Peanut-Free Treat: Healthy Popsicles!

Peanut-Free Treats.
Healthy Popsicles! 

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon puree (seedless if possible)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 peach or nectarine, diced small
handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Directions:

Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out.

I know some kids still have fruit allergies, but for the child with a peanut allergy or dairy, egg, soy allergy this a perfect desert-like treat!

Food, Skin Allergies on the Rise Among Children: CDC

Food, Skin Allergies on the Rise Among Children: CDC

Reasons aren't known, but researchers found racial, age and income differences

May 2, 2013

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The number of American children who suffer from food and skin allergies has increased dramatically in recent years, a new government report shows.

Interestingly, the prevalence of food and respiratory allergies rose with income: Children living in families that made more than 200 percent of the poverty level had the highest rates, the statistics showed.

"The prevalence of food and skin allergies both increased over the past 14 years," said report co-author LaJeana Howie, from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This has been a consistent trend."

With food allergies, the overall rate went from 3.4 percent in 1997 to 5.1 percent in 2011. With skin allergies, the overall rate increased from 7.4 percent in 1997 to 12.5 percent in 2011. The prevalence of respiratory allergies remained constant, at 17 percent, between 1997 and 2011, although it remained the most common type of allergy affecting children, according to the NCHS report published May 2.

Pediatric allergists noted that they have been seeing the trend in their own practices.

Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, director of allergy and immunology at Miami Children's Hospital, said: "We are certainly seeing increases in food and skin allergy in pediatric patients."

However, why these allergies are on the rise remains a mystery, another expert pointed out.

"We do not know why there has been an increase, but the theories include the 'hygiene hypothesis'; that reduced infection and reduced exposure to germs has left our immune systems 'looking for a fight' and attacking innocent proteins," explained Dr. Scott Sicherer, chief of the division of pediatric allergy and immunology at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

In addition, there are theories about insufficient vitamin D, unhealthy fats in the diet, the obesity epidemic and processed food, none of which have been confirmed with hard science, he noted.

These increases are real, Sicherer added. "They speak to a need for more research toward prevention and cures," he said.

"We and others are undertaking studies to try to better understand the risk factors and opportunities for prevention, while aggressively doing research on multiple means to treat those with food allergies," Sicherer said.

Racial differences did emerge in the data.

The researchers found Hispanic children had the lowest prevalence of food, skin and respiratory allergies, compared with other groups.

And black children were more likely to have skin allergies than white children (17.4 percent versus 12 percent, respectively), but less likely to have respiratory allergies (15.6 percent versus 19.1 percent, respectively).

Age also was a factor in the prevalence of skin and respiratory allergies, the report noted.

With skin allergies, the rate dropped with age: 14.2 percent of those aged 4 and younger had them, while 13.1 percent of those aged 5 to 9, and 10.9 percent of those aged 10 to 17 had them.

The opposite was true for respiratory allergies: 10.8 percent of those aged 4 and younger had them, while 17.4 percent of those aged 5 to 9 and 20.8 percent of those aged 10 to 17 had them.

Last, but not least, there was the income gap.

Among families making less than 100 percent of poverty level, 4.4 percent of those children had food allergies and 14.9 percent had respiratory allergies. Among families making more than 200 percent of poverty level, 5.4 percent of those children had food allergies and 18.3 percent had respiratory allergies.

John Lehr, CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education, added that the report "confirms what we have already known, which is that millions of children are affected by food allergies, and this potentially deadly disease is a serious and growing public health concern. The CDC's report reinforces the need for education and awareness about food allergies across the country."

More information

For more information on childhood allergies, visit the Nemours Foundation.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Additional theories: Parents' Saliva On Pacifiers Could Ward Off Baby's Allergies

Another theory about "Why Allergies?  Why Now?" is that by keeping our babies cleaner than in former generations we are depriving their immune system of icky things like microbes, which babies may need in order to develop more robust immune systems:  

Parents' Saliva On Pacifiers Could Ward Off Baby's Allergies 
by ROB STEIN  (Click link to listen to NPR report)

From NPR:

That word "microbiome" — describing the collection of bacteria that
live in and on our bodies — keeps popping up. This time, researchers
say that children whose parents clean their pacifiers by sucking them
might be less likely to develop allergic conditions because of how
 their parents' saliva changes their microbiomes.

