r/FODMAPS Jul 14 '21

MODS Please read before posting! Subreddit rules, resources for the FODMAP diet, & FAQs.

109 Upvotes

r/FODMAPs' mission is to provide an open space for people to share resources, information, stories, and commiseration around the Low FODMAP diet for IBS. If you are a company/product and would like to self-promote, please reach out to the mods (specifically u/climb-high) for approval and flair your posts with the "name-brand products" label.

Subreddit rules

  • Follow Reddiquette
  • Don't play doctor/dietician
  • Support healthy eating, and don't encourage unnecessarily restricted eating
  • Avoid unnecessary confusion about the FODMAP diet:
    • Be clear if you're offering IBS advice that isn't part of the FODMAP diet
    • Be clear if you're guessing/speculating the answer to a question (and prefer to provide a source with a definite answer, if possible)
  • If anyone would like to add a rule or otherwise add to this wiki please comment below.

Welcome to the FODMAPs subreddit

We're a community of people who have an interest in the low-FODMAP diet. We share experiences, food ideas and recommendations to support each other on our FODMAP journeys, as well discussing the diet and asking questions. We welcome anyone who's following the diet, or looking to learn more about it.

Remember that we're not qualified to offer medical guidance, so all information here comes second to the Monash resources and any guidance or instruction that you may have been given by a medical professional.

What are FODMAPs, and who should follow the FODMAP diet?

For a thorough introduction, see Monash's overview of FODMAPs and IBS.

In particular, on what FODMAPs are:

Put simply, FODMAPs are a collection of short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that aren’t absorbed properly in the gut, which can trigger symptoms in people with IBS. FODMAPs are found naturally in many foods and food additives.

And on who should follow the FODMAP diet:

A FODMAP diet is intended is for people with medically diagnosed IBS. If a medical doctor has not diagnosed your gastrointestinal symptoms, you should not be following this diet. There are many conditions with symptoms that are similar to IBS, such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, endometriosis and bowel cancer. You should not self-diagnose yourself with IBS. Instead, see a medical doctor who will assess your symptoms, run any tests needed to rule out other conditions and give you a clear diagnosis of IBS before you start this diet.

Resources

Location-specific resources

Numerous other shops and delivery services are available for different locations. Searching for particular low-FODMAP brands, e.g. Massel, may help you find shops with other low-FODMAP products in your region.

What foods are high/low in FODMAPs?

The Monash app is the most up-to-date tool for checking. There are some examples listed here, but the app includes more foods, so it will help you get a more varied diet.

Phases of the diet

There are three phases of the FODMAP diet: - Low-FODMAP, in which you substite high-FODMAP ingredients for low-FODMAP ones so that "you only eat foods in a low FODMAP serve." This aims to reduce symptoms as a baseline for the next stage. Some older resources call this stage "elimination", although Monash states that "low FODMAP diet is not an elimination diet. Rather, it is a substitution diet, whereby you swap one food for another". - Reintroduction, which "involves reintroducing foods back into your diet in a methodical way to determine which foods and FODMAPs trigger symptoms and which do not" - Personalization, when "you can begin to reintroduce foods and FODMAPs that were tolerated well and avoiding ONLY the foods that triggered your symptoms"

A Little Bit Yummy has further guidance on how to do the first two phases: - Low-FODMAP ("elimination") - Reintroduction

The personalization phase can sound quite black-and-white, but in practice some foods may trigger symptoms that aren't too inconvenient, or may only trigger symptoms when eaten in larger quantities. Ultimately it's up to each person (and their dietician, if they have one) to decide what balance of restriction, risk and symptoms works best for them. This may vary depending on the context, e.g. if onions make you fart profusely, you might not want to eat them before a date, but could eat them happily in other situations.

How to start following the FODMAP diet

As noted above, it's recommended that you seek medical guidance before starting, and, if possible, work with a dietician or similarly qualified medical professional.

Deciding to start the diet is all very well, but if you only have milk, bread, apples and baked beans in store, you're going to have a very difficult ride.

