Episode 68: Navigating Food Allergies with Dr. Brock Williams
In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Brock Williams. Dr. Brock Williams is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Division of Allergy at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD in Human Nutrition at the University of British Columbia and has worked as a Registered Dietitian in a variety of research and clinical roles. His primary research and clinical interests lie in food allergy prevention and treatment, infant feeding, and micronutrients. Make sure to check out this great episode!
To see more of Dr. Williams, find him on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter).
Episode Resources: Food Allergy Canada, Food Allergy Canada Resources and Tips.
Healthy Habits, Happy Homes Podcast
Season 7, Episode 68
Guest: Dr. Brock Williams
Marciane (0:05)
Hello, welcome to the Healthy Habits, Happy Homes podcast hosted by the Guelph Family Health Study.
Tamara (0:14)
If you’re interested in the most recent research and helpful tips for healthy, balanced living for you and your family, then this podcast is for you. In each episode, we will bring you topics that are important to your growing family and guests who will share their expertise and experience with you.
Marciane (0:31)
Our quick tips will help your family build healthy habits for a happy home.
Tamara (0:41)
Welcome back to the Healthy Habits, Happy Homes podcast. I’m Tamara.
Marciane (0:45)
And I’m Marciane.
Tamara (0:48)
And today we’re excited to have Dr. Brock Williams join us. Dr. Brock Williams is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Division of Allergy at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD in Human Nutrition at the University of British Columbia and has worked as a registered dietician in a variety of research and clinical roles with specialization in the areas of general pediatrics, gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition, and allergy. His primary research and clinical interests lie in food allergy prevention and treatment, infant feeding and micronutrients. Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Williams.
Dr. Brock Williams (1:19)
Thanks for having me.
Tamara (1:21)
To start, could you just tell us a bit about yourself, your current role, and how your education experiences have shaped your career path?
Dr. Brock Williams (1:28)
Sure. You did a really nice job in your bio of explaining what I currently do and different areas that I’ve worked in over the years. But really, I started my education in human nutrition. So, my undergraduate degree is in human nutrition. My masters of science was in human nutrition. And then I worked for a few years as a registered dietician in Toronto before coming out to Vancouver to do my PhD in human nutrition. So, I’ve always had an interest in maternal and child nutrition. That was really the basis of my early training. And, then as a dietician, I started working at a pediatric hospital in Toronto. So my interest in infant and child nutrition really kind of blossomed there. And that’s really been the focus of much of my research career and clinical career. So, currently now I’m a postdoctoral research fellow. The majority of my time is spent doing research. I’m within the Division of Allergy at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia. And there I work with a team of allergists that specialize in food allergy. So. most of my research focuses on that. And then, I have other areas of interest like human milk feeding or breast milk feeding and micronutrients. So, I’ve had the opportunity within my current role to blend all of those things together and then really explore how early life exposures to nutritional factors and to diet can influence things like the development of food allergy.
Marciane (3:11)
That’s really cool. I’m excited to have this conversation. And I know Tamara is, too. Can you explain what a food allergy is and how it differs from a food intolerance?
Dr. Brock Williams (3:22)
Sure. And I think this is a really important distinction because a lot of people get confused about what the difference is between a food intolerance versus a food allergy. So, one of the most common food intolerances that most people are probably familiar with is lactose intolerance. So, typically you have a missing enzyme or some component that doesn’t help you to break down some of the components like sugars in the body. So, your body has some kind of reaction to it. So, in that case of lactose intolerance, you tend to develop gas, and you might have bowel issues like diarrhea or liquidy stools because your body isn’t able to break down that sugar effectively. So, that would be an intolerance. Whereas a food allergy typically has a different presentation. So, within the umbrella of food allergies, there are different categories. Not every food allergy is the same. So, there are different food allergies, for example, that mostly affects areas like the gut or the stomach. So, an example of that would be something like cow’s milk allergy, where you have an allergy that affects the gut and might present as mucusy or bloody stools, for example, in a young infant. And typically, the infant would outgrow that over time. We call that a non-immunoglobulin E mediated allergy. So, a non-IgE mediated allergy. So, those tend to be less significant or severe because you don’t have some of the life-threatening side effects that the immunoglobulin E or IgE mediated allergies do. So, when we think about those allergies, we tend to think of things like anaphylaxis, so, swelling of the face, swelling of the airway. These can be really life-threatening reactions, and these are going to be the most severe and significant form of food allergy. So, there are different types of food allergies, but the main difference is that with allergies, you tend to have different reactions that tend to be more severe. And then food intolerances tend to be, you know, discomfort or some gastrointestinal related side effects because of a lack of certain enzymes or components in the body to break down certain food components.
