It's All About Diet (Part 7 - FODMAP [New Updates])

It's All About Diet (Part 6 - FODMAP [Spring Onion FODMAP Hack])

It's All About Diet (Part 5 - FODMAP [Food Additives & FODMAPs])

Those who are following a low-FODMAP diet should be aware of the E numbers/food additive numbers as some of these can irritate the gut.

1. E100-199 = colourings 
2. E200-299 = preservatives 
3. E300-399 = antioxidants & acidity regulators 
4. E400-499 = thickeners, stabilisers & emulsifiers 
5. E500-599 = acidity regulators & anti-caking agents 
6. E600-699 = flavour enhancers 
7. E700-799 = antibiotics 
8. E900-999 = glazing agents, gases & sweeteners 
9. E1000-1599 = additional additives 

* the list above is taken from HERE

Sugar polyols are widely used as sweeteners in food. They are:

1. Sorbitol (E420 or 420)

• This is often used in diet drinks, ice-cream, mints, cough syrups and sugar-free chewing gums. This is also found in mouthwashes and toothpastes.
• Sorbitol is also used as a laxative or enema because of its 'laxative effects'.

2. Mannitol (E421 or 421)

• This is used as a coating for hard candies, dried fruits and chewing gums. Mannitol is also added to chewable tablets.

3. Isomalt (E953 or 953)

• This is used in hard-boiled candies and sugar sculpted cakes. It is mainly used as edible decorations in cake decorating.

4. Maltitol(E965 or 965)

• This is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gums, chocolates, baked goods and ice-cream.

5. Lactitol (E966 or 966)

• This is used in sugar-free candies, cookies/biscuits, chocolate and ice-cream. This is also an ingredient in the drug called Adderall. 

6. Xylitol (E967 or 967)

• This is used in drugs and dietary supplements. It is also used in confectionaries, toothpastes and chewing gums. 

When sugar polyols are eaten in a large amount, it can cause some gut irritation even for people without IBS. What more for people with sensitive guts. Polyols cause extra water to be dragged into the intestines, thus triggering soft/liquid stools or can result in diarhoea. 

To read more about this, click on FODMAP BLOG. 

It's All About Diet (Part 4 - FODMAP [The Low Fodmap Vegan Protein Guide])

For those who are on the low-salicylate diet, chickpeas, lentils, tempeh, tofu, edamame, quinoa are permitted. Some people can tolerate pumpkin seeds.

*picture taken from HERE

Napa Cabbage (Wombok or Chinese)

I found out that this cabbage (called Napa or Nappa, Wombok or Chinese cabbage) is low in FODMAP. Apparently, it is also low in salicylates (if it is not, please leave a comment).

I guess it's another addition to the food I can take. It seems to be loaded with vitamin C and calcium.

I boiled the Chinese cabbage with one whole kampung chicken in the pressure cooker. It was delicious.

Shit Happened (Part 7)

Today is the 67th day since I weaned off Nexium.

It was really tough as the craving for Nexium was terrible. During the first 2 to 3 weeks, the reflux was terrible as the stomach was trying to adjust digestion without PPIs. It was haywire. I smelt a medicine smell exuding from my pores. I had withdrawal migraines. My mood was terrible as I was like a drug addict who went cold turkey. I had cold sweats. My palms were shaking. My mind was having a freak-storm. I was exhausted from fighting the withdrawal. If I remember correctly, I think this happened too when I weaned off Xyzal last year. But during these 67 days, all the horrible pain and severe acid reflux that I had been suffering since December slowly disappeared.

The cause of these 6 months of suffering was rebound-acid-reflux caused by Nexium! Instead of helping me with my GERD (which I thought I had), Nexium was destroying my gut system and caused it to become haywire.