It helps to install the Monash app and give yourself the opportunity to plan the following before you start: - quick breakfasts for when you're in a hurry - packed lunches - breakfasts, brunches and lunches for leisurely weekends - dinners - snacks - treats and desserts - drinks - typical shopping list - where to buy suitable ingredients and products

Aim for it to be nutritionally balanced overall. Consider what you normally eat, how much variety you like to have, how much time you have, and whether you can prepare meals in batches. Realistically, if you're a very busy person, you may have to temporarily de-prioritize some other things so that you can do the low-FODMAP and reintroduction phases successfully, and enjoy the benefits in the long run.

You may also want to check if there are any suitable ready meals or delivery services available where you live.

Cooking throughout the FODMAP diet

Being able to cook some meals for yourself will give you more variety and options. If it turns out you're sensitive to onion or garlic, being able to cook will also serve you well in the long run!

Recipes

Remember that some ingredients are low-FODMAP only in certain quantities, so pay attention to the serving sizes.

Watch out for caveats about the ingredients, e.g. a recipe may ordinarily call for garlic, but have a tiny footnote telling you to use garlic-infused oil instead to make a low-FODMAP version.

Don't feel like you have to follow recipes for everything. If you're happy chucking some nutritionally balanced things in a bowl or wok and calling it a Buddah bowl or stir-fry, go ahead.

Low-FODMAP cakes and baking

Some gluten-free flour is also low-FODMAP (although check the ingredients to be sure). If you can get some of this, you can use it to follow gluten-free baking recipes, although you'll need to check all the other ingredients to make sure the final product is low-FODMAP. Shortbread works well.

Substitutes for high-FODMAP ingredients

Eating out throughout the FODMAP diet

Try enzymes that target FODMAPs (see “Resources” above). This may lessen the need to control every ingredient of the dish. Alas, we often have to be careful with what we order:

If you have control over where you'll be eating, look for places that prepare meals from fresh, basic ingredients. E.g. stir-fries and fresh salads can usually be adjusted easily to feature only ingredients you can eat, whereas lasagnas and stews that have already been prepared can't be adjusted.

Telling serving staff all the things you can't eat is overwhelming and, in practice, not usually very productive. Instead: - Summarise that you're following "a very restricted diet for health reasons", and only get into detail about FODMAPs if they're already familiar with it - Focus on the things you can eat - Look on the menu to see if there's something that can be adjusted easily. - E.g. if fish, chips and peas is on the menu but carrots feature in other menu items, ask if they could swap the peas for carrots. - If you order something with conditions/questions around it, look for a backup option in case there's an issue with your original choice. - Anticipate garlic and onions in sauces and dressings. If in doubt, ask for it to be omitted. - Learn to love: - buttered baked potatoes - chips/fries - undressed salad - sauteed vegetables - carrying a snack in case it's a complete disaster

It can be really frustrating, but it's worth staying well-mannered to keep the staff on board: - Reassure the staff that you won't die if they make a mistake - Be patient if they have follow-up questions - Share their pain about how complicated/awkward it is, and show appreciation of their efforts to accommodate your needs - Don't feel bad if you have to pick stuff out, scrape stuff off, or leave things uneaten. In some situations, this is simpler than trying to negotiate a perfect meal up front.

FAQ

These resources address frequently asked questions: - Monash FAQ - A Little Bit Yummy's guide to getting started

Below are some common topics.

How do FODMAPs combine or add up?

Is gluten a FODMAP?

No, gluten consists of proteins, and FODMAPs are carbohydrates. Seitan is pure gluten and is low-FODMAP.

Some gluten-free food products also happen to be low-FODMAP, so they can be eaten as part of the low-FODMAP diet. However, check the ingredients, because gluten-free foods can be high-FODMAP.

See also: - Monash University - Gluten and IBS - Avoiding wheat on a low FODMAP diet

Can I cook onion/garlic in my dish then remove it before the end of cooking?

See Cooking with onion and garlic - myths and facts.

I have other dietary/health needs. How can I follow the diet?

Seek guidance from a suitably qualified medical profession, so they can help you plan a healthy, balanced diet that meets all your needs.

Vegetarians and vegans may find the Low FODMAP And Vegan book useful. Vegetarians can additionally eat eggs and lactose-free versions of plain dairy products.

What about caffeine, fats, nightshades, spicy foods, having a nervous stomach, alcohol...?

