Fodmap help

[Roary4]

The GP tells me to look at a Fodmap diet. I have been on a waiting list for over a year for a dietician to help with my ibs but nothing yet. I keep food journals and so know for certain some foods that trigger me, but has anyone used fodmap and it be successful for them? Do you know where I can get the most helpful information? I Google it but there is so much overwhelming foods that it is saying to avoid I am not sure what I would actually be able to eat. If any one has any ideas how to make it less overwhelming or what has worked for them I would be really grateful.

[Iesgobdafydd]

I mean it didn't help me, but it does help many people, that's why they recommend it, it's gotten results in clinical trials. But if you can identify your food triggers without it, and cutting them out of your diet improves things enough for you, you might not need it.

It was a hassle being on a low FODMAP diet, and it's probably harder doing a low FODMAP diet if you're not used to cooking your own food - ready-made food has so many ingredients in and you don't even know what they are till you read the label.

Monash University have a modestly-priced App you might find helpful ( monashfodmap.com/ibs-centra... )

The two things I found hardest about low-FODMAP were cutting out gluten, so no normal bread (which I typically eat a lot of) and no onions or garlic (I'm vegetarian, and they're there adding flavour in just so many of the things I normally eat). You can get gluten-free bread; it tastes a little weird, but it's edible, or you can find other carbs that work for you instead. Rice is allowed, so if you're say from an Asian background and used to eating that for breakfast, you're in luck! Oats haven't got gluten in, so porridge works too. Buckwheat is good, if you like buckwheat pancakes; I got hooked on them when I was on my low-FODMAP diet, and now they're one of my favourite breakfasts - just buckwheat flour, water, salt and baking powder mixed together and fried, with a spicy topping and butter. I ate a lot of rice with spinach, red pepper and grated cheese, since these were some of the foods I found easiest to digest. If you're worried you might have coeliac disease then you need to know that oats and buckwheat can be contaminated with small amounts of gluten in processing sometimes; and buckwheat is a food allergen for some people. But they do qualify as low FODMAP, and I've seen some people say they have problems with even something as generally-unproblematic as particular types of rice, so almost anything can be a problem for some people.

[MiRiderGirl]

Hi, I have just done the Elimination Programme with Field Doctor (and I recommend their meals anyway. Their meals are tasty and so helpful when energy has run out). I have got a discount code. I also had some help from a private dietician who specialises in Low Fodmap. I can get her website if anyone is interested. She wasn't super-expensive

[Roary4 in reply to MiRiderGirl]

Hi I would be very interested in that if you have their website. Thank you.

[MiRiderGirl in reply to Roary4]

fodmapconsultancy.com

[xjrs]

You might want to read my (xjrs) answer to another post from today before starting this diet:

healthunlocked.com/theibsne...

[Johny334]

hi Iv just finished an 8 week course with a dietician , it’s by far the best results Iv had so far on my ibs journey! I tried with my limited knowledge and google to follow it a couple of times in the past with poor results

It is hard work and limited to start with but once you get your base diet ( which is bland !) we then started to reintroduce every 2 days to get as much variety as possible, not all plain sailing because obviously there will be foods that you can’t tolerate but all part of the journey! Hope this helps

Take care

[Roary4 in reply to Johny334]

Thank you that is helpful. Can I ask did you pay private for a dietician? Just wondered if you had a recommendation as I've been on nhs waiting list over a year. Thank you

[Johny334 in reply to Johny334]

Hi

I did pay privately, like yourself I’d been on the never ending list! I’m in Northumberland and wanted someone I could see face to face, at least for initial consultation , so I did a lot of searching around 50/60 mile range, have to say it was money well spent! And the lady was absolutely brilliant, I just clicked with her straight away, look to pay between £300 and £600 depending on how long you sign up for

[overcomer42]

That was my first step in healing IBS. So for every meal/food available to you Google whether it’s FODMAP friendly; check the first 4 results from websites. If at least 3 tell you it’s FODMAP friendly you can eat it comfortably say at work. Any other thing I suggest you eat when at home if you can’t do without them. My honest advise is to eat FODMAP friendly food for breakfast and lunch, then those ones that are 50-50 on FODMAP scale use them as dinner; do this for almost 2 months before reintroducing trigger foods.

That’s part of my healing process and it was the foundation of everything.

[Roary4 in reply to overcomer42]

Thanks a lot that is very helpful

[Rosills1]

Have you considered a real food low carb diet, avoiding the foods that you know affect you?Also, what about pro and pre biotics?

Do you tend to be constipated?

Hope you can find relief.

Vbw

[Roary4 in reply to Rosills1]

Thank you for your advice. I feel like I have tried everything with prebiotic and probiotics I an already limited on the food I eat I tried going no gluten and no dairy for 2 months with no help. I do avoid my trigger foods that I am certain of but everything has gotten so much worse and I just am trying to fond new things I can try.

Thank you for your reply

[Crescendo251]

The low-FODMAP diet has helped me tremendously over the years, but I guess the hardest part is having the discipline and the self control to stay away from foods that trigger your symptoms. If you're into books or cookbooks, then I would highly recommend "The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet" by Dr Sue Shepherd. Out of all the low-FODMAP books I have bought, this is the most comprehensive. Hope this book can provide you with the guidance that you are looking for.