FARE Walk for Food Allergy 2013

by Kelley Lindberg


Looking for a fun family activity that will make you feel good inside and out? Join the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN) as we hold our annual Walk for Food Allergy, which benefits the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization.

 

Whether you want to walk, sponsor a walker, or volunteer to help out at the walk, we need you! The Walk is a family-friendly event that takes place in communities nationwide to fund food allergy research, education, advocacy and awareness. We’re happy that Salt Lake City is once again participating in this important event, and we hope you’ll join us!

There are always some fun activities and booths from food-allergy-related companies and vendors, so you won’t want to miss out on this fun day.

 

Here are the details:

• Date:   Saturday, Oct 5, 2013
• Walk Schedule:
•      Registration/Check-in: 1:00pm
•      Walk Ceremony: 2:00pm
•      Walk Begins: Immediately Following Ceremony
• Walk Length:   2 miles
• Location:   Sugar House Park, Sugar Beet Pavilion, 1400 E. 2100 S., Salt Lake City, UT, 84115

For more information and a registration form, see www.foodallergywalk.org/saltlakecity.

 

This is a great way to get some fresh air on a beautiful autumn day with family and friends, while helping make a difference for all of those living with food allergies. Thank you for being part of it, and see you there!

 

 

UFAN Food Allergy Conference a Success!

Last Saturday, I attended the third annual Food Allergy Conference in Salt Lake City, put on by the Utah Food Allergy Network. The half-day conference was jam-packed full of information and ideas – after a dozen years of dealing with food allergies, I still found myself taking lots of notes and learning new things.

Dr. Robert Silge, from Salt Lake City and Taylorsville, gave a presentation that just about blew my socks off with the amount of information he crammed into a single hour. He started off by discussing skin and blood tests, how they work, and what they mean. He reminded us that those tests can tell you the chance that you’ll have a reaction, but not how severe the reaction will be. So just because your score is “low” doesn’t mean you won’t have a severe reaction to that food someday.



I lead a discussion on eating out and traveling with food allergies

Dr. Silge also talked about the role platelet activating factor (PAF) plays in reactions, and how epinephrine works. He summarized EGID and how those diseases differ from a regular food allergy. Then he moved on to talk about the various treatments that are currently being studied, and how many of them are promising, but there is no long-term evidence to show how effective any of them are long-term yet, and that the results so far show widely varying results that are highly individual for each patient. And that’s just a sample of the topics he covered. (And I was left wondering if any research is being done into how to boost the enzymes needed to break down PAFs in our bodies, so that we don’t experience anaphylaxis. I’ll have to look into that soon.)

In addition, there were other presentations on eosinophilic disorders (EGIDs), how to handle food allergy plans for school, feeding and swallowing therapy, creative cooking with food substitutions, tips for handling social situations, how to live well with a chronic health condition, and tips for adults living with food allergies and EGIDs.

I was even invited to lead a discussion called “Eating Out & Traveling with Dietary Restrictions,” which turned out to be a lot of fun, and I hope helpful for everyone who participated.



Teens like my son and his friend had their own sessions.

For the first time, the conference this year included a teen track, where teens spent their half-day entirely in their own rooms discussing topics related to their unique needs. My son and his friend were able to attend, and my son even gave a short PowerPoint introduction of himself and his allergies as an icebreaker. Although neither my son nor his friend were sure they needed to attend (“I know how to handle my allergies, Mom!”), they both seemed to have a good time and even thought of friends they should have invited afterwards. So I think the teen track was a success and will be an important part of next year’s conference.

Many thanks to UFAN board members and volunteers for putting together this amazing half-day conference. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Utah Food Allergy Conference is June 22, 2013

by Kelley Lindberg


Whatever your plans for the summer, be sure you make time to attend the third annual Utah Food Allergy Conference, hosted by the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN)! It’s only a half-day long, and tickets are only $10 (yes, that’s right, just $10), so you definitely don’t want to miss out!

