The WELLalarm Blog

Friday links: Peanut Allergy News and Advice

Lately my radar has been tuned in to the challenges of peanut allergies: managing safety day-to-day and finding effective treatments. The following are some interesting stories I've found recently.

Here are 10 tips for avoiding peanut allergy reactions. The tips are smart, but check out the news story at the end. Apparently researchers at the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University may have found a way to make peanuts completely allergen free.

According to this ABC News story, other researchers are using peanuts to fight peanut allergies. I think it's an exciting breakthrough and I hope the trials go well!

Meanwhile, we need to make kids with allergies safe now. I found these cute allergy alert t-shirts (see one of their designs above). They look like a good idea for birthday parties and other events with food. I'll have to add these to the gift guide!

This is a heartbreaking story about a recent high school graduate who died of anaphylactic shock while on vacation in Mexico. I can't even imagine the pain this brought to his parents. Read to the end for some essential advice on handling peanut allergies. Thanks to Peanut Free Mama for posting this story.

I'm wishing an extra safe and fun Halloween to all kids with food allergies and your parents today!

Wellsphere Yes, We Care! Campaign

Last week I was delighted to find out that Wellsphere had nominated me as an "Everyday Hero!" This is part of Wellsphere's Yes, We Care! Campaign to show appreciations for people who help, support, and care for others.

Wellsphere is a health-oriented social network site and a lot more. You can join different communities, create your own Wellpage connecting you with health knowledge from medical professionals and other Wellsphere participants and find health resources like gyms near you. They also have several Welltools, like healthy menu options when you eat out. I'm amused by the WellPrize crown you can give yourself for meeting a health goal.

I don't know that I'll use all of the tools and resources on Wellsphere, but I do really like many of their ideas. Most of all, I love the personal stories you can hear on the Yes, We Care page. Scroll down and play the video.

Thanks, Wellsphere!

Happy Allergen-Free Halloween

Every Halloween I hear the same collective plea from parents of children with severe food allergies: please be careful of what candy you give out to trick-or-treaters. Most children with food allergies learn at a young age to look carefully at any food that comes their way. But even if they avoid candies with peanuts, for example, many other candies are made in factories that process peanuts. This can still pose a life-threatening hazard to some children. And this is why Halloween is such a scary holiday to their parents.

You can avoid the food issues altogether buy giving away non-food items. Try dime-store treats like temporary tattoos and stickers. (Little bouncy balls, balloons, and novelty erasers are other cute ideas but can be dangerous to kids with latex allergies). I think all parents will appreciate one fewer sugary treat going into their children's bags!

For more allergy-friendly Halloween tips read Allergy Moms' 99 Possibly Safe Snacks for Halloween.

NOT about Sarah Palin's $150,000 Wardrobe

Since the election is days away I'd like to draw your attention to a slightly weightier matter, health care reform. (Remember that?)

I wrote last week about the question, is health care a right, a privilege, or a responsibility. This is an ER doctor's interesting take on the question: health care is not a right because rights are limitations on government power.

You may have heard that Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize for economics this year. I've been going back and re-reading his New York Times columns and blog posts. Here he explains why McCain's health care reform plan is dangerous for many Americans. Here's his view on McCain's idea of marketizing health care.

In the Wall Street Journal, Obama health advisor and Harvard economics professor David M. Cutler explains why Obama's health care reform plan is better.

Here the WSJ looks at two studies that compare Obama and McCain's health care reform plans. Those of you who have a chronic illness, like me, have more to lose with McCain's plan.

Here are the candidates' positions on disability-related issues. (Via Special Needs Truth 08, a great resource.) And let's bring it back to Sarah Palin. Palin opposes tax to help developmentally disabled. Thanks, Queen of Spain, for that link via Twitter!

"Stayin' Alive" with CPR

I was tickled by this news article: a study at the University of Illinois Medical School found that doctors and students who performed CPR while listening to "Stayin' Alive" came close to doing the ideal 100 compressions per minute. As it turns out, the famous song from the 1977 move "Saturday Night Fever" has 103 beats per minute.

Who knew the Bee Gees would ever transcend the chest hair and falsetto voices voices in such a noble manner? I love it! Maybe I should create a WELLcharm with a built-in "Stayin' Alive" MP3 player.  (Um, don't hold your breath...)

Catch a demonstration here on CNN.

New York Times Gives the Candidates a Checkup

According to this New York Times article, neither of the presidential candidates, nor the VP candidates, have been forthcoming enough about their health.

Doctor and journalist Lawrence K. Altman, M.D., is most concerned about McCain's health. He has a history of melanoma, an especially unpredictable form of cancer that can be deadly if spreads to other areas of the body. Even when it is not fatal, treatments "can be debilitating and impair an individual's physical and mental stamina."

Meanwhile, Biden had two brain aneurysms in 1988 and we do not know if he has had any brain scans during the past 20 years. Obama's one-page medical report was almost laughable in contrast to McCain's 1000-plus-page report, but his struggle to quit smoking is no laughing matter. And Palin refuses to provide any information about her health.

I suppose I can see why the candidates would want to be protective of their medical records. In this political climate, even the smallest concern could (and most likely would) be blown out of proportion and used against them. That said, I agree that voters should know more. We need to know what the risks are. A candidate's health is not central to our choices, but it is relevant.

AAP Recommends Double the Vitamin D for Children

This week the American Academy of Pediatrics announced that it is now recommending 400 IU of vitamin D daily for infants and children. This is double the previously recommended amount of 200 IU a day.

