Also New to HFI/DFI

[cathywithdfi]

Hi all!

I am new to this website, diagnosed with dietary fructose intolerance about a month ago -- and find your website very informative.

I'm pretty sure that I started my malabsorption in Fall 04 (losing weight, etc) and I felt better after adjusting my diet to (in retrospect) a low-sugar diet. However, in Spring 05, symptoms were "back". Antibiotics for a parasite in October 05 gave (almost total) relief for about 2-3 months. However, Spring 06 pushed me back to the GI and after a negative lactose tolerance test, a fructose tolerance test came back positive (nurse said "highest result I've ever seen on the meter"). In short, I progressed to the point where I feel I am currently totally fructose intolerant.

I have a couple of questions:

- what source recommends that nuts and legumes be avoided?
- are olives okay?
- what source says whole grains (with the germ containing fructose) should be avoided?
- Is barley malt okay?

Thanks,
Cathy

[kristen]

Cathy, unfortunately we don't have a great source for information. Most of what we use are several different diet lists (that contradict eachother in many ways) and the BU HFI website. Generally we 'avoid' items that are not clear, and in many cases we have experience to draw on.

As I'm sure you know, the restrictions for DFI are not as strict as those for HFI. I can't really speak to those, but do know that the University of Iowa has a DFI diet list posted.

So it's difficult to answer your specific questions about whole grains, olives, legumes/nuts & barley malt...as I think these items differ between DFI & HFI recommendations.

Also you can see the fructose content in many things by referring to this site: www.nutritiondata.com and make a reasonable judgement on your own based on your specific tolerance.

Not every item is documented there, but it's the most complete source we've found. Keep in mind that if you see a "~" under sucrose or fructose that it does not mean 0...it means that the database owners cannot obtain the information and reasonably believe there is some (even if a small) amount present.

Hope that helps.
KJ

[azmary]

Welcome, Cathy!

Please be patient and read through all these posts. I have received so much help from this site. I also am DFI, but must follow the HFI restrictions to feel better. Personally, I stay away from all nuts and legumes, and now from all whole grains(even oatmeal). There are some great resources here to find some good tasty alternatives.

It is a lot of "white" food, and in my case I have to keep it bland. When one begins to adjust and feel better, it is well worth the effort and time. I did find that eating white food on white dishes was just too "blanched-out" for me, so I got a set of Asian-style deep red and black dishes that make my white rice look sensational!!

Good luck from Arizona! mary

[cathywithdfi]

To: KJ and Mary

Thanks so much for your responses.

KJ, I checked the nutritiondata for olives; it gives 0 g sugar. However, from reading the posts on the HFI website, it is possible that any food could contain very small amounts of sugar. So, I guess the answer is to get to a baseline feeling of "healthy", then try a new food and observe for 2-4 hours (maybe longer).

Mary, thanks so much for the personal input on nuts, legumes and oatmeal. I thought I was going crazy when I felt a bad reaction to no-sugar-added peanut butter! And it was one of my last remaining favorite foods allowable to eat!

As you, Mary, I believe right now I am at the point that I must follow the HFI restrictions to feel better.

Sincerely, Cathy

[sarahk]

That olive reaction is weird.
I LOVE olives (black, green, calmata) and never get a reaction from them. I also don't get sick from the All-natural peanut butters, but I really have to be in the mood to eat it.

Check out this site for sugars in all sorts of foods:

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/herr48.pdf

[lisa]

Is Coley's reaction to olives similar to his cocoa reaction or the aspartame one? Maybe it is just "one of those things" for him. Everyone has a few items that they can't touch and others are perfectly fine with (corn, cocoa). That's one of the frustrating things about FI. You can't just follow a set diet and get fixed. UGH!

Nate won't touch olives, but (lately) he's one of the pickiest kids I've ever met.