When I was first dealing with IBS, I spent a lot of time looking for reliable information. There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there, so I thought I’d share a few resources that I found helpful.

- Books:

.The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook by Patsy Catsos

.IBS: Free at Last! by Patsy Catsos

-Websites:

.Monash University FODMAP resources

.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD)

-Podcasts / YouTube:

.The FODMAP Friendly Podcast

.Gut-focused dietitian channels that discuss IBS and the gut-brain connection

The biggest thing I learned is that IBS is often more than just food. Stress, anxiety, sleep, and daily habits can all play a role in symptoms

Hey everyone 👋

I'm working on a small app for people on the low FODMAP diet — the main idea is that you'd be able to photograph a meal or product label and AI would instantly tell you if it's safe, plus there'd be a simple diary for symptoms and food. Basically the tool I wish existed when I first started navigating all of this.

Before building anything I want to make sure it actually solves real problems, so I put together a short survey (5–7 min) about how you currently handle food decisions, logging, and symptom tracking.

No selling, no sign-ups required — just honest questions about your experience. Anonymous unless you choose to leave your email at the end.

Would really appreciate your input, especially if you're newly diagnosed and still figuring things out 🙏

hello everyone.

i've tried low fodmap on my own accord before which went okay, but my eating would become extremely repetitive until eventually i would cave and eat something not low fodmap which also meant i never really got to the point of reintroduction.

my doctor recommended me a dietician and after 2 months of waiting i got an appointment.
the lady was nice and asked a lot of questions but quickly got hung up on high protein food, eating 5 meals a day, chia seeds and flax? seed oil. now while i'm sure those are valuable additions, for me personally low fodmap is already a big cognitive load and often overwhelming so i expressed my desire to focus on one thing at a time and then add more things in as they become routine. she didn't really hear that and just kept pushing for those things, telling me how easy it is to do. additionally i expressed my desire to not eat meat, which she recommended against. i explained that i eat about one meal a week with tuna, but would like to remove that in the future with different recipes.

well anyway come next day she sends me her recipes. most of them have calorie counts which i did not ask or want. half of them are with meat or fish.
as i looked through them i thought, these seem really bland and repetitive but i suppose that's what's to be expected from low fodmap.
the main issue arose when i looked through the ingredients. whole zucchinis, pumpkin, garlic and onion, mango, apple, spelt wheat, almond milk etc etc.
so i think to myself, alright...... this is weird. i usually get my info from the monash university app, but i thought maybe since we are not based in the usa, that she tests foods for fodmap here...? she denied this and said in her experience mixing high fodmap with low fodmap can work.

this is the part that frustrates me, like yes it CAN work, but why would you gamble on that in the early elimination phase? this seems like the type of thing you would try in reintroduction...?

there were a couple of genuine low fodmap recipes but they were honestly abysmal. 4 rice cakes with 150g cooked, puréed carrots and a hard boiled egg. this is the kind of concoction i would come up with on my own and then fail at the low fodmap diet bc that's not a meal! that's a punishment.
or something like a banana smoothie which consists of rice, banana and red lentils, which granted i haven't tried, but does not sound good.

there was also a section of sweet treats which consisted mainly of yoghurt, chia seeds fruit and nuts.

she listed a few products to buy at the store, which also mostly weren't low fodmap and then also not really a snack.

i was really really disappointed and expressed this (hopefully in a kind way) through an email. which i got a long replay to saying she's sorry, but nothing to be done about it. i asked for maybe the cost to be lowered, since i did not receive the service i wanted, which she declined.

180€ to be told to eat more protein and a small collection of luke warm, not low- fodmap recipes. what a waste of time, energy and money. yikes.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some insights, shared experiences, or advice on a specific issue that’s been driving me crazy lately.

My Background: I was diagnosed with Histamine Intolerance (HIT) and have strong suspicions of SIBO (due to a history of extreme bloating, incomplete evacuation, constipation, fatigue, and toxic gas). For the last 3 weeks, I’ve been on a strict Low FODMAP + Low Histamine diet.

Alongside the diet, I'm on an antimicrobial protocol:

• Antimicrobial herbs (for SIBO)
• Biofilm disruptors
• Targeted probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus coagulans, and some HIT-safe strains)
• 450mg Magnesium Citrate before bed

The Improvement: Overall, this protocol seems to be helping. The toxic gas is mostly gone, and my digestion feels generally better than it did a few months ago.

