skin that I’m living in. It’s my skin and it’s doing a very good job at trying to heal.

Despite all the topical steroids and immunosuppressants I threw at it, it’s finally learning who it is now. And I am finally treating my skin kindly, with love, with gentle kindness and with sensitivity.

Why positive affirmations work

One thing I do is tell myself, daily, I love you Ruth. And I also tell myself how well I’m doing. How well my skin is healing. That I love my skin even when it’s painful, sore and unsightly. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, but learning to accept the current situation has really helped me.

Many days I’m lying. I don’t believe it. Sometimes the old mean thoughts come back. “You’re ugly, who could love a woman with such awful skin, no one likes you, you are worthless…” and I let these thoughts pass. They are just thoughts, they are not true and they are not me.

I really love these Positive Affirmation Cards for your skin created by Lex at The Real Skin Club. They also do vinyl messages for your mirror.

I have a few in my bathroom; I am enough, I am resilient, and I am not defined by my skin. I also have one on my laptop and stickers on my diary, because I don’t like mirrors and often avoid looking in them.

I regularly turn to my cards and choose one. Sometimes I put it back and choose another, but they do really help me. I focus on the words on the card and really speak my truth. They’re beautiful colours and they all hold a strong, positive affirmation to help you start the day.

Ruth you are beautiful.

You are enough.

You are not defined by your skin.

The more I worked on this the more relaxed I felt, the more at home in my skin and my body. The more forgiving. The less anxious I felt.

And I want to say this to any of you reading and thinking they can’t do this, whether it’s your skin or another part of your life, your health or your situation. It doesn’t define you. You are beautiful, you are unique and you are doing just fine.

Visit The Real Skin Club here to shop.

Use my code SHAPEOFSKIN at checkout for 20% off
You also get free shipping on orders over £15.

The post Positive Affirmations for your skin first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

4 Reasons Why Food Products Get Recalled and Why to Comply

Have you got an allergy, and are concerned about cross-contamination of food products? This article explains why products may be recalled, to ease your concerns…

Manufacturing processes are never completely failsafe. Whether it be due to human error or troubles with machinery, there’s plenty to negate. That’s why product recalls are in place; to protect us all.

Food product recalls are taken extremely seriously, and may even invoke a trading standards investigation if it’s deemed a consistent risk or hazard. Because of this, the FSA make it clear when a product must be recalled, but why might this occur?

In this article, we’ll be exploring the main reasons why food products are recalled, especially for people with allergies. We’ll then answer some frequently asked questions. Take a look…

Why Do Food Products Get Recalled?

There are a number of potential reasons a food product might be recalled. Whether it’s due to allergens or foreign objects, here are the four most common reasons:

1.    Cross Contamination of Allergens

These days, food manufacturers process a huge array of food within the same factory. This means that certain ingredients may become cross-contaminated, including allergens like:

NutsWheatSoySeedsEggsShellfish

Due to the nature of factories, this sort of contamination is usually unavoidable. Therefore, these allergens must be declared on packaging, or completely recalled if the contamination was accidental or unprecedented.

2.    Incorrect Labels for Allergens and More

Although this shouldn’t happen these days due to strict governmental laws surrounding it, human mistakes happen. Whether it be the mislabelling of ingredients, putting those with allergies at risk, or issues with expiry dates, there’s plenty that could go wrong. There have even been cases where the wrong languages have been printed, making food packaging indecipherable!

It is of paramount importance that mislabelling is rectified as soon as possible to avoid allergic reactions and food poisoning.

A famous example of the mislabelling of food products was the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. This young teenager died after consuming a Pret a Manger baguette containing sesame seeds that weren’t labelled on the product.

After suffering a fatal allergic reaction due to this lack of labelling, Natasha’s Law came into play. This has tightened restrictions on food labelling, protecting allergy sufferers and giving them the confidence to buy food they can enjoy.

3.    Pathogens Getting into the Food

It’s not just those with allergies who may be affected by a potential contaminant. On many occasions, pathogens have been found to contaminate food that has been sent out to supermarkets.

Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella are the most common pathogens to be found in food products. The list of foods that have been recalled in the past due to these outbreaks include:

Uncooked foods, like deli meats and soft cheesePoultry and eggsUndercooked beefUnpasteurised products, like milk, cheese and juicePoultry, eggs, undercooked beef, and unpasteurized milk or juiceRaw fruits and vegetablesRaw or undercooked shellfishHome-canned foods with low-acid content, including asparagus, corn, and green beans4.    Physical Contamination via Non-Food Products

Another way in which people both with and without allergies may be impacted by a food recall could be due to foreign objects in the food. This could include wood, metal, plastic, glass, and insects. It could also include chemical or biological tainting through bodily fluids, but how is this possible?

Well, due to the nature of factories, which are run by machinery and people, accidents happen. Whether it be a broken machine part or human error, anything can happen. That’s why food products are put through X-ray scans, metal detection and filtration, like sieving, before being sent out.

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Recalls

Now you know the reasons why a food product may be recalled, you probably have some questions. Here, we answer the FAQs surrounding food recalls…

How Can I Know if a Food Product Has Been Recalled?

Usually, retailers will notify their customers, via email, social media, or their website, if a product has been recalled. They may even post these notifications in their shop windows or within store.

The most centralised way to find out, however, is through the Food Standard Agency’s website. You can sign up, filter by allergen and choose whether to receive alerts via email, text message of both.