Tamara (5:50)
Yeah, thank you for explaining that difference. I think that it is very easy to get confused between the two, but there is clearly like quite a bit of a difference, especially in terms of how it presents with the allergy, you know, typically being much more severe versus the intolerance is kind of being in alignment with discomfort. What are some of the most common food allergens that you encounter in your clinical and your research work?
Dr. Brock Williams (6:10)
Yeah, so when we think about the priority allergens in Canada, there’s a list of about 10 different foods. So, these are things like cow’s milk, peanut, tree nut, egg, soy, wheat, mustard, fish and shellfish. So, there’s a whole list of the ones that are priority allergens.
And this really helps to direct food policy and food labeling efforts to make sure that those are clearly labeled on food products. But, when we think about the ones that are the most common, we would typically see the highest rates of things like cow’s milk, peanuts and tree nuts.
Marciane (6:50)
The mustard. Honestly, I was surprised by that. I was like, “oh, interesting.” At what age are food allergies most commonly diagnosed? And are there certain signs parents should watch out for?
Dr. Brock Williams (7:02)
So, most of food allergies are going to be diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. And this typically follows after the food has been introduced in the child’s diet. It’s not to say that you can’t develop a food allergy later on in life. So, there are people that do develop allergies at different points in their lifespan, but the vast majority of them are going to occur within early childhood. When parents are feeding their child different foods, some of the things that you can look out for in terms of signs or symptoms of a food allergy include things like swelling or hives that can occur in different areas of the body. Typically, with infants, they might have a little bit of irritation around the mouth, which sometimes can just be contact, or irritation caused by the food itself.
But really, you’re looking for things like significant hives that are developing. Any kind of swelling around the lips or face can be signs of a food allergy. And then if you do present with a more severe food allergy or more severe signs and symptoms, typically will be things like vomiting, difficulty breathing. And those are really a good sign that you need to seek medical attention for treatment.
Marciane (8:22)
It got me thinking about a story of my childhood. And it was so long ago, I don’t remember the exact foods. But I remember there was a point in time where I had to take a lot of oatmeal baths. And I had to be very careful about what I ate and what foods I shared with others. And, you know, just going over people’s house. I know my parents would always kind of monitor before I ate a meal or something before a family member or friend gave it to me. And I later grew out of it. But I just I do remember that, like, as a kid, I was just, like, scared and itchy all the time after I ate specific things or came in contact with specific things. And so, I just remember a lot of oatmeal baths. And a lot of nights of my mom and dad just staying up with me as I’m kind of uncomfortable. And they’re just doing everything that they can to make me comfortable and going to see, you know, different doctors and allergists, things like that. And thankfully, I grew out of it. But it can be you can be kind of scary going through that as a kid. And you’re just going through the symptoms, but you don’t know, like, the context of it all.
Dr. Brock Williams (9:29)
For sure. It’s it can be very anxiety provoking and scary. And I think you bring up a really important point, Mariane, that some of these food allergies you can outgrow. And then there are some food allergies that tend to be persistent and last for much longer periods of time going into adulthood. So, we don’t really have good tests or methods to determine which particular food allergies you’re going to outgrow, or which individuals would outgrow their food allergy. So, there’s lots of variation in terms of presentation.
Tamara (10:02)
Yeah. And that can be really hard to, like, even, you know, for parents, you know, when you’re introducing solids for the first time. And I have a story here, too, actually, with my nephew. He’s one and a half now. But when, you know, they were first introducing my sister was first introducing solids with him and they got to eggs. He did actually start vomiting after eating eggs. And so went to the doctor, saw a specialist and determined, you know, that he it seems like he has an egg allergy. It can be really scary at the beginning. Like, you know, you’re just starting to introduce your infant to food and you’re still, like, watching it for all these signs. And when they do have a reaction, it can be very scary. And then goes the part of like managing the allergy. It does seem like food allergies are becoming a lot more common. And with your experience and your research background, what do you think are the key factors that are driving this rise?
