Food Allergies
Food allergy is more than careful label reading. This guide walks you through our food allergy episodes so you can learn at your own pace, starting from the basics all the way to starting school, kissing, and the mental load food allergies can carry.
31 episodes · Patients, families & clinicians
Learn about food allergy in 7 MODULES
MODULE 1
What is a food allergy?
Your immune system is the real story behind every food allergy reaction. Start here for the basics: what triggers a reaction, how it works, the role of the gut microbiome, and how a true allergy differs from a food intolerance or sensitivity.
Ep. 95
How Allergic Reactions Work: The Science Behind Allergy Symptoms
How the immune system identifies a food allergen and mounts a response through IgE antibodies, mast cells, and histamine. Includes the difference between a true food allergy and a food intolerance.
Ep. 165 · Part 1 of 2
Gut Microbiome's Role in Food Allergies
Dr. Carina Venter breaks down what the gut microbiome actually is, why children with food allergies consistently show lower levels of two key bacteria, and what families can realistically do now, from diet diversity to probiotics.
Ep. 166 · Part 2 of 2
How Pregnancy and Your Baby's Gut Microbiome Play a Role in Food Allergy Prevention
The gut microbiome begins developing before birth. Dr. Venter covers how mode of delivery, breastfeeding, and early solid introduction shape it, what maternal diet during pregnancy actually shows in the research, and why introducing allergens between four and six months may reduce food allergy risk by up to 30%.
Video coming soon!
Ep. 155
Did I Cause My Child's Food Allergy?
Dr. Joanne Moreau walks through what the science actually says about the role of eczema, early allergen introduction, and genetics, and why the answer is almost never yes.
Dive deeper!
Anaphylaxis essentials
A reaction can escalate in minutes. These episodes cover what anaphylaxis actually looks like, including how it presents differently in infants and why knowing when to use epinephrine is the most important thing you can learn.
Ep. 59
What Is Anaphylaxis, and When to Use Epinephrine?
Dr. David Golden explains why anaphylaxis is harder to recognize than most people think and why epinephrine is the only thing that actually reverses anaphylaxis.
Ep. 99
Understanding Infant Anaphylaxis: How to Recognize Food Allergy Reactions in Babies
Dr. Michael Pistiner walks through how anaphylaxis shows up differently in infants, when to use epinephrine and when to call 911.
Food allergy is part of the Type 2 inflammatory spectrum, often appearing alongside eczema, asthma, and hay fever.
MODULE 2
Diagnosis
Getting an accurate diagnosis is where safe, confident management begins. These episodes walk through how testing works, which results to trust, and the questions worth asking after a diagnosis.
Ep. 97
The Nuances of Food Allergy Testing
Dr. David Stukus explains what skin prick tests, blood work, component testing, and oral food challenges can tell you, and why your reaction history matters as much as any lab number.
Ep. 18
The Questions That Arise After a Food Allergy Diagnosis: The Medical Questions
What your test results actually mean, what to ask your allergist, and how to begin shaping a management plan after a new diagnosis.
Audio only episode
MODULE 3
Treatment & management
Avoidance is no longer the only tool. These episodes cover the full range of options, from preventing allergies before they start to oral immunotherapy and biologics, and how to figure out what fits your life.
Ep. 98
Food Allergy Treatment and Management
Dr. Maya Gharfeh lays out what avoidance, oral immunotherapy (OIT), and omalizumab (Xolair) each involve, who each approach suits, and why none of them is a cure.
Ep. 110
Early Introduction of Allergenic Foods: Preventing Food Allergies Before They Start
Why introducing allergenic foods in a baby's first months can lower their risk of developing allergies, and how to do it safely and consistently.
Ep. 136
Food Allergy Treatments: What to Ask Your Doctor
Dr. Shahzad Mustafa on navigating OIT versus omalizumab (Xolair), how to set realistic expectations, and the questions worth bringing to your allergist.
Dive into the science
Ep. 129
Omalizumab for Multiple Food Allergies: The OUtMATCH Trial
The OUtMATCH trial tested omalizumab (Xolair) for patients with multiple simultaneous food allergies, including peanut, tree nuts, egg, milk, and wheat, and what the results showed for raising reaction thresholds.
MODULE 4
Living with food allergy
Food allergies impact you in many ways. Start with the foundations: why epinephrine matters, how to build a plan, and how to understand labels. Then follow the journey from infancy to adulthood, covering the practical realities along the way, from navigating school to dating, intimacy, and everything in between.
Start here!!
Navigating life with food allergies
Ep. 111
Food Allergy Basics for All Ages
How food allergies are identified and managed across every age group, from infancy to adulthood, with a clear plan for moving forward after diagnosis.
