Glimpse into chocolate and walnut muffins

On this Foodie Friday, I wanted to make a simple sweet for a friend's birthday. I am loving baking with cacao of late, so apologies, here is another chocolatey recipe!! Mmm mmm!

I love adding walnuts into baked treats. They add an amazing taste and texture, and have many healthy benefits. They have good quantities of omega 3 fats, protein and fibre, and melatonin (which helps regulate sleep). They contain antioxidants and vitamins for healthy hair and skin, and are good for heart and brain health, decreasing your risk of cancer, and can destroy harmful free radical chemicals. Pregnant women can reduce their baby's risk of allergies by eating the fatty acids, and men's fertility can even be boosted by the little walnut! All these sound to me like awesome reasons to throw a few almonds into your baking!

Glimpse into No Bake Lemon Slice

For this week's Foodie Friday, I am looking at the humble lemon, and am giving you a tasty, super easy, no bake slice recipe which I made up recently. I have struggled to post lately because I haven't been well, so I apologise for my silence!

Lemons (and other citric fruits) are considered the lowest fructose containing fruits. Therefore they are great for use in meals and drinks for those of us with fructose malabsorption. They also have health benefits such as helping to improve skin health and beauty. They can have a calming effect so are good in stressful situations, and can help with metabolism, digestion and the elimination of toxin build up in the body. They also have antiviral qualities, with vitamin C, and can boost energy.

Soak up the benefits in this nutritious no bake slice.

No bake lemon slice

Base

1 cup quinoa flakes or gluten free oats

1 cup almond meal (or LSA - linseed, sunflower and almond meal)

1 cup desiccated coconut

200g dairy butter

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 lemon rind

1/3 cup coconut oil

3 tbsp rice syrup

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup rice milk (if needed*)

Icing

2 cups dextrose

1 1/2 tbsp melted butter

3 tbsp lemon

Line a 20 x 30 cm tray or airtight container with baking paper.

Mix all the base ingredients together well.

Press the mixture into the lined tray or container.

Refrigerate until firm.

Combine the icing ingredients well til smooth.

Spread icing over slice base.

Refrigerate until firm.

Cut into squares.

Store in sealed or covered container in the fridge or freezer.

*You may find your mix is wet enough without the rice milk, or you may just desire a few splashes. 1/2 cup creates quite a moist slice, but it still is firm. A fork is in order to eat it with though!

Glimpse into chia seeds

Foodie Friday week 10

Chia seeds are amazing little things. They can be used as a gelatinous gel when soaked in water to replace eggs in baking, in smoothies to make them thick, as crusts and coatings, in puddings for a healthy twist, in breakfasts for an extra hit of nutrients...so many options for such tiny seeds! They are tasteless, but provide a great texture to foods.
Did you know that it is a member of the mint family?

Glimpse into cinnamon

Foodie Friday week 7

Good afternoon! Happy Foodie Friday! 

Yes, I know. It is Saturday. Oops! The first Foodie Friday of the new series should have begun yesterday, but as most of us know, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has its moments which make a regular routine unrealistic! I may have to change Foodie Friday to a bi-monthly thing, rather than weekly, but I will see how I go!

Today's ingredient is cinnamon. I use it all the time, such as in the Passion Pleasers I posted about on Sunday. Other recipes I have created on my blog which use cinnamon are:

• spiced pineapple syrup cake
• choc banana quinoa cookies
• zuchinni brownies
• breakfast cakes
• quinoa breakfast bowl
• nut, seed and banana bread
• waffles
• power balls. 

It is delicious, and can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, and in meals, treats or drinks, and in an oil for therapeutic use. Even if you don't use it as the feature flavour in a dish, it can be a hidden added nutrient!

Cinnamon was once highly valued in trading, more so than gold, and it is not hard to see why. 

