The low Fodmap diet is so much more than just the list of good and bad foods that your health practitioner hands you – if they mention the diet at all!
It is a complex and confusing diet that, when done accurately, is miraculous. Therefore, don’t give up on it just because you are not having immediate success with it. The list of good and bad foods will get you only so far.
Those of us with IBS malabsorb Fodmaps (the short-chain carbohydrates in food). We are not allergic and we are not intolerant to them. Thank goodness or we would die of malnutrition because Fodmaps are in fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. In fact, everywhere except in protein meats and pure fat. So, we have to choose the correct foods and eat them in the correct amounts per meal. Easier said than done and that’s where most people get confused. But add the issue of “stacking” to the mix and most people throw their hands in the air in desperation.
I have mentioned how important amounts are in this diet and that’s where the issue of stacking can come in. For example, you can have ½ a cup of canned lentils per meal and you can also have ¼ a cup of canned chickpeas per meal. But these two foods contain the same Fodmap – galacto-oligosaccharides. If you have both in the same meal, you have just doubled the permitted amount of galacto-oligosaccharides per meal. Another example, if you have the permitted ½ cup of sweet potato and the permitted ¼ stalk of celery in the same meal, you will have doubled the permitted amount of mannitol you can have per meal.
Therefore you have to know not only the amount of each food you can consume but what Fodmap is in each permitted food so you can avoid “stacking”.
If you can put all this together and not stray from the diet, you will be on your way to eliminating your IBS symptoms. However you still need to take into account other gut irritants that may waylay your best efforts. I will talk about those next week.
Meanwhile, if you know about all this and still can’t get the diet right, please do book a free phone call with me to discuss your IBS and the possibility of private coaching. I have had well over one thousand clients through my 6-week program and I have a success rate of more than 95%. There is life on the other side of this distressing affliction.
Joyce Coleman says
Thank you, Suzanne, for this information regarding stacking. I have not been thinking about stacking. You provide so much good information.
Kind regards,
Joyce
Suzanne Perazzini says
It is one of the most neglected elements of the diet.
Deborah says
I’m afraid I’m more confused than ever
Suzanne Perazzini says
I am sorry to hear that. Can you explain what is confusing?
Sara says
Such a great reminder! Thanks Suzzanne:)
Suzanne Perazzini says
You are welcome!
Nicola says
Can you advise is this diet suitable for an eating disorder recovered with ibs. Many thanks
Suzanne Perazzini says
Yes, it is. I have had several clients who have had eating disorders in the past. However, the approach has to be slightly different.
Jackie says
Hi, Suzanne,
Thank you for doing a great job explaining how thoughtful you need to be with your diet and how you should spread out Fodmaps throughout the day instead of stacking them in one meal. Do you use a chart to keep track of all of this?
Suzanne Perazzini says
No, there is no chart. Just don’t stack them in any one meal.