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013

Check in: 8:00am

Conference: 8:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Doty Education Center, Intermountain Medical Center, 5121 Cottonwood St., Murray, UT 84107

Educational topics include:

·         Food allergy 

·         Research updates

·         Eosinophilic disorders 

·         Nutrition with dietary restrictions

·         Eating out & traveling

·         Epinephrine & anaphylaxis training

·         How to advocate and communicate effectively

·         Psychological implications and living well with a chronic health condition

·         Special topic TBA

·         New this year - Teen session track for ages 11-17!

Speakers include:

·         Board Certified Allergists

·         Gastroenterologist

·         Dietitian

·         School Nurse

·         Psychologist

·         FARE Education Manager (Teen sessions)

·         Special guest speaker to be announced soon! 

You can register online right up until midnight the night before the conference, but do it now while you’re thinking about it. (That will also help UFAN organizers plan for seating, etc.) I’ve already registered myself and my teenage son, who is looking forward to meeting other teens and sharing ideas and stories for navigating these crazy teen years with food allergies.

 

Click here to register for the 2013 Utah Food Allergy Conference. See you there!

FAAN’s Walk for Food Allergy Is Coming to Salt Lake City!

by Kelley Lindberg


We’re half-way through September, and I can feel the air getting cooler. Nights are downright chilly, the leaves are turning, and my garden is starting to get that almost-done look. After a blazing hot summer, it’s nice to be outside again, right? Maybe take a walk with the kids?

Well, while you’re walking with the kids, wouldn’t it be great to earn some money for food allergy research and education at the same time?

The annual FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Salt Lake City is rapidly approaching, but there is still plenty of time to sign up – or to donate! Here is what you need to know:

     FAAN Walk for Food Allergy
     Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012
     Sugarhouse Park
     1300 S. 2100 E.
     Salt Lake City, UT 84108

     Check in: 11:00am
     Walk: 12:00 noon
     Distance: 2 miles

There will be lots of fun activities and vendors (some with free samples!) including: face painting, bounce houses, Munchkin Radio, Utah Society of Allergy & Asthma, Utah School Nurses Association, Utah Food Allergy Network, Mylan Pharma (EpiPen), SunButter, and more!

The money earned from the Walk supports FAAN’s (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) invaluable and tireless efforts in food allergy research, advocacy, and education. In addition, by participating, our own UtahFood Allergy Network (UFAN) can apply for a Community Grant from FAAN that we can use to directly benefit our Utah community. Last year’s grant helped us bring in special guest speakers for the Utah Food Allergy Conference in June, and the FAAN school Food Allergy Program purchased for every school district in the state!

The Walk is also a great way to meet other families with food allergies, ask questions, and learn more about food allergies. And there are many opportunities for kids to get to know each other, dance to fun kids’ music with Munchkin Radio, and have a food-free, safe event!

What a great way to spend a beautiful October Saturday. For more information, to sign up for the Walk (as either a team or an individual), or to donate to the Walk, visit the Salt Lake City FAAN Walk website.

If you don’t live in Utah, fear not! Many cities hold FAAN Walks for Food Allergy in September and October, so check FAAN’s website to see if there’s a Walk near you!

See you there!

Utah Food Allergy Conference: June 23, 2012

by Kelley Lindberg


If you or a family member has food allergies, you won’t want to miss the upcoming Utah Food Allergy Conference, on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Hosted by the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN), this annual conference is THE place in Utah to hear from experts on the latest news and research, learn about available resources, pick up helpful ideas and tips, and connect with other people in our food allergy community. It will be held at the Doty Family Education Center in the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, UT.

And best of all – it’s free!

The conference is only a half-day long, so it won’t take up your entire Saturday, but you’ll get a ton of useful information in that short time-span. The planned conference schedule is below.

Even though it’s free, you need to register to attend so that UFAN will know how many people to accommodate. To register, go to the UFAN website at www.utahfoodallergy.org, click on the link to the Conference, and then click on the registration link. The registration form just takes a minute to fill out (don’t forget to choose which breakout session you want to attend), and then you can print your own tickets!

The conference promises to be educational, helpful, and fun! If you have any questions, contact support@utahfoodallergy.org. See you there!