Just half a teaspoon a day can help lower your levels of bad cholesterol (LDL - low density lipoprotein). It contains manganese, calcium, iron, and dietary fibre. It has anti fungal, antibacterial, anti parasitic, anti-clotting and anti inflammatory properties (amazing!). It is a natural food preservative due to its ability to prevent bacterial growth.The smell can boost brain activity, and cognitive and memory function, and can relieve nervous tension. It can help improve the pain from arthritis, headaches, migraines and menstrual cramping. It keeps blood sugar levels steady, so is great for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.  It is also safe for people with Fructose Malabsorption and following a FODMAP diet. To top it all off, it is delicious! 

What a fantastically beneficial ingredient to add to your meals and drinks! 

Glimpse into green pudding

Happy Hump Day! You have made it to Wednesday; the weekend is on its way! This, of course, has no relevance to me, as I have been too unwell to work since November, but I know a lot of you will be celebrating that you are over halfway!!

 

With my body at the level of health that it is, I need to eat regularly. Even if I am not hungry or being active, if I do not eat every 2-3 hours, I plummet quickly, and it takes me quite some time to recover. So I have learnt to eat, whether I am feeling physical hunger or not. So this means, a lot of snacks!! I love coming up with new things for my morning and afternoon teas! I have been loving the ease and chocolatey goodness of my choc nut smoothies this week, but today I was in the mood for a change!

I have seen a few blog posts of people eating their chunky green smoothies rather than blending them further into a drink, and I thought I would work on that idea today!

Glimpse into choc nut cookies and choc nut smoothies

Cookies make me think of my little (well, not so little, but younger) brother, who lives in France, who has the nick name, among several others,  the Cookie Monster. He is the family's sweet tooth, but I am finding that I am also developing quite the sweet tooth these days, which is ironic now that I eat a low fructose diet!
I made up a batch of these cookies last week as a last minute, quick throw together for a treat for friends. This week, I have been in short supply of sweet treats, so this morning, my energy was dedicated to making another batch of these cookies.
I was not feeling fantastic this morning though, so to help me to power through while I made the cookies, I whipped up my latest favourite smoothie. I am absolutely a green smoothie convert, and love the additional serve of greens it gives you in the day. However, I have also discovered recently the wonder of adding nut butter to a smoothie! So my recent fav does not have greens, but is packed full of goodies; perfect for those moments when you want to trick your tastebuds into thinking you are having a decadent, naughty treat, but it is actually filled with great things to make your body happy!

Glimpse into nut & seed, banana power bread

Last night, as I lay wide awake with my usual night time companion, insomnia, I brainstormed ideas to make a cake/bread which contained healthy ingredients. I wanted to create something that I didn't need to feel guilty about eating, but tasted good, and would give me a hit of nutrition, energy and keep me feeling full, which is important to everyone, especially those with chronic fatigue issues. This morning, I woke with enough energy to hit the kitchen and experiment. A friend who doubted the flavour potential has taste tested, and he has given the tick of approval!

I think it would be nice toasted, with some dairy free butter or nut butter for breakfast or a snack.

Glimpse into gluten free & vegan fruity waffles

On the weekend, I treated myself to a waffle machine (and a dehydrator...posts on that to come!). I could probably count on one hand the times that I ate waffles before I had to restrict my diet, however, the idea of creating something yummy, crunchy on the outside and soft inside, and a winter meal change from my usual delicious quinoa porridge, made me excited to get my hands on a waffle iron and create! I sieved through multiple recipes and came up with a combination of ingredients which I can tolerate, and what I had in the kitchen. This is what resulted! (And I had to make them again this morning; they were so good!).

 

Glimpse into low FODMAP power balls

I am sure that on your quest for healthy recipes, you've probably come across nutritious balls made of an assortment of good ingredients. Most of these contain sticky, dried fruits however, and when you have fructose malabsorption, dried dates, apricots and the like are a big no no. So I decided that I wanted to come up with a mixture that is fructose friendly, delicious and provides the nutritious energy hit of these powerful super balls!

Glimpse into choc chip quinoa cookies

My craving for chocolate chip cookies has persisted this week, so I made these sweet treats. They are super quick and easy, and of course, a healthy choice for a treat! 