That's the word from a small study of 184 Swedish babies published
 in this week's issue of the journalPediatrics. The researchers found
that the 65 babies whose mother or father sucked on their pacifiers to
 cleanse them were significantly less likely to get eczema and asthma,
 two conditions caused by allergic reactions, than babies whose
parents did not use the cleaning technique.

"This is a really interesting and intriguing observation,"
says Elizabeth Matsui of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center,
who was not involved in the research.

The findings add credence to a growing body of evidence that suggests
 that exposure, or the lack of exposure, to microbes early in life can affect a
child's health by influencing his or her microbiome.

"There's recently been an explosion of interest in the microbiome and how it
might influence many things — but in particular someone's propensity to
develop an allergic disease," Matsui says.

To investigate the role of pacifier cleaning, Bill Hesselmar of the University
of Gothenburg in Sweden and his colleagues analyzed data they had collected
for a broader study about babies' allergies. Among the questions the parents
had answered was what they did when their child's pacifier fell
out of his or her mouth.

"We asked them how they cleaned the pacifier — if they rinsed them in water
— and of course most of them did," Hesselmar says. But a lot of the parents did
something else.

"They put it in their mouth, sucked on it and then gave it back to the children,"
Hesselmar says. "It's a quite common way to clean pacifier."

When the researchers checked to see if there were any differences between
 the kids whose parents sucked their pacifiers clean and those who didn't,
 they found there was. Those whose parents sucked the pacifiers clean
were significantly less likely to have developed eczema at 18 and 36 months
 and less likely to have developed asthma at 18 months, the researchers say.

"Eczema is the best disease to choose [as a marker] if you want to see if
 a young child is becoming allergic," Hesselmar says.

Scientists think that when parents suck their child's pacifier clean, they
 transfer some of the harmless bacteria in their mouths to their child,
Hesselmar says. In fact, the researchers found evidence supporting
that when they analyzed the saliva of the babies in the study.

"We think that these bacteria ... stimulate the immune system,"
Hesselmar says. And that teaches it how to do its job properly,
which includes not overreacting to things like peanuts, pollen and cats,
 he says.

The study adds to a growing body of evidence that lots of kids these days
 may be growing up essentially too clean, Matsui says.

"We are much less likely to be exposed to organisms in water —
parasites, for example — so the idea is there is much less for the
immune system to fight off. So it starts reacting to things that perhaps
it should be ignoring,"Matsui says.

Amanda Sauer, 35, of Washington, D.C., uses a pacifier when her
2-year-old son, Leo, gets fussy. When it falls to the ground she often washes it off.

Sauer's not sure the new research will make her start licking Leo's dirty pacifier.

"Probably not," she says. "But it's more for just the fact that I don't really want
to put a pacifier in my mouth. But sometimes the dog cleans it off for us,
 so maybe that's just as good."

So, Why so many food allergies? Why right now? -- One strong theory? Chemical Pesticides embedded in our food's DNA. Read below:

Rise of Allergies in the National News: But What is the REAL News?

By Zen Honeycut.

In this NBC news story they are talking about food allergies.  They say that there has been a dramatic increase since 1997.

What really is the news is what they are not saying.

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51755274/#51755274

What they are not saying is that:

1997 is the first year of widespread implementation of Roundup Ready soybeans and cotton, in other words GMO soy and cotton. 

Roundup Ready soy, Roundup Ready cotton and BT cotton all sprayed with Roundup,a patented trademark of Monsanto.  

The active chemical ingredient in Roundup is Glyphosate, which chelates, or holds and prevents  the availability of vital nutrients in the soil, plants and grain wherever it is present. Glyphosate chelates manganese, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron etc...all nutrients we need to be healthy and thrive and fight off disease.