Dr. Brock Williams (10:49)
Yes. So, this is a really interesting question. And there’s been lots of research that’s looked into this over the last few decades. So, I will say it’s really an evolving science. We’re learning more about this all the time. What they ended up noticing a few years ago was that in certain parts of the world, so regions that tend to be more industrialized or Western-style countries, that food allergy prevalence seemed to be increasing. And people really started to ask questions about why that was happening. So, a lot of this early research came out of the United Kingdom with researchers in London finding that within the populations that they were working with in allergy clinics and hospitals, that there were some major differences in allergy rates between populations that lived in the United Kingdom versus in Israel. So, they were looking specifically at individuals that had Jewish ancestry, looking at the rates between those populations in London and in Israel. And they found that there was a major difference in prevalence rates. And when they looked at the diet of infants, they found that infants in Israel were being exposed to peanut rich puffs, something called “Bamba.” So, they were using that as an early introduction food for infants. When you look at those products, they’re almost like a Cheeto, but peanut based. So, a little corn puff. And that was really what caused people to question whether it was actually beneficial to introduce food allergens early. The guidance had been for quite a while that they should be avoided until later on in childhood, because the thought was that the introduction would increase your risk. But looking at the different research and evidence, they actually found that it appeared that the early introduction was beneficial. So, they’ve done a bunch of different clinical trials that have backed this up and provided evidence for early and frequent introduction of common food allergens. Evidence is quite high quality for this.
So, the Canadian guidelines really now focus on early and often introduction of these commonly allergenic foods. Really, one of the major thoughts is that the increase in food allergy prevalence or food allergy rates in industrial countries has to do with the early introduction or delay of those commonly allergenic foods and then also our environment.
So, we know that the things that we’re exposed to in our environment are different. So, in industrial countries, we tend to be exposed to different bacteria and different factors within our environment. So, there’s been a shift in that. And when we look at things like the gut microbiome, so bacteria that live in the gut, bacteria that live on the skin, there are differences due to our environment. So, it’s thought that changes in our environment have put us at higher risk for food allergy because we’re not able to develop the same tolerance to those food proteins. And then we know that other factors can put an individual at higher risk for developing a food allergy as well. So, either having personal history or a close family relative, like a mother, brother, sister, brother that have allergenic disease or allergic disease, such as asthma, food allergy, seasonal allergies, or eczema can put an individual at higher risk for food allergy. And we know that children that have eczema, for example, tend to be at higher risk for food allergy because they can be exposed to those food allergy proteins through the skin before they start feeding it in their diet.
Marciane (14:54)
This is very interesting. It just brings back to mind, like, when I was growing up, my parents would have a lot of conversations with just like neighbors and friends, things like that, because they’re from the Ivory Coast. And it is a different food culture where, yeah, younger the kid is, there is that early introduction to all these varieties of foods. And it was just very interesting to hear the kind of like gasps and, like, “why would you do that?” Like, and it was very foreign to people they were talking to. So, it’s interesting now, just kind of the research and seeing how early introduction is actually helpful.
Tamara (15:30)
You know, even with the environmental exposures, like, I find that so fascinating how things have changed over time and how that’s, like, impacted something like food allergy that obviously it’s had a bunch of other impacts and a bunch of other systems and stuff. But I do find that interesting, even thinking back to like the recent COVID-19 pandemic to with, like, the hand washing and all of that. And of course, that was very needed. It’s important to wash your hands. But I do wonder if, you know, a few years down the line, all of that, like, excessive hand washing and the hand sanitizer and all those things. I wonder how that might actually be related to food allergies.
Dr. Brock Williams (16:04)
For sure. And I think the most important thing to note is that it’s a very complex interplay. So, even with some of those factors related to your environment or your household, if you have siblings or if you have pets in the household, that changes the microbes and the bacteria that you’re exposed to. So, all of these different factors can come into play. Other things like farming lifestyles, for example, have been associated with lower risk of food allergies. So, there’s many different factors that work together in this complex interplay.
