The Halloween Hangover: Fructose and Your Digestive System

Here is an article on fructose that I am going to forward to a number of friends who have digestive problems that they can’t seem to get rid of. From The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That is Making You Fat and Sick, by Richard J. Johnson, MD, the book is a fascinating read. Here is the excerpt on the Halloween Hangover. See if it sounds familiar:

Call it the Halloween Hangover: Filling up on sweets often leads to an upset stomach. This is because many people have difficulty digesting the fructose in sugar, HFCS, and other sweeteners. But it’s not only candy-munching trick-or-treaters who are affected by this problem, known as fructose malabsorption (or sometimes dietary fructose intolerance.) If you have been experiencing unexplained digestive problems, fructose could be the cause.

As fructose travels through the digestive system, it eventually enters the small intestine. From there, it normally is absorbed into the bloodstream. But some people absorb fructose less efficiently than others so. In these cases, fructose enters into the large intestine, where it is broken down by bacteria, producing large amounts of hydrogen gas. Fructose can also suck water into the colon.

Fructose malabsorption causes a variety of gastronintestinal problems, including abdominal pain, bloating, cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation. Bacteria can convert fructose to compounds called ketoacids; in rare cases, this could cause the blood to become dangerously acidic, a condition that can lead to rapid breathing, confusion, and other symptoms. In one small 2005 study published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers asked 15 volunteers to drink water laced with 25 grams of fructose, which is similar to the amount found in a 12-ounce can of non-diet soda. Breath tests that measure hydrogen determined that more than half of the subjects had evidence of fructose malabsorption. Six of the volunteers developed gas or rumbling sounds in their stomachs, and one experienced abdominal pain. When the dose was increased by 50 grams of fructose, breath tests showed that 11 of the 15 volunteers had reached the threshold for fructose malabsorption.

Recent research suggests that fructose may be one cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that affects up to one in five Americans. Previously, the foods and beverages most commonly linked to IBS were wheat and other grains, chocolate, and dairy products, as well as alcohol. Now studies suggest that many people who complain of IBS symptoms have fructose malabsorption. In a University of Iowa study, for example, more than one-third of people with IBS-like symptoms had dietary fructose intolerance.

If you struggle with gastrointestinal problems, adopting a low-fructose diet may help. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that 74 percent of IBS patients who cut back on their fructose consumption experienced a significant drop in gastrointestinal symptoms.

Eco-Halloween Costumes to DIY For!

Last minute Halloween-costume blues got you down? Take a look at some inexpensive, eco-friendly costume designs to save your sanity (and a few trees!)

Halloween always seems to bring out the parental paranoia. I suppose it’s no surprise with kids running around after dark, knocking on the doors of people you may or may not know, and essentially taking candy from strangers.

What I don’t hear is any concern about the costumes. And with the mounting evidence of BPA in plastics, and the ever-present danger of off-gassing from things like PVC shower curtains, shouldn’t the same precaution be applied to your kid’s Halloween costumes?

They are often packaged in plastic and when you open them they do not smell good, probably due to the synthetic paint and dyes. Halloween costumes chock full of chemicals sure sound scary to me! (If your child insists on one of these costumes, at least wash it–if you can–or air it out before they wear it.)

So those smelly plasticized costumes might not good for your child’s health, but it’s a given that they are not the best thing for the planet. So here are some Halloween costume ideas that borrow from the reduce, reuse, recycle principle–costumes you can put together from stuff around the house or things you can pick up at a thrift store. No need to even pull out the sewing machine, and you might even save a little green while you’re at it–and who doesn’t like that?

Recycling bin: Grab some paper, cans, bottles, etc., and attach them to your child’s clothing. This is one costume that’s creative and on message.

The versatility of a white sheet: There’s the old standby ghost, or rewatch “Animal House” and make your kid a toga. If you’re feeling especially crafty, tear the sheet into strips and make a mummy costume. Just make sure you reuse those strips as rags instead of throwing them into the trash.

Ride ‘em, cowboy (or cowgirl): Blue jeans, a checked shirt, boots and hat–I’ll bet your kid has at least one or two of these items. Find some rope and make a lasso. As a bonus, tie a bandanna around your dog’s neck as the perfect trick-or-treating accessory. My 4-year-old nephew did this last year and it was a big hit.

Blast from the past: This one can be really fun, with some bell-bottoms, a tie-dye T-shirt or and a headband for a 60s hippie. (Don’t forget to tell your kid to display the two-fingered peace sign!) Or grab the fringe leather jacket/hand-knitted poncho/paisley psychedelic polyester shirt in the back of the closet–you know you kept them for a reason–for a 70s-themed look. Or pull out those leg warmers and shoulder pads for a not-so-pleasant reminder of the unfashionable 80s. Your kids will probably get a good laugh out of it at least!

Sleepwalker: Dress them up in their pajamas and slippers, mess up their hair and they’re all set.

Make like a tree, and leave: If your backyard is as full of fallen leaves as mine, this one is a snap. Attach the leaves to your kids clothes, hair and shoes. And the bonus is that the costume can go straight into the green waste can.

Ballerina/Princess/Fairy: A leotard, a poofy skirt and some great accessories can turn your little girl into her fantasy.

Box robot: If you’ve got a cardboard box around the house, you’ve got the start of a great costume. Just cut out holes for the arms and head, then let the imagination of you and your child be your guide. Just make sure you use non-toxic glue, markers and paint when doing the decorating.

Please share your ideas in the comments and have a safe and happy Halloween!

Real Halloween Treats, Not Sugary Tricks

Anyone with young children has probably seen first-hand the effects of Halloween candy overload on sensitive systems. Yipes! But we don’t want to be killjoys: trick-or-treating is a magical part of the Halloween experience. So here are some great ideas for alternatives to the candy bars and other sugary horrors that will fill most kids’ trick-or-treat bags this Halloween.

