Happy New Year!

Hi, it's been FOREVER since Ive blogged. One of my goals for 2013 is to research more in regards to my son's intolerance and finish what I started...a book about our journey with Fructose Intolerance!

I wish you all a safe & happy new year!

Facebook page :)

https://www.facebook.com/FructoseAndBellyacheFree

Hello! It's been awhile since I've written. While I am currently working on several exciting fructose intolerant related things I have made a Facebook page to better engage with those with the intolerance or parents like me! Feel free to post, to ask questions and to share! Thank you!!!

You CAN have cane sugar :)

Hello! Thank you for reading my blog and for all the comments. I thought I would just take a minute to shout out to the world that:

YES CANE SUGAR HAS FRUCTOSE  AND YES- NATHAN IS EATING A CANDY BAR WITH SUGAR? WHY??

Because http://fructoseandbellyachefree.blogspot.com/2012/07/sugar-and-fructose.html!!!

Im sorry but if one more person asks me I'm going to scream!! We are so thankful that cane sugar is 50% fructose 50% dextrose naturally and that with this ratio it seems that intolerant people do not experience symptoms. Now I wouldn't go cane sugar crazy (diabetes, rotten teeth) but when you're 8 and super skinny and already have a long list of "can't have foods" a Hershey Bar sounds awesome!!

Most people associate fructose with sugar & fat bellies.

I associate fructose with a child who gets sick and looses weight. I know that cane sugar naturally has that nice 50/50 ration of dextrose and fructose- the 2 work together and do not cause symptoms. I am thankful my son can have cookies and ice-cream and all the other foods sweetened with cane sugar! We have eliminated so many foods already. Remember always read those labels though, honey, fruit, hfcs are in so many foods!

Okay sorry for my rant but it's so frustrating when people talk to me about fructose and weight loss and sugar and it has little to do with fructose intolerance. Good luck with your journey! You're not alone :)

Pizza and Fructose

So you're fructose intolerant, and love pizza...should you eat it? Technically no. But if you've already gone through your 2 weeks of eating fructose free and are ready to re-introduce a little fructose into your life give it a try...just know that:


Tomato sauce naturally has fructose in it and some brands even put high fructose corn syrup in their sauce.

Eating margarita pizza (the thinner crust with sauce and roma tomatoes on it) is just adding fructose.


If you're symptoms cause you to not eat much the rest of the day (like my son's) wait until the end of the day to eat your pizza- I wouldn't let Nathan eat it for lunch but dinner, sure.

Since Nathan has been dealing with this fructose thing he has "cheated" and eaten pizza at a few times. 

Once we ordered it while he had a buddy over, I noticed it was pretty saucy and saw that Nathan, on his own, dabbed off some sauce. Even at 8, he's aware and doesn't want to fructose it up! He did have a little symptoms that evening but we knew it was coming. And yes, he was too "full" for an evening snack or dessert..still trying to get him to gain weight.

I also make semi-home made pizza at home. The kids love it! We get one of those box pizza doughs, add hot water and the kids make their own! We go VERY LIGHT on Nathan's with the sauce, like a thin film of sauce. Being 8 he's not a fan of olive oil and garlic or any white pizza sauces, a thin amount gives him very little symptoms. Some times you gotta feel like you can eat like everyone else. It is beyond difficult to never eat any fructose. Then we add fresh ingredients, whole milk mozzarella that we grate, so good!! 

 When you're fructose intolerant your body cannot tell if it's manufactured or natural...you have symptoms regardless!)

Be leery of FRUCTOSE FREE recipes on the web!! I just read 3 blogs that had fructose free recipes for pizza that listed tomatoes and tomato sauces :)

Good luck and if you aren't ready to experience your symptoms at a party I'd skip the pizza :)

Orange Juice & Fructose

Can I have OJ?

orange juice sugar is 50% fructose.

orange juice has approximately 4.2 g fructose per 100 g of juice

So the answer is no. So my son's mornings consist of vanilla ensure. It's hard...who doesn't like a little oj in the morning? But when your symptoms consist of belly fullness and other issues starting your day out like that isn't a good thing!

 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Fructose_content_of_Orange_Juice#ixzz20sbt7XwK

Rainbow Sugar Cookies (of course without fructose)

How cool do these look!! I found this on pinterest by B.Inspiredmomma.com


Rainbow Swirl Sugar Cookies

•  sugar cookie dough (prepared from scratch or mix)
• liquid food coloring in red, blue, green, and yellow
• plastic wrap

1.  Divide sugar cookie dough into 4 bowls.
2. Add one color of food coloring to each bowl and mix into dough.  You'll need to use quite a bit to get such bright colors.
3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on table/counter.  
4. Form the blue dough into a long log and press flat into a rectangle on the plastic wrap.  
5. Form the green dough into a log and press flat onto the blue dough.
6. Form the yellow dough into a log and press flat onto the green dough.
7. Form the red dough into a log and press flat onto the yellow dough.
8. Using the plastic wrap to lift the edge, gently roll the rectangle of dough up into a log.
9. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer until firm but not frozen.  Ours took about a half an hour.
10. Remove from freezer and slice log into small discs.
11. Place a couple inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake according to dough recipe directions. 

  It's a great kid-friendly recipe & FRUCTOSE FREE!!!!

Homemade Smoothies

• Hello! Who doesn't like a nice, cold, freshly made fruit smoothie in the summer! Nate is missing out on watermelon, bowls of crisp grapes and crunchy apples. So I'm happy for him (and all the other fructose intolerance peeps) that bananas contain an even ratio of fructose and gluclose. Which in turn will not effect fructose intolerant people. Smoothies are so easy to make & taste awesome. When you make them at home you know, for sure, what's in it and what's not!

Fructose in Bananas

A medium banana contains approximately 5.72 g of fructose. Fructose is a common sugar found in many fruits, and it is also present in bananas. When you hear about fructose, it's often the controversial artificially produced form of fructose that's used in processed foods and soft drinks in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. However, natural fructose, like other simple sugars, supplies your body with energy. Although your body metabolizes fructose differently than other forms of natural sugar, in limited amounts, fructose is fine for most people, notes California physician and surgeon Jeremy E. Kaslow (not fine in my son) :(

I know I posted fruits that were very low in fructose but here they are again :)

Favorable foods (i.e. fructose equal to or less than glucose)

• Stone fruit: apricot, nectarine, peach, plum (caution – these fruits contain sorbitol);
• Berry fruit: blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, loganberry;
• Citrus fruit: kumquat, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, tangelo;
• Other fruits: ripe banana, jackfruit, kiwi fruit, passion fruit, pineapple, rhubarb, tamarillo

Thumbs down to these!

• 
  
• 
  
• Banana's don't give Nate any symptoms so it's Banana Smoothie making time!
• 
  
• 1banana
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a blender, combine banana, milk, vanilla, egg and sugar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and top with a pinch of cinnamon.

or try: 

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

14 cup cocoa powder (hershey) 2 tbsps cane sugar  3 tbsps warm water 1 banana (sliced and of course peeled)

2 cups non-fat vanilla yogurt (frozen) read labels for HFCS 112 cups ice (cold skim milk)

Good luck with your fructose intolerance and Smoothie making :) We'll experiment this week with blueberries!

mis-informed...and do peanuts have fructose?

Hello! I was planning on talking about peanuts and fructose but just have to comment on all the sites I'm finding that are so wrong when it comes to the foods that do and do not contain fructose.


As I continue to do my research and talk with our Cleveland Clinic Dietician and Gastro Dr. I am so surprised to see website after website, even a few recipes in magazines that list the wrong foods!! 


True these sites/articles are about eating fructose free to loose weight but seriously, do your research peeps! Call a dietician, visit your doctor!!! 


I actually saw a recipe that said in large font FRUCTOSE FREE RECIPES, one had honey in it, the other was an apple fritter. If my son ate that he'd have  stomach issues and not eat the rest of the day from feeling too full. This article should have said CANE SUGAR FREE or HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP FREE recipes. 


I'm so thankful we have a great Dietician and Doctors that are helping to educate my family on what does contain fructose. 


So do peanuts have fructose? 

Avoid sugar-coated nuts, as well as regular nut butters, which are often sweetened with sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup. 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/447363-fructose-and-sucrose-free-foods/#ixzz20VRC8nuZ

Our Dietician has Peanut butter on our DO NOT eat list. However, after being fructose free for 2 solid weeks we slowly reintroduced a thin layer of peanut butter that did not contain hfcs on his Brownberry bread. So far only once Nate noticed it effected him. We let Nathan have it once a week. Everyone is different so def. consult your dietitian and slowly reintroduce it to your diet if you are fructose intolerant. :)

Don't be fooled...that's fructose!!!

Feeling better not eating fructose!

Hello, thanks for checking out my blog! We started eating fructose free 2 months ago when my 8 year old son was diagnosed as having fructose intolerance. If you've read our other posts we talk about symptoms, how to take the test...all of it from beginning to, well, right now! We're still in the midst of eating a fructose free diet- if you are then you know it's a challenge.

Natural fructose and artificial is difficult to stay away from, especially when you're a kid!
I have been researching fructose free recipes. There is such little out there regarding fructose free.

Gluten is the very popular, the problem is some gluten free recipes have fructose. I was pleasantly surprised when I found this site http://www.ifood.tv/network/fructose_free/recipes  - yeah forget about it- its got all kinds of fructose in it- the natural kind. How misleading is that!!! Carrots, tomatoes...come on people!!!!!

So now I have begun compiling some of our recipes that are TRULY FRUCTOSE FREE. No hidden natural fructose!!! And they are kid tested and approved!! I don't know about your kids, but my 3 don't like foods with lots of different spices and sauces...a lot of those sauces have honey anyways. Be careful when you see recipes that say fructose free- sometimes they mean no hfcs or sugar free and in reality they have natural fructose. Always remember your list of fructose free foods to stay away from.

Good luck to you in your fructose free eating. If you have a recipe feel free to share :)

Recipes to come :)

Barbecue sauce and fructose

Barbecued ribs...my fructose intolerant son loves them. Problem is- bbq sauce not only contains natural fructose from the tomatoes and sometimes honey but most brands also contain high fructose corn syrup. Always read those labels!!!

I found the following from an article in the NaturalNews:

Take a look at what our survey of grocery shelves revealed:

Famous Dave's

A summer staple- yet filled with FRUCTOSE

The Rich and Sassy BBQ Sauce sold by the chain of barbecue restaurants contains: high fructose corn syrup, tomato paste, filtered water, distilled vinegar, pineapple juice concentrate, molasses, salt, honey, soybean oil, natural smoke flavor spices, hydrolyzed soy protein, onion powder, natural and artificial flavors, mustard bran, sodium benzoate (preservative), garlic powder, caramel color, turmeric (way to much fructose!!)

K.C. Masterpiece

The Original Barbeque Sauce version of this popular brand is made using: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), high fructose corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, less than 2 percent of: spices, natural hickory smoke flavor, natural flavors, modified food starch, salt, xanthan gum, dried onion, dried garlic, caramel color, turmeric, paprika extracts.

Look at the 1st ingrediant

Sweet Baby Ray's

The Original Barbecue Sauce variety of this brand lists these ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, tomato paste, modified food starch, salt, pineapple juice concentrate, natural smoke flavor, spices, caramel, sodium benzoate as a preservative, molasses, corn syrup, garlic, sugar, tamarind, natural flavor.

Jack Daniel's

The whiskey manufacturer's Master Blend Barbecue Sauce contains: high fructose corn syrup, tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), distilled white vinegar, molasses, salt, modified corn starch, mustard flour, natural hickory smoke flavoring, caramel color, sodium benzoate & potassium sorbate (as preservatives), spices, Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey flavoring (natural & artificial flavorings), onion powder, garlic powder, xanthan gum.


