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What if your child had a superhero by their side — one with four paws and a lifesaving nose?

In this episode, I’m joined by Candace Laskowski, author of You Are SUPER, Penny!, inspired by her son Ashton and their real-life food allergy detection dog, Penny.

Candace shares what it really takes to bring a service dog into your family - from the year-long scent training process to the ongoing commitment at home. We talk about how these dogs are trained to detect trace amounts of allergens, why vigilance still matters, and how Penny has given Ashton not just protection - but confidence.

We also go behind the scenes of Candace’s journey to self-publish her children’s book, and why representation for kids with food allergies is long overdue.

If you’re curious about whether a service dog could be part of your child’s safety plan, we also share where to begin researching organizations and grant opportunities that may help make it possible.

This episode is about courage, advocacy, and helping every child living with food allergies feel seen.

To learn more about Candace, follow Penny’s journey, or purchase the book, visit:
 www.candacestorycorner.com

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Think you're too young to be a leader in the food allergy community? Think again. This episode will introduce you to three dynamic teens who bust the myth that leaders have to be a certain age to make an impact.

Lilia Vine, Maia Coplit, and Robert Vine are three inventors who developed a phone case that holds an Auvi-Q epi auto-injector (sercacase.com). In the same year they released their product, they also worked alongside their state legislation to help pass a food allergy safety law. The outcomes of their work echo far and wide and will continue to keep many people safe.

Sound intimidating and not sure where you'd start a similar journey for change? No worries. After this podcast, you'll be inspired to get going and create change for the better. They lay out a step-by-step approach for anyone to be a leader in their community, especially teens!

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Meet Hemali, a junior in high school who turned a curious question about her food allergy journey into a helpful tool that helps parents of newly diagnosed kids navigate their journey more smoothly than her own initial journey.

Reflecting back on her own experiences, she asked herself, "What do I wish my parents had known when I was diagnosed with food allergies?" Taking this question many steps further, Hemali built an online place for new food allergy parents to learn from experienced parents about all sorts of diagnosis and lifestyle topics, while collecting the best resources available online to help support their education. Her website can be found at k12allergies.com or you can follow her on Instagram (@K12Allergies).

Hemali is very passionate about increasing food allergy awareness in her hometown of Northwest Arkansas as food allergies are on the rise, and there is still a lot of negativity associated with them in schools (hence her emphasis on K12).

After many years into the journey, Hemali now sees her food allergies as a key part of shaping her life for the better.  She wishes that others might also start thinking about the condition as an opportunity to grow and learn rather than just a hurtful disease that completely hinders lives.

Visit feedyourcan.com/podcast or listen on your favorite podcast player.

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Do you wish you could skip the awkwardness of going out to eat and talking about your food allergies but still have the confidence to eat safely?

Kayla King is a certified nutrition coach and past restaurant manager who gives us the right language to understand how the kitchen works…the difference between the line, flattop grill, front of house, back of house and even some nuanced words where restaurants hear something differently than what we mean to say. 

Kayla was diagnosed with celiac disease at 9 years old and always struggled with disordered eating and food anxiety growing up. She loves traveling and eating out and overtime started to challenge these beliefs by learning how to eat out safely. She now uses that knowledge to empower others to eat out through her app MyMeal. MyMeal helps people with food allergies find safe restaurants and menu items to eat. Her vision is transparent eating for all and she loves to educate others on how to use knowledge as power.

Listen to the role plays, how to finesse the awkward conversations, avoid the common mistakes and order like a pro - speaking the language of the kitchen and removing any confusion along the way between the customer and the restaurant staff.

This is an episode you’ll walk away and say, Wow I learned a lot of hacks and will be changing my approach from here on out. Enjoy.

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Dr. Susan Eitel-Stack literally wrote the book on food allergies: Adulting with Food Allergies: Navigating Independence after Leaving Home. 

She and her husband Ken have successfully raised two sons to confidently manage their multiple life-threatening food allergies and even Type 1 Diabetes for one of them. The knowledge, thoughtful insights, practical tips, and detailed tactics will leave your pages highlighted, underlined and marked to go back and re-read a few times. It is a reference guide full of the help she wishes she had along the way. What a gift to us.

The treasure trove of wisdom she offers from her own journey is also offered with her professional background as a secure guide for the many parents who fear how to get their kids prepared to launch.

You can find her book available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Gayle Rigione is the CEO and Co-founder of Allergy Force, as well as a long-time allergy mom who raised her son with food allergies. He is now a thriving adult and we spent time reflecting backwards on the essential building blocks that were formative in shaping his independence as an adult.

Grab a pen or prepare to take notes - this episode is packed with hindsight wisdom from over two decades of experience in raising a child from infancy into adulthood who navigates food allergies. If you're a parent with a child living under your roof and wonder what skills to teach for the path ahead, this is a great episode for you. 

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Matt Bomes, the co-founder of Backstop, shares how his struggles with food allergies helped shape a one-stop-shop virtual care solution and app for caregivers of children who have food allergies. 

Using his lessons learned in sports,  along with his own personal struggles as a young adult, Matt discovered a passion for mental health, fitness, and nutrition. 

He channeled his struggles and experiences into founding Backstop, a one-stop-shop virtual care solution that empowers food allergy families to lead happier, healthier lives.

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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If you're planning to host parties or events that include people with dietary restrictions and/or food allergies, this episode is for YOU.

Can you think of social gatherings that don’t involve food? Birthday parties, team outings, holidays, BBQs, school events, parties— the list goes on. So many gatherings involve food, and many even revolve around food! 

Fun and food should just naturally coexist...right?

For food-allergy folks, celebrations can trigger a series of concerns, questions, and fears. Many people even choose to opt-out when safety feels compromised.   
Creating an allergy-free party doesn't have to be tricky.

Learn 5 pro tips to educate you on the safety steps while also helping you think creatively about inclusive strategies where all your guests feel safe!

Source:
Food Allergy Research and Education, or FARE Statistics and Facts

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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Kristi Winkels is a Registered Dietitian who believes everyone can eat well, even with food allergies. As a mom to two teenage boys with food allergies, she has read a lot  of food labels and can sniff out cross-contact like nobody’s business.

In 2007, she started her blog Eating With Food Allergies (eatingwithfoodallergies.com) where she shares allergy friendly recipes and nutrition tips. 

Kristi has worked as an outpatient dietitian for over a decade helping people manage everything from heart disease and diabetes to Celiac disease and food allergies and sensitivities. In her private practice, she focuses on helping food allergy families go from feeling overwhelmed by food allergies to planning safe and healthy meals the whole family can eat with confidence.

In this episode she shares tips for moving past food struggles towards embracing healthy outcomes.

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.

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The number one question I get asked is "Why are food allergies on the rise?" For years the hygiene hypothesis stood out as the answer, but scientists are discovering it's more complex than that. And no, it's not your fault.

While there is no cure to food allergies, this field of discovery is active and ongoing. Breakthrough research is providing new insights we can even apply to our lives as we navigate life with food allergies.

In this episode we cover facts about food allergies, the latest research honing in on why food allergies are on the rise, and what we can do about it.

Sources cited:
- FARE facts and statistics (foodallergy.org)
- ACAAI food allergy
- Dr. Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH: Food without Fear
- Dr. Kari Nadeau, MD, PHD: The End of Food Allergy

Support the show

Let's stay connected!

1) Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more life hacks and mind snacks.

2) Email Lindsay with topics you want to hear about or to be a podcast guest! ([email protected])

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Thanks for listening, and remember to Feed Your Can even when some foods, you just can't.