During these 67 days I was off Nexium, as long as I maintained a low-FODMAP diet, I did not have any acid reflux (sometimes it was minimal). I have not had peace in my stomach (and PPI-free days) for such a long time. What Mr. Gastro said was 110% spot on. FODMAP caused IBS which mimicked GERD. By watching my diet and playing around with the FODMAP bucket (it's the same thing with salicylate), I could then live a life free of PPIs (and pain).

During this 67 days, the yellowness in both my palms (and at one time, my face) disappeared. I had thought I had jaundice at one point! I guess I was being poisoned by Nexium.

On days where I overloaded on FODMAP, the acid reflux/gassiness/heartburn would return. I would rinse my mouth and gargle with baking soda. Sometimes I needed to take Ranitidine/Zantac to help with the acid reflux. Once the IBS settled, the acid reflux and heartburn would be gone.

There were times where I had 1 whole week of peace and quiet! The severe pain in the upper, middle abdomen had even disappeared.

But as with foods with FODMAP, I am still learning the ropes as food with FODMAP contains prebiotics which help and promote the growth of probiotics (good bacteria). Food with FODMAP also helps with smooth digestion/pooping. I have to experiment (it's like learning how to balance food with salicylates all over again) the level of FODMAP my digestion is able to take before the bucket overflows which will trigger the cycle of IBS and then GERD all over again.

As I have been on PPIs for so many, many years, my digestion was affected. Absorption where vitamin B12 was not good at all. Thus, I started to take a vitamin B12 supplement. Dr. Yadav had advised me to do so too last year as he said that as we age, vitamin B absorption is not as good as when we were young. Plus, I have been on PPIs for such a long time. Imagine my levels of absorption! I have been taking B12 (Metylcobal) since mid-April. I started with one tablet a day at first. And then as the weeks went by with no reactions to it,  I slowly increased to two tablets a day. Currently, I am still on two tablets a day. The numbness, tingling and muscle weakness slowly went away. Sleep became more stable. I had more deep sleep, more quality sleep and became more refreshed, energised and did not have so much fatigue.

Click on HOW TO WEAN OFF PPIs AND WHY to read and understand more.

Click on LINK to read about how to wean off PPIs if you have GERD.

And if you do plan on weaning off PPIs, please consult your doctor/gastroenterologist before doing so!

Baked Saffron Chicken Breast Strips

Ingredients:

1. 3 chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
2. Sea-salt
3. A few strands of saffron
4. Black pepper (optional)
5. Oil

--------------------------------------

1. Mix all the above in a mixing bowl and leave it to marinade in the fridge overnight.

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

3. Preheat oven at 230C.

4. Spread the marinated chicken onto the tray evenly.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Allow to slightly cool before serving.

Bon appetit!

Trekking On

Today is the 58th day of being free from PPIs. It is the 49th day of being Xyzal free!

I now realise that the garlic which I had thought to have caused me to have gastric/reflux is actually an IBS symptom. Garlic is a definite high on the FODMAP food list. I've also been eating BREAD! Yes, I couldn't resist the temptation of bread. It was like I died and went to bread heaven. Again, this is high on the FODMAP diet. But one needs to know the amount that one can take before the IBS symptoms start to manifest. And the new gastro told me that I have to experiment and know my limit as everyone is different. Most of the time, it was the IBS that pushed the gas up to the stomach which then pushed the acid up to the esophagus. Once I had my food under control, there wasn't any IBS or 'reflux'.

I still get random itches here and there now and then. The good news is that the craving for Xyzal has lessened a lot. I've been consuming quite a lot of food high on the salicylate list. I've had broccoli, spinach, okra, corn, curry, turmeric and etc. I overdid it and my bucket overflowed. I had a nasty reaction two days ago and I had to take two piritons to help settle this episode. Well, it's back to low salicylate diet again for now. But I am so happy that today, I am able to tolerate better high levels of salicylate in food.

Will be working towards experimenting outside food in the future. But for now, it's still maintaining being drug-free and symptom-free.

