About No Nuts

Coping with a vibrant 5-year-old with a nut allergy and a mischievous 3-year-old (allergy status as yet unknown) is no easy task, but with a CV including working as a writer for the Press Association and a solid background in customer care I believed creating this website would be the ideal opportunity to use my talents to help people in similar situations.

I do the daily site management/writing/reviews and always welcome feedback and input for the site.

Contact me at nonuts@fsmail.net

My Story

My eldest daughter suffered an allergic reaction after eating peanut butter at 1-year-old. I was horrified to see an angry rash form on her neck and then her eyes began to swell like she'd been beaten. As we live in a rural location we rushed her to the local GP and were immediately sent through to see a doctor. Luckily it was just a mild reaction and the symptoms were relieved with a dose of Piriton, but the incident suggested that she had an allergy and she was subsequently referred for testing.

The tests proved positive and the consultant informed us that it wasn't possible to grow out of nut allergy. We were then referred to a dietician to explain a bit more about a nut-free diet. Both of the professionals we saw were very….'professional', but there was no real support there. A couple of A4 sheets of information and we were on our own, expected to cope with all the problems of living with a potentially life-threatening condition.

One useful contact was included in the dietician's information - a telephone number for the Anaphylaxis Campaign. We duly became members of the organisation (www.anaphylaxis.org.uk) .This registered charity publishes factsheets and a regular newsletter packed with product information, food alerts and the latest medical and political developments. It organises workshops for allergic teenagers and parents of allergy-sufferers and raises the profile of nut allergy in politics and the media. I would strongly urge anybody with a nut allergy to join the Campaign.

However, we still felt we needed more practical support on an everyday basis. Just to talk to somebody who's going through the same problems and have a good rant is wonderful. Or to discover a new restaurant or supermarket that's doing something innovative to help in our plight. So we set up this website to help nut-allergy sufferers and their carers with their most basic needs.

We aim to recommend companies who are getting it right and shame those who could try harder. We want food manufacturers, retailers and the catering industry to recognise the needs of a growing number of allergic consumers. And we want to set up a nationwide support network, so that we all have somebody to talk to.

As for my toddler, well I still think of her as my little sleeping beauty who may prick herself on a peanut at any time. But I'm hoping for a charming prince to find a magical elixir to cure her ills. Maybe one day....in the meantime we can all work together to keep all our little ones and our big ones safe.