The Super Allergy Girl Blog

Death by the US Healthcare System - What you know could save your life

Sometimes it's who you know that matters while other times it is what you know that makes all the difference in life. I have long been an advocate of educated consumers when it comes to health care. Why? Because educated consumers more often than not produce the best health care results. To make my point crystal clear, let's look at what causes deaths in the U.S. from a variety of sources. One well-referenced document that has been circulating on the Internet for almost a decade states, in part, that the number of yearly deaths in the US is 783,936; those deaths being from adverse drug reactions, medical error, bedsores, infection, malnutrition, outpatients, unnecessary procedures and surgery related. This, by any measure, is a conservative estimate in my humble opinion. 

My humble opinion, by the way, includes a number of years when I was employed as a pharmaceutical representative for the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world (20th largest in the US at at that time). I can tell you in earnest that most doctors then had no idea where or how to report an adverse reaction from a drug. Self-disclosure: I work with doctors now in a professional capacity and I love them! They work hard and are mostly really, really good people working in a frustrating environment. But I digress. 

Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, Martin Feldman, MD, Debora Rasio, MD, and Dorothy Smith PhD are the authors of one paper that I believe was called "Death by Medicine" that outlines the death statistics in great detail, which I originally read back in 2004 or so. You can read their paper all over the internet in full or in part. Here is one link to what I believe is the full paper:

http://www.whale.to/a/null9.html

You can also find parts or perhaps all of the paper on the Mercola.com website:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/07/healthcare-death-part-one.aspx

Using the figure of 783,936 annual deaths divided by 365 days equals over 2,147 deaths per day! If these people were loaded onto airplanes at 250 people per plane that would equal 8.5 large airplanes crashing every single day! We are riveted by a plane crash because thankfully they don't happen very often at all. But people die every day in this country by the plane load and we are not in an uproar. Why is that? Well, I'd rather not focus on the why, but what this means to the average US consumer. What this means to the average US consumer is the better educated you are - the better your results.

The more you know the better decisions you can make. Today, more than ever, consumers are looking for natural and non-toxic treatments and therapies. The average consumer is getting savvy to alternative ways to improve their health and well-being. Your involvement in understanding your own (or your child's) health problem could save your life or your child's life. I AM living proof of this. My daughter would not be alive today if not for my involvement, my education, my willingness to get a second opinion with my husband's support and help - of course! Now, how can I help you be a better consumer of health and the health care system? 

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

 

Gluten-Free and Allergy Free Special Baking Pans

One of the questions that I frequently receive from customers is what pans to use and what pans are available as well as where to get them! This post will be all about the specialty baking pans. We have many different special baking pans that we use for our gluten-free and allergy free baking. I did not acquire them overnight, so one of the things that I recommend to gluten-free and allergy free bakers is to put some of these special baking pans on your birthday wish list, your Mother's Day gift wish list or any other gift-giving holiday like Christmas. I even put together a YouTube video showing the special baking pans that we use.

Here is a link to the YouTube Video:

Lisa A. Lundy YouTube Video on Baking Pans

Some of the gluten-free and allergy free baking pans we use include: a french loaf pan, mini-donut pan, mini muffin tins, mini-bundt cake pans, hot dog and hamburger bun pans, a bread stick pan, jellyroll pan, and a whoopie pie pan. I have acquired these pans over time using gift-giving occasions to pick up a pan here an there. I have picked up some of the specialty baking items - like the English muffin rings and specially shaped cake pans - at garage sales, so don't forget that as a budget friendly way to pick up great baking pans for your gluten-free and allergy free baking.

I have purchased some pans on-line, some at specialty stores, and some at garage sales. Of all of the pans that I have, the most used are the hot dog and hamburger bun pans, the mini-donut pans, the mini-muffin tins, and the french loaf pan. Years ago, I used the bread stick pan every day, but I rarely use that these days. Of course I have not listed the simple, standard baking sheet, which I imagine every kitchen is equipped with. I do use those a lot along with a cooling rack.

I try to avoid non-stick finishes on my pans or aluminum. But sometimes those surfaces are the only surfaces available. I consider these pans a very good investment. I have had some of the pans for 12 years! Chicago Metallic is one of the places that carries specialty baking pans, however you need to understand that they also carry commercial baking pans, which will not fit in a standard consumer oven. Therefore, buyer beware to make sure that the dimensions of any pan you are considering purchasing will fit in your oven - that they are not made for commercial or industrial ovens. I did hear from one customer that she missed the boat on this and purchased a pan that would not fit in her oven!