Marciane (16:43)
Are there any common misconceptions about food allergies that you frequently come across?
Dr. Brock Williams (16:49)
Yeah, that’s a good question about misconceptions. I think most of the confusion has to do with intolerance versus food allergy. And especially when you’re feeding infants, what kind of normal reactions are or whether, you know, an irritation mark around the mouth is associated with allergy or not. So, I think a lot of it has to do with interpreting and how you approach the feeding experience. And I think there’s a lot of information online on social media that can be quite confusing for families. And there’s also, you know, a heightened awareness about food allergies, which translates to anxiety for some parents. Even my sister-in-law, when she was introducing peanuts to my young niece, she was texting me asking if they should go to the parking lot of the emergency department to introduce peanuts because she was scared. She had heard things from friends or on social media. And my niece isn’t particularly at high risk for developing a food allergy because she doesn’t have a personal history of allergic diseases like eczema, and our family doesn’t have a history of allergic disease. But a lot of these messages are out there, and it can create this anxiety and fear. And so, I think a lot of the misconceptions have to do with how at-risk individuals can be for developing a food allergy.
Marciane (18:24)
I felt bad hearing that story. I was, like, “oh, I can only imagine,” you know, now we’re around that age where, yeah, people are having kids and getting married and all these things and taking care of enough nieces and nephews and younger siblings to know that as a, you know, the big sister, I was scared when I was in charge of these little small humans. I can only imagine once I become a parent and I’m, like, oh, I’m actually, like, responsible, responsible for them. I can’t give them back. I have to actually take care of them. How nerve-wracking that can be. And, you know, you don’t want to hurt them. You want to do what’s best. I can only imagine. And then we’ve had so many conversations about social media and just how much information we’re flooded with nowadays and so many opinions and things like that. It can definitely — I can understand or imagine how nerve-wracking it can be to give your kid a simple peanut and just not be sure.
Dr. Brock Williams (19:25)
Absolutely. And I think sometimes it’s just receiving that reassurance from healthcare providers that, you know, doing early introduction of these commonly allergenic foods is actually quite safe. So, when they’ve looked at different research studies that have looked at these risks of having any kind of severe allergic reaction, it’s much less than one in a thousand. So, most of the time, if an infant does have a reaction on that first oral exposure, it tends to be quite mild, and the very severe reactions are actually quite rare. So, many of the different Canadian guidelines focus on how safe it is to do early introduction of commonly allergenic foods at home. And I think just receiving that message that the risk of these things is very, very low and it is very safe to do at home can be just reassuring for parents or caregivers.
Tamara (20:25)
Yeah, definitely. I mean, given all the information that, you know, parents and everyone is kind of flooded with on social media and on a daily basis, it really is just sometimes hard to find that evidence-based information to find that reassurance. You know, sometimes when you are doom scrolling on social media, you’re only engaging with, you know, the scary stuff and then you only see the scary stuff because of the algorithms and stuff like that. So I think it’s like times like these when we talk about things like this, it just makes me feel very grateful that we have an opportunity on this podcast to have experts like you to share this evidence-based information and to maybe give parents the reassurance that they need that, like, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be all right. This is a normal thing. You know, the risk of severe allergic reaction is very low. So, it’s really nice to be able to have people like you on the podcast to share that.
Dr. Brock Williams (21:11)
Yeah, and I think it’s important to know where to find the good information. So, this is a little plug for Food Allergy Canada. They have some really amazing resources talking about early introduction of commonly allergenic foods for infants. They have FAQs or frequently asked questions. And I was just looking at their website earlier to pinpoint some of these resources. And it even links to some TikTok videos that I did with communications group here at the University of British Columbia, looking at introducing peanuts, for example. So there’s lots of good evidence and resources, but knowing where to find them is really key. So, places like Food Allergy Canada have really well-developed and designed resources that you can access.
Tamara (21:57)
Yeah, that’s incredible. Thank you for sharing that. We’ll definitely put that in the description of the podcast so that people can find that easily. Because, yeah, it’s so true. It’s really hard sometimes to know how to find it. And it makes it a lot easier when you just have a link to a great resource. So, thank you for sharing that.
