Just diagnosed

[shaefont]

Hi all I’m a 34 year old who after years of being misdiagnosed has finally found out I have HFI. It has been overwhelming and confusing.

I was wondering what sites and lists are the most correct and informative. Many sites have varying list and some safe foods I notice I don’t do well with.

Sorry if this is posted elsewhere!

Thanks

[rysmom14]

Hi Shaefont!

Welcome! Im glad, after everything im sure you have been through, that you have a diagnosis. My son (age 4) has HFI and it still is confusing sometimes. There is so little known about HFI so its hard to know what is ok and safe. I have found that this group is my best resource. and the best advice I can give is to keep it simple, especially at first.

There are some really good things listed in the information section. some charts and lists of sugars and things that can help to give you a starting point. I have made a safe list for my son, and while it is similar to others, it will have things that vary. for example, so adults are able to eat most spices where some of us with young children notice that they can not. so I would use the info and come up with your own safe list. make sure to keep it very basic in the beginning and give yourself time to heal. There are a couple websites that you can look up the breakdown of foods and that can be helpful in finding safe foods. Here is one you could try. www.nutritiondata.com.

Here is a sample of what my son is currently eating

Breakfast:
Plain yogurt
Homemade muffins ( let me know if you want the recipe.)
oyster crackers (Nabisco brand with no malt) ,
Oatmeal with butter and cinnamon
Eggs
homemade pancakes ( no malted barley in the flour- we like Martha Stewarts easy pancake recipe)
crumpets ( store bought- I cant remember the name, but can check if you are interested)

Lunch/ Dinner:
Meat ( Chicken breast, Ground turkey or beef, fish especially tilapia, or Applegate turkey lunch meat) just check to make sure there is no broth injected in the meat since broth would be made with vegetables ( carrots and onion)
Wit h the meats we make meat balls and add egg, salt and pepper and breadcrumbs ( I use a rolling pin to smash up his crackers in a bag), or make a meat loaf, hamburgers, turkey burgers. I have made chicken parm using the same breadcrumbs.
Pasta with real butter, parmeseam cheese, (add milk and cheese for mac and cheese) or home made alfredo sauce.
Regular cheese
oyster crackers or Rice Thins from Nabisco are safe too. just the plan ones though.

Snacks:
Oyster crackers
Home made cheese crackers ( I just posted this recipe in the recipe section)
Plain Greek yougurt
provolone slices
string cheese
baby bell cheese
laughing cow spreadable cheese, original swiss (sometimes I put some between his crackers and make sandwiches.)
Home made cookies with cinnamon ( I make these about once a week so he
always has some)
Cookie Recipe:
1 cup flour ( no malted barley)
½ stick butter
Pich of salt
Enough water to hold together

Roll out and cut shapes, or roll into a ball and then press into cookie sheet
Bake for 15-20 mins at 325. I flip them mid way. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Or I roll out the dough and cut a big square. Cover in cinnamon and roll up. Cut into slices like a cinnamon roll and bake the same. These may take a little bit longer to finish.

Hope this is helpful! Ask questions as you go. This is quite a different way of eating that goes against the normal “healthy” diet.

[shaefont]

Thanks so much Rysmom14! This is very helpful! Whats frustrating is how there is just so little information out there!! But this forum is very helpful I'm glad I found it!

[colormist]

Hi Shaefont,
I put together a list of safe, unsafe, and possibly tolerated sugars a while back: fructose-free.tumblr.com/post/15777874026/which-sugars-to-avoid-with-hfi

I also wrote up some brief instructions on how I read an ingredients label. You're going to be spending a longer time at the grocery as you need to read the labels every time--particularly when you notice the packaging has changed. Food manufacturers are always adding sugar to things that don't need sugar added.

The basic rules are:
1 - read the label (every time)
2 - no fruits
3 - no vegetables (at least until you are safely on the diet and can gauge what is safe and what makes you feel awful)
4 - take a multivitamin
5 - stick to dairy, refined grains (no whole wheat or brown rice), and unbrined meats.

We've found added sugars in butter, salt, and white rice -- so always read the label.

If you give us your general location, we might be able to help with regional foods that are available in your area.

Rysmom - !!!! My grocery stopped carrying the crumpets! I started crying in the middle of Giant Eagle.

[jenn123]

This forum is amazing and by far the best resource i have found. It takes a long time to read as there is so much information. Just be sure to error on the conservative side.

[shaefont]

Thanks everyone! Colormist thank you for the link! what is the name brand of the crumpets?

I live in Connecticut , would love to know brands of food that are safe!

[Stefanie (Ziba)]

If you can find a middle eastern grocer, the breads are usually safe (still read the label). The pita and lavash are delicious, often made in Turkey. I am half-Persian and my fructose-free son loves pita and lavash.

One brand of bacon is absolutely safe: Smithfield Low Sodium

[colormist]

There are some products on here:

Oh! I found the crumpets! I knew I wrote about them somewhere: fructose-free.tumblr.com/post/110642678420/found-these-crumpets-at-giant-eagle-i-think-i-had
They are called Farm Country. I went and added them to pinterest board, too.

[rysmom14]

oh no Colormist! I cant believe no more crumpets maybe there is a way to order them? I have been trying to look into ordering some steak. I remember when we met at your Giant Eagle, I bought the nature's basket steak bits. out Giant eagle doesn't have them, but im wondering if I can order it and have them send it to my Giant eagle?

[Stefanie (Ziba)]

Walmart may carry them:
www.walmart.com/ip/Farm-Country-Fat-Free-Delicious-Crumpets-12-5-oz/139487308

[colormist]

Ziba with the crumpet save! I'm going to check this weekend!

Rysmom - My husband regularly asks the grocery to carry certain foods. He's been doing this for over a decade now. I can't bring myself to harass the manager, but I think he enjoys asking for special treatment/being a hero. Sometimes it works, so it's worth the request--particularly when you know another area Giant Eagle carries that product!

[colormist]

I really just want an egg (mc)Muffin and those crumpets are the closest thing to an english muffin I can find in stores.

[rysmom14]

let me know if you cant find any and I can ship some to you

[Daniel D]

rysmom14 why choose flour without malted barley as an ingredient?

[ukbill]

Because we have no certiantaty the flour is properly "malted" or just sweetened with something else.

Also Barley flour is very high in digestable fibre which is something we need to avoid becasue its digested into Sucrose in the small intestine.

This can cause a slow posioning effect and certianly really bad IBS type symptoms!

[rysmom14]

thanks Bill!