Specialty baking pans for gluten-free, allergy free and special diet needs are a real blessing because they can give your homemade baked goods look profressional! What are your favorite baking pans! Let me know! I'm always on the look!

Happy Baking!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

10 Easy Ways To Improve Your Health

Yes, there are easy ways to improve your health and I'm going to give you 10 Easy Ways to Improve your health, which are based on both research and experience. We could subtitle this How to Be Healthy in Today's World. Here we go:

10 Easy Ways To Improve Your Health

1. Get enough Sleep and quality Sleep

Oh I can hear the moans and groans on this one! Yes, I know it is hard to balance work, family, activities, and all the demands of modern day life! I completely get it! I am a working mother, who home schools my children - so I really do get it. The only time your body has to repair itself is while you are sleeping. So, perhaps getting a bit more organized might help (yes, I AM really organized), maybe you have to say no to some events or maybe you have to engage your children in helping more around the house with chores, meal preparation, etc. It is hard to tell what you might have to do to get more sleep, but if you were really committed - it would happen.

2. Eat more Fruits and Vegetables

It is easier than you think. It's the thought of it that is daunting for many people. Your body runs on nutrition. Junk food, while it may satisfy cravings, does not provide your body with fuel. Junk food or food that is low in nutrition provides "empty calories" - not valuable fuel. Today more food manufacturers are making it easier and easier to increase your nutrition by adding vegetables to pasta sauce and the like and by making juices that taste great while containing a full serving of one fruit and one vegetable! 

3. Reduce the Chemicals Your Body is Exposed To  

The next time you spritz your body with perfume or cologne, think about this fact - 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances are derived from petroleum and are neurotoxic.* One in five people experience health problems when exposed to fragrance. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (1991), some of the toxic chemicals in perfume include: acetone, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, ethanol ethyl acetate, linalool, methylene chloride and a-terpineol. Personal care products applied to any portion of the skin can and do contain toxins that your body absorbs. This is a really easy way to boost your health and you'll save money!

4. Find Ways to Reduce Your Stress

Stress is known to contribute to a variety of health issues and problems. I know it is easier said than done, but you can find ways to reduce your stress. Part of stress is how you look at life. Consider what you can do to reduce or eliminate stress for the long haul and you will reap substantial health benefits.

5. Increase your Sense of Community

People who have strong personal ties to others often experience a greater sense of happiness, belonging, contentment and community. If you are "on your own", alone, single or for whatever reason don't have a sense of having a solid group of friends, relatives or neighbors to socialize with - there has never been a better time to start! This is one of the dramatic changes in the last few decades. People feel disconnected, not related and alone. Boost your health by joining groups or creating new friends.

6. Take a Walk

Taking a brisk or even slow walk will boost your health for several reasons. Many people don't consider walking to be exercise, but it sure counts as exercise. Walking is easy on the body and can be very enjoyable in good weather. Take a friend or family member and you'll double your pleasure!

7. Reduce Your Sugar Intake

With the high rates of obesity, diabetes and cancer - reducing the amount of sugar you consume will only contribute to your overall health. When I say reduce your sugar intake, I am not by the way recommending the chemical sugars that come in little colored packets. A natural alternative if you want to cut sugar but not the sweetness is to use Stevia, which is a root plant that is very potent and now sold in some grocery stores. Cancer feeds on sugar. Reducing your sugar intake will help you more than you realize.

8. Drink Filtered Water and more of it

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some bottled water is nothing more than tap water and much of the bottled water is unregulated. A better alternative to bottled or tap water is to use a filtering system - reverse osmosis or pitcher like the Brita® Pitcher - to remove a variety of things.

9. Green Your Cleaning Products

Use up your toxic house cleaning chemicals and start using easy and non-toxic cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar, Borax and Washing Soda. Removing toxic cleaning chemical will definitely help improve your health.

10. Eat Organic Foods

Organic foods do not contain pesticides, herbicides, and a host of other chemicals. When you eat foods that contain pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals - your body has to do the work to remove them from your body. Don't kid yourself on this. Lots more could be said on this, but it is an easy way to improve your health!

