Cooking for people with FODMAP intolerance.. what not to do

I was asked over to a dinner party recently and in order to assist the preparations I sent through my FODMAP list.

When the evening finally arrived I was informed that we would be having something with apples in it. I could have 1 they told me, they had checked. I figured they would have checked my list and as I didn't have it on me I trusted their judgement. However 4 hours later when the pain started i started to wonder.

I checked my list the next day and apples were definitely on the list and there was no leeway. It got me to thinking where they must have found this. I was too embarrassed to ask them in case they realised they had make me sick (and i was for three days).

It dawned on me about the second day in that they must have searched the Internet and found something/someone with an alternate version of my Monash approved list and used it instead of mine.

So for those of you cooking for your friends with FODMAP or other allergies/intolerances ... if they say they cant have it, they cant have it. As much as you love your friends and want to show off your skills, remember you are playing with someones HEALTH and may cause them actual pain. They will resent you forever for dismissing their feelings and needs.

If you have food issues tell your friends not to deviate and stick to YOUR list.

They love you, but they cant really understand how playing with things could harm you. So spell it out and pray you dont get sick... funny isnt it... i get IBS symptoms just from the stress of eating somewhere new for fear they will make me sick and I will pay for it.

Sometimes you just cant win... but hey, aint it good when you do : )

ah Christmas

I love Christmas. I love the presents, the crooning songs that give you a brief insight into your 6 year old self sitting on the floor in front of your grandmothers Christmas tree and realising that you had in your possession a Barbie whose arms and legs could actually move at all the joints and most excitedly... her head could move up and down, the chats with family all over the country and of course the food.

The giant heaps of food that you simply cannot resist. And i am not talking FODMAP food that you cant eat but dont stop yourself, i mean the food that you can eat, and because of that you over indulge.

I must admit that i am a bit of a guts. I love food, and i eat is quickly and without savour. This of course leads to a resurgence in Fodmap problems (i have low stomach acid as well) and a rather unpleasant holiday experience. SO my advice... after spending two weeks blown up like a whale. Slow down, savour those incredible morsels and be careful with the wine. Fructose is in wine and if you are enjoying a glass with a berry filled dessert you may encounter problems.

Also prepare for people to 'forget' that you cant eat certain things. there is no shame in bringing your own sandwich in a little cold bag just in case. You dont have to starve!! (this happened to a family member of my partners who showed up at her sister in laws and was lucky enough to be able to eat some of the salad... the very small salad and starved for the rest of the 5 hours she was there!!)

I know this is all too little too late, but perhaps when your googling around for some advice in December 2013 this may help you prepare for the season to come : )

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.