Our post today is a guestblogentry from Kyle Dine, a Canadian songwriter who creates children's music that educates and entertains about food allergies. We’d like to thank Kyle for guest blogging for us today!
“Food Allergies Rock!” — Three words that sum up all of my feelings about the condition I have lived with since I was a toddler. I do realize that this phrase may be a tad optimistic, especially if you have ever experienced an anaphylactic reaction, or ever witnessed your child experience these terrible symptoms. After experiencing several severe allergic reactions in my life, I will be the first to admit that food allergies don’t always rock. But, I’ll explain why it’s so important that you and your kids should adopt this motto too.
“Food Allergies Rock!” is the name of my most recent children’s music CD dedicated to kids with allergies. Every song on this CD is an offshoot of this empowering phrase with its own unique message on staying safe and staying positive.
Songs such as My Epineph-Friend, One of the Gang, and Able to Read a Label promote thinking about allergies in a fun and positive way while illustrating that food allergies don’t have to define you nor limit you in life.
It’s so easy to focus on the negatives — the doom and gloom. But that is no way to live and no way to have a healthy attitude in life. There is a lot of encouraging research these days with respect to someday having a treatment for allergies. However I am personally more drawn to quality of life studies because they uncover novel strategies on how to manage allergies while living normally.
One study in particular fromThe Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, discusses how important it is for children to focus on the positives in order to become empowered over their allergies.
“clinical experience suggests that children who adopt a negative attitude toward theirallergies (eg, focus on limitations and differences from peers) may be more likely to experience distress than children who adopt a more positive perspective (eg, emphasize strengths and coping strategies).”
What are the exact reasons why food allergies rock? I’ll let the lyrics of the song do the talking.
“Food Allergies Rock”
Food Allergies Rock
To tell you the truth I would rather have them than not
Food Allergies Rock!
I wouldn’t trade them I’m happy with what I got
Just a few foods that I can’t eat
But none of them are in my favorite treat
I can stay safe and I can stay well
Because I stay alert after the dinner bell
I could be a doctor or an astronaut
Whatever I choose I can reach the top
So I have food allergies
But I won’t let them define me
I can read labels like I read a book
And I’m so creative when I try to cook
I can eat healthy things like fruit
For every thing I can’t, there’s a substitute
I can be brave and speak up for myself
I can find safe foods on a cupboard shelf
I can teach my friends what they’re all about
And I’ll be just fine living without.
- Kyle Dine
Kyle Dine’s music can be downloaded off of iTunes or bought from the product catalogs of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network and Anaphylaxis Canada. For more information about Kyle Dine and his school wide allergy awareness assemblies, please visit his website at www.kyledine.com or connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
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