Why Should People with Allergies Comply with Food Recalls?

Food recalls protect the public from injury, illness or even death. As we’ve seen, even if you don’t have an allergy, you may wish to avoid a product that could contain foreign objects, or worse.

What Steps Should I Take if a Food Product Has Been Recalled?

The University of Minnesota has created a step-by-step guide for anyone who has become aware that a product they’ve purchased has been recalled. These steps are:

Check the FSA website for a list of recalled products here: Alerts | Food Standards AgencyCheck your kitchen – and anywhere else you may store food – to see if you have said product.The FSA listing should include the product code and manufacturing information, which you can find on the label to compare with.If it matches, do not consume it, or feed it to your family or animals.Follow the store or manufacturer’s instructions regarding disposal and returning of the product.Remember that not all products will be unsafe. It is only those that are made in that specific factory with a specific code that you need to be concerned over.Stay Alert!

As you can see, it’s important that we all stay up to date with food recall information. This is especially the case if you have an allergy and may be at risk of cross-contamination or mislabelling of food.

FSA and governmental regulations are stricter than ever, which means people with allergens can usually rest easy that they should be safe. The best thing to do in order to quash any concerns is to stay alert for any FSA notifications.

Images:

Photo 1 – Jon Tyson, https://unsplash.com/photos/YbscRIDdimg
Photo 2 – Walter Otto, https://unsplash.com/photos/PT70CT6mATQ
Photo 3 – Marjan Blan, https://unsplash.com/photos/8kt15NpxOYU[JC1] 

Sponsored Content – this is a sponsored post

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I highly recommend that you sign up to receive food recall alerts. These can be sent to you via email or text message and could avoid a bad reaction or even save a life!

Have you ever been caught out? Have you ever had to return anything due to a food allergen recall?

The post 4 Reasons Why Food Products Get Recalled and Why to Comply first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

Shame on you Oatly!

Oatly, the world’s largest oat milk company, has taken Glebe Farm, a Cambridgeshire family farm to court for trade mark infringement over its PureOaty drink. All I have to say is, shame on you Oatly!

We are actually really fortunate with the choice we have at the moment. There are gluten free oats and oat milk (thanks in the UK to Glebe Farm) and lots of other oat milks for consumers to try. They are not all the same and we get to choose our favourites.

So why are Oatly suing PureOaty?

Let’s get to know the two companies first.

Who are Glebe Farm Foods?

Glebe Farm Foods, based in Kings Ripton, Huntingdon, is a long-established oat milling business that began making oat milk with its British farmed oats 18 months ago. And if Oatly get their way they’ll have to try to find another way of describing their oat drink… Gluten Free Grain Drink, Gluten Free Plant Milk, Gluten Free Groats

I heard this from Emma Amoscatto of the Free From Farm House so thanks Emma for raising this to me. I was shocked and very disappointed to hear that Oatly, a huge brand with a worldwide presence, seem to feel threatened by Glebe Farm?

Who are Oatly?

Swedish brand Oatly, which makes a range of vegan dairy alternatives from oats, has seen its UK turnover grow by a staggering 90 percent in one year. The company’s UK turnover in 2018 was £18 million – 89 percent growth from 2017. It is projected to turnover £30 million for 2019. (source: Plant Based News). Oatly we’re also bought out by Blackstone Investment recently, stating, this will not change us! It seems that clean, honest Swedish image is slipping!

Who are Glebe Farm?

Glebe Farm is owned by Rebecca and Philip Rayner, who own and run their family farm in Cambridgeshire. They are the only farm in the UK growing and processing gluten free oats into porridge flakes, oat flour and their delicious gluten free oat drink, PureOaty. They are involved in every step of growing, milling and manufacturing oats, so they know exactly what goes into everything they produce. They are the premier supplier of gluten free oats throughout Europe and supply customers and manufacturers right around the world.

Why are Oatly Suing Glebe Farm?

Oatly claims the brand name and packaging of PureOaty is too similar to its own – Having examined both the brands and packaging I would have to disagree, on so many counts.