Moving beyond the diagnosis phase, you know, early introduction of solids and things like that with infants, moving past that phase and thinking now about childhood and as, you know, kids are getting older, what are some of the biggest challenges that families face when raising a child with food allergies?
Dr. Brock Williams (22:26)
Yeah, I think there can be lots of challenges, especially when we look at some of the data. We know that up to 40% of children that have a food allergy have more than one food allergy or are allergic to multiple foods. So sometimes it can be really challenging, especially if you’re allergic to multiple different foods that are common in our dietary patterns. So, I think there’s a lot of anxiety. There’s a lot of fear about the chance of reactions. So that’s why if you do have a childhood food allergy, it’s always important to have things like your epinephrine pen, different treatments readily available so that they can be accessed. But there is a lot of that fear. So having some of the skills to cope with anxiety, which is, you know, really well-placed and is totally reasonable. It’s important to have people to support you in managing some of those fears and those anxieties. Having some of the skills like label reading is going to be really important. So, we know that with food manufacturers, they can change food products at any time. So, food that previously might have been safe for your child to consume could now have the potential for cross-contamination or a change in the ingredients. So label reading is one of the main skills that we would work with families on developing so that they have that in their toolbox so that they’re empowered and that they have that knowledge to kind of navigate food system and prepared foods that you would find in grocery stores. Yeah, really working with families so that they have the skills and the confidence to navigate some of those food environments is going to be really important.
Tamara (24:15)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. There are certainly a lot of challenges and anxiety to it is a very, it can be a very scary thing. But knowing that there’s so many resources and supports out there, and then of course, having the skills and the confidence to, you know, react to something if something does happen, I’m sure making a really big difference. I was just curious, actually, when you were talking about label reading, is there any kind of policy or anything like that in place where food manufacturers have to, like, state, you know, that a food contains like one of the priority top 10 allergens that you had mentioned earlier? Or is that not something that exists?
Dr. Brock Williams (24:49)
Yeah, so there’s regulations in Canada that those priority allergens have to be labeled on food packages. So, it does make it a little bit easier to pinpoint which particular foods are in that product. And there was an update to some of that guidance over the last few years, so that it has to be very clear on the food labels. So that’s really key. One of the major challenges is when you are dealing with foods that don’t have a food label. So maybe something that’s been prepared by a friend or family member, going to restaurants. So that’s one of the other components too, is just being very communicative with individuals that have prepared the foods about what your child’s food allergies are, can be really important so that everybody’s well aware of the foods that have to be avoided for safety.
Tamara (25:43)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And that’s good that there are some policy factors at play here too, where they do have to list those priority allergens. But of course, yeah, when there isn’t a food label, that makes it a lot harder. So, the communication is definitely key at that point.
Marciane (25:55)
You mentioned a lot of great things. Honestly, knowledge is power, and it really does help us feel confident. Because when I was like 20 or 21, I developed a shellfish allergy randomly. I never had an issue with it. Love seafood, still love fish. However, we went to – I’m originally from the States, so – we went to Red Lobster. And I was like, “oh, maybe it was just a bad situation because I got hives everywhere.” And I was, like, “this is weird.” So, I was, like, “okay, maybe it’s just a bad situation. We’ll kind of give it some time and then go back.” We went to some other place, had a shrimp feast. There was boiled shrimp, braised shrimp, fried shrimp. It was a lot of shrimp everywhere. Had that, had an even worse reaction. Had hives, ended up in the ER. My heart rate was, like, 160 something. They’re, like, okay. So, took me back, took care of me. I was fine. However, they were, like, “okay, you have an allergy now.” Saw an allergist, did that allergy test, which is not fun. Like, all the scratches, not fun at all. But did that. Blood work confirmed that I was allergic. Now I have an EpiPen. And yeah, now I’m reading food labels way more. And at that time, that was before I had even thought about, you know, studying nutrition. And I found myself realizing like, oh, there can be shellfish in certain seasonings, in certain packaged foods can be contaminated with it. Like, it just opened my mind to things that I didn’t think about before. But at first, very anxiety ridden. And I was, like, I don’t want that to happen again. That was horrible. However, you know, being educated, at least knowing now what it is and being able to move forward more carefully, really, really helped. But yeah, that just brought that memory.
