Posted on November 08, 2017 by Kate Halsall
If I was to write a diary on how my fodmap journey is going, it would literally read as: why am I not the size of my arm based on what I’m eating, if I see another bowl of aubergine stew I’m going to scream, I’m soooooooooo bored with my food, I JUST WANT HOUMOUS…….you get the idea…..so it’s going well!!
3 weeks in and I’m starting to hate my favourite foods, I’m adding chilli to EVERYTHING and I’m craving certain foods like a crazy woman. But on the plus side….life without garlic means I can smell it on everyone, tinned mushrooms aren’t as bad as you think, and I’ve discovered more uses and ways to cook aubergine than I ever thought possible! And there’s more……..
Bloating
I’m definitely not as bloated on a day to day basis since starting the fodmap. However there are still times where I struggle to stand straight or get on a spin bike because of the cramping and bloating – not a woe is me story, just a fact. It’s the effects that IBS has on me, and there’s obviously still plant sources which are affecting it – even with this restricted diet. To be honest, bloating doesn’t bother me anymore (unless I can’t fit my clothes!), but when there’s pain or it effects my work – then I get a bit annoyed! I’ve also discovered that there are foods on the low fomap list aka the allowed list, that set off the bloating – chickpeas and sesame oil are two of them. So I’ve cut these out also.
50 Thousand Supplements
Ok – maybe not that many! I already supplement B12 as I’m vegan, and vitamin D having researched it for a previous blog. On the advice of the specialist I’m now having fybogel and alflorex. I’ll be honest, I’m not convinced that they’re doing anything. It’s hard to tell! I’m sticking with them because I’ve been asked too, but whilst some of the bloating has subsided, other symptoms for which the fybogel specifically is supposed to help with, have not! Too much info for you? Probably!
Food
After my 5th meal of aubergine stew last week, I threw a proper toddler tantrum and decided enough is enough. I was losing the will to live and had to start thinking outside the box as far as my food went. Simply put, I had to follow my own advice from a previous blog: http://www.m8north.co.uk/blog/top-tips-for-fodmap-diets/
My salvation has come in the form of a great book called “low-fodmap and vegan. What to eat when you can’t eat anything”. Finally some proper recipes, alternative foods and even an example meal plan! Yessssss. http://www.ibsvegan.com/
Confusing Information
All the “safe” or “lowfod map” food lists come from research by the Monash University..but some of the foods and quantities seem to vary, which makes it a tad confusing! Also, everything says per portion – is that per day, per meal, per month?!?! I’ve taken it to mean per meal otherwise I really will get to be as thin as my arm!
I just wanted to share some of my experiences – not just because for some people it makes a good read but because it might reassure people who are also going through the elimination phase of a fodmap (or maybe think they should). It may also shed some more light on IBS for those who are unsure of what it is or what the symptoms are.
Would it be easier if I was vegetarian or ate meat? Yes probably, but as I’ve been vegan since I was 18 and this only started around June time…I’m not sure that that is the solution I’m looking for!