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Rainbow Salad With Herbs Galore
Spring arrived in Istanbul a few weeks ago and we are already heading full speed towards Summer. While in Southern Turkey the skin-warming sun lures people into the sea for the first time this year, in Istanbul we are celebrating the sun’s return by letting sweet and plump, bright red strawberries melt in our mouths. All the while the Spring showers, turning the Black Sea region into a bright green wonderland, are responsible for the abundance of delicate and rich greens on display at our weekly farmers market. Trying to refrain oneself from those treats would almost be an insult to this country’s fertility. Thus, happily volunteering to pay tribute, mint, parsley, dill, thyme, basil and other greens pile up in our kitchen every week. We’ve become quite creative in terms of putting the various herbs to use, though sometimes we just can’t keep up and the delicate little plants wither away. To use up all of the leftover herbs in due time I came up with this little rainbow salad. Instead of the usual lettuce I put in bol bol (Turkish for plenty of) fresh herbs resulting in a feast for the eyes and fireworks for your taste buds. I wouldn’t even mind having this salad two days in a row. …
Going Gluten Free IV: A side note on dairy
Last year, during my initial phase of going gluten free I reflected not only on my wheat consumption but also on my diet in general. I figured that I was consuming a lot more dairy here in Istanbul than I used to do back in Berlin. Since moving here I had yoghurt for breakfast every single morning, drank many, many café lattes and ate lots of salads topped with loads of feta cheese. Everybody knows, too much of anything is never good, so I felt the urge to put a halt on this. In the back of my head I developed this thought that just maybe I could hit two birds with one stone: Going gluten and dairy free at the same time. I mean, why not? I was about to change my diet completely anyway, right?
Some of you might break out in hysterical laughter right now and I can’t even blame you.
Little did I now, how time consuming and sometimes frustrating it would be to go gluten free. This process once again put all my previously acquired eating habits into question (see Unlearning snacking). Cutting out dairy as well was just as naive as believing in sticking to one’s New Year’s resolution. …
Why it’s good that fructose is bad for us
From time to time I know it can be a bit tiring to be friends with, related to or in a relationship with me, the adamant no-fructose-advocate that I am. Even four years after being diagnosed with fructose malabsorption, I’m not showing any signs of fatigue in bringing up the fructose topic. Be it by making critical observations on why certain foods are unhealthy (which I usually make just as a friend is about to dive into their said plate of food). or in response to somebody once again asking me, why (after turning down the piece of cake) I won’t have any of the fruit either. Enter the sugar-police! I always try not to lecture, rather to explain. I understand that my little sister for example is not keen on hearing my opinions on sugar, as she is just about to have a bite of her delicious looking cupcake. (I am still the older sister, though, so bear with me) In the end, all I am really trying to say is that I am concerned about the health of my loved ones.
Good to see that my relentless fructose free input has left some positive marks within my circle of friends. They seem much more conscious about handling their daily sugar intake and some have even taken to research on their own. Lucky me, sometimes they share an interesting article or two with me. Lucky you, sometimes I share those articles with you! So here goes: …
Going gluten free Part III: Fructose free superfoods
It’s been seven months since we left our home in Berlin in an attempt to grow roots in Istanbul. A few days ago we arrived back in Berlin. It’s our first time home since February. I was looking forward to these upcoming three weeks. Looking forward to all the breakfasts, lunches and dinners with friends and loved ones, to happy bike rides in the city and enjoying morning runs in the park close by. Other than that, I must confess, there is not much I missed about Berlin. Who would, considering the numerous hours of sunshine Istanbul provided us with, all the Turkish food and fresh seasonal goods grown on the fertile lands of the rough Black Sea, the thousand plus different views of the Bosphorus or the seemingly endless supply of new and one of a kind impressions. Istanbul has not failed to keep us entertained. Needless to say the Gezi Park protests and the surprisingly violent response by the police caused quite a stir in our daily lives.
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Instafriday: A week of food in Istanbul
Our first week in Istanbul was amazing. It actually feels like we didn’t do much, like in a productive manner. But when I look at the pictures from last week it feels like we walked the whole city (even though this is not remotely true). That’s why I decided to share a few of my instagram shots with you and introduce you to some popular Turkish food staples that might be good to know when traveling with fructose malabsorption. Check out my instagram profile for more pictures. A nice weekend to you all.
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Fructose Friendly Chicken In Roasted Butter And Cinnamon (Fructose Free)
Finally, we have arrived in Istanbul! The place we will be calling home for the next six months or longer, we’ll see. Right now, we don’t know what expects us, what experiences await us. But who wants to know everything in advance anyway? What we weren’t expecting: waterfall like rain showers. Thank you for this warm welcome Istanbul! But it’s exactly the excuse you need to withdraw into the cozy kitchen and cook something nice and heartwarming. …
I eat you, I eat you not (2): foods to avoid with ibs
Whew, last week was a hectic one, which explains the eight days without a new blog post. This being my third blog week I’m feeling pretty guilty. Blogger’s guilt, I guess.
At the same time I was kind of thankful for a little more thinking time to write this blog post. I knew I still owed you the follow up on my food dos and don’ts….
I eat you, I eat You Not (1): Low FODMAP Foods To Enjoy With IBS
It’s one week post launch of Fructopia and the tingling hasn’t stopped yet. After turning the whole blog thing over and over in my mind and testing numerous two blogging platforms for months, I’m pretty surprised how fast everything happened the moment I finally settled for one service. Now I am out and about with a topic that on the one hand is quite intimate, on the other hand affects so many people and still lacks a lot of attention. Time to change that. …
Willkomen in Fructopia! In dieser kleinen Welt dreht sich alles um ein gesünderes Leben ohne Fructose, ohne Zucker, ohne Weizen. Schön, dass ihr da seid! 
