# Ordered FODMAP diet book on Amazon, any experience with it?



## BeeRitt (Jan 21, 2011)

I ordered the book "IBS--Free at Last!: A Revolutionary, New Step-by-Step Method for Those Who Have Tried Everything. Control IBS Symptoms by Limiting FODMAPS Carbohydrates in Your Diet." by Patsy Catsos MS. RD.It's supposed to be written for U.S. consumers specifically. (I would have ordered the Sue Shepard book but it's unavailable apparently.) I'm hoping this book gives me more information about the diet and maybe some recipes. Any experience with this book?I really just started this diet to a T yesterday. I began implementing it 2 days before that but I still ate things like mushrooms and I had a flour tortilla. And for the past 2 days, my symptoms have been worse. I'm going to fulling implement the diet, hopefully with the help of this book, and try to stick to it for at least a minimum of 2 weeks, even if my symptoms worsen at first. For anyone that tried the FODMAP diet...how long until you saw improvement in your symptoms?


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

Just ordered it too!I had improvement on the FODMAP diet within two weeks. But I found out the hard way that I had to stick to it 100%. 80% wasn't enough and caused a lot of flareups. I have been on it about 6 months now, with the last two months super-strict.


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## BeeRitt (Jan 21, 2011)

Korga said:


> Just ordered it too!I had improvement on the FODMAP diet within two weeks. But I found out the hard way that I had to stick to it 100%. 80% wasn't enough and caused a lot of flareups. I have been on it about 6 months now, with the last two months super-strict.


If it works then I dont mind being strict like that forever if i have to. (Although I would love to have some pizza at the pizza party my boss is throwing for us next week.) I just want this never ending condition to get better. Did you introduce foods one at a time to see what the problem might be? I still dont know how it works 100%, since I'm still waiting for the book to get more info. What foods did you eat that made you flare up?


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## wrightsville28 (Mar 29, 2012)

BeeRitt said:


> I ordered the book "IBS--Free at Last!: A Revolutionary, New Step-by-Step Method for Those Who Have Tried Everything. Control IBS Symptoms by Limiting FODMAPS Carbohydrates in Your Diet." by Patsy Catsos MS. RD.It's supposed to be written for U.S. consumers specifically. (I would have ordered the Sue Shepard book but it's unavailable apparently.) I'm hoping this book gives me more information about the diet and maybe some recipes. Any experience with this book?I really just started this diet to a T yesterday. I began implementing it 2 days before that but I still ate things like mushrooms and I had a flour tortilla. And for the past 2 days, my symptoms have been worse. I'm going to fulling implement the diet, hopefully with the help of this book, and try to stick to it for at least a minimum of 2 weeks, even if my symptoms worsen at first. For anyone that tried the FODMAP diet...how long until you saw improvement in your symptoms?


Hi!! i ordered this book a few months ago, & it has been a life-saver...100%!! i was willing to try anything at the particular point in time when i bought this book, & i figured i had nothing to lose. it took about 1-week for me to start seeing a marked improvement, & the at the end of the 2-week elimination phase of the diet, i was pretty much symptom free! you really do need to follow it to a "T" though. any little "cheats" here and there can really throw everything off. definitely check out her website--there are updates on certain foods that are no longer allowed in the elimination phase. hope that this works out well for you!! good luck


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

I did the elimination diet and after a month started adding foods back in one group at a time, maybe one per week or so (depending on how badly I reacted and how long it took to get stable again) I had reactions to every single group on the list. Here is a helpful website which I used to break down the groups of foods:http://www.healthhype.com/fodmap-diet-foods-to-avoid-in-ibs-bowel-disorders-with-bloating-and-gas.htmlI'm looking forward to getting the book.


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## BeeRitt (Jan 21, 2011)

Korga said:


> I did the elimination diet and after a month started adding foods back in one group at a time, maybe one per week or so (depending on how badly I reacted and how long it took to get stable again) I had reactions to every single group on the list. Here is a helpful website which I used to break down the groups of foods:http://www.healthhype.com/fodmap-diet-foods-to-avoid-in-ibs-bowel-disorders-with-bloating-and-gas.htmlI'm looking forward to getting the book.


Thanks for that website, very helpful. So if you have problems with every food group...what are you supposed to do?? Cut out all of them forever? Just curious


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

From what I have read having problems with every group indicates FODMAP Malabsorption. And yes, the literature indicates these foods may have to be avoided forever. I am optimistic that perhaps someday when I am stronger and less reactive that maybe I will be able to add foods back in. However, my experience is that my problem has been slowly worsening despite remedies to correct it, so we will see. (I was first very sensitive to just grains and lactose, and after some years developed full blown FODMAP Malabsorption) I believe that stress is a factor, so I do a lot of stress management as well. Hopefully all the efforts combined will have a healthful impact.


