Recently I’ve had the damndest time with wheat.
It all started with a weekend trip. And some delicious fresh bread.
It’s so easy to be carefree while traveling.
Anyway, I returned from vacation and continued my poor, haphazard, non-FODMAPs eating and (of course) felt the effects.
What began as a foray in the wheat column quickly spilled over into several other FODMAPs groups and before I knew it I was dipping baguettes into agave and polishing them off with apple pie. I was practically pillaging the fructans!
Never mind that this pie was vegan and home-made, the crust was wheat based and the filling was apples! What I was thinking is still a mystery.
Okay, that’s not entirely true, I kinda know what I was thinking.
For me, wheat in it’s purest form (aka whole wheat flour in home-made baked goods), is tolerated well in the absence of other FODMAPs. In other words, if I use minimally processed flour to make something like cinnamon rolls, it truly doesn’t cause me GI distress. But that’s not the case with all baked goods. Store bought wheat items with additives to keep them shelf stable aren’t in the same category. There’s something about the more processed flours (and more processed soy) that doesn’t do well with my gut. Which is why I don’t buy them. However, there’s also an in-between gray area. This is where I tend to get tripped up.**
See this plate? Aside from the pretzel loaf, it’s FODMAPs friendly.
Eggs with nutritional yeast = no FODMAPs
Carrots = no FODMAPs
And since I’m on a low FODMAPs diet (as opposed to the FODMAPs free/elimination diet), I eat meals like this all the time. Without significant symptoms.
So I got cocky. I started pushing my limits…further and further…and pretty soon I was making meals with wheat like my FODMAPs sensitivities never existed.
Like wheat bowtie pasta with squash, zucchini, seitan, and teese “cheese”. And the aforementioned apple pie. And several other things that I didn’t photograph.
Too large of a FODMAPs load!
The crust of the pie with a different filling (like blueberries instead of apples) probably would have been fine. After all, it was home-made so I knew every single thing that went into it (very few ingredients by the way). Likewise, the pasta without the soy-based cheese probably would have been easier for my GI tract to handle. After all, it was organic whole wheat pasta with only three ingredients.
[As I’ve said before, keeping the FODMAPs categories separate (only one group per meal) is how I am able to tolerate moderate amounts]
As uncomfortable as it was to digest all this, it did remind me that monitoring the amount of FODMAPs and my portions are key. <— silver lining lesson
To get back on track I went back to basics. Elimination.
Egg and potato hash with nutritional yeast and Bragg’s aminos.
Oatmeal with home-made granola, bananas, and strawberries.
Banana oat bread.
Brown rice, seitan, and carrots.
Cornbread.
Quinoa quiche.
Fried egg with quinoa.
And A TON of hippie bowls.
Repetitive, yes. But delicious and symptom free, too.
And now that my bowels are back to their happy state, I can return to a low FODMAPs diet that includes small amounts of wheat. Hooray!
Want more good news? During my elimination days, I did a lot of recipe testing, so with a few more trials and test runs, I will hopefully be getting a collection of recipes that are both vegetarian and FODMAPs friendly out soon.
**Reminder: I’m still learning. I have this FODMAPs blog because I want to keep track of these things and hopefully it encourages a discussion so we can all learn together.
Hi! I love your sites! I’ve been experimenting with a low-FODMAPS diet, and fructans are a big problem area for me too. Boo! Anyways, what kind of seitan is in your hippie bowls?? I have a hard time finding wheat free!
Posted by Laura | May 17, 2012, 2:21 pmHi Laura. If you search the site or the recipes tab youll find my recipes that I’ve posted…here’s the seitan one for you: http://fodmapsdiet.com/2012/02/02/fodmaps-free-seitan-sausage/
Posted by elise | May 18, 2012, 9:42 amI hear ya! I’ve recently embarked on the slippery wheat (bread) slope and have been consuming it every day which led to my being more laid back about other FODMAPs. Whilst my symptoms weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be I have been soooooo bloated! This week I’ve made an effort to cut back on the FODMAPs and it’s made such a difference! I love the low FODMAP way of eating and the flexibility that you can have with it. Plus, it usually only takes me a few days now of being sensible for my symptoms to subside and I can return to low FODMAPs rather than no FODMAPs. I also find that I’m relatively ok with pure, unprocessed wheat too. Thank goodness we have a bread maker (best and worst purchase!). xxx
Posted by Sarah | May 18, 2012, 12:37 amDitto! Thank goodness that I now know how to re-set my body.