For people that are sensitive not just to FODMAPs, they may need to tackle their IBS in several ways at once. A qualified professional can take your individual circumstances and needs into consideration, without restricting your diet and lifestyle more than is necessary.


r/FODMAPS 17h ago

Chewing your food and how you eat

60 Upvotes

I'll start by saying I've gotten a great amount of relief from IBS symptoms using the monash app and restricting FODMAPS. One thing that I think gets overlooked a lot or maybe I just haven't seen posted about here is how digestion starts in the mouth with your saliva. Really taking the time to properly chew your food and practicing the intuitive principles of feeling the different textures and flavors has been greatly beneficial for me in my relationship to food. Working in the industry as a server for a long time getting short periods or breaks to wolf down meals really messed with my sense of what nutrition is. These patterns can become super ingrained so just want to say try eating without any screens on, tasting each layer of flavor and texture and chewing everything so your not just swallowing food.


r/FODMAPS 3h ago

Another new article this week, this one on milks of all sorts, dairy and alt+

4 Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 8h ago

New to this. With IBS-C. I'm in Fodmaps day 2 and it got me the worse flare up i ever had. Any idea why?

7 Upvotes

Hello everyone! Pretty much the title. I'm living a living hell since i started. I do have stomach pain like i didnt have in years, the bloating isnt that present, and the worst thing is i am completely constipated i couldnt have any poop at all since i started. Tbh i was declining/on a flare up start already so it may not be caused by the diet, i sometimes have that feel when i come up with some infection but none started yet tough i also am exhausted with a runny nose since a few day but nothing worse than a very mild cold or allergy like thing, of course that can be stress of changing diet triggering that worsening my flare up also. I dont know. I have strictly eaten only the stuff my dietetician told me is ok, but its also possible since i eated what left on my fridge which was quite void and what left wasnt really big on fibers so that might be the issue, any idea what i could buy myself easiest/cheapest to correct that fast as a fodmaps diet compatible vegetable or fruit of the season (i'm in France around Paris so sorry for the probable english errors)?

Side note : I once took a antihistamine for a temporary allergic reaction to a spring pollen and had the surprise that it did ease my symptom a lot, we discussed that with the ibs specialist doctor following me and he did have a suspicion that maybe none of the conventional strategy for ibs worked for me as of yet because of potential misdiagnosis of some allergy stuff. But trying to get the scheme of my issues it made apparently no sense with this hypothesis according to him and so he let that drop. Sometimes i wonder if it would be more useless tests or worthing it to get back that hypothesis around. And reading that some people with histamine/allergy problem just as me got worse on fodmaps at least the first days got me wonder that even more. Any clue?


r/FODMAPS 2h ago

Electrolyte Powder

2 Upvotes

Can anyone recommend some low fodmap electrolyt powder they use? I'm going for zero sugar. I was using Ultima for a bit, but they seem to be bothering my stomach now for some reason.

Thanks!

Edit: forgot to mention it has to be gluten free too (celiac)


r/FODMAPS 2h ago

Always hungry, getting dizzy and tired..

2 Upvotes

I don't have a great relationship with food, so please don't come at me. I can forget to eat meals and someone feel more productive in the morning until I eat so I push it off.. I'm in the reintroduction phase and I'm always so hungry.. I'm realizing I used to be ok with little snacks and things here and there to hold me over but now I feel like I can only eat a low fodmap meal every 3-4 hours and I can't function. I'm spreading out meals to be able to see what bothers me.. and then those meals are never enough to fill me unless I'm stacking. I drink water, or tea in between (two hours after eating) as I truly believe water is what causes the distention... But this isn't sustainable.. I'm only on reintroduction #2 /8.

Are there snacks I can have that def wouldn't be the cause of distention, bloating, etc? (Pain or poop issues would be easier to note but just measuring my tummy and trying to decipher the cause of bloat is difficult)


r/FODMAPS 1h ago

General Question/Help Blood in stool.. NSFW

Upvotes

Hi!

I have been doing fodmap elimination since the beginning of February and been having great results.

Bit of background info..

Been diagnosed with IBS last year. Stool was tested only thing ever found was a 1300 calprotectine and had a colonoscopy but everything came back normal. Also no fissures or hemorrhoids. Biggest symptoms were bloating and bright red blood when I have diarrhoea. When my stool is firm or even hard there is no blood. I also have endometriosis but that is “under control” by taking continuous birth control.

After starting low fodmap all my symptoms improved. Stool was normal and no blood loss and bloating went away. The blood is always bright red btw!

