Morning Star Farms

[colormist]

I think I brought this up before, but I didn't see it and didn't feel like digging for it.
I was a bit reluctant about buying Morning Star Farms food again, but I was feeling adventurous the other day. My first apprehension was the cost ($4 a box), the second was that I might not be able to eat it, and the third was that it listed "corn syrup".

So far, Chicken Nuggets are WONDERFUL. I don't have any issues with them.

I'm going to try a few other foods as the weeks progress and report about them. I'd like to try the sausages and the hot dogs (I know there are other hot dogs, but I can never seem to find them).

[beverlyrhea]

I see your postsall over this site. Please send a newly HFI mom recipes for baking those cookies. My son would love a cookie that doesn't make him, sick. They have yet to tell me if it is genetic or malabsortion. He just failed his breath test with a 60 number. It has taken them 4 years with a Gastro doctor to finially test him. They just kept giving him higher and higher doses of fiber to cover up the bowel issue. Need I mention it was full of the wrong kind of sugar also. I'm still mad! 4 years, with me telling them he can't eat fruit,sweet potatoes, corn,some beans, cakes cookies, candy ,juice drinks, and all kinds dairy items. Two hospital stays abd pedialite almost killed him at 1. I thought lactose but no its the added sugar in yogurt,chocolate milk, ice cream. He passed the lactose test with flying colors.The emotional damage from the children at school, from being told reward him for good bathroom habits, punish him for soiling, is a whole other issue, The whole time he and I kept telling everyone a can't make it to the bathroom,his stomach hurts,he has so much gas. I am just amazed, I have spent thousand on medical bills, have a child who has fallen off the growth chart,with emotional damage from the children at school's taunts. I'm just sick. The good new is he now has hope. I have seen him smiling and happy thing we can and will fix his diet. Once undercontrol I''ll be looking for a new school. Any Recipes,any further testing as all we have had was the breath test, shopping sites, any advise at all would greatly help.The gastro people have given me zero info, zero advise as his next appointment is in two months. Why because they are so busy! I found with hours of searching Boston U's site, sugarlesless shop, and this web page which is a god send. I want to make him a cook book with sugar charts and information he can use his whole life. I have already started replacing items,got him excited about learning to cook "his way" I need ketchup and hot dogs, salid dressing,asap. The only ketchup I found said not currently in production.

[julienc]

Hi Beverly. I'm so glad you found this site.

I think it's important to have your son tested for HFI right away. The list of foods you gave that causes a bad reaction in your son is a strong indicator - fruits, juices, corn, cakes, sweet dairy items, etc.

They can do a very simple genetic test that identifies MOST of the HFI gene mutations. All you need is a blood sample. Even your son's primary doc can do this and send it off to Dr. Tolan's lab in Boston. There are specific instructions on his website that tell you how to do this, and it sounds like you are familiar already with this site.

It sounds like you have recently been limiting his fructose intake. Has your son been responding well to this diet?

There are several treats out there that I ate as a child (and still do actually) that taste more tart than sweet. My brother (also with HFI) and I ate these as our "cookies" and candy. These include Smarties, Pixie Sticks, Gobstoppers, and Runts. There are other candies out there that are made from Dextrose (like these) that are good treats. Just read the labels carefully. Offering candies such as these may be less confusing than offering a safe cookie - it may be easier for him to understand the difference between what is safe an what isn't. There are differing opinions on this approach, though.

There are several recipes on this site, and we recently have been discussing meal options/ideas for dinner. You specifically ask about salad dressings: there is a Hidden Valley Ranch mix in a packet that can be mixed with Duke's mayonnaise that is safe. I have also found a Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar that I do okay with, though it does list onions as an ingredient.

As for hot dogs, I eat the Hebrew Nationals with are safe (but a bit on the pricey side).

I hope you can get some resolution soon.

ETA: I specifically mention Duke's mayonnaise since it is one of the few brands that has no sugar added. I "think" Trader Joe's also has a generic brand that is sugar-free, if you have one of those stores near you.

[Tammy]

Hi Beverly,
Sorry to hear all your son went through. It's a very hard thing. But Hurray! they finally figured it out. Things should get much better now.

First the bad news, no tomatoes. That means you can't make any kind of ketchup. My daughter uses yellow mustard. You also need to eliminate the foods that contain fructose naturally, it's NOT just ones with added sugar. What you should do first is go to Boston U's website and download their list for HFI. There are other lists out there and they all contradict each other, but Dr Tolan's seems to be about the best one there is.

We have all posted many recipes on this site. You can find cookies, cakes, and many other things here. The last I looked, I think there was like 4 or 5 pages, so don't stop with just the first one.

The next step is to arm yourself with reading glasses and time, and off to the local stores. Just start reading labels. There are many good suggestions on many pages of this site, but you will probably find things that are just in your area, also. That is true with most of us. What part of the country are you from?

Thank goodness that your son has a mother that understood what was going on, that he really had no control over it.
I'm sure glad you found your way here.
Tammy

[colormist]

Hi Beverly,

I was having a pretty rough bout of hypoglycemia on my ride home, which made me think of your son.

I think this might be a pretty fail-safe test for you to quiz your son on to decide if he has HFI or DFI. Hypoglycemia (as far as I can understand) only occurs in those who have HFI.

You can ask him:
1. When he gets really hungry, does he sometime get shakey?
2. When he gets really hungry, does he feel weak and tired?
3. When he gets really hungry, does he feel clammy or sick?

The third one is a bit hard to remember if you're not currently having a hypoglycemic fit. But if he agrees to the first two, then it's a good probability that he is hypoglycemic and has HFI. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, please! I don't want to give out misinformation.)

