FODMAP diet IBS

Did you see a GI dr? I'm surprised they didn't discuss a low FODMAP diet with you.

Ideally you work with a FODMAP trained dietician because if FODMAP isn't helping you they can troubleshoot to see what other food issues you may have.

The gold standard source for FODMAP foods is the Monash University app. You do have to pay a 1 time fee of about $13 US. This money goes to further FODMAP research. The app updates regularly as they test how many FODMAPs are in foods and when portion sizes change on existing entries. Also the latest round of updates has made the app much more user friendly.

The app also contains detailed information about how the diet works. The elimination and reintroduction phases as well as recipes and meal ideas.

Joining a Facebook low FODMAP group was also extremely helpful.

FODMAPs and IBS are so baffling to people because they are in healthy whole foods. I figured out I had a FODMAP issue after eating apples. They made and make me so sick.

You need a good scale because the goal is to eat low FODMAP and for some foods that may mean you can eat 1/4 cup safely but 1/3 of a cup will impact you negatively.

Like most elimination diets the goal is to get you to eliminate the potentially bad for you foods, get you feeling better then have you test foods to find what your food triggers are and how much of your triggers you can eat without negative consequences. Then you eat as wide a variety of foods as possible to provide you with healthy nutrients and keep your gut biome healthy.

Oh a note about fiber. For some people with IBS fiber too much fiber causes pain, bloating and constipation so the old adage to add fiber is no longer true for everyone.

My daughter and I suffer from IBS. We recently discovered we have a sensitivity to breads and high starchy foods. After a lot research into carb sensitivity, we decided to give keto a try. Because it is usually used for medical purposes, it focuses on eliminating foods that cause inflammation (vegetable oils, beans and legumes, grains, starches and breads).

So far, so good. My IBS issues are pretty much gone (especially my 24/7 bloat and discomfort). My daughter is better, but still having a little trouble. But she's suffered a lot longer with this than I had. She's had digestive/bowel issues almost her entire life, mine are more recent. For me it's been hard to wrap my head around, because we've always been told to keep her fiber high...in keto high fiber foods are viewed as problematic for bowel issues.

Everyone is different, and what works for one may not work for another.

I think it's investigating what foods trigger you as an individual.

Good luck!

DiannePB54 wrote: »

I have been following the FODMAP diet for about 2 years, maybe longer. I know my trigger foods very well. I however have the opposite problem whereas my trigger foods have me living in the Bathroom. No grains, cruciferous vegies and pitted fruit. I cannot do Keto because of the whole vegetable thing, but I also have high triglycerides and my dr. wants me to cut back on carbs so I am trying to eliminated the high starch foods from my diet. I use low carb tortilla wraps in place of bread for sandwiches. My issue is I need to loose approx 50 pounds, but am finding it very difficult with so many restrictions. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of protein drinks for breakfast as this seems to be my MOST difficult meal. Again your input would be appreciated.

My daughter can't eat hardly any veggies, they cause ulcers and internal bleeding with her Crohn's.

She has found through trial and error she can tolerate squashes (zucchini, pumpkin, summer squash, etc), sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, avocados, bananas.

With her version of keto she still eats some of the veggies she can tolerate. But really gets a majority of her calories with meats and eggs cooked in olive oil and/or butter, full-fat dairy (cheese, heavy creams, sour cream), and her protein shakes and bars.

This is the most calories she's consumed in years. Her bloat is gone, her heart palpitations have stopped, her indigestion and acid reflux have stopped.

She still has bowel issues... Always either constipated or diarrhea, back and forth!

Can still lower carbs without going keto low. But if you do decide to try keto, up fat and protein to stay full and get calories in.

Can check out the Low Carber Daily Forum group, most I talk to in this group are there for medical reasons. Some people in the group eat 150 grams of carbs, others eat close to zero. It's pretty diverse!

Mathandcats, thank you, very helpful.fyi I keep trying foods from the elimination phase, every 3 or 4 months cruciferous veggies, whole grains, and pitted fruit continue to be bothersome, I will eat these foods in small quantities on the weekends, so if there is a problem, I will be home and not at work.

