Desperate for a donut?

Gluten-Free Baked Donuts


Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour or millet flour
1/2 cup organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch or flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup organic coconut oil or shortening
1/2 cup vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt
2 large organic free-range eggs, or egg replacer
1 tsp rice milk or coconut
2-4 tbsp rice milk or coconut milk
Powdered sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting


Method:
-preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12-count mini-donut pan
-In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch/flour, brown sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
-Add the coconut oil or shortening by spoonfuls, and us a fork or pastry cutter to distribute it until the flour mix becomes sand textured.
-Stir in the vegan sour cream, eggs or egg replacer and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
-A tablespoon at a time, add the rice milk and mix until the dough is pliable. It should be slightly sticky, but not wet.
-Divide the dough into 12 sections and roll each piece in your palms to form a ball the size of a golf ball. Your hands should be slightly oily from the shortening - this is good. (If the dough is too wet and cannot easily form a ball when you roll it, add a bit of brown rice flour.)
-Using your palms, gently roll the dough into a cigar shape about 4 to 5 inches long. Drape the dough into one well of the donut pan, and slightly overlap the two ends to make a circle. Don't get fussy yet. Just lay it in there.
-Continue as above with the remaining dough balls.
-Using oily or wet fingers, smooth out the dough. But don't smoosh it down into the well - simply finesse a bit so that you're forming a ring.
-Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch.
-Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Then gently remove the donuts from the pan and place them bottom side up on a wire rack (to help prevent soggy bottoms).
-When cooled, sift confectioner's sugar or a mix of confectioner's sugar and ground cinnamon all over the donuts.
-Best eaten the day you bake them.


Makes: 1 dozen mini donuts.

Gluten-Free Apple-Pear Muffins

Gluten-Free Apple-Pear Muffins


Ingredients:
1/2 cup sorghum flour or millet flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup rice bran
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 large organic free-range eggs, beaten, or egg replacer
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 cup coconut milk or vanilla rice milk, more as needed
1 tbsp bourbon vanilla extract
1 cup diced apple
1 cup diced pear


Method:
-Preheat the oven to 350. Line a jumbo 6-muffin tin with jumbo paper liners.
-In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, millet flour, rice bran, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
-Add the eggs or replacer, maple syrup, oil, coconut milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. The batter should be think and a bit sticky, but not too wet. If the batter is stiff of dry, add more coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until it loosens.
-Using a spatula, stir in the diced apple and pear until combined.
-Spoon the batter evenly into your pan's 6 jumbo liners. Bake in the center of the oven for 22 to 25 minutes, until domed, golden and firm to the touch.
-Cool the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes, then pop the muffins out of the pan (to avoid soggy bottoms). Lovely warm.
-Wrap leftover muffins in foil, bag and freeze to preserve taste and texture.


Makes: 6 jumbo muffins

Avoid "Triggers" at The Gym

Here are some factors to consider when deciding to work out at the gym. The decision to exercise is good news for your health, but there are a few precautions you may want to take if you have allergies or asthma. Our doctors as well as The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest the following tips to keep your visits to the health club sniffle, sneeze, and wheeze free:

Bring your own mat. Yoga isn't relaxing if you break out in hives due to contact with a latex mat, the most common material used. If you have had any signs of latex allergy -- perhaps itching or rashes around the mouth after dental work, rashes on your hands after wearing latex gloves while cleaning your home, or reactions to elastic in your clothing or latex in Band-Aids -- be sure to bring your own latex-free mat so that you can enjoy doing floor exercises or yoga.

Not everyone in the pool. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise, and is even recommended to our patients with asthma in order to improve lung volume and strengthen respiratory muscles. However, a heavily chlorinated pool can release irritant fumes that may trigger asthma. In addition, the irritant effect of chlorine can lead to itchy red eyes, or dry itchy skin. Remember to shower or bathe with a mild moisturizing soap after leaving the pool, in order to remove chlorine from the surface of the skin.

Check the label before you energize. Most patients who are allergic to foods are used to reading labels, but watch out for those energy bars and protein shakes. If you have a nut, wheat, egg, soy, or milk allergy, be sure you carefully read the ingredients first.

Protect yourself from the disinfectant. It is a good idea to use your asthma or allergy medication before you work out. Not only will exertion itself commonly lead to bronchial spasm and asthma symptoms during exercise, but many disinfectant sprays used on gym equipment have a strong odor and may contain problematic chemicals or VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Warm up and cool down. Exercise induced bronchoconstriction can cause chest tightness and trouble breathing in people who have asthma, and sometimes can be the only sign of asthma. If you run into breathing problems when you exercise, this may be a sign of exercise induced asthma. See your doctor for an evaluation. You may be able to control these symptoms by easing in and out of workouts with a gradual warmup period; a preventative inhaler may also be helpful prior to exercise. Breathing through your nose rather than your mouth helps to moisturize the air entering your bronchial tubes, which helps alleviate exercise-induced asthma as well.

Ready for soccer season?

South Bay Allergy and Asthma is scoring goals in the community by educating future soccer stars about succeeding with asthma and allergy control at FRAMFEST 2011. We will be in Palos Verdes this Sunday, at Nansen Field from 12:00 - 5:00 PM.

Tips to Help Navigate Elementary School with Food Allergies

We don't want your child to feel different or be defined as "the kid with food allergies" at school. Here are a few tips that can ensure your child has a safe school year.

