The lure of the Biscuit

It's Christmas so I find myself in the kitchen making goodies.... goodies that I technically cant eat.

Rocky Road with Marshmallows and killer pythons. Spice Biscuits, Chocolate Cherry cake, stuffing...and a whole host of other delectable bites.... so as you can imagine I am in hell...

The only way around it for me is to make Gluten Free, Fructose friendly bites that I can enjoy.... welcome truffles and gluten free short bread!!

I also intend to make rocky road with rice bubbles, coconut, smarties and Turkish delight.... can you see my grin   :  )

I will be making Belle de jours truffles (I will be rolling mine in walnuts to give it that extra something more: ) which you can google and find heaps of recipes for and Gluten Free shortbread (i have the women's weekly GF recipe book, but I am sure there are other recipes out there). I made this last year was DELICIOUS! not as good as the real thing though :  (

For pre Christmas get togethers I will be taking my mini chocolate muffins with white glace icing and a jaffa on top (considering my luck with icing this may not go so well... wish me luck)!

So basically my plan to get through Christmas is to make lots of chocolate treats... and swim as much as I can to try and burn it off...... I do not like my chances, but its SO worth it :  )

Good luck on Christmas and remember stuffing and skin (toasts ect) can hold onion or onion flavours and we can only have a little bit of Avo and nuts... so proceed with caution... or at least attempt to;  )

p.s may be a good idea to stock up on peppermint tea... i know I have.

Peppermint Tea Vs Peppermint oil

I had a bad bout of FODMAP symptoms the other day, it was so bad I had to leave work.

I had tried two cups of peppermint oil but they just couldn't help me. So i hobbled on home and started drinking big cups of tea and lots of water. Other then the heat pack on my belly soothing my aching muscles i wasn't getting any better. But then I realised that my cup was too big and the tea wouldn't be strong enough to help me out. Three cups (6 really) of tea later and finally some of the wind passed, the pressure eased and all I was left with was aching muscles. This may not be a big win in the eyes of some, but for me.. it was everything.

I find a combination of oil and peppermint can also work, but as I go along this process it seems just one on its own just cant get me through it. I am not sure why that is... maybe its just another anomaly of my tired body. But just in case you are not finding the relief you need through one of these methods, i would suggest a double whammy.

Keep in mind peppermint anything can bring on reflex and nausea. Be careful and don't push yourself.

Good luck

The perils of stress

People talk about stress allot, its all over the news. Its making us grumpy, sad, depressed and most horribly its killing us. For those select few of us with IBS stress holds an especially horrible reality, it either blocks us up or makes us go like nothing else.

My partner also has IBS, not anywhere as troublesome as me but it comes and goes. An especially tense argument has lead to a colon cleanse like no other. When these bouts hit they leaves him physically ill, he is dizzy and disorientated. He tells me that afterwards he needs to sleep. His body forces him to rest, he recons so that he doesnt have to endure it, that he can just sleep through it and wake up better.

Needless to say we avoid these kinds of arguments now... its just not worth it.

I too have encountered this problem... but very rarely. There is something about the effects of an argument that release all sorts of things... and inevitably tense up others.

Generally stress tightens everything. My shoulders are tight, my stomach muscles are drawn in until they start to ache and my body starts to block up, not entirely, but enough to make me feel like a bloated cow. Nothing seems to help, psyllium a fed more pebbles in the bowl, coffee/caffeine cramps reminiscent of period pain, water... sounds like a good idea but when you start really hammering it you just retain it all... until one night, when the stress is just beginning to ease and you think you are going to get that good nights sleep finally... then it comes... every few hours!!!!

I should tell you that for me guilt is a big contributor to stress, I feel it in my stomach first... and then my neck. My shoulders ache and the sides of my stomach hurt from the tension. Its pretty exhausting I must say.

The only advice I can give is Meditate, find a solution or if you cant do anything trust in the reality of  your limitations (as well as eating healthy and perhaps taking some psyllium at night along with a big glass of water... and again the peeing i know) will finally set it right... but in essence what you are doing is de-stressing. If you cant find a way out of that hole... you may have to find more persuasive means of getting your body back to functioning.

All I can say is goodluck!-

FODMAPing - Amy's first year

I have been on the FODMAP diet for over a year now and I cant say that I am a whole lot better in the energy department, and I still have way more gas then one would like... but all in all I am allot better than I was in January 2011.

Back then I thought my body was going to rip open from the pressure. Over the course of the year it actually ended up doing damage to my lower back (along with a heinous ride on a rush hour Tokyo train with a giant backpack strapped to me).