Colour – Oatly has many different carton colours, ranging from grey, to blues and browns for their chocolate milk. PureOaty is blue. You can’t patent blue. It’s a different blue to the blue that Oatly uses and has been the same packaging for years.Passing off the brand – Oatly claims Glebe Farm is passing off their brand. It’s not. Oatly is modern and quirky. No offence to PureOaty but it’s just a basic blue carton that has oat milk in it. No clever flannel like Oatly. An old fashioned logo (sorry Glebe Farm – no offence) A picture of a coffee cup – you surely can’t own the rights to anyone using the image of a coffee cup on any plant milk based product? That’s just ridiculous? Coffee is where I use my oat milk the most, it works a dream. These two brands are so different it’s ridiculous to compare them. PureOaty is like RonSeal, it does exactly what it says on the packet. Nothing more It’s just a basic carton of oat milk.Oatly is seeking an injunction to stop the PureOaty brand – Are they really that threatened to have competition? There are lots of oat milk brands in the UK. Are they going to challenge them all? Watch out Alpro, Moma, Minor Figures, Rude Health… you might be next! Using the name Pure Oaty – surely if you’re an oat farm and you want to make oat milk you can use the word oat on your package? How are you supposed to market and explain what it is? Philip Rayner is fighting the claim which he said has “always surprised” the family, PureOaty being simply “a nod to the purity of our product”. I agree, it’s pretty much just an oat drink. PureOaty is a great name.Gluten free claims – Glebe Farm specialise in gluten-free oats. On Oatly’s website, this what they say about their oats: “No, out oats are not gluten free in Europe and Asia. We can guarantee that Oatly products contain less than 100 ppm (mg/kg product) gluten from wheat, rye and barley. This is comparable to products that may be labelled “Very low gluten” and which are allowed to contain max 100 ppm gluten.” For a product to claim gluten free status is must be 20ppm or less gluten. In the US Oatly’s milk is made from certified gluten-free oats and are labelled gluten-free.The PureOaty name puts customers in mind of Oatly – Come on guys! Oats is Oats! You can’t complain about competition using the word oats! Competition is good, it’s fair and you can back off our British oats brand please! I can see that Oatly and Oaty are similar. But what other words can you use to describe an Oat milk? PureGrain? PureGroat? I look at both and I really didn’t notice the similarity, and I certainly wouldn’t pick up PureOaty thinking it as Oatly.The carton’s blue packaging and teacup image also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Swedish brand –Brand – Nope. I’d disagree again. It’s not the same as Oatly at all. It’s just a simple coffee cup image. The font is completely different, being joined up like writing. Oatly’s fonts are blocky, in full caps and very modern. PureOaty is more old fashioned, and to my mind, more like a traditional British oat farm business image. Coffee cup image? I’d say PureOaty is an old fashioned tea cup almost, whereas Oatly has a modern glass image. Oatly’s packaging doesn’t look like a cup to me at all, it’s like a tumbler. There isn’t much comparison and I can’t see why an oat milk can’t depict the most common usage of said oat drink – in a hot drink! Oatly you can’t patent coffee cups!

I am so cross about this. I’m disappointed. I love Oatly, at least I used to. I have Oatgurt in my fridge, Oatly ice cream in my freezer, and both the Whole oat and chocolate milk from Oatly. I have Oatly Cream and Custard. But Oatly, you might have just lost a loyal and passionate customer over this.

And I’m one of those annoying people who will keep telling others.

I think Oatly are bullies. Greedy. Trying to use their status and clout as the bigger brand to push out an already established smaller oat milk brand. As Oatly prepare to establish their own factory here in the UK, this can’t be a coincidence.

You can read more here in this article, Oatly takes Cambridge family to court

What can we do about this?

Not a lot sadly. This is now in the lap of the courts! However there is something we can do. We can push back to Oatly and let them know we are not happy. In my view there is room for all the oat milk brands we have.

We can also show Glebe Farm some support. They sell their milk in Coop, Holland & Barrett and have an Amazon store. I’ve just bought some as I needed milk anyway. Check out Pure Oaty here: Glebe Farm, Gluten-Free Oat Drink – 10 x 1 Liter, Dairy-Free, Vegan, No Added Sugar

Oatly, you need to win me back to get me to buy your milk again. I do not like injustice. I do not like bullies.

A response from Oatly

I contacted Oatly on Instagram and this is their response:

“We prioritise sustainability and the health of our planet and we exist to lead the plant-based movement to fight climate change.
However, we’re still a company and therefore protecting our intellectual property is something completely separate to this. And it’s something we’ve always done, it isn’t a new practice for us (or any other company for that matter).”

“Oatly is the original inventor of oat drink so others look to us for inspo which we’re so proud of. More plant based = less climate impact.
But, at times it may get taken a bit too far, and when this happens lawyers step in and thanks to an impartial legal system things get decided on a case-by-case basis. Frustratingly, we’re not able to go into any more detail than this as the case is ongoing…. So, for now, we wish you all the best.
Love, Oatly”

The only people taking anything a bit too far is YOU Oatly! You! Love Ruth xxx

The FreeFrom community unusually sticks together. We have amazing awards, supportive brands and great awareness and networking. This behaviour from Oatly, attacking a competitor is out of order!

But I do love my Oat milk. So I’ll be doing a review of PureOaty soon. I’ve just ordered some from their Amazon store and they also supply Holland and Barrett and Coop so keep your eyes peeled! It’s very distinctive packaging and as you can see, nothing like Oatly! No one could ever get the two confused! Check out Pure Oaty here: Glebe Farm, Gluten-Free Oat Drink – 10 x 1 Liter, Dairy-Free, Vegan, No Added Sugar

What do you think about this? Are you as angry as I am? Are you disappointed in Oatly? Or do you think they have a case?

The post Shame on you Oatly! first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

My day at a Mock Food Allergen Trial

I attended a real Food Allergen Trial in 2020 after a restaurant served me a meal containing milk, despite me checking over ten times that it was dairy free. I ended up in intensive care and they ended up with a fine of £23,000. I was fortunate enough to attend the court hearing, along with my Trading Standards representative and Hazel Gowland who was an amazing support to have with me.

I was invited to read out my Personal Witness Statement to the court which was a very emotional experience but I’m so glad I did it.

Food Allergy Mock Trial – Setting the scene

So when Caroline Benjamin asked if I’d take part in this Mock Trial I was intrigued to see how it would be done and really excited to be involved. It was an honour to be asked and a privilege to still be here to tell the tale and read out my own Personal Witness Statement again.

You can hear me reading out my own Personal Witness Statement at the end of my presentation below.

