Tuesday, December 22, 2009


By this time, we most probably have already attended half a dozen Christmas dinners and have officially thrown our diet out of the window. Dining out is always fun to do! This is a perfect opportunity for us to try out the different delicious dishes out there and of course, this is the time for us to unwind and bond with our loved ones.

One thing that keeps us from enjoying such gastronomic feast is ALLERGY. The type that will leave your itching and scratching with ugly red blotches simply by just taking in a food that is not received well by your body.

According to Wikipedia, the most common food allergies are shellfish, peanuts, fish, and eggs. One's allergy can range from mild itching to shortness of breath or even death. This is definitely one thing that we all should give importance too particularly when preparing a meal for your guests.

DELeting the Allergy!

With more and more people having different types of skin allergies, home care brands such as Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener made sure that their product is safe for both kids and adults. Its skin-friendly formula has a mild scent and does not contain any artificial colorants which leaves the skin safe from allergies.

To make your Christmas a happy, allergy-free one, we're giving away THREE limited edition DEL Hypoallergenic Kit!

The rules are simple..
1) Leave a comment and tell me your never-fail hypoallergenic food tip. Taking soy milk instead of the regular kind to prevent milk allergies.

2) Include your name and email address so I can immediately inform you as soon as we have chosen the three lucky readers!

3) Enjoy!!! :)

This contest will run from December 23 - December 31, 2009!

Happy Holidays everyone!!


  1. Hi Fran. The most important thing is to know the food allergies of my kid/s. That is easily determined by thorough skin tests done by an allercologist. But once I know that, the next important tip is to spend time reading the food labels when shopping. I would scan the ingredients to ensure that none of the food my kids react to are in the stuff I buy. I have read about children who either die or get critical allergic reactions just because they ingested small amounts of peanuts in candy bars or in other food. A simple discipline like taking time to read food labels may take up more of my time but I avoid more costly medicines or worse, more grave consequences to my kids.

  2. I used to have chronic allergic reaction towards shellfish, chicken and fish when I was in high school. It was a terrible time for me. It took me a while to know what I was allergic of because I didn't care about what I ate until the doc told me to jot everything I take in and take note of whatever allergic reactions. I did and I made sure I take those culprits off my diet and this helped keep allergic attacks at bay. :-)

  3. I have allergies with shrimps and crabs. So before i eat anything, i make sure to scan the description of the entree or ask the serving staff if this food contains anything that has shells. I always ask if the pancit, siomai, dimsum, fried rice, etc (common food served in a chinese banquet or party) contains the dreaded 2 ingredients. This way, i dont have to suffer endless itching, watery eyes and overall discomfort


    joyceongco at yahoo dot com

  4. I had experiences with food allergies and with that I learned to be smart in making sure that they are hypoallergenic or would not trigger reactions such as itchiness and other discomforts. With this, whenever I cook or go out, I am limited to certain foods only. However, I thought that to still enjoy eating, I would try different recipes and try different restaurants that would also offer alternative dishes. However, it would always be helpful to keep handy some anti-histamine tablets just to be sure.

    florencio jusay jr

  5. I have allergy! I sometimes wish that it will just go away.

    If theres a party esp during xmas.... i take Anti histamine before going to the party so that i am protected even before i will attend.

    i am not sure of what the ingredients is to foods so prevention is better than medication.... takings meds prior is my never fail food tip =P

    merlinda b. little

  6. A simple tip yet a very effective one:

    It is important for food allergy people (like me) to CAREFULLY read food labels.

    Inspirational Quote for this post: "Looks can be deceiving!"

    Happy holidays everyone!!! ^_^

  7. A simple tip yet a very effective one:



    Happy holidays everyone!!! ^_^

    Lowell Aguirre

  8. Hello Fran :)

    Merry Christmas :)

    Many from my family have allergies, most especially food allergies so everytime we eat, we make sure that the foods to be eaten does not contain ingredients that they may be allergic with.

    If one member of the family still doesn't know or have an history of allergy then suddenly gets allergic, we take note of the foods eaten and avoid it in the future :)

    It's right, looks can be deceiving! DELICIOUS YET DANGEROUS :)

    Merry Christmas :)

    May God bless you!

    Helen Festin


  10. If you are allergic to peanut and has a recipe that requires it (like peanut butter), you can replace it with soy nut (soy nut butter).

    Bagel T. Betorin

  11. If you're allergic to something, tell your family, relatives and friends that you are allergic to eat those. Like me, I'm allergic to seafood. I let every people around me even my officemates, colleagues, bosses, even kids at home that I'm allergic to those and I also tell them the antidote. So if something happens, we all know what to do and how to handle it. Through that, we also avoid to eat at restos that serve any seafood.

    Information dissemination is the key. Telling them before hand will help you and help them to know about you and your condition. It will also lessen some issues na sasabihin nilang "ang arte mo naman, bakit di ka kumakain nito ng ganyan..." I've gone through those things.

    So by this, they will understand you more...

    may ann saturno

  12. Hi! Ms. Fran, my youngest brother has an allergy when he's still young and we are so worried what's trigger his allergy so we have to list down every food he take & then we found out that he get's allergic to milk products.

    Here are some hypoallergenic food tips:

    1. if you don't know what trigger your allergy, list down every food you eat, read food lables too.

