What is fructose mal-absorption?

So what is a fructose? It is a sugar found naturally in certain foods like wheat, honey, onions, and apples; just to name a few.

So therefore Fructose mal-absorption is a digestive disorder in which sufferers are lacking the appropriate, let’s call them "fructose taxis". These little guys are responsible for moving fructose through our intestines and when they are “on strike”, fructose concentration increases causing inflammation and deterioration.

Symptoms of Fructose mal-absorption are not that dissimilar to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome); bloating, intermittent constipation and diarrhoea, nausea, cramps and stomach pain.
Diagnosis of Fructose mal-absorption can be done via a test called "hydrogen breath test". The general outcome of the test is to locate unabsorbed fructose in the intestinal tract. The procedure for the breath test in simple steps is: blow into the breathalyser device (just like being tested for blood alcohol reading by police), after that first reading, you drink a high sugar drink and about 15 minutes after consumption you do another breath test to see if your reading has changed. You do this same procedure for a couple of hours.

If your practitioner finds a change in your reading, they will advise you to avoid certain foods to decrease symptoms and hopefully to make you feel on top of the world again!


Foods to avoid:

Apple

Pear

Mango

Watermelons

Prunes

Figs

All Dried Fruit (dried fruit has higher sugars than fresh fruit)

Honey

Any fruit based products including drinks
Coconut products
Wheat products including pasta, bread, biscuits and sauces.

The Gluten Free diet

The hard part about having Coeliac disease is knowing what you can and cannot eat. Reading the labels at the supermarket can be a big chore and sometimes the labels do not tell all. Eating out can be a HUGE problem since sauces are sometimes filled with gluten and you don’t know.

Here is a list of foods to avoid if you have Coeliac disease:

Prepared meals

Breads

Oats

Wheat 

Barley 

Rye

Soya sauce

Tomato sauce

Cereals (unless labelled gluten free)

Flour (unless labelled gluten free)

Cake mixes and fresh cakes/slices

Pizza bases

Pastas

Packet sauces

Wheat biscuits

Chocolates

Malt

Custard powder

Crumpets and muffins

Foods to include:

Food for Health Gluten Free Muesli and Muesli Bars (sorry couldn’t help myself!)

Flours: besan, buckwheat, brown rice flour, quinoa flour, soy flour.

Grains: sorghum, rice, millet, popcorn, amaranth.

All fruits and vegetables

Gluten free bread (Bodhi’s Bakehouse, Country Life)

Pulses, legumes and corn

Gluten free soya milk 

Rice noodles

The Gluten Free diet dilemma; what is it? And how do you know if it is it?

I will take a guess, but I bet you know someone, or know someone who knows someone that has Coeliac disease? It affects 1 in 100 people in Australia… so maybe I am presuming you have 100 friends! Lucky you, I certainly don’t! But I do know people with Coeliac disease.


So what is it? Coeliac disease is a medically diagnosed condition of an intolerance to gluten, which is a protein found in certain grains. These grains are: oats, wheat, barley, rye and triticale.


If someone has gluten intolerance and consumes gluten, the initial reaction is the inflammation of the gastro intestinal tract. The small intestinal lining called villi become inflamed causes all sorts of issues. Common symptoms are bloating, flatulence, severe abdominal pain and nausea. Some sufferers can even experience intermittent constipation and diarrohea, so all in all it is not a great thing to have, but luckily there are a lot more gluten free options available now.


If you have experienced any of the above symptoms you may or may not have Coeliac disease and there are a couple of ways to detect it. You can have a blood test that tests for IgA activity, but this is often not accurate. The best diagnostic procedure is a bowel biopsy. Small samples of the lining of the bowel (villi) are taken and investigated. If history of flattening of the lining, then it confirms Coeliac disease.

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Foods to eat on a detox

When on a detox it can be confronting as to what foods to eat and what foods to avoid, so I have compiled a list to help you out when shopping for your detox foods.

Always keep in mind that anything that is packaged is generally a no go while on a detox.

Raw fruit and vegies are the staple on a detox. You can eat anything and as much as you like.

