#BeReady: My New E-Book for College Students with Food Allergies

Are you ready?  Well, #BeReady.  That's the name of my new e-book/handbook for college students with food allergies.  I am happy to announce that this is the culminating project of my Master’s Degree Thesis (I am so excited that I wanted to write that with capital letters!).  In my study, I looked at the information needs and information preferences of college students with food allergies.  Here is a short overview of the findings.  Students wanted:

 

·       more information on how to prepare food for themselves

·       nutrition

·       recipes

·       knowing where to shop

·       how to inform the college and their friends about their food allergies

·       navigating social scenarios

·       understanding their available dining options on-campus and off-campus

 
The majority of students prefer to receive food allergy information from websites and brochures.  They would love to use apps if there were more developed for their needs. Hint Hint for you app developers out there!  Participatory design is the thing right now, have the students help you design the app!

If you would like more information about my study, please email me (shandaaguirre@yahoo.com) and I can provide detailed stats, academic style!

I decided to give the students what they wanted.  I wrote a handbook with basic nutrition advice, recipes that can be made in the dorm, shopping tips, traveling tips, and resources on where to find more information.  I am also going to be working with FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) to help them develop more education material for college students with food allergies.  Check out their website, they are doing great things!

Without further delay, here it is:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/232363472/BeReady-Handbook-for-College-Students-with-Food-Allergies


I hope this handbook helps!  Feedback is welcome!  Enjoy the holidays everyone!

Good Wishes,
Shanda

Image: courtesy of google images.

Healthy Snack Ideas To Knock Out Your Sweet Tooth Cravings

Sometimes don't you wish that a Diet was a person so you could just knock it out!   Instead, how about using those boxing gloves to knock out a punching bag at the gym and use these ideas to knock out your SWEET TOOTH CRAVINGS....

Healthy Snack Food Ideas:

1.       Amaranth and Honey.  Amaranth is a grain that provides a complete protein, plus it’s full of tons of other nutrients.  All you need to do is get a frying pan with a lid, heat the pan on the stove on high,  put about 1 to 2 tablespoons of amaranth is the pan at one time , cover and move the pan around like you are popping Jiffy Pop over a fire.  The amaranth will pop quickly.  It will also burn quickly so it may take a few tries to figure it out.  Only use 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until you have as much amaranth popped as you want.  Then just add honey.  It’s a very yummy, filling, and healthy treat.  But it does take practice!   It comes in small packages and seems expensive, but goes a long way so don’t be freaked out by the more expensive price. Check out my blog on Amaranth- The Super Grain: http://shesnotnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/amaranth-history-and-nutritional-value.html

2.      Make your own trail-mix-   You can use Almonds (if you’re not allergic), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, dried fruit ( without sugar), and dark chocolate baking chips.  Mix those all together.  This is also a very filling snack and the chocolate satisfies the sweet craving.  Make sure it’s dark chocolate and not milk chocolate.  Dark chocolate that is at least 75% Cocoa is full of antioxidants so it’s better for you.

3.      Good Old Popcorn- topping ideas instead of butter are:  garlic and hot sauce, lemon-pepper and olive oil, nutritional yeast (which has a cheesy flavor), vinegar, onion powder, or just experiment with a small amount of cooking oil and the seasonings in your cabinet. 

4.      Make your own granola bars- Search for healthy and easy granola recipes..  I sometimes melt dark chocolate (85% Cocoa) and drizzle it over the top.  Then you can cut them up and bring them to munch on anytime.  Here is a link to some good ones: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-bars-recipe/index.html

5.      Fruit- Sweeter fruit will cure that craving and give you good nutrients.   Double whammy!

Always remember...

.As Dr. Rob Gilbert said,"First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they'll eventually conquer you." 

 So form some good eating habits and conquer good health for life!

Allergy Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Here is a link to the pumpkin pie I am going to try this year:

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/egg_free_pumpkin_pie_recipe.php

How To Make Thick Lotion

I want to start off “Skin Week” with a thick lotion recipe that will tackle your dry skin or eczema issues.  Getting the supplies is the hardest part of making this luxurious lotion.  I can actually SEE and FEEL the difference in my skin when I use it.  And it only takes about 10 minutes to make.  It’s totally worth it!

What you will need:

Supplies:

Double Boiler ( or a regular stovetop pan will work)

Stick blender

2 Mixing bowls

Measuring device to measure ingredients (I use a scale that I can “tare (set to zero)” before adding each ingredient so I don’t have to use any other measuring device.  Plus it makes it very fast.)

Thermometer to measure temperature of water and oil

Rubbing Alcohol

Containers to store lotion (I like to date my containers so I know when I made the lotion)

Paper towels

Spatula

Ingredients:

Purified water

Extra Light Olive Oil

Sweet Almond Oil (or substitution oil)

Jojoba Oil

Emulsifying Wax   (E-Wax) - E-Wax is what creates the smooth texture and keeps the lotion together preventing separation.

