THE FOOD ALLERGY COUNSELOR - Your Allergy Psychosocial Resource Hub
  • Home
  • Counselor Directory
  • Blog
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
  • Worksheets/Forms
  • Psychosocial Resources
  • FAC Members/FABHN
  • Allergy Counseling Niche Info
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Patients
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Therapy Providers
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Allergists
  • Consulting Services
  • About
    • The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc.
    • Founder, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
  • Contact

Food Introduction Fears

2/21/2023

0 Comments

 
With research now showing that delaying the introduction of allergens to infants may increase the risk of developing allergies, there's been a purposeful focus on "letting the babies eat" - which is a catchy phrase to help remind parents of this important data (links to useful data at the end of this article). 

But what happens when fear enters the equation (which it likely will, because fear is a normal emotional response to a perceived and/or actual threat, such as an allergic reaction).  When fear gets in the way of introducing new foods? 
Fear of Food Allergen Introduction
Maybe you're the parent/caregiver of an infant and want to introduce allergens, but are scared to. Or perhaps you have a toddler and while you haven't been diligent about introducing new foods along the way, you now want to, but find that your nerves are getting in the way of actually following through. 

While it's outside of The FAC's professional scope to provide any medical guidance, it's within its  scope to offer tips to help navigate the fear and anxiety impacting your ability to follow through with introducing new foods. With that said, this important disclaimer needs to be made before moving on to helpful tips:
Guidance given here is for educational purposes; please consult with your own allergist and/or physician for guidance specific to your situation, including determining which foods are safe to introduce and when. 

Now, let's get to 3 practical tips to help you introduce foods even with fear present!

Tip #1: Make "Bite-Sized" Goals:

Especially if you're feeling that you're "behind" on the goal of introducing new foods, you may set such high expectations that you'll get derailed before you even start. Maybe you're pressuring yourself to introduce as many foods as possible, as quickly as possible! But if you find that approach only leads to more avoidance of food introductions, then it's not a workable approach for you. Here's what may help if this is how you're feeling, whether you're working on infant food introduction or introductions with an older child: 


  • Develop a food introduction timeline with your allergist and/or physician, including how often to introduce foods and which foods to introduce when; use this as your compass rather than trying to guess your way through it (which will likely increase fear and anxiety)

  • Stay in the present-moment, only focusing on the food you're currently introducing

  • If you get derailed, explore how you got off-track and focus on encouraging yourself to get back on the food introduction ladder (you just need to get on that first step to reconnect with your bravery and use that as momentum to keep moving forward!)

  • Don't hesitate to reach out to your allergist and/or physician if you get off-track or have any concerns. (And, no, you're NOT bothering them with such questions!)

Tip #2: Practice Self-Compassion: 
We tend to be judgmental of ourselves when we are unable to follow through with tasks we feel we should be doing. This may lead to thoughts of "Why aren't I brave enough?" and "I'm not being a good enough allergy parent!" And once we jump down that judgmental rabbit hole, it may actually feel harder to introduce foods since we're now dealing with fear AND judgement! Here's what helps if you find yourself experiencing self-judgement: 


  • Develop compassionate self-talk statements to say to yourself when you're feeling down about the struggle to introduce new foods. This can include statements like: "I am not feeling ready YET, but I'm working towards that!" or "I can do hard (and scary) things!"

  • Give yourself grace! It's not easy to do things that we feel are threatening - if it was, then we'd all be doing it already. 

  • Connect with the collective experience of food introduction. You're not the only parent/caregiver finding it hard to introduce new foods. Reminding yourself of this can help normalize how you're feeling.

  • There's no need to compare yourself to how other allergy parents/caregivers are navigating this task - it won't feel helpful! Everyone's situation is specific to them - including their allergies, how they feel, and how they navigate through food introductions.  

Tip #3: Focus on Your "WHYs" for Food Introduction:
Yes, one big WHY for introducing allergens early and often are to help with allergy prevention, but there are likely other reasons why you're wanting to do food introductions. These WHYs become important reminders that help us push through the times when we're anxious, and help us stay on track when it feels hard to do so. To determine your additional WHYs for food introduction, ask yourself these questions: 
  • What will I and/or my child be able to do more of if I introduce more foods and potentially expand food options? 

  • What is *not* introducing foods costing me and/or my child? (ie. what are you not able to do that you want to; is it causing stress; is it impacting relationships/family or quality of life?)

