Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

Hi everyone! My name is Rob McCandlish. I’m new to Food Allergy Living and wanted to take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little about me. I’m a Nutrition Specialist with Nutricia North America and I work with Christine, Mallory and Sarah. Among other duties, I get to talk with folks like you when you call us with questions about Neocate.

What to tell you about myself? I grew up in Winchester, VA, not far from the nation’s capital. Growing up, I had several family members who had Celiac disease (which means they can’t eat foods with ANY wheat, barley, or rye) so was always familiar with “special” foods, reading ingredient labels closely, and changing recipes to ensure nobody got sick from food.

I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Mary Washington College. From there I started my first “career” coordinating organ donation and transplantation, eventually relocating to northern Virginia. I was fortunate to work both at the United Network for Organ Sharing as well as the Washington Regional Transplant Community. The best part of the work was that it allowed me to help to improve the lives of others, both directly and through speaking publicly about the importance of organ donation.

I then went to James Madison University to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics. That was followed by my dietetic internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While at NIH, I got to work with many patients, including those with allergies. Other patients had undiagnosed diseases which involved unexplainable food allergies and sensitivities. Still others had metabolic disorders that limited the types of food they could eat.

All of those great experiences lead me to Nutricia. I’ve been here for a couple of months now and love working with families such as your own. I recently passed the Registration Examination for Dietitians, meaning I’m a full-fledged Registered Dietitian and can add the R.D. credentials to my business card! I enjoy cooking, experimenting with food, writing, and I look forward to being a contributing member of the nutrition team at Nutricia North America.

- Rob McCandlish, R.D.

 Hi there!  My name is Irene Czapary  and I am happy to be joining the Food Allergy Living blog!  I have been working with the Nutrition Specialists at Nutricia as a consultant for the last year, helping to answer your questions about Neocate by email and over the phone.  So perhaps we have already had an opportunity to chat!

I completed a Bachelor’s of Dietetics at the University of Maryland, followed by a Master’s of Herbal Medicine at the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD.  I have been working as a Registered Dietitian for the last 5 years in a variety of settings, however working with children with food allergies and intolerances is one of my favorite areas, as it hits close to home.

As a child and teenager I coped with digestive issues that were never diagnosed, and it was only with my training in nutrition that I discovered that I too have food allergies; once I eliminated these problematic foods from my diet I felt like a whole new person!  So I know how tricky it can sometimes be to get the medical guidance you need, how challenging it can be to follow an allergen-free diet, and also how life-changing it is when you find the right diet that works for your (or your little ones) unique body. 

For the last year I have also had the opportunity to work with a pediatric gastroenterologist, learning even more about children with food allergies, intolerances, and feeding challenges.  I hope my experience will be of help to you and your little ones!

- Irene

We receive a fair amount of questions from parents and healthcare professionals on how to mix our Neocate products at specific concentrations and volumes. Our Nutrition Specialists can help with any Neocate mixing concentration you want and on whatever size serving Neocate needed based on your doctor’s or dietitian’s recommendations. At times, we will be asked to give mixing instructions for larger serving sizes of Neocate*. In these cases we may typically use household measurements (HHM) as requested by the healthcare professional or parent.

By far, the best way to measure the amount of Neocate powder needed is to use the enclosed scoop provided in each can or to use a gram scale. This will ensure the most accurate amount of powder is used for you or your child. 

Household measurements may be used to mix Neocate in large quantities but we would encourage that this be the last resort. The amount of Neocate powder in a ½ cup, for example, could vary based on the individual, if there were any air pockets in the powder when measuring, if the HHM is US standard or European based, and even on the brand of the measuring cups. There may be a wide discrepancy in the weight of the powder with using HHM. So with that in mind, we would highly encourage that you either use a gram scale to weigh the Neocate powder, or use the enclosed validated scoops in the cans of Neocate to provide the most accurate serving of powder.  If you and your healthcare team decide mixing Neocate will be most useful for you using household measurements, we will be happy to help.

Here are a few tips for you when using household measurements with Neocate powder:

• Use standard US, dry household measurements (240mL). Some HHM may say 250mL which would not be appropriate to use. Do not use liquid measuring cups.
• Household measurements are to be leveled and unpacked. Do not pack powder into cups. You may tap the side of the HHM to eliminate air pockets. Level with a clean flat utensil.

For questions and instructions on how to mix Neocate, please call us at 1-800-Neocate!

- Christine

*Including Neocate Infant DHA ARA, Neocate Jr, Unflavored, Neocate Jr Tropical or Chocolate flavored, Neocate Jr with Prebiotics, Unflavored or Vanilla flavored