I eat whole quinoa and quinoa flakes every day in my diet. I have been keen to try quinoa flour, so decided to try it out in this recipe. It turned these cookies, with help from the dark chocolate, into quite an adult, bitter flavour, which I like. If you are looking for a softer, more sweet flavour, try milk chocolate, or substitute the flour for almond flour. Having fructose malabsorption, I was keen to try quinoa flour as I tolerate quinoa well, and although I do tolerate almond meal/flour well, I am always wary of eating nut products as I don't tolerate some very well, such as almond milk. Quinoa is a powerhouse of nutrients and protein, and is such a great way to turn a sweet treat into a healthy snack.

Choc chip quinoa cookies
 

Glimpse into a spicy banana nut slab

I got up this afternoon after a morning of resting with a craving for cookies. I managed to pull together some ingredients and came up with a spicy banana nut biscuit.

It was a fairly random effort, and though they taste pretty good (though super sweet!), they are not your normal cookie! They merged into a flat blob in the oven!! But hey, it says on my blog description that there will be some disasters! I put in a tablespoon of rice syrup too, but it made it super sweet, so I wouldn't put that in again. I think you could actually enjoy this fresh from the oven like a pudding, with a raspberry or strawberry purée, or a dollop of goat or lactose free yogurt! :-)

Glimpse into zucchini brownies

Using vegetables in sweet baking is an intriguing prospect! The idea of consuming one of your daily veggie serves while eating chocolatey goodness is exciting! So, I have come up with a simple, low fructose, gluten free, dairy free, egg free recipe for brownies using zucchinis!

Glimpse into low FODMAP/fructose berries

I have always loved fruit. Having to avoid it was one of the major blows that came with a diagnosis of fructose malabsorption. Even more so than having to skip chocolate! Luckily, there are some of these yummy and nutritious treats that remain available to us Fruct Mals, or those avoiding fructose for other health benefits.
Bear in mind as always, that what works for me may not work for you, but this list of fruits that I still enjoy may give you an idea of what you can trial. This post will cover berries, another will cover other fruits, so stay tuned!

Glimpse into Sardines

I might not be up to sharing extravagant low FODMAP and allergy friendly recipes with you just yet (as I mentioned here), but I can show you glimpses into the easy snacks and treats I have during the day!
Today's lunch? Sardines on toast! Super easy and quick, perfect on a wintery day, and I could even manage to throw it together myself while feeling achey and gross. I can feel the goodness and vitality from it oozing into my veins as I type! Definitely one to keep in the archives for days like these.

I toasted two slices of Country Life Bakery gluten and dairy free white bread. (I save gluten free bread for now and again treats, as it still has egg in it).

I toasted some pine nuts (I just placed them on the nearly cooked toast under the grill).

I used John West's Sardines in tomato sauce (in oil is also delcious) and smashed them over the warm toast.

Serve with spinach, or whatever you have around.

What is so good about eating Sardines?!....

They are packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and potassium. They are quite low in salt content, they are low in mercury and toxins for a fish, and are low in calories. They are cheap to buy, can be bought fresh or tinned, are simple to prepare, and they just taste so darn good!! Get them into you!!

Glimpse into future recipes

I am very excited about bringing you more and more healthy and delicious recipes. At the moment, I struggle to cook due to my chronic health issues, such as fatigue and light headedness, so I don't often have the opportunity to blog about meals (thanks to my fantastic family who have become my personal cooks for the moment!). I will bring this part of the blog to you with full enthusiasm however, when I am more healthy, and able to look after myself in the kitchen!

I have so many ideas to share with you, including exciting ingredients such as quiona, brown rice syrup, coconut oil, and almond meal! A restricted diet DOES NOT mean tasteless, bland food! I will show you what I have learned along the way, and how I turn simple, low allergen foods into delicious and healthy meals, snacks and desserts! Stay tuned!

