In the past couple of weeks, my boyfriend has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). We have been eating healthy, but he's still been having trouble. I couldn't figure out why.
Until I stumbled across a website about a low FODMAP diet being used to treat IBS symptoms. Australian doctors and scientists have discovered that most people suffering from IBS, Celiac Disease, and Crohn's Disease have a sensitivity to FODMAPs, and that by consuming a diet low in FODMAPs, their symptoms are greatly decreased, if not gone.
What are FODMAPs?
FODMAP=Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols
What in the world do these words mean?
FODMAPs are carbohydrates (sugars) that are found in foods. Not all carbohydrates are considered FODMAPs.
The FODMAPs people tend to have the most sensitivity to are:
- Fructose (fruits, honey, high fructose corn syrup, etc)
- Lactose (dairy)
- Fructans (wheat, garlic, onion, inulin, etc)
- Galactans (legumes such as beans, lentils, soybeans, etc)
- Polyols (sweeteners containing isomalt, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, stone fruits such as avocado, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, etc)
A quick Pinterest search revealed about 130 pins about FODMAP diets and recipes. Thank you, Pinterest, for making life more bearable!!!
With that said, I have already tried 3 recipes for the diet and I would like to share them with you. The subsequent posts will be the recipes I have tried. I don't want to bore all of you with a ridiculously long post!
A good reference and starting point is The Low FODMAP Diet by Stanford University Medical Center.