Palm Stearic Acid- Buy a vegetable stearic acid instead of an animal one.  When mixed with the E-Wax, it creates the creamy texture. 

Bees Wax

Vitamin E

Steps:

***NOTE:  This lotion does not contain any preservatives.  It will only keep good for about 3 months when kept in a cool, dark place.  Store lotion in the refrigerator and it will keep for around 6 months.    You must be sterile when making the lotion.  All containers that you use must first be wiped down with alcohol.  I usually wipe all my spoons, bowls, and measuring cups with rubbing alcohol just to be safe.  You don’t want to introduce bacteria into the lotion. 

1.        In a stovetop pan ( using a double boiler works best) mix together the following:

                5 ounce of Extra- Light olive oil

                3 ounce of sweet almond oil

                2 ounce of jojoba oil

1.2   ounce of E-Wax

.7 ounce of palm stearic acid

.5 ounce of bees wax

·         Melt these ingredients together on low heat.  Don’t let the oils go over 120˚ F.  After heated pour Oil Mixture into a bowl.

2.       Heat purified water to 120˚ F

3.       Start mixing the Oil Mixture with the stick blender.  Create a vortex (it looks like a spinning funnel, like water going down a drain). 

4.       Slowly pour the water into the vortex little by little making sure to completely blend before adding more water and keep blending until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

5.       Add ¼ teaspoon of Vitamin E oil.

6.       At this point you can either let the lotion cool in the bowl or divide it into other containers.  But, cover the lotion with a paper towel and put in a cool, dark place to let it breathe for about 8 hours.  That will cut down on the condensation. Or, you can put the lotion in the refrigerator to cool faster. 

*My daughter is allergic to TREE NUTS but she is able to use almond oil.  This may or may not be the case for other people with TREE NUT allergies.  If you would like to try to substitute oil for the almond oil then I would suggest Avocado Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Sesame Oil, or High Oleic Sunflower Oil.  You may have to experiment to find the texture you desire. 

*You can always experiment with different essential oils and herbs to create different smells and colors to your lotion.  Add them during the cooling phase.  The standard amount of essential oil is about 5-10 drops per ounce of carrier oil.  That’s the fun part about making it yourself; it’s all custom made for you! 

Some good essential oils for the skin are:

Acne:

Chamomile Blue, Tea Tree, Lemon, Lavender Highland

Eczema:

Chamomile, Geranium, Evening Primrose

All Skin Conditions:

Chamomiles, Jasmine, Lavender Highland, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense

If you have any questions when making the lotion, please contact me! Cheers to happy skin!

Amaranth- The History and Nutritional Value

Amaranth today is considered a “Supergrain” but it's technically not a grain.  It’s really an annual herb that grows like a weed.  The history of Amaranth is pretty cool.  “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods” by Michael Murray N.D. says:

“Originating in what is now Central and South America, amaranth’s history began as a staple in the diets of pre-Columbian Aztecs, who believed the plant was endowed with supernatural powers and would give them amazing strength.  Because of this belief, amaranth was one of the primary foods eaten by Aztec royalty and was incorporated into Aztec religious rituals…”

One of the religious rituals where they used amaranth was human sacrifice.  The blood of a human was mixed with cooked amaranth and made into a paste; which was then used for religious ceremonies.  In the 1500’s, with the Spanish conquest, every amaranth plant was destroyed because Spaniards were horrified by this behavior.  The plants were burned and the Aztecs were not allowed to grow or posses Amaranth.  If an Aztec was caught with an amaranth plant, then their hand was cut off.  Because of this, amaranth was almost lost forever.  It was still grown in some remote areas, so that is why we even have it to eat today. 

It would have been sad if we had lost it forever.  The nutritional benefits of amaranth are nothing short of amazing.  It has an amazingly high protein content, which includes the amino acids lysine and methionine, which other grains lack.  So, if you combine amaranth with rice, corn, barley, or wheat then a complete protein is made available.  Plus, amaranth protein is well absorbed.  Besides protein, amaranth is high in fiber, it contains essential fatty-acids, vitamin C, B2, B3,B5, B6, folic acid, and the minerals calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.   Amaranth also contains phytosterols that have recently been studied and shown to prevent chronic degenerative disease.  It has always shown to lower LDL cholesterol.   

Amaranth is gluten-free and can be used in combination with other gluten free grains to produce very nutritious bread.  Here is a link to a recipe:

http://www.versagrain.com/amaranth-bread.html

Other ideas for incorporating Amaranth into your diet:

*Add to soups or stews and it will act as a thickener

*Eat it instead of oatmeal in the morning.  Add some maple syrup, honey, raisins, or nuts.

