FODMAPS

You’ve probably already noticed that a lot of the posts I have are tagged with or mention the word Fodmap. Yup, it sounds like some sort of horrific ingredient that somehow got lost in translation somewhere and you don’t even want to know what it is. Fear not, its not something you cook with, rather its a guideline for a diet for those of us who suffer from IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and yes, at times it can be as horrific as it sounds.

IBS is a digestive issue which can create pain and bloating after eating certain foods to the point of which I have questioned if I need to go to the ER or have a tiny dinosaur that has now called my lower belly home. Thankfully, Monash University, based in Australia has identified certain foods that can trigger an IBS attack and can generally be avoided. They have gone through the laborious process of identifying these foods as FODMAPS (Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monoaccharides, And Polyols). This means garlic, onions, wheat, stone fruit, beans and legumes, lactose, and artificial sweeteners are basically no go’s, or get ready to have some potentially painful baby dino’s in your tummy. They recommend starting out with a full elimination process and slowly incorporating the fodmap foods back into your diet so you can see which ones affect you, because we’re all different! The good news is that this is not exactly life-threatening, but it can be a real pain to deal with. Bloating is always a factor after eating, however when its extremely drastic or painful, you may have IBS ( a lot of people do not even know they have it). Click here to read more about it from Monash University!