As I’ve mentioned before, I have been reading up on the low FODMAPS approach to managing IBS symptoms. Just in the past few weeks I’ve already started to notice relief – and that’s without doing the full fledged elimination phase. Which is what I wanted to discuss today.
Reminder: FODMAPS are Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides And Polyols.
In more plain terminology, they are certain kinds of carbohydrates, which include lactose, fructose, fructans, polyols, and galactans. The specifics of why certain sugars, starches, and fibers are more irritating to people with IBS gets a little complicated because it is based on the biochemistry of the food (and I don’t know anyone who remembers that much about the chemical structures of fructose vs. glucose or what the ratios are in each food) but all you need to know are the basics.
FODMAPS are found in certain grains, vegetables, dried peas/beans, milk products, and prepared foods and beverages. All FODMAPS are thought to cause IBS symptoms in the same way: they cause too much gas and water in your large intestine. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know which foods (and in what quantities) are causing the problem unless you look at the big picture and take into account all five different kinds of FODMAPS at the same time.
They have a cumulative effect on the gut, so the more foods with FODMAPS you eat in a day, the more symptomatic you will be. This is why some days you can feel fine with a certain food, and the next day you feel like it’s tearing your gut apart. I know everyone with IBS knows the frustration I’m talking about…wondering why something can be fine one moment and then make you feel like garbage the next…
On top of this already complicated situation, each person is different.
So to determine which groups (lactose, fructose, fructans, polyols, and/or galactans) are the main culprits for you personally, you have to do a little sleuth work.
Starting with the “elimination phase.”
Obviously, the elimination phase of the FODMAPS diet is not intended to be permanent, it’s a temporary way of resetting your body’s digestive system before you introduce each category of foods (one at a time) containing FODMAPS.
Ideally, each of these “challenge phases” lasts a week or two, during which you learn what you tolerate and in what amount.
So now you probably want to know examples of foods in each of the FODMAPS groups.
Lactose: milk, milk products
Fructose: honey, HFCS, molasses, processed condiments (BBQ sauce, catsup, tomato paste, jam, sweet & sour sauce, etc.), fruit juice, dried fruit (except raisins), and certain fresh fruits (melon, mango, papaya, figs)
Fructans: wheat, onions, garlic, shallots/leeks, inulin, pineapples, and certain vegetables (asparagus, artichokes, zucchini)
Polyols: hydrogenated starches, isomalt, and most sugar additives that end in –ol (ie lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol), and certain fruits (apricots, nectarines, plums)
Galactans: beans, peas, hummus, lentils, soy (and soy based products), TVP, tempeh, and certain vegetables (green beans, cabbage, peas)
[This is by no means a complete list, just an idea of foods containing FODMAPS in each group]
After testing your body’s reaction to one category, you return to the elimination diet, let your GI system re-set itself, and then try the next.
In theory, by the end of all the challenge phases, you will be able to know what FODMAPS containing foods you can get away with, and what will produce symptoms.
Let me stress this: you aren’t meant to remain on a zero FODMAPS diet for the rest of your life (because that would just plain suck). However, knowing that galactans are a real problem area for you may mean you avoid eating a tofu scramble for breakfast, a hummus and tempeh sandwich for lunch, and lentil soup for dinner. It’s about finding the right balance for YOUR gut.
As I go through the elimination phase, followed by each challenge phase, I’ll give you updates, show you my meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, and describe how I’m feeling. We will see how this goes down…
I miss you already.
{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }
I am really interested in seeing how this all works for you! I wanted to try it myself, but I was too scared by the elimination process
But it seems like a do-able and clever approach to follow and find out what works for you/causes you problems!
I’ve been waiting for some Fodmaps 411 and a post on this after your last one talking about this. I totally feel like I have some of these issues too.
“elimination phase, followed by each challenge phase, I’ll give you updates…” <– please do!
Gold standard of any food allergy situation is eliminate then reintroduce, watch for results. Glad you are seeing relief & results already!
love the new header! is it new or am i just seeing things? haha.
I’ve done FODMAPS, it is quite helpful. We actually had to do this with my niece as well. ALl those food allergies with kids these days !
the new header is a few months old, but ill take the compliment anyways! haha
oh geeze, i am blind! but it does look great!!
I’d be so interested to see weekly menu breakdowns etc. I’m one of the few people whose IBS seems to be just as bad vegan as vegetarian etc – I went through a brief fish-eating period in the hope of calming things down but it didn’t seem to help. Sarah pointed me towards FODMAPs too but I must admit I found the concept quite confusing and intimidating to tackle: if I had menu ideas then I think I might actually be able to give it a go
xxx
ill try and help you out. its definitely a tricky one to navigate. i think they need a fodmaps food app!
I found an app on my phone (i have a droid) that was free! It’s not all inclusive but it’s a pretty decent list.
really!?!? whats it called?
