Allergy Awareness

Since I've been trying to cut out everything I'm allergic to, I figured that I ought to change my anti-histamines so that I move onto one that is safe.

Strangely I have not been able to find an over the counter anti-histamine in either tablet or liquid form that does not have some form of potential allergen in it.

All the tablets that I have looked at are lactose based. Of all the liquid anti-histamines I have looked at only one does not contain Citric Acid, instead the Piriton syrup contains methyl, ethyl and propyl hydrobenzoates (E214, E216 and E218) - known asthma triggers.

I would have thought that common sense would kick in somewhere in the pharmaceutical industry and that somebody would produced a hypo-allergenic anti-histamine!

Thankfully my milk allergy is to the proteins in milk not the sugars. This means that I am okay with the tablets. I'll be stuffed if I have to use the liquid anti-histamines though!

This delicious recipe is a cross between peanut brittle and sesame snaps.  I either make it purely with sesame seeds or half sesame seeds & half coconut.  Either way it's really yummy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup dessicated coconut (if you don't want coconut, then use another cup of sesame seeds)
• 1 tablespoon of allowed margarine

Method

1. Put sugar and margarine in a pan and place over a low heat.  Stir until the marg & sugar is mixed together.  It should look a bit like this

    

   

    

2. In a dry frying pan, toast the sesame seeds until light golden brown. Add the coconut and keep stirring until the coconut starts to turn golden too. Remove from the heat.

    

   

    

3. The sugar mix will start to melt and then clump up forming brown sugar lumps.  Eventually it will melt into a smooth lumpless liquid.
   
   
   
   

   If you feel unsure that it is working check out the other photographs in my Sesame Crunch Album - start at the end and work backwards.

4. Tip the Sesame Seeds & coconut into the melted sugar and stir it in quickly.  Then tip it out onto Waxed Paper, flatten it with the back of the spoon or a fish slice.

    

   

    

5. When it has cooled enough to handle, snap the sesame snacks into bite sized pieces. 
   Try not to eat too many whilst doing this!
   

Sulphur Dioxide can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, irritation to mucus membranes in the nose and lungs and affect breathing. Sulphur Dioxide is usually what is found in the top of a wine bottle, not air! Sodium metabisulphite is commonly used to not only preserve the wine but also the grapes before they are pressed. Under these circumstances it is not listed as an ingredient in the wine.

These sulphites are known to trigger asthma in some people. Unfortunately sulphites are used as preservatives in many foods and appear as the following E numbers -

E220 - Sulphur Dioxide
E221 - Sodium Sulphite
E222 - Sodium Hydrogen Sulphite
E223 - Sodium Metabisulphite
E224 - Potassium Metabisulphite
E225 - Potassium Sulphite
E226 - Calcium Sulphite
E227 - Calcium Hydrogen Sulphite
E228 - Potassium Hydrogen Sulphite

Now, back to wine Ozone can be used to treat grapes and could be used to produce a hypoallergenic wine in the future - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070211200637.htm

For now though it is a matter of looking for low sulphite or sulphite free wines. These are not totally sulphite free but contain very low levels. The latest news is that Sainsburys will be selling a reasonably priced bottle as part of their So Organic range from mid March 2008. Full story can be read at http://www.decanter.com/news/182677.html

This is an interesting one.

From the information I have been able to gather Citric Acid is commonly used as an acidity regulator. It can be produced either naturally from citrus fruit or it can be a derivative of wheat starch.

At the moment I have not been able to find any tinned tomatoes in the supermarket that do not contain Citric Acid. Most soft drinks also contain Citric Acid. In fact most products in the supermarket seem to contain Citric Acid.

Personally, Citric Acid (and citrus fruit) triggers my asthma, so I avoid it. The only tinned tomato product to date that I have found that does not use Citric Acid is a catering sized tin of "pizza base topping" which is made from 100% tomatoes (nothing else - woo hoo!)

As I react to both Citrus fruit and wheat I do not know which derivative I react to. What I do know is that Citric Acid is also known as Acidity Regulator E330.

To confuse matters further the health guide on Mutual Benefit Marketing has this to say

Food acid, naturally derived from citrus fruit, although commercial synthesis is by fermentation of molasses. It is used in food as an antioxidant as well as enhancing the effect of other antioxidants, and also as an acidity regulator. Present in virtually all plants, it was first isolated in 1784 from lemon juice, by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and has been used as a food additive for over 100 years. Used in biscuits, canned fish, cheese and processed cheese products, infant formulas, cake and soup mixes, rye bread, soft drinks, fermented meat products. Damages tooth enamel. Most citric acid is produced from corn, manufacturers do not always take out the protein which can be hydrolysed and create MSG (621) causing reactions in MSG-sensitive people.

One of my allergies is wheat. Although I am sure that this list is not complete these are some of the most commonly found ingredients that can be used in preprepared food in the UK which contain wheat. Obviously anything that includes "something or other Wheat" or "Wheat something or other" should also be avoided.

Beer
Binder/Binding
Bread, Rye
Cereal
Cereal Binders
Cereal Protein
Couscous
Curry Powder
Dextrins
Edible Starch
Farina
Filler
Flour
Food Starch
Fu
Gum Base
Kamut
Lager
Liquorice
Miso
Modified Food Starch
Modified Starch
Monosodium Glutamate MSG
Mustard
Mustard Flour
Noodles
Pasta
Quorn
Rusk
Semolina
Soy Sauce
Special Edible Starch
Spelt
Starch
Suet
Thickener
Thickening
Vegetable Protein

Wheat flour is also commonly used as an anti-caking agent. This is prevalent in Salt & Vinegar Crisp flavouring although I was okay with Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips until I had to avoid Citric Acid too (Citric Acid can be derived from wheat starch or from citrus fruit)

The following are derivatives of wheat starch -

maltodextrin
glucose syrup
dextrose
sorbitol
mannitol
maltitol
xylitol
caramel colour
citric acid

There is a theory bouncing around that when you eat something that your body doesn't like, it produces certain chemicals to help it cope with the invasion. One of these chemicals is adrenalin. This will give you a short term feel-good factor which makes you feel, well, feel good! Sub-conciously you realise this and whenever you are feeling a bit low you will automatically reach for that something to make you feel good.

Unfortunately when you stop eating these feel-good foods you feel really, really down and low. The good news is that once your body has got used to not having them around you feel much much better.

The hard part is the one to two weeks that it takes for your body to work those cravings out.

Simply put, an allergy is when your body over reacts to what should be a harmless substance.

Your body will trigger an immune response to something that shouldn't cause any problems, a bit like when your body creates antibodies to fight off a cold or an infection.

Your body can react in different ways depending on your allergy. You can get itchy eyes, sneezing and a runny nose, as in hayfever. Or you can get welts on your skin similar to nettle rash. Allergic reactions can include asthma, eczema, headaches, lethargy, depression, sore throat, swelling, blistering, abdominal cramping, abdominal bloating, vomiting, diarrhea and potentially fatal anaphylatic shock.

Different people can react to different things. When somebody reacts to many things they are said to have multiple allergies.

I have multiple allergies.