I was told by my neurologist to try going gluten free to see if it would help my fibromyalgia and swelling. I have been working on that for about 2 weeks, so far so good. I think I feel better. Now my gastroenterologist wants me to try the FODMA diet to determine what foods are triggering my digestive symptoms.
Does anyone out there have any suggestions for either of these diets? The FODMAP only lasts for about 6-8 weeks per a dietician Ii spoke with this morning. I would like to talk or hear from someone that has tried one of these and has it helped?
Please and thank you.
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My boss has to be on a gluten free diet. It is difficult for him. He has found specialty stores that sell gluten free items, since he doesnt cook. I did suggest to him to add 1/4 cup of mashed potato flakes to 1.5 pounds of meat when he makes a meatloaf.
For health reasons I have done both within the last 18 months.
Did the doctor tell you high or low FODMAP? There is a difference. I found so much misinformation out there and only used info provided by my doctor because it is so confusing. She was very specific for me what method would potentially help my issues. I was on the LOW version...which worked for me because I could have things like strawberries which I love.
At first I had some luck with gluten free helping with my issues. Then I added in FODMAP and had some luck, then my issues came back with a vengeance, so diet/foods does not seem to be my trigger. I know a lot of people who have results on both so I am the outlier here.
Now, while I am not 100% gluten free because it didn't help with my issues, it did help with my weight loss, so I have reduced my intake of gluten just because it helped me shed some pounds (doctor approved--I did not do this on my own).
Gluten free can be expensive, but I keep it frugal by having go to items like rice cakes (READ THE LABEL TO BE SURE THE ONES YOU SELECT ARE GF), peanut butter, sweet potatoes (one of my favorite breakfast foods) and fruits and veggies that are in season.
Now if you are trying to overlap FOAMAP with that, you have to pick the what is and is not allowed on your particular program, as some fruits and veggies are good, some are off limits.
Where gluten free gets expensive is all of the mixes for breads, cakes, and all the junk food. Because I wanted to keep my weight in control--leaving those out was good for that AND my budget.
This is what what worked for me--everyone is different and some people cannot live without the bread or junk food.
Where FODMAP got expensive was when the only fruits and veggies I liked were out of season. That was frustrating and expensive. I did OK with some frozen products, but I am not always a fan of that freezery taste. Frozen strawberries get mooshy, which made me sad.
The best thing is to talk to your doctor. Get the official list of which way (high or low for FODMAP). Also find out if you are to stagger the diets...like I had to do GF for 2 weeks, send her results, then start the FODMAP and 2 weeks send her results.
A critical part of this is to make meal plans IN ADVANCE...including planned snacks. This will help you not grab bad for you items and keep on the program if you have everything in front of you, prepped etc.
I have family member with Celiac who has been GF for years now and she feels amazing! It was a miracle for her. My best friend has been on a lactose free diet and it has also been a miracle for her! My prayer for you is that either GF or FODMAP are your miracle!!
Post back with an update.
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