Glyphosate is a registered pesticide and patented as an antibiotic with the USPTO 7771736*. It is also a foreign chemical and the body fights foreign invaders. An anaphylatic allergic reaction (swelling of the throat) is the body responding to a foreign invader and trying to keep it out. Peanut allergy is the most common cause of death from a food allergy. 

2007 was the last printed public statement of RoundUp use. 185 million pounds of glyphosate were being sprayed on all kinds of non organic foods at that time. 

It has been reported that the use of pesticides on GMO crops increased 26% in 2008 alone.Roundup is used as a burndown herbicide before planting for conventional crops. It is sprayed directly ON and absorbs into GMO RR soy, cotton and corn. It cannot be washed off.

The real news is that the major rotation crop in cotton growing areas is guess what? Peanuts.

Plant a peanut crop after a RR cotton crop and you have glyphosate residue in the soil that the peanut plant (legume crop) will take up. Glyphosate also causes an increase in opportunistic fungi in the soil which causes plant diseases which cause the development of mold and mycotoxins to be in peanut crops.** To combat that, guess what? They spray the peanut crop with a fungicide. Might there be fungicide residue in the peanuts?

Why would there ever be a problem with allergies? I hope you get the sarcasm here.

The real news is:

How many kids have died from peanut allergies? Are you a parent of a child who has a peanut allergy?

Do you fear for their life like I do? 

If not, did you know that 78% of the children who die from a food allergy never had a severe allergic attack before?

In a neighboring school district the number of kids who need Epi Pens was 750 last year. This year it is 2000.

That is 2000 kids that could die from food. Die. OUR kids! Is there anything more outrageous or horrible???

Why are we permitting corporation profits to be more important than our children's lives?

The REAL story is the hold that Monsanto has on our media. 

We demand NBC and all major media put the health and well being of our nation's children before the call of the almighty dollar from your commercial sponsors. Otherwise the major news will not be what you report but how false the news is that you do report.  The lack of accountability that Monsanto lays claim to will drain the integrity of every person and corporation that associates with, or protects them, by not reporting the truth.

We have access to information and we will share it.

We are Moms and we see the truth right before us.

It's called: Our kids GET BETTER when they GET OFF GMOs.

By, Zen Honeycutt, from Moms Across America To Label GMO's.

CDC Confirms Dramatic Rise In All Allergies In One Generation: NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Transcript Below: NBC NIGHTLY NEWS REPORT ON RISE IN ALLERGIES: MAY 2, 2013

NBC Reporter: "When you think about it, in the space of one american generation, allergies have changed everything, down to the basics like what our kids can bring to school or eat at school. we are talking about food allergies mostly, but also skin allergies. while the cdc research confirms this spike, the cause is still largely a mystery. our report on this tonight from NBC's Anne Thompson."

NBC's Anne Thompson: "She fears her son Lawrence may be part of a puzzling trend. she suspects he has a food allergy."


"He was throwing up, swelling around the face, around the neck. his lips were swelling. he was having labored breathing."


NBC's Anne Thompson: "It's not just food. doctors are hearing more concerns from parents about skin allergies like eczema in children, all part of what the government says is a dramatic rise in allergies in america's kids. in today's report the centers for disease control finds 1 in 20 american kids have food allergies. a 50% increase from 1997 to 2011. 1 in 12 have skin allergies, nearly 69% more."


"I don't think we know the absolute one reason why it's increasing. if you have a genetic family history those patients are at higher risk for developing food allergies or eczema."


NBC's Anne Thompson: "Some doctors suggest kids are growing up in homes so clean from anti-bacterial cleaners. the study also confirms what parents already see, that allergies change as children grow up. skin allergies become less common but older kids develop respiratory allergies. 21% of children between the ages of 10 and 17 reporting problems like hay fever. allergy alert dog c.c. is reilly's best friend. C.C. is trained to sniff out eggs and peanuts. Reilly is severely allergic to both. we met her in 2008."


"If Reilly ever comes into contact with peanuts, we have probably five to ten minutes to make sure she has medical attention or she will stop breathing and die."


