Managing IBS with the FODMAP Diet

Did you miss me last week? I wasn’t able to get online to write to you because I was moving.

I’m back to talk about the low FODMAP diet!

FODMAPs are short-chained sugars that are not absorbed properly in the gut for people with poor digestive health. Research shows that people with IBS see improvements in their symptoms by reducing the amount of foods in their diet that have FODMAPs. 

So what does FODMAPs stand for?

Fermentable – Fermentation occurs when bacteria break down chains of carbohydrates and produce gas. They do this in our gut. It’s also the same process used to make kombucha, yogurt, and sauerkraut. 

Oligosaccharides – Chains of carbohydrates known as fructans or GOS. These are commonly found in wheat, rye, onions, garlic, and legumes/pulses. 

Disaccharides – This is a specific type of carbohydrate that only has two sugars. Lactose is a disaccharide that is found in dairy products, like milk, soft cheeses, and yogurt. 

Monosaccharides – Single sugars like fructose; commonly found in honey, apples, high fructose corn syrups, etc. 
 

Polyols – These are alcohol sugars that are commonly found in artificial sweeteners and some fruits and vegetables. 

Here is a list of foods that are low and high in FODMAPs. The goal is to avoid eating too many foods from the high FODMAPs list and eat more of the low FODMAP foods.

This diet can definitely help keep symptoms at bay. But if you want to avoid the frustrations of food restrictions and be able to enjoy foods like onions, garlic, watermelon, milk, and ice cream without IBS symptoms, you’ll have to focus on healing your gut.

Until next time! 

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If you’ve tried the FODMAP diet without success or want to get to the root cause of your gut issues, let’s talk!  Schedule a free information call to learn more about how I help my clients heal their gut.