These are, in my humble opinion, easy ways to improve your health! I'd love to hear your comments!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

Gluten-free and Allergen-Free: Luke's Hawaiian Stir-Fry

Yesterday I posted on my facebook wall that my 15-year old son was making dinner and that I was reaping the benefits of getting my children in the kitchen at early ages and teaching them to cook and bake. Yes, all you moms of young children or the not-so-young children - there are definite perks to all for getting your children in the kitchen and helping them to learn to cook and bake! This, of course, I learned from my own mom! Thanks Mom! The request then came for the recipe, so here is Luke's Hawaiian Stir-Fry. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and is allergen-free (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat) with soy being the only allergen included, which could be deleted.

Luke's Hawaiian Stir-Fry

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons of acceptable thickener (cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, etc.)

1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce

1 cup of orange juice

1 cup of broth

1 teaspoon dried ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon of cooking sherry

1/3 cup sugar or acceptable sweetener

To make the sauce, combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, then set aside.

Vegetables

1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped carrots

1 red pepper, chopped

3 cups broccoli florets

1 to 1-1/2 cups onion, chopped in large wedges

1 to 2 cups snow peas

2 cups pineapple, cut bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon oil

This dish is excellent served over rice. If you plan on doing so, cook your rice and set aside. In a very large frying pan, saute the onion in a small amount of oil until they are fully cooked and translucent. Add the red pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the broccoli and snow peas cooking until desired crispness or tenderness. Lastly add the pineapple and cook only to heat through. Add the sauce to the cooked vegetables and serve over rice. This makes approximately five dinner entree size servings. Add more vegetables to serve additional people. Copyright Lisa A. Lundy, 2012.

Here is a picture of the stir-fry in progress:

Here is a picture of the entree plated:

This is a relatively fast and healthy meal! No food coloring, no food dyes, no preservatives! Fresh whole foods! And, yes - he did all of the food prep and cooking for this meal! Aaaaaah. The joys of having children that can make dinner while you fb...Let me know if you make this dish what you think! The sauce is not spicy. Enjoy my friends, enjoy!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

The Role of Nutrition in Cancer: Dr. Folkman's War Book Review

Cancer is not a pretty subject, but it is a topic that one out of two and one out of three Americans face depending upon your race and gender. Cancer is a subject that I started researching in May of 2004 and not because I wanted to research cancer. I researched cancer because five unrelated strangers told me independent of each other that I should research cancer based on my daughter's health issues. Trust me - I was not happy about it. But I did it. From my research, the role of nutrition in cancer seems pretty direct and clear - something that years later, Dr. Oz would state on the Oprah Show before she started the OWN network and long before Dr. Oz was a household name and had his own TV show.

What Dr. Oz said on a memorable Oprah Show was that basically we all have cancer cells in our bodies. The difference between a cancer cell multiplying and turning into a cancer tumor or not was nutrition. In this particular episode, Dr. Oz rattled off a number of nutritional supplements and the quantities of each that people would be well advised to take. Had I know that Dr. Oz was going to be so direct and clear about the relationship between nutrition and cancer, I would have taped the show. But let's move on to the book: "Dr. Folkman's War - Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer" by Robert Cooke.

On page 206 of my copy (Chapter 12), the author is describing how the business of life is conducted - through amino acid sequences or chains. Let me quote from the "Dr. Folkman's War" book:

"It is through this process, with about a hundred thousand different genes telling the cells exactly whch proteins to make, that the business of life is conducted. Indeed, illness strikes when this protein-building process breaks down. If amino acids are left out, or the wrong ones are put in place, a protein such as an enzyme or growth factor is made incorrectly, or not at all, and the result can be the disaster of genetic disease, or cancer."

In layman's terms, what this passage is stating is that if your body lacks the right nutrition and therefore can't produce or doesn't have access to the right amino acids, you may have a disastrous result - cancer or a genetic disease. In other words, the importance of nutrition to human health is something that most researchers should fully understand. But we laypeople or consumers don't have the same understanding of the importance of nutrition.

In the nine years it has taken me to get my daughter to go from being a very sick child with a life-threatening illness to a healthy child who is well, the one thing that has been resounding is the importance of nutrition to good health. Back to "Dr. Folkman's War", I assert that this book should be required reading of anyone who says that they care about cancer and anyone who gives money to the cancer cause. This book, in my humble opinion, should be made into a movie because separate from the research contained in this book, it contains the most compelling and touching story of Dr. Folkman. May God rest his soul. This book would be hard for some lay people to read as it is basically the history book on cancer. So take your time and read just a few pages at a time.

