If you’re dealing with digestive issues, specifically IBS, understanding your triggers can feel like a minefield. One approach that helps a lot of people to address their uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) symptoms is the low FODMAP diet.
Before we get into the details of my experience with a low FODMAP diet, I’ll admit my initial attempts to get to grips with FODMAPs were less than successful. I found it difficult to stick to, and honestly kept forgetting or losing track of what I shouldn’t be eating. However, it really helped me to identify some trigger foods that I had no idea could cause me problems, and I have definitely noticed an improvement in my IBS symptoms.
For anyone with an IBS diagnosis struggling to manage the symptoms, I’d highly recommend giving it a try – or at least reading up on what FODMAPs are, as it could really help to identify those seemingly innocuous foods that could be causing flare ups.
For example, I realised that onions and garlic contain ‘fructans’, and fall into the same high-FODMAP category as wheat and gluten. As soon as I started removing the bulk of onions and garlic from my food (far easier done at home than eating out) I noticed a huge improvement in my digestive health. It was such a relief, and such an easy change to make!
Managing My IBS Symptoms
But let’s take a step back. My IBS diagnosis is actually fairly recent news (to me). A hiccup in communication with a previous doctor meant that I wasn’t actually told I have IBS, but thankfully, visiting a new GP late in the summer helped me to get this crucial information.
Three years ago I went through a lot of tests to try and identify the problem – my symptoms were all over the place, and it felt like I was unwell for five or six days out of every week. The outcome of the tests (at the time) is that I was presented with a long list of foods to avoid, from common problem-foods like gluten and dairy, to unexpected foods like salmon, sweet potatoes, carrots and cashew nuts.
The list was extensive, and a little confusing. I quickly learned to avoid gluten at all costs (even the smallest bit of cross-contamination could trigger painful bloating that lasted several days), but other items on the list like tomatoes and carrots were fine, so long as I didn’t go overboard.
For a long time, I navigated eating whilst avoiding the worst culprits on my ‘bad’ list, but it seemed like whenever I went through a stressful period in my life, the symptoms would flare up and ruin my week. This gave me the idea that I was managing stress so badly it was making me ill – not realising that I could potentially mitigate the digestive symptoms by adjusting my diet.
Over the past few months I noticed the ‘bad’ days increasing once again, almost to the point I was at three years ago, where I had felt unwell more often than not. My initial thought was that maybe the list of foods to avoid needed to be updated, but when I went to my GP and he mentioned ‘managing your IBS’ whilst reviewing my old notes, we both quickly realised I’d been missing a piece of the puzzle.
When I looked surprised at hearing him talk about IBS, he pointed out that my symptoms are consistent with an IBS diagnosis, and it was even written in my notes – but I genuinely do not recall ever being told this, and it’s not in any of the emails or letters I received around that time. Not to worry – I’m relieved to know what I’m dealing with now, and to understand there are ways to manage it, one of which is using ‘FODMAP’ to understand my triggers.
FODMAPs: A Quick Introduction
‘Have you considered following a low FODMAP diet?’ is a common refrain heard by anyone receiving an IBS diagnosis (probably common for a few other issues here, but I can only speak of my own experience). But what are FODMAPs, and how do you know which one(s) to avoid?
The term “FODMAP” stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, and these are compounds that can be found in a variety of foods. Sounds like a mouthful? I think I understand why we used the term ‘FODMAP’ instead…
FODMAPs are certain types of sugars and carbohydrates that are difficult for the body to digest. They don’t get absorbed in the small intestine, which is where your body usually takes in most of your nutrients. When these sugars are not absorbed in your small intestine, they move to your large intestine and bacteria start to break them down.
This process of bacteria breaking them down creates gas – and too much gas can cause bloating, stomach pain, and other uncomfortable symptoms (which is you have IBS, you’re probably very familiar with).
For people with more sensitive stomachs (for example, people with IBS), these FODMAP sugars can be particularly difficult to handle, and can lead to symptoms like gas, diarrhea and constipation.
FODMAPs are not bad for everyone, but if you have a sensitive digestive system, they could be especially tricky to digest.
What is the FODMAP Elimination Diet?
Simply put, a FODMAP elimination diet is where you cut out all moderate or high-FODMAP foods and eat only low FODMAP foods for at least a week, ideally two. This should eliminate a lot of symptoms, and help to almost ‘reset’ your digestive system. The next step is to slowly add back in the moderate and high-FODMAP foods, in a way that helps you identify if they are triggering your symptoms.
For example, if you are looking to re-introduce lactose, you might have a small portion of dairy on day one (Monday) – say, a small amount of cheese with your lunch.
If you feel fine and the small portion has not triggered symptoms, then on Tuesday you would increase your intake, perhaps with a milky coffee at breakfast, and a yoghurt with your lunch.
If by Wednesday you’re still feeling good, then you could really go for it, with milk on your cereal at breakfast, soup and a cheese sandwich at lunchtime, and cheesy pizza for dinner, and maybe even follow up with some ice-cream. This would really push your limits and see how much you can tolerate.
If you experience symptoms on day one or two however, this tells you that you do not process lactose well, and depending on the severity of your symptoms and the portion size that triggered a reaction, it helps you to understand how much you can tolerate.