  • What goals am I looking forward to once I start working through these food introductions? 

BONUS Tip for Toddler Food Introduction: 
Start off  super simple - by making food feel like a fun topic to explore! With foods approved for introduction, focus on helping your child learn about them. Start by finding books that include the foods and spotting them in stories, pointing them out at grocery stories, and if approved by your allergist/physician, touching them* - basically anything that helps them become open to trying the food. Then build from there! This sets a fun tone for food introduction, and is one way to get your foot on the first rung of that introduction ladder.

*[Discuss with your allergist/healthcare provider whether touching allergens prior to introducing/ingesting it is recommended or not, especially if your child is at higher risk for developing food allergy, or is managing eczema and other allergic conditions].


So here are this week's takeaways:
  • Fear is a normal emotional response to food and allergen introductions when an allergic reaction is a perceived and/or actual threat
  • We can introduce foods while feeling scared - the fear doesn't have to be gone in order to do so
  • Work with your own allergist and/or physician to determine your food introduction plan
  • Break the overall plan into bite-sized tasks, focusing only on the food you're currently introducing
  • Don't compare yourself to others when it comes to food introductions - give yourself grace and work at your own pace
  • Stay connected to your WHYs - why it's important to push through the fear of food introductions

To read more on the topic of food introduction, check out these resources: 
  • A Consensus Approach to the Primary Prevention of Food Allergy Through Nutrition: Guidance from AAAAI, ACAAI and CSACI

  • Q&A: Consistent, Timely Exposures Are Key to Infant Food Allergen Introduction 

want more empowering allergy life tips like this emailed directly to you? subscribe to receive "food allergy counselor corner" emails!


And don't forget about ALL of the FAC resources there to support you!
  • Allergy counseling information for  patients, therapists, allergists
  • Find an allergy-informed therapy provider - most offering telehealth
  • Listen to podcast episodes offering practical and relatable guidance
  • Watch (and listen to) webinars and podcast interviews
  • Explore allergy-focused behavioral health resources
  • Learn mindset strategies from allergy-specific therapeutic worksheets
  • Connect with other allergy-informed therapy providers!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Follow FAC on Twitter or Instagram, or on Facebook on the Food Allergy Counselor Directory  page to get updates on the FAC Directory, blog or resources. And connect with FAC creator Tamara on Twitter or Instagram!

    Picture
    Subscribe here to receive weekly allergy life tips and/or insights into the allergy counseling niche

    Picture
    Listen to & subscribe to the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast!

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018


    Categories

    All
    4 Things Series
    ACT Skills
    Adult Allergies
    Advocacy
    Allergy Anxiety Tools
    Allergy Dads
    Allergy Education
    Allergy Informed Therapists
    Allergy Moms
    Allergy Tools
    Anaphylaxis
    Anxiety
    Building Confidence
    CBT
    Community
    Compassion & Self Compassion
    Coping
    Coronavirus Anxiety
    Counseling
    Emotions
    Empowerment
    FAAW
    Family
    Fears
    Food Allergy Management
    Food Allergy Research
    Food Allergy Worksheets
    Guest Bloggers
    Guilt
    Kids
    Mindfulness
    Mindset
    OIT & OFC
    Parenting
    Personal Stories
    Podcast
    Podcast & Webinars
    Relationships
    Resilience
    Siblings
    Stress Management
    Support Groups
    Survey Results
    Teen Allergies
    Treatment
    Updates Or News


    Picture
    Don't miss a blog post! Subscribe below: 

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Subscribe to FAC via reader

FAC Resources

FAC Directory
FAC Blog
​
FA Webinars & Discussions
Exploring FA Families Podcast
​Therapy Worksheets
​​Sign up for FAC emails!

For THERAPY Providers

FAC Membership & FABHN​
Allergy Psychosocial Intake Forms
Contact The FAC
ALLERGY COUNSELING 
Patient/Community Info
Therapy Provider Info
Allergists/Healthcare Info

About

The FAC, Inc.
FAC Founder
Consulting & Webinars
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2018-2023 The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Photo used under Creative Commons from rawpixel.com
  • Home
  • Counselor Directory
  • Blog
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
  • Worksheets/Forms
  • Psychosocial Resources
  • FAC Members/FABHN
  • Allergy Counseling Niche Info
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Patients
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Therapy Providers
    • Allergy Counseling Info for Allergists
  • Consulting Services
  • About
    • The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc.
    • Founder, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
  • Contact