If you struggle with symptoms such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, or abdominal pain you would benefit from a low FODMAP diet.
What is a low FODMAP diet?
A low FODMAP diet is a therapeutic eating plan that helps reduce the number of sugars that get broken down incorrectly in your gut.
FODMAP is a fancy acronym that stands for…
Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols
All you need to know is that FODMAP is a fancy way to say sugars that are more likely to get fermented and cause issues.
Symptoms that suggest a trial of a low FODMAP diet is right for you:
Gas
Bloating (especially after meals)
Constipation
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain or discomfort
Distention
Heartburn
If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), you most likely have experienced one or several of these symptoms.
The low FODMAP diet is one of the first steps toward bringing your gut back into balance.
What many people do not understand is that a low FODMAP diet is a two-phase diet with an elimination phase and a reintroduction phase.
You need to bring FODMAPs back into your diet!
Phase 1 of Low FODMAP Diet:
What? Includes elimination of foods that are high in FODMAPs
Duration? Lasts between 4-12 weeks
Goal? To remove trouble foods while working to heal the gut
Phase 2 of Low FODMAP Diet:
What? Includes reintroduction of high FODMAP foods in small amounts to figure out problem foods
Duration? Can last several weeks
Goal? To expand the diet without causing symptoms
It’s important to understand that the low FODMAP diet is not meant to be followed long-term.
Phase 1 should last between 4-12 weeks with the goal to always expand the diet as much as possible to encourage variety.
This is where most people get confused. I have personally worked with and have read about people who never start Phase 2! Yikes!
We will dive deeper into the Low FODMAP diet in later blogs.
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