You can read about the the Artichoke pub allergen incident in this article, “Artichoke pub in Croxley Green fined after woman had allergic reaction.”

After my presentation, which was the first session of the day, the court proceedings for the Mock Food Trial began. They had a real judge, real barristers and an actor playing the defendant. It was brilliant to see how much detail they all went into to delve into the fake case of an allergen food accident leading to a customer eating a meal containing nuts.

From the lack of training, the poor stock control, failed communication between the owner and his staff and the customer to poor cleanliness and a perfect storm was just waiting to happen when the owner was not at the restaurant one day.

Obviously the case was fictional but it was so realistic. Having sat in court for hours myself it was so close to my own experience. With the barristers fishing about in huge piles of documents, looking for the file they know is in there somewhere, to the ramblings and seemingly meandering process taken to get to the crux of the incident.

The jury decides

The jury was us! The delegates and speakers. We all got together in different jury groups and analysed the evidence to decide what the outcome should be. It was a real insight into the whole process and it was fascinating to see how everyone felt, their views on the sentencing and the crimes in question.

The judge was absolutely brilliant, especially considering he stepped in at the last moment. His summing up was so clear, concise and laser sharp with his sentencing.

Speakers included:

Other speakers included:

Hazel Gowland from Allergy Action – Talking about lessons learnt from previous casesArvind Thandi from the Food Standards Agency – Explaining Natasha’s LawCressida Langlands from the Free From Food Awards – Explained the Free From market and where we are todayDamian Houghton of Centre Parcs – Showing how catering can be inclusive (I’ve been there for a work function and they are brilliant at allergen catering)Caroline Benjamin of Food Allergy Aware – Challenged the delegates to log Near Misses and Incidents so we can all learn from mistakes and successes.Robert Kitchen from Nando’s – Shared how they keep allergic customers safe

The day ended with a Q&A Panel session with all the speakers present, and my only comment would be that it would have been good to have longer for questions at the end.

You can find the full details for the event here: Food Allergy Prosecution Mock Trial – Sentencing Hearing.

If you get the chance to attend one of these events in the future, do it. I highly recommend it, the whole process is fascinating and the speakers and subjects were the perfect follow on from the the complexities of the morning’s trial.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What I think this case, and my own three experiences above .highlights, is that the two main contributing factors to most incidents are lack of training and poor communication due to ineffective processes.

We need laws that mean food service establishments must be training in food allergen hygiene
We need the current Food Hygiene training to be far better at teaching allergen regulations, cross contamination etc.
We need better awareness about the seriousness of anaphylaxis, allergies and food intolerances
We need mandatory reporting of incidents, near misses and lessons

Do you report incidents? When you know you’ve had a meal containing an allergen? or when you’ve been glutened?

The post My day at a Mock Food Allergen Trial first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

I won the Free From Hero Award 2021

Last week I was voted Free From Hero Award for 2021, sponsored by Natasha’s Allergy Research Foundation, at the Free From Food Awards. I was completely bowled over.

I still am.

I’ve not really been on my social media channels or commented on it since the Awards. I kind of lost my marbles!

Then had my niece to stay and just had a very well earned break from work, social media and everything.

Having caused a Twitter uproar with my “Coeliacs and Vegans can shut up” blog I certainly wasn’t feeling like a hero! But as my lovely friend Rebecca said on the night, I went from zero to hero! In one second, and I was completely not expecting it.

You can imagine me cringing when I arrived at my virtual table for the awards to find quite a few coeliacs! Days after I’d just told them all to shut up on social media!

Not my best planning but they enjoyed teasing me.

I deserved it to be honest but it was a lovely evening. Everyone on my table was lovely and I explored other networking groups on the night too.

So well organised, and not the same as being in London with everyone and sampling all the winning foods, but they were so well presented, organised and professional.

I had a wonderful night but hope we can get back to normal next year! Come on 2022!

Luckily the awards were recorded so you can watch the awards here:

I had made loads of notes of all my favourite winners but becoming a hero has emptied my mind! That will come later in a future blog post.

Skip to 38.45 to watch the Hero Award and the special award that went to Elijah’s Alavi Foundation who have campaigned to pass Elija’s Law in New York to help protect children with anaphylaxis at day care centres.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t listening properly and thought at first that the Elijah Alavi Foundation had won the whole Hero Award, not just a special part of it.

You can see me watching the award being announce here, but be warned, it’s an amateur video with lots of feedback https://www.instagram.com/tv/CPZJMGHn-aZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

You can also see all the Free From Food Awards winners 2021 here.

It was very weird being alone at home watching the awards. Even with all the online networking and group hangouts, I kept getting lost in space and it was a little lonely, having found out I’d won and then being alone, at home with no one to celebrate with. So bless you Cressida for organising an after party.

Free From Food Awards 2021 – The After Party!Why am I a hero?

It’s really hard to me to accept this award has actually happened because I was so convinced one of the others would win. It is slowly sinking in, but I’m still so totally overwhelmed. I can’t thank everyone who nominated me enough. It’s such an honour and really unexpected.

I recently took a psychometric test and it came back saying that I was an Advocate, it’s the rarest type of personality you can have and covers a mere 1% of the population. It would appear I’m a one off! I began to accept and understand that I had a ‘calling’ in life, recently. It’s what makes me happy, since I was a small child I’ve been the peace keeper, smoothing over conflicts and seeking out those who need help.