You can buy the book on Amazon.com. I'm not sure where else it is sold, but trust me - this book is well worth the time and energy to sit down and read - that is if you care at all about cancer! If you are a film maker - this book made into a movie could rival any inspirational movie you've ever seen! If you have read it, I'd love to hear your comments!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Saving Money on the Gluten-Free and Allergy Free Diets

The gluten-free and allergy free diets are more expensive than a regular diet - there is no disputing that! However, there are may ways to save money whether you are on a gluten-free diet or an allergy free diet or any other special diet for that matter! We have always been very budget conscious unrelated to the gluten-free diet, so when I realized over 12 years ago that we needed to be gluten free, I made a special point to find every way to save money on the foods. One of the best ways to save money if you have celiac disease and are on a gluten-free diet or are on a special diet is to make your gluten-free or allergen-free foods from scratch. You will save money and you should end up with a better tasting food and more of it. Honestly folks, we have purchased some gluten-free and allergen-free foods at the store that were simply so bad that we didn't eat them! Fifteen little cookies for $5.00!

You can save money by making your own gluten-free or allergy-free mixes! Once you find a recipe that you know you love, the next time you go to make the food item - set out three mixing bowls and mix up the dry ingredients for three batches. Then place two of the batches in self-sealing plastic bags and label them. My sons have been doing this for years! They will actually skip putting the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and place the flours, xanthan gum, etc. right into a plastic bag! That saves washing and drying a bowl, but you should mix the dry ingredients well when you go to use the homemade mix.

Another way to save, which I highly recommend, is through a wholesaler or buying cooperative. You have to know your food prices for this because some food items are cheaper to purchase at your local grocery store than through the coop or wholesaler. I have been actively participating in buying food through a wholesaler or coop for more than 11 years. In addition to knowing your food product prices, you often have to buy products by the case, which means that you either only purchase foods that you love and will use before they expire or you find someone else to split a case. Buying foods like this could take up a whole post in and of itself!

Watch for sales and coupons! I know it does not happen often, but there are times when you can find price reductions, coupons or specials! Stock up when you find a product that is on sale. You can save a good deal of money on produce and meats by buying directly from a farmer - especially a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We participate in a CSA - Native Offerings Farm - and a buying group that purchases directly from a wholesaler, plus we make almost all of our gluten-free baked goods and treats from scratch. I do not consider any of these activities to be too time consuming as not to be worth it! In fact, when my daughter makes gluten-free and allergy-free browie bits - I know that we are not only saving a lot of money, but the brownie bites taste just like those containing gluten and dairy! Now, go save some money!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Health and Wellness: The China Study Book and American Nutrition

I picked up the book "The China Study", which is written by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, probably two years ago and it has had a definite impact on the foods we eat in our house. Before I get to that let me state that I am no in any way supporting everything written in this book. That said, there are some portions of the book that I do totally agree with and support. The sub-title of this book reads as such: "Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health". Also above the title is the statement: "The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted". First of all, I should mention that some time after I purchased the book, "The China Study", I had the opportunity to hear T. Colin Campbell, PhD speak in my local area, which was a fantastic opportunity and well worth my time. So let's get to some of the substance of "The China Study".

Here is a picture of the book cover:

First of all, in my humble opinion, most Americans know very little about nutrition, which makes this book highly educational and informative. It is also, again - in my humble opinion, fascinating to read how and why this large scale nutritional study was done in China. In America - a country where almost half of the population is taking a prescription drug for a health condition and over half are overweight, AND where we spend a great deal more on health care (per capita) than any other country - this book would be a great read for millions of Americans. Nutrition is critical to human health. It always has been and always will be critical to human health.

One premise of the book is a plant-based diet. Based on the nutritional information I gleaned from this book, I almost immediately made a change to our diet. We are already on a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut free, tree nut free, preservative free and dye free special diet. The change I made after digging into "The China Study" was to reduce our meat consumption and increase our vegetable consumption. This was not as difficult as it might seem on the surface. In a dish like chili, for example, I added chopped vegetables for a new twist on chili. 

