Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It

by Scott H. Sicherer

Posing the questions that anyone with food allergies will think to ask―and then some― Food Allergies provides practical, emotional, and scientific guidance on the topics that affect your life. Allergy expert Scott H. Sicherer addresses the full spectrum of food allergies, from mild to life threatening, from single foods to food families, clearing up misconceptions along the way. He explains how exposure to foods can bring about an allergic response, describes the symptoms of food allergy, and illuminates how food allergies develop. He also recommends tests for diagnosing both food allergies and chronic health problems caused by food allergies―such as eczema, hives, and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Food Allergies thoroughly explains how to prevent exposure to a known allergen at home, at school, in restaurants, and elsewhere and what to do if exposure occurs, including how to handle an anaphylactic emergency. Dr. Sicherer also reviews food reactions that are not allergic (such as lactose intolerance), advises how to get adequate nutrition when you must avoid dietary staples, and discusses whether allergies ever go away (they do―and then sometimes they return).

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Parenting

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2013

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any and all questions I could think of and more are answered in the book.

I got a name for something I have been struggling with for most of my life; mammalian allergy, being allergic to meat such as pork beef and chicken (for me).

If you have doubts about if you may have allergies have an appointment with your GP and schedule a visit to an allergist. There are many types of tests and allergies out there.

Written in a Q and A style with a few case studies thrown in. You may notice a bit of cut and paste happening with the answers.

Very interesting read.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Valuable and Accessible Overview

This is the second, updated, edition of the book that came out in 2013. I suspect that, if you or your child has allergies, this book would be pretty basic and mostly helpful for a few ideas or maybe a new perspective on new threats, (pink peppercorns?), or new treatment options. But, if you are like me and just want a basic treatment of allergens, tests, treatments, and further sources of support and information, then this book is just right.

We start out with a brief overview of what an allergic reaction is, (symptoms, causes triggers), and review common food allergens. Particularly helpful was the extended chapter on tests, (skin, blood, component, elimination diets, and food challenges). From there we move to chronic conditions related to food allergy, avoidance at home and school, and lifestyle and nutrition options. The final sections on prevention and cure were more sketchy, but the discussion of anaphylaxis and epinephrine was especially helpful and could literally be life saving.

Like all technical and specialized texts I'm sure there are answers here with which knowledgeable readers might quibble. But for an interested newcomer I found this book extremely informative and helpful.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Abbie Rakes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of this book is geared towards how to navigate food allergies in children and the author really emphasizes that food allergies are a childhood thing. I wish it had specified this on the cover because I probably wouldn't have bothered with the book. I'm dealing with my own food allergies, as an adult, and I feel like adult food allergies weren't addressed as extensively. I was hoping to find some advice on how to manage peer pressure and things like "How to Navigate Dining with Co-workers" or things with other social settings. If you're looking for advice for navigating an adult life and not how to manage the allergies in your children specifically, this isn't the book for you.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have more problems with chemical allergies than food allergies, but there is a lot of helpful information in this book. (Second edition available (2017). The author is very knowledgeable and discusses many of the "cures" for allergies, few of which are actually valuable. It is a good book to read for parents, also, about allergies in children.

[Christine Craft · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful and informative read about all sorts of allergies.It's very organized and written in a Q & A format which made it an easy read and accessible if you just want to read certain chapters. Good book! I highly recommend it to anyone suffering from allergies because it'll teach you a lot and answer many questions you might have.

[Mark Ferrara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helping information in a Q & A format.

[Kara Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful if you have allergies

[BingeReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s more of a q&a type of book. It’s an easy read to get answers easily.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Q&A format of the book makes it a quick read; however some additional narrative context may be desirable. I gleaned some useful content. Likely a helpful read for anyone new to food allergy.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, addressing so many of the "What if" scenarios and nuanced concerns of a parent of a kid with a food allergy. You just can't possibly remember every question you have during a doctor visit. Sometimes, the answer to one question raises a new one, and this book is structured with this logic.

I swallowed this down section by section, and dog-eared and underlined like crazy, but this will be a great reference for babysitters and grandparents.

Oh, recommended by a friend who is a pediatric allergist.

[Tyffanie A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting & informative book. I definitely recommend to anyone who has questions about food allergies. At first the Q&A style of the book is kind of hard to get used to, but it is actually quite useful once you get used to it. Plus it is helpful when you want to look something up as a reference. The book is written in an easily understandable manner so you don't need to have taken biology or advanced science classes to understand it.

[Anne Zavell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food Allergies thoroughly explains how to prevent exposure to a known allergen at home, at school, in restaurants, and elsewhere and what to do if exposure occurs, including how to handle an anaphylactic emergency. Dr. Sicherer also reviews food reactions that are not allergic (such as lactose intolerance), advises how to get adequate nutrition when you must avoid dietary staples, and discusses whether allergies ever go away (they do—and then sometimes they return).

[Stacey Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a question about food allergies, this book will answer it! Written in Q & A style, this book offers a wealth of food allergy information that's important to have at one's fingertips. It's easy to read and well organized. I have a child with FA's and I consult this reference book all the time. A great book to have on your shelf if you have a food allergies or care for someone who does.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book that handles food allergies with a Q&A structure, that , in my opinion, makes the book a very easy reading allowing the reader to search only for the information he is interested to know.

Ottimo libro strutturato in forma di domanda e risposta che permette al lettore di leggere anche solo le informazioni che gli interessano.

THANKS TO EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Jennifer Ayres · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful resource for anyone who works with food allergic children or for anyone who has a food allergic child. Also great for food allergic teens and adults. Grandparents of food allergic children would benefit from reading this book as well.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd recommend this to anyone who has or has a loved one with food allergies. It's not a hard read, covers questions I never thought to ask, and left me feeling more informed and empowered than before I read it.

[B Zimp · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this would be a good handbook for someone to be given right after a doctors appointment where they learned they had severe (prophylactic) allergies. It is written as a FAQ and has up to date information, but barely touches on non-emergent allergies.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so informative. If you or your child lives with food allergies, read this book. It calmed my fears about somethings (air born proteins) and scared me more about others (airplanes and fryers). All in all it's made me smarter and more prepared for my son. Thank you!

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does have a lot of information. However, the entire book is done in a question and answer format. It did not address all of the questions I had. Also, this makes for tedious reading after a while.

[Danielle Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on food allergies! If you deal with those at all, you need this book on your shelves su home. It's on my wish list!

[Kris Patrick]

I thought I might have a food allergy. Now I do not.