814-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 30, 1998
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LEESPORT (Berks Co.) —One
out of three people believes he or
she has a food allergy, yet only
about one percent of adults suffer
from a true food allergy,” said
Brenda Daelhousen.
She is a registered dietitian who
led a workshop on food allergies
and food intolerance at the Penn
State Berks Extension office last
week.
Food allergies can be life
threatening. The most severe type
of food allergy reaction is called
anaphylaxis, a reaction that can
occur within moments after eating
the offending food, and typically
involves several parts of the body.
Symptoms may include hives, dif
ficulty breathing, and loss of con
sciousness. Without immediate
medical attention, death may
occur.
Foods that are more prone to
cause anaphylaxis in some people
are peanuts, nuts, eggs, and shell
fish.
Daelhousen said that it is impor
tant to have symptoms evaluated
and diagnosed by a board-certified
allergist Diagnosis is difficult
The only way to manage a true
allergy is to eliminate the food
from die diet In that case, a regis
tered dietitian is often needed to
help manage a. diet in order to
ensure adequate nutrition.
Fortunately, most food allergies
are not life threatening, but they
may cause nasal congestion, asth
ma, nausea, diarrhea, and gas.
Even if those symptoms are evi
dent it doesn’t prove you have a
food allergy. Digestive and other
physical conditions can mimic
food allergy symptoms. An
enzyme deficiency, such as when
the body cannot digest lactose (a
milk sugar) often produces symp
toms of gas, cramps, and bloating,
but this is not an allergy but a food
intolerance.
Food intolerances an; rarely life
threatening. Special diets may be
required.
Individuals allergic to gluten
need to avoid all foods containing
wheat, barley, rye, and oats.
Celiac diseas is a genetic disor
der in which the body cannot tol
erate gliadin, the protein compo
nent of the gluten in wheat, barley,
rye, and oats.
It is important to identify what
grain is used when modified food
starch is listed as an ingredient on
the label.
Food additives are rarely linked
with food intolerance reactions. In
a few cases, a preservative sulfite
is known to be dangerous for
severe asthmatics.
Many people who believe they
are allergic to dairy products are
not
That doesn’t mean they don’t
have any unpleasant symptoms.
They may be lactose intolerant
“Lactose intolerance r caused
by an inability to properly digest
the natural sugar lactose, which is
found in milk and milk products,”
said Daelhousen.
Although about one in four
Americans suffer some degree of
lactose intolerance, there are a lot
of people who believe they are
intolerant to dairy products who
are not
Studies show that most lactose
intolerant individuals can con
sume small servings of dairy pro
ducts without experiencing
discomfort.
Allergies And Food Intolerances
Not As Common As Believed
The following is suggested.
• Drink milk in servings of one
cup or less.
• Try hard cheeses that are low
in lactose, like Cheddar.
• Drink milk with a meal or with
other foods.
• Try yogurt with active
cultures.
Substitute lactose-reduced dairy
products, such as nonfat, low-fat,
and calcium-fortified milk, cottage
cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, for
regular dairy products.
• Take lactase enzyme tablets
before eating or with dairy
products.
• Add lactase enzyme drops to
regular milk.
Children with one allergic
parent have about twice the risk of
developing food allergy than
children without allergic parents.
If both parents are alleigic, a child
is about four times more likely to
develop a food allergy than if
neither parent is allergic.
Many children with food aller
gies also show sensitivities to
inhaled allergens such as dust, cat
and pollen or may develop aller
gies later in life. In addition, adults
who develop food allergies often
have histories of respiratory aller
gies such as allergic nasal symp
toms or asthma.
Some of the following organiza
tions can provide additional infor
mation on food allergies.
• The Food Allergy Network,
10400 Eaton Place, Suite 107,
Fairfax, VA 22030-2208.
• The American Dietetic Asso
caiton, 216 W. Jackson Boulevard,
Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.
• National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Disease, Building
31,7 A-50, 31 Center Drive, MSC
2520, Bethesda, MD 20892-2520.
For more information about
nutrition or for a referral to a regis
tered dietitian in your area, call the
Consumer Nutrition Hot Line at
1-800-366-1655.
The Southeast Dairy Associa
tion provides these recipes for
those with lactose intolerance.
Even if you do not have a food
intolerance, you can enjoy these
recipes.
ITALIAN STYLE
LETTUCE WEDGES
2 cups plain yogurt
Vi cup grated Parmesan cheese
'A cup finely chopped fresh
parsley
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
'A teaspoon salt
8 iceberg lettuce wedges
8 pimicnto stuffed olives
Combine yogurt, Parmesan
cheese, parsley, onion, garlic, and
salt for salad dressing. Spoon over
lettuce wedges. Garnish each serv
ing with an olive on a wooden
pick.