The beginning of this journey: 1000 Kilometres and Candida

The second part of this journey: Candida & Dr. Yadav

The third part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part One)

The fourth part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part Two)

The fifth part of this journey: The New Hell Called Steroids!

The sixth part of this journey: Onward, Forward, No Looking Back

The seventh part of this journey: Moving On

Onward, Forward, No Looking Back

I went back to see Dr. Yadav two weeks after I first saw him in April. My results came back negative. I did not have cockroach allergy. He also tested for dust mites and all of them came back negative. My IgE was also at its lowest ever in history: 15. His conclusion was that I was 'extra-sensitive' to the bites. Usually people take about 2 months to overcome this kind of bites. It took me 7 months.

Dr. Yadav said that I've gotten very much stronger and that it was time to wean off Xyzal. I told him that I've attempted to do that many times but it has always failed. He adviced me to taper off slowly. In the past, I've attempted that but somehow no matter how I tried, it always failed. One day of no Xyzal would result in such terrible itching that I would immediately take Xyzal again to stop the maddening itch. I had even tapered from 2 tablets to 1/4 over the course of almost a year and yet I couldn't wean off it. The 'attack of the itch' was so relentless.

Dr. Yadav was worried about how it would affect my liver and kidneys as 8 years is a long, long time to be on Xyzal. No matter how 'safe' the doctors and pharmaceutical industry claim it to be, it is still medication. The liver and kidneys still need to work hard to detoxify. Add Nexium (PPI) (20 years) to the list and my system has been flooded with a very 'toxic' concoction.

This was further confirmed by the new gastro guy that I have to wean off PPIs and only use it when GERD strikes. 20 years is too long a time to be on PPIs. The damage it can cause to the liver, kidneys and bones is terrible. I'm 'lucky' that I am still fine. I hope that I will be fine until the day I die.

What new gastro said made sense but I needed to experiment to see whether he was right in his diagnosis. I became more aware of the FODMAP food that I put in my mouth. I kept a food diary once again and noted down all the reactions concerning my gut.

22nd of May 2017 was the day I stopped the PPI. New gastro guy had switched me to Controlloc for two weeks earlier and it still did not give me relief where reflux was concerned. I avoided all food with FODMAP. And I began scrutinising what I ate.

It suddenly dawned on me what was causing the 'gastric-like' pain and gassiness.

BROWN RICE.

I knew that brown rice gave me indigestion when I ate it. But when I went gluten-free 2 years back to heal my stomach, I substituted white rice flour with brown rice flour which I ground myself with the TMX. Brown rice is supposed to be healthier! New gastro guy also did share with me that he had one patient who had diarrhoea for many years a few times a day. He had placed him on FODMAP diet but yet he did not get any better. He went through the old man's food diary and told him to stop brown rice. He was well for the first time in so many years. No more diarrhoea. He could eat whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted and go wherever he wanted! Brown rice is allowed on the FODMAP diet but yet the old man could not take it. New gastro guy said that each and every one of us is different. We need to experiment what works for us.

The pain, gassiness and IBS symptoms disappeared the moment I stopped using the brown rice flour for my baking. The stomach was so quiet. I adhered to the FODMAP diet. Even without PPIs, I did not have reflux. This meant that new gastro guy's theory was right!

I cut my Xyzal into half and was on half dose since April. On the 31st of May 2017, I stopped my Xyzal. This was actually by accident. I was so busy that I had forgotten to take it. And then 1 1/2 days later, I realised that I wasn't itching. Usually before one day was over, I would be in severe, antagonizing itch.

Don't believe me how bad it can get?

Read this LINK.

Zrytec and Xyzal are related. Zrytec is Cetirizine. Xyzal is Levocetirizine.

Click on LINK.

I thought to myself, since I wasn't itching even after 1 1/2 days have passed, why not go on to see whether I could wean off Xyzal?