This change is based on new clinical trials on vitamin D showing that 400 IU of vitamin D will prevent and treat rickets. The AAP is recommending more vitamin D to prevent other diseases, such as cancer, hearth disease, and diabetes, though there is no conclusive evidence proving that higher levels of vitamin D will prevent these diseases.

Naturally this has gotten people talking about supplements for babies and children. My personal preference is to try to get all the recommended vitamins and minerals from a healthy, varied diet before I start reaching for supplements. In that respect, I think my own family may be all right.

According to the report's co-author, Dr. Frank Greer, children would need to drink four cups of milk a day to meet the new requirement. Dr. Greer, I'd like to introduce you to my lactophile son. Between the copious amounts of milk he guzzles daily and his passion for cheese and yogurt I think we've got it covered, thank you.

The AAP is particularly concerned that breast milk may be especially low in mothers who are themselves vitamin D deficient. They are recommending supplements for breast-fed babies, which frustrates me a little (ever try giving a baby vitamin or mineral supplements?). I wish researchers could put greater focus on improving the nutrition of pregnant and nursing mothers.

If your child cannot or will not drink milk supplements may be a good idea. However, there are other good sources of vitamin D, such as egg yolks and oily fish (mackerel, tuna). Check out this list of foods high in vitamin D from Nutrition Data.com.

I'm just saying... let's take a breath, talk to our pediatricians, and think a moment before we go crazy with the supplements.

More news stories on the AAP's new recommendation for vitamin D

CNN: Kids should get more vitamin D

MSN: Vitamin D Supplementation Guidelines for Youngsters Doubled

Health News: Doubling Vitamin D for Children Could Prevent Serious Diseases

ABC News: Pediatricians Double Vitamin D Requirement

Suite 101: Vitamin D Deficiency in Breastfed Babies: Sun Exposure, Breastfeeding, and Rickets

(Image via Western Kentucky University)

What is Sarah Palin's connection to autism?

Did you notice John McCain's mention of Palin's expertise in autism during last night's debate? That got a lot of people talking. "Doesn't Palin's son have Down Syndrome?" "What does Palin have to do with autism?"

For the record, Palin does have a nephew who is autistic. As for why that makes her an expert, I guess we'll have to wait for either Palin or McCain to elaborate. Meanwhile, check out Special Needs Truth '08 for a more thorough examination of the Palin-autism connection.

Weight-loss novel for teens: A good idea?

A study by Duke University recently found that overweight teenage girls who read novels featuring a heroine who gets fit lost more weight than teens who read other novels (or none at all). These are interesting findings, but I wonder what the implications are.

Surely a series of novels, subtly marketed to overweight teens and featuring spunky heroines who get into shape, is currently in the works somewhere as a result of these findings. But I see this backfiring; teens would quickly sniff this out and the books would become stigmatized.

In my mind, the study opens the question of motivation versus self esteem. In another study researchers found that looking at pictures of thin models made people less likely to snack on cookies immediately afterward. But what about the way these images make us feel about our own bodies? Blogger Laura Moncur comments that self-esteem matters less than action.

Honestly, I think the whole self-esteem issue is moot. It doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself as long as you do what you need to do to be successful. Photos of thin models or not, the most important thing to keep you healthy is DOING what needs to be done to be healthy.

I have to admit, that chills me a little. Yet, as this article in CalorieLab points out, the ideal of body acceptance is a little tricky. So where's the balance? How do we motivate ourselves (and especially young people) to be our best selves without despising the selves we are now? How do we embrace transformation and our current selves at the same time? What do you think?

Daily Mail: Reading a Novel Helps Obese Children Lose Weight

(Image via Truemors)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Guest Post: Allison Stanley

It is funny how when you are first diagnosed with cancer people around you are quickly divided -   those who feel for you and those who feel the need to provide you with information. But cancer treatment is specific to each person, and each person has a different way to process what they’re going through.   

I came up with a regime that was easy to remember by letter and word associations. I have my PINK ANGELS REGIME: PINK because everything about breast cancer is saturated in shades of pink and ANGELS for the friends, families and organizations that continue to support me.    I hope you find my angels give you a renewed sense for living a healthy life.

• PRAY: I pray often for my health and the strength to continue a cancer-free life.
• IMAGINE: It is very important to put positive thoughts in your consciousness.  Imagining a cancer-free, healthy life is vital.
• NUTRITION: Having a balanced diet with all the right nutrients is so important.  Juicing with anti-oxidants and taking omega 3 are good additions after cancer.
• KNOWLEDGE: There is so much hype and misinformation on the Internet.  Keeping up with breast cancer information from trusted medical sources is key.
• ACCEPTANCE: I have had to learn to accept the changes in my body and accept them as a part of myself.
• NEEDS:  I have learned that it is very important to have my needs met. Neglecting your needs provides toxins in the body.
• GIRLFRIENDS:  Having a network of friends to support you any way you need: shopping, travel, gossip, etc.
• EXERCISE: After cancer your body is traumatized for some time.  Movement and muscle development is key to good health.
• LAUGHING: There’s no better medicine then laughing through this horrible experience.  “Live Laugh Love” - It’s true!
• SIMPLIFY: This is something I am still learning.  It is the only way to heal your body and your spirit through the trauma.

Allison Stanley is a breast cancer survivor and awareness advocate. Known for her role on the Emmy award winning NBC program, “Starting Over,” the country watched as Allison struggled to overcome lifelong self-esteem issues and adjust to her new body after breast cancer. Allison has since overcome this period in her life, and is now committed to providing hope, inspiration and empowerment to others who are undergoing cancer treatment or struggling through any obstacles in life. For more information on Allison or for resources on cancer, visit www.AllisonStanley.com.