food allergies

Hollywood's bright light has been very good to Holly Robinson Peete, having starred in two highly successful television series and finishing as runner-up on last season's Celebrity Apprentice. But that doesn't mean the actress, who currently co-hosts The Talk on CBS, hasn't had her own fair share of parenting scares.

After her then-3-year-old son Rodney was diagnosed with autism, she had him tested for food allergies to adjust his diet. Little did she know they'd discover a severe peanut allergy. Now, all four of her kids — Ryan and Rodney Jr., 14, Robinson, 9, and Roman, 6 — have been diagnosed with food allergies, and the hot mama knows a thing or two about anaphylaxis. Holly spoke with me about living with deadly food allergies and how families can cope with the diagnosis.

LilSugar: Have you ever experienced an anaphylactic reaction, and did you respond the way you thought you would?
Holly Robinson Peete: Yeah, it was a crazy moment. I went a little nuts and then I calmed down. I tried to remember everything that I had been taught. I've had two situations. One was out of the country with my younger son who has a severe dairy allergy and the other was at Thanksgiving. Thankfully, both times I had access to my EpiPens, because otherwise — gosh I don't even want to think about what would have happened. I didn't have [a pen] at my mom’s house, but, thankfully, I live close enough that I was able to run and get it. I learned you need to have them everywhere your kids are going to be. Especially grandma and grandpa's house.

LS: When do you think parents should start teaching their tots about their allergy and how?
HRP: Well, every parent has to do it their own way. My particular way was, as soon as they could talk, they had to learn what foods they needed to be avoiding, really trying to explain the seriousness of their allergies, trying to explain to them what anaphalaxis is (you should hear my 3-year-old saying anaphylaxis, it's hilarious!), and not being afraid of saying the word death — that it is a deadly situation. I think all parents have different ways of talking about that. For me, it works being open and honest about it. What I found, we would go to birthday parties and things and they would be going "uh – does that have dairy in it? Does that have peanuts?"

Keep reading to see what Holly's tips for helping kids feel normal with their diagnoses and how to handle birthday parties.

Having a sensitivity to gluten, eggs, and dairy can make baking tricky since eggs, flour, butter, and milk are required in most recipes. Guess what? You can substitute gluten, eggs, and dairy with other ingredients that work the same way and are often healthier! Even if you don't have an allergy, it's good to know these tricks of the baking trade, so if you're out of eggs you can substitute in something else that you happen to have on hand.

• Milk: If a recipe calls for milk, you can almost always get away with using soy, almond, or rice milk. I find that soy milk is the best option because it has the thickest consistency of the three. The amount you use is the exact same. For example, if a recipe calls for one cup of regular milk, use one cup of soy milk. For a butter substitute while baking, you can use canola oil or Earth Balance. For each cup of butter, use 10 tablespoons of canola oil, but Earth Balance can be used measure for measure. Also, be sure to increase your egg content by 25 percent if you do sub in oil instead of butter.
• Eggs: Half of a mashed ripe banana with 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder can be used in replacement of an egg. You can also use one tablespoon of powdered flaxseed soaked in three tablespoons of water.
• Wheat Flour: People often think that they can swap out wheat flour with brown rice flour or almond flour in recipes, but that isn't the case, since these flours still require some sort of bonding agent. If you can't get your hands on something like Arrowhead Mills' gluten-free all purpose baking mix, then you can make your own wheat-free flour by mixing together one-part soy flour, one-part tapioca flour, and two-parts brown rice flour.

Food allergies can be hard to live with. Between reading every ingredient list at the supermarket and being extra careful at restaurants, eating can get complicated. FitSugar reader Mandygm tells us how life has changed since she first found out she had food allergies on her OnSugar blog Allergy A-Go-Go.

I am watching and listening to the rain fall and wind gust between claps of thunder right now. The power has flickered off a few times now. My first severe allergic reaction occurred in a storm just like this one five years ago. In order to have an allergy to a food, you must eat it or be exposed to it at least once. The day before my first allergic reaction I tried sugar snap peas for the first time. The next day I couldn't stop eating sugar snap peas. I loved them — for a short time. Then my mouth, lips, and throat started to itch. My eyes swelled up and watered like I was sobbing. I was sneezing, and my nose and eyes were really itchy. I started vomiting right when the power went out during the storm. A year later, I was enjoying Ethel M chocolates — the almond coated toffee variety to be exact. My lips swelled up Angelina Jolie-style and my throat was really itchy. Shortly after this, I went to the allergist, and discovered that I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, soy, peas, and environmental allergies I already knew about.

Read about how Mandygm copes with her allergies after the break.

The incidence of food allergies among young children is showing no signs of slowing down. A new study finds that eight percent of US children under 18 have at least one food allergy, and 39 percent have had a severe reaction. As more families find themselves removing peanuts, milk, and shellfish (the most common food allergens) from their home, boost your knowledge on the subject and see what you need to know about this growing epidemic.

Do You Know Your Food Allergies?	Food Challenges For Testing Allergies	Facts About EpiPens
Understanding Food Allergies	Accommodating Classmates' Allergies	Birth Order Linked to Food Allergies

• Which Shake Shack makes the best burger? — A Hamburger Today
• How eating at home can save your life. — Huffington Post Food
• Prohibition is the wrong way to improve a child's nutrition. — The Atlantic
• Chef Michael White has officially split with his longtime restaurant partner, Chris Cannon. — Eater NY
• Gael Greene wonders, doesn't anybody care about Craig Claiborne anymore? — Grub Street NY
• Think you have a food allergy? You might want to double check that it's real. — The New York Times
• The oldest winery in the world has been discovered in Armenia. — Wall Street Journal
• Take a virtual tour of Momofuku Milk Bar's new Brooklyn facility. — The Feast
• Pantry find: Martha Stewart's two-in-one parchment paper foil. — The Kitchn

Source: Flickr User Simon Doggett