I stopped eating eggs, prawns and fish as they are high in histamine. I also stopped every experimentation that I was doing and had planned to do during this time. I went back to living 8 years ago - strict with minimal exposure to chemicals and salicylates.

Day 2

Dear God.

My body decided it was time to protest about the absence of Xyzal. And it decided to do so in a very loud and annoying manner. The itch came like a tidal wave. No. Let me rephrase that. It came like a tsunami. The itch was so terrible that I wanted to gauge my eyes out, yank my hair out, scratch my skin until I could reach the insides of the bones. I wanted to dig my organs out. I had one foot inside the boat of insanity. I was going back and forth to my medication box the whole day.

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Should I? Should I not?"

I felt I was being swallowed alive by a pond of thorns.

My son wanted to hug me. I told him not to even touch me even with one strand of his hair. I felt like I was on FIRE. No words can describe the severe itching that one has to go through while going off this drug. Why did no one tell me about this?????

Never in my entire life had I felt this level of desperation. The battle in my mind was intense. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"God, the itch."

"God, I want to die."

"God, I think I can't wean off Xyzal. I think I'm doomed for life."

"God, I've tried so many times and yet I've failed to get off this drug."

"God, I want to die."

"I am defeated."

I had the 'shakings', cold sweat and desperation like a drug addict. I felt ill. Really ill.

And yet my iron will helped me through. I hung on stubbornly and refused to let go. I've never been off Xyzal for two days during these 8 years. Let's see how Day 3 will go.

Day 3

I felt like I was being surrounded by Batman's Joker. I could hear his voice taunting me. I could feel that I was already in the abyss of insanity.

"Dear God, I think I am already dead."

Back and forth whole day again to the medicine box.

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Should I? Should I not?"

"Dear God, just kill me."

"I'm dead."

I took out Xyzal from the medication box and stared at it. I was defeated. I felt so down.

Remember how I said that whenever I was in a dark tunnel, I would always envision light at the end of the tunnel? I couldn't at this point of time. It was just darkness with Joker's laughter echoing on and on all around me. It felt like I was surrounded by insanity.

And then suddenly at about 4pm, a tiny ray of light shone into the dark tunnel.

There was a short window where the itch had actually stopped.

That gave me enough strength to go on.

I slept through that night and it was a very deep and refreshing sleep.

Day 4

The itch continued to torment me. But the intensity had lessened very much. But my mind was going crazy. I kept going to the medicine box as today every atom, nucleus and fibre in my being were screaming,

"WE WANT XYZAL!"

I felt this severe craving for it. Like a pregnant woman with a severe pica. Everything in me was crying out loud for Xyzal.

But the itch was subsiding and I even had 2 hours plus itch-free. That was a very good sign indeed. I needed to reign in my mind and tell myself that I can do this and it will soon be over. I kept on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

The body started breaking out in boils at random places. My ear lobes, my scalp, my feet were breaking out in boils. Ulcers too started popping up on the tonsils, at the tip of the tongue and many places in the mouth.

Honestly, I'm drained emotionally and mentally.

We shall see how Day 5 shall go. Keeping fingers crossed.

(...to be continued)

The beginning of this journey: 1000 Kilometres and Candida

The second part of this journey: Candida & Dr. Yadav

The third part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part One)

The fourth part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part Two)

The fifth part of this journey: The New Hell Called Steroids!

The New Hell Called Steroids!

Prednisolone is a monster even though it is a gift-from-heaven where inflammation is concerned. When I was on steroids 8 years ago, the side effects were A.W.F.U.L. That word is actually an understatement. It is the devil in its truest form.