Dr. Brock Williams (28:01)
Yeah. And I think that’s a good story to share because it touches on that point that food allergies can be kind of dynamic, that, you know, you can have a presentation of a food allergy later on in life. And you tie in some of those really important concepts around food label reading and a lot of that awareness, giving you empowerment to kind of navigate that experience. It’s something that people deal with at different stages of their life. So, it’s not always just confined to early childhood.
Marciane (28:32)
Absolutely. Absolutely. Gave my mother a scare, but even her as well, just learning different things, learning how to adapt, you know, recipes that are from our culture usually involve shellfish, but now she has to change it. You know, it was a learning curve for her, as well. But I’m so grateful how my family was, like, obviously, we don’t want to kill you. So, let’s just figure out how to move forward. So, I really appreciate their support as well.
How can parents ensure their child is well equipped to manage their food allergies, especially during break times or school events?
Dr. Brock Williams (29:06)
Yes. So, I think starting early is the most important thing. So doing food label reading with your child and going through that whole process when you’re in a grocery store and picking out foods, you know, reading the labels together, identifying what words you’re particularly looking for on the food labels can be really helpful. So, starting that process so that the child can become independent as they grow older. I think one of the other important things you can do is teaching them to be communicative around their food allergies. So, in those situations where you’re at school, you’re at restaurants, communicating clearly what your food allergies are and that it is a food allergy can be really important. Sometimes when people aren’t clear around whether it’s an allergy, sometimes servers and restaurants or in food establishments. Because, you know, sometimes we have that fluid kind of language with things like gluten and different food components where people misuse allergy or intolerance, having that kind of clear language and teaching your child the clear language so that they can be effective in their communication with caregivers, teachers, food servers, all of those things can be really important and, kind of, empowering them young so that as they grow more independent, they can use those skills on their own.
Tamara (30:35)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Like, the language part is so important and clarifying that it is an allergy, because that is different from an intolerance. And obviously, you know, how you may feel after, you know, consuming a food that you’re allergic to versus intolerant to can be quiet, quite different. So, it is important to kind of set that language expectation early. I guess it comes across that in a way when you’re in situations when you’re eating out socially, that this is something that, you know, they need to look out for. And that the waiter, waitresses and food establishments will take it seriously as well, too. Because obviously, that’ll let them advocate for themselves, too, as they get older. But in terms of, like, even when we talk about allergies, you know, I think there’s a lot of talk about, you know, introduction, you know, first starting solids, early introduction of allergens, early childhood, things like that. And then of course, also avoiding the foods that contain the allergen, which are all obviously very important. But I think sometimes when we talk about food allergies, a part of the conversation that kind of gets missed is like the emotional and the social aspects of navigating food allergies. Things like feeling different from your peers, things like that can make a really big difference to how a child feels when they have a food allergy, especially, you know, in those formative social years.
So, what are some strategies that parents can use to help their children navigate the emotional, social, and, also practical challenges of having a food allergy, especially when it comes to things like birthday parties, class parties where allergens might be present?
Dr. Brock Williams (32:00)
I think this is one of the major challenges for caregivers and for the child, kind of, navigating those social situations. In those situations, if you’re prepared, so, if you have food items that you know are safe to consume and bring them along with you, that can kind of reduce some of that awkwardness of having to communicate sometimes with the host or with other children around food allergies. So, having options that are safe for you can be really helpful. So, doing a little bit of preparation can save a lot of time and effort. Preparation is really key. And I think there’s a lot more awareness around food allergies now. As I mentioned, a lot of children with a food allergy are allergic to more than one food. Within our society, we tend to be quite aware about food allergies. So, I think some of those barriers are decreasing a little bit. Being prepared, having safe food options available to you is probably one of the most helpful things. And then again, that communication piece around what is safe for you and what isn’t safe for you with your hosts, with your friends, other caregivers can be really helpful. And I think one of the other things we haven’t really touched on too is that there are newer treatments for food allergy, which allergists across the country and across the world really are working on. So, being linked with an allergist early on. So, if you’re doing early and often introduction and your child presents with signs and symptoms of a food allergy, seeking medical attention from a family doctor, from a pediatrician, and then being referred to a food allergist can be really helpful early on because there are some different therapies that can be used. They’re called immunotherapies. So, allergists can help guide parents through that whole process and see what’s appropriate and safe for them or not. But navigating some of those options early on can be really helpful because then you can have early treatment of the food allergy.