The point of the elimination diet is not to eliminate whole groups of food, but to help you understand how much you can tolerate, in order to continue eating a varied and balanced diet. The goal isn’t a long-term, tightly controlled diet, but to eliminate your symptoms.
After testing each FODMAP group, give your body a few days to reset, and try again. So if you tried one group between Monday and Wednesday one week, switch back to a low FODMAP diet for the remainder of the week and try a new group starting on the following Monday.
It will take some time, but eventually you will work your way through all the groups, and identify which FODMAPs you can tolerate a lot of, a little of, or not at all.
Through this process I found that I have very poor tolerance for fructans which wasn’t a huge surprise given that fructans are found in wheat, cashews and butternut squash – foods I was already avoiding thanks to the previous list of ‘foods to avoid’.
What I hadn’t previously realised is that I should also look to eliminate garlic, onions and artichokes from my diet – and on doing so I noticed a huge change in my symptoms. Where I’d started to think that I could no longer handle spicy foods, it turns out that by removing onions and garlic from my recipes I could enjoy curries, chilli and fajitas once again.
Moving Forward with FODMAP
As I’ve already mentioned, the idea of the elimination diet is to be able to eat as wide a variety of foods as possible, not to shrink what you can eat to just a short list of ‘safe’ foods. You should aim to test your tolerance for each FODMAP group, because it’s highly likely that some foods will be back on your ‘safe’ list, even if it’s just in small quantities.
You can also use this newfound knowledge to manage your symptoms in times of stress, or when you experience a flare-up.
When I’m struggling with IBS symptoms, I return to the low FODMAP diet, eliminating all risky foods, to avoid potential triggers.
When I feel healthy and normal, I know I can push the boundaries a little more, enjoy FODMAP-containing fruits without worry, and even add real butter to my (gluten-free) toast!
It’s not a fix-all method, however, and your own approach and results will most likely vary hugely from mine. I also manage my symptoms using (prescribed) mebeverine which helps with cramps, and peppermint oil to ease bloating and gas. Glamourous, it is not, but anything that helps is welcome here.
If you’re interested in trying out the low FODMAP diet for yourself, but you’re not sure where to start, take a look at the list of around 200 foods and their FODMAP information, in this Google Sheet, or why not check out some of the resources listed below?
Useful Resources
Navigating the world of IBS and FODMAPs can be a daunting task, and it’s hard to know where to start. Some resources I’ve found especially helpful during this time are the Monash app; Spoonful (another app); and Mollie Tunitsky’s book ‘Low FODMAP for beginners’.
Monash University FODMAP App
The Monash App was created by researchers at Australia’s Monash University to help users manage their IBS symptoms. The app includes a detailed database of foods and their FODMAP content, organised by category and all colour-coded for easy reference.
The app includes recipes, a directory of dieticians (from across the globe), and a list of ‘certified’ restaurants, though these are (perhaps understandably) more geared towards Australian users.
The food database is well worth the one-off payment (roughly £7.99 on iOS, in the UK), for quick reference when creating a food plan, writing your shopping list, or even ordering in a restaurant.
A particularly useful feature is how the app invites users to indicate which FODMAPs they are sensitive to. Doing so updates the ‘traffic light’ colour-coding to show the user what they should be able to tolerate, based on their own sensitivities.
It’s even possible to make use of the app when travelling, with the option to filter by country narrowing down the foods available, and ensuring you have visibility on local brands and foods.
Spoonful App
Spoonful is an app designed to help users following specific diets, from low FODMAP and gluten-free to keto and vegan.
Like the Monash FODMAP App, Spoonful allows users to tailor their profile based on their specific dietary requirements. This includes the different FODMAPs, and also includes the most common foods related to allergies and intolerances, such as wheat, gluten, lactose, nuts, and soya.
The Spoonful App includes a comprehensive database for users to search, and also includes an integrated scanner, so the user can simply scan the barcode on a food’s packet to get quick feedback on whether this item is safe or suitable.
The scan feature is a lifesaver for doing the weekly shop – when you’re first learning about FODMAPs, or trying to find a new ingredient, simply scan the barcode and you’ll quickly know if this something you can safely consume.
There is a limit of five searches or scans per month on the free version of the app, but the paid version (£29.99 annually, or £4.99 monthly) offers unlimited scans.
If you’re struggling to get clear information about what is or isn’t suitable for your dietary requirements, it may be worth the investment – even if it’s just for a month while you adapt to your new diet.
Low FODMAP for Beginners – Mollie Tunitsky
Whenever I want to learn about something new (and freshly armed with an IBS diagnosis, I wanted to learn everything I could about managing IBS symptoms) – I research the best books on the topic. One title that consistently appeared in my searches was Mollie Tunitsky’s Low FODMAP for Beginners.
This book is an accessible guide to those new to the low FODMAP diets, but written in a way that comes across and helpful and informative, rather than condescending.
Tunitsky explains FODMAPs in a clear way, and removes any nervousness or fear around the elimination diet by providing a simple (and delicious) elimination diet meal plan.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in trying out (or even just learning more) about FODMAPs and how to manage them – what I learned from this book gave me the confidence to move forward with my own FODMAP journey.
While every individual’s IBS journey is unique, the low FODMAP diet was a game-changer for me in managing my IBS symptoms. I still get flare ups, but I understand better how to manage them. If this is something you’re struggling with, it might be worth exploring to see if you can also find relief.
My Gluten-Free Kitchen 
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