FODMAP diet

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shrinkingtina
shrinkingtina Posts: 686 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Without giving TMI, I have major digestion issues. I'm not really one to fall for these Dr shows on TV, but recently one caught my attention. I saw a commercial for a Dr Oz show and the ladies that were on there described my issues to a T. Today is Day 1 of the FODMAP diet and I have to say I am starving. The list of foods I have to cut out of my diet for 10 days is basically a list of all the foods I eat. Wondering, have any of you tried this diet, not for weight-loss necessarily, but for digestive reasons? And did it help you?
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  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Maybe you need a broader list.
    This one is from Standford.
    Basically you are give up most forms of wheat and dairy.
    You can eat some cheese and milk alternatives and GF breads. You can still eat meat, other grains, fruits, veggies.
  • whattheJKD
    whattheJKD Posts: 24 Member
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    I tried a variation on it after being diagnosed with fructose malabsorbtion. You might try googling that, especially if this is something that has been bothering you more and more in the last five years or so (as HFCS became more ubiquitous and snuck into everything, I was having more and more pain and issues). I did not have to do the whole FODMAP thing, just cut out processed foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or fructose, as well as honey, agave, and any fruits with more fructose than glucose (like pears, mangoes, apples). I went from being miserable and sick all the time to feeling great.
    On this diet, you can basically eat anything on the meat, dairy, and produce areas of the grocery store (with the exception of a few fruits) if you stay out of the middle (although I buy rice, bread, and beans from the middle but that's about it). Also BTW if you have fructose malabsorption the list posted above won't help too much because things like relish for example are really bad (has HFCS) or honeydew (has high fructose content). I hope you get some relief!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Why don't you see a physician about your digestive issues to get professional advice?
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    It's pretty close to what I've got to eat (for medical reasons), yeah.

    One thing that helped me starting off on these kinds of diets - soup and stew. Make a few really big pots (or crockpots) of meat soup from scratch. Throw in some of the veggies, broth - if it's not being made with the meat - seasonings. Keep some rice to add for when you serve it, or dumplings for a chicken soup. And then just eat that for the first week or so.

    It's a nice way to just have the food ready, without having to figure out what the heck to cook every day. Instead, you just pick 2-3 soups or stews and you can relax for a little, see if it helps you, you know?

    Also, I'd check out the Monash low FODMAP diet. They've been working on this the longest, and they've had the best information and resources, in my experience. Including a phone app that can help, actually. http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

    That said - you might want to consider getting tested for celiac disease, if that hasn't been done yet. One has to be eating at least 2 slices of wheat bread a day, or the gluten equivalent, for a few weeks straight, though, or the test is invalid, so it might be something to look at before starting a diet like this.

    Good luck - miserable thing to have issues like this when you can't find the answer. :-(
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    Oh, and if you can, get an electric ice cream maker - you will be grateful you did. Best, and easiest, dessert ever is just to blend up (or cook and blend up) fruit, and then turn it into a sorbet or a slushy in the ice cream maker. Fast, simple, and usually pretty tasty, too.
  • shrinkingtina
    shrinkingtina Posts: 686 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Why don't you see a physician about your digestive issues to get professional advice?

    I've seen a gastro Dr and they can't seem to find a diagnosis.
  • spilledmilk
    spilledmilk Posts: 83 Member
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    I have IBS and try to stick to a low FODMAP diet. The key is to determine which foods are causing problems for you. For me it's foods high in fat and insoluble fiber. If I avoid foods that cause problems, it greatly reduces my IBS symptoms. Unfortunately this means I can't eat a lot of the foods I like. That's the price you may have to pay to help alleviate your symptoms.

    If you think you might have IBS, I would check out helpforibs.com and look into soluble fiber supplements, like Heather's Tummy Fiber. It's specifically made for people with IBS and helps A LOT.

    Good luck!
  • Nataliegetfit
    Nataliegetfit Posts: 395 Member
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    I remember seeing that dr. oz episode. My daughter has issues with some of her food too. It's basically eliminating a lot of things, and then slowly one at a time adding it back in to see if that was what was making you sick, bloated, diarreah, or whatever your problem is. The people he had on the show who did it, ended up with only 2-3 specific food that they actually needed to keep out of their diet. Finding those few things that are bothering your system, is the hard part.
    I keep trying to get my 19 year old to log her food and write down when she has problems and try to identify what food may of caused it, and eliminate it for awhile, then add it back once and see if the symptom is back, that is one of the problem foods. But she's too lazy to bother with it. Her dr gave her the pamphlet on the low fodmap diet too. Hope you can figure out what the trigger foods are.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I'm currently on the elimination part of this myself so I feel your pain. I am so tired of the issues I'm having that I've finally decided to try this after resisting for quite some time. I'm hopeful that when I get to the reintroduction stage I can just identify a few things that bother me and be able to add the rest back in. I already have some suspicions but I'm going to follow this through. I'm trying to look at the bright side and see it as hope for my issues instead of the loss of foods I like. I'm not doing it for weight loss either, I just want to not have to plan my life around the location of bathrooms! B)
  • shrinkingtina
    shrinkingtina Posts: 686 Member
    edited February 2015
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    knittnponder wrote: »
    I'm currently on the elimination part of this myself so I feel your pain. I am so tired of the issues I'm having that I've finally decided to try this after resisting for quite some time. I'm hopeful that when I get to the reintroduction stage I can just identify a few things that bother me and be able to add the rest back in. I already have some suspicions but I'm going to follow this through. I'm trying to look at the bright side and see it as hope for my issues instead of the loss of foods I like. I'm not doing it for weight loss either, I just want to not have to plan my life around the location of bathrooms! B)

