Kelly,
We are currently on an elimination diet.  The main "no-s" are: milk, wheat,
dairy, sugar, preservatives, colorings, corn and citrus.  After 30 days on
the elimination we will begin the "challenge" part of it where we will
introduce one type of food at a time and see if there is a reaction.  We are
doing this for several reasons but the main one is in order to ascertain
whether my daughter with severe ADD has food allergies which may be causing
part or all of her problem.  Before anyone blasts me for it, I/we realize
this is contrary to conventional ADD approaches and that it is
controversial.  We just feel like in our situation it makes sense to give it
a try.

Regarding books, yes, there are several.  Skye Weintraub's Alternative
Treatments for ADD and Hyperactivity, Doris Sapp (or is it Rapp, I never can
get it straight!) Is This Your Child are two I rely on heavily.

Janine,
Allergy shiners and/or the oft accompanying wrinkles will disappear/vastly
improve once the allergen is removed.  I do not know how one would determine
if the allergy is casein or whey or milk protein related.  My guess would be
that this would require a blood test.

We always used cortizone cream on JV's ecxema.  It worked really well as
long as we remembered to use it every single night.  Now we have been
massaging her with flax or evening primrose oil, it also seems to be helping
the ecxema.

Now a question to those of you who have experience with the blood tests:
How expensive is the test?
Do you find out enough specific information to make it worthwhile?
Did you learn more through the test than you would have using the
elimination/challenge diet?
Don't I remember that the RAST test is most specific?
Does anyone have experience with the hair/fingernail analysis?

Just as a sideline, you'd think my "other" daughter was a heroin junkie when
she says "Mom, please can I have a large piece of cheese?  A slice?  A
corner?  A nibble?  Not even a LICK!"  She seems to be suffering more and
cheating more through the elimination diet than all of the rest of us!
Well, tomorrow's another day,
Good night friends, I'm glad you're there!
Jeny