What is fructose intolerance?

Those suffering from fructose intolerance are unable to process fructose. As such, they experience symptoms like cramps, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

There are different types of fructose intolerance:

• Fructose malabsorption, a type of food sensitivity that prevents you from digesting fructose. Also, it can lead to sensitivities to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs).
• Essential fructosuria, a recessive disorder in which you lack a liver enzyme responsible for breaking down fructose.
• Hereditary fructose intolerance, a severe type of fructose intolerance characterized by insufficient activity of fructose-1-phosphate aldolase, an enzyme responsible for digesting fructose.

Which are the high fructose fruits?

Dried fruits

Removing water from fruits concentrates their nutrients and boosts their natural fructose content. Indeed, plenty of dried fruits come with vital fructose and fiber combination, like it is the case with plums. Still, half a cup of dried fruits comes with 55 grams of fructose, which is why it should be consumed with caution.

Mangoes

Mangoes are the highest fructose fruits on the market. An average mango has around 30 grams of fructose. Also, they represent a good source of dietary fibers, vitamins C and A.

Grapes

No matter if you opt for green or red grapes, you should know that only one cup feeds your body 25 grams of fructose. Also, grapes are considered the best fructose and fiber combination.

Pears

An average pear can offer between 18 and 20 grams of fructose. And pears are rich in vitamin C and fibers, too.

Which are the low fructose fruits?

Strawberries

Strawberries contain very little sugar. Studies show that eight average-sized strawberries have only 8 grams of sugar. Besides, they are the best source of vitamin C.

Blackberries

Similar to strawberries, berries offer around 4 grams of sugar per 100 grams, along with fibers and proteins. Also, berries are rich in antioxidants, which can help your body fight free radical damage.

Lemons

Lemons or limes are great as in-between meal snacks due to their high content of vitamin C and low content of sugar. Only one lemon has 2 grams of sugar, making it the best replacement for carbonated beverages.

Avocados

Did you know that avocados are almost sugar-free? Well, they represent the best source of fiber and healthy fats, with little to no fructose.

Is there any difference between fructose and glucose combination?

Fructose and glucose are sugars or monosaccharides. The body absorbs them quickly, but fructose can lead to many negative health effects. Anyhow, experts say that limiting your intake of added sugar is more than necessary, no matter the type you use. 

What is the effect of fructose on exercise?

Studies show that eating foods like canned fruit, candy, or sweetened yogurt feeds your body high content of fructose, which can lead to diabetes and obesity. Also, high amounts of fructose in the body can increase bad cholesterol. It is believed that exercising regularly can diminish the side effects of fructose. But it is best to limit your fructose intake if you have fructose intolerance. 

The bottom line

No matter if you have or not fructose intolerance, it is always best to consume foods with caution. The high fructose and low fructose fruits mentioned above should be part of a healthy meal plan. Also, to keep up your health, it is highly recommended to follow an exercise routine. 

The post Fructose Intolerance: Your Top List of High and Low Fructose Fruits appeared first on Food Converter.

Why should you make kefir at home?

Making kefir at home from veggie milk can boost your health and feed your body the necessary nutrients. Some of the benefits of homemade kefir include:

• It prevents sugar cravings
• It helps digestion and nutrient absorption
• It tonifies the intestines and flattens the abdomen
• Kefir is considered probiotic and it’s good for your gut
• It balances your energy levels

How can you use veggie milk kefir?

The best part about making kefir at home is that you can use it for several purposes, such as:

• You can use it instead of sour cream or as a topping for your favorite dishes.
• You can add it to smoothies.
• You can use it to make homemade ice cream.
• Add it to your cereal or oatmeal.
• You can use it to replace a wide array of dairy products.

How to make kefir at home from veggie milk

Making kefir with nut, soy or coconut milk at home is becoming popular, and it’s not difficult. Kefir grains do require some care though. This signifies that when you get the grains, you need to sit them in a full fat cow or goat milk for around 24 hours. This process feeds the grains and allows them to thrive and offer the best homemade kefir. Also, it would be best if you soak your grains three times before moving on to the next step.

After you complete the initial soaking process, you should sit the grains in nut milk or coconut milk for another 24 to 48 hours. Afterward, you can sieve them as instructed and soak them again in full-fat milk. 