Now I am uncomfortable, but I rarely have to endure the painful, debilitating episodes that were once a frequent part of my life.

I will be honest it took me quite a while to get where I am now, and I am not great. But I am better and that's something. If I didn't stress so much I probably wouldn't be as bad as I am (or have the persistent neck and shoulder that I also get to enjoy daily) but every little bit counts.

So I guess what I am saying is don't expect miracle and stick with it. I have other issues that have proven bothersome to my FODMAP journey, but I will get there and I truly hope you do to. Just stick with it and above all avoid Onion and beans... they are hell!

My war with Carbohydrates

If I don't have carbs in a meal I am just not full. I can eat a mountain of salad and all I will get is those dreadful pains which come from waiting to long.

However, when I overindulge in cards... say too many pancakes, pasta, rice or even veggies, I get FODMAP symptoms.

This is particularly the case with Gluten Free pasta or biscuits. Too many and the 5 different types of grains used blow up like a ball of hell to have me walking like a Nana all day.

This is the same with veg. My dietitian told me to eat 3 1/2 cups a day (an attempt to build up my vitamin levels) but my system just could not handle it.

The only thing that seems to help is a coffee hit or two, but then if your like me and sensitive to caffeine your IBS may act up.

So my advice.... limit your portion size. I know this can be hard, but when it comes down to it its your choice.... carbs or FODMAP joys.

Psyllium is your friend

I have not been so perky lately, so I am off kiwi and orange and anything else that may upset my overly sensitive stomach (low stomach acid... take it from me be careful with Nurofen!)

To get  me through this particularly stressful time I started taking psyllium at night in the hope that an ill effects would move fast through my body. And I am very happy to say it did help a little.

However, when taking this are regularly as a few days in a row my system slowed down as soon as I stopped taking it at night. I am not sure what the answer is, i could of course just take it everynight and probably wouldnt have this problem, but sometimes I just really cant force myself to drink it and metamucil makes me feel perfectly wretched, this is my only option.

I will continue to take Psyllium when I can at night when I have flare ups, and I would recommend it if you have gas issues like me or IBS (C)... I have even heard it read that psyllium helps those with IBS (D).

Good luck

Back to the Kiwi Fruit

I dont think Kiwi is having an impact on my FODMAP symptoms, but I do think that on its own it can be a bit strong for my stomach...i have funny stomach acid.

I think Kiwi can be a problem when its overripe, to be honest I think most fruits are a problem for us if they are overripe.... even banana's sometimes dont sit well.

I try to get our fruit at the local markets because they are normally better, not bananas for some reason, but sometimes they mature too quickly and when your hungry and its all that is around you go for it.... well I do anyway and then I pay the price : (

It wasnt the kiwi fruit

My gut is just having a bad few weeks... probably stress related... ah the joys of IBS.

Kiwi Fruit

Last week my Kiwi fruit was not ripe enough to eat so I went without. My system was pretty good by the end of the week... however I returned to the kiwi over the weekend and I have noticed that not all is well.

So in order to determine if it is the Kiwi's fault, I am going off Kiwi Fruit for a week...I will let you know how it goes.

Eating too fast

Ever since I was little I gobbled my food down, it didnt matter if it was good or not so good I ate it with gusto. As a FODMAP/IBS sufferer feeling bloated is just the start.

I had lunch yesterday, I gobbled it down in five minutes. Three hours later the discomfort started, then my back flared up. Only a peppermint tea, with a peppermint oil chaser pushed it through and I was able to go to my dinner... where I did the exact same thing ... and at 11:45pm whilst saying goodbye to my friend another ball of hell descended and left me hunched and fighting to stand. When I got home a warm pack on my stomach, a cold pack on my back and a peppermint tea in hand helped me get through the worst... and it was bad my friends, I felt like my body was about to explode.

Peppermint tea got me through it in the end. But I learnt my lesson in a big way all in one crazy day!

New Monash Low FODMAP book!

Just got my new Monash Low FODMAP diet book in the mail and to be honest I havent been this excited about a book arrival since I ordered the first ten Astrix comic books!

What really grabbed my attention was the nuts... cashews are now a no go zone and Almonds and Hazelnuts are to be restricted to 10 a serving, we can eat Japanese pumpkin (how freaking exciting it that!!), we can have 5 snowpeas in a sitting and Broccoli is down to 1/4 a cup per serving.