NBC's Anne Thompson: "Today C.C. along with epipens and medicine help reilly live a normal life. her mom, Sherry, can relax a little. trying to make sure allergies are less of an obstacle. Anne Thompson, NBC News, Washington."

Restaurants not good for peanut allergic people: FIVE GUYS Burgers and fries

FIVE GUYS cooks their food in 100% peanut oil.

(From the Five Guys website)

Peanuts and Peanut allergy questions

Q: What type of peanut oil does Five Guys use?

A: We use 100% peanut oil that is refined and contains only enough preservatives (less than .004%, so that the oil doesn't foam when we put our fries in!)

Q: Why can't we take peanuts outside?

A: Although it is rare that a casual encounter with peanuts will cause an allergic reaction, we want to limit the risk of someone unknowingly coming into contact with peanuts.

Q: If so many people are allergic to peanuts, why does Five Guys continue to offer them?

A: Over the past 20 years, peanuts have become part of the Five Guys identity. We by no means want to exclude guests from our store, but at the same time we would not want to disappoint our peanut eating guests. We make sure that we have signage on our doors and in our restaurants about the fact that we serve peanuts in bulk containers as we would never want someone to risk their health by coming into our restaurants.

Direct from their own website

Public Schools and Banning Peanuts: What Can Kids Still Eat?

I found a nice article about this very timely peanuts-in-schools issue here:

Really quickly: I have to say that there are delicious alternatives to peanut butter, such as soy nut butter and turkey and hummus and cheese sticks among many other protein sources!

I will work on our preferred list of yummy lunch treats, too!

-- Louise


by Whit Honea on 08.25.11

Public Schools Banning Peanuts: What Can Kids Still Eat?

Share your edible alternatives to peanut butter and other things that taste good

Remember when nuts were everywhere? No, not people that are nuts, those have apparently increased in number over the years, but actual nuts.


What was once a minor disappointment on a random flight has suddenly become a major player in the day-to-day life of many families across the country -- many decent, hard-working, peanut-loving families. It seems that peanuts are no longer welcome in polite society.


Due to the rise in reported peanut allergies, many public schools are officially going peanut-free, and with that so to goes the lunchtime classic and fallback staple, peanut butter and jelly. That's right, peanut butter is going the way of other fun things that were once considered socially acceptable, like smoking and fanny packs.


As a child I had some fairly severe allergies, and to this day I can't eat walnuts, cucumbers or a number of melons without my throat feeling like it was snaked with poison ivy. Food allergies are not fun.


But they're catching on!


It seems that everything from lactose intolerance to gluten and peanut allergies are all the rage. Even the cool kids are doing it.

Bottom line, it is no longer peanut butter jelly time, which may be the best thing to come out of this.


While the question of banning peanuts from public schools has, in some cases, been the subject of heated debate, I'll go on record as stating that I don't have a problem with schools banning peanuts (ours has). I'm a firm believer in the health of a child being more important than my lack of creativity in the kitchen, and we've been able to find some tasty alternatives in the Trader Joe's aisle of our local Trader Joe's. For instance, sunflower butter is actually good. Who knew? But I'd like to have a few more options.


Which leads me to the question at hand. Is your child's school peanut-free, and if so, what fun, different and/or nutritious recipes do you use to adjust their healthy lunches accordingly?

Thanks to Whit Honea for writing this great article.