Note: I’ve done it several times using kefir starter and have put it directly in veggie milk and it worked just fine. It took some time to find which brand works well, especially if you prefer the thick and dense texture. Some just do better than others. Pay special attention to the fat (more is better), and use brands with fewer additives and processing. It worked just fine for me.

To make kefir at home, you will need:

1. Milk kefir grains or kefir starter.
2. Veggie milk: Fresh homemade, canned, or boxed. We recommend avoiding brands with additives and sweeteners as they can be hard on the kefir grains (guar gum seems to do just fine). Go with full fat rather than a fat-free version.
3. Clean jar and non-metal spoon.

With these ingredients, you can follow the instructions:

1. Add the milk kefir grains in milk of your choice and stir with a non-metal spoon.
2. Cover with a towel and let the jar with kefir culture on the counter to ferment between 12 to 35 hours. Regular room temperature will do the best. If it’s colder it might need more time.
3. After fermentation is done, you can store the homemade veggie kefir in the fridge for a week. The kefir will still be active and grow/ferment, just that in the fridge it will be way slower
4. You can reuse the kefir for your next batch – you’ll need around 1 dl (half a cup) of your “old” kefir and simply mix it with fresh milk of your choice and let it ferment again.

I personally prefer to have more “yogurt” aka dense texture of kefir and not as liquidy. Different brands do differently. I’ve tried experimenting by adding some (pea-mix) protein powder, but there was no difference.

If you live in Spain or Portugal those are the brands that seem to work well for me – Yosoy soy milk, Almendrola Almond milk (regular and unsweetened both seem to do good):

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Are you looking for a no kneading bread recipe? Well, you should know that making long-fermented bread might be the best solution for you. No matter if you opt for little yeast or sourdough starter, you will manage to bake yummy bread. Up next, we’ve shared our insights on long-fermented bread and how to cook it with little to no hassle.

What is sourdough or long-fermented bread?

Sourdough bread is one of the oldest recipes for bread. It is believed to be healthier and tastier than traditional bread. Overall, a long-fermented bread is an old form of bread leavening. It requires a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker’s yeast.

Also, sourdough bread is considered one of the healthiest bread recipes due to the numerous potential health benefits:

• It is easier to digest, as fermentation is longer.
• It might better digestion and gut health.
• It is more nutritious than any store-bought bread, as it has a high content of antioxidants and essential nutrients.

How to make long-fermented bread at home

A long fermentation bread takes between 8 to 15 hours to make. It requires no kneading, and you will need a little yeast or sourdough starter. The best recipe for making long-fermented bread goes as follows.

#1 Making a natural yeast starter

Use one cup of flour and one cup of water. Add the ingredients in a wide-mouthed glass jar, mix them, and cover with a natural fiber cloth. Make sure jar or container is big enough as the starter is ready when it doubles in size. Leave at room temperature for 4 to 8 days. After a day or two, you’ll notice some bubbles. When the starter is ready, it will be crusty, wrinkled, and moist. Also, it won’t bounce back if you poke it. You can keep the starter in the fridge and keep on feeding it once a week. Here is a detailed recipe how to make sourdough starter.

#2 Making long-fermented bread

For long-fermented bread you can either use your own starter, or just a teaspoon of yeast. Any flour will do! It’s not that much work, but you need to leave the bread on the kitchen counter to ferment … How much flour and water you need it highly depends on flour type, but in general make in more liquidy as the “regular bread”.

Let’s say around 3 cups of flour (0.5 kg ~ 1lb) and 1.5-2 cups of water, ¾ teaspoons of sea salt, and follow the steps:

1. Mix the starter/yeast with salt and water and gradually add the flour.
2. Mix the ingredients until they get smooth – you can use a wooden spoon, no need to touch the dough and do not knead it!
3. Put the dough in a bowl and cover it. Leave it to ferment for 8-12h – nothing wrong if you’re late, you can leave it to ferment longer (all the way up to 24h). The dough will rise, make sure the bowl is big enough.

You’ll notice bubbles within few hours…

4. When the dough has risen, turn on the oven at 220 ºC/425 F, and put in the tray you gonna use it for baking. We need the tray to be hot! Preferably the glass or ceramics one with the cover, but if you don’t have it, others will do too.
5. Meanwhile, take some flour and take the dough out from the bowl and shape it into bread. Remember, do not knead!

