Low FODMAP made easy

In general, I don't love the low FODMAP diet. It's very restrictive, and I like to help people eat more foods, rather than restrict more foods. Especially with digestive distress, it can be all too common for food to become the enemy.

But I know a lot of people get relief from the low FODMAP diet, so how can we make this more inclusive but still effective?

Many people turn to the low FODMAP diet as a potential solution especially when experiencing persistent bloating and gas. The low FODMAP diet restricts certain types of carbohydrates that can be difficult for some people to digest.

picture of dried beans

FODMAP is an acronym that stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Long story short is it decreases consumption of foods that are fermentable AKA cause gas.

Restricting intake of these fermentable carbohydrates can help reduce bloating and gas. It's important to note that the low FODMAP diet is not a one-size-fits-all approach and should ideally be followed under the guidance of a healthcare professional. The diet typically involves eliminating high FODMAP foods for a period of time before gradually reintroducing them to identify specific triggers.

However...

It's super strict. It's important to consider the big picture. If a diet is affecting nutrient intake, the gut microbiome or creating an unhealthy relationship with food, then maybe it's not the best diet.

Then comes the good news!

The sign you've been looking for

Recent studies are showing that people have as good of a response to eliminating just 2 parts of this acronym as opposed to eliminating all 4 parts. The 2 bigs ones are fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides:

Fructans:

• Fruits: Bananas, onions, garlic, artichokes, and nectarines

• Vegetables: Asparagus, globe artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, and chicory roots

• Grains: Wheat, barley, and rye
  

Galacto-oligosaccharides:

• Dairy Products - anything with lactose, (low lactose products like parmesan are usually fine!)

• Beans, Green peas, Lentils, Chickpeas as well as Hazelnuts, Cashews and Pistachio

This can still be quite restrictive, but whew, it's better than the full low FODMAP, and people feel just as good! Give it a try & let me know how it goes!