Low – FODMAP Diet
Sean colombo
Me too Jessica – my symptoms are just as bad vegan as vegetarian. If you have FODMAP intolerance, it makes sense because not everyone who has FODMAP intolerance has lactose intolerance, so what going from vegetarian to vegan gets you is a greater load of the most problematic foods (beans, lentils, veg, etc.)! Once I realised that, it all made sense that I was like “why does everyone else feel magically better when they go vegan and I’ve been vegan for 6 years with a very healthy diet and still nothing???” Oh, that’s why: because my very healthy diet was actually the thing making me feel not so good!
the weird thing is that i never put two and two together about the accumulating effect of all the foods with fodmaps – but then why would i ever suspect that certain types of carbohydrates all have something in common that irritates the gut!
ive always *thought* i felt bad after eating dairy, but who knows?!? maybe it was another fodmap food? im so curious about getting to that phase of the challenge. this is all so crazy. crazy AWESOME though. i feel like a whole new person with the discovery of the low fodmaps diet. im not even that far into making changes and ive already felt like this has changed my life.
I concur! It’s like suddenly there’s this missing piece of the puzzle and it all makes much more sense. I always told people “it feels like the food is fermenting in my gut”. They would look at me like I was an alien, but it turns out I was kind of right!
Oh goodness, I hope hummus is not one of your intolerables! A life without hummus is not a life I’d want to know. Good luck with the testing!
i think its a problem only if i have it in bulk and with a ton of other galactans in the same day. prior to starting the elimination phase, ive been doing a low fodmaps diet and its been working as long as i eat foods with fodmaps in low amounts and im mindful of how many and what different kinds i have over the course of the day. we will see when that challenge phase comes along though.
this might be a silly question.. but how long does the elimination phase need to last to be sure your digestive system has reset itself?
its not a silly question. its highly individual, and is more of a subjective thing…when (and if) you feel the bloating/gas/other symptoms subside, then its safe to say your GI system has reached that point. but theres no harm in doing it longer. it can be such a relief to feel good, that many people report staying in the elimination phase for a long long time, simply because its nice to be asymptomatic. i would like more variety in my life though, so i plan on doing it about a week – provided how amazing i feel remains.
I’m so excited to see how this works for you! I’ve always been so dang frustrated because – just like you said – some days one food will be fine, and another it makes me double over and lay on the couch all night. How long does the elimination phase last…just until you feel better?
the elimination phase is designed to be a few days or 1-2 weeks but its fairly subjective…some people notice they are symptom free immediately (like me). so when i felt that relief i knew i made the right decision. i think ill only do it for one week because its hard being without so many of my fave foods.
HI Elise,
I was waiting for your updates regarding Fodmaps. I am excited to follow your results. Hopefully it will work well for you. I have IBS too and actually everyday is a challenge to me. I am sick and tired of this! Your work is really inspiring. I used one of your recipes and post it on my blog. Let me just ask you to understand the process: first you’ll eliminate one of the group at the time and after finishing with all challenge phases,you will start an introduction again, (group by group)? Or you can do it both at the same time?
xoxo
hi izabela. i feel your pain. seriously.
to answer your question, its one group at a time. no overlap in new challenge categories. im planning on going back to the elimination phase between each group for a few days too, just to re-set my system. hope this helps you!
It does and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. It’s great, thanks much
Thanks for breaking this down for me! I had NO idea what any of it meant. I hope the journey goes well for you!
Hey Girlie! This is SO interesting – thank you for sharing your experiences, I definitely think I would benefit from a similar elimination diet – I’ll let you test the waters and see how you feel
hehe
Ugh, I seriously love roasted pine nut sabra hummus. I also, think I have IBS. Let me know how it goes, I may have to join you.
I know I need to do this too, but as a vegan, I feel like *everything* I eat is on the FODMAPS list! I feel like the elimination phase would be painful just because there are so few foods I could actually eat!
Courtney
you know what though…after the elimination phase, the challenges will be so helpful in understanding IBS. the past few weeks learning about fodmaps and just making small changes to keep the daily amounts low has made a HUGE difference for me. and knowing the “whys” of my horrid reactions has made managing them so much easier! i swear, learning about fodmaps has completely changed my life. i cant wait to continue to learn more.
Galactans: beans, peas, hummus, lentils, soy (and soy based products), TVP, tempeh, and certain vegetables (green beans, cabbage, peas)
they get me every time! i totally feel your pain!
i know right? we will see how small amounts works when i get to the galactans challenge phase!
Good luck with all this! Can’t wait to see how it all goes for you, this kind of stuff is super interesting to me for some weird reason haha.
Good luck with it! I am sure you can succeed, since you have been dealing with your other intolerances greatly, creating such wonderful pictures and recipes to share
thank you fran!