Posted by elise | May 18, 2012, 9:43 amI enjoyed your column. I have just begun my journey on a low/no FODMAP diet. I just received the guidelines from my doctor in today’s mail. I am brand new to this. I didn’t even know what FODMAP was until about an hour ago. Your site is the first for my educational research. I must admit, it is the first ‘diagnosis’ that has made some sort of sense to me. Any pointers you have will be much appreciated!
Posted by Diane | May 18, 2012, 6:08 pmhi diane! im so glad you found me…i think this site will be healpful, but also check out the links i have under the resources tabs. im still experimenting myself, so definitely listen to your body as you trial and error with this diet and make it work for you. also, im not a RD or MD, but a patient with a science-y background determined to get to the bottom of this. so definitely direct medical related questions to your doctor. that said, ive found it is the answer ive been looking for so i hope you have the same success. we have a nice little community here at fodmapsdiet.com and people are so good at sharing their knowledge.
Posted by elise | May 20, 2012, 10:56 amI can definitely empathise with you! I just went on a trip, and I was very careful to pack low FODMAP things and most of my meals were low FODMAP, but I had a few free meals provided by the research hub that sent me over the edge, e.g. delicious Indian food and a mushroom risotto that was full of garlic and shallots!! I am trying to get back on track, but I am definitely at that “screw it” phase where I get more and more careless. This is such great inspiration to get back on track, as it’s a reminder that it’s really not that hard once you know what to do!
Posted by saraheclement | May 20, 2012, 1:34 amoh man…do i know that “screw it” phase well. ha. like you said, its much easier to re-set my gut now though. thank goodness.
Posted by elise | May 20, 2012, 10:57 amI love to read everyone’s FODMAPS stories. Having passed the elimination stage and being experimenting with lowFODMAPS for a couple of months now, I revisited my dietitian. We are now assessing the carbohydrate/sugar load in my diet and its affect on the lowFODMAPS. I have been slowly incorporating oats for breakfast ( since I tolerate it ) , the occasional slice of glutenfree bread, and some maple syrup/brown sugar to sweeten the rhubarb/raspberries that I put on my oats. She would like to see whether I tolerate more of the lowFODMAPS without the carb/sugar in my diet. Up till now, I don’t tolerate even a little cucumber, slice of orange, 1/4 ripe banana, olives, 1/4 skinned red capsicum etc.So for now , I am Paleo and lowFODMAPS.
Posted by fodmp | May 20, 2012, 4:43 pmClearly you already knew this but I just figured it out so I’m going to brag on myself for a second. I went without gluten for a month or so to see if it helped my gut (which I think it did) and then randomly decided to try it just to see what happened. So of course I tried some wheat pretzel or something and it bothered me (apparently if you go without wheat for a long time you will have a really hard time re-introducing it…. or so I heard).
So then I started thinking maybe I should just do wheat-free and try some other gluten grains because I know I don’t have celiac so it might be ok. So I read that rye had a super low gluten content so I tried some rye crackers and they really bothered me just like the wheat did. So I figured I have some gluten-intolerance or something and would have to go back to gluten-free living.
BUT THEN I read that wheat and rye are both FRUCTANS and will bother people who have fructose intolerance (which I most certainly do). AND then life made sense again!! So hopefully if I just stay away from wheat and rye I can handle other gluten-containing grains like spelt and such. You have no idea how excited this made me. I tried explaining this to my parents but of course their eyes glazed over after a few seconds. You are the only person I could think of who would appreciate this discovery, so alas, the novel. Thanks for this blog – you are awesome! =)
Posted by Meagan | June 5, 2012, 4:55 pmlove those lightbulb moments. i dont have issues with gluten, just wheat.
Posted by elise | June 8, 2012, 8:27 amHello! I came across your blog because my toddler son is on a FODMAP elimination diet. Poor little guy caught a terrible GI bug 3 months ago and it has ravaged his gut and his spirit. Under the guidance of a pediatric nutritionist, we started the FODMAP elimination diet and seriously, within 4 hours, my son returned to his happy self! It has been nothing short of a miracle! We have been FODMAP free for over a week and while mealtime isn’t exactly fun, my son is coming around to eating foods that don’t hurt his tummy. Thanks so much for sharing your journey…it can be a lonely road out there (especially when it is your child).
Posted by Ilissa | June 6, 2012, 5:57 pmPoor baby! I know how hard it is for to learn/stick to this diet…can’t imagine how it is for him
I wish this was around when my daughter was young…what a time I had with her! She lived on mylecon.
Posted by Diane | June 6, 2012, 6:18 pmaw, thanks Diane. It is tough. So sorry to hear that your daughter suffered so much.
