What is the Low FODMAPS Diet? Why I may go Paleo(ish) again PT 2

I’ve been struggling with digestive issues for as long as I can remember, at least 20 years. I’ve gone on the Paleo diet, I’ve been off the Paleo diet and now I’m thinking about going back on it… ish. I started writing about this last month, if you want to catch up, click here.

When I left off, I was about to talk about the low FODMAPS diet.

What is the low FODMAPS diet (besides a difficult and annoying name)?

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. These are short chain carbohydrates and alcohols that do not get digested properly, or at all, in the small intestine. FODMAPS can create different kinds of issues for everyone, but the most common issues that arise are due to the fact that these cabrs are not digested, pass quickly through the small intestine and then cause osmosis, which brings water into the the GI tract. This causes bloating, cramping, burping, gas, constipation and then diarrhea. Fun, eh? This diet is often recommended as a way to relieve these issues.

Which Foods are high in FODMAPS?

Foods that are high in FODMAPs include most dairy products, certain fruits (including apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, watermelons, stone fruit, mango and papaya), certain vegetables (including artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, garlic, and mushrooms), certain grains (including wheat, rye, barley, and spelt), most legumes (including soybeans), certain sweeteners (including honey and agave nectar), and some food additives (such as chicory root, inulin, and xylitol). This is the short list, but there’s lots ou there in the Google, so if you’re interested in trying the low FODMAPS diet, the information is simply at your finger tips.

Personally, I’ve tried the FODMAPS diet and it didn’t resolve my digestive issues, so now, I’m going to go back to a Paleo-ISH diet. Lean meats, fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, oats, rice, quinoa and yogurt. Really, this doesn’t need some cool, hip, name… I’m just going to eat clean and see what happens from here.