Yay I was waiting for an update! Your list is better than the list of foods I found too – I wondered why molasses and TVP always killed me and now I know. Where did you find the best comprehensive list? Also, have you read anything about nutritional yeast? That is another thing that kills my belly. Thanks so much for doing this I think it is going to help a lot of people including me!
after exhaustive research, ive found nutritional yeast to be ok, so im putting it on the fodmaps free list.
i felt the same aha! moment with TVP…and so many other things. especially eating them all on the same day. chowing down on heaps of apples, loaves of bread and tubs of hummus one after another. combining all these things…man…its just so crazy that i never knew of fodmaps until now. i swear, my entire life has changed since learning this. last week and during my time in nyc i was doing a very low fodmaps diet and i found that in small amounts, a few bites of certain fodmaps in a day doesnt hurt me. i feel so empowered knowing more about the whys in my GI system!
Good luck! Hope you figure out what works for you and what it is that ‘s bugging you. I’ve been wanting to try an elimination diet myself to see if other things besides gluten bother my system.
Thank you again for sharing this! I am already experiencing relief too. I actually lost 2 pounds of water weight from the bloating after just 3 days. Gross. But good.
Anyway, having visited a FODMAP specialist, here are a few things I have just learned: One thing to note is that the latest research suggests that tofu is allowed during the elimination phase for most people. Also, so are hard cheese and lactose-free dairy, as well as soft cheese and yoghurt with lactose in small amounts….for those that aren’t vegan, obviously. Small amounts of some of those foods (e.g. 1/4 c green peas) are also allowed.
good to know about tofu…i hadnt heard that, but i had some soy in new york and was fine (all other sources of fodmaps were nil at that point) so i figured tofu and tempeh were fine. anyways, good to know about the other stuff – i had heard hard cheeses but i didnt know about the others. please continue to share as you find out more and more things! i love hearing about others’ experiences.
oh and i had the same reaction with weight loss from bloat too. seriously, craziness.
thank you so much for sharing this. we will have to look more into Fodmaps for ourselves, we are doing are food elimination diet to see what foods we do well with and which was we do not. I will have to look more closely at this approach to incorporate it in!
i read your post on that. i am curious about how yours goes as well. are you going to do more specific posts on it later?
Elise yes we hope so, the more we learn from it!
no hummus??!! oh no!!!
i know!!! nor apples!!!
Question: How do you find sweet potatoes treat you? I haven’t seen them on any FODMAP lists online, but I notice every time I eat one it bloats me up immediately, and now Brittany from EatingBirdFood has told me the same thing, so I’m inclined to think it’s high in something.
actually, i havent had any bloating issues with sweet potatoes. i had some (baked) yesterday and was normal afterwards, so i think im ok with them. hmmm, i wonder why you guys are experiencing that.
This is really interesting. I have always had issues with my GI but have had no idea why. Now I am wondering if this is the answer. I have been trying to find a more complete list so I know what I can/can’t eat during each of the phases. I am finding all different things.. do you have a resource with a complete list? I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for writing about it, I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise.
This is so interesting. I have struggled with IBS symptoms for years now, and I have never heard of this. I just recently went through an elimination diet to pinpoint food sensitivities, and after not having any symptoms for the first month or so, I am starting to have them again. But I haven’t been able to put my finger on one in particular food that is causing it. I’ll have to do some research on this one. Is there a book or main resource you can recommend?
The only book I got was by Patsy Catsos – called IBS – Free at last!
She’s the expert in the field and has a website that she updates regularly: http://www.ibsfree.net/
Your blog is really interesting! I can’t believe how many people are suffering from IBS and FODMAPS…
I am not only a vegetarian but also nursing, so I can’t be too strict about my diet. But I am desperate to get better, even just a little bit! You list zucchini, green beans and pineapple as not ok – in contrast to other lists I found. Any ideas about that? What about spelt, is it safe to use? I found it here: http://www.cassandraforsythe.com/blog/Complete+FODMAP+List+For+a+Happy+Gut
I am glad you can eat hummus again, what a treat!
hi petra! if its relief from GI issues that you are in search of, the main thing to do is trial and error with each ingredient until you find the source of your digestive pain. for each person it is different. i can tolerate some things more than others – the above list is a broad one and overly inclusive.
also just to be clear (1) i dont like thinking of food as good or bad so i avoid the term “better”, and (2) im not an RD or MD so i dont have any expertise in the area (im basing my blog off of my personal experiences). thats said, you can see why i am hesitant to give too much advice. if you are able to, you may consider an elimination diet as i discuss above.
as for spelt, it does have wheat, so if you are sensitive to fructans (or wheat) then spelt will probably cause you GI upset.
hope that helps!
You see this is what I find hard. On my list of low fodmaps – from Sue Shepherd who discovered the probs high fodmaps caused in IBS – are melon, pineapples and cougettes (zucchini). I find these on your not OK list. Difficult to know where to start!!
sue shepherd has the most updated info. if you check out this post youll see the reason there is so much conflicting info:
http://fodmapsdiet.com/2012/01/19/fodmapchat/
theres a new publication that has all the most current info. you can buy it online from a site mentioned in that post.
youre right zucchini are now considered ok. it costs 5000 dollars per ingredient tested and takes a few weeks, so thats why the research is slow.
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