    I'm hoping for the same result as you. Just a few things that irritate me. I'm 1/2 way through the elimination part. We can do this!
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    I was diagnosed with gerd about 6 years ago. Recently these past few months have been horrible for me. I mean everyday I have bloat, gas, a lot of gas, nausea, stomach pains, gas and just sick. Ugh and I can't afford a doc right now and have no insurance. I read that the keto, paleo, low carb, Hflc, etc lifestyle has helped many with IBS, Gerd and indigestion sufferers. So I started keto 4 days ago. Now after 4 days I have not had any stomach issues, no bloat, no gas, no pain and no nausea. It all went away.

    Now I am not the one to cut out any food, nor am I specialized in this, but I have to say so far it is working. Not telling you to do this at all, but only letting you know what has worked for me. If I would have done more research earlier, I would have been done this.

    Usually they say for gerd suffers to stay away from fatty and spicy foods. Let me tell you I have been eating over 100 grams of fat a day and I feel better than ever!!
  • shrinkingtina
    shrinkingtina Posts: 686 Member
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    If this doesn't work I will try keto.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I tried keto before I decided to try FODMAPs and it made things worse for me. Most likely because the foods I was eating (cauliflower, garlic and onions galore!) are things that are high FODMAP and I personally don't tolerate well. I'm not saying one way is better than the other, I'm just sharing my experience. After struggling with this for some time, all I want is to feel better and wish all of you the same! Whatever way we each find that works for us.

    I've gotten to the point that I keep a very detailed food diary and I make notes on how the things I eat effect me. I really hope that I can nail this down!
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    edited February 2015
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    What works for one may not work for another. I personally think the GI doc I saw didn't look further into what I have and I don't think it was gerd. I was on Kapidex and it didn't help much. Once I moved and switched jobs I no longer had insurance. Since I have not gone back, I am sure there is more to my symptoms. This works for me so far. Now I have to give it more time to really tell.

    I hope that you all get to the bottom of it as well!
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    shrinkingtina wrote: »
    If this doesn't work I will try keto.
    Do your research and do what works best for you. The elimination diet will help you to find your intolerance.
  • JennetteAllan
    JennetteAllan Posts: 4 Member
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    Happy to meet all you lovely ladies who are experiencing the same symptoms that I am. I have had these pains (which I believe is IBS) off and on for about 3 years. But lately, I've had it non stop. I tried Paleo, but I was starving myself and not feeling any better. I am going to see my Doctor on Monday to begin testing (which will take about a month to complete!!!) I am going to start the FODMAPs elimination. Here goes ....
  • shrinkingtina
    shrinkingtina Posts: 686 Member
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    After multiple colonoscopies and upper GI testing the drs I have been to chalked it up to IBS. I want to narrow it down and although the elimination has been hell (I'm starving) I feel sooooo much better already. And hoping I can bring back most of the items on that list. So I definitely recommend this for those seeking answers.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    KylaDenay wrote: »
    shrinkingtina wrote: »
    If this doesn't work I will try keto.
    Do your research and do what works best for you. The elimination diet will help you to find your intolerance.

    This, you eliminate everything and then introduce back foods until you can identify what you have a problem with.

    Good luck; and be prepared to cook your own food. I would imagine it hard to find things at restaurants without some of the more common spices and seasonings (onion, garlic, etc).
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    My difficulty is definitely spices! I'm also nightshade free (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, paprika, tomatillos, etc) so you can imagine the limitations I have with also being low Fodmap! Today for lunch I cooked a little ground beef and seasoned it with salt, pepper, basil and oil of oregano. I used my spiralizer to make some zucchini noodles (zoodles!) Then I mixed it all together and melted an ounce of mozzarella cheese on top. It's super yummy and tastes a little like pizza from the oregano oil and basil! Since you can probably have tomatoes you could add tomato sauce too.

    I just thought I'd share since you're having trouble with food. :smile:

    ETA: I have Fibromyalgia and have found through a experimentation that nightshades cause my FM to flare up. I would even go as far as to say that I don't feel like I have FM if I avoid nightshades so maybe it's just a really bad intolerance. If I could eat them I would be eating the heck out of them!
  • JennetteAllan
    JennetteAllan Posts: 4 Member
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    Has any of you found any exercises that have helped to decrease your bloating and gas pains. I found some yoga poses on pinterest that I may try. Bogus info ?

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