Glimpse into our driving forces

I have a post, about dealing with insomnia, ready to put up on my blog, but right now, as I lie on the couch feeling very unwell, and needing to distract myself from my body, I find myself writing another.
I am worried that I am not reacting well to the latest medication addition. I really hope not. It is hard to tell sometimes, whether I am just having a particularly bad week in the life of being in this body, or whether the symptoms are caused by something else! So it will be off to get blood tests done soon, to see if anything can be identified.

Days like these make me think about what gets us going. What pulls our eyelids open, enables us to swing our aching legs around to the side of the bed, and put one slow foot in front of another?

For me, it is definitely my family at the moment. I could quite easily hide under the mounds of warm blankets and wallow in the grossness my body is feeling. However, I enjoy talking to my parents, and am trying to make the most of the time that I am living with them while I am unwell. They look after me so well, and we try to do nice things together when my body will allow. I also am aware that if I let myself mope and hide, it makes them feel worried and sad, and I do not want to be the cause of that.
Some times, my getting going is slightly more enforced than others! My Mum will come in and open the curtains, despite loud and miserable protests coming from underneath the blankets! She will pester until I go outside and sit in the sun. Some days I realise that I haven't even walked downstairs, let alone outside! I keep in my little bubble of couch, bed, computer desk, kitchen, and bathroom. If Mum wasn't helping me along, some days I probably wouldn't make it that far! Sometimes I resent it, but it always makes something better. Today, I feel horrible, but she took me for a little walk in the warm and sunny park, and even though I felt ridiculously nauseous and achy the whole time, when we got back to the car, I felt about 3% better, and that is 3% better which I would not have felt without her love!
Days that I have friends coming to visit also help me get going. I do have some very special people in my life, and for that, I am very grateful and lucky. Sometimes I think to myself that my friends probably think I am making this whole health thing up; it is amazing how the pleasure of being with friends can make your whole body feel a little bit better!
There are several people that I miss dreadfully, and some days this really does not help me deal with my situation, but other days, the thought of possibly speaking to them or getting a message from them makes me intrigued in the day.

It seems silly, but some days, just the idea of a bowl of my favourite breakfast (quiona, chia seeds, rice milk and raspberry sauce) with a mug of tea, excites me enough to begin the day! - Obviously, I currently lead a fairly simple life!!

The desire to get better and fix my body is also a driving force for me. I know that ignoring the world all day will not help my health, despite how right it might feel at the time! Every little bit counts, so I know that I need to keep moving, keep eating, keep taking my medications, keep smiling, and one day, my body will improve.

My current lifestyle is teaching me that the small things can really be the big things, as corny as that might sound. Knowing that you are loved is by no means a small thing, but the supportive little acts that come from a loved one, or even an acquaintance, can really make the discomfort a little more bearable. A happy, simple note or message from a friend, a person willing to spend time with you on the couch, someone bringing in a bowl of breaky and a mug of tea to your bed, a good book, or some sunshine spilling in through the window; it all helps!

I think that we all have those moments at some point in our lives where we wonder what is the point. It is unrealistic to expect otherwise. But sometimes, when we are at our lowest, grimly hanging onto optimism is all we have, and giving in and hiding ourselves away would only hurt others, and ourselves. If we keep plodding along, find those little things that push us along, I am sure that one day we will find the reward.

What gets you moving? I don't mean you get up because otherwise the alarm that you tortuously placed on the other side of the bedroom won't get turned off. Or the kids are fighting each other and begging for breakfast. I mean, what is that special thing that makes you feel like the effort will be worth it?

We all need to stop once in a while in this crazy, hectic world we live in, and take stock of what makes us tick, and be grateful to those things. I hope that you do not ever have to be in a situation of sickness to notice these acts, moments, and driving forces. Tomorrow morning, before you open your eyes on the world, acknowledge those things that enable you to welcome the day.