NUT ALLERGY SUFFERERS FACE PREJUDICE – NEW STUDY

NUT ALLERGY SUFFERERS FACE PREJUDICE – NEW STUDY Life-threatening nut allergies viewed as ‘frivolous and self  indulgent fad’ Los Angeles, CA (August 16th, 2011) – Parents of nut-allergy sufferers face hostility and scepticism in trying to find safe environments for their children, a new study has found. Researchers found that parents are routinely made to feel by friends and even family that their child’s nut allergy is a ‘frivolous and self indulgent fad invented and maintained by attention-seeking people.’ Children in the study described how they were bullied by classmates saying, “I’ve got nuts and I’m gonna touch you!”  The research by a team from the University of Leicester, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the Children’s Allergy Clinic at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has found that children suffering from potentially deadly nut allergies often struggle with negative attitudes and unhelpful food labelling. Funded by Midlands Asthma and Allergy Research Association (MAARA), the researchers interviewed 26 families about the techniques and strategies they use to cope in various situations. Their findings, published in the journal Chronic Illness, point to a need to raise awareness of the dangers associated with nut allergy. Professor Mary Dixon-Woods from the University of Leicester Department of Health Sciences said: “Nut allergy was a frightening experience for most families. One mother described how her son’s eyes “swelled up completely so you could hardly see his pupils.,” .  This child, like many others in the study, had to be rushed to hospital after his first reaction. Parents in the study described taking multiple precautions to ensure their child was safe, including creating nut-free environments at home. But when they tried to get others to cooperate in keeping their child safe from nuts, they could encounter hostility and scepticism. “People’s approaches ranged from scepticism, disbelief and in some cases complete lack of care, which could put the child in danger,” said author Dr Emma Pitchforth.  One parent said receiving birthday party invitations was a “nightmare” because other children’s parents think nut allergy “is a bit faddy,” and don’t realize it can be life-threatening.  Other parents described incidents where they suspected that people – including family and friends – had deliberately given their child nuts to test if the allergy was real.  Nut allergy was a source of ongoing anxiety for families, who can find themselves socially isolated and excluded. “Families felt they could never fully rely on anyone, including friends and relatives”, said Janet Willars, who interviewed the families. “Despite their best intentions, friends and families were not always able to give full attention to the child’s safe-keeping.” Vague packaging on foods and uninformed service staff at some restaurants and supermarkets all added to families’ problems. It was sometimes so hard to find out whether food contained nuts that families resorted to cooking every meal from scratch and never eating out or accepting invitations to social occasions, say the researchers. The research team includes Dr David Luyt, a consultant who diagnoses and treats children with allergies in Leicester. He recommends better public education about the dangers of nut allergy. “These parents and children see a society that is willing and able to accommodate vegetarians and many others with dietary restrictions, but not them,” he said. “This research is a wake-up call for improvement in food production and labelling to help families and children maintain a safe environment and reduce stress and difficulties,” he added. # # # A qualitative study of families of a child with a nut allergy by Emma Pitchforth, Simon Weaver, Janet Willars, Emilia Wawrzkowicz, David Luyt and  Mary Dixon-Woods is published today, 16th August, in Chronic Illness published by SAGE.

Severe peanut allergy keeps 4-year-old at home, but now has a peanut-sniffing dog to help her.

August 23, 2011

OC event works to give girl ‘freedom’

Severe peanut allergy keeps 4-year-old at home

Mark SchlachtenhaufenThe Edmond Sun

EDMOND — Spunky little 4-year-old Virginia Matlack — “I just Ginny,” she asserts if you call her Virginia — is a girl in a veritable bubble.

Ginny suffers from a peanut allergy, one of the most common causes of death due to food allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Reactions can be extremely violent and life-threatening with just a little exposure to the allergen, and this type of allergy is likely to persist throughout life.

Becky Matlack said despite taking safety measures, her daughter averages two severe reactions a year, with ambulance rides, trips to the ER and stays in the hospital.


For the time being, out of fear for her safety, Ginny is confined to the family’s home, Matlack said. Earlier this year, a severe reaction led to a trip to the ER and a two-day hospital stay.


In a family video, Ginny says she likes to go to places like the circus, a carnival or church.


“But, I can’t anymore.” “Why not?” her father asks her. “Cause I allergic to peanuts. So mommy don’t bring me to those places anymore. Nope!”


Ginny’s mom said the family is scheduled to pick up a highly trained peanut-sniffing service dog named Geo for Ginny in October. The dog will cost $20,000; the family has raised about $6,000 toward that goal.


To help the family, Acappella, a vocal group associated with Oklahoma Christian University, will present a benefit concert for Ginny at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 in Hardeman Auditorium on the OC campus, 2501 E. Memorial Road.