Over time, my children became accustomed to this new way of eating - more vegetables primarily and less meat. While it was not an overnight change, it went pretty smoothly. My next cookbook - Book Two of the Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook - a completely new cookbook, which will not replace the First Book - contains more vegetables than ever and is a good transition to reducing meat and increasing vegetables. Book Two is not available at this time as it is in the testing phase with testers trying out recipes and looking for any errors. 

So, what are my issues with this book? Well, for one - I am a person that believes that moderation is not a bad thing. I also am aware of some of the latest nutritional research that states that it is very difficult for Americans to get all of their nutrition from their diet - so I feel some nutritional supplements are helpful to most Americans. Since as a rule we do not eat dairy products, I skipped over the issues about dairy that are presented in the book. Nonetheless, the issues with dairy are riveting. I highly recommend this book - I just do not support every statement or position that the book takes or presents. If you have read this book, I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on it!! I really would! Happy eating!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Sifting through the Maze of Allergy Info: "Is This Your Child?"

I've done several posts on frequently asked questions on allergies, Part I, II and III in the last few days. Now I am going to move on to one resource that will help you sort through the maze of allergy information. The reference is a book titled "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Doris Rapp, M.D. Dr. Rapp spent her early years as a regular, mainstream allergist. Eventually, she expanded her training and experience and then went and became board certified in pediatrics and environmental medicine - making her board certified in three medical fields. She has been a physician for over 50 years, so she has the medical credentials and the experience to write a compelling resource to help people sort out the facts in allergy. Self-disclosure, Dr. Doris Rapp is a friend of mine so I do have some bias although I thought her book was every bit as good before I became friends with her!

Here is a picture of the book:

There are many reasons why I recommend this book to consumers, the first of which it is written by an authority whose experience and training trumps most physician. The book is pretty easy to read in that Dr. Rapp does not speak above the understanding of the average person - so it's the perfect book for lay people. While the book is pretty long - it is well indexed so you can look up just the symptoms or issues that you or your child is experiencing. I also have to say that I love the pictures on the back cover - just because they are helpful! 

One of the other reasons that I continue to recommend this book and other books by Dr. Doris Rapp is because in the last 10 years - no one who got the book (on my recommendation) ever came back and said that it was not helpful or immensely helpful! In fact, one memorable mother was able to solve one of her child's issues in a matter of a few days with the help of this particular book! In other words, I continue to get excellent feedback from those people who got the book - most from the public library by the way! That is another reason that I love this book - it is in almost every public library in the USA! How cool is that!

Here is a link to Dr. Rapp's website:

http://www.drrapp.com/Dr. Rapp MD Website

This book was on the NY Times Best Sellers list and Dr. Rapp was on network TV shows when it came out. In my humble opinion, this is already a classic book in the field of allergy - one book that will just not go away because it has so much information and value. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on this book!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Gluten-Free and Special Diets for ADHD - Are they worth the time and expense?

I write this with a very biased view, which I will explain in a minute for those of you would are new to my Blog and website. First I must state that I am the author of The Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook, so I have a financial interest in the gluten-free and allergy free diets. That disclosure being made, let me also assert that I do not believe that everyone should be on a gluten-free or allergen free diet. So let's dive into the topic at hand: Is a gluten-free or allergen free or special diet worth the time and expense? If you have Celiac disease - it is more than worth the time and expense - it is a life-saving must! Currently there is no other treatment for Celiac disease other than the strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. It is absolutely essential. But what about those individuals who do not have celiac disease - is there any merit to a gluten-free or allergen-free or special diet? The answer is it depends on several factors.

Part of what that answer depends on is the health condition which you are trying to address by a special diet, part of it depends on your personal values and part of the answer is contingent upon the weight you put on the pros and cons of alternative treatments. Let me take ADHD as an example. ADHD can be managed by medication, however the medications for ADHD have serious possible side effects including:

*Sudden deaths, stroke, and myocardial infarction have been reported in adults taking stimulant drugs at usual doses for ADHD

*Treatment emergent psychotic or manic symptoms, e.g., hallucinations, delusional thinking, or mania in children and adolescents without prior history of psychotic illness or mania can be caused by stimulants at usual doses.

*Aggressive behavior or hostility is often observed in children and adolescents with ADHD, and has been reported in clinical trials and the postmarketing experience of some medications indicated for the treatment of ADHD.

