Vitamins

[Tammy]

I have found a frutose free vitamin at Wal-Mart.
It is called "Alpha Betic". It is in the diabetic section of the pharmacy. It contains vits A, C, D, E, B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, Niacin, Diotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium, Potassium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Jutein and Vanadium.

Other ingredients are : Stearic Acid, Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose, Titanium Dioxide.

This is an adult vitamin, but could possibly (with Dr's approval) be cut down, crushed and given to little ones.

[Guy]

Thanks Tammy,
I've been looking for a safe multi-vitamin!

[Tammy]

The banana thing is interesting. And I'm not trying to say there isn't a connection. Like we all know, there just isn't enough info.

BUT it could also be a kid thing. We get banana's at our local produce auction for next to nothing (sometimes for nothing when they are getting past the point of being able to sell them.) I always take them and give them to Regina's babysitter. When I walk into that house with banana's in tow, you'd think I had candy or toys the way all the kids run. And it's not like they don't get them often. But they just gobble them down like it's the greatest treat they've ever had.

So it could also just be a case of being over-sensitive to our kids many problems. Having been there, I know this is hard to do, but sometimes you have to just remember that they are still just plain old kids sometimes. And Banana's are usually a big hit with any kid.

[CK]

It is interesting about bananas. I have never been a big banana fan, but at times, I too have gone through stages where I craved bananas and couldn't get enough of them. I was quite sick during those times, and I too thought I must have needed more potassium. After going through one of those stages about 10 years ago, I can't look at them any more- even the thought of the smell turns me away. I eat a lot of white potatoes, so if I was after potassium, now I am filled with it in this way. I still can't help but think that there is something more to the banana that was needed, because the banana would have been the last thing I would have thought of eating, for me to reach out and want to eat so many.

[Tammy]

Kristen,
It's easier for me to believe that it's one of the other things you just mentioned, rather than the potassium. We grow up thinking bananas are filled with potassium, when in reality, oranges have more than bananas do. But as a more complete food item, I think I remember reading something like that, also. Of course none of us would allow oranges now, but if it was pre-diet days, an orange is a better source than a banana for potassium.

At this point, (other than my "kids are sometimes kids" theory) I would lean more towards maybe it was because of needing so many missing things that bananas have, and not just one thing.

Well, if nothing else, bananas are good for conversation. ;D

[Tammy]

Marcy, I by no means meant to insult you. You do, of course know your child better than anyone. And your maternal instincts are very good ones.

Again, I'm only thinking of personal experiences. Not everything is HFI related. But on the other hand, some things may be that we didn't know were. This is definately the right place to voice opinions and see if others join in. You did the right thing by posting.

I am not playing down your feelings or concerns. I only want to remind everyone every once in a while that things do occur that are "normal" weird things. With all the problems we are constantly looking for, it's only reasonable that we pick up on things that other mothers wouldn't even notice. Most of the time this is a very good thing. But sometimes It was good when someone would point out to me that what Regina did (or reacted) was strange, but not any more strange than others. She was still a kid. It's hard to tell the difference. Even now, 20 yrs later. I'm still not always sure what it is. I'm sure Fred's mom had to make the same decisions, only even harder without much info.

And Fred, I smiled the whole way through your last post.
Tammy

[CK]

Marcy,

I too am glad you brought up the bananas. This is something I have thought about a lot due to my own banana cravings. I know there is something to it, and you helped me see that others have similar experiences.

I have a neurological disease, and starting as a child I would crave salt and eat tons of it. As an adult, when they finally figured out what was happening, one of the things they told me was that I need to eat a very high salt diet. They said that I innately was caring for myself all these years, and helped myself out by eating the amount I did as a kid- now I just have to eat more than I was sneaking as a kid. I have thought about that with the bananas, because it was the same type of feeling of "needing" it, and I have often wondered what it was in them that my body wants. If salt helped me so much, then whatever is in the banana might help out too. Since we can't have bananas, then we need to find that balance elsewhere. Thanks Kristen for showing the breakdown of them.

For me, you helped out a lot, because it just shows I need to put some more puzzle pieces together. What is interesting is I have recently gone through lots of tests at Mayo Clinic, and my doctor was also trying to figure out what is missing. So far, out of the Vitamins he tested, I am very low in Vitamin D. I know they can't test for everything, but that is where we have to be our own advocate. So many of us have very complex things happening with our health, fructose being a large part of it, but wouldn't it be great if some missing pieces could be found and quality of health as a whole could increase? So I love these discussions. I read where all of a sudden doctors/researchers find an amino acid, hormone, or something that helps a disease, so if I can do a bit of research, it may get to the right person down the line who can put it all together. Keep asking or posing the questions or concerns- even if it doesn’t concern everyone- because you never know who else it is helping, or who may have some help.

[esmee]

i do think our bodies can crave foods that provide some nutrient that we are missing and that when we do crave something it is important for us to pay attention. the foods we crave, however, may be partly conditioned by what we have been exposed to in the past and our bodies are, therefore, able to recognise as a source of whatever nutrient is missing. in other words, if we need potassium, we may crave bananas if we have eaten them in the past and it is a food our body remembers, but we may not crave medjool dates for the potassium because we have never eaten them before. therefore, if an HFI-er craves bananas, maybe they should try another HFI-safe food that is high in potassium and see if the banana craving goes away.

I have craved salt all my life and I now think it is because it has a strong alkalinizing effect on the body. too much fructose in the diet of an HFI-er will cause acidosis, i suspect that salt counteracts this to some extent. everytime i try to eat fruit, my salt cravings become overwhelming. i have even stopped migriane headaches with umeboshi plums (pickled unripe japanese apricots used by macrobiotic folks), and i remember eating a lot of large dill pickles as a child.

just for the record: I ABSOLUTELY HATE BANANAS!!! everytime i have eaten them, I end up with a terrible migraine headache, nausea, and vomiting, which I believe is due to a severe low blood sugar crash. it usually starts within and hour of eating them. the very thought of a banana turns my stomach.

p.s. i am sorry to see that all of "Fred's" posts have been deleted from the forum. it is really a shame, as it seems that he had a lot of helpful things to say about living with this genetic anomaly.