Glimpse into listening to the lessons

Having a body that is not working to its full ability is frustrating beyond description. To begin to explain the feelings that it creates, the words sadness, disappointment, anger, self pity, jealousy, self loathing, and disbelief spring to mind. However, it can also have a positive side. Sometimes, in my low moments, I think of the upbeat things I say about this faulty body of mine, and I roll my eyes at my pathetic optimism! But as hard as it is to see, there has to be something good to come from these situations.

Illness, be my mentor.

I have gradually become more unwell over a period of 10 years, and I was often not well prior to that growing up. I have now reached a point where I can not work, I can not drive, I often rely on others to do basic chores for me, such as cooking, shopping and house work, and I spend a lot of time just taking it easy. As a twenty nine year old, this is definitely not what I currently want to be doing. I would much rather be travelling, working, socialising, starting a family, and generally living life! However, since I had to give into being unwell about six months ago, after years of pushing through, I have slowly started to notice the things that it is teaching me. These include:

• Gratitude. I am forever grateful for the things that my body still enables me to do. I sometimes have good days, and take these opportunities to see friends and family, and do things that I enjoy. I read other people's stories who are in so much more pain and discomfort than me every day, and they have so much courage and enthusiasm to keep going. I am thankful for becoming aware of their stories as it gives me strength and perspective. I am also noticing and enjoying the small things in life that you often don't have time for when life is busy and hectic. The moment of relaxation and anticipation with a hot mug of tea in my hands; the smell of a new book; being joined on the couch by a friend to just chat; to have a hug by a family member; to sit in the sun and enjoy the warmth; to sit quietly alone and just think. I am also so thankful to all the people who have provided me with love and help, particularly over the past few months. Granted, it is a small group, but the quantity of loved ones is not what is important, it is by far the quality.

• Hang on to the people who count. I am so thankful for the people who have stuck around and continued to support and love me despite my inability to give them all that they deserve. I have truly learnt that the people who matter, don't mind, and the people who mind, don't matter. Dwelling on disappointment uses up your meagre and valuable energy supplies when unwell.

• Remember that it is ok to feel sad and angry; giving into it is a part of healing. Saying that you can't feel sad because someone else has it worse than you, is like saying you can't be happy because someone has it better than you. When it hits you, feel it, be thankful for how it puts other things into perspective, and let it go.

• Forgiveness is vital to happiness and health. Living with an illness which robs you of your desired lifestyle temporarily or permanently, teaches you that you need to learn to forgive your body, yourself, the universe, and people around you. So often I have found myself asking my body "why are you doing this to me?", and "who would want to be around you when you're so broken?'', and asking the universe "why do you hate me, what did I ever do to you?" I am starting to realise that this thinking just makes hate, anger and sadness fester. Understanding that you are not being punished is fundamental to your recovery. Also, even though I see that you have to let people who are holding you back go, I also believe that forgiving them and yourself as you do so is also crucial, and maybe one day they will find their way back into your life.

• Do what is important. Being unable to do certain things has made me aware of what I really want to do in my life. Things that I had brushed aside as unrealistic before, are now making their way on to future to do lists. We rush along in life doing what we are expected to do; what we think will make us and the people around us happy. But maybe, when our bodies crumble into shadows of their former glory and surrender to illness, we should take this warning and see that we are not leading our lives as we should. Choose to do what makes you happy and healthy; we only get one shot at this life.

"Life is better when you're laughing."