Marciane (34:17)
Interesting. I can’t wait to learn more about what those treatments could look like, different things like that. I definitely want to do a deep dive into that. You also brought to mind that piece about being communicative. It just reminded me, really, it’s about being a self-advocate, self-advocacy and not being afraid to express your needs. This is something that has to do with your health and sometimes can be life or death if it’s more like you can have a more serious reaction. That just made me think when I was younger and I was going through those food allergies, I did have to learn to ask my elders, what’s in that? I can’t have that or I’m going to eat what I brought, which sometimes culturally when you go into someone’s household in a West African context, it can seem like you’re rejecting their food. Then that’s insulting when really, you’re just trying to make sure that you’re okay and you don’t have some sort of reaction when you go home. Then, even older with the shellfish, I definitely lost some friendships because there were some people who were just being very insensitive to it and making a lot of fun. I’m, like, okay, I want to be around people that are going to be okay with me saying, let’s not go to this restaurant or let’s not do this thing where even if I get cut with a shellfish shell, I could have a reaction. Let’s just not do that. And even people that randomly you want to start a relationship or something like that, you also want to make sure that person is going to take it just as seriously as you do. That self-advocacy piece is so big.
Dr. Brock Williams (35:59)
Absolutely. It is one of the challenges, especially for young children being put in that situation where they do have to advocate for themselves or parents having to advocate for their child quite forcefully. It does come down to a safety component. It is about health and safety. Learning to do that early on in life can be very helpful for building that confidence and that skill.
Tamara (36:25)
Which makes a lot of sense too. I think it is too important to just acknowledge that it is hard. It is challenging. It is really difficult to have to navigate these emotional and social situations. It’s hard to feel like you don’t fit in. I think that’s okay to feel those things, as well, too. It might not seem fair, and it doesn’t really seem fair that you have to avoid these certain foods while other people don’t. But at the end of the day, it is about safety. We have to bring it back to that. I just thought it was important to acknowledge that these are hard and difficult things to navigate and go through and everyone does their best.
Dr. Brock Williams (37:01)
For sure. There is support out there, as well. There are plenty of parent support groups.
There are food-allergy support groups. People can connect with other people that are also going through the same experiences. That can be really helpful for navigating, sharing experiences and feeling like other people are going through the same things as you. That can be really helpful. There are also other psychosocial supports, social workers, psychologists, other mental health professionals that can also help you to navigate some of those challenges and feelings. Those can also be really helpful resources for people.
Marciane (37:42)
We love us some therapy. 100%. That’s great. It’s great that there is support out there.
To close out the podcast, we like to give families three practical take-home tips. Considering the topics we’ve discussed today, what are some tips that you can share with our listeners to help them manage food allergies?
Dr. Brock Williams (38:02)
The number one tip I would say is that prevention is really key. Doing that early and often introduction of the commonly allergenic foods can reduce the risk of developing a food allergy. The second one is that prevention doesn’t always work. There are a number of children that go on to develop a food allergy. Having that connection with medical professionals, referral to allergist early on in life can be really helpful to navigate what your options are and receiving good advice from a medical professional. Then the third one is, if your child does have a food allergy, that equipping yourself with those skills of label reading, communication around food allergies can all be really helpful for helping you to navigate your food environment, identifying foods that are safe for your child. I would say find those resources. We talked a little bit about Food Allergy Canada and some of the amazing resources that they’ve developed, but find good resources that are evidence-based, informed by medical practice and up-to-date research so that you can navigate food allergies for your child and for your household.
Tamara (39:18)
Thank you so much, Dr. Williams, for taking the time to chat with us about food allergies in children and for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us on the Healthy Habits Happy Homes podcast.
Dr. Brock Williams (39:27)
Thanks so much for having me.
Marciane (39:29)
You’ve provided us with such helpful tips, and we hope our listeners can take away some of these useful tips that you’ve shared. We’ll see you next time!