MIXED FRUIT
WITH CINNAMON
YOGURT SAUCE
g-ounces vanilla-flavored
yogurt
1 tablespoon confectioners’
sugar
'A teaspoon cinnamon
Fresh pineapple wedges
Sliced fresh strawberries
Green seedless grapes
Fresh sliced peaches
Combine yogurt sugar, and cin
namon. Chill, covered, 1 to 2 hours
to allow flavors to blend. Mix fruit
and chill until ready to serve. Serve
about 2'/a tablespoons sauce over 1
cup mixed fruit per person.
FLUFFY COTTAGE
CHEESE PANCAKES
3 eggs, separated
y, cup cottage cheese (lactose
reduced, if available)
cup milk (lactose-reduced)
'A cup all-purpose flour
'A teaspoon salt
Beat egg yolks until thick and
lemon-colored. Add cottage
cheese; beat until almost smooth.
Blend in milk, flour, and salt Beat
egg whites until soft peaks form,
fold into batter, let batter stand 5
minutes. Using a V* -cup measure,
pour batter onto hot lightly but
tered griddle. Turn when tops are
covered with bubbles and edges
look cooked. Turn only once.
Serve at once with butter and jelly.
CHEESE
VEGETABLE CHOWDER
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup each onion slices, celery
slices, frozen peas, and thin carrot
slices
Vi cup butter
16-ounce can cream-style com
2'A cups milk (lactose-reduced)
1 teaspoon salt
V* teaspoon thyme
'/> teaspoon pepper
TA cups shredded Cheddar
cheese
Saute cabbage, onion, celery,
peas, and carrots in butter in
3-quart saucepan 8-10 minutes or
until vegetables are tender, stirring
frequently. Add com, milk, and
seasonings; heat over low temper
ature 15 minutes, stirring occa
sionally. Add cheese; stir until
melted.
Teas, Wreaths, Herbs, Memory Loss
DAUPHIN (Dauphin Co.)
Teas, wreaths, herbs and memo
ry loss will be some of the topics
at Penn State Cooperative
Extension’s Summer Awareness
Day to be held on Tuesday, June
16 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at
the Ag and Natural Resources
Center, Dauphin. The all-day
event will feature a lineup of
local and national experts dis
cussing topics of importance to
today’s living, plus a special lun
cheon. Country Market Nursery
will be giving away door prizes
and centerpieces.
Ellen Specter Platt, author of
“The Ultimate Wreath Book”
and noted lecturer at the 1998
International Flower Show at
Disney World’s Epcot Center,
will be presenting “Living
Wreaths; Useful and Beautiful.”
That’s right - fresh, living,
breathing botanical master
pieces, ideal for hanging on the
summer patio, growing on a
table top, or surrounding the
punch bowl at your next sum
mer party. Ellen will show you
how to make wreaths that are
both decorative and useful using
living plants from your own gar
dens.
Katy Olinger has a rich histo
ry in the business of tea, having
operated her own tea room in
Millersburg for many years.
Katy is an accomplished cook,
gardener, and expert on mint
and she will share her tips on
how to grow, use, and dry this
marvelous herd. You won’t want
to miss her program “Just a
Touch of Mint."
Think you can’t do stirfry?
Then sit back and enjoy while
Brenda Daelhousen, a registered dietitian, answers
questions about food allergies and food Intolerances dur
ing a workshop held at the Penn State Berks Extension
office.
David Tang, Penn State
Extension 4-H Agent and family
chef, presents “Dad Does
Healthy Working.” Here is one
father who creates some very
delicious dishes using fresh veg
etables and herbs. With an easy
recipe and a few simple tech
niques, even a novice can turn
out these healthy, nutritious
meals.
Kathy Wolfe, local Master
Gardener, worked at the
National Herb Garden in
Washington, DC. and over the
years has gathered stacks of
facts and folklore on the plants
we call herbs. Before the days of
Aspirin, Revlon and the Rite-Aid
pharmacy, women depended on
herbs to cure illnesses, color fab
rics, and care for themselves,
their families and their homes.
In “Herbs Your Mother Knew,”
Kathy presents an entertaining
look at the magical, flavorful
and aromatic world of plants
that have interested people all
over the world for thousands of
years.
Thanks for the memories. Do
you have a favorite tea cup,
saucer, plate or other antique
monW
that has a special memory? If so,
bring it along. You will have an
opportunity to talk about your
treasure and share its interest
ing history. There will be a dis
play table for the pieces. You
might want to bring an open box
to showcase your treasure.
Memory loss and Alzheimer’s
affects not only the patient, but
the entire family. What can we
do if it strikes our family? And
bow do we cope with this dis
ease? In “Alzheimer’s: Caring
for the Patient and Caregiver”,
Dr. Emily Matlin, Neurologist,
will explore helpfiil techniques
in dealing with this debilitating
disease.
Cost for the day which
includes luncheon, is $l5 per
person. Registration deadline is
June 5. Don’t delay. You won’t
want to miss this fun-filled,
exciting day. The Ag & Natural
Resources Center is located on
Route 225, two miles north of
Dauphin. Directions, additional
information and reservation
forms are available by calling
921-8803 or 1-800-328-0058 and
asking for Penn State
Cooperative Extension.