• Listen; to ourselves and to each other. I pushed myself so hard for so long, even though my body was screaming at me to stop. I did this because no one could tell me what was wrong, and I was made to feel like I was overreacting, and just had to keep going. Now that I look back, knowing something was actually wrong, I can't believe what I forced myself through, and the things I put up with from other people because we didn't understand that I was sick. It has taught me that we really do need to listen to our bodies, and we shouldn't have to defend ourselves when we know something is amiss. When we have a cold, or a stomach bug, we know we should give into it, ride it out and rest. Whereas when something arises which is debilitating yet harder to see, without the excessive out flowing of bodily fluids (like chronic fatigue, orthostatic hypotension, thyroid issues, or other invisible chronic illnesses), we insist on struggling through, or don't recognise that others are unwell due to the less visible symptoms. Someone used to regularly ask me "what's wrong?" and get angry at me because I might start out with energy and be upbeat, but then descend into lethargy, and they mistook this as me being upset at them or bored by them. Because I did not understand what was going on, I didn't know how to explain to them, and they would continue to get upset at me. This used to make me feel so useless and desperate, because inside my body felt so heavy and it took everything in me to give as much as I could, and it felt like that never was enough. Now that I know something is wrong, it has become easier to give into it, and stand up for myself. If someone around you is not themselves, understand that it is important to support and love them, whether they can put a name or reason to the cause or not.
• Enjoy where you are in life. Sure, I am not out partying every weekend, a trip to the shops can leave me in bed all afternoon, and lunch with friends sees me struggling to keep up with them. But I try to enjoy what I am able to do because of this illness. I can not work, so I do not have the stress that comes with full time nursing shifts. I am currently living with my parents, so I have a lot of help and do not need to worry about cooking and shopping and cleaning. I have tried to push away the feelings of guilt at not doing these activities; I need to make the most of being able to read a book all day if I choose. Sometimes we need to be selfish, to look after ourselves, and then we will be able to look after others when we have healed. I have gone through mind numbingly boring days, where the minutes painfully tick past so slowly that I feel like insanity will smack me off the couch. But I can not do anything about my situation more than I already am. I can see when I do a couple of hours of gentle activity, that my body is not anywhere near where it needs to be to return to work, so I should be enjoying the time I have, rather than resenting it. How many times do we say "if only I could stay in bed today and watch movies," when we are on our way to work?! Even though it is not as good as it seems, I need to give into the fact that this is where my path is leading me for the time being, and I should make the most of it, and let the healing take place. Even though it is not the life I want to currently be living, it is still ultimately my life, and if I spend these months full of resentment and boredom, I have wasted precious moments.

There is so much that we can learn from being unwell, or from other people's struggles. It is so important that we do not fill our minds and bodies with bitterness, anger and sadness when we find ourselves in a situation that we can not control. This will slow the healing process, push people away, waste our time, and continue the vicious circle of unhealthiness. Embrace the unique opportunity you have been given to slow down and see what is important, recalibrate, start afresh, and make the best life that you were born to have.

"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it."

Glimpse into fructose malabsorption

I feel that I have brushed over the explanation of fructose malabsorption, and that you are well over due for a full description and definition, as it is, after all, a main feature of this blog!! So here goes...

Fructose malabsorption occurs when the carriers in the small intestines, usually assisting in the absorption process of fructose, are deficient. The end result is an increased concentration of fructose in the entire intestine. This build up results in the reduction of the absorption of water in the large intestine. The fructose is then metabolised by colonic bacteria. This results in the development of the byproduct gases hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane, and in turn, some very painful and disruptive symptoms.The abnormal increase in hydrogen is what is detectable with a hydrogen breath test; the diagnostic test for fructose malabsorption. The changes that are caused in the gut due to poor absorption of fructose also results in poor absorption of short-chain carbohydrates (other sugars).

In plain terms, the guys that are meant to carry fructose across the small intestine wall are not doing their job properly in a Fruct Mal. Fructose can then travel further down the intestine than the body is designed to cope with. Other processes in the gut are then disrupted. The normal bacteria that is in the large intestine has a party, feasting on the fructose that has made its way to them. These bacteria then produce gases that are not meant to be in the large intestine. This results in a very unwell, very miserable Fruct Mal. The diagnostic breath test involves drinking large amounts of fructose, and then blowing into bags multiple times over a few hours. The bags capture any hydrogen that is exhaled, and the increasing amounts confirm fructose malabsorption (although I could fairly accurately confirm my own diagnosis as I sat breathing into bags with increasing stomach pains as the fructose drink made its way down!).

