# NEED GUIDANCE ON HOW TO START FODMAP, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP!



## emmalu (Feb 7, 2012)

Hi I posted yesterday on the forum, but only received 1 reply and not much explenation..Please, can someone tell me how I start the Fodmap diet? I have seen a list of "good and bad" foods, but there are lots of food not mentioned,, (chocolate , coffe, etc) Also many people say on various web pages, that some fruits and veg that ARE allowed on the diet, don't go down well? how come?is the list wrong then? If someone would be so kind in attaching everything I need , and telling me everything I need to know, I would be ever so greatful!!Also can you please explain que quantaties of Fodmaps in food, what percentage is considered "high"??thank you all xx


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well there are individual tolerances and some IBSers have problems with raw veggies no matter what kind of veggie it is.also sometimes it is amount, a fruit may be low enough in fodmaps that in small doses you may be OK, so on the OK list but if you eat a bunch as it is "safe" it may be way too much.Also. Food is not the one and only trigger for IBS, so other triggers may be involved that are setting off symptoms even if the diet overall reduces them for some people.


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

Ok, you will need to stick to a Low-FODMAP diet for 2-6 weeks (until your symptoms subside and stabilize)Then from the FODMAP food groups list (near the bottom here) you would introduce one group at a time (like one group per week) and see what happens. Then return to the Low FODMAP diet until you recover, then introduce another group, and see what happens. This will take several weeks.Here is the most complete list of foods I have at the moment: Question marks are foods which are on some lists but not on others, and need your own testing.Common Low FODMAP FoodsDO EAT:Fruits Banana Berries Citrus Grapes (not a lot) Kiwi Cantalope? Pineapple? Jackfruit Cumquat Guava PersimmonSweeteners Artificial sweeteners that do not end in -ol Glucose Maple syrup Sugar (sucrose) Stevia may be okLactose Alternatives Butter Hard cheese, brie and camembertVegetables Bok choy Pumpkin Carrots (?) Turnip Raab Sweet Potato Corn Parsnip Eggplant (?) Winter Squashes Green beans	(?) Ginger Lettuce (sparingly) Kale ? Tomato (not paste) Cucumber Taro Kolrabi Capsicum Bamboo shoot Water chestnut WatercressGrains Brown Rice Corn meal occasionally, Popcorn, Polenta Quinoa noodles occasionally Millet occasionally Buckwheat or Soba (100% buckwheat)------------------------------------------------------DO NOT EAT: Fruits: Apples Apricots Cherries Coconut Mango Pears Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums and prunes Watermelon Honeydew Raisins Pineapple? Olives Canned fruit Dried Fruit Fruit Juice Lychee Carambola, star fruit Nashi fruitVegetables Artichokes* Asparagus* Avocado Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Garlic (a little cooked ok) Fennel Leeks Mushrooms* Okra Onions Peas Radiccio lettuce Scallions (white parts) Shallots Snow peas* Sweet Corn Zuccini Seed sproutsGrains Rye Barley Oats Wheat Triticale SpeltLactose-Containing Foods Custard Ice cream Margarine Milk (cow, goat, sheep) Soft cheese, including cottage cheese and ricotta YogurtLegumes Baked beans Chickpeas/Humus Lentils Kidney beans Pistachio Soy milk PeasSweeteners Fructose High fructose corn syrup Isomalt Maltitol Mannitol Sorbitol Xylitol Honey Agave MolassesOther: Chocolate------------------------------------FODMAP Food Groupsisacharides:	Lactose Dairy ProductsMonosacharides	Fructose Apples Papaya Mango Honey Raisins Coconut milk or creamOligosacharides	Fructans Onions Artichokes Chocolate Asparagas Garlic Dandelion, Chickory	Galactans Cabbage Beans, soy, lentils Gaur GumPoloyles	Sorbitol Stone Fruits Avacado Olives Mushroom Snow Peas Cauliflower Pineapple Carrots ? Sweet Potato?	Xylitol------------------------------------------


