bianca. Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Is anyone else who has been following the FODMAPS diet going to continue this during the Whole 30 or just do the full fruit/veggie/nut inclusion for the 30 days? After years struggling with digestive issues I found the FODMAP diet over a year ago and have been following it since (firstly very strictly, but have slowly been introducing more and more foods). While I was 80% better than I used to be, I'm still nowhere near 100%. I tried "paleo" for two weeks (which basically just meant I cut out grains and my lactose-free dairy) but substituting what I cut out for more nuts/nut flours etc. made me worse - so I cut out nuts for two weeks and felt slightly better but still having problems. I am very excited to start the Whole 30 as I feel its really the only thing I've not tried to see if it helps reset my digestive system (except the only other things I've not tried cutting out are eggs, nightshades and shellfish - but don't feel these would help significantly if at all). I used to be able to eat anything I wanted during school and afterwards but I think after a few terrible bouts of food poisoning on holidays in Asia my stomach hasn't been the same since. I've had every test under the sun and tried so many elimination diets, I'm not really sure what else to do - apart from the Whole 30. So bring it on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted January 2, 2014 Moderators Share Posted January 2, 2014 You might benefit from working on improving your gut bacteria by including fermented foods in your diet on a regular basis - sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, coconut kefir. What you eat is only part of the equation. The content of your gut is also important. Over the years, I tried probiotic pills without much success, but am taking one called Prescript-Assist Probiotic right now from Radiant Life that seems to be working for me: http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/product/prescript-assist-probiotic/probiotics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writergirl022 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Hi Bianca, I'm starting the W30 program tomorrow, and also avoid FODMAP foods. Our family has been strictly Paleo for about 6 months, and I had been SCD for about 3 before we all went Paleo. I have ulcerative colitis, and have found dietary changes to be incredibly helpful! I'm one of the unlucky few who does not do well at all with probiotics. I've tried many brands, including prescription strength VSL#3 and also the one Tom mentioned, Prescript Assist. While I don't do well with those, I am having much better luck adding resistant starch to my diet (which helps create a probiotic-friendly gut environment, rather than supplements with the actual probiotics). It's a slower process than taking the probiotics, but it seems to be the only thing my gut will handle! I'll do the W30 with you along with avoiding FODMAPs. You aren't alone in that challenge! Now, I need to do some poking around the site to make sure I understand which resistant starches are W30 accepted! I'm sure we'll both feel much better this time next month! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Plantains and sweet potatoes are W30 accepted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca. Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hi Tom, My naturopath recommended this probiotic - http://www.nutritioncare.com.au/products?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=33&category_id=1 (the ingredients are: Lactobacillus rhamnosus 40 billion cfu & Bifidobacterium longum 4.5 billion cfu....also free from added salt, yeasts, wheat, preservatives, artificial colours and flavours, non-dairy, gluten-free; vegetable capsule shell). The bottle was 30 capsules and I took one after dinner each night... after finishing the bottle I still couldn't really see any noticeable improvement so I've not yet bought another bottle, want to see how I feel after my w30 first. A question you might be able to advise on though, I used to get frequent acid reflux (went on the prescription train there for awhile with Omeprazole/Pariet until I found out that was doing me worse than good - thanks Chris Kresser) and since have been taking a HCl supplement after each meal and have found this to really help my upper gut disturbance. This is the one I take - http://www.ethicalnutrients.com.au/content/products/digestion-plus (I know it says lactose by the naturopath said this content was negligable?). I have seen the successful testimonials in relation to acid reflux and am thinking I should stop taking this as well while doing the w30... I feel I want to go as natural as possible to see what the cause of my digestive issues are. PS I'll message you Writergirl022 so happy to have a buddy.... as I just finished reading the book last night and realised I need to cut out all nuts and seeds too! freaking out a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writergirl022 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Yay on the plantains and sweet potatoes! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Oh, and I've had big improvements cutting down my nightshades, rather than eliminating them altogether. I used to eat crazy amounts of them in a single meal, now I even go whole days without any, sometimes even a week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca. Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 that's interesting about the nightshades - is that purely for IBS issues or was there some auto-immune problems you wanted to clear up? I'm following the IBS protocol as that is my main problem… I don't think I could class my poor digestion as anything near an auto-immune disease? So following the w30 as normal but eliminating all nuts and seeds, coffee (inc decaf) and my main FODMAPs that I know irritate me 100% (onion, cauliflower, leek, broccoli, etc.). I am hoping I'll see an improvement after 30 days…. which will provide motivation to continue eating this way to see if I can heal my gut…. if I don't see any results I am going to try the AIP (eliminating eggs and nightshades completely) as that's the only thing I haven't tried yet! From personal/other people's experiences you may have read do you think 30 days is enough to really see a noticeable improvement if nuts/seeds/grains are the main cause of irritants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EatTrainClean Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 This is super-helpful, if you haven't found it already: http://www.whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Shopping-List-FODMAP.pdf I would definitely try cutting out the nightshades right away, as they may be a cause. Reading through all your posts, I don't see what else there could really be, unless a very specific food allergy or very poor gut dysbiosis. 30 days is often enough, but 90 days is sometimes recommended. It is an n=1 situation, unfortunately. Good luck, keep us updated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FODMAP Challenged Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi! I am doing the Whole 30 FODMAP Free too. This is the end of my first week and I have had incredible changes to my diegestion. I normally eat clean the majority of the time, but this is the first time I have tried this approach. There are many things that I find I react to, and its getting worse. I have IBS-C and this is the first time in years I have been able to decrease my med significantly. I am trying cocnut milk out today - but in the past coconut has been bad - so im crossing my fingers. I am cutting out all nuts too - bc too hard for me to digest right now. Keeping nightshades to a minimum and drinking bone broth too. Very happy with making some progress with my gut, however, lacking variety. Everything except the cucumber/tomato salad I am making is cooked. Anyone else in the same boat? Bianca - how is your experience going? Any tips? I discovered yesterday that I apparently can only tolerate aproximately 1/2 c of low FODMAP fruit daily. Bloated today and feeling a bit yucky. Anyone else have this too? Glad to hear I'm not alone! Oh - also, I cut out soluble fiber as much as possible because I am making my diet SIBO approved (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Not sure if this is also why things are moving much better, but it is really having a positive effect. Wondering when to test soluble fiber introduction, but its too soon I think. Anyone else have experience with potential SIBO or FODMAP and Nightshade avoidance diets? Tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beli Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi all! I'm thinking of joining you in this experiment. I have been eating paleo for a year and a half now. I'm at the end of my Whole30 but I'm extending it to a Whole60. This first part I have followed the regular guidelines plus eliminating caffeine, but since my digestion has actually gotten worse, I want to experiment with eliminating more things to see if I can catch the culprit. About me: I have IBS since early childhood —I'm 36— with dire tummy pain and constipation (Is this what's IBS-C, FODMAP challenged?). Over the last decade I have improved through several discoveries: - better sleep, -kefir and -eliminating dairy. Things were not great but ok until this last month. Two weeks into my Whole30 I started having constipation and I'm still trying to find a solution. About the same time I also started taking a probiotic, so maybe it could be that? Anyway, currently or before, my digestion has always be poor and I have other issues too. I wonder what protocol to experiment: FODMAP, SIBO, AIP, night shades, all...? About the nuts, they are approved on Whole30, but it's recommended to keep quantities under a handful per day, and not make a snack of them, —rather: add some to your meal from time to time. However, many people find they don't do well on nuts or can't keep consumption under control and prefer to skip them altogether. I did the experiment to cut them out entirely for 5 days, and then when I ate some cashews my head ached. Valuable lesson. Bianca: Is it possible you caught a parasite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca. Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 Hi FODMAP Challenged and Beli ! I can completely empathise with you…. I've been on this "digestive journey" for around 8 years now… trying to figure out what could possibly be causing my issues…. and it can be so overwhelming at times… one day you're meant to eliminate something, the next its a completely different plan and what you weren't allowed previously you can have…. to cut a long story short, the only thing that I have found to reduce my symptoms was the FODMAP diet - I followed this very strictly for a year but now include more things from certain groups. I recently received some blood test results showing that my oestrogen was severely low - like almost non-existent… which I think could have a LOT to do with my issues. I've had to stop the Whole 30 strictly (however I still eat 95% paleo and some FODMAPS free) but the main thing is working on building up my oestrogen levels - I have to take life at a slower pace, stop my high intensity gym (which was about 5 days a week) and try not to stress about my food. I still think a parasite infection from getting severe food poisoning at a traumatic time has damaged my gut… and that it might not be the fact that a certain food is affecting me, but rather my stomach is damaged and it can't tolerate anything (in high doses) so those FODMAPS, grains, nuts/seeds etc. that wouldn't normally aggregate someone has an effect on me. I also had to take PPI medication because the doctor thought I had high stomach acid..which I know now was low stomach acid! Taking BCl with digestive enzymes seems to help but I still have a fullness after every meal… feeling like it sits there. I am hoping once I fix these hormonal issues everything else will regain balance and I'll be able to feel normal again… who knows… if it doesn't, I'll go down the Whole30 path again One thing I can say if you're planning to follow the FODMAPS diet is you MUST download the app from Monash University. Its about $10AUD but in my opinion completely worth every cent and more. You can read the Sue Shepherd book and look at the foods online but the main thing is the portions. For example, sweet potato is 'allowed' but if you have more than 1/4 cup then it can be high in FODMAPS…. Almonds are ok but more than 10 are high in FODMAPS… etc. it has a LOT to do with the quantity, and this is the only thing that will show you every food in detail and the quantities of it… it seriously helped me and is a must for someone starting the strict elimination process. It also keeps getting updated as new research is produced (which is continually!) so its the only way to get the correct and most updated information. I'm also considering probiotics to build up the good bacteria in my gut… but am still sitting on the fence, I've tried some previously at different times… but only ever for a month or so… maybe this wasn't long enough as I didnt see a change at all… and felt like it was just money down the drain. However I'm still curious as I know a lot of people have had success on them… Anyway hopefully that wasn't just a ramble and was somewhat helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkord5 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 One thing I can say if you're planning to follow the FODMAPS diet is you MUST download the app from Monash University. Its about $10AUD but in my opinion completely worth every cent and more. You can read the Sue Shepherd book and look at the foods online but the main thing is the portions. For example, sweet potato is 'allowed' but if you have more than 1/4 cup then it can be high in FODMAPS…. Almonds are ok but more than 10 are high in FODMAPS… etc. it has a LOT to do with the quantity, and this is the only thing that will show you every food in detail and the quantities of it… it seriously helped me and is a must for someone starting the strict elimination process. It also keeps getting updated as new research is produced (which is continually!) so its the only way to get the correct and most updated information. HI there, I'm on Day 6 and I've been following the Low Fodmap diet along the way. I'm not a serious case - I think for me it's all things in moderation but I do have triggers like onion, garlic, honey gluten etc. I agree with Bianca that it's all about the quantities and I would definitely recommend a probiotic and some Kombucha too. I haven't had any pains to speak of and I've been having a handful of nuts each day. Good luck with it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracita Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 What does the FODMAP include? (Or not include, if that list is shorter). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 What does the FODMAP include? (Or not include, if that list is shorter). Thanks! Here is the FODMAP shopping list if that helps. http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-FODMAP.pdf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracita Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Thanks Tina! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jbean323 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I have been on a (half assed) Low FODMAP diet for about a month but I'm ready to fully commit to a low fodmap/ whole30 diet. I have IBS with SIBO and Fibromyalgia. My Dr wants me to start an antibiotic regimen to treat SIBO but i would like to try to treat on my own with diet first. I'm having some difficulty finding recipes or meal planning ideas with Fodmap approved ingredients that are also whole30 compliant. Is there some references anyone could recommend? Or do I just have to figure out my own substitutions or minus the "bad" ingredients? (I'm not much of a chef to begin with... But I would like to learn) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca. Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 I've got a multitude of recipes that are FODMAP free (in word documents at the moment until my website is up) if you wanted to message me your email I'm happy to share… otherwise the best/easiest thing to do is search Whole 30 recipes (there are so many listed in the Whole9 resources) and then substitute/remove the FODMAP ingredients Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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