# FODMAP Exclusion stage diet



## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Hi all,

I'm going to try this FODMAP diet next week.

I read start with two weeks of exclusion of all FODMAPS.. what exactly can you eat for those 2 weeks?

http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/

Are the 'ok' foods OK during these two weeks? Otherwise what is allowed?

Also - I can eat most foods without any obvious effect, I don't eat then needs to poop - will this still be worth trying this diet?

Many thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The foods on the OK to eat list are what you are supposed to eat during the exclusion diet. If you don't eat the don't eat and you don't eat the eat these foods then you really don't have anything left.  So eat the low to no fodmap foods from the OK to eat list.

Fat usually is more of a eat and then need to instapoop thing. Fodmaps tend to be more a problem after they get to the colon. Once there you then get the increase in gas volume and water balance in the stool problems.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks Kathleen,

I'm not a big fan of drinking straight water, are there many if any squash drinks you can get to mix with water while on this diet?

Thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I had to google those, we don't really have them on this side of the pond. From what I saw it probably depends on which fruits and which sweeteners are used.

So it is going to take some label reading to see which if any may be low fodmap/fodmap free.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks again Kathleen,

How is yeast while on this diet, for things like making bread/pizza dough, or Marmite?

A lot of foods come with warning 'may contain traces of XXX due to factory conditions' - should I avoid these products if XXX = wheat/gluten etc?

Looking at rice cakes, are rice cakes based on brown rice ok?

Many thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually rice cakes are OK but you may want to limit the total amount of starch rather than eat a lot of starchs. So smaller amount of starchy allowed foods.

I can't say I've heard anything about yeast on the diet. I'll take a look. Usually the small traces aren't as big an issue on this as the starch is a more starch is more gas rather than any gluten at all sets off a huge immune response.

OK based on google search seems marmite is allowed.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Thank you again 

I see baked potato is OK, but I see some people really against them or potato skin.

Is there a general yes or no to this?

Thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I usually see them listed as OK, most of the anti-white potato stuff I see is for other reasons. If you start trying to make all the diets agree you will have ZERO foods you are allowed to eat.

If you are really concerned then just exclude them for the first two weeks then see how you tolerate them when you add it back.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

-- Removed


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

I have been on the diet 2.5 days now and have noticed some changes.

- BM form has started to become more solid than normal.

- I 'think' I'm having slightly more urges ATM but I'm not sure yet.

- Bloating after a large late night dinner is nothing compared to what is has been - I can still feel a bit burpy/gassy but no feeling like a balloon (I never really looked like it before either - just the sensation).

How long can I expect to see further improvements during exclusion, all the way up and past 2 weeks? Or will most improvements be made in these first few days?

Many thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know when the diminishing returns hit, but I would suspect that by 2 weeks you have seen most of the benefit. It can take a few days to clear all the fodmaps out of the system (as up to 72 hours is normal transit time) and some people with IBS have been shown to have a more unstable flora (so get more gas from gassy foods than other people) so there may be some settling down of the flora over that first couple of weeks.


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

mr120 said:


> Thanks Kathleen,
> 
> I'm not a big fan of drinking straight water, are there many if any squash drinks you can get to mix with water while on this diet?
> 
> Thanks


On this one particular point I can help. Ketogenic kids use zero calorie fruit flavored waters, but are only allowed to use saccharin as a sweetener because it is really the only one that is non nutritive. Caveat: if you decide to make your own with strawberry flavor and sweetener, and use the packets, there's no telling what's in there as a filler. The saccharin tablets are safer if you are making a flavored water yourself. Since gas is a problem with FODMAPs, it's best not to use soda at all, but I honestly can't identify what ingredient they are claiming is a FODMAP in diet coke... if you like that. Aspartame might be bad for your nerves, but it's definitely not a FODMAP. Keep in mind, you're swallowing gas, but it might make it more tolerable for some people.

FYI, Keto kids are those who have intractable epilepsy when they're young and are placed on a special diet that eliminates all carbohydrates. For some reason that stops seizures in the young. Knowing how to do that diet has helped me with my bowel troubles because I start to think... what if I were unable to tolerate all carbs? Thankfully, I'm not at that point, but it can help to know about that diet.

In case the news hasn't reached everyone yet (there's always someone who says saccharine causes cancer...), saccharine has been absolved of wrongdoing. The bladder cancer that was observed in rats doesn't happen in humans because our urinary chemistry is different. So saccharine should not be given to rats, and maybe other animals, but it's ok for humans.


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

mr120 said:


> Thank you again
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In general, for FODMAP, white potato is good, sweet potato is not good. That's because there are more non-absorbable sugars in sweet potato than white potato. It has also been my personal experience that I can tolerate more potato starch than rice before my body gives up and is unable to digest more. I'm guessing this is an individual difference, and your experience will vary. The skins... the objection there is that all fiber could be problematic for people with gut problems. However, on the FODMAP diet, fiber consumption is encouraged, and in fact, Monash University makes a point of finding high fiber foods that are low in FODMAPs to include in the "allowed" foods lists. I have their booklet and it's very helpful. I personally avoid fiber so I peel, but the FODMAP diet would say it depends on whether you've met your fiber needs for the day.

Is ghee mentioned in the list you pointed to? I wasn't sure. The official list can be had directly from the authors of the diet at Monash University if you are looking for recipe ideas and more information. Ghee is a kind of butter common in southern and central Asia (India, Nepal, etc), where only the fats of the butter are preserved (carefully so they don't burn or become trans fats) and separated from the watery liquids. This ensures that there is no lactose in the ghee and thus is a FODMAP-free food.

www (dot) med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/low-high.html

I follow several diet plans that dovetail nicely, but I agree with Kathleen that you should start out on one at a time. I've been struggling for all my life, so I've had a long time to experiment. Don't confuse yourself. Where I've ended up is basically an SCD diet with elements of FODMAP avoidance and occasional retreats into Atkins (one of the more mild types of Ketogenic diets). Sometimes I simply call it "Primal" or Paleo because it looks that way to people when they see my food choices and it's easier to explain in one word.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks for the reply nojokeibs i will look into them.

When guides say keep such and such foods to x amount per serving.. how often is a serving, I have seen banana as 1 per serving - but ihave 5 that will go funny soon and atm im eating only 1 per day.. can i have 1 at breakfast and 1 at lunch?


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

Ahh yes, the banana dilemma







I've tinkered with this too. I've tried various methods, peeling and freezing, freezing after soaking in citrus water, cutting into sections and then freezing, etc... but eventually I noticed that freezing bananas whole, with the skins on works perfectly, and keeps them from oxidizing into a brown nasty mess. When ready to eat the frozen banana, just remove from the freezer, and cut into sections with a sharp knife while frozen. Then switch to a butter knife and pry off the skin (butter knife is safer since you will probably slip a bit). The banana skin will be all brown, but the fruit inside will still be creamy white.

This trick (freezing whole with skin on) works for mangos too. Bananas and magos are non negotiable parts of my diet. I love them too much and life would be not worth living without them. However, I can only eat small amounts, so freezing is imperative. I also dust anything that is listed as "fructose in excess of glucose" with dextrose (the common name for glucose). You can get that most cheaply from winemaking suppliers or homebrew places, but in a pinch, bodybuilding specialty stores may have it. The internet of course, also has it. From a specialty store, it's 3x the price of sugar, but from a homebrew place, it's the same price as sugar.

For mangos, I let them thaw considerably before cutting both cheeks off and eating them like i normally would, slicing the cheeks into cubes, and eating the fruit around the seed like a popsicle.


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