I noticed that the shopping guide and which foods contain poorly absorbed FODMAP's sections differ on serving sizes. As a greedy food person i am going to stick to lower numbers... life is just to short to feel like a decomposing cow!

If your interesting in getting the Monash guide its a steal at only $10 (australian)

http://www.med.monash.edu.au/ehcs/research/index.html

Stress and IBS

I wish I was into meditation, it's a huge reliever of stress, and though I find hours to spend watching the television, the idea of just sitting and focusing on my breathing or relaxing my muscles on by one is too much to bear!

There is nothing quite like stress (in my case family stress) to mess up your digestive system if you have IBS. I know that if I do meditate I feel better, the tightness in my shoulders is less pronounced and I feel like I have more energy the next day.. because I slept well the night before. But I just cant seem to push myself there.

If you like me have an irritable bowel which is exceedingly emotional! Try to meditate and let me know how you go : )

Cereal

I love cereal... so with summer coming on I picked two from my FODMAP book that were supposed to be well tolerated. I had it for breakfast and sometimes for an after dinner snack. My system hasn't been to good lately, mostly in the afternoons, and at first I blamed the ranch dressing I put on my salad. When it didnt get better I thought it may have been the strepsils throat lozengers I was using (FYI eat before you have these if you have a sensitive stomach... does not feel good, not terrible but not good). But after a day of abstaining I wasnt any better. That night I had some cereal. The next morning I awoke with the same symptoms I had been experiencing every afternoon that week.... it all clicked.... the cereal!

The week before I had realised I had a small problem with high density bread and have cut back from 2 slices of spelt bread to 1 for lunch.

It appears that my fragile system is struggling with high density carbohydrates... so its back to porridge for me. I had it this morning, the small amount of milk we had I saved for my coffee, so plain porridge with water was my breakfast. I feel good for the first time in days : )

The cereal I was using was Freedom Foods corn flakes and Food for healths fruit free clusters with Chia.

GF Chocolate cup cakes

Now this batter will make about 24 to 26 full sized cupcakes, but they can be too much at this size. Its a very strong flavour and very dense. I used this batter to make mini cupcakes, I just halved the ingredients. It made 48 mini cupcakes. I would recommend a glaze icing with this. If you try it with a butter frosting let me know how you go : )

Compliments of the Crabapple Bakery

Choc Cupcakes

350g butter
450g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 1/2 cups almond meal
2 cups cocoa
10 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat over to 140'C.

Combine butter, chocolate and castor sugar in a saucepan over a low heat (or put a stainless steel bowl over boiling water). Mix continuously with a flat-bottoned wooden spoon until melted and smooth. Sift the almond meal and cocoa into a bowl. add the chocolate mixture and beat for 1 minute on low speed. The mixture should be thoroughly combined.

Add eggs two at a time, beathing after each additiontuntil the mixture is well combined (do not over-beat or too much air will be incorporated and the cupcakes will crack during baking. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between cupcake cases. Bake for 30 minutes (even if you make mini muffins I would aim for around here) or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays and cool on a wire rack for 40 minutes before frosting.

GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is something so moorish about these cookies. I gave some to my neighbour one day and she just stood there eating them one by one, she just couldn't help herself. If you make them for yourself be warned!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
135g soft brown sugar
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups gluten free plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
170g good quality dark chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 180' C (360'F). Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda over the butter mixture, then stir to combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place spoonfuls of mixture on the prepared baking trays and press gently to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until light golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 24 (108 cal each)

If you mix it well the brown sugar wont be too noticeable.

Thomas Corner, Noosaville

I couldn't have anything off their fancy menu and was getting rather frustrated when the kind waitress said she would see what she could do.

She spoke to the chef and said they could give me some braised chicken with mash and beans.... it was divine!!!!!! It was a little piece of heaven.... at $30 a meal I should hope so but these days things can be a bit hit and miss.

The staff were so lovely and accommodating and the food was just divine, we were all commenting on the quality. I would highly recommend this place if your visiting Noosa.... oh and the gelato place out the front is not that great. Its not linked with Thomas Corner.

The Little Larder, New Farm Brisbane

I recently popped into the Little Larder, New Farm, for some breakfast with my boy. After speaking with the waiter and informing him of my limited options he came back with eggs.... I didn't feel like eggs so I had a scrumptious chocolate and citrus cake instead... not the best idea for 10 in the morning!

They were so nice and tried so hard that I felt a little embarrassed, which was not helped by their clear annoyance at going to such lengths and finding nothing for me. They do have a gluten free bread but it has pistachios in it so no dice. The food is pretty good but onion appears everywhere so finding an option can be difficult.