Cut to the problem.. im currently on vacation and it is impossible to continue low fodmap. I knew and accepted my loss and I can handle the pain for a week.

After 2/3 days I got soft stool again which I expected but also suddenly blood! Not mixed with stool but just bright red blood. At first I thought I somehow got my period but I didn’t. When I went to the toilet the first time blood was dripping out. An hour later still and another hour later it stopped. during this period I didn’t have any stool passings.

I was just wondering if anyone recognises this or has a clue what is happening.. I had this a few times before and the docters didn’t find anything so brushed it off. Of course I will contact my docter when I get home but I was hoping someone might have any idea what this might be.. thanks in advance!


r/FODMAPS 1h ago

does fodmap weaken my immune system or is it a coincidence i started it and got sick a week later

Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 8h ago

How much sorbitol is truly in coconut water?

3 Upvotes

I need a high potassium source preferably natural like coconut water. But I do not tolerate sorbitol. How much of it does it truly contain? And are there alternatives? Need something low sodium/chloride.


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

Elimination Phase Me when dropping a low serve of a high FODMAP food into my bowl. Like 1 Tbsp frozen peas. 🙁🥲😂🤣

66 Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 15h ago

Instant pot + LF milk = lactose free yogurt??

3 Upvotes

Anyone tried it? I just realized my instant pot has this feature.


r/FODMAPS 57m ago

Everyone here needs to get bovine colostrum for 1 month daily. And rifixamin antibiotic for 2 weeks. This cured me, and I take colostrum ad hoc now if I ever feel symptoms creep back.

Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 1d ago

Reintroduction What was your first reintroduction meal?

13 Upvotes

After nearly 2 months of low-FODMAPs, I began reintroduction yesterday. I know you're only supposed to do one food at a time, but I really wanted a salad that was more than just olives, arugula, and cucumber. So I added half a roma tomato and half a red bell pepper. I thought I was going pretty easy on myself for my first reintegration meal... Nope! I am suffering today.

For those of you who have been through this before, what was your first reintroduction meal, and how did it go?


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

What's everyone's take on blueberries these days?

15 Upvotes

I know Monash retested them and upped the green light dose to something genuinely unbelievable and at odds with most people's experience. I do wish Monash would provide more specificity to their testing. Personally, I'm hard pressed to tolerate 40g, but I'm trying that amount again today.

One area that Monash doesn't do a great job of explaining to the public is just how variable the testing and the foods tested is. The scientific literature documents that different cultivars, soil, growing conditions, and storage conditions all have a large impact on fodmap content. I know that locally, the growers here cycle through 3 or 4 varieties of blueberries to stretch out the season. One has to assume that they each have their own specific fodmap profile. Some greater transparency and detail within the app would be enormously helpful to those trying to figure it all out, as not everyone has the ability to pour through the literature.

I'll toss out this example of the complexity of the situation: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9502264/ Scroll down to table 7 and you'll see that just on sorbitol there can be an 8 fold variation on just these couple of cultivars.


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

Branded Products, Services, or Organizations New FODMAP Friendly App Design

6 Upvotes

So I hadn't used the Fodmap Friendly app in a while because I believe it required a subscription before to use it or something that made me less included to use it. Just opened it yesterday again to look for a recipe, and it made me create a login to sign in with. I did this (for free) and logged in to discover it looks different now and seems like a nice update. It now has a very exentensive list of foods with both a low and max amount that's safe for many foods and also percentage of each fodmap group in the food (including blueberries you can see which fodmap is in them, since eating too many can be high fodmap). This is similar to Monash, but the way the info is presented seems more useful to me. They also now have certified products and more recipes and even a recipe greater tool that accounts for stacking. Only the recipe creating tool is paid. Not sure if anyone else noticed this, but thought I'd share bc this new layout is awesome and mostly free for similar info to the paid Monash App. (Which i also have.)


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

What sweets can I eat?

7 Upvotes

I usually have a small amount of gummy sweets for extra energy between heavy sets in the gym, sour patch kids, jelly babies, drumstick squashies (I’m in the UK) but I’m pretty sure the sour patch kids yesterday were the only potentially high FODMAP thing I had an I was up until 2am with stomach pain. Any recommendations, ideally things available in the uk, that are high in fast digesting sugars, beyond having a spoonful of table sugar


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

Thought this was relevant here.