Conference Schedule:

2^nd Annual Utah Food Allergy Conference

Saturday June 23, 2012
8:30am – 1:00pm
Intermountain Medical Center - Doty Family Education Center
5121 Cottonwood St, Murray, Utah

8:30 – 9:00 am            Registration

9:00 – 9:10 am            Welcome
                                    Michelle Fogg, President – Utah Food Allergy Network

9:10 – 10:10 am          Food Allergy, Anaphylaxis Management, & Research

                                    Rafael Firszt, MD, MBA – Allergy & Immunology

10:10 – 10:20 am        Break

10:20 – 11:20 am        Concurrent Sessions (choose one to attend):

                                    * Allergy and Asthma Safety at School and at Home

Andrea Johnson, CHES - Environmental Health Educator, Utah County Health Department, and mother of a son with food allergies and asthma, will address strategies for creating a safe environment both at home and at school. Topics to be covered include basics of setting up an allergy and asthma friendly home environment, working with school personnel to establish an allergy and asthma friendly school environment, and Utah laws and resources that can be used to aid in accomplishing both of those goals.

                                    * Developmental Stages of Kids with Food Allergy

Kristen Kauke, MSW, LCSW. Understand how children accomplish tasks and growth at each developmental stage and how food allergies can impact this. Gain strategies to cope with bullying and how to be a supportive adult along the way.

                                    *Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGIDs)

Jan Bernhisel-Broadbent, MD – Allergy & Immunology, and Kathryn Peterson, MD – Gastroenterology. Learn the fundamentals of EGIDs and how they relate to food allergy, current treatments, studies & research findings, and support/resources available.

11:20 – 11:30 am        Break

11:30 – 12:15 pm        Avoiding Food Fights

                                    Kristen Kauke, MSW, LCSW

12:15 – 12:50 pm        Question & Answer Discussion w/ Panel of Presenters

12:50 – 12:55 pm        Awards Presentation

                                    Tiffany Scherbel, Vice President – Utah Food Allergy Network

12:55 – 1:00 pm          Closing Remarks

Cancelled – Fun in the Sun Carnival

Due to problems securing a location, the UFAN Fun in the Sun Carnival has been cancelled. So sorry for the disappointment, but UFAN will be holding the extremely popular food-free Halloween party in October, so we’ll look forward to that instead!

Plan to Attend the Free UFAN Food Allergy Conference

by Kelley Lindberg


Have you registered yet for the first annual Utah Food Allergy Conference? It’s going to be held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, in the Doty Family Education Center (5121 South Cottonwood Street, Murray, Utah).

And it’s free!

Hosted by the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN), the one-day conference will be the first in Utah to focus entirely on food allergies. You’ll hear from a truly impressive line-up of local and national speakers:

• Richard Hendershot, MD, president of the Utah Society of Allergy & Asthma
• Eleanor Garrow, VP of Education and Outreach for FAAN (the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network)
• Gina Clowes, from AllergyMoms
• Sharlene Coombs, Registered Dietician
• Jan Bernhisel-Broadbent, MD, allergist
• Molly O’Gorman, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist
• Kathryn Peterson, MD, adult gastroenterologist

The conference runs from 9:00am – 1:00pm, and includes a Q&A session at the end. You won’t want to miss this event.

The conference is already filling up fast, so don’t wait to register.

Go to UFAN's website at http://www.utahfoodallergy.org/ for more information and to register online. Do it now, while you’re thinking about it!

We’ll also be announcing our first annual UFAN Excellence Awards at the conference to recognize people who’ve made a difference for the food-allergic community in Utah. Know someone who deserves an award? Nominate them by June 10th clicking the UFAN Excellence Awards 2011 Nomination Form here.

See you there!

UFAN's Easter Egg Hunt a Success!

by Kelley Lindberg


Today, I've asked Michelle Fogg, president of the Utah Food Allergy Network, to write about the first annual UFAN Easter Egg Hunt, which was held on Saturday, April 23! Thanks, Michelle!

The holidays... Oh, how I love them but oh, how they present many challenges for the food allergic and their families! Back in 2005 when my first child was diagnosed with severe food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, soy, and mustard, a community, neighborhood, church, or even family Easter egg hunt would have been completely out of the question. Hunting for eggs would have been like navigating through a minefield since almost all candy/food contained her allergens and could cause a life-threatening reaction if innocently ingested...who can keep a 15 month old from putting things in her mouth when they look so pretty in those shiny brightly colored wrappers?!