If he's not to the age when he can answer these questions by remembering how he felt in the past, then you might try asking him when he says he's hungry. Craving potatoes/potato chips and/or eating large quantities of potatoes/potato chips can also be a clue. I eat potatoes like there's no tomorrow, especially when I'm having a hypoglycemic fit.

[beverlyrhea]

Yes, he is responding very well to the new diet. It's amazing how the accidents have improved in the past month. I had limited so many foods already when those types of baby food made him sick. But with the added sugar in everything it's no wonder I couldn't make the issue go away.The no tomatoes is a real bust. Have you ever known a child of to ask his mom can we grow tomatoes instead of flowers in the yard. I gave him a space, and every morning that summer farmer boy would rise and check out his crop of grape tomatoes. It was war of the squirrels, I guess it' was a good thing they won most of the battles. ;D I'll get the veggie list ASAP. Thanks
Lesson Number One: It's ok to be a pushy bitch when dealing with Doctors, nurses, and the medical field. I'm calling and demanding a HFI test today. As quick as these guys respond I'll have it before he graduates high school. The only way I could change Gastro Dr's in the same group was to make the appointment under my maiden name. I tried to be nice for three weeks to get an appointment without being a sneaky mean bitch. There are only three ped Gastro's in our city, and the best one happens to be the other DR in the same practice I was taking my son. By the time they figured it out, it was to late. He was in the middle of the exam and had ordered several tests. Otherwise I wouldn't be here now.
Thanks for the hot dog brand ,pricey is OK, I keep saying to myself when I buy theses new foods, "cheaper than a transplant".It's all prospective. Just think of the money I'm saving on fruit. Do you know of a list of Brand specific items that you HFI'ers use? If not, if everyone would go to there pantry and pull out safe items, make a list send them to me, I'll compile a list and post it for everyone to use. Since everyone is scattered around the country it won't matter if they can find a specific brand in their area soon it will have multiple choices on foods needed found in different area's. All newbies would die for that type of head start on shopping, just to not to feel we are trying to reinvent the wheel. My last trip to the health food store was three hours and I bought almost nothing. I'm very well read now though. Lesson Number Two:" Health Food means only sugars you have never heard of but still not safe 99% of the time " Thank you all please message me with any info or tips.

[Tammy]

There are some brand ideas under "safe ingredient sources" and also check out the "dining out" links, too.

The problem with a list of brand names is that they change from area to area. What is safe for my area, may not be for another area. We've actually found this out the hard way. Canada is very different. Even some of the products with the same name are completely different, (like smarties) and others are basically the same, but still different (like Bisquick).

We give the ones we use, but ALWAYS check them for yourself anyway.

Things that are only in some areas, are usually good when you order them online. Example, Dukes Mayo is only in the southeast. When I order it online, it's the same.

Are you north, south, east or west? Someone can probably help even more with area ideas. I am from Pennsylvania.

Some people can find things from Health Food Stores, but they are a waste of time in my area. First off, they sweeten everything with honey. Bad. I do better at finding things from the local supermarkets. And a lot of times, the generic brands are better. They leave the sugars out of them. Just keep a close watch on them as they may change the supplier from time to time, which can change the ingredients.

I think all us moms on here have learned to be pushy when protecting our HFI kiddo's.

[lisa]

I think I remember Fred or someone saying that if the breath test is positive it can only be DFI and not HFI. I'm still a bit fuzzy on the reason why, but think it had something to do with where in the body the issue resides.

Nate gets hypoglycemic and I don't believe he is HFI. I wonder if it is hereditary? People in my family seem to have issues with that, even me. I keep smarties or another snack with me, especially if we are going to be exercising. He has an absolute meltdown if you let it go too far and sometimes even falls asleep if you don't give him something quick enough. Thank goodness that no longer happens as frequently as it used to.

On another note, it looks like the chocolate chip cookies might be OK, but I think he is afraid of them. He wouldn't eat more than 2 even though he said he liked them. When I asked if he wanted some SF chocolate muffins he said yes initially and then changed his mind. He has not asked me about anything chocolate since then. Guess I'll give it some time. Meantime, I found some rice cereal in the bulk bins of a local grocery store (not puffed rice, more like rice crispies), made a batch of vanilla marshmallows, and he got to try his first rice crispies squares which he scarfed right up.

[beverlyrhea]

???I tried to ask him about ever feeling funny" hypo",he is 8and in 2nd grade so you would think I could get an answer. I do know last week before his music recital he complained of being hungry, very hungry.head hurting, and dizzy. Being we only had ten minutes to dress I sent him in the school bathroom to put on dress clothes.I'm standing out side the door, waiting, waiting, waiting, call him are you dressed yet? Open the door he is lying in the floor,clothes under his head going to sleep, saying mom "my head hurts, I'm dizzy, so I got him up, dressed him, took him to the car as I had some liquid children's motrin left by accident from the month before, gave him a snack and off to the music recital. He got better and was fine in about 15 minutes. My husband was sitting there furious we had missed his turn! So be it, He went last and I heard several people say"Star wars" and his other two pieces were great by that little bitty kid"He is the size of a 5yr old.
Yesterday I picked him up from school he was red face from running brought him home, headache, dizzy, won't do his home work, found him lying on his bed. I am thinking he is just not wanting to do his work,last time is nervous about playing his pieces (totally stupid of me, he plays better than most kids 6 years older than himself, it's amazing. He isn't scared of the devil himself ever). I have been hypo all my life to the point I don't ever eat sugar without eating protein. I never thought about it being his blood sugar levels. You know the only info from the Dr's was he definitely failed the breath test with a reading around 60 ,see you the 29th of June. *#() compound profanity. He may be DFI or HFI. All I know for sure is he is one of them and the diet must change now. I can not wait any longer for the medical gurus .g ,Thanks Thanks, No they didn't respond to my DNA request yet either.