DiannePB54 wrote: »

Mathandcats, thank you, very helpful.fyi I keep trying foods from the elimination phase, every 3 or 4 months cruciferous veggies, whole grains, and pitted fruit continue to be bothersome, I will eat these foods in small quantities on the weekends, so if there is a problem, I will be home and not at work.

Do you have the FODMAP app? "Pitted fruit" is a pretty broad category (as is "cruciferous veggies"), and different ones are high in different FODMAPs. e.g. I cannot eat a whole mango because it's high in fructose. I can eat yellow peaches, because they're only high in sortbitol, which is not a problem for me. White peaches I cannot eat. It's very complicated. Also, based on your comment about living in the bathroom, I'll also mention that in my experience (I'm not an expert or anything), the FODMAPs that cause diarrhea are primarily fructose, lactose, and sugar alcohols (polyols). Many stone fruits are high in fructose and/or polyols, as well as some cruciferous vegetables. So perhaps this is a place to start investigating, if you haven't already. If you can tolerate eating entire apples or more than 1 tsp of honey, fructose likely isn't the problem.

Other examples of why I highly recommend the app vs. any websites: from it, I learned the following (verified through experimentation - but this is only for my specific FODMAP issues):
- I can eat common tomatoes, but not roma tomatoes
- I can eat not-very-ripe bananas, but not spotted ones
- I can eat broccoli florets, but not broccoli stems
- I can eat broccolini stems, but not broccolini florets
- I can eat sourdough bread, but not other breads (the fermentation destroys the FODMAPs), although I can tolerate one wheat tortilla
- rice is fine, but puffed rice, e.g. rice cakes, are very much not

If you already have the app, apologies for going on and on about it!

I have anxiety and IBS is usually a symptom of anxiety, when I get very anxious I get IBS, when I deal with the stress or anxiety, it goes away.

In addition to working out what your tummy can't handle at the moment, it's also worth looking at your lifestyle. Are you stressed out or anxious about anything?

I have IBS and follow a very modified FODMAP diet. My stomach stays functional with the following:
- no rye or barley
- mostly no wheat (I try to eat a little once a week to keep some tolerance)
- no chickpeas
- beans, lentils, peas etc. only occasionally (max. once a week)
- shallots and other fresh onions: only the green part, not the white part
- no yeasty stuff like beer/cider or baked goods with baking yeast
- limited amounts of bubbles (sparkling water / soda / sparkling wine etc.)

Then there's random exceptions, like I can eat wheat tortillas by a certain brand but not others and not wheat in general, and I have a friend with IBS who can eat tofu but not other forms of soy. There's general guidelines and instructions, but you have to figure out what works for you. You might have to try limiting more at first to learn what triggers you. For example, I first experimented on whether rye triggers me, but didn't figure it out since I replaced it with wheat in my diet and that's also a trigger.

DiannePB54 wrote: »

Emnapatterson1729, your daughters diet, sounds exactly what I eat. I am trying low carb it makes it easier for my husband who is type 2 diabetic to keep glucose levels regulated. I am also trying to incorporate mindful eating. Thank you for replying, not feeling so alone. My best for your daughter.

@DiannePB54

I suggest joining the groups and starting a friends list. 80% or more of my friends list are low carbers or ketoers, females 35-65 yrs old, all on this diet for medical issues, doctor recommended.

The Keto group also has people eating low carb, but not all eat keto low. The groups are a very supportive environment!

I did the low FODMAP diet under instruction of a dietician and it has changed my life. I now know I can't eat mannitol (cauliflower, mushrooms etc) of foods where there is more fructose than glucose (apples, pears, honey, dried fruits etc) but I can eat all other categories of high FODMAP foods.

The diet is not intended as a solution you stay on long term but instead is a diagnostic tool. You avoid all high FODMAP diets until your IBS settles down, then test against each category to see if it affects you. Eventually (It took me 9 months) you emerge out the other side with a much better idea of what you can safely eat and what will affect you.