Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A parent’s guide to food allergy, intolerance, and toxicity.

I had a weird relationship with food as a child. I had stomach problems and eczema which lasted for years and years, and no doctor found a solution. We never found the triggers to these issues really, so I just had to deal with them. Today, there is so much more information out there and this book is the perfect guide to understanding food allergies and intolerances. I’m very happy to be sharing my review of What’s Eating Our Kids? – a comprehensive and useful tool for parents. Although, the information in this book will also be helpful for adult allergies and intolerances!

About the book

What’s eating our kids? More and more parents are asking that question. There has been a steep increase in the number of allergic reactions and in the number of patients who can no longer tolerate food without absolute misery. Have you, as a loving parent, ever felt helpless in your struggles to figure out your child’s food allergies, reactions, and aversions? Do you wonder why this is happening? This book will help guide you or your child to the relief you’ve been waiting for.

What’s Eating Our Kids? contains information key to understanding the causes of your food allergy, intolerance, and toxicity, breaking down the most common (and some not-so-common) food reactions and walk through the symptoms, specific medical conditions, and the diagnosis, testing, and treatment process.

My thoughts

The book begins with a powerful few paragraphs from the author explaining her inspiration for becoming an Allergist-Immunologist; a physician who is is trained to diagnose, treat and manage allergies and immunologic disorders. She goes on to explain her sister’s sudden allergic reaction which sounded absolutely terrifying. I sometimes think about – for some strange reason – how allergies can just start randomly throughout our lives, even if a certain allergen has never affected us before. Our bodies are so complex. The book is set out in multiple sections, from allergy basics to diseases associated with food. Seeing such an organised list of contents always makes me happy, and I was so eager to learn something new!

Throughout the first section about the basics of allergies, I felt really impressed by how many visuals there were and just how it made a difference in my experience of the book. Graphs, charts, pictures, you name it. People take in information in a variety of ways, so this was great for visual learners. It also splits the book up and just generally makes things easier to read and digest, which I always appreciate in a book like this. In the first few sections, I already felt more knowledgeable about the symptoms of allergies and why they occur. The basic information should be learnt by everyone. Knowing what to look out for and when to take action could save a life! The author also includes numerous facts and figures to show just how common food allergies are across the globe; some of these figures were really eye opening to me.

I’ve always wanted to carry out a skin test on myself to identify any potential allergies, and there is a whole section in this book explaining how they’re carried out and why they are effective. A friend of mine received results from her own skin test a few years ago which really transformed her life after years of not knowing what was triggering her symptoms. The author goes into incredible detail about the different types of testing as well as management strategies which was so invaluable. The step by step instructions included in the book are such a great tool for anyone to take on board, not just for parents of children. Even though the book is packed with information, the author also writes from her own experiences of being a mother, and this personal approach balanced everything really well. It was such a pleasant feeling to hear how the author’s methods worked for her own family and friends.

I think for me, the most valuable sections were chapters 15 and 20, about celiac disease and gluten intolerances, as well as general food intolerances and IBS. I’ve recently started eating less gluten in my diet and it’s helped me massively, so I found everything the author had to say on celiac disease and gluten intolerances as well as treating and monitoring to be really useful. Chapter 19 was also very interesting to me as it covered eczema, a condition I couldn’t seem to get rid of as a child (thankfully it has completely gone now!) The author really covers every possible scenario in this book. It’s such an excellent tool you can always refer back to, and even reread where you need to.

If you, your child, or someone who know suffers from a known or unknown food allergy or intolerance, I urge you to give this book a try! There is so much helpful information and advice in here that you’re sure to find some guidance or even a solution to the issues you’re faced with. Of course, it’s always a good idea to see a doctor instead of self diagnosing an issue, but this book is a great place to start!

Summary

What’s Eating Our Kids? is the only tool you’ll ever need in identifying food allergies and intolerances, understanding the causes and learning how to manage them. It’s eye-opening, insightful and invaluable from start to finish. The book is curated in a way that is interesting and informative, whilst also keeping things conversational as the author talks about her own experiences. The facts and figures were fascinating and even the basic information in this book should be something every person should read in case they find themselves in a situation where they need to help themselves or someone else having an allergic reaction. There are images, graphs, charts – you name it – in order to keep the information easy to digest, and the many practical solutions and advice for parents will help so many keep in control in scary or uncertain scenarios. A brilliant book which any parent should have on their shelf!

What’s Eating Our Kids? is available right now on Amazon!

Looking for book reviews?

If you’re in need of reviews for your own book, do get in touch to get on my submissions list! All the information you need is on my book reviews page. If you enjoyed this review and would like to support my blog, you can buy me a coffee 😊