Thank you, HFI-ers, from a Fructose Malabsorber

[doingmybest]

Thank you, thank you, for being a resource in deperate times. Those who have a diagnosis of fructose malabsorption have been without much information to guide them on what is safe to eat (HFI-ers are probably in the same boat). Although our family is not affected by HFI, this forum has been such a blessing to our family over the last several years, and your posts have helped remind us that we are not alone in trying to avoid fructose. Your recipes have been invaluable. Tammy, your terminology of "your kind" has been so useful in describing to our daughter, and to others, what foods are good for her or not. Tammy, you also pointed us to sugar-free CoolWhip. Every bit of help from everyone's posts was so precious.

I've barely touched the surface of resources here, but as our food journey takes us in another direction, I wanted to thank all of you for your priceless help. You help so many more people than you could imagine.

For those with fructose malabsorption, not HFI, who may be listening on this forum for help, please look into the low-FODMAP diet. It has changed our daughter's life. In only a few weeks, our daughter has gone from feeling sick to her stomach almost every day, to feeling well almost all the time. Her diet is more diverse. Onion and garlic are key culprits, as well as free-fructose, fructans (wheat, rye, asparagus...), polyols, legumes, sometimes lactose, etc. The effects of FODMAPs are additive. The shepherdworks web site has a new, wonderful, reliable guide for what fructose malabsorbers should eat. It's the "Food Intolerance Management Plan", and details everything someone with fructose malabsorption can and cannot eat. They've been determining the fructan content of many foods, so science is finally catching up to help us. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the book to HFI-ers - the needs of HFI and FM are somewhat similar, but there are many, many differences. Shipping the book to America from Australia was costly, but so, so worth it. It cost around $62 US dollars after shipping and currency conversion.

So, thank you, HFI-ers, for all your advise and help. You helped us through some very difficult times.

- doingMyBest

[charlie]

Hi, great to hear you have found this site so helpful, as you have said there is so little help out there.

As for the low fodmap diet, I started a fructose malabsorption site last year as my daughter was put on it, you may have headed there already but take a look, it is still a work in progress as still learning but one thing that has become abundantly clear is that even that is sometimes too much for the kids with FM, more for the later diagnosed ones or FM as a result of another problem. I bought Sue Shepherds shopping guide for low fodmap and quickly closed it again, there is no way Megs could cope with most of the products in it, but I haven't seen the book you have mentioned.

I think, just as in HFI, each person has to carefully find there own tolerance level, it sounds like you have found your daughters but fill us in a bit more when you can.

www.fructosemalabsorb.proboards.com

All the best

Charlie

[doingmybest]

Thanks for the web site link - in all my looking over the years, I managed to miss it. Looks very useful. By the way, the specifics in this 2011 book are updated from previous books, like some of Sue Shepherd's 2009 and 2007 FM/Gluten-free cookbooks. There are additional veggies left out, like snow peas and garlic (except infused in oil). This 2011 book also does not assume a need for gluten-free. This group of docs and dietitians at Monash University in Victoria, Australia are doing wonderful research into fructose malabsorption and IBS in general.

[Tammy]

Thanks for the nice words. It's encouraging to know that this site helps people that feel lost. It's one reason I always try to keep it simple and not overwhelm newbies.

I'm so glad to hear you've found the answers for your daughter.
Good luck with your new direction and feel free to drop in here anytime.