6. Let the bread rise a bit more until the oven is hot.
7. Take the hot tray out from the oven (be careful) and put the dough there. You don’t need to use fat or baking paper since the tray it’s hot the bread won’t stick to it.
8. Bake for 30 mins with lid cover at 220 ºC/425 F.
9. After 30 mins take the lid off, and bake for another 20-30 mins (depending on the flour) at 200 ºC/ 390 F.

Long-fermented bread from full wheat and buckwheat flour

It is typical for this bread to have a crack on the top, crunchy crust and soft inner part. The crust is harder just after baking if you prefer it softer wrap the bread into cloth just after baking.

The bottom line

Sourdough and long-fermented bread is the best alternative to conventional bread. It is more nutritious and more comfortable to digest, being the perfect option for anyone. Long fermented bread is easy to make, and it doesn’t require much work (fermentation aside And the best part about it is simply yummy and your kitchen will smell amazing!

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Why grow sprouts at home?

Sprouts are germinated and soaked seeds, grains, or nuts. These are rich in beneficial amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes. And the best part about sprouting at home is that they are simple to grow straight in your kitchen. Make your own garden in a jar!

Some of them like lentils or chia you can just pick from your shelf, while other you’ll need to get seeds from the store. Make sure you buy organic or those that are not ment to be for “massive” gardening as those might be treated with some chemicals – you definitely don’t want that on your plate.

Some of the seeds you can use to grow sprouts are:

• Alfalfa
• Broccoli Seeds
• Red Clover Seeds
• Lentils
• Mung Beans
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Chia Seeds

What do you need to grow sprouts at home?

Sprouting is a simple and straightforward process. You will need equipment created for such purposes, such as sprouting trays. Also, you will require:

• A wide-mouth quart-size clean and sterile jar
• A sprouting lid or cheesecloth and a rubber band
• A box or bowl to aid the jar stand upside-down
• Organic sprouting seeds for the best results

Some of the seeds and sprouts are more demanding than another. Most of them will grow well in a big jar. Make sure the jar is clean, and before sprouting in them, make them sterile (oven at around 200 ºC for 20 mins will do good). It’s easy for mold to start growing, and you’ll have to throw all the batch away …

How to grow sprouts

Soak your seeds overnight

Firstly, soak sprout seeds overnight – or at around 6-8h. Make sure you position the sprouting screen in place and screw on the canning ring. Add around two cups of non-chlorinated water. Afterward, swirl the seeds, drain and cover with an extra 2 to 4 cups of water. 

Rinse and drain seeds

In the morning, drain the water and rinse and swirl again. As soon as you make sure your seeds are drained well, put them in a bowl, and allow the jar to lay upside down. 

Keep on Washing them 2x Day

It is highly recommended to pour water through screens at least two times per day (morning and evening). Swirl, and drain well after returning the seeds in your bowl. Each day your sprouts will grow more! This process can take between 3 to 7 days, depending on the seeds. 

Store sprouts

When you feel like your sprouts reached the perfect greenness and length, you can store them in the refrigerator. It is best to store them as dry as possible. Overall, sprouts last up to five days if drain adequately. 

Enjoying sprouts

Sprouts are best served on sandwiches, mixed with greens as a salad, or as a soup topping. 

What are the benefits of growing sprouts?

Sprouts are a superfood, which you can quickly grow straight in your kitchen. And the best part about sprouting is that they have numerous health benefits. Some of these include:

• A boost in digestive and metabolic processes, as sprouts are rich in dietary fibers.
• An increase in blood flow due to the high content of iron and copper.
• A losing weight ally, as sprouts can inhibit the release of a hunger hormone called ghrelin.
• An increase in the immune response, as sprouts are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and vitamin C.
• Improvement in eye health due to the rich content of antioxidants and vitamin A.
• A decrease in skin problems due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

The bottom line

Sprouting at home can be both fun and useful. All you have to do is get the equipment mentioned above and start taking care of the seeds. Keep in mind that the risk of cross-contamination in sprouts is slightly high. The living enzymes might turn out to be dangerous for health if you don’t clean your hands and jars. You can avoid such issues by purchasing organic nuts, grains, and seeds for sprouting. 

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