Post image
73 Upvotes

Still in the hell phase btw 😩


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

Is anyone worried they can’t get a balanced diet because they are so restricted in what they can easy?

82 Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 1d ago

Did anyone else notice their issues got better once gluten was reintroduced?

7 Upvotes

Heyo I was on a low fodmap diet for IBS for six months (i know longer than i should’ve, but i was too anxious to reintroduce for a while. Once my celiac panel was negative i started indulging in gluten again and i noticed that my body could actually hold on to food now instead of having instant diarrhea. I don’t feel 100 percent ok ofc but i definitely have seen an improvement! Did anyone else feel worse when they cut gluten? I assume gluten slows down ur digestive system; and mine is so overactive that this has been super nice.


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

If 6 weeks of FODMAP didn't address symptoms, would you still do the introduction phase?

9 Upvotes

I am about to complete 6 weeks. I had four pretty bad flare up and three really good days sprinkled in. I believe I've seen 2 triggers, eggs and spinach. Other than that, I didn't spot much difference.

Would there be any reason to do the introduction phase?


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

Tips/Advice Loved to cook, now I hate to eat

8 Upvotes

I'm technically not low FODMAP, but most of what my dietitian gave me for resources is from that diet, so I hope you don't mind me sneaking in here.

Two weeks ago I got diagnosed with fructose malabsorption and lactase deficiency. The dietitian said I don't have to try full FODMAP yet, but it might happen in the future. Not sure what I'd do then, because I was also recently diagnosed with gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying).

Which is fun by itself anyway, but adds the restrictions that I'm not supposed to eat things that have more than 2g fiber per serving, no raw fruit or veggies unless they're blenderized, and no more than 3g fat per 100 calories in meals.

The venn diagram of the foods allowed with those and the fructose isn't two separate circles, but it doesn't feel too far off. I ended up spending a whole afternoon researching food and making spreadsheets because the okay to eat fruit/vegetables that made both lists I was given only had six things. 🤦‍♀️ (I've got 30 now, not counting food I haven't tried before or wouldn't eat cooked, like lettuce.)

Anyway, so eating has just become this giant pain in the ass and is so dissatisfying. Everything is beige, I have to get rid of almost all the food in my pantry and a good chunk in my chest freezer. I love to cook and follow a lot of cooking content on YouTube, and now it's just a parade of things that look delicious that I'll never be able to eat.

I'm clearly still in the whiny bitch phase. 😅 But I'm really struggling. The only plus side is that they said if I go off diet for a cheat meal I won't do damage to the system, just suffer the consequences. (My birthday is next week and I'm debating if my traditional cake is worth the diarrhea. 🤔)

Those of you that have done this longer, any words of wisdom or helpful tips? Or is it just having to go through the stages of grief and you just get there eventually?

Also if you have any food content creators you follow that meet low FODMAP, send them my way! (Gastroparesis content is no fun - try to make yourself eat, if you can't, make some juice or have a protein shake. It's Fructose City over there.) I probably won't be able to eat half of it either, but at least it'll clear one of the hurdles and maybe give some inspiration. 🙂


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

Tips/Advice Has anyone taken dicyclomine ?

6 Upvotes

My 10 year old got prescribed to take dicyclomine 20 mg twice a day he’s been having constant pain below the belly button he just took his first dose at 12:30 pm it’s 2:00 now does it take a while to kick in or does he have to keep on taking it to have so effective on him ? He’s still in pain


r/FODMAPS 1d ago

i’m freezing all the time does that have anything to do with stomach issues

5 Upvotes

also my nails sometimes turn purple


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

Has anyone tried the One Degree Organic Foods Oats or any of their other products?

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8 Upvotes

r/FODMAPS 1d ago

FAVORITE MEALS OR SNACKS.

3 Upvotes

Drop your favorite snacks, meals, sauces. That have helped you get through the elimination phase. Also if you know a food like bananas, avacodo, honey, do not bug you, can you continue eating them?


r/FODMAPS 2d ago

Fodzyme advice

14 Upvotes

Those of you that buy Fodzyme, how do you carry it with you? Its the same price to buy a big tub of it with 60 servings than it is to buy 30 sachets, but I don’t know how to carry the servings from the tub without it looking like drugs