My mouth began to develope a metallic taste. It felt as though my saliva glands were producing some foreign liquid. My sense of smell heightened 100%. Every single smell became so glaringly strong. I had nightmares the first night itself. My skin 'glowed' with the 'steroids glow'. Every single bite from mosquitoes and the bug-bites-from-November's-holiday vanished. The 'steroidal-migraine' arrived with a loud bang. Bowel movements became goat-manure-pebble-like. And 'bloated-like-a-balloon' was how I looked. My mood became PMS+menopause = deranged woman. I felt like the dragons that Daenerys Targaryen owned in Game of Thrones: always breathing out fire. I felt I was the three dragons combined. The heat that I felt on the insides was terrible. Hubby and son said they could feel the heat emanating out by just sitting next to me. 

BUT.......

On the third day, I started to have short pockets of relief from the pain. As the days went by, the pockets of relief got longer. 

Many times in life, shit happens. And SHIT happened. 

Hubby had to go for an emergency surgery as he had a very badly infected abscess to the point he could not move. And the abscess was at the inner thigh. 

The next day after the surgery.

My plan to rest and take it easy during this period of steroids just vanished into thin air. I had to take over everything as hubby was immobilised and was in so much pain after the surgery. He couldn't sit. Couldn't walk. And I had to bring him to the hospital during the first few days to change his dressing. After that I had to take over cleaning and bandaging his wound! It was his turn to look like a ghost as a result of the pain. Everything fell on my shoulders. It was a VERY trying time. But it was a good thing it happened when the pain was slowly diminishing and not when I was paralysed with pain. 

Exhaustion is an understatement to describe how I was feeling. The steroids caused my emotions to go haywire. I always tell myself that at the end of any dark tunnel, there will an opening and that there will be light. It is only a matter of time. I always play that mantra over and over in my head when tough times come. That's how I encourage myself to hang on and to move on. 

Once the two weeks of steroids were over, I went back to see the new gastro for a follow-up appointment. 

He of course was pleased that the pain was gone. He wrote down every single detail of how I felt during the treatment and when the pain started to subside and when it was completely gone. He said I was his first patient in his entire life as a doctor that he treated in this manner. 

We then talked more about my IBS and GERD problems. He very strongly believed that the IBS that I had was mimicking GERD. He believed that I was consuming certain FODMAP foods which were fermenting in my gut thus causing a built-up of gas which forced the acid in my stomach to go up to my esophagus. My duodenum wasn't the culprit anymore. Since it was the case, PPIs would not work at all! What have I been ingesting all these years for then??!!! Why did Rock Star give me so much PPIs when GERD was no longer the case?

He wanted to try another method at the same time. He changed Nexium to Controlloc and put me on it for two weeks. And then I was to see him again and report to him about the developments of my gut. 

Two weeks had passed and yet I was still having reflux issues. He then put me on Dupastalin for two weeks to stop the IBS. I was to see him again in two weeks.

(...to be continued)

The beginning of this journey: 1000 Kilometres and Candida

The second part of this journey: Candida & Dr. Yadav

The third part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part One)

The fourth part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part Two)

It's All About Diet (Part 3-FODMAP [The MONASH University])

The new gastroenterologist introduced the MONASH University's Low Fodmap handbook to us.

You can access the website and place your order for the book. It costs AUD$10. You have to add some money for transportation. (Click on LINK to access the website.)

This is the app which I bought. 

Pain & Rock Star No More (Part Two)

When we walked into the new gastro's office, my heart actually sank. He looked like a strict headmaster. He looked like he had a whip behind his desk and was ready to whip any of his patients who dared to question him.

He asked me about my problem once we were seated. After explaining to him about my pain, the treatments that were administered at the ER on Monday and Wednesday night, the medication that I had been ingesting, he asked me multiple questions. He was very meticulous and very thorough. He asked about my history. He went through all the documents/X-Rays/test results that we had brought. (Many doctors do not do this. They feel that it is a waste of time.) He then told me to lie down on the bed and proceeded to press my abdomen. I almost jumped through the ceiling from the pain. He continued to press on the left side and right side and continued to asked me about where was more painful and to rate the pain to him on a scale of 1 to 10. I told him it was 100!