These easy-to-find imaginative treats won’t add to the sugar load, only to the fun!

Food Treats
These make healthier alternatives to the usual glut of sugary stuff:

Small boxes of organic raisins
Bags of trail mix or peanuts in the shell
Envelopes of instant cocoa
Organic mozzarella sticks
All-natural 100 percent juice boxes
Healthy chewing gum (natural flavors and sweeteners, no dyes)
Sun Drops (sort of like dye-free M&Ms)
Small boxes of healthy cookies or crackers

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Let’s face it–most kids want candy at Halloween. This year, why not satisfy their sweet tooth, while making a contribution to the lives of others by distributing fair trade certified chocolates? It’s kind of like combining candy-giving with making a Unicef donation in one shot–something fun for the kids, something good for the world.

Check out the chocolate gold coins and chocolate eggs, made from cocoa grown by farmers in Ghana. Your purchase of these chocolate bars, made of organic cocoa and sugar, and supports small farm families in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay.

Yes, these goodies are pricier than the bulk packaged candies at the supermarket, but you get what you pay for. And in this case the payoff is big: happy kids, fairly paid farmers, and, be honest, you’re going to eat a few yourself!

Find Fair Trade Certified chocolate here:
• Divine Chocolate
• Global Exchange
• Dagoba Chocolate

Read more about Healthy and Fair Trade Certified Chocolate.

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Non-Food Treats
My friends live in a village where they gets upwards of 150 trick-or-treaters. If you get mobbed at Halloween, you could try my method: I cleaned out my piggy bank and doled out the spare change. My little ghoulies and ghosties were thrilled.

Other fun ideas for non-edibles include rubber spiders, stickers, small packets of crayons or markers, pencils with fun-shaped erasers, miniature pumpkins, or small charms. Look in your local dollar store for fun and inexpensive goodies.

Happy Halloween!

Protect Pets On Halloween!

Halloween brings lots of spooky, scary and sweet fun for our kids, but it can bring dangers for our pets. Chocolate is toxic for animals; trick-or-treating noise can be truly frightening for our furry friends.

For today's Daily Action, read these precautions we have gathered from animal shelters and veterinarians and keep your pets safe for Halloween!

The following is a list of precautions suggested and recommended by numerous animal shelters and veterinarians designed to keep pets safe on Halloween.

NOISES and STRANGE STRANGERS:
Trick or treaters can cause loud and excessive noise and frighten your pet, so try to keep your pets inside in a quiet room where they are insulated from the Halloween rukus. : )

Pets, especially dogs, that are easily excitable or threatened by strangers should be kept from the front door so they cannot bite anyone or run into the street. With many people visiting the home in strange attire, even normally calm pets might overreact.

Keep pets on a shorter-than-normal leash if you plan on walking outside on Halloween. Again, scary and weird looking trick-or-treaters could provoke aggression in even the nicest pet.

KISS OF DEATH
Candy, especially chocolate, is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances, and even death. Ask kids not to share candy with pets.

CANDLES
Be careful with lit pumpkins and candles because pets can knock them over and start a fire. Therefore ensure that all burning objects are out of pet’s reach. Remember that cats can jump high, and birds can fly, so try to confine a pet if it demonstrates an “unhealthy” interest in flames (e.g. it puts its paws in lit pumpkins or tries to play with candles).

PETS IN DISGUISE
Avoid costumes held in place by rubber bands, which can be uncomfortable and, more important, rubber bands mistakenly left on a pet can quickly burrow into the animal’s skin and cause injury. Additionally, rubber bands in the wrong place can choke a bird.

If a pet wears a costume, make sure it is not constricting, causing your pet to trip, or blocking its vision. Do not force a pet to wear a costume if it demonstrates discomfort. All of the above can cause undue stress and possibly cause aggression in even the nicest dog, goldfish, or iguana.

EVIL IN THE NIGHT
Don’t leave pets outside on Halloween. Many animals disappear as pranksters and those with darker intentions tease, abduct, torture, or even kill pets.

Be especially watchful of black cats, who which are frequent targets of cruel activities on Halloween. Try to keep black cats inside for the week of Halloween. Many animal shelters make black cats unavailable for adoption the week before Halloween because of black cat abuse.

'Happy' Halloween from the FDA

Dear Tara,

If the Wall Street bailout was hard to swallow, the government is preparing a Halloween trick that just may be impossible to stomach.

The Food and Drug Administration is opening the way for grocery stores to sell food made from genetically engineered animals. And the agency is proposing that these products, called “Frankenfoods” by some, be sold to you without your knowledge.

Sign our online petition demanding that food from genetically engineered animals be labeled. We have the right to know what we are eating!

Genetically engineered animals are not a far-off, exotic concept. It’s happening right now. Goats are engineered with spider genes to produce silk in their milk. And pigs carry mouse and bacterial DNA to improve their digestion.

The jury is still out on whether food from these animals is safe for humans or the environment. And the ethics of such changes have yet to be considered.
The FDA says they will conduct a safety review before these foods can be sold for human consumption. But consumers won’t know if they’re buying genetically engineered food, because the agency isn’t going to require a label.

We know what’s in the can of soup we buy because the label tells us. Shouldn’t we know if the meat we buy comes from a pig with another animal’s genes, or whether our milk has insect DNA in it?
Sign our petition and show the FDA that Americans want to know what’s in their food!
We have until Nov. 18 to collect signatures. Please forward this message on to others so they can sign too. Let’s stop this Halloween trick before it starts.

Sincerely,
Jean Halloran
NotInMyFood.org
A project of Consumers Union
101 Truman Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10703