If you want a great breakfast I would really recommend this place.... just take your own bread if you need carbs with your meals like me!

The cake dilema

I love cake. I love its squishy texture and the sweetness of the frosting. I dont make cakes too often.. i eat them to fast and now... well its my partners birthday and there is mudcake in the fridge... I cant resist!!!

I just keep having a slice and telling myself I will be ok... I dont think I am ok. I tell myself its all the potato I have been eating (potato salad from party) but the fearful truth may be staring me in the face. Its the cake!!

I cant resist food... sweet and chocolaty I find myself standing in front of it and the impulse to eat is too strong.... I just cant resist. My brain has all sorts of ways of making it all ok.. but it never is.

Junk Food

In four days I ate a hot dog and chips, A McDonalds Chicken and Bacon Deluxe and Chips and a Steak sandwich with chips on the side. I keep saying how tired I am... I keep wondering why.. but as I write this the reality hits me square in the face.... my body is exhausted because it is working overtime to process all this hideous crap in my system.... and today I had pancakes (GF), bacon and fried banana with maple syrup for lunch.... why dont I learn!!!

Its the equivalent of a food hangover, your system feels sluggish, you feel sluggish, your body cant handle the heat.

Lollies

They taste so good you can never stop at four or even 8. They call out to be gobbled down with gusto and in conforting quantities. But alas, they come with a price... slight though it may be, good it is not. After a week of enjoying Allen's new caramel Chico's I find myself a little more tired then last week.... sleep disturbance from a stressed out tummy tends to do that to you.

If I have more then a few, and I mean a few, It doesnt digest properly, leaving me in a frustrated state. Sue Sheppherd has created some lollies for us, but the postage is through the roof and no-where near me stocks them.... they are good though. If you see them and you like the lolli without the consequences I would highly recommend you stock up when you see them at GF expo's and the like.

Soft Spelt Bread

If you are like me and live in Brisbane and have been unable to locate a bakery that does soft Spelt loaves, reminiscent of a Bakers Delight wholemeal loaf, fear not. For on the beautiful Sunshine Coast there is a Bakery making Spelt bread which you can make a toasted sandwich out of without fear that it will rip your gums apart.... according to my dentist the tear in my gum will never heal!

It is called the Beach Bakery... though it is not on the beach. It is situated at 239 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville across from Noosa River. Next door you can find a lovely french patisserie... which of course you cannot indulge in!

A little down from the Bakery you will find the Red Emperor Fish and Chips.... they are pretty good.... or so I am told, I don't eat fish. I eat the steak burger, hold the onion!

If you are up there and you don't have gluten issues I would really recommend their Spelt Loaves. The staff is really friendly and they sometimes have other spelt products.

FYI if anyone knows somewhere in Brisbane which is making a fluffy Spelt anything... PLEASE let me know!

For the love of Donuts

I miss donuts terribly! Everytime I see a Donut King all I can think about it the doughy goodness.....Memories

However we dont have to miss out entirely. The fantastic Nigella Lawson has a recipe that can almost fill that void... and I mean almost..... nothing can beat the real thing.

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/doughnut-french-toast-71

Just substitute spelt bread, or those of us lucky enough to be able to eat a smigen of wholemeal in a week, for white bread and presto!

I could have cut and paste but it just wouldnt feel right when Nigella has been kind enough to pop it up for us!

Magnum Ego Mini's

After looking through my Sue Shepherd Low Fodmap Shopping book
http://shepherdworks.com.au/shop/low-fodmap-diet-5th
I noticed that Magnum Ego's were on the list, but not their mini counterpart. I decided it must have been a mistake. They are only mini and therefor must be fine.

I ate 3 of them over the course of two weeks. It took me until number three to realise that after each, I had FODMAP symptoms. I had been blaming everything else but the ice cream until i had a very bland meal of chicken and veg and couldn't escape the truth.


I love ice-cream. I was so upset when Ice-cream sandwich's made me sick.

I should point out here that it was my obsession with Skinny Cow ice cream which pushed my system over the edge in the first place. It was the final straw for my body, smashing my intestines with Sorbitol every night until finally it broke.

.... For those of you not as yet aware, many companies are adding fibre to dairy products, Sorbitol (Skinny Cow) and Inulin (Vaalia) are the big ones to watch out for.

If you are worried about your fibre intake Psyllium Husk and Metamucil are better alternatives. You can add Psyllium to your breakfast cereal or smoothies. Don't forget Kiwi Fruit!