And then he dropped the million dollar statement.

It wasn't GERD.

It wasn't my stomach.

It was my intestines!

The food poisoning that I had during the time I saw Dr Yadav wasn't over.

WHAT?!!?!

The bacteria that is usually the culprit for such poisoning is Staphylococcal Enteritis. You can click on LINK to read up about it. New gastro guy said that some people do not have the usual 'thunder and lightning' (diarrhoea and vomiting - which I did not have) when they are struck with this bacteria. This bacteria then exudes a toxin. This toxin causes inflammation in the intestines (panniculitis - inflammation of the fatty tissues of the intestines). Thus, the severe pain which I had. My intestines were INFLAMED! The bacteria and its toxin were long gone. But the inflammation that was caused by the toxin could not go away.

And the best drug for this is Ibuprofen. One of my enemies. It's an NSAID. Which I definitely could not have.

He said both his hands were tied and he has never come across a patient like me before.

Thus, the only solution would be PREDNISOLONE.

Yup. Steroids.

2 weeks of steroids.

I wanted to scream FML.

I had no choice.

So steroids it was. 6 tablets to begin with. 30mg for 3 days and then taper to 25mg for 3 days until it would reach 5 mg.

He also said GERD would never, ever, ever, EVER cause such pain like this. That was why Nexium didn't work. He did mention that overuse of Nexium can also cause it to be useless. Then it would be time to switch PPI. Even though all of them are labelled as PPIs, different brands are created differently. And by switching to another brand of PPI, the GERD can be controlled.

BUT, he did say long term of PPIs are not good. GERD is a life-long chronic disease. One must learn to control it and if an attack does happen, go on the PPI for 5 days and then stop.

New gastro also mentioned that many times IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) mimics GERD. And the cause of IBS 99% of the time is caused by FODMAP! I wanted to cry with joy. I told him that I had just blogged about it a few days ago! A doctor who BELIEVES in food intolerance (other than Dr. Yadav that is). He then proceeded and showed us the Monash FODMAP book and also the FODMAP app in his smartphone. I had wanted to buy the app a few months back but that didn't happen.

I was just so excited that I finally found a doctor who believed in food intolerance and sensitivities.

And so the Prednisolone journey began.....

(...to be continued)

The beginning of this journey: 1000 Kilometres and Candida

The second part of this journey: Candida & Dr. Yadav

The third part of this journey: Pain & Rock Star No More (Part One)

It's All About Diet (Part 2-FODMAP [The How, Why and What])

The HOW

Normal and healthy people who ingest food that has FODMAP would result in mild flatulence. But for people who have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and who have very sensitive guts, it can result in bloating, excessive flatulence, stomach cramping, non-stop of intestines churning, excessive burping, diarrhoea and even constipation (or alternating between the two).

It can reach to the point that you feel that your whole existence exists ONLY in the gut. I know what I'm talking about. I've lived in the toilet for many hours everyday for a period of time. It came to a point that I lost so much weight that people commented about the weight loss to me every single day when I went to pick my son up from school.

What to do?

I went on a low FODMAP diet. I tried as much as possible to eat food which do not consist of FODMAP. I mean food with FODMAP are healthy food. Vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes. It's not even Frankenfood. It was very frustrating. I kept asking what was wrong with me. Unfortunately, my gastro Rock-Star doctor didn't believe in this and told me that I was anxious and stressed out. I was given anti-anxiety medication instead.......

WHY FODMAP?

By taking away FODMAP from our diet (for a period of time), it can lower the overall gastrointestinal symptoms. It worked for me. Click on LINK to read more about this.

The WHAT

Not everyone react to FODMAP the same way. Some can digest lactose. Some cannot. So it's different to each individual.

Fermentable are foods which are broken down by bacteria in the large bowels. If your gut bacteria is off track, probiotics are a good source.

