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McClatchy Newspapers Among the pricier fruit indulgences out there, particularly at this time of year, are plums. But there's no doubt this stone fruit is stone-cold deli- cious. Take our quiz: 1. Plums are the sec- ond-most-cultivated fruit in the world, behind which fruit? a) bananas b) apples c) mangoes 2. What percentage of the daily value of fiber does consuming one plum (2 inches in diameter, 66 grams) provide? a) 9 percent b) 19 percent c) 29 percent 3. Most people are familiar with purple plums, but there are sever- al color types. Which is not a color of plum? a) green b) red c) yellow 4. True or false: Ripe plums can be refrigerated in a plastic bag and eaten within four days. 5. Which early 20th century American poet extolled the lusciousness of plums in free verse? a) Ezra Pound b) William Carlos Williams c) Gertrude Stein 4A – Daily News – Monday, February 22, 2010 $ Money $ 2 Lend Cash 4 Notes McKinley Mortgage Co. CA DRE # 01773837 Call 530-241-0977 800-909-1977 "Your neighborhood pharmacy since 1952" We've got you covered • Healthcare Including Prescriptions & Non-Prescriptions • Wide Variety of Gifts, Cards & Picture Frames • We Deliver Locally PRICE'S PHARMACY 1322 Solano St., Corning 530.824.3495 Fax 530.824.9227 Barbara Dimmick, Gift Buyer Largest Selection In Tri-County • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com Corning Calif. Vitality health&fitness Is your child's food allergy real? ST. LOUIS (MCT) — Food challenges take place every Friday at St. Louis Children's Hospi- tal. Children who have tested positive for food allergies are pitted against the suspected culprits. They spend hours eating increasing amounts and monitored closely for reactions. In about half the cases, nothing happens. The children are fine to eat the food many have been avoiding for years. "Parents are very happy because it's a life change," said nurse Tri- cia Ruhland. They no longer have to analyze food labels, agonize over accidental exposure or send special snacks to school. Many, she said, head straight from the doctor's office to Dairy Queen for a Peanut Buster Parfait. Food allergies are often misdiagnosed, leaving many parents needlessly worrying about dangerous reac- tions and painstakingly monitoring food, said Dr. Leonard Bacharier, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine. "It's a big, ugly issue. We deal with it every day." A key reason, he said, is many parents rely solely on the results of blood or skin tests, which are increasing in use because of easier access. Blood tests mea- sure IgE antibodies, chemicals present during an allergic reaction. Skin tests involve measuring hives that result from pricking the skin with food extract. But experts agree blood and skin tests are not reliable. Several recent reports have focused on tests for peanut allergies, a com- mon food allergy one study shows increased twofold among children from 1997 to 2002. Allergies to peanuts and tree nuts are usually life- long and the leading cause of fatal and near- fatal food allergic reac- tions. Misdiagnoses appear to be one of many factors behind its increase. In a study published last month in Journal of Allergy and Clinical I m m u n o l o g y , researchers from the University of Manches- ter performed food chal- lenges with 79 children who had positive skin or blood tests for peanut allergy. A huge portion — 66 — were found not to be allergic. The find- ings confirm two studies released in 2007 out of Sydney Children's and Johns Hopkins hospitals reporting large discrep- ancies in the results of skin and blood tests for peanut allergies. The tests can be wrong because the pres- ence of antibodies does- n't always mean a person will experience symp- toms, Bacharier said. "In some people, these anti- bodies cause disease, and in other people, they don't." A history of reactions to food must be taken into account, he said. However, many parents seek the tests because a sibling has an allergy or other vague symptoms. Or a pediatrician will screen for food allergies when a patient comes with suspicions of hay fever or a reaction to the cat. Parents are suddenly sent down a road with no easy answers. "The problem is when patients have a food allergy test done without clear reason for doing one," Bacharier said. "These tests are wrong. They give bad advice all the time. When you order one, you have to deal with the result." Alison Fox, 33, went to the doctor concerned