    2. Tell the cook or the party host, so they will knew that you have allergies to certain food.

    3. If symptoms occur give liquid antihistamine like Benadryl or a shot of epinephrine

    4. If you're allergic to common peanut butters try SunGold SunButter™ bcoz it's made from sunflower seed or Natural Sunbutter or Golden Pea Butter.

    5. if you're allergic to eggs try to substitute it with "1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 tablespoon liquid + 1 tablespoon vinegar" or "1 tablespoon pureed fruit such as apricots or bananas"

    6. For milks try Rice Milk or Nut Milk or Soy Milks as alternatives


    jay.elx at gmaildotcom

  13. This is my hypoallergenic food tip when you are a mother who has just given birth or about to give birth: Breastfeed your baby as much as you can.



  15. It is important to KNOW what you are allergic to, and to take your family history into consideration.

    My dad is allergic to alcohol and shellfish. Growing up, I noticed that I'd get a very scratchy throat and my lips would feel like they were burning when I'd ingest any shrimp or crab. When the time came that I was already going out with friends for beers and drinks, I noticed that I'd get rashes all over. I inherited his intolerance to alcohol as well.

    Knowing these things, I determined my tolerance by limiting my intake. I now know that I can tolerate two crab claws or a large prawn without reacting... or a few sips of cocktails at best. If you're sensitive, it's also good to have some anti-allergy medication like claritin or zyrtec in your bag for emergencies.

    My little girl got skin allergy just before christmas. I discovered that by applying propolis to the affected area, the itching is relieved and the rashes are minimized without having to resort to steroid ointments. Propolis is all natural so it wasn't scary to use, whereas steroid ointments can only be used for a short time in limited amounts.

    When in doubt, consult a professional like an allercologist or dermatologist.

  16. I always bring claritin with mtonoe

  17. i always bring claritin with me

  18. We're fortunate enough that our family doesn't have to deal with food allergies anymore. It is only during our younger years when a sibling have to deal with her allergy on chicken and bagoong. It is only through limiting those intake that she had managed to live away from the allergy.

    The most important thing in dealing with food allergies is to check the label when buying food in the groceries. When dining out, do not rely on the menus alone. You can often ask the server the ingredients that the sauces or the dish have.

    cza (dot) roman at yahoo(dot)com

  19. If you have food allergy and you need to travel, always check on the airline before your flight. There are airline allergy policies and some airlines also avoid serving peanuts on their flights due to a number of people allergic to peanuts. zpider_m[at]msn[dot]com

  20. We love seafood, my wife and I, but she gets allergies whenever we eat it, but sometimes if we don't, I guess she really has sensitive skin, so we try to make the most of the food that she can take....

    that's why Peking Duck!!!!

    Oh no my cholesterol level just shoot up!!!

    Happy holidays!!!


  21. My son's pedia told me that many of the most common food allergens are often found in prepared and packaged foods. Even if you've already determined a food to be "safe" by carefully reading its label, we should know that labels change without warning and with those changes could come ingredients that you are avoiding.

    With a lot of new flavors and add-ons on our favorite food products coming these days, it would be best to check the label if there are new ingredients just to make sure that what you'll about to eat or give to your kids are really safe.

  22. It pays to check the label!...and claritin or benadryl allerge will always come in handy...just in case! =)
    Joy Mesina-Bahia

  23. Food allergies are the WORST! Especially if you're not allergic to anything YET you get the allergy bug! My tip is to ALWAYS bring an allergy meds like CELESTAMINE with you everyday. Place it in your everyday bag and in your travel meds kit. You'll never know when you need it! That is what I do

    Didi Tang
    candishhh at yahoo dot com

  24. Don't Be Afraid To Ask.

    In restaurant dining, never be afraid or embarrased to ask the server/waiter for the ingredients of the dish you are about to order. You may also tell them ahead the specific food allergies you have.

    It's better to be safe than sorry. Happy dining!

  25. It really helps to bring around anti-allergy medicines so I can still indulge myself in eating my favourite foods without having to suffer the repercussions. Why deprive myself when I can handle my allergy with meds? ;-)


  26. I have allergy on dust and pollution and so it's a must for me to always have wet ones (tissue) to carry. It cleans and refreshes me even on the go.


  27. My never-fail hypoallergenic food tip is to ASK, ASK, ASK!

    If you're unsure about the ingredients in a dish, ask the server, so you don't end up ingesting something that might make you blow up. If you're hosting a party, ask attendees beforehand if any of them have any food allergies. You don't want a guest to suddenly stop breathing, do you?

    Denise Go

  28. always and never fail to read the ingredients before eating or using anything

    Leilani Cruz

  29. My son got a lot of allergies and the best way for me to know if he is eating the right foodies is taste it first,check the ingredients and always bring his anti-allergy meds

  30. the BESTest way to avoid having allergies caused by foods is not to eat that food at all. That simple.i should know because I myself is allergic to shrimp,crab,anchovy,eggs,mayonnaise,ICECREAM (and other dairy products) But sometimes it´s so tempting that i ate a bit but guess what? After i ate them, i would just tell myself i shouldn´t have eaten those foods.Result: itchiness, mouth sore,fever...

    Mars Mercado

  31. The thing to put in mind is ALWAYS.
    ALWAYS bring claritin or benadryl for emergency allergy attacks
    ALWAYS check / ask the food you are eating even if its the micro ingredients.
    ALWAYS have a regular check up for allergies with your doctor

    Jagger Camungay

  32. thanks to all those who joined this contest! closing it now :)

    watch out for my announcement for the winners!!

    happy new year!


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