Grains are another important food to eat while on a detox: include grains such as: brown rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat (you can get pastas that are made from these grains).

Nuts & seeds are a great snacking option when on a detox diet. Include the following: Raw almonds, raw cashews, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflowers seeds and walnuts.

Protein is important in maintaining complete nutrition on a detox diet, you need to make sure you consume enough and the right kind of protein. Try free-range eggs, salmon, chickpeas, and tofu.

It is best to stay away from bread while you a detoxing, but if you must have a sandwich, you must use wheat free & yeast free bread. This also goes for cereals. Look for wheat free, fruit free cereal with no added sugar: “The Liver Cleansing Muesli” or “The Fibre Cleanse Muesli” would be ideal.

Drinking choices are important on a detox. No dairy must be drunk at all while detoxing and definitely no coffee or alcohol! The only drinks you can consume are water (and plenty of it), herbal teas and almond or soy milk.

New Year’s resolution: DETOX!

It’s true, every year after the festive season (or should we say the overindulgent season) most of us say to ourselves “my new year’s resolution is to lose weight”… Well the best and most effective way is to start with a detox. And because even the most saintly of us consume more than the normal monthly quota of champagne in the lead up to Christmas, we are best to focus on a liver detox.

Detoxing and your liver

Our liver plays a significant role in the elimination and detoxification of our bodies. It plays many vital functions including metabolism support, cholesterol balance, fat metabolism and glucose breakdown. It plays such an important role in our health and natural detoxing process, but most of us neglect this and do not have a healthy liver.

The liver works as our natural filter that eliminates the toxins we build up with our busy lifestyles and convenient foods we consume. It also maintains the health of other vital organs. Therefore after Christmas is the perfect time to do a liver detox!

What to eat during a liver detox

During a liver detox, you are not allowed to consume processed foods such as sugary foods, white breads & pastries, coffee, alcohol, saturated fats and red meat (basically anything that is pre-packaged you have to stay away from while on a detox). You must drink at least two litres of water each day while you are on a liver detox. First thing in the morning, try to drink a glass of warm water with lemon juice. This is a great way to start your natural detox process by increasing enzyme activity.

You can also take liver supplements while on a liver detox. Some great herbs are Milk thistle, dandelion (which you can drink each day as a tea), Gentian and the amino acid Taurine. Taurine will help with fat metabolism and liver cell regeneration.

Remember while on the detox to eat as many highly nutritious foods like, green leafy vegies, berries for their antioxidant content and also seeds for their omega 3 source.

The best time frame to do a simple liver detox is one week. You will feel and notice a big change in your body, and you will definitely lose weight, but you must remember that a liver detox is the start of a lifestyle change. If weight loss is your biggest issue, remember in the long term you have to support your body’s natural detox process with a healthy diet and an “everything in moderation” attitude!

Why detox?

With our busy lives and the love of convenient foods, it does not take long for toxins to build up in our system. Our body’s natural detox mechanism requires a lot of energy and good health to support. If you feel sluggish and tired regularly, this maybe because you are not supporting your natural body’s detoxing process with a healthy diet.


Every now and then a body detox will benefit your overall health. A detox does not have to be hard (or like a fast where you eat no solids). It can be just as simple as changing the foods we eat! This will help our body’s natural detox process.

You can do a detox for as little as a couple of days or up to weeks, depending on the level of your health and fitness.

Health benefits of detoxing

Diet is not the only reason to detox. People that suffer with allergens need to detox their lifestyle and surroundings by eliminating toxins such as washing powders, plastics, paints, chemical filled moistures and drugs.


However, generally people detox because they want to lose weight, although other symptoms like fatigue, bloating, constipation, insomnia, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) are other good reasons to undertake a detox.


Detoxing serves as a preventive health measure to help decrease the excess “garbage” in your body. Detoxing essentially helps to cleanse the colon, lymph glands, lungs, kidneys, liver and skin… All of which are our body’s natural detoxes, but from time to time need a little help! 

And trust me, you will feel much better after a detox!