#fructosemalabsorption

My meeting with Deniz Ficicioglu, creator of the blog Fructopia (Tales from my Fructose Free Life), came at an apt time: I was on the other side of a three day sugar binge that came out of no where. I have had a sweet tooth my entire life, and I have the cavities to prove it, sadly. As an adult, I became more aware of how this habit was really an addiction and taking over my life. I am like a blood-hound for sugar: If it is in the area, I can sense it. Worst of all, I can't stop thinking about eating it if it is around me. Knowing my past, and present, struggles with sugar, I also knew I had a lot to learn from Deniz who has been living a low-fructose/fructose-free lifestyle since her diagnosis with fructose malabsorption (a digestive disorder that impedes the absorption of fructose) five years ago. At the time, Deniz recalls the lack of information around the condition and remembers how difficult it was to even get diagnosed. After seeing her doctor -- who kept telling her everything was normal -- several times over the course of two years, she was finally diagnosed, but only because her regular doctor went on holiday and she chanced upon a different doctor who agreed to test her for lactose, glucose and fructose malabsorption. Her test came back positive for fructose malabsorption and she immediately gave it up on a quest for better health. “I didn't know where to turn,” said Deniz. She adds that she couldn't find research, reports or really any blogs, especially in her native German, about the topic, maybe because it is such a private matter. The symptoms of fructose malabsorption are not the best party topics: constipation, bloating, depression, mood swings, stomach aches, etc. However, the positive results of living a fructose free lifestyle were immediate for Deniz, who beside the obvious culprits like cakes, cookies and chocolate, also gave up some fruits and has to be careful about wheat, onions and garlic, and hidden fructose in sauces and packaged goods. “The thing about fructose malabsorption is, it is trial and error,” she explained. Some people's bodies react poorly to some things, while others with the same condition can enjoy those things freely. After about a year of living without fructose, Deniz thought about starting a blog on the topic but hesitated, “because I wanted to figure it out first.” Two years after this, she moved to Istanbul and saw it as an opportunity to write about her experience moving to another city (and a sugar-filled one at that) and living with fructose malabsorption. She quit her job to move to Istanbul and started focusing on writing, cooking and taking photos for the blog, Fructopia, which focuses on fructose-free recipes, research on the condition and lifestyle, and introduces other bloggers with a similar food philosophy. She even has a cookbook by the same name, which will be released in German on the 29th of April. Deniz said, “I want people to take away that this is not the end of the world. You should be happy that someone closed the door and told you that you can't eat sugar anymore. I want to help open the dialogue about issues with fructose malabsorption.”

Photo from Fructopia

Read on for tips from Deniz about living a healthy, happy, sane (and fructose-free) lifestyle in Istanbul:

My perfect day of eating is...I love big breakfasts: spelt croissants, a green smoothie and bulletproof coffee. For lunch, I could eat seafood all day, so probably a seafood salad. At dinner, I would want dumplings, even though they contain wheat. There is also a great Japanese place in Berlin that makes nice sushi and rice bowls.

Best effects of not eating fructose are: Getting rid of mood swings, extra pounds and having a topic to talk about – it brought a lot of things into my life, like my blog!

My favorite sugar-free dessert recipe is...I don't have real cravings for sugar. Sometimes, I get cravings for the sweet and sour gummies from my childhood. If I want something dessert-like, I make an avocado and banana chocolate mouse. There is also a gluten-free strawberry cake in my book. It is light enough to eat for breakfast and has a rustic taste, like most of my recipes.

Ways to de-stress in Istanbul: Spending a night at home alone. I started running again, too. I like going to Belgrad Ormani. Sitting in a cafe and fading out. Lastly, 20 minutes on the ferry is a like a day at the hamam for me.

Tip for quitting sugar and/or fructose: Finding a reward not made out of sugar is so important. People reward a hard day with chocolate. Be careful of the non-obvious sugar bombs – the little stuff is the hard part. Hidden sugars in sauces and condiments. You need to be prepared and take your own snacks, make your own food for parties, etc.

Resources for leading a fructose-free lifestyle: I Quit Sugar is a great resource. There are also two applications in German and English that help identify how much fructose is in foods. The first is Food Intolerances by Baliza, and the second is The Monash University Low FODMAP Diet. They are both great for people with IBS, fructose malabsorption and those on the Low FODMAP diet. Lastly, I love Ashley Neese.

Three favorite ingredients to cook with are: Coconut oil, fresh turmeric and right now, black rice and millet.

Where I shop in Istanbul for food: Safran Organik in Nisantasi, the Besiktas Saturday market, the normal Ferikoy market, and sometimes the organic market in Ferikoy, Macro Center or Ambar.

My morning ritual is...I started my own interview series about morning rituals on my blog because I was so confused on how to start my own day. There are so many options. I like to have the first hour of the day to myself. I oil pull, brush my teeth then drink hot water with lemon and ginger. I wait to have breakfast for a few hours. Sometimes it is just bulletproof coffee, other times I have oatmeal or smoothies. There are times when I consume nothing because I want to give my digestion a rest. It really depends. After breakfast, I start work either at my home or in the office.