Advice/Support

Note: The information in this section is perhaps some of the most beneficial on the entire site. It mainly deals with the "lifestyle" and lifestyle tips of/for those living with food allergies, with articles on various topics. There's a wealth of information here. Many of the pages are in a highly readable "article" format.

Cooking/Food

Cross-Contamination Personal stories from FAST members emphasize the importance of careful food preparation.

Eating Out and About with Allergies In this article by member "A.," FAST members share their experiences in eating out.

Gardening It's fun to grow your own food--you can tailor anything--from a small kitchen window ledge to an entire garden--to growing allergen-free foods.

Recipes This contains a large selection of recipes.

Specialty stores are popping up all over online. Read reviews by FAST members.

Tips Cooking and product information and more! Includes two cookie recipes.


Encouragement

Faith-Healing An indepth look at faith-healing and whether or not it works. Includes nine religious sources.

Good Things About Having Food Allergies An encouraging read when your health problems have got you down.


Friendships

"Allergen-Free" Gifts This article offers practical ideas for gifts that don't involve food.

"Allergen-Free" Pets Database Pets can help enrich our lives and bring us comfort during difficult times. This collection of articles may help you begin to research a pet that is safe for your specific family's needs.

Don't Say That! If you have a loved one or friend with food allergies, read this helpful article to find out what they don't want you to say. Includes helpful ideas for things to say, as well.

Our companion article to "Don't Say That!" is "Say This!" This page is a little tongue-in-cheek. Located at http://www.angelfire.com/mi/FAST/saythis.html

Dating with Food Allergies You can't eat out with food allergies...so what in the world can you do for a date? Find out here.

FAQ for adults and teens who don't have food allergies. If you're a friend/loved one of an allergic, they'd love for you to read this article!

Finding and Keeping Friends Adults with allergies have expressed having difficulties not only in finding local friends, but also in maintaining these friendships. Find tips here.

Food Allergies: For Those Who Don't Have them Informative printable resource, especially for children. Includes comparison chart which shows the frequency of food allergies.


Holidays and Special Events

Christmas Advice on starting non-food traditions and taking the holiday focus off food.

Easter Tips An Easter basket = food...but does it have to?! Find other ideas here.

Halloween Tips Advice on having an allergy-free October 31st.

Thanksgiving tips, like stuffing and turkey.

Printable Wedding Planner Read tips here about having an allergen-free wedding, including a cake! Includes a wedding diary from a FAST member.


Mailing List

FAST is the place to find a friendly and supportive free e-mail list. We exchange emotional support, cooking tips, everyday living with food allergies advice, and recipes. This is very highly recommended to join! Our group is the most moderated interactive food allergy list online--and also the first and longest-running, dating back to October 1997 (we've been around so long that we outlived our first list provider!). The moderating team helps keep the list free from fights, flames, spams, and other problems prominent on many online forums. We are quite welcoming to new members--jump on in, the water's fine.

Rules

Sign-up


Medical Concerns

Calcium Concerns points out how people who can't drink dairy need to be concerned about sufficient calcium intake.

Choosing an Allergist Tips from FAST members on how to find a helpful, reputable doctor.

A Difficult Decision: Choosing Not to Have Biological Children presents a sensitive look at individuals who have chosen not to risk the chance of passing along illness to another generation.

Food Allergy Tests What test is the most accurate? This subjective chart is based on personal experience after having been tested four times. Compares test results rather than test vs. challenging a reaction.

Ingredients of Medications is a must-read for everyone with food allergies. The medications we take may contain our allergens.

Food Allergies Can Be Fatal is a list of tips to hopefully help prevent fatal reactions. Includes a personal story of a fatal reaction.

Medical Concerns A listing of common food allergy questions/concerns/myths along with links to medical pages with the answers.

Things Your Allergist Probably Never Told You About Food Allergies

Medicine--Treatments for food allergies? Are there treatments for food allergies? A lot of people claim there are.

12 Step Program This article relates the stages that come after being diagnosed to a "12 step" program.


Op-Eds

Ask Melissa is a partial (and outdated!) archive of questions received in the past.

Food Allergies: An Invisible Disorder Senior paper by Kelsey McNitt


School

Home school or public school for my sick child? Find out points to support both options.

Starting Points

Starting Point for Food Allergy Newbies By parents, for parents! Print it out to help you with your new challenge.

Starting Point for Food Allergy Newbies By adults, for adults with allergies! Print it out to help you with your new chalenge.


Symptoms

Fatigue and Food Allergies is an article by several members of FAST, offering tips that have worked for them, personally, in dealing with fatigue.

Food Allergies and Depression is a page including signs of depression, and links to pages that can help. Those who deal with food allergies can certainly feel overwhelmed and depressed!

Symptoms This list, arranged by Kenny Silverman, tells about various allergic reactions experienced by people with food allergies.


Travel

Traveling Tips Member experiences with traveling, and advice that may help you.

Back to FAST