Many people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are told to eliminate HIGH FODMAP foods. This puts people on very restrictive diets. Diets that lack variety. This directly impacts your gut bacteria.
I'm here to talk about the importance of high FODMAP foods and how you can incorporate them into your diet for healthy gut bacteria.
Are high-fodmaps unsafe?
NO! A lot of healthy fruits and vegetables contain high FODMAP foods. High FODMAP foods often act as prebiotics, which provide important nutrients/food for our healthy gut bacteria. High FODMAP foods nourish our gut health, boost our nutrition and provide variety in our diets.
However, high FODMAP foods can be involved in gas production in the gut and may not be tolerable for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The process of producing gas (fermentation) can draw water into the gut, create gas, and cause distension, and all this can lead to cramps, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation. High FODMAP foods are considered safe, but they may just trigger your symptoms.
How to incorporate high fodmap foods?
If you are in the habit of calling high FODMAP foods unsafe, then you might be stuck in a food fear loop. This is where you become scared of eating high FODMAP foods, and this makes it very hard to reintroduce to high FODMAP foods and bring them back into your diet.
The first step to breaking this fear loop is to remember that most people only react to a couple of the FODMAP groups. This means that there are high FODMAP foods that you CAN tolerate. Keep in mind that even if you do react to a high FODMAP food, it isn't dangerous. The symptoms should pass over a few days as the foods moves out of your digestive tract.
In addition, when you stop eating high FODMAP foods for a long time, the body stops creating the enzymes and cells needed to digest those foods. So, when you incorporate that food back into your diet, your body may have a strong reaction to that. This is why it is important to eat a new food for at least 3-5 days, to really know if your body does or does not like it.
I have attached a document where you can record the new foods you add into your diet and record your symptoms in response to the food.
Your tolerance to different foods change over time. The more diverse you eat, the more diverse your gut bacteria is to properly digest MORE foods!
High FODMAP Foods and the Gut Microbiome
The gut is made of many microorganisms that make up the gut microbiome
Restricting high FODMAP foods affects the overall quality of your gut microbiome.
Look at all these benefits!!!
The gut microbiome helps
Strengthen the intestinal barrier
Optimize nutrient absorption and utilization
Defend against pathogens and improve your immune system
Produce B-vitamins and vitamin K
Regulate appetite and food intake
Regulate metabolism and digestion
So, if you have eliminated high FODMAPs in your diet, and still struggle with
Constipation
Diarrhea
Bloating
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Lack of appetite
Depression
Try to incorporate 1 new FODMAP food each week. See how your body responds.
Check out my website to learn more about how I help people with gut and digestive issues!
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