The Low FODMAP Diet

After being diagnosed recently with a fatty liver and pancreas, no doubt both exacerbated by my history of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), I visited a Gastroenterologist today.

After a quick feel around to test I had no other bowel issues (aside from what’s already been diagnosed), and a few basic questions to give him a gist of my general bowel history, he [Gastroenterologist] gave me a diet plan that consisted of 3 pages; this was after asking me if I ever heard of the FODMAP diet.  His simple instructions were:  “Everything on the left column, you can eat, everything on the right, you can’t, and I’ll see you in two weeks”

Before I share with you the contents of this list, a little bit more info on the FODMAP diet for those who, like me, have never heard of it before.

FODMAP is apparently a noun, the online dictionary explains it as thus:

“One of a group of compounds thought to contribute to the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and similar gastrointestinal disorders. The term is used mainly with reference to a diet that is low in these compounds (which are mainly carbohydrates).”

According to the Monash University website, “The Low FODMAP diet was developed by researchers at Monash University. The team, led by Professor Peter Gibson, provided the first evidence that a Low FODMAP diet improves IBS symptoms.”

Well now that you know what FODMAP is, here’s the list I was given.

On the FODMAP list of foods permitted are:

Vegetables and Legumes:

• Bamboo shoots
• Bean sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cabbage, both common and red
• Carrots
• Celery (less than 5cm stalk)
• Chick peas (1/4 cup max)
• Corn (1/2 cob max)
• Courgette
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Green beans
• Green pepper
• Kale
• Lettuce e.g butter, iceberg, rocket
• Parsnip
• Potato
• Pumpkin
• Red peppers
• Scallions / spring onions (green part)
• Squash
• Sweet potato
• Tomatoes
• Turnip

Fruit:

• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cranberry
• Clementine
• Grapes
• Melons, eg, honeydew, galia
• Kiwifruit
• Lemon
• Orange
• Pineapple
• Raspberry
• Rhubarb
• Strawberry

Meat and Substitutes:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Pork
• Quorn mince
• Cold cuts, e.g, ham and turkey breast

Breads, Cereals, Grains and Pasta:

• Oats
• Quinoa
• Gluten free foods, e.g. breads, pasta
• Savoury biscuits
• Buckwheat
• Chips/crisps (plain)
• Cornflour
• Oatmeal (1/2 cup max)
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Rice, e.g. basmata, brown, white
• Tortilla chips

Nuts and Seeds:

• Almonds (max of 15)
• Chestnuts
• Chia seeds
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Peanuts
• Pecans (max of 15)
• Poppy seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts

Milk:

• Almond milk
• Coconut milk
• Hemp milk
• Lactose free milk
• Oat milk (30ml max)
• Soya milk made with soy protein

Dairy:

• Butter
• Dark chocolate
• Milk chocolate (3 squares max)
• White chocolate (3 squares max)

Cheese:

• Brie
• Camembert
• Cheddar
• Cottage cheese
• Feta
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Swiss

Condiments:

• Barbecue sauce
• Chutney (1 tbsp max)
• Garlic infused oil
• Golden syrup
• Strawberry jam/jelly
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Soy sauce
• Tomato sauce

Sweeteners:

• Aspartame
• Acesulfame x
• Glucose
• Saccharine
• Stevia
• Sucralose
• Sugar/sucrose

Drinks:

• Beer (one max)
• Coffee, black
• Drinking chocolate powder
• Herbal tea (weak)
• Orange juice (125ml max)
• Peppermint tea
• Water
• Wine (one max)

Foods to be avoided are:

Vegetables and Legumes:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Beans, e.g black, broad, kidney, lima, soya
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage, savoy
• Mange tout
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Scallions / spring onions (white part)

Fruit:

• Apples
• Apricot
• Avocado
• Blackberries
• Grapefruit
• Mango
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Raisins
• Sultanas
• Watermelon

Meat and Substitutes:

• Chorizo
• Sausages
• Processed meat (check ingredients)

Breads, Cereals, Grains and Pasta:

• Barley
• Bran
• Cous cous
• Gnocchi
• Granola
• Muesli
• Muffins
• Rye
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Wheat foods, e.g. bread, cereal, pasta

Nuts and Seeds:

• Cashews
• Pistachio

Milk

• Cow milk
• Goat milk
• Rice milk
• Sheep’s milk
• Soy milk made with soy beans

Dairy:

• Buttermilk
• Cream
• Custard
• Greek Yoghurt
• Ice cream
• Sour cream
• Yoghurt

Cheese:

• Cream cheese
• Ricotta cheese

Condiments:

• Hommus dip
• Jam (mixed berries)
• Pasta sauce (cream based)
• Relish
• Tzatziki dip

Sweeteners:

• Agave
• High Fructose Corn syrup (HFCS)
• Honey
• Inulin
• Isomalt
• Maltitol
• Mannitol
• Sorbitol
• Xylitol

Drinks:

• Coconut water
• Apple juice
• Pear juice
• Mango juice
• Sodas with HFCS
• Fennel tea
• Herbal tea (strong)

More information about the FODMAP diet can also be found here: http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

I’m hoping this diet will be short term as a lot of my favourite fruits and veggies are on the taboo list. I do plan to break a few rules as some of the taboo food is in my fridge and there’s no way I’m letting them rot, but for the most part, I plan to stick to this as close as I can (at least till the next appointment).  I’ll keep you posted as to how I go.