Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg Allergy?

Every morning, I would crack open three organic brown eggs in a medium sized bowl. Sometimes I would crack them open with 2 hands, and sometimes I would show off and use a one handed method on the rim of the bowl. Out drops the clear and yolk goodness into the bowl. Then with a folk in my hand, my wrist would gyrate like Elvis Presley's hips to start agitating the eggs into a silky smooth mixture. Add a little water and more mixing, the egg concoction is ready to become an egg omelet.

During the mixing, the frying pan is being heated up by the electrical element on the stove, and I pour the mixture on to the hot pan. After some coagulation the mixture becomes a little firmer and starts to form that famous circular shape. With my handy silicon spatula, I make a some adjustments to the omelet to ensure that the eggs are sliding on the non-stick pan. A little shaking of the pan the eggs are ready to flip. I could flip the eggs with the spatula, but I call the kids into the kitchen to watch the 1-second show spectacular.

I let the eggs slide around a little more, and with a little wrist action the yellow round breakfast staple begins to flip in the air. It flawlessly lands smoothly back on the non-stick pan, and finishes cooking on the other side. "Tah Dah!" And I take a bow. The kids then yell out, I wish I could do that, and I tell them, "Practice, Practice and Practice."

I slide the finished product onto a plate, sprinkle a little salt on to the omelet, and ask them, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

If you are allergic to eggs like my son, and eat something that contains eggs, your immune system releases and an army immunglobulin (IgE) antibodies, which triggers the release of certain chemicals, one of which is histamine to protect the body. Millions of people have this condition. While my son should outgrow this allergy, for many they will remain allergic for a lifetime.

The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system (allergy like symptoms like wheezing and runny nose), gastrointestinal tract (cramping, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea), skin (hives or eczema), and the cardiovascular. In my son's case, he would constantly cough, and our medical doctor thought it was asthma.

Now since my son has been diagnosed with an egg allergy. The breakfast show has been replace with sliced fruits and Van's French Toast which are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and I think a few more free items. The Van's products actually taste really good. I originally found them at Wild By Nature and now Wholefoods.

Once and a while I will make a gluten free pancake and use a egg substitute called Egg Replacer by Ener-G.The ingredients include, potato starch, tapioca flour, levening (calcium lactate (not derived from dairy), calcium carbonate, citric acid), sodium carbonxymethlcellulose, and methlycellulose. The first I used it was in meatloaf, which I could not tell the difference

Other egg substitutes are:

• 1 tbsp ground up milled flax seed and 3 tbsp of water, but it did not work out the way I thought it would.
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 heaping tbsp soy powder and 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp soy milk powder, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water
• 1 banana (great in cakes)

Some hidden sources containing eggs include:

• Albumin
• Lactalbumin
• Ovalbumin
• Ovomucin
• Ovomuclod
• Ovovitellin
• Viellan
• Surimi (imitation seafood ie sea legs)
• Some Vaccines

Common foods containing eggs include:

• Baked goods
• Caesar salad dressing
• Cream sauces
• Custard
• Eggnog
• French toast
• Hollandaise sauce
• Ice cream
• Mayonnaise
• Marshmallows
• Meatloaf (My families favorite!)
• Meringue
• Omelets
• Pudding
• Sherbet
• Soufflés
• Tartar sauce

The bottom line, always consult with your healthcare provider to review your nutritional choices.