Monday, September 24, 2012

Getting Sick

It's never any fun, but we all reach that point when we have to suffer through it. It's especially bound to happen when you work and live on a college campus surrounded by stressed out students.

Whenever I'm feeling sick, I reach for elderberry syrup or pills to boost my immune system, as well as a multivitamin. Since I'm careful about what I put into my body, I prefer natural supplements over medical drugs.

My inspiration for writing this post is because of Umcka Cold Care hot drink medicine. I love this stuff-it is soothing and gets the job done. I just wanted to share!

I have a ton of work, so ill keep this short. Have a great week!!!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Glutino Table Crackers

These are the best crackers I have ever had! I love them. You can eat them plain (that's what I've been doing) and they are still delicious. It's Glutino Gluten Free Table Crackers. They are about $3.60 at (some) Walmarts. You can also find them at Whole Foods, or any natural health food store.

I just wanted to share! I know it can be difficult to find things to eat with a limited diet, and the diet you have can get boring fast. It's important to mix things up!

Ingredients: corn starch, palm oil, soy flour, invert sugar, sea salt, soy lecithin, cellulose gum, sodium bicarbonate, caramelized sugar, yeast extract, sodium pyrophosphate. 

On an un-related note...
I have this general rule, and it's been proven correct nearly every time: if it tastes really good, I'm probably allergic to it and shouldn't be eating it. Sad, but true in my case. So, I was at the dining hall last night and they had this fancy looking rice. I love rice, in case you didn't know. It's a small blessing if you ask me (considering all of my allergies: wheat, gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, garlic...)  Anyways, this rice was delicious! I couldn't get enough of it. I thought of my rule, but decided to keep eating regardless. Within the hour, my stomach was hurting SO bad! I hate the pulsating pains that I get from an allergic reaction :( It's no fun at all. The only thing you want to do is curl up in a ball and go to sleep. That's actually what I ended up doing. That nap was glorious, might I add.

Moral of the story: always listen to your gut, before it gets mad at you.

I realize that I keep giving companies free advertising... but I'm doing it for you, the people. If one of these fabulous companies is feeling generous, and just happens to read this, please feel free to contact me. I am a broke college student after all ;)

Have a great week everyone! Live each day with meaning.

~*~ Never Forget 9/11/01~*~ 

-Andrea Garza
FoodAllergyTalk.com
FoodAllergyTalk@gmail.com

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Kyle Dine on Tour + AZ Zoo Walk

Hello everyone!

I hope this morning is finding all of you extremely well. I know I have a great feeling about today. I'm ready to be productive! School is in full swing again here at Arizona State University. It's been a challenge to get back into the groove of things--especially with my Community Assistant (or RA) job. I love it though, and I'm excited to be a senior this year! Graduation is right around the corner--it still seems surreal.

The FoodAllergyTalk [ASU] club will be renewed this week--we have a new advisor and we are excited to work with her! Sam is stoked for the new position, and shares a similar interest in nutrition, vegan eating, and overall how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. She's perfect for the "job" :)

I just received an email from a really great friend of mine--you've probably heard of him ;) Kyle Dine, the one and only food allergy musician, is going on TOUR! How exciting! Please see the information below. If you're going to be nearby, you won't want to miss it!

Kyle was a great friend, resource, and source of support for me back in middle school and high school when I began my endeavors with FoodAllergyTalk.com. In the food allergy world, many websites were made by moms--and I was the only kid I knew who had even tried to make a website. Kyle was the youngest person I could find who was an active member in the FA community. The fact that he was so thrilled for me was motivation for me to continue working hard on the site. Thank you Kyle, for all of your support! It's been an honor to actually meet you in person (instead of just Skype!) With funds from ASU, I was thankfully able to get him to ASU/Arizona for the first and second annual Walk for Food Allergy in Arizona. What great memories we made both years!


Speaking of the Arizona Walk for Food Allergy... Lisa (the Walk Chair in 2010 & 2011) did her research and it turns out that of the ~$12,000+ that we raised each year, less than 1% of that money stayed in Arizona for research. Since I did an internship this past summer at an Arizona research institute, I know for a fact that downtown Arizona is a hub for research. Why wouldn't that money stay in AZ? It only makes sense. As a result, (and I completely support her) Lisa and the non-profit that she started a couple years ago (Arizona Food Allergy Alliance) has decided to host the first annual Arizona Zoo Walk for Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis in Phoenix and Tuscon. Please visit their website for more information: http://www.arizonafoodallergy.org/  I am offering my support and services as much as possible for the Zoo Walk. The amount of logistics work for this walk is obviously much less than hosting a walk from scratch, but I still hope to help as much as possible. FoodAllergyTalk.com supports the Arizona Food Allergy Alliance 100%, and I hope you utilize the amazing services that they are offering. I am extremely proud of Lisa---she has a tremendous amount of drive, passion and work ethic. She was able to get her support group up an running quickly, and she has already embedded herself well within AZ as a vital resource for those with food allergies. Congratulations Lisa! 



Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns at foodallergytalk@gmail.com . Thank you! Have a great day! 

Namaste, 
Andrea Garza

KYLE DINE TOUR DATES: 
Tour Dates
Sept. 9 - Philadelphia, PA -  Kids with Food Allergies Expo - Link to Public Event Details
Sept. 10 - AVAILABLE in the PA, NJ, NY Area - contact me for info.
Sept. 11 - East Brunswick, NJ
Sept. 12 - Woburn, MA
Sept. 13 & 14, Great Neck, NY
Sept. 15 - Philadelphia FAAN Walk - Link to Public Event Details
Sept 17 -19 - AVAILABLE in the Kingston, ON area - contact me for info.
Sept. 21 - Seattle, WA
Sept. 22 - Seattle, WA - WAFEAST Support Group Performance - Link to Public Event Details
Sept. 24, 25 & 26 - Danville, CA
Sept. 27 - AVAILABLE in the Bay Area, CA contact me for info.
Sept. 28 - Reno, NV - Northern Nevada (AAPE) Support Group Performance - Link to Public Event Details
Oct. 1 - Pleasanton, CA
Oct 2. - San Jose, CA
Oct. 3 - Danville, CA
Oct. 4 - San Francisco, CA
The rest of October I will be AVAILABLE in Ontario, Canada contact me for info.
*View all tour dates/specific locations on my website: http://www.kyledine.com/tour-dates.html