Low FODMAP diet is one food map you can follow when you have bloating symptoms… that anyone can feel from time-to-time caused by disagreeable food choices.
…That’s just a part of living and trying new foods.
When that happens, restoring the gut with a list of researched, healthy, and selective food choices that will soothe the tummy is the fastest and least painful cure with tummy discomfort.
It’s easy to do when you know what to do.
And choosing a low FODMAP diet (at least temporarily) is the easy way.
…It’s like reigning in Nature’s medicinal foods, where Nature is a 3rd party talking some sense into your gut.. so you can bounce back to less restrictive eating and get back to regular food celebration.
…Where baby foods and water aren’t the only items on the menu.
A Low FODMAP diet can also be a digestive reset, supporting a healthy eating lifestyle. The foods are mostly all plant-based and anti-inflammatory. 🌱
So you can think of a low FODMAP diet as a food map to optimize healthy eating. And lower gut acidity that can show up as heartburn, upper GI inflammation, or lower bloating abdominal discomfort.
Many of our American or Western world diet foods are high acidic and can tip the cause to a condition called GERD… that I can attest to feels like amped up heartburn.
…So it’s good to keep a handy list of Low FODMAP foods that won’t 🌱 exacerbate stomach acidity, so that you can fully enjoy your preferred daily foods and beverages.
Where it gets tricky is that some foods can fall into higher or lower FODMAP categories.
Coffee is one such example. It’s a Low FODMAP healthy ingredient. But the way it’s prepared (like as a regular hot brewed coffee) makes it more acidic.
That’s why on that note, daily home cold brew coffee is my safe choice so I don’t have to give up the healthy caffeine starter. Cold brew is easy to make and an easy tweak. But I still cushion with food like a banana. 🍌
Another example is nuts where walnuts and peanuts can be okay… that is, assuming you can even eat nuts.
But then other types of nuts like cashews and almonds that you and I can cross off the list as they can be digestive havocs… it’s nut. 🤪 and there’s no rhyme or reason or easy way to remember (other than with a handy list).
That doesn’t even factor how the foods react individually with us.
But you can see how complex it can get in our busy world food choices.
Food is not black-and-white to our guts.
With any food, we can feel poked and burdened with the weight of lead after it goes down.
So bypassing questionable how-it-will-go-down ingredients, you can go straight to the unquestionable and safe… simple to digest foods..
…Early on, we relied on the B.R.A.T. diet that was bananas, rice, apples and toast. It was easy to remember and you didn’t have to break out a list.
It was so short and easy to remember that I also added yogurt on my stomach-friendly list when I was a young brat. 🧒🏻
Yogurt has probiotics and protein. It’s relatively inexpensive food medicine.
And finding the lowest sugar yogurt option optimizes the good bacteria count.
And the B.R.A.T.Y. (I added the “y”) simple digestive diet still works.
But these days… NOT ALL SO SIMPLE.
…With all the tempting choices around us.
So a personal Low FODMAP list that works for your palate and body is good to compile, so you can reach for the safe decisions made when needed. You can even set the list in your pantry cupboard for your emergency convenience.
I have a label on my Five-Spice.
That way you’re not confused or anxious when emergency calls… and especially with all the conflicting information out there of what may or may not help your bloating or digestive symptoms.
…Like ACV mixed with water.
In my world, it works.
It signals to the stomach to stop producing acid that it does.
Our bodies are all about being counterintuitive mystery curve balls where the best proof is our baby steps and trial-and-error.
That’s how we learn anything specific in our lives.
We test the apples.
And apple fruit is another one that is low FODMAP questionable depending on the apple type (for us apples).
Apples are on the B.R.A.T. diet from a simpler world time.
And you may find you do better with unsweetened applesauce as I learned with my stomach.
What works for one person may not for you.
Just don’t be afraid to try foods for variety.
Most guts aren’t happy on an empty stomach and delays our healthy restoration.
Our guts are forgiving if we’re biodiverse trying… otherwise none of us would be still be on the planet.
It comes from a similar diversifying principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
Eggs, btw, are generally ok too. 🥚
And even if we make a one-time food mistake, we can cushion with foods and ingredients that are generally safe on a low FODMAP list:
-bell peppers and most veggies
-avocado
-many fruits (and believe it or not… green bananas are lower FODMAP than soft, ripe ones).
-Yogurt (low-sugar Greek yogurt)
-quinoa, oatmeal, cooked soft rice
Amaranth is one grain I discovered to be super gut-friendly. It has a Cream of Wheat bowl texture… but is gluten-free.
If you’re a sourdough or bread making person, for Low FODMAP you can even add amaranth to your whole grain roll or bread loaf.
And, some other Low FODMAP list adds:
-herbs/spices: fennel (in Five Spice powder), anise, peppermint
-teas: green, black, and some herbal teas (chamomile, chicory root, peppermint).
Peppermint tea is something I always keep in my “food-as-medicine” cabinet. It does wonders for stomaches and other body aches like headaches.
And instead of reaching for candy or sugar sweets, you can chew on an anise star or make a low-sugar applesauce blueberry cobbler.
Use fruit and maple syrup for sweeteners.
Those can be okay if you’re experiencing high acidity where a GERD grocery list is also a good idea next time you’re in the store.
