The Low FODMAP Diet - Where we stand

The Low FODMAP Diet

Having been around for some time we look at the low FODMAP diet, and ask has it worked.

We write the following blog with the following in mind.  As part of our attempt to help IBS sufferers we have three Low FODMAP Recipe sites.  As with all our work, the purpose of the sites are simply to give IBS sufferers free and easily accessible information, they are not there as financial opportunities.

Mixed

It is with this in mind we are able to be relatively objective about the subject.   We use the word relatively as the low FODMAP diet has worked for us , thus we are aware that it can work.  The trouble is that for any IBS treatment it is unlikely to work for all and herein lies the problem.

While the low FODMAP diet has been a wonderful move forward in the treatment of IBS, helping thousands to feel so much better, it has alienated many when it has been oversold as being the panacea of IBS treatment.

We continue to believe that the low FODMAP diet can be a tremendously advantageous for many sufferers, particularly in the reduction of bloating and cramping.  With that said, we would not suggest to any IBS sufferer that the low FODMAP diet will resolve their IBS.  It is one of many treatments to try, one that is very successful, however it has no guarantees.

Our Advice

We are always concerned when we see any IBS treatment aggressively pushed as experience tells us that the diversity of IBS symptoms means there is no sure things.  As a result we would always keep our advice simple on this or any other IBS treatment matter.  Try it with an open mind, and give it everything, if it does not work you have learnt something else which will benefit you in the long term.

Sacrifice and IBS

How much are you willing to sacrifice for IBS?

One thing that has always been hugely fascinating is the 'dieting' industry.  Over the past forty years the fundamental advice has never altered.  A) Eat a healthy balanced diet, lots of fruit, vegetable and exercise.  B) To lose weight you need to expend more calories than you intake.  Simple.

Despite this thousands of 'fad' diets exist which offer dramatic short term results as they generally correspond to point B), however nutritionally they are often found wanted/dangerous, and they fail to offer a long term solution.  On top of which none offer any help with the psychological side of the issue.  So why are they so damned popular?

IBS and Quick Fixes

The problem seems to lie around the natural human response of impatience.  We want things now. Losing weight sensibly and responsibly takes time.  It may be better for our health, it may be longer lasting, however it is not quick.

As a species we often follow the typical 'route of minimal resistance'.  To be clear there is nothing spectacularly wrong with this, why would you take the long route when a short cut is available?  The point is that for most the issue the lasting outcome. 

If you look at a populist example of the many lottery winners around the world, it is surprising to see how badly it ended up for many, compared to how fastidiously those who worked hard for their wealth looked after there money.

To avoid laboring this point, we simply wish to raise this issue in the context of IBS.  My greatest personal breakthrough came upon the acceptance that the reality of IBS meant that quick fixes were not optional.  In the same way diet and weight loss are best addressed by looking at your life as a whole rather than myopically examining what you eat.

While there are a number of treatments now which offer greater hope, for many the reality is that IBS remains a grey area that requires a great deal of restraint and sacrifice to treat.  This is not a popular message, nut it may be one which helps you a great deal more, than offers of a quick fix.

Will they ever understand?

Understanding IBS

Having had some very frank conversations with my family lately, it is very difficult to decipher just how much they grasp about IBS and whose fault (if anyones) that is.  During the course of said conversation I was thinking just how typical this was of IBS.  My family, with whom I have lived much of my life really did not know a great deal about the condition and of course the reality is few non sufferers really know anything about IBS.

Is it just me

In hindsight I was pretty sure that in fact the problem lay in my lack of communication.  Having had IBS since birth, I had gone from being unaware that it was unusual to embarrassed, at no point informing those around me that there even was a problem.  How could I expect them to know what what happening?

This appears to be quite common.  Statistically there are many millions of IBS sufferers, however rarely have I ever met one in real life (eg. outside of a professional capacity, or through our websites). It is a condition which is kept close to the heart.  It does not make great conversation, thus it is no surprise it is rarely raised as a talking point.

Empathy

It is therefore no surprise that the condition rarely receives the attention it perhaps deserves.  I can think of few non sufferers who really 'get it'.  Few know about the despairing feeling the condition causes, nor do they realise just how debilitating it can be.

It has been allowed to be trivialised as a result of this.  With such a ludicrously vast collection of digestive conditions all being loosely tied together under one banner, unless others are told the truth about IBS , we can not expect to receive the support we deserve.

This is not to claim that IBS sufferers are victims, most sufferers I know, go about their business with their heads held high.  However, when you see someone (non IBS) suffering with stomach ache or an upset stomach acting as though the world is at an end, remember that you go through that every day and be proud of the way you carry yourself.

Opportunity

While we do not suggest that you crowbar it into inappropriate conversations, do make sure that others are aware of your condition.  Not for the sake of point scoring, more for the sake of sharing. Few burdens feel better when kept to yourself, and the tendency to internalise issues has proven to be detrimental over the long term.  

At the very least we hope you know that you are not alone and that millions of others have walked in your shoes and do actually understand.

What's New for IBS-Health

It's been too long

It's been a very busy few months at IBS-Health, and this in this first blog back, we will aim to bring you up to date with all our new developments.

Firstly, with the huge shift away from traditional methods of viewing the internet, we have been working on ensuring that our content is accessible from mobile and tablets hence we have been using a new site for our IBS articles - Ibsshop.com.  Please do not be fooled by the the fact the site has shop in the title.  While there is a shop attached to the site, it is entirely discretionary, and the key aim of the site is to provide help, advice and empathy to fellow sufferers.

Low FODMAP Diet

We know that the low FODMAP diet does not work for all, so for sufferers disappointed by the diet, please know that we have not forgotten you, nor do we think that the low FODMAP diet is the panacea of IBS treatment.  We believe it to be a great treatment, that has helped thousands, but it will not help all.  Our appreciation for this diet, will not blind us from the fact that it is one answer, but it is not the answer.

Again for the purposes of ensuring that content is available across all platforms we have created IBS Sano Plus, a site more suited to the demands of technology.  Our main site IBS Sano is currently undergoing some much need updating, along with a plethora of great new Low FODMAP Recipes.   IBS Sano Plus also contains some great tips and basic recipes for things such as 'stock' and gluten free pastries for those who wish to ensure that they are following the diet completely.

Weekly

We will be back letting you know what is new on our sites each week and looking at great ways we can address and manage IBS.  As ever we reiterate that we do not nor will we ever espouse a singular cure or treatment for IBS until one is available.

In the meantime we hope to give sufferers easy access to information and ideas which just may help them to enjoy life without IBS getting in the way.