Oranges

After my two week fruit hiatus, I went in with gusto to find myself with some serious fodmap action. Turns out it was the ever luscious orange!!

I cannot describe the depths off my despair... I think its just too much fructose in the serve... they are so big and luscious. So sticking to bananas and smaller fruits like mandarin's and Kiwi fruit.

If you find yourself following everything and having problems please consider your serves.

On the plus side two cups of warm peppermint oil tea helped with the symptoms! What a godsave. Just dont hit it too hard, it can coat your mouth most unpleasantly!

2 Weeks without fruit

After a visit to my Kinesiologist I decided to take my no raw food to the next level and removed fruit from my diet.

It was tough and I cant say it did me any good. All I wanted was sugar and I felt even more lethargic than usual. I would recommend giving it a go though, fruit is such an easy one to over do... I forget that wine is derived from grapes or that tomato is a fruit... it does tend to get me into trouble a little more than it should.

I do love fruit though.. of all the things I miss a fruit salad and croissants is up there.

Its sweet, feels fantastic when it hits your belly and provides you with a light, i am talking orange and mandarines here, airy feeling. My first bit of fruit after two weeks was a mandarine. I was sitting in the car to visit my grandma, and I went halvies with my boy. It felt so lovely in my mouth, sliding down my throat and sat quite pleasantly in my stomach... which is always lovely... particularily when you have our problems.

I would give one piece of advice though, if you are worried about something, cut it out for a week and see how you go. Life is too short my dears and we dont we have enough misery already!

Psyllium Husk

I googled IBS and a Wikipedia page turned up
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritable_bowel_syndrome

In the diet section there was an entry regarding Psyllium Husk. According to Wiki 'There is convincing evidence that soluble fiber supplementation (e.g., psyllium) is effective in the general IBS population'.

It was not properly referenced, but I decided to give it a go. I have been adding just one teaspoon to my porridge in the morning. This has been going on for about a week and a half.

My experiment went awry when I started eating lots of crap last week.

However the body has not been as bad as it could have been. And I think perhaps the husk is to thank.

So I will continue to use it and let you know how I go : )

The dinner guest

When you are riddled with FODMAP intolerance being a dinner guest is especially hard. I feel constantly that i am putting people out. I feel the most for the ones who put so much time into getting it all right, only to realise, after i point it out, that onion is in the french onion soup mix.

I feel a bit of a nuisance... and hungry of course as i am normally left with little to eat and too much to drink. I have had the unfortunate experience of someone getting truly exasperated with me. Rolling her eyes and making hmph sounds (I find it fascinating that some people think more of their feelings then my health. The fact that i will not be able to stand, or sit comfortably in a few hours, doesn't matter to them in that moment of hurt pride). So now i come in fear.... fear of upsetting the host... but luckily most are gracious and kind, but still the horror of bad experiences linger.

I have also gotten to the stage where its not worth the risk, where i regret that beautiful piece of cake or dish and will no longer eat for fear of the inevitable consequences. Leaving my charming hosts a little put out.  But luckily they soon get over it and we chat away for hours about anything and everything.

Wrong

Something is wrong with my body... its not working right and i feel off everyday... it has been like this for the last 3 months, ever since i returned from Japan.

Over there i ate soba noodles, rice and a bit of veg every day and was in better health than this. I became very bored of this diet very quickly.

I have narrowed it down to two things.... yogurt or chocolate..... i pray it is not chocolate....

Easter

Ahh Easter. That special time of year when chocolate flows like a heavenly fountain over all of us.....how i love it.

By ensuring that i had FODMAP friendly gravy, onion in a bowl on the side of the Greek salad i thought i was in for a very happy day... until i found myself sitting right in front of a fruit fulled hot cross bun.... i couldn't help myself ... i reached over and cut it in half, covered it in butter and downed it with a smile.... i also had a teeny weeny glass of red wine....Bad idea AMY!

5 hours later my stomach informed me that it was not in a good mood.  It wasn't bad but it was there. And exhausted as i was i pulled myself together for my dinner guests and tried to forget about it... which i did successfully until i went to bed and realised that my stomach was full to my sternum... well that's how i felt. It took me a while to get to sleep because of the feeling.

I appear to have low stomach acid as well as FODMAP intolerance so as i waited to go to sleep i started to stress about the effect all this would have tomorrow ... luckily it wasn't too bad. Just slight discomfort. But its SO stressful... no wonder my system is so delicate, on top of the food issues the stress must be upsetting it to no end... SO frustrating.