Read more about the Advocate personality type here, and take the test to find out what personality type you are!

Many people have allergies but not all of them stand up, raise awareness, fight for change and go out of their way to help others. For me it’s just normal. I have to. I have a lot of empathy and I can’t just sit back and let life pass me by.

So the blog was born some 12 years ago and then my book came nearly a year ago. If you’ve not read it yet, check out The Reluctant Allergy Expert – How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you which is available on Amazon.

I have so many heroes of my own, including the other finalists for this award.

Emma Amoscato – Author of two books, ‘Living with Allergies’ and ‘You, me and Food Allergies’, a book especially for children, Emma is breaking boundaries in the allergy world. Emma is also Mum to two kids with multiple food allergies and is now studying so that she can further people struggling with the stress, anxiety and fear of allergies. I’m also proud to call Emma a friend. She is a clever, kind, funny, wonderful person and a very worthy contender for this award. We have enjoyed coffee, wine, many chats and hope we can catch up IRL soon! Daniel Kelly from May Contain – a blogger, podcaster of the brilliant May Contain podcast and sharing great content on Instagram. Dan appeals to young adults, the age group most at risk of anaphylactic reactions. He’s also one of the few men who are raising awareness for allergies. He’s a great guy, talented, creative and really creates interest in his social media. Having met Dan many times and joined him on his podcast, I wish him well, he will go far and he is doing amazing things to raise awareness. Julianne Ponan of Creative Nature – This woman has done so much and is so young. She founded and created her freefrom food company Creative Nature which provides chocolate, snacks, mixes, bread and more that are all freefrom the top 14. She’s also a great advocate, working with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, listed as one of the Forbes companies to watch and is always pushing the boundaries, creating new products and raising awareness. We met while filming Food Unwrapped and when I realised I’d met the woman who created Gnawbles, I was smitten! I love Julianne. Chef Akila – I had never heard of Chef Akila before these awards but what she’s doing is amazing. Since Indian takeaways are an impossibility and distant allergy reaction filled memory for me, the idea that I could order curries online was mind blowing. You should check out her website. She was born in a South Indian village in 1945. My father practiced ancient Ayurvedic medicine and believed that food is medicine. He taught us the benefits of spices, herbs and real, wholesome Indian food. She now creates real Indian food that is freefrom allergens. I’m definitely going to be checking out her food soon. Who wants to come over for Indian? I’ve got my eye on a Goan Chicken Curry!

These, and all of the people who share their stories, journey, tips and advice on social media are all heroes. It is an amazing community and I’m proud to be part of it.

Previous Heroes

To be standing now next to these amazing people is such an honour. I feel truly humbled and overwhelmed. They are all inspirational and still doing amazing things for people living with allergies:

2020 – Natasha’s Allergy Research Foundation – Having met the both Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse and followed their heart-breaking journey and the amazing things they’ve achieved already in such a short time, it was no surprise when they won last year. Natasha’s Law comes into operation in October 2021, meaning all food prepared on a premises for sale, such as sandwiches and salads, must contain allergen labelling.2019 – Hazel Gowland – Allergy Action – Hazel is an inspiration. She works with the Anaphylaxis Campaign and also provides Food Allergen training for food service establishments. She also has nut allergies, and yes she’s allergic to hazelnuts. I’m proud to call Hazel a good friend and and know first hand what a kind person she is. She accompanied to to court when I read out my personal witness statement a few years ago and her presence was so helpful and much needed. She’s kind of my allergy mum!2018 – Jacqueline McPeake of JACS Ltd – Specialising in allergen management, Advice and consultancy on food allergen and intolerance management in the catering industry. I feel like I know Jacqui but on a recent zoom call it turns out we’ve never met! Weird how social media can make you feel really close to some people. Jacqui is now working Caroline Benjamin, joining forces to provide their food allergen training across the UK. If you don’t follow Jacqui on Linkedin, you should, her posts are always thought provoking and informative and she always sparks great interaction and debate.2017 – Clare Marriage of Doves Farm – The first gluten free flour to really do the trick and still available across all supermarkets and health food shops. You can rely on this flour to work with any freefrom recipe you use. I remember mixing my own wheat free flour from tapioca starch, rice flour and potato flour and it was quite an effort, to buy all three in bulk and then mix into the right quantities to work with recipes. Anyone remember Barbara the Bread? I used to buy my flour from her and mix my own and it wasn’t easy. So Clare truly changed how we bake our freefrom cakes and cookies now.

Thank you to all the previous winners! All Heroes! Check them out here – Free From Hero Award Winners

So what next?

I have so many plans and ideas. There will be more blogs about allergies, anaphylaxis and also eczema and topical steroid withdrawal. But I have so much I want to do. So many things I’d love to see happen, that are really needed.

Short stories – A book of short stories for people with allergies and eczemaTherapy – Tailored Clinical Psychology therapy for people with anaphylaxisRants – Definitely more rants like my recent Coeliacs and Vegans should shut up! I learnt a lot from that and made some new connections. Watch out for some more thought provoking blogs soon!What about some allergy poems? To follow on from my eczema poetry book, there are some allergy ones brewing. It’s such a healing exercise and really allows me to tap into thoughts, feelings, memories and challenges in a way that can relate and connect with others. There is already a second book of eczema poems on the way.Retreats – with yoga, healthy cooking, meditation

And so, so, so much more! My brain is buzzing with ideas.