Foods rich in probiotics such as kefir, sauerkraut, yoghurt, miso, kimchi and kombucha tea are some of the natural probiotics that one can try. (Bear in mind some people who are histamine and amines intolerant won't be able to tolerate fermented foods or even probiotics.)

Two of the Oligosaccharides are Fructans and Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Fructans are naturally occurring carbohydrates that exist in vegetables, fruits and cereals. Wheat, rye, barley, onions, leeks, shallots, the whites of spring onions, garlic, legumes, lentils, artichokes and chicory.

Two Fructans are Inulin and Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS). These two have been getting more and more popular as they are well known for their pre-biotic effects. Our small human intestines are not capable of digesting these two as we do not produce the enzymes to process these food. These go straight to the large intestines.

Some foods that are high in Inulin are chicory root, dandelion root, asparagus, leeks and onions, bananas and plantains (when they are slightly green), sprouted wheat (which is used in Ezeikel bread) and garlic.

*table taken from HERE

Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS) are in foods such as onion, chicory, garlic, asparagus, banana and artichoke. FOS is also found in wheat and barley.

FOS is used in the food industry as an alternative sweetener. Interestingly, this is a *popular sweetener in Japan! (*taken from HERE)

Nowadays, many products (for example; vitamin enhanced flour and powdered drinks ) have FOS added to them.

Disaccharides are Lactose. This is in milk, evaporated milk, yoghurt, custard and ice-cream.

Monosaccharides are sugars that cannot be changed into simple sugars. Examples are Fructose, Glucose, Ribose and Galactose. They can be found in honey, mango, watermelon, apples, pears and high fructose corn syrup.

Click HERE to read more.

And finally we come to the last one.

Polyoyls are more famously known as Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol and Xylitol. Natural foods that contain polyols are apples, pears, apricots, nectarines, plums, mushrooms and cauliflower.

Polyols are also commonly used as artificial sweeteners in chewing gums, lollipops and mints.

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Bean sprouts, cabbage, onions, garlic, celery, soy beans, leeks, lettuce iceberg, everything that were wheat and gluten, chickpeas, cashews, siu bok choy, sugar and many more which were low on the salicylate diet started to create havoc and hell for my gut.

It was depressing at first. I eliminated those food from my diet. Anything that triggered IBS were eliminated for many, many, many months. And for once in a very, extremely long time, my bowels were silent. You could even hear the ant fart in the silence of my bowels.

Once I felt I was strong enough, I started adding back the FODMAP food bit by bit. Cashews, cabbage, celery, garlic, onion, chickpeas. I lasted for one month plus before all hell broke loose in my intestines. I'm back to FODMAP again at the moment. Now I know the treshold of the FODMAP that I can take. The only thing I won't be having in my life anymore is sugar. Yes, I have to admit, bread is EXTREMELY tempting!

Here is a table of the FODMAP diet:

*table taken from HERE

Here is a table of examples of some of the food that contain high FODMAP:

*table taken from HERE



A MUST READ: Click on LINK

Click HERE


I think this picture below says it best.

*picture taken from HERE

It's All About Diet (Part 1 - FODMAPs [What is FODMAP])

The acronym FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. 

Fermentable means that carbohydrates and sugar alcohols are fermented by the bacteria which are in the large bowel**. This is the process where the gut bacteria break down undigested carbohydrate to produce the hydrogen, methane and CO2 gasses.

Oliogosaccharides is a literal translation as "few sugar". Oligo means few and saccharide means sugar. These are molecules that are made up of individual sugars which are joined together in a chain**. 

Disaccharides are double sugar molecules**. 

Monosaccharides are single-sugar molecules**.

And 

Polyols are sugar alcohols**.

They are a collection of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in foods naturally*. They are also used as food additives.

These short-chain carbohydrates are incompletely absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and can be easily fermented by gut bacteria. 

FODMAP include fructose, fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose and polyols (sorbitol and mannitol).


*taken from HERE

**taken from HERE