SO as you can see bbq sauce is pretty much liquid fructose. It's not as though one would drink a bowl of the stuff, maybe we'll try a brand that has the least fructose once Nate has had a full days worth of food, but for now, it's safe to say bbq sauce is out- just not worth it.

As an alternative we'll try various spices and rubs. Here's to happy grilling :)

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034240_barbeque_sauce_corn_syrup.html#ixzz202HiqaaW

Why is your son so skinny? Fructose Intolerance!!

Nate was almost 10 pounds when he was born.
A big, cute, chubby baby.
Nate grew into a cute, chubby happy toddler!
But around 3 1/2 or 4 Nate stopped gaining

weight. As the months went on my big
chubby little man turned into such a skinny,
tiny boy.
"Ewww I can see your bones!"- was what his sisters would say when it was bath time.
"You need to give that boy a sandwich"

Around 4 Nate stopped gaining weight and even lost some

"Wow your daughters healthy, why is your son so skinny?"
"Why is Nathan so tiny?"
"Does Nathan eat?"
"Is Nathan sick?"
"What's wrong with your son, he's skin and bones?"

-this is what I have been asked for the past 4 years. As Nate slowly grew in height his weight just sank. He was the average weight of a toddler when he was in first grade. Teachers asked me why, the rest of our family are healthy and tall. Nathan's sisters are very tall for their age. Nathan was skinnier than the smallest kids in class- he noticed it too.
Nathan was not following his curve- every doctor appointment was about gaining weight- why is he so skinny? It was so scary when Nathan would get the flu too, he couldn't afford to lose an ounce.

When Nathan was 6 we started with the gastro doctors. I blogged earlier about Nate's
symptoms. When you goggle FRUCTOSE INTOLERANCE somewhere on the list you will
see weight loss or read that the symptoms can result in weight loss- now for me that would
be awesome! But for my son it is not. It is dangerous, it is sad, it is embarrassing, it is not a
good thing. Medical issues aside, luckily Nathan has a great self esteem and is an awesome
athlete. Believe me, as his soccer coach I love how fast that boy can run but as his momma-
inside I'm thinking I hope he's not loosing weight- let's make sure Nate eats a lot today!!

We started 2 Boosts a day and DUOCAL (which is given to cancer patients)
Thankfully Nathan has gained 6 pounds!! That's huge and we are on our way to being a
healthy weight!! After finding out FRUCTOSE was the cause of Nathan's weight loss (or the
symptoms that led to it) we are trying our best to eliminate it from his diet.

It still stings a little when people ask me why my boy is so small and skinny, or make a joke about it or when we go swimming and a buddy comments on his boniness( these all happened last week)- but at least I know we are on our way to a healthy weight. If you see an extra skinny kid maybe he does eat- maybe his mommy is trying so hard to make him healthier, maybe it's an allergy and the poor kid feels full after 3 bites but tries so hard to eat to get bigger. I can't tell you all the times I have cried thinking about my poor baby boy eating- trying to gain weight, but his belly just couldn't do it- asking us why? Why his belly can't fit anymore food? Why his sisters can eat and eat without this problem? I'm so thankful we have an answer now.

I'm sure when Nathan's a big strong guy I'll look back at these years and smile.
Thankful that we got through them in tact!
 And thankful to be Fructose free! We love our son so much and good care less if he's big or small. It's about being healthy and feeling good about one's self!!

Food allergies can directly affect the digestion tract, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. These common gastrointestinal symptoms of a food allergy can lead to significant weight loss if you are unable to eat and keep food down. (http://www.livestrong.com/article/310277-severe-allergies-weight-loss/#ixzz1zwFePN86)  

Sugar and Fructose

Sugar.... from diabetes to hyper kids, weight gain and high fructose corn syrup...it's a hot topic. 


When Nathan first got diagnosed as being FRUCTOSE INTOLERANT we thought- oh no, that eliminates nearly everything sweet!! 


After weeks of research I have found countless articles about sugars in regards to diabetes and weight. Below is what I have found most useful in regards to my son.


