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What are FODMAPs?
What are FODMAPs?
Are there foods that are deemed healthy that bother you after you eat them (e.g., pain, bloating) such as apples, onions, garlic, or honey? These foods all contain FODMAPs.
If you have IBS and/or SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and have never heard of FODMAPs, this may be the lifesaver you’ve been searching for. There is a way of eating that may help ease your IBS symptoms. This is based on reducing or eliminating what are called FODMAPS from your diet.
FODMAPS are different sugars found in foods that your small intestine may have a difficult time digesting. Because of that, the sugars continue onto the large intestine, where bacteria eat them, producing fermentation. And as already mentioned, this can cause pain, gas, cramping, diarrhea, and/or constipation. The low-FODMAP diet is essentially an elimination diet that allows you to eat foods that potentially won’t bother you, and then to slowly add foods back in to figure out what you can eat vs what causes you pain. Below is a chart that defines this acronym. Click on the chart below to enlarge.
FODMAP Acronym Defined:
Low-FODMAP Diet:
The Amazing Starter Tool for IBS
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Many people are able to use the elimination protocol to figure out what FODMAP foods they can and can’t eat as opposed to eliminating the entire list permanently. For several foods, it can also be a matter of limiting the amount you eat, as opposed to avoiding altogether.
Remember—everyone is unique. You need to figure out what works best for you.
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The healthier you get (which may involve curing SIBO, Leaky Gut, or other issues), it may be possible for you to tolerate more of these foods without experiencing pain. Just keep in mind that curing some of these issues can take a while, even up to a year. So give it time, because following these guidelines can be a life-changer.
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Become educated! If you purchase a book that has "low-FODMAP recipes," this doesn't necessarily mean that all the recipes are healthy. We've seen plenty of recipes that are low-FODMAP but that contain high amounts of sugar.
Foods to Eat According to FODMAP Diet
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Quick Facts
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Most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal condition
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Causes abdominal pain including cramping, bloating, and gas, diarrhea (IBS-D), and/or constipation (IBS-C)
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Requires clinical diagnosis by a doctor; do not self-diagnose
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Estimated that 25-45 million people in the US have IBS
- Fix The Food BS provides suggestions for controlling symptoms through diet management, lifestyle habits, and stress control
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Consider partnering with a nutritionist to help you
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It is your body—take control!
IBS: Gluten and Lactose-intolerance
People with IBS are often gluten-sensitive (or could have celiac disease) and lactose-intolerant, and there are many foods (such as bread, ice cream, or certain cheeses) that may cause symptoms to flare and pain to start in. These are all accounted for in the FODMAP diet. To view the current list of FODMAPs that is posted on this website, click here. For the most up-to-date list, you can search on Google.