Ginny’s story touched the hearts of Wes McKinzie and other group members. Additionally, the Matlacks attend a metro Church of Christ and Ginny’s dad, Roy Matlack, attended OC.


“It’s just astounding what kind of limitations she has,” McKinzie said. “It definitely makes you appreciate the blessings we receive.”


“It’s an important need,” McKinzie said of the allergy service dog. “Our community needs to band together and support this little girl and improve her quality of life.”


Becky Matlack said the journey of Ginny’s allergies started when she was 18 months old and ate her first scrambled egg. She started getting hives all over and Becky rushed her to the family physician who got things under control with medicine. The doctor advised the family to take Ginny to an allergist.


Little did the family know she was even more allergic to peanuts, Matlack said. They were told to never give Ginny peanuts and to strictly avoid them.


As time passed, Ginny became even more allergic to peanuts, so much so she is now off the charts, Matlack said. Even something as simple as a child walking by with an open package of peanut butter crackers can send her into a reaction with the results being an illness lasting several weeks.


“With her getting older she is starting to understand that she is being excluded and it makes her very sad,” Matlack said. “We hope to broaden her world again by getting her an allergy alert dog so that she can enjoy something as simple as going to church.”


Roy Matlack said Ginny is a typical little girl who is loving and caring, enjoys playing with dolls and doing hair on dolls — and family members, including him. He said she already has a heart for Jesus, and she begs to go with the family to church on Sunday mornings.


“She loves to sing, ‘Jesus Loves Me,’” he said.


Matlack said the fact that Acappella is performing a benefit concert for his family is tremendous. The importance of raising the remaining funds for his little girl is immeasurable.


“My little girl will have the freedom she never had,” he said.


Additionally, the family is very appreciative of those who have already contributed to the cause, and for all the prayers that have been offered on her behalf, Matlack said.

ALLERGY SERVICE DOGS

Ginny’s service dog Geo is a Labradoodle trained by Angel Service Dogs, Inc., of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Angel Service Dogs are trained by master handlers above the standards set by the Americans With Disabilities Act, according to information posted on the organization’s Web site (www.angel

servicedogs.com). Additionally, they are trained to do specific tasks their human companion needs due to living with life-threatening allergies.

Dog candidates are carefully bred, selected, tested and screened for health, temperament and characteristics that will allow them to be both a working dog and a family companion.

Angel Service Dogs works with the companion’s allergist to select a breed that is right for them. These breeds include Labradoodles and Portuguese water dogs. They rarely shed and are relatively dander free.

Other breeds being trained include German shorthair retrievers, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers.



marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108

Why this "Peanut-Free Mom" loves Debra Jones-O'Brien

Her name, at least I think it's her name, is "Debra Jones-O'Brien" and she goes by "PeanutFreeMom" on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/#!/PeanutFreeMom
Debra Jones-O'Brien A.K.A "PeanutFreeMom"

Her posts are bitingly funny and most of the time making fun of some of us peanut-free mothers out there.

Does it anger me?  In theory it does.  I don't like anyone making fun of something dear to my heart, but, not after I read "her" tweets.  Now I get it.  

These tweets really are funny.   And if I ever sound as pretentious and full of hot air as Jones-O'Brien does, then just shoot me.

My feeing is this:  Real comedy is close to the bone and, guess what?  Some of us deserve this kind of satire.  

Why?  Because some Peanut-Free Moms out there are just plain ruining it for those of us who are trying to get things done without alienating the rest of the world.  

I'm sorry to say that some of the things I've heard at support group meetings regarding food allergies did make me cringe as does what I hear from moms who care nothing about food allergies.  You know the ones.  The moms who frequent Whole Foods and only dress their babies in organic cotton or only have their kids play with "wooden" toys, not plastic ones.  These are the moms I want to strangle.  And I think that's what this comic is satirizing.  

Hello?  I shop at 99 Cent Store and Big Lots.  Why?  IT IS CHEAPER.  That's why.  I realize admitting this will mean I will be told that if I bought organic produce my kids might not be so allergic.  To that I say, "Feh!" And I'm not even jewish.