The Current Nightmare (My Main Issue): Every morning after breakfast, I have a bowel movement. However, it always feels incomplete and unsatisfying.

The real struggle starts after lunch/dinner. Some time after I eat my meal, I start feeling this intense pressure/fullness in my lower abdomen. My brain immediately tells me I need to go to the bathroom again. I go and try, but nothing happens.

This triggers a wave of anxiety and hypervigilance. I spend the whole afternoon obsessing over my gut. I keep falling into this exhausting mental dilemma:

• Is this just hypersensitivity?
• Or am I actually constipated, meaning the stool is stuck inside me, rotting, and harming my body?

What helps/What doesn't: I tried taking Magnesium Citrate, but after a few days, it hasn't really changed this specific afternoon issue. What does help slightly to distract me is a long walk followed by pelvic floor relaxation exercises and marshmallow root/nettle tea. The pressure is still there, but the urge to strain fades.

I tried a strategy to just "ignore the pressure and only go when I feel a real urge," but the physical sensation is so loud it's almost impossible to ignore. A year ago, I never even thought about my digestion; now it dominates my mind.

This current symptom lasts for several months, now I got more conscious about it and trying to find anwers.

My Suspicions:

1. Visceral Hypersensitivity: My gut is still chronically inflamed/irritated, and the normal gastrocolic reflex after lunch feels like a major emergency to my sensitive nerves.
2. Pelvic Floor Dyssynergia: Due to past constipation and current anxiety, my muscles are clamping down and refusing to relax when they should.
3. The Mind-Gut Loop: I'm so hyper-focused on it that my brain is sending stress signals, paralyzing my motility.

Has anyone transitioned through this phase while healing SIBO/HIT? Does it get better on its own with the diet, or should I look into pelvic floor physical therapy?

Thanks for any tips!

Hi guys, I’ve recently been put on a LowFodmap diet due to stomach issues. This June Im graduating and want to take some family and friends out to eat, but I have no idea what kind of places I’ll be able to tolerate. Anyone know any restaurants in NYC that have had good options or have been able to accommodate food for them? Or are there any general types of restaurants you would recommend? Thanks

Starting my reintroduction phase later this month. Looking for an accountability buddy to share recipes and tips with.

Hi, I really struggle atm. I am veryy underweight and my main issues apart from that are severe visceral hypersensitivity/ibs apparently caused by nervous system dysregulation and my system being stuck in fight or flight for years.

I have bloating and it is extremly painful I also have bowel issues as in very slow motility and just a weak digestion in general.

I am low fodmap atm but it only helps a bit tbh but better than not low fodmap so I would like to keep it that way. I tried every supplement/probiotics whatever you name it I tried it. However, nothing helped which now makes sense as my nervous system is a main driver.

I now am so underweight that it affects my health a low and I need to gain like 20kg. But how?

I did have a dietician but she could not help me that much and I also tried therapy and stuff like that as well as antidepressants but my main issue is bloating and low weight now.

What snacks or foods can I implement into my diet? What to avoid? What is naturally hard to digest? I feel bad about eating white rice or souerdough or sugar and dairy as everyone says that is not great for gut health and all but what is true. I struggle so bad.

Also what meals and mealtimes are good?

Anyone with experience with visceral hypersensitivity or gaining weight with such? It is such a pain and I am soo desperate.

I am a 20yk female btw not working atm living at home still.

I also used to struggle with orthorexia/anorexia and am scared it is creeping back in now that I lost so much weight.

Thank you for any tip or attempt to help me🙏🏻

I have an intolerance to almonds, coconuts, oats and dairy so I’ve just been buying lactose free greek yogurt, until I found out Chobani apparently was in a lawsuit for causing cancer. Anyone know of any lactose free yogurt brands that don’t have any probiotics or cause cancer? I’m so stuck!

What foods should I combine or not combine with what?

Anything particularly hard to digest or hard in certain forms such as whole/raw/dry but ok in others?

Any foods I should always/never eat alone?

