What is FODMAP Diet???

[MrsMonkeyBear]

Keep reading about it and would like a wee bit more info. All the stuff I have found on line is quite confusing.

[Lynxcat]

Hi Mrs MonkeyBear, The Fodmap diet is avoidance of certain foods that are known to cause discomfort, bloating, pain, IBS like symptoms in certain individuals.

Here is a site that lists what you can and can't eat on the Fodmap plan:

cassandraforsythe.com/blog/...

Here is an explanation of what the Fodmap diet actually is:

cassandraforsythe.com/blog/...

[MrsMonkeyBear in reply to Lynxcat]

Thanks Lynxcat!!! Answered a few questions and will give it a go. At the moment, thanks to a wee mix up with my docs, I am still waiting for my blood test results for CD but my gastro is 90% sure I have it, so I'm trying to do as much research into diet plans as possible as I don't know how long I will have to wait to see a dietician.

[Lynxcat in reply to MrsMonkeyBear]

Hi again, You may well find the US listing of safe foods for celiacs quite helpful to keep a note of. Be extra wary of oats - I know that many coeliacs say that they are all right but they cannot guarantee 100% gluten free and they also have avenin which is similar to gluten. As gluten itself slowly destroys muscle then it makes sense to try and illiminate all gluten even microscopic amounts.

Here is the US list:

celiac.com/articles/181/1/S...

[sassyl]

Hi Mrs Monkey Bear,

What you will find online is quite confusing and also very variable, often with the wrong info. I would avoid looking online if you have access to the NHS or a good dietician. The diet started in Australia a few years ago and worked wonders for those of us suffering from IBS. However, the diet was originally very close guarded, to be sold as a package. No info was publicly available. Dieticians in the US started to get involved and some published diets online, all the time the research was still taking place in Australia to clarify the allowable and banned foods. Much has changed.

There is a now very workable diet. If you are in the UK this should be available via the NHS, as they adopted the FODMAP about 1 year ago. My dietician was trained in FODMAP in April.

In the FODMAP diet, you avoid many foods that cause inflammation. It is a relatively proven diet for IBS. The diet is made up of avoiding a variety of long-chain carbohydrates that the body finds difficult to break down. Some of these are obvious and widely known (beans) and others lesser known to cause bowel upsets, be that constipation or diorrhea or excess wind. Wheat and Lactose of both in the banned category of Low FODMAP (although Rye is allowed).

You need to follow the strict full diet for 8 weeks, then you can begin a slow and structured introduction of each FODMAP food, mostly one veg at a time. After 6 months or so you will find a range of fruit/ veg you are ok with.

The outcome for lots of people who follow the Low FODMAP diet is that they find they need to avoid one or a range of these long-chain carbohydrates; wheat and other fructans, polyols, lactose (dairy products), fructose (fruit sugars) or beans and lentils, sometimes avoiding a whole food group.

For me, I have to avoid Fructans, which have a very similar long-chain carbohydrate structure to wheat. Fructans I avoid are onions, broccoli, leeks, garlic (in large amounts). I know others who are fine with fructans but must avoid frutcose. Each person needs to find their way through the diet though. I am almost 1 year into the diet and there are still foods I have not reintroduced. However, I feel amazing for having done it and have definitely felt the effects of avoiding certain foods. It is worth doing if you are struggling to find relief from bowel pain, constipation, diorrhea, grumbles and general malaise. I don't look back!

[sassyl]

Lots of out of date stuff on that website listed above, just had a look. Mail me if you're interested and I will list the current NHS list.

[Lynxcat in reply to sassyl]

Hi Sassy, Why not put the information you possess above to benefit us all? It would be much appreciated.

[Irene Administrator]

Please view the Blog post 'Unhealthy Gluten Free Diet' . Fiona has detailed current info on the FODMAP diet and given the Austrialian links.

[Lynxcat in reply to Irene]

Hi Irene,

Is this the one that you meant?

glutenfreeguerrillas.health... (Sue Shepherd)

shepherdworks.com.au/diseas...

[sassyl]

Hi Lynxcat,

I think I'd be in breach of their copyright if I printed everything on here! I just had a look at one of the links that Fiona had published on the other thread though. The Kings College link seems to be the 'real' FODMAP diet link. They have the booklets I got given from the NHS on their link here:

kcl.ac.uk/medicine/research...

[Irene Administrator]

Quite right Sassyl. We would never expect any of our members to breach copyright laws. Ideally we'd like all members, if they are cutting and pasting infosmall extra from a site, to quote the source of info and try to ensure that it is the most uptodate and most reputable because as you say, Google has a lot of info which isn't always helpful.

[Kestria]

I have to follow a low fodmap diet. You need to do it under supervision. I go to hospital for sessions. Wait for cd results (my doc thought I had cd, turns out I don't) then ask about ibs tests & low fodmap referral.

[Irene Administrator in reply to Kestria]

Kestria, you are right. It's a big undertaking and best to receive professional support. Please let us know how things turn out. We've some FODMAP recipes on our Pinterest page which you may find useful. pinterest.com/gfguerrillas/...

[Kestria in reply to Irene]

Fab thank you.