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This week on The Food Allergy Brain, Mia sits down with Kevin, known online as The Macro Celiac, a celiac disease advocate, content creator, and dad of two. Kevin was diagnosed with celiac disease at 33, and both of his sons were diagnosed only a few months later.

Kevin shares what life looked like before his diagnosis, when he thought feeling sick after every meal was normal, and how a routine checkup turned into an endoscopy and a diagnosis he never saw coming. He walks through the overwhelming first few months of going gluten-free, including the hidden-gluten Rice Krispie treat that left him too scared to eat anything but meat, fruits, and vegetables, and the gluten-free Oreos that became his turning point. The two talk about the mourning period that follows a diagnosis, feeling like a burden at gatherings, and the convenience of fast food and pizza that Kevin misses more than the food itself.

Kevin also opens up about his sons' diagnoses: the symptoms doctors initially dismissed because the boys were growing well, the guilt he carried as a dad, and the wave of emotions that made their diagnosis far harder than his own. He discusses being one of the few men creating celiac content, the myth that celiac is a "feminine disease," and why women are so often gaslit for years before getting answers. He closes with his vision for a better support system: believing patients, giving newly diagnosed celiacs more than "just don't eat gluten," and leading with kindness!

Find Kevin (The Macro Celiac):
Instagram & TikTok: @themacroceliac

Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia):
Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia
Website: allergieswithmia.com

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This week on The Food Allergy Brain, Mia sits down with Maximo, known professionally as Mimofr, a music producer, content creator, and entrepreneur in the underground hip hop space with over 200 million streams. He's also Mia's younger brother.

Maximo shares how he taught himself his way from childhood piano lessons into a music career, and what it's like living with tree nut allergies along the way. He recounts an anaphylactic reaction in Amsterdam from hidden pine nuts in pesto, and the night an eel roll led to his first-ever EpiPen use at 20. The two talk about how reactions don't always look like the textbook picture, and about the phantom reactions that can follow. They also cover traveling for work and late-night studio sessions when someone else picks the food, and why the right friends never make your allergies a big deal.

Maximo closes with advice for anyone chasing a creative career with a medical condition: find your community, put yourself out there, and don't hide who you are!

Find Maximo (Mimofr):
Instagram, TikTok & all socials: @mimofrl
Music: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and YouTube under Mimofr

Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia):
Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia
Website: allergieswithmia.com

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This week on The Food Allergy Brain, Mia sits down with Dr. Kristin Sokol, a board-certified allergist, immunologist, and pediatrician at Schreiber Allergy in Rockville, Maryland, who also chairs the annual scientific meeting planning committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Dr. Sokol offers a reframe that lands immediately: much of what we call food allergy anxiety is really uncertainty. Every meal is a decision, every restaurant visit is a plan, every birthday party and flight is a risk calculation, and that constant vigilance is exhausting. She and Mia talk about why allergy care can't stop at "here's what happens if you eat it," and why quality of life deserves just as much time in the exam room.

They also get honest about overtesting. Dr. Sokol explains why the gold standard is still what happens when you actually eat the food, how families end up avoiding long lists of foods they were never allergic to, and how much work it takes to undo that. The two dig into food challenges, why so many allergists lack the time and staff to offer them, and the expanding treatment menu of OIT, SLIT, and omalizumab (Zolair), including why Zolair has been a game changer for teens and young adults heading to college or abroad. Mia shares her own OIT and Xolair experience along the way.

The episode closes with Dr. Sokol's vision for ideal food allergy care: an accurate diagnosis from day one, real education at visit one, access to a dietitian and psychological support, and consistent follow-up with the same allergist. If you've ever felt boxed in by a test result, this conversation is a grounding reminder that better care is possible.

Find Dr. Kristin Sokol:
Schreiber Allergy on Instagram & Facebook: @schreiberallergy
Resources mentioned: ACAAI (acaai.org), AAAAI (aaaai.org), and FAACT, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team, where Dr. Sokol serves on the medical advisory board

Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia):
Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia
Website: allergieswithmia.com