*Aggressive behavior or hostility is often observed in children and adolescents with ADHD, and has been reported in clinical trials and the postmarketing experience of some medications indicated for the treatment of ADHD.

*Long-term growth suppression (height and weight)

The above possible side-effects are serious in my humble opinion - especially the first one -sudden death, stroke and heart attack. For someone like me, the pros of medication - it is relatively easy and covered by insurance are not worth the cons - serious possible health problems. There are multiple dietary interventions that can bring relief from ADHD symptoms including the Feingold Diet® and the gluten and casein-free diet (GFCF Diet). You can find out more about the Feingold Diet® and the Feingold Program from their website, which is:

Feingold Association Website

The Feingold Association has been around since 1976 and you can find a wealth of medical literature on their site about the positive impact diet has on ADHD and other health issues. The GFCF diet has become much more popular in the last decade for ADHD due primarily to the Autism community. Is it more expensive to be on a special diet? Well it depends on what diet you are considering and how you do it. We make our GFCF (and egg-free, nut free and other allergen free) foods from scratch saving a lot of money and getting better tasting foods. If you find that the cons or possible side effects from ADHD medication are not a problem, then clearly medication might be a good route for you. But for some of us moms - the risk benefit ratio is clearly tipped towards looking at non-medication interventions and for that diet is a key strategy! In my humble opinion, based on over 12 years of doing a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut free, tree-nut free, dye free, preservative free diet - it is absolutely worth the additional time and expense! Let me know if you have any questions! I am here to help!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Allergy FAQ Part III: Frequently Asked Questions on Allergy

Having talked about the definition of allergy, the various types of allergies, and allergy testing - let's move on to a more controversial subject that of allergy treatments. Much like allergy testing, what kinds of treatments there are for allergies - food or environmental - depends entirely on who you are talking to or what you are reading. I think it is appropriate to take a peek at history here. In doing research at the University of Buffalo Medical Library back in 2003 and 2004, I read about a Dr. Alfred Schofield, a physician in England in 1908, who successfully treated a boy suffering from an allergy to egg. (Schofield, Alfred T. A Case of Egg Poisoning. London: Lancet, 1908. p. 176). Dr. Keston, Dr. Walters and Dr. Hopkins confirmed this egg desensitization in 1935. (Keston B., Walters I & H, Gardner, J. Oral Desensitization to Common Foods. J Allergy 6:431, 1935.) The story of Dr. Schofield was fascinating as far as I can remember, but let's see what that means to the average consumer. For more than 100 years, physicians around the world have been engaged in desensitizing patients to common foods.

Mainstream allergy physicians offer treatments to environmental allergens and things like deadly bee stings. This treatment is done by a series of allergy shots given in the office after skin testing and the treatment required can take many, many years. I know about this treatment protocol as I was given allergy shots by Dr. Winter in Williamsport, PA from the time I was 18 months old until I was 18 years old. I would consider it very effective in terms of outcome. But mainstream allergists are not the only game in town these days nor have they been for a long, long time.

Outside of mainstream allergists, you can find physicians and other health care practitioners who engage in a variety of other treatments for allergies - both food and environmental. How effective these treatments are probably vary by the type of treatment in question, the expertise of the practitioner, and on some level perhaps the compliance of the patient. When my daughter was 20 months old and was in the boat of being a "failure to thrive" child despite my expertise in food, the gluten-free diet (she was not failure to thrive in other words because of celiac disease), and food allergies - I was referred to one of these physicians by the Medical Director of one of the largest medical practices in the state of New York.

Why? Why would a Medical Director for one of the largest medical practices in the State of New York send me to an out-of-network physician? Well, in his words at the time - this was the only doctor who could help my child who was in need of medical help. I was shocked! I remember specifically asking him for a referral to Johns Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, Boston and other reputable institutions. He said that they would not be able to help my child. So, reluctantly, I went to see one of these practitioners and in short order with the help of one of these treatments (the kind described in the early medical literature), my daughter was able to eat foods that previously caused her to lose weight and have eczema. Go figure. My point is that there are many points of view in medicine and that not all patients are the same. Likewise, not all doctors are the same nor are all treatments the same. You have to find what works for you. The most important thing is to find a licensed medical provider who has the expertise you require and to work with that practitioner to find solutions to your health issues. Let me know if you have any questions!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy