Main Dish

The Low-FODMAP Recipe Book is written by Lucy Whigham a specialist gut dietitian and can help you to take control of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), functional bowel disorder and digestive distress. 

Dietary management is the key to managing IBS and other gut disorders. The most successful diet for bringing relief for symptoms such as bloating, abdominal distension, diarrhea and other digestive issues is the low-FODMAP diet, which has been medically proven in rigorous clinical trials to improve symptoms in up to 75 per cent of people with IBS.

The low-FODMAP diet is helpful in identifying food intolerances, including lactose and fructose, and may also be used to help those who are suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s Disease and functional symptoms following gastrointestinal surgery.

This book is an easy guide to why and how the low-FODMAP diet can help, and includes tables of what foods need to be avoided for the elimination phase and beyond.
FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides, and Polyols) are naturally occurring sugars that are found in a wide range of everyday foods. They are not fully broken down during digestion and therefore cannot be completely absorbed by the body. Instead, they travel through the gut where they are fermented by the bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tract. In susceptible people (those with a sensitive gut), this fermentation can lead to excessive gas, bloating, pain, cramping. FODMAPs also draw water into the gut, which can lead to diarrhea and frequent bowel motions. Cutting out foods that are high in these fermentable carbohydrates and following a low-FODMAP diet can help you to regain control over your digestive symptoms and thereby improve your quality of life. Once your symptoms are under control you can start to re-introduce FODMAPs to help you identify your individual intolerances and threshold levels. In this way you are empowered with the knowledge of exactly which foods cause you problems, putting you in the driving seat and letting you control your symptoms rather than have them control you.