Posted by Ilissa | June 7, 2012, 3:42 amhi ilissa – im so glad you found me! and im so so glad your son has found the FODMAPs diet helpful! i know it can be frustrating, its so hard to not be scared of foods and still be adventurous with eating new things. but yeah, some stuff can get really really boring too. im working on a elimination ebook, so i hope it will be of use when im done with it…still perfecting things
Posted by elise | June 8, 2012, 8:26 amTrying FODMAPs myself. Anything will help get started
Posted by Natalie Martin | June 8, 2012, 8:12 pmhot off the press!!! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/170446
Posted by elise | June 9, 2012, 6:22 pmI am new at this also, and really have no nutritionist to guide me. My doc gave me the diet, so I am heading into the elimination phase. I know there has been a lot of writing about gluten and wheat, but I am not quite sure I understand. So here is my question: I have just assumed I am gluten intolerant, so have cut out all “obvious” gluten from my diet. I did gluten free bread for quite a while, and then discovered that was upsetting my gut as well. So I am thinking, after reading this blog, that maybe it is the wheat and not the gluten? Perhaps I am assuming that I am gluten intolerant. I am also lactose intolerant, so when I look at the FODMAP diet, there is not much there. I have been trying to eat quite a bit of fresh fruits and vegetables, which feel better honestly, and some of the items on the ok to eat list, such as lettuce and green beans, have always made me bloated. So it is hard for me to understand what to eat and what not to eat. Anyway, I am really more interested in your opinion as to whether you think maybe gluten is not a problem, but wheat is, or if it may simply be both. The seiten protein is intriquing, but I am unsure if I should try it. Your thoughts? sherry
Posted by Sherry FC | June 12, 2012, 3:39 pmhi sherry! its confusing isnt it. my suggestion would be going on a elimination diet. its the only way youll know for sure what upsets your gut. once you’ve gone a week or more without any fodmaps, try reintroducing each group for a trial phase of a week. only try one new group at a time and journal everything you feel before, during and after each meal. i wrote a fodmaps free vegetarian (mostly vegan) ecookbook with a 10 day diet laid out…the link is in the sidebar. for more info on the wheat vs gluten issue, you can see my other posts on this site. i know for me, wheat is the problem not gluten, but each person is different so i cant really say for you. try making my seitan recipe and see how you tolerate it. its got gluten but no wheat. hope this helps – best of luck!
Posted by elise | June 20, 2012, 10:14 amAnother question: Where do grains fit in, as well as protein? I was also surprised to see gelato on the ok to eat list. I am seeing different opinions about butter as well. As I wrote in the last comment above, I am new at this, and am concerned I may be trading one problem for another. The more I read, the more concerned I get that some of the foods on the ok list have already upset my gut, and I am unsure about what to add back in. Again, thanks for any guidance.
sherry fc
Posted by sherry fc | June 13, 2012, 9:35 ampersonally, i avoid all dairy. even though hard cheeses are fodmaps safe, i dont eat them. ive never seen butter on the list. i have an updated list posted earlier on this site, check it out.
non-wheat/rye/barley grains are fodmaps safe. i tolerate non-wheat grains and pseudo-seeds like quinoa, corn meal, amaranth, millet, rice, etc fine. i use all of them frequently in recipes. quinoa has high protein if you’re concerned about that. but unless youre vegetarian or vegan, meat proteins are fodmaps free. eggs are also a good option. as far as vegan sources of protein, tempeh, seitan, hemp, quinoa, & nuts are good options.
Posted by elise | June 20, 2012, 10:19 amthanks! Oh, what about gelato?
Posted by Sherry FC | June 20, 2012, 1:07 pmgelato has dairy right? id skip it.
Posted by elise | June 20, 2012, 5:54 pmI am confused a little here, have been having trouble with/bloating/pain in gut for a month now and Dr. told me about this fodmap since I have IBS.she also thinks gas is a problem. does that mean what is on the diet list I stay away from. or eat what is is on the fodmap list only to do process of elimination. I have also been tring to loose weight so will this cause me an issue as well. This is all very new to me so I am at a bit of a loss not sure where to start
Posted by janet | July 31, 2012, 7:00 pmhi janet, the items on the list are high in fodmaps and are therefore to be avoided or minimized (depending on how you react to each in various trial phases).
check out my posts on the foods you should avoid as well as the various recipes. also get my elimination diet ebook (theres a link on the right side of the page in the sidebar) because it can help get you started with a no fodmaps meal plan. once youve tackled the fodmaps free part, you should notice a difference in how your gut feels right away. from there you should consult a registered dietician or nutritionist who specializes in IBS and/or fodmaps to know how to approach the trial phases. you can find a lot of info on my site here but im not an MD so i cant give you specific advice…these simply chronicle my experiences.
Posted by elise | July 31, 2012, 8:20 pm