her son was allergic to tomatoes. She returned with positive skin and blood tests for allergies to peanuts, peas and eggs. Her then 3-year-old son had been eating those things with no problem. The news was discon- certing, Fox said. Her doctor told her the aller- gy might manifest with continued exposure. "I start freaking out, think- ing well, maybe the next time he eats peanuts, he's not going to be able to breathe," she said. Because Fox was cer- tain of her son's food his- tory, an allergist was willing to do a food chal- lenge in his office. She was lucky to alleviate her fears within a couple of weeks and determine he was not allergic. Parents with unclear cases, however, must live for months restricting their child's diet. They are unsure when or if their child last ate the food in question, or have a toddler who has never tried peanuts or eggs. In those cases, the hospital is the safest place for a food challenge, but the wait is long. Getting an appointment at Cardinal Glennon Children's Med- ical Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital can take over a year. Food challenges are labor-intensive and time- consuming. Patients get 11 doses of food in increasing amounts every 15 minutes. They start their day at 8:30 a.m. and can't leave until six hours later. For some, the prospect is too daunt- ing. Help may lie in a more accurate blood test. The company Phadia AB has developed a test that can differentiate between the peanut's dangerous and benign antibodies. It can predict whether an allergic reac- tion will develop with more than 95 percent certainty, said Dr. Henry Homburger, medical director of Phadia's U.S. laboratory. The test is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Adminis- tration. "It would be nice if they were able to advance diagnostics so we could have a lower rate of false-positive results," Bacharier said. Meanwhile, parents like Lori Kampwerth, 29, lived over a year restricting peanuts from the diet of her 3-year- old daughter, Ellie. When Ellie was 15 months old, she devel- oped splotches on her face after she might have eaten peanut butter cereal at a baby sitter's. She had never eaten peanuts before, so a doc- tor did a skin-prick test. She tested positive. The only way to deter- mine whether Ellie was truly allergic was with a food challenge, which she finally passed last October. Ellie now enjoys kid-favorite peanut butter candy, crackers and granola bars. The family was able to ditch the epineph- rine injections kept in case of emergency. Said Kampwerth, "It's a big relief." MCT photo Dr. Avraham Beigelman and Tricia Ruhland, RN, left, talk about allergies with Karen Kehrer after a peanut allergy test on Owen Kehrer, 6, at St. Louis Children's Hospital on Feb. 5 in St. Louis, Mo. Build endurance (MCT) — Want to be able to exercise for longer periods of time? Try these tips from trainers: Go gradually. Do a little more each time you exercise. Many trainers recommend increasing the time of your workout first — even if it's just a minute a day — followed by the intensity. Aim to build to a minimum of 30 minutes of activity a day. Choose the right activities. Cardiovascular exercises, which raise heart rate and breathing for an extended period, are the best way to boost endurance (although weights are key to building muscle strength and guarding against injury). Some examples: swimming, biking, hiking, jogging and, at home, raking leaves and mopping floors. Breathe right. A common rule: You should be too out of breath to sing the chorus of a song or have a lengthy conversation, but not panting so hard that you can't talk or answer a question. You also should never feel dizzy or have chest pain. Embrace cross-training. Mix up your rou- tines constantly; repeating the same workout will ruin plans to build endurance. Warm up and cool down. Add stretching and a light activity such as slow walking before and after hard workouts to prevent muscle cramps. Seek out hills. Go hiking or running on a trail that's not all flat, climb stairs, work out on a stair-stepping machine or set treadmills on an incline. Drink enough water. As people age, they may not feel thirsty even if they need fluids. Take sips of water throughout a workout, espe- cially if you're sweating heavily. Live healthy — and be patient. Eat nutritious foods, get enough sleep and realize that you may need weeks or even months to reach the endurance level you want. Nutrition quiz: Plums ANSWERS: 1: b; 2: a; 3: c; 4: True; 5: b