Ep. 139
Understanding Food Allergy Labels & "May Contain" in the U.S.
What "may contain" and "processed in a facility with" actually mean legally, what the top nine allergens are, and how labeling laws differ between the U.S., Canada, and the EU.
Infancy & early years (0 to 5)
Ep. 112
Managing Food Allergies in Babies and Toddlers (Ages 0 to 5)
Little kids cannot read a label or speak up about a reaction. This episode covers the routines, emergency readiness, and first steps toward self-advocacy that keep the youngest kids safe.
Children (5 to 11)
Ep. 113
Managing Food Allergies in Children (Ages 5 to 11)
School, playdates, birthday parties: the world gets bigger, and so do the situations a child has to navigate. How to help elementary-aged kids handle social settings while building confidence to manage their own allergies.
What about starting school and safety? We’ve got you covered!
Teenagers (12 to 18)
Ep. 114
Managing Food Allergies in Teenagers (Ages 12 to 18)
The teen years bring independence, peer pressure, and more risk. How to build confidence and responsibility in adolescents from the middle school years all the way to graduation.
Ep. 159
Food Allergy Anxiety in Teens: Risk-Taking, Social Pressure, and How to Help
Why teens with food allergies take risks and how parents and clinicians can support them in staying safe without making the allergy the center of every interaction.
Adult years
Ep. 157
Dating, Kissing, and Intimacy with Food Allergies
How to navigate disclosure, kissing risks, shared meals, and intimacy safely and honestly when you have a food allergy.
Ep. 115
Managing Food Allergies in College-Aged Students (Ages 18 to 21)
Dorm kitchens, dining halls, roommates who do not get it: college is the first real test of managing a food allergy fully on your own. Practical strategies for young adults taking full ownership.
MODULE 5
Mental health & emotional wellbeing
Food allergy carries a real emotional weight, from constant low-level vigilance to the aftermath of a serious reaction. These episodes take that mental load seriously, with tools and honest conversations for patients, parents, and the people caring for them.
Ep. 62
Why Is Anxiety Around Anaphylaxis So Common?
How to stay ready to use epinephrine without letting anxiety around anaphylaxis take over daily life, and why fear keeps some people prepared while it paralyzes others.
Ep. 158
Recognizing & Managing Food Allergy Anxiety in Kids
How food allergy anxiety shows up in children and what parents and clinicians can do to help kids manage fear without letting it shrink their world.
Ep. 119
Processing Emotions After Anaphylaxis: Guilt, Family Reactions, and Moving Forward
A serious reaction does not end when the symptoms do. This episode covers trauma, parental guilt, family tension, and how to make space for healing afterward.
Ep. 132
Boundaries & Communication in Food Allergy Families
Psychologist Amanda Whitehouse on coping styles, staying calm in tough conversations, and how to set and keep allergy rules with relatives, caregivers, and kids at every age.
Ep. 123
Supporting the Mental Health of Allergy Parents
Tamara Hubbard, a licensed counselor, breaks down the unique stress of keeping a child safe every day and shares therapeutic tools including ACT for families managing the long haul.
MODULE 6
School & safety
School is where kids spend most of their day, often without a parent nearby. These episodes cover how to build a safety net that actually works, from formal accommodations to the people on the ground who keep kids protected.
Ep. 120
Back to School with Food Allergies: Accommodations, Epinephrine & Preparing Your Child
How to set up safe accommodations and help your child walk into the school year feeling confident rather than anxious, from classroom snacks to field trips.
Ep. 135
Food Allergies in School: A School Nurse's Perspective
The school nurse is often the quiet backbone of a child's safety plan, managing action plans, coordinating daily care, and stepping in when an emergency hits.
Ep. 153
Food Allergy Bullying: How to Talk to Your Child and Their School
What to do when a child is being bullied because of their food allergy, how to approach the school, and how to help kids build resilience without minimizing what they are experiencing.
MODULE 7
Cultural identity & food allergy
Food is deeply tied to culture, family, and belonging, which makes a food allergy about more than just safety. These episodes explore how allergies intersect with heritage, community, and identity, and why care that respects those differences matters.
Ep. 77
Food Allergy and Its Impact on the Black Community
Disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and research representation within the Black community, and why culturally competent care is essential, not optional.
Ep. 86
Food Allergy and Its Impact on the Hispanic Community
How language, culture, and access to care shape food allergy management in the Hispanic community, and why greater inclusivity in allergy healthcare matters.
Ep. 20
Food Allergies, Cultural Identity and Holidays with Sharon Wong
Sharon Wong shares how she navigates allergy-safe celebrations while staying connected to her Chinese heritage, without letting the allergy erase what makes those moments meaningful.