Hint: I find that cook vegetables are easier for my body to process and really help with my FODMAP symptoms.

The expert

I don't really like discussing my FODMAP issues with people, to really explain i would have to go into how all these foods rot in my system producing painful amounts of gas and making my life a living hell, and that's just not pleasant.

What i found most interesting, or rather frustrating, is that based on the small amount of information i release into the world i get harassed, nagged and pushed regarding  what they think is wrong with me, and how they think i should deal with it. The fact that i have paid professionals to give me their opinion does not deter these people. I have been told that i HAVE to get a tube down my throat and see whats happening in my stomach. That i should be able to eat something even though its clearly on my listed on my list of dont's. They dont understand why i shouldn't be able to eat it. I dont care... if its hurts i dont eat it.

It's not everyone, its not persistent, but the experiences i have had were so stressful that i know shudder to say the words 'does it have onion in it?' because then the why's start and my shoulders become my new earrings.... as if i didnt have enough to put up with!

Peppermint oil and reflux

After a nice pasta dinner i waited an hour and a half to have a peppermint oil tea to help my digestion, unfortunately i ended up with some rather startling reflux. I had an awful night of it... and i have an interview today and i am dog tired.

Peppermint tea can have the same effect so please be careful... life is hard enough when your dealing with FODMAP's!

Birthday....

So its my 27th birthday. I have my day planned to be FODMAP free an clear... until i have a mocha... 6 hours later and here comes the pain. I just didn't think.. which is normally how I get myself into this mess.

I had slight issues the night before, my lovely neighbour made me fried rice with Chinese sausage... no onion of course, but it did not sit well....It does not help that just before 1 am some lovely thieves decided to abandon a stolen vehicle in front of my complex and i had to stand outside in the cold giving a statement to police... who stayed there for the next 2 hours inspecting the vehicle. I only slept after the two truck picked it up!

And then this... pain and broken sleep to end my birthday! Sometimes i feel that it will just never get over that hurdle... doesn't help that yogurt (the ones with lots of cultures) has been added to my list of no goes and i have to drastically reduce my meat intake.... again.

The list may be getting longer, the pain and aggravation is still present, but I still have hope : )

Greek Yiros

We arrive home Saturday night around 6 exhausted from our day in the hot car. We ordered take out from our favourite Greek restaurant and sat at home with our Chinese containers drinking in the beautiful smells.

Almost immediately i saw something in my food which looked like a very fine slither of onion. I couldnt be sure and it didnt seem likely. I savoured every mouthful of my meal, but the whole time i worried... was it onion i saw?

After dinner i had a peppermint tea in an attempt to escape from the heaviness i felt in my stomach (a little oily, but in a good way).

I woke in the night it was 2 am. The first thing that came to mind was my stomach, did i have any FODMAP symptoms... but no. There was nothing and i felt my muscles relax. I went back to sleep and woke up with a smile on my face the next day.

There is so much worry when you eat out, the threat of something slipping in fills me with anxiety as i try to enjoy my meal. And if i win that battle i have to worry about the oil or the fact that my stomach wants carbs and the few croutons in my salad just wont cut it today.

BAH!

Peppermint

I am sure you have all heard about the might properties of peppermint by now. I cant say i recommend the tablets... gave me indigestion and i have enough problems with that, but 1 drop in some warm water does wonders for me. You could say is soothes the savage beast that is my gas filled intestines on a bad day.

Now all i need is a cure for my indigestion!!

The FODMAP dilema

Im out with friends, its a fantastic Japanese restaurant. They order entree's, I eat 2 tempura vegetable's. I then have some chicken and meat with a (tiny) side serving of steamed rice. I am starving. But I soldier on, I will have a little something when i get home.

I watch them eat cake... it looks so divine. Then we stand up to leave. Within 2 minutes of standing my stomach has swollen out and the buttons of my dress look dangerously close to popping point. I am desperate to leave but I stand around for a little while chatting at the end of the night. I almost run for the car.

As soon as I get home the kettle is on and I am sitting on the couch listening for the boil while I hold my fist behind my back trying to massage away the pressure. I am up and down all night. The next day I roll out of bed feeling like I have a hangover.

I have FODMAP intolerance, I bloat so much I now have lower back problems. I am only 26, soon to be 27, and it literally controls my life.

If I wasnt able to eat chocolate, I wouldnt leave the house.

It's not easy, but hopefully my journey will be helpful to someone out there.