• Befriend the school nurse. Take your child to meet the school nurse before school begins so they can establish a relationship. Provide the nurse with your child's emergency medications and a list of what foods your child is allergic to, along with the action to be taken if the child were to accidentally eat that food. A Food Allergy Action Plan is available for download at http://bit.ly/alLobw . With the nurse you can identify important guidelines for your child's snack, lunch and class activities.


• Talk with your child's teacher. Request a conference with your child's teacher and provide them with basic information about your childs food allergies. It is important to leave additional copies of the infomation for substitutes.


• Send in reinforcements. There may be parties, science projects, and other celebrations that invariably include food. At the beginning of the school year, provide your child's teacher with an allergy-friendly snack box so your child can choose something from it during these special celebrations and not feel left out.


• Encourage extra-curricular activities. Don't shy away from birthday parties, play-dates, sports or scouts because of food allergies. These are all great oppportunities for social skill building and there should be no holding back if you do a little extra legwork and planning ahead.


• Volunteer. Volunteering in your child's classroom will allow for your input in class parties so you can help select safe foods. Attending class field trips will also ease your mind so you can oversee your child's food and medication needs rather than relying on chaperones.


• Say thanks! Nurses and teachers work hard throughout the year to ensure your child's safety, remember to show your thanks.

FAAN Food Allergy News 2011:20:6. Navigating Elementary School with Food Allergies. Pellicore K.

Study Up For A Sneeze and Wheeze-Free School Year

Make the Grade by Avoiding Asthma, Allergy Triggers Lurking in the Classroom

The new school year means new clothes, new classes, new teachers - and the same old misery due to sneezing and wheezing for children who have allergies or asthma. From the class hamster to dust mites residing in carpet to germs from cold and flu viruses, asthma and allergy triggers lurk throughout the classroom.

It's not suprising, then, that back-to-school season is associated with a 46 percent increase in asthma-related emergency department visits by grade school children. And allergies and asthma account for more than 14 million school day absences. But seeing an allergist can keep kids in the classroom: studies show that patients treated by allergists for asthma have better symptom control, including less wheezing and fewer absences, at lower cost.

To keep kids focused on their studies instead of their allergy and asthma symptoms, it's important that they recieve proper diagnosis and treatment, as well as work with their parents to develop a plan for avoiding classroom triggers.

Make sure your child doesn't suffer or miss school by following the advice, below, from South Bay Allergy and Asthma and the American Colelge of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI):

• Dust and mold and pollen, oh my - Many common triggers lie in wait for the allergic student. Dust mites and other allergens multiply in the class carpet, so suggset your child sit in a chair to read a book. Mold can grow in bathrooms and other dank areas, but are easily cleaned if brought to the janitor's attention. And ask teachers to keep windows closed this fall and next spring to keep sneeze-prompting pollens out of the classroom.



• The germ incubator - It's tough for the child with asthma to avoid germs at school, since they are pretty much everywhere from the pencil sharpener to the edge of the teacher's desk. Washing hands regularly and using tissues and antibacterial hand sanitizers also can help.



• Tag, you're - huff, puff - it - Jumping jacks during gym, tag during recess, soccer after school - these and other common school activities can trigger expercise-induced bronchoconstiction (EIB), commonly referred to as exercrised induced asthma. About 80 percent to 90 percent of those with asthma have EIB and 10 percent of people without asthma have EIB. If your child has difficulty breathing during or after exercise, see an allergist who can work with you on a prevention and treatment plan. Be sure to give teachers, from gym to homeroom, a heads up and make sure your child has medication available at school.



• Fear of furry friends - Kids love class pets, but many have allergies to the hairy or furry variety. Allergic children should be reminded not to touch the pet. You also might suggest the teacher consider a non-furry pet, such as a fish or hermit crab, which offer plenty of learning opportunities without the allergy-triggering dander. Children who have pets at home also may have pet dander on their clothes, triggering symptoms in a pet-allergic child. A new seat assignement may help.



• Food safety patrol - If your child has food allergies, potential problems can crop up almost anywhere, from the lunchroom to the classroom. Tell the teacher about foods that cause problems for your child. Also be sure to alert scouting and other club leaders, and suggest an allergen-free snack policy. It's also important to teach your child about what foods might trigger a reaction and advise them to ask a teacher or adult before eating food they are unsure about. Share a plan with teachers, coaches and the school nurse for dealing with an allergic emergency and make sure your child has medications with them like injectable epinephrine.



• The back of the class - Sitting at the front of the classroom - near the chalkboard - is a bad idea for kids whose allergies or asthma are triggered by chalk dust. And washing hands after writing on the chalk board is a must.

If your child is sneezing, wheezing and itching at school and you're not sure why, see an allergist to find out what's causing the problem and find relief. For more information about allergies in children, asthma in children, or take a self-relief test visit http://www.allergyandasthmarelief.org/.

My child is allergic to eggs, can he/she get a flu shot?

Since the influenza vaccine is made in chicken eggs, it is possible to have egg protein exposure when receiving the vaccine. This potentially could lead to problems in a severely egg allergic child, making this a contraindication for receiving "flu shots".

However, if a child has a history of a mild egg allergy (not a recent systemic reaction), it is generally safe for him/her to get the flu shot. Recommendation suggested in kids with a history of a mild egg reaction: Give 1/10 of the flu shot at the pediatrician's or allergist's office, and wait 30 minutes. If tolerated well, administer the remainder of the vaccine and observe in the office for another 30 minutes so that treatment can be promptly rendered in the unlikely case of allergic reaction.