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## MTflorida (May 3, 2012)

I just ordered the second edition of the book as well. What I've found in just three days is that, because I'm writing down absolutely everything that goes in my mouth, and then my reaction (or lack thereof), I've already begun to pinpoint some triggers. Bananas are a definite trigger. I accidentally had garlic powder yesterday (it's an ingredient in chili powder), and that did a number on my system. I'm hoping that if I follow this diet, it will work as well for IBS-C as I've heard it does for the other IBS conditions. I don't care that it's restrictive. Really, there are so many delicious foods in it that I can have, I don't feel deprived so far. I guess the hardest part will be eating out.


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

Why for us consumers only?? Food is food right .... Wil it be okay for moi canadian eh????


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Food companies add different things in different countries. So the specific brand information may not be accurate when you go from country to country. If I recall correctly, some of the "safe" foods in the Australian book were things that in the USA they put in additives that are high fodmap.I don't know if the US and Canadian foods are really different, but you do have to watch out for anything that is processed. And even if something is listed as safe in a book I would still check the labels as formulations do change. For whole foods that you buy they way they are picked rather than things that come in a box the information would be OK regardless of country, but which cracker or chip or cereal or things like that are going to be a problem and need country specific information. I think a big issue is the USA uses a lot more high fructose corn syrup where other countries that do not have as high a tariff on sugar or grow as much corn may use cane sugar which has a better glucose to fructose ratio than HFCS.


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## BeeRitt (Jan 21, 2011)

This book has been really helpful for me. I have noticed that if I stray from the diet even a little, my symptoms will reappear. So far I've had issues with onion, garlic, and wheat. Frankly, I feel like I should just stick to this diet. I don't even feel like doing the challenges since I've had reactions to the most important food group (to me!). I don't care about things that have high fructose corn syrup


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The only reason to may be do some challenges is if you can't get a good balance of nutrients from the strictest list of foods. I think there is enough variety you can do it, but some people are picky eaters and may need to add small amounts of foods that may have some fodmaps in them just to get a balanced diet, or enough calories.


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## whiterose1713 (Feb 4, 2012)

BeeRitt said:


> This book has been really helpful for me. I have noticed that if I stray from the diet even a little, my symptoms will reappear. So far I've had issues with onion, garlic, and wheat. Frankly, I feel like I should just stick to this diet. I don't even feel like doing the challenges since I've had reactions to the most important food group (to me!). I don't care about things that have high fructose corn syrup


I'm in the same boat and so I haven't done any formal "challenges". I've made enough mistakes by this point to know that I will react to even a small amount of any of the groups. I just consider this my new ways of eating. That being said, I also am not at all picky and I cook a lot for myself, so malnutrition isn't much of a concern. After the first few weeks when I was losing weight from not eating enough, I am now maintaining my weight perfectly and don't even feel deprived anymore.Well, not much anyways.


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## vinay (Feb 24, 2011)

I have been trying Low FODMAP diet for the past one year. I completely eliminated fruits (to be safe) and lentils (they have undigestable sugar)My condition has improved 80% percent. I have gone from more veggie food to, bit more meat(Healthy meat) based diet since I fructose and fructans are even lot of vegetables. Beets, cooked carrot I have not seen a dietician yet but planning to see one soon.I'm also lactose intolerant, not surprising since lactase is a form of sugar.Looking back I think my IBS problems all these years are related to intolerance to sugars in one form or another. So I do recommend trying Low FODMAP diet. Also make sure you do not have problem with gluten etc...Good luck


BeeRitt said:


> I ordered the book "IBS--Free at Last!: A Revolutionary, New Step-by-Step Method for Those Who Have Tried Everything. Control IBS Symptoms by Limiting FODMAPS Carbohydrates in Your Diet." by Patsy Catsos MS. RD.It's supposed to be written for U.S. consumers specifically. (I would have ordered the Sue Shepard book but it's unavailable apparently.) I'm hoping this book gives me more information about the diet and maybe some recipes. Any experience with this book?I really just started this diet to a T yesterday. I began implementing it 2 days before that but I still ate things like mushrooms and I had a flour tortilla. And for the past 2 days, my symptoms have been worse. I'm going to fulling implement the diet, hopefully with the help of this book, and try to stick to it for at least a minimum of 2 weeks, even if my symptoms worsen at first. For anyone that tried the FODMAP diet...how long until you saw improvement in your symptoms?


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