There is currently no cure for fructose malabsorption. The only way to improve symptoms is to restrict the intake of free fructose. Fruct Mals should also avoid foods that contain fructans, and other FODMAPs (Fementable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols (such as sorbitol, xylitol, and other polyols that end with -tol)).
Glucose assists the absorption of fructose, so is valuable to most fructose malaborption sufferers. Free fructose is any amount of fructose that is higher than the amount of glucose in a food. Being a Fruct Mal, it is best to eat foods that have an equal or less amount of fructose than glucose. Hence an apple is a big no no fruit for a Fruct Mal, with a much higher fructose to glucose ratio, whereas berries are safer fruits due to a higher glucose to fructose ratio.
One trick to have is to keep a box of glucose tablets on standby, or a glucose drink like Lucozade (both found in chemists and most grocery stores). Consuming these before eating a meal with fructose can assist the digestion of the meal. This is really helpful in situations where you can not avoid some fructose. I recommend keeping it as an emergency plan, as consuming glucose, which is still a type of sugar, just so that you can eat a meal with another type of sugar, fructose, is not a healthy mindset to get into!

People with fructose malabsorption can absorb less than 25g per sitting of fructose (tolerance differs from person to person). Healthy people can absorb up to 50g of fructose in a sitting.
The symptoms of fructose malabsorption are not pretty. They can include bloating, diarrhoea, vomiting, flatulence, early signs of depression, nausea and severe stomach pain.

Unfortunately, this all means monitoring not only the types of foods you consume, but also the amounts of each, the combinations of foods in a sitting, and the time between the consumption of food. My mind is constantly taking note of what I have eaten, how long ago I ate, when I need to eat next, what foods will be available then which impacts what I should eat now, how much I have eaten, and on and on! I should carry a clip board with me!

Often people with fructose malabsorption have other intolerances, such as lactose intolerance. I am particularly lucky, as I combine an intolerance to dairy, egg, peanuts, wheat, gluten and grains with my fructose malabsorption!
But as I have written on my blog before, food intolerances are manageable! Trust me, I know what it is like to come from the doctor's office with a massive list of foods to avoid, and to be absolutely overwhelmed with the idea of having to find a food that is actually not on that list! Check out the recipes on my blog for inspiration, and I will continue to post more and more as I develop them.

If you are reading this and you are not a Fruct Mal, please, please keep in mind that it can be developed. There is not enough research to know exactly why it occurs as yet, but our society's high fructose diets are certainly not helping. Be mindful of the fact that fructose is no good for anyone, it is just that Fruct Mals get a more immediate and obvious response.

Glimpse into white tea

I love tea. Thank the Food Intolerance Gods for letting me still be able to drink tea!! I keep mindful around fruit teas (monitoring for FODMAPs), but to be honest, fruit teas don't do it for me as much as other teas do! I also watch the caffeine content because as we all know, this is just another thing the body has to process, and when you're unwell, really it is an unnecessary pressure. This still leaves me with a wide range of teas to choose from and I can't get enough! I drink at least 4 cups a day on an average day, and now that we in the Southern Hemisphere are coming into winter, that will soon increase!

I did not like tea for years. Looking back, I think this was probably because when tea is made for young people, it is usually very milky and very sweet. I have never liked milk, so it makes sense that I wouldn't like milky tea! I just used to loiter around Mum or Dad's cups so that I could dunk my biscuits! During my teens, I started to become a sushi fan, and with that came green tea. I did not like it at first, but slowly, slowly, became more accustomed to the flavour. Then when I lived in England, I would regularly stay with my aunt and uncle, avid tea drinkers. After repetitively declining tea offers, one day my uncle handed me a black tea without asking if I wanted one. I felt it would be rude to say no, given I always said no to tea yet had one given to me anyway. That was the turning point! Tea without milk or sugar and I liked it! From that cup, I started drinking more frequently, and then branched out to trying all sorts of teas, and now like them strong (so thanks to my uncle for putting me on the right path!).