I don't know.  For some reason food related issues really do bring out the jerk in some of us.

Why is that?

And it's really easy to make fun of people who are terrified that a fun food could actually make our kid die on the spot.  That sucks, frankly, so I really hope that Debra Jones-O'Brien isn't poking fun at the kind of anxiety that this kind of life produces.  But, I don't think "she" is.  I think she's poking fun at our taking ourselves so seriously.

But, you tell me.  Read some of her tweets here:

"Caleb's counselor said she goes to MassBay Community College. Um yeah, hi, community college isn't a real college, but good for you."

"I have nothing against gay people, but I honestly think some of them are just out to be troublemakers."

"Video Games are toys with no artistic or intellectual merit whatsoever. Grow up."

"Anyone over the age of 17 that still plays video games must be developmentally disabled."

"Parenting Tip: Tattoos + piercings + drugs = Dead at 27."

"So Gluten Free menus are acceptable in restaurants, but a Peanut Free menu is simply asking too much? Ridiculous."

"Every gas station should be full service. Um yeah, I'm a college graduate, I shouldn't have to pump my own gas."

"Just saw a man with one arm use the handicapped space at Whole Foods. Um yeah, hi, your legs work fine."

"Parenting Tip: Caffeine is a gateway drug. Avoid Coca-Cola products and Coffee flavored Ice Cream."

"'Hell', 'Damn', and 'Ass' are ALL curse words worthy of a time-out. Any parent who doesn't agree is encouraging needless vulgarity."

"In many ways peanut and tree nut allergies are far more serious than AIDS."

"If you expose a child afflicted by food allergies to their allergen (even by accident) you should be fined or possibly face jail time."

"Unlike nut allergies, dairy allergies are really blown out of proportion by over protective mothers."

Yes, food allergy issues are dear to my heart.  Peanut-Allergy issues mean the world to most of us who follow this topic online, but sometimes, just sometimes, SOME of us become so obsessed  with what our food-allergic rights are that we can become too dismissive about the real world.  This is what this twitter comedy is poking fun at.  Debra Jones-O'Brien's tone is very revealing for us, here.  We can learn from this.

Do I still want to hit the jerks who despise us Peanut-Free Moms and care nothing about the safety of my kids?  Sure.

I'd love to slap Joel Stein, Rush Limbaugh in the face with a large sock filled with wet horse manure, ASAP.

But, that's because they say things that really are callous, offensive and dismissive.  Like kids with peanut allergies should just hurry up and die already.  Or any parent who tries to make changes in a school for their food allergic child is 100% wrong.  We're not wrong to keep our kids safe, but we do have to be sensitive and gentle with how we approach this.

Do I agree with the tone of some of "her" more absurd comments?  Of course not!  I think they're a hilarious commentary on idiots in general.  This is comedy.  And in comedy nothing is sacred.

So, Peanut-Free moms:  Check out  and try to see why this is funny.  Remember how important it is that we not make life worse for those of us trying to make some changes in our the world sees us.

The truth is:  We are always so much more than just a "peanut-mom:"

For instance, I shop at bargain stores.  Sometimes I like to watch crappy TV.  I adore Larry David.  I am a former actress, a writer, a theater arts teacher, my kids do things that drive me nuts (?) they also do things that I can't quite get my brain around yet, like model, which I still can't fathom.  But I am also a big-time goof ball.  Yep.  I'm a dork.  And somehow, I have found myself to be the unlikely champion of this Peanut-Allergy cause.

How'd that happen?   I'm still asking myself that one.  But, here I am.  So, this is me.  ME, trying to do that.

Sometimes I take things seriously and fight the good fight but if I ever come off sounding as pretentious and dismissive as "Debra Jones-O'Brien" then please, just shoot me.

Face it.  "She's" (Is "she" even a "she?")  irreverent, funny and offers us a great deal of peanut-free food for thought about how not to go through life.

http://twitter.com/#!/PeanutFreeMom
Debra Jones-O'Brien A.K.A "PeanutFreeMom"