On Saturday, the Utah Food Allergy Network provided parents and children with a totally worry-free environment during our first annual food-free Easter egg hunt! Thanks to the hard work, tenacity, and generosity of our new Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, Maryann Alston, and the other volunteers, it was a huge success! Over 100 people were in attendance and I felt so happy and humble to be able to offer our members a chance to participate in a community egg hunt where they didn't have to go without! The kids got to mingle with and meet the Easter bunny himself, dance and hop around to some festive music, and then hunt their hearts away while filling their baskets with as much as they could with no worries...they got to keep it all! Toys, trinkets, coloring books, movies, balls, stickers galore, but I could tell that what provided the most satisfaction for all involved was seeing the kids uninhibited and safe. In the world of food allergies where everyday requires vigilance and awareness, even without candy, it was so sweet to savor a moment of freedom! We also proved that you don't have to have food to have FUN!!

We have received many unsolicited responses and notes of thanks from those who attended but none summed it up better, or made me cry, than the following post on our UFAN Facebook page by Melanie in Riverton who said, "I just want to say THANK YOU for the Easter Egg hunt. It was the first one my 9 year old participated in that we didn't have to go home and trade out all of the candy. I didn't think it was that big of a deal to him until I saw how differently he acted at this hunt today. He was so excited to go through his eggs. Then he was dancing around as he waited in line to redeem his tickets. Thanks again and again. I'm so glad there are people out there who get it." These photos are worth a million words.

The Salt Lake Tribune also wrote a great article which helps raise food allergy awareness, of which I am SO thankful. ("Kids Celebrate Allergy-Free Easter," Salt Lake Tribune, 4/23/2011) We have already been able to reach out to numerous new members and have surely raised some awareness! I am looking forward to next year already and can't wait to do it all again and try to make it even better!! Thank you to all who attended and gave of their support and sentiments...it really keeps us motivated to serve you. :)

Michelle Fogg, President
Utah Food Allergy Network

Food Allergy Product Recalls – How to Get Them

by Kelley Lindberg


This week, I have received a couple of automated phone calls letting me know that Kroger’s Value Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips have been recalled due to undeclared milk. These are the chocolate chips I buy at Smith’s grocery stores here in Utah, but the recall is nationwide at all Kroger grocery stores. (If you have any of these chocolate chips with “Best By” dates in 2012, take them back to your grocery store for a refund.)

I got this recall phone call because I use Smith’s Fresh Values loyalty card when I shop, so I guess their database showed I’d purchased this product, and they added me to their auto-call list. I appreciate being notified this way.

This got me thinking about recall notices. It’s not always easy to find out about recalled food products, and for people with food allergies, it is critical to know about mislabeled products, contaminated manufacturing runs, and the like.

So how can you make sure you’re getting the news you need about recalls? I know of three ways that can help:

1. Use your grocery store’s loyalty card when you shop. Not only do you get discounts, you might get notified when something you bought is recalled.

2. Sign up for FAAN’s alerts. FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) is a leading organization for food allergy awareness, education, and advocacy, and many food manufacturers will let FAAN know when they’re recalling a food product. FAAN then sends alerts out to anyone who’s signed up for those alerts. You don’t have to be a member to get the free alerts. Go to FAAN’s main web page at http://www.foodallergy.org/, and under the red section called “Alerts & News,” click on either “Subscribe to Alerts Feed” or “Receive Alerts by e-mail” depending on whether you want to get the notices via RSS feed or by email. It’s quick and easy, and you’ll get notices promptly. Many of the notices might not affect you, but the ones that do are worth the occasional extra email.

3. Finally, join an email listserv like UFAN (Utah Food Allergy Network), where members keep each other up-to-date on any news they’ve heard. To join UFAN’s email forum, go to their main website (http://www.utahfoodallergy.org/) and go to the section called “Join the Utah Food Allergy Network Forum,” click the link, and follow the instructions.

If anyone knows of any additional ways to keep up-to-date with food recalls, I’d love for you to share your suggestions in the Comments.

Let’s make sure 2011 is a safe and healthy year!