I seem to go through phases as to which tea I am hooked on and drink religiously, until my taste buds have a change of heart and I get obsessed with another (I do always slip in a different flavour or two throughout the day, so as to spice it up though!). I have recently emerged from a green tea phase, and am now heavily entrenched in a white tea phase. It is like a very mild, light flavoured black tea, with a sweet, comforting taste.

White Tea.

White tea provides a mug full of goodies that your body will love. It is made from the new, baby leaf of the Camellia tea plant; the same that green tea comes from at an older age. White tea is steamed and dried, and is not fermented to any extent like green or black tea. Because the leaf needs less processing than when making green tea, white tea retains more antioxidants (for this same reason, green tea has more antioxidants than black tea). The antioxidants are the same in green and white, however the larger amount in white obviously results in a bigger hit each cuppa.

These antioxidants which we drink are beneficial in multiple ways. Cancer risk is reduced, cholesterol can be lowered, cardiovascular health is improved and weight loss can even be assisted. Tea can also improve oral health, bone density, and bacterial digestive health.

Caffeine is low in white tea. While black tea contains around 45mg of caffeine per cup (but can range from 23-110mgs), green tea contains 20mgs (ranging from 8-36mg) and white tea contains 15mgs (ranging from 6-25mg). The higher level of caffeine in green tea is attributed to better assistance in weight loss, but as caffeine is a stimulant, it is best kept to a minimum when looking to improve health (a little is ok as it is beneficial to alertness, metabolism and mood). Drinking tea that has been brewed a second time will decrease caffeine content, as will brewing with cooler water, and brewing for a shorter time.

I prefer to buy the organic white tea. Not only do I personally prefer the flavour, it also avoids fluoride from pesticides, which is easily absorbed by tea plants.

I find tea so comforting. It can improve my mood through its warmth and the relaxing
ambiance connected to it. It can settle my nausea, and ease my stomach cramps and pain. It provides me with a tasty treat, which, with a restricted diet, is treasured. It is great whether the weather is warm or cold. Best of all, it makes my cookies perfectly soggy!


"All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger as each year passes" - George Elliot

Glimpse into Sweet and Sour Pork

I love gooey, sticky, comforting meals with sauce and rice and deliciousness! This can actually be achieved when eating clean, healthy, low allergen foods!
One of my favourite meals is sweet and sour pork with rice. This was what was on the menu last night, on a cold and rainy day, so I will share the recipe with you. I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family and I do!

Just Like Mum's Sweet and Sour Pork Hot Pot

(for 4 people)

Ingredients

2 slices of pineapple, chopped, or 2 tblsps of lemon/lime juice

Goodpinch ground ginger or about 1 tbsp fresh

Half a red capsicum, sliced

2tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp rice syrup

½tbsp tomato puree (no added onion - try Leggos tomato paste. Or use 3 tblsps of cooked down tinned tomatoes)

1½ tsps soy sauce (gluten free soy or Tamari)

1tsp brandy or sherry or shao xing wine (optional)

300mls water

1 tblsp cornflour

2spring onions or the green part of leeks, chopped

3 small bunches of baby bok choy, chopped

800g belly pork, sliced into cubes

1 cup of white rice

Method

The choice of cut for your pork is up to you. My family love the fatty, stickiness that belly pork creates. If you want to choose a healthier cut, go for a pork fillet. This will make for a drier meal, and will be needed to be cooked less. With the belly pork, fry it up in the wok first, making it crispy and brown, and then had to the sauce later on to stew it.

 

                                      1. After browning your meat, remove it from the wok.

2. Fry the pineapple with the ginger and capsicum until becoming soft.

3. Add the water.

4. Mix in the vinegar, rice syrup, tomato puree, soy and alcohol. Simmer gently.

                                            5. Add the meat back into the wok with the sauce and combine.

6. Add the spring onions or leeks. Place a lid over the wok, and simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes; stir occasionally.

7. Cook white rice while you wait.

8. When the meat mixture is thick and sticky, and the meat is soft and tender, stir through the cornflour. Add in the bok choy, stir through and let soften slightly. Remove from the heat.

9. Serve the pork with the rice.