Can he have CANE SUGAR? I asked our Cleveland Clinic dietician and she said, after explaining what it contains that yes, Nathan can slowly add cane sugar to his diet as long as it doesn't effect him. 


I always have Nate eat food with cane sugar after he's had a few meals (seeing as how one of his symptoms is lack of appetite from feeling too full).


Below is what we found in regards to white, cane sugar and fructose:

How Sugars Break Down in Malabsorption

Sorbitol breaks down into fructose and another sugar. So therefore it is a hidden source of Fructose in your diet.

Sugar malabsorption is the inability (in some people) of the small intestine to break down sugars like fructose (most common), lactose or sorbitol into smaller molecular fragments for digestion. So the sugars progress down to the colon (large intestine) where bacteria break it down into short chain fatty acids and the gases carbon dioxide and hydrogen. These gases create enormous pressure in the intestine causing bloating, pain, diarrhea and flatulence.

In these people, because fructose (or lactose or sorbitol) is not absorbed by the intestine the condition is known as malabsorption, or an inability to be absorbed. But the molecule gets up to other mischief: it arrives in the colon where it drives an "osmotic purge". This means it attracts fluids back into the colon, making bowel motions loose and watery.

The main danger is that any other nutrients present can be lost from the body, like calcium and iron. Fructose malabsorption therefore is not only associated with gastro-intestinal distress but also the inability to absorb all kinds of nutrients which can lead to serious diseases like anaemia and osteoporosis.

Fructose malabsorption is notoriously undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. Recent findings are that Fructose malabsorption is associated with the early stages of depression and mood disturbances.

 Table sugar(the white stuff!) from sugar beets or sugar cane is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose 


(It being a 50/50 mix means, at least for Nate, that cane 


sugar doesn't bother him, at least not enough to eliminate it)


Yes, sugar is made up of glucose, which is easier to digest and metabolize. High 


fructose corn syrup has been altered to increase the fructose and decrease the 


glucose. The body doesn’t metabolize fructose as easily as glucose; it metabolizes 


it more like fat. The natural fructose in fruit is counterbalanced by the fiber but 


this is generally not present in foods with high fructose corn syrup.




Don't you feel like a scientist or dietician now? :)



Now when it comes to being hyperglycemic like my husband, or diabetic like my Dad, sugar is a different story. Fructose intolerance is serious, it is in my son at least. Good luck and always ask your dietitian any questions you may have regarding fructose! :)






http://www.diet.com/g/fructose-intolerance

Two Fructose Free Parties!!

Hello! Thanks to diligent family members we had a 

FRUCTOSE FREE 4th of JULY!!

Here's how we did it:

My 3 cuties!

Aunt Lissa made homemade marshmallows and turned them into rice krispie treats

Grandma read EVERY LABEL (so important!) and had the right breads, pasta and turkey for Nate- made sandwiches without tomato for Nate too, used no fructose gravy in her Swedish meatballs(which Nate loved!)

Fructose free turkey sandwiches!

Blueberries and Rasberries were in bowls (instead of apple slices and grapes)

Had a spread of fructose free candy in bowls like NERDS and SMARTIES

Read those labels! These are fructose free but most are not!

Made Kool-aid for all the kids and had water- instead of juiceboxes

Desserts were made with cane sugar 

Homemade marshmallow make these safe for Nathan

Nana had Ben & Jerry's Icecream that contained no fructose (natural or hfcs)

And there you have it!! 

It is possible to host a party of 40 people and have a large selection of fructose free options!! 

A special thanks to all the awesome family members that made it possible for Nate to eat and be bellyache free!!

Fructose free jello!

When you're FRUCTOSE INTOLERANT it is so important to read labels- it's not trying to be healthy or loose weight- my goodness for Nate it's the opposite- we're trying to gain weight!!! It's very important to keep in mind natural fructose as well as hfcs and sugars. And it may seem like we are loading him up with table sugar but in actuality that's just a small portion of his new diet. Meats and potatoes and diary and veggies are our staple! Good luck in your fructose free journey. I hope you all have as much support as we do :)