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## emmalu (Feb 7, 2012)

hello,thank you so much for your reply! at last someone has given me a bit of guidance on what to do! can I ask, where have you gotten this list from?what about fizzy drinks like cola, lemonade etc? how about coffee? tea? chamomile tea? beer? golden syrup? eggs? different sauces?I see that dried fruits are not allowed on the diet? is it not just pistachio nuts?how high of a fodmap component has to be , to be considered on the not allowed list?so if I see a sauce and it says for instance "fructose" do I cut that food out completely or does it not matter?Does this diet really work? I am 25 and for about 5 years I've had this, after experiencing a bad episode of gastroenteritis.Life has changed dramatically, I left my uni studies and stopped working... to be so young and have this is a nightmare.I also have noticed, since having this I get anxious over anything and everything causing me to get nervous and therefore experiencing the horrible side effects of ibs...would love to feel "normal" again...thanksEmma


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

This list is compiled from several lists available across the internet, plus feedback from forum members and other forums.It may not be 100% accurate. Many of the lists out there are incomplete, and hopefully this will fill in some of the gaps.Fizzy drinks which contain high-fructose corn syrup are out. Check labels on drinks for the sugars and sugar-substitutes on the list.Coffee & tea are OK, if you tolerate them (some IBSers are very sensitive to the laxative effect of caffeine). Chamomile is ok, most herb teas are ok.Beer is out as it is made from wheat and barley.Golden syrup; I don't know what that is. Check the label. Read labels on all sauces. Avoid anything with fructose, tomato paste, plum sauce, soy sauce (but wheat-free Tamari or Braggs Aminos are ok).No dried fruits. Nuts other than pistachios are ok in small quantities (fat content and Omega 6's being the issue there).You can experiment with how much Fructose you can handle. usually a small amount is ok. Here is a handy chart for high-fructose foods:http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000011000000000000000.htmlThis diet has improved my symptoms about 40%, which i think is a lot. I still have soft stools, but less watery diarrhea and a lot less gas and bloating, and generally less distress.Addressing your anxiety with a mental health professional would be a good thing (I go for counseling once a month to address stress management) and remember; exercise helps lower stress levels, eat well, hydrate, and get lots of sleep. Calcium supplements can also help the nerves.I would also recommend a B-complex (yeast-free)vitamin supplement, as diarrhea seems to wash these water-soluble compounds out of my body, and a multi-vitamin / mineral supplement is a good idea too.


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## leeniepie (Jan 25, 2012)

there is good advice here, but you really should see a dietician and not go this alone. its too easy to become deficient in many things.a lot of people react very differently, and lists will be different in the USA, UK and australia, because of differing ingredients, different strains of crops etc.


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## Chez (Mar 12, 2012)

Can I recommend that you purchase "Food Intolerance Management Plan", by Dr Sue Shepher and Dr Peter Gibson. They created the FODMAP diet and everything you need to know is included in the book, what FODMAPS are, complete original lists from the researchers, menus etc. There is a website as well - address the same as the book name. Doctors are from Melbourne, Australia and you may need to purchase the book online if you are from the USA. I have had IBS for 20 years and this is the only diet that has helped me. For me I can manage symptoms by not totally excluding all FODMAPS, but rather reducing them and being aware of thresholds I can eat. Sincere good luck.


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## whiterose1713 (Feb 4, 2012)

I would say if you're feeling overwhelmed by the information available online then you should definitely see a nutritionist for guidance to avoid malnutrition while attempting the diet. Do you cook for yourself much, and are you comfortable using whole ingredients and starting from scratch? If not, this diet becomes very difficult but most nutritionists and dietitians can help you master some cooking basics to help you get started.My advice is to try it and really stick to it with all the self-control you can muster for at least 2-4 weeks. If your problems stem from malabsorption issues you will feel better, if you don't then your trouble might have different causes. Either way you will know. I personally went through gluten withdrawal when I started because I had been eating bread and toast with every meal for about 2 years, thinking it helped settle my stomach. Should have realized that since my stomach never actually settled that it wasn't working. Gluten withdrawal feels a bit like the flu for a day or two but once it was gone I felt like a million bucks. No pain, no gas, diarrhea started to taper off to now having only one totally normal BM a day. It really felt like a miracle for me. I'm young too, 26, so I feel your pain. It makes going to work and going out and being a normal person so difficult. It can definitely cause depression after a while, and I don't think there's anything wrong with seeing someone to get help feeling better emotionally as well as physically.I have found that I am extremely sensitive to things like garlic, wheat, and honey, all of which are found in about 98% of prepared foods. To be successful in eliminating FODMAPs and not want to die of food boredom you've got to make your own food. I started a blog to document my culinary adventures within the confines of this diet, maybe you'll find it helpful: Happy Tummy Happy Life


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