And since the Awards my inbox is buzzing with companies looking to work with me. Things are happening and I thought they were happening before!

Other Awards blogs

Winners of Best Product, Sheese vegan cheese have blogged here: Bute Island grabs best product in 2021 Free From Food Awards. And if you’ve not tried it, you need to – it’s so good! I nabbed the end of a pack after judging

As my skin heals (TSW journey for another blog on another day) I have so much more energy so watch out!

Who is your allergy hero?

The post I won the Free From Hero Award 2021 first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

My favourite Free From Awards finds 2021

It’s an honour to judge the Free From Food Awards and I love doing it every year.

I think I’ve been doing it now for about ten years which seems incredible to imagine.

Things were a little different this year with some judging panels conducted over zoom, for the Packaging and Labelling Category. Two huge boxes to navigate with judges notes to complete, all conducted via zoom! It was great fun and really worked well.

We were also able to do some judging face-to-face with the clever perspex screens that were bought in especially to keep all the judges safe.

Masks on if you left the table and windows open to improve ventilation, here I am with my warm scarf, ready to start judging.

The Free From Food Awards have come such a long way in that time and this year, once again, I discovered some truly amazing new favourites.

Here are my Top 10 Free From finds from 2012, in no particular order:

Saintly Foods – Apple Pie Saintly Foods – Vegan pies – These were amazing! I got to try the Apple pie and and the Blackberry and Apple Crumble desserts and everything about these pies was special, from the clever eco friendly cardboard packaging to the beautiful look of them, the quality of the pastry and the delicious taste. They do contain spelt flour and almonds though so will not be good for everyone. Made for Drink Chorizo Thins – The ultimate accompaniment for a large glass of Rioja. Sadly the Free From Food Awards judging session failed to provide the wine! But these snacks were divine. They are free from all of the Top 14 allergens. The Thins are simply sliced and slow-roasted chorizo picante, made from: Duroc pork shoulder, Duroc pork belly, hot paprika de la Vera, salt and garlic. Absolutely yummers. I also loved that these were in plastic free and carbon neutral packaging. Shore seaweed crisps – These were delicious! Really tasty and nutritious! I loved them. They do contain pea so if you’re allergic to legumes, watch out. Check out their website for full ingredients. Breakin’Bread – thin seed crackers were amazing. Really simple ingredients and a delightfully crunchy bite. Packed with healthy seeds and really very tasty. I managed to snaffle a few leftovers from an opened packet at the end of judging to take home. The perks of being FFFA judge x Belly Goodness sauces – I discovered this product while judging their packaging and labelling but I was immediately excited to find a Nomato sauce because tomatoes are a real problem for me. They make me so itchy. I don’t think it’s an allergy but I am very irritated if I eat even a small amount. I rushed out to buy some and was not disappointed. It’s fantastic flavour and works great with pasta. Ingredients: Water, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Red Peppers, Beetroot Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Grape Vinegar, Cooked Grape Must, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Sea Salt, Oregano, Black Pepper. I really can’t recommend their sauces enough. They also do freefrom white sauce, curry sauce and more! Check out their website to find out more. VALA Energy – As a runner this product also really appealed. Again this was in the product labelling category and I couldn’t wait to try the product out. Having lots of allergies, most energy gels are not good for me. Of if they are OK they’re so sweet, sickly and artificial that I can’t bear to eat them. These date based healthy energy gels are not only really delicious but also really easy to use. The pouch rips open easily and the gel is dispensed in a controlled way so you don’t end up with it all over yourself. I am not a happy customer and love this product for long runs. Especially since finding food on the go isn’t easy, these tiny pouches can go in my pocket and fill me up will I get home. Herbfetti – FODMAP friendly seasoning – You can buy this direct from Sarah, a Scottish FODMAP blogger who also shares recipes online. Sarah has IBS and her recipes are brilliant! I’ve been adding Herbfetti to everything, from seasoning chicken, sweet potato and stir fries to soups and stews. Calvin’s Free From Coconut bread – Since discovering this bread I’m now a regular customer. This is the kind of product I love. It’s so simple with just five ingredients and it’s also freefrom the top 14 allergens. Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Flour* (20%), Organic Coconut Oil*, Psyllium Husks*, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and a pinch of Salt. Gnawbles from Creative Nature – If you’ve not tried these before, where have you been? Gnawbles come in many flavours buy my favourite has to be the Hazlenot flavour – they’re like a cross between Maltesers and a Fererro Rocher. Seriously delicious. I’m addicted. Seriously addicted. I can’t share. They’re so good. If you want to try them you can get 10% off at checkout with my promo code: WHATALLERGY10 Guns Brewery – Chummy Bluster beer – My tasting notes say, “Smokey aroma and taste. Smells like trees and oak.” I love real ale, but with my wheat allergy I do need to be careful which beers I drink, and this one did not disappoint. Although I have to say, the standard of gluten free beers entered was really high. I loved them all. But Guns were my favourite.Breaking Bread – Thin Seed Crackers

Click here for more information on the Free From Food Awards Winners.

The Awards party took place last night and all the winners will be available on the Free From Food Awards shortly.

Coming up soon, more on the incredible news that I was voted Free From Hero for 2021! I’m still processing this, I can’t quite believe it… and I can’t keep up with all the messages and congratulations. Thank you everyone! My next blog will be about what this means to me and my life’s passion and calling to help the allergy community.