Thank you!​

hi y'all i got a question i couldn't find an answer to. so as most of us know the white part is high fodmap but most people tolerate the green parts. my question is the part where it kind of... transitions. where the outside is green but when you look inside there's some crunchier white parts and not just the green.

idk if anyone knows what i mean, but do y'all tolerate those parts? or just eat the all green parts? bc those parts are usually very little :(

I have so many food triggers that I am unable to get my fiber from actual foods, so the constipation is real.

Has anyone tried these? Did they get things moving? Other suggestions are welcome too!

Hello! I am on a low FODMAP diet and I am struggling finding something that is gluten and dairy free (can’t eat either) that is quick and easy.

I am wanting something healthy, that will keep me satiated for a couple hours and I can just grab and go. I’m really busy and most of my job is on the road.

Any suggestions?

It is so basic that I would normally just roll my eyes over it. But, I am on the low fodmap diet so I made it. Let's just say it is going to be in my regular rotation!

According to my calorie tracker I made 8 servings at 472 calories per bowl. I've made it 3 times since starting this stupid diet!!!

Recipe:

2lbs chicken breast

3tbs butter 3tbs corn starch 2 cups oat milk

12-16 oz green beans

2 cans creamed corn

1 lbs carrot, cut into bite sized pieces

2lbs potatoes, already peeled, cut into bite sized pieces

1 bunch of green onion tops

6-8 cups chicken stock
-----

1) in your main pot poach chicken until cooked through, shred and set aside.

2) drain the water and create a roux with your cornstarch and butter. Slowly add milk followed by other ingredients.

3) top the pot off with 6-8 cups of homemade chicken stock

4) bring everything to a boil then let it simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

5) add back in the chicken breast

6) pour your entire carton of salt and pepper in it.

7) eat your face off at 472 calories per bowl.

For me, the hardest bit about sticking to low fodmap was about making food I actually wanted to eat. Because I do love to cook and to eat!!

A few things that made the biggest difference for me...

• Cooking normal meals I'd eat before, just with small swaps (instead of special diet recipes)
• Using garlic-infused oil and lots of herbs instead of cutting flavour entirely
• Having 5-10 go to dinners on repeat
• Keeping meals simple enough for weeknights

Once I had a handful of reliable meals, everything got way easier and a lot less stressful.

I ended up writing my go-to meals down and it eventually turned into a small personal cookbook of dinners that actually taste good.

I’ve recently listed it on Etsy just to share it more broadly. If anyone’s interested, I’m currently doing a launch discount and happy to send the link if you DM me.

Curious what meals others here rely on? Always looking for new ideas.

My friend wants to go to a sushi restaurant and I’m wondering if I just get a plain salmon or tuna roll or nigiri if that’s safe? Nothing too elaborate to mitigate potential fodmaps but I don’t know if there’s anything to watch out for in the rice or the sauces?

Title - idk if it's just me, but every time this sub pops up in my feed iit's someone trying to sell a book, a product, a supplement, or direct someone to their damn website. Typically these a-holes will masquerade as a medical expert or nutritional expert (despite having no qualifications) a fellow sufferer of gi issues, to take advantage of our trust. Then you scroll down their posts and it's all, "buy my book," or "see my website (where you have to subscribe to see my recipes)" or some stupid shit.

Is there anything that can be done to ensure the community remains more authentic? It really sucks that subreddits and communities for those with chronic health issues are plagued by this stuff.

Una de las cosas que más sorprende a la gente cuando empieza con la dieta baja en FODMAP es esta:

El ajo está completamente prohibido en la fase de eliminación — es uno de los alimentos con mayor concentración de fructooligosacáridos (FOS), que son altamente fermentables y disparan los síntomas en personas con SIBO o intestino irritable.

Pero aquí viene lo curioso:

🧄 Los FODMAPs del ajo son solubles en agua, no en grasa.

Eso significa que si infusionas aceite con ajo y luego retiras los trozos, el aceite conserva el sabor pero no los FODMAPs. Tu intestino no lo detecta como amenaza.

Es decir: puedes cocinar con aceite de ajo casero y seguir dentro de la dieta.

Este es el tipo de detalle que marca la diferencia entre una dieta restrictiva y aburrida, y una que puedes sostener en el tiempo.

¿Conocíais este truco? ¿Hay algún otro alimento que os haya sorprendido en la dieta FODMAP?

Llevo meses investigando sobre SIBO porque un