*Pop it like popcorn (put in a covered pan, constantly moving pan around so the seeds don’t burn, (they will pop like pop corn) add honey and it’s a nutritious snack for kids. Or a kid at heart, like me!

*Pop it and eat it like a cereal in milk, add honey if you want.

*Pop it and put it into your favorite granola mix

*Cook and eat it as a side dish.  Spice to taste.

Amaranth should always be cooked before eaten.  If it’s not cooked, it will interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. 

If you store amaranth seeds in an air-tight container, in a cool and dark place, then the seeds will keep for up to a year.  But once the seeds are ground into flour, because of the fatty oils, the flour will go rancid quickly. 

Pumpkin Seeds

It’s time to get those hands dirty digging into the pumpkin and getting out all those seeds.  Who would have known that cute pumpkins contain a little seed that is considered a super-food with many medicinal benefits?  Are you ready for the list?  Pumpkin seeds are shown to help with urinary problems, kidney inflammation and stones, parasites (especially tapeworm), prostrate health and cancer, seasickness and nausea, and they also exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Plus they are packed with vitamins and minerals.

For those families who can’t easily grab a handful of nuts to munch on, pumpkin seeds offer a great alternative.  The seeds, called pepitas, can be ground up just like flaxseed and added to cereals, yogurts, cookies, salads, or to a homemade granola recipe.  My favorite is roasting them in the oven at a temperature of 300 degrees for about 30 minutes; add a little bit of olive oil and sea salt to taste.    According to The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D., in 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds there are 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, and 11 grams of carbohydrates.  Murray states they are a great source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, phytosterols (phytosterols studies have shown may reduce cholesterol) and minerals including zinc, manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, and phosphorous.    Store the pumpkin seeds in an air-tight container, and keep in the refrigerator for about 2 months.  Or they can be frozen for up to a year.  And, Wha-laa!  A healthy snack on-the-go!  See, even the pumpkin is happy about that!

Don’t forget about pumpkin seed oil which is rich in all the nutrients as the seeds, plus Vitamin E, alpha-linolenic acid (Omega-3 family), and linoleic acid ( Omega-6 family), which can add Essential Fatty Acids to peoples diets that don’t get them from nuts .  Alpha-linolenic acid has shown in studies to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety, and vastly improve cardiovascular function.  Add the oil to salad dressing or use it as a dip for bread.  Spread pumpkin butter on bread and add jelly instead of peanut butter.  Or put cream cheese and pumpkin butter on bagel.  It’s also great to use as a thickener in soups and casseroles. 

Nut-Free and Egg- Free Spooky Spider Halloween Treat

These Spooky Spiders are easy to make, kids can help, so put them to work.  They were a hit last year at Brooklyn’s school Halloween party.  I will be making them again this year, and probably every other year that she needs a Halloween treat.  I don’t usually promote the huge amount of sugar or artificial ingredients, but I make an exception on some holidays so Brooklyn can have the chance to feel “normal”.  Plus, she doesn’t get to indulge in the huge amounts of Halloween candy.   A fun treat makes her super happy.  Happy kid equals happy mom. 

So, Here’s how to make them:

1.       Follow the Rice Krispies box directions on how to make Rice Krispies Treats.  I made 2 batches for Brooklyn’s class of 20.

2.       After Rice Krispies Treats have cooled, cut into squares slightly bigger than the Oreo so you have room to draw the legs.

3.       Use green frosting to top the Rice Krispies Treats (so it looks like grass).  You can use store bought frosting and use green food coloring or you can make your own frosting and color green.  The natural food store here has vegetable food coloring.  Here’s a link for homemade frosting:  http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/homemade-icing.html

4.       Use black decorating frosting gel to put a dot in the middle of the Rice Krispies treat, and stick an Oreo on top of the dot.  Draw legs off the sides of the Oreo.  6 or 8 legs will work.  Brooklyn loved doing that part.

5.       Use black decorating gel to put 2 dots where you want to put the eyes.  Stick a Red Hot on each dot for the spooky red eyes.

Ingredients Needed:

·         Rice Krispies or alternative rice puff cereal (marshmallows, butter)

·         Frosting or Ingredients to home make frosting

·         Green Food Coloring or Green Vegetable Food Coloring

·         Black decorating frosting gel in a tube

·         1 package of Oreo cookies or any alternative black cream filled cookie.  Enjoy Life makes a Allergy-Free Cookie that would work well: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/cookies/double_chocolate_brownie.html

·         1 Big Box of Red Hots (since Red Hots are made in a nut factory, I omitted them from Brooklyn’s treat and gave her spider green frosting eyes instead)

*** Halloween Sprinkles on top are optional***

      *** Note that Brooklyn drew the legs!  She did a good job, didn't she!***