Stay safe and stay special. You are all super heroes.

The post My favourite Free From Awards finds 2021 first appeared on What Allergy Blog.

Coeliacs and Vegans have it easy

At the risk of alienating half my audience and many close friends… this is a rant that has been boiling for a while.

I’d like to say firstly that I love you all very much… I’m just venting some frustration. All of my vegan and coeliac friends are amazingly accommodating of me and my allergies, probably because they understand what it’s like having limited choice and also because all my friends are just all round lovely empathetic people.

But when I hear Coeliacs complaining that they can only get gluten free chocolate brownies in coffee shops… it makes me a little bit jealous. The old ‘fruit is not a pudding’ line, expecting something better, has me feeling green with envy. Because I think the only pudding I really trust when I eat out is plain fruit salad. But you know those awful tinned fruit puddings you get sometimes… guys you can do better! #fruitisnotapudding

When I hear vegans protesting that there isn’t much choice on menus… I roll my eyes. I’m saying this tongue in cheek because I know how hard it can be to get taken seriously. However things have got so much better in the last few years. Most menus now do have at least one vegan option, which is great.

But since having my last two life threatening allergic reactions, I find I now have very low expectations.

My only hope when I eat out is that I will not die.

That fear is very real and I’ve learnt to keep it under control over the years. But it’s there to keep my safe, because I have faced death more times than I’d like to mention. Having an anaphylactic reaction feels like you are dying. The feeling of impending doom is a strong symptom for me, because the body is fighting. Fighting against itself and it does not want to die either, but the reactions are all messed up.

So just don’t kill me. Seriously, my expectations are that low.

If you give me a packet of crisps and an apple and tell me you don’t think your kitchen is safe, that’s fine with me. I mean it’s disappointing, but I’ve grown up with disappointment. I’m used to having a plain meal, no pudding, only one thing that’s safe on the menu.

If I get the blandest meal imaginable and leave alive and without an allergic reaction – that’s a successful meal out. For me, eating out is more about the company, the living, the laughs and the experience. The food aspect gives me so much anxiety.

If you can only offer me one option, and that’s plain, no sauce, no potato, missing items from what should be included as they’re not safe… yup… I’ll pay the full price, (which is often what happens anyway), to guarantee a safe meal.

If a cafe is OK with me bringing in my own cake, that’s a win.

If I’m allowed to bring in my own gravy, I’m happy.

If you have nothing safe but will let me join friends and bring in my own food, thank you.

Because all I need from you is honestly. Don’t guess. Don’t assume. Check and tell me if you think anything is not safe. It could be my life, of someone else’s life on the line if you’re wrong.

It could be a coeliac in pain, recovering from being glutened for weeks. And who knows what the long term effect is for a Coeliac of many exposures like this? Restaurants may not see this as so serious but it affects the intestines so badly that vitamins cannot be absorbed. If undiagnosed Coeliac disease can kill and many do not have the symptoms we all assume are present so damage is being done and they don’t feel ill.

Look what happens with just a little thought and kindness

If staff will enter into any conversation with me to discuss what’s safe, what’s not, what I like, what can be adapted… I’m already buzzing and chuffed that someone cares.

Because quite often, they don’t. I am getting turned away more often lately. Just today I phoned Nando’s in London to check about booking and discuss my allergies. It was an automated message declaring that they can’t cater for allergen requests for click and collect. We may not go there now, despite them being so great for me in the past.

And I hear so many times, ‘We cannot guarantee, our kitchen contains x,y,z allergy… eat here at your own risk…’

When I get a starter, main and pudding that is not just a plain salad, steak and fruit salad… you’ll get Trip Advisor reviews, Facebook checkins and Instagram posts from me over the moon. This applies to other people living with allergies too. If your kitchen has gone the extra mile, I’ll be so thrilled.

You might even get a good review anyway for mediocre service, especially if I have a nice safe meal. Because every meal out is an achievement in staying alive. In living life as normally as I can.

But if you go above and beyond.

If you create a tasty, well seasoned and nutritionally balanced dish… I’ll be sending my compliments to the kitchen and tipping your staff.

You’ll also get a raving fan, a return visitor and a customer for as long as you continue to value me as a human and cater for my allergies. And I come with lots of friends, so that’s more money for you!

I live daily with a very real, very raw and still very insistent fear of dying. A lack of trust. A gnawing fear.

That maybe, today, this risk, this meal out, this time will be my last.

And I have SO MUCH LEFT TO DO ON THIS EARTH!

I am so alive it hurts.

So next time you complain that your choices are limited.

Remember this.

Vegans – I completely respect and try to emanate your life choices, but they are just that. Choices. If you are served a meal cross contaminated or containing animal products, maybe you won’t even know. You won’t get ill and you don’t live daily in fear for your life.

Coeliacs – I get it. This is not a choice. The only solutions for CD is to avoid gluten forever. But there is so much choice now with gluten free menus, GF products in supermarkets. Please be grateful. Be vigilant and I know many of you do get glutened regularly because cross contamination is a real problem… But with careful planning and avoiding gluten, your life is not at such imminent risk. You won’t die from being glutened. However having spoken to many of you after the first draft of this blog post I realise that there is real fear amongst the Coeliac community too and also many other potential problems, from infertility to diabetes and cancer. No one wants to be made ill by cross contamination. But for me, the ultimate outcome of being ‘allergied’ is potentially death and let me tell you, anaphylaxis is fast and furious when it happens.

