Fructose Malabsorbtion

After two years on the FODMAP diet I realised that I wasnt as good as I had hoped. I was still really really tired all the time and though my symptoms were pretty good, I still didnt feel what I would call comfortable.

I decided about a month ago to stop eating fruit again (i tried for two weeks in 2012 and perceived no difference in my symptoms). This time my symptoms have improved. Even my partner has commented on how much better i 'appear' to be. I am still tired all the time, but i dont feel as heavy or bloated .... the gas produciton has also been on a downslide.

If you like me are not getting the results you are after, maybe try to remove a few things entirely from your diet and just see if there is an improvement.

I cant say I am all worked out, after two years of trying I am still not what I would call good in that general area. But its allot better than it was :  )

Fructose Malabsorbtion and Fruit Teas

On a rather cool Monday afternoon I decided to try a Berry Zinger tea.... almost as soon as I had finished it symptoms started. At the time I thought it might have been something else, I didn't see how a tea could produce such a flare up.

However the next morning when I woke up with my FODMAP hangover it clicked for me that it might have been the tea. I check the ingredients and not only did it have chicory (something we should be careful of), it had a multitude of dried fruit extracts.

I did a quick search and found this

http://www.livestrong.com/article/449550-fructose-malabsorption-herbal-teas/

Tea is hard for us particularly if you are sensitive to caffeine. If your keen for a warm drink with no caffeine and milk you can always have ginger (you can use fresh ginger too:), chamomile (if you get it loose leaf you can control how much you have), Roobios or peppermint (be careful with peppermint can cause indigestion if taken to close to food).

Just a piece of advice. Try and stick with organic teas. I was drinking regular teas and started getting stomach cramps from them. Switched to organic on the advice of a friend and haven't had any problems since : )

Stress and IBS

I dont think I need to tell anyone just how much stress can impact on ones IBS symptoms. Those of us that are worriers have a touch of this pretty much every day. But nothing compares to those big stressful events that we all have to go through. They bring with them emotional upheaval and generally an erratic change in diet.

I know that when stressful, might i add awful events happen, that our FODMAP diet is the least of our worries. But the flare ups make everything just that little bit harder. Please make sure you have peppermint tea/oil and some Psyllium to keep any flare ups under control. Keep taking your morning walk and drinking as much water as you can.

When life gets hard, in the first world at least, we owe it to ourselves to take just a few moments to try and keep our IBS in hand.

I know this sounds like rubbish, but trust me. After going through my own very stressful experience I could have done without the intensity of the flare ups I experienced.

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