Senior Center News, April 21, 2017

North Central Senior Center, April 24-28

Monday —Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; exercise class at 10 a.m. Tuesday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; bingo at1:15

Wednesday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; TOPS at 8 a.m.; cards 1 p.m.; mall or Walmart shopping from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday — Transportation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; cards at 1 p.m.; exercise class at 10 a.m.

Friday — Medical transportation is available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but people must make a request at least 24 hours in advance.

Pinochle — First place, Dick Zinn and Elva Van Dessel — tie; second place, Harold Anderson; third place, Bev Haugen; pinochle: Elva Van Dessel and Giles Majerus

Menu by Earlene DeWinter

Monday — Cabbage rolls, scalloped potatoes, carrots, fruit

Tuesday — Applesauce roast pork, rolls, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli Normandy, pineapple upside-down cake

Wednesday — Soup, taco bar, blueberry oat bar

Thursday — Chicken broccoli casserole, pepper jack cheese bread, salad, dessert

Friday — Soup, salad bar, chef’s dhoice, dessert, milk

Understanding food allergies

Have you noticed food allergy warnings at restaurants? Maybe you’ve heard about peanut-free classrooms and flights. People who have serious reactions to certain foods must be careful about what they eat and what others eat around them. There’s no cure for food allergies. But researchers are learning more about how to prevent and treat this condition. Allergic reaction happen when your immune system – your body’s defense against germs and foreign substances – overreacts to something that’s normally harmless. In the US, most food allergies are caused by peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, wheat, and soy. Allergies show up most often in children, but they can develop at any age.

Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe. Some people experience a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include trouble breathing, dizziness, and fainting. When you have a food allergy, there’s no way to predict how your body will react when you’re exposed. You might have a mild reaction one time and a severe reaction the next.

There has been a lot of research on peanut allergy because it is often so severe. Researchers are studying a large clinical trial where infants’ chances of developing an allergy were high. They started introducing food containing very small a.m.ounts of peanuts to the infants. They continued this diets until they were 5 years old. Infants who were eating peanut-containing foods beginning early in life had an 81% lower chance of developing a peanut allergy. It is important to understand that these guidelines are about preventing allergies not treating an existing peanut allergy.

These new guidelines are based on these results and the clinical knowledge of the expert panel who developed them. If you are want to try this with someone in your family, it must be done under a doctor’s care only. Whether this strategy works for other food allergies isn’t known at this time.

Remember, allergies can be life threatening, be aware of your allergies and the reactions of those around you.