So that’s why, when I hear people complain about a lack of options, I get cross.

I would give anything to just have to avoid gluten. I guess I’m saying I’m a bit jealous and see life as being much easier only having to avoid gluten. But many coeliacs don’t have to avoid gluten, they also struggle with dairy… and other allergies too.

I’m not trying to play allergy top trumps, or compare who has it worse. I’m just taking a lens to how I live my life. In daily fear of death. Sometimes my anxiety goes onto such an alert I get panic attacks.

I would love to be able to try being vegan, but plant based diets would be so limiting for me with my already limited diet, including an allergy to nuts, soya and tomatoes – the basis of a lot of vegan meals.

And so much shame…

Finally, it’s taken me years to develop confidence in my allergies. I now feel that I have control of my life and my allergies do not define me or shape me, but they do affect how I live my life. In the past I’ve always felt embarrassed and ashamed to speak up, because you can see on people’s faces what they think.

It’s in the eye roll. It’s in the sighs. It’s in the fake smile that doesn’t reach their eyes.

It’s in the things they say. “Just a bit’s OK though?, Can you take an antihistamine? It should be OK for you. We can’t guarantee…”

“Shall I check?” erm yes please.

A lifetime of feeling smaller. Of hiding and limiting my life.

Of feeling like I need to beg people to take me seriously. It’s exhausting.

I don’t think Vegans feel like this. I have many friends who are vegan and they, quite rightly, feel proud of their status and their values and beliefs, the reasons they follow a vegan diet do define them. They certainly don’t ever feel any shame, embarrassment or limiting beliefs. On the contrary. They want the world to know. They are fuelled by their passion.

Sadly I suspect coeliacs also get the eye rolls and confusion as this is also a greatly misunderstood condition. And having now heard from so many of you since writing this, it would appear that GF cross contamination and not being taken seriously applies to us all.

When I ask for an allergy menu I often just get the Gluten free menu. This has 3 impacts for me.

If a restaurant is thinking about things being gluten free, the chances are they will take other allergies seriously too or at least have thought about catering for special diets.With a wheat allergy myself this is at least part way helpful as I now only need to discuss nuts, dairy and soya.Gluten itself isn’t what we mean when we ask for an allergen menu. so often it feels like staff are not listening. They hear nut allergy and think gluten. That’s worrying. I hear from coeliacs that they often get a vegan menu… so it appears to work both ways. Waiting staff either only have one menu to give you and it’s Gluten free or Vegan or they’re not really listening or understanding. Either way it’s a tricky situation to navigate, trying to understand where you stand and potentially how safe you will be.

But I don’t think being Coeliac is looked upon with quite so much distrust as allergies. I don’t think the coeliacs I know ever feel ashamed. They definitely feel misunderstood and frustrated as not everyone knows what it is – an autoimmune disease. But I feel like Coeliacs really own it. They’re protective, they’re passionate and they’re bold about asking for what they need.

But for us allergy folk, people think we’re faking it. Making up our allergies. They think we just don’t like certain foods. They think it’s a fad, a lifestyle choice, a dietary phase we are going through. I think we are far more timid, ashamed and embarrassed. I don’t know why but it always feel like a weakness, like it’s my fault. Tha’ts entirely my fault and my take on this.

Despite deaths from allergies now getting widely reported on the news, people still don’t understand how serious anaphylaxis is.

So what I’m trying to say is. Please be grateful for what you have. Because I am so grateful for even the smallest things.

I actually do quite like fruit salad as a pudding… She lies… she lies… #fruitisnotapudding

And please, if you don’t have an allergy, stop saying you do! Just be honest. Say you have IBS, or an intolerance, or follow a fodmap diet, or find too much gluten bloats your belly. All chefs want you to enjoy their cooking, so they’ll know how to advise you and what to give you to keep you well. Just own your choices and your situation. Be honest and open and talk clearly. If you don’t have an allergy you don’t get to use that word!

By saying you have an allergy you just cloud the already muddy waters, especially when you’re spotted eating some cheese or ordering a pudding as a treat. Don’t make the kitchen clean down an area, take extreme precautions or prepare a special dish when it’s not necessary.

I’ve heard from coeliacs that people often do this too, say they are coeliac, order a gluten free meal and then have a beer or a bit of bread. They either aren’t coeliac, or are a coeliac taking risks. Either way they put the rest of their community in danger because see this behaviour and assume that it’s ok for all coeliacs to have a bit of gluten, and it’s not!

Because you make life so much harder for those of us living daily with the fear that this might be our last.

If you loved reading this blog, you’ll also love Should people with Coeliac disease really shut up? By Sarah, The Gluten Free Blogger. It’s brilliant, funny, thoughtful and actually did make me realise I shouldn’t compare Coeliacs with Vegans, because we all face many of the similar challenges.

I’ve left the heading as it is so that all the comment still make sense. It has started of a very interesting, heated and important debate. Let’s keep talking. And in future I’ll find kinder and more constructive ways of making my point.

Together we are stronger. And THIS is exactly why I wrote this blog. To spark debate, to make people stop and think, to raise my head above the rest, to shout. Oi! You! And it did make people read it. The headline was sensational, it was spunky and shouty but it got people reading.

I’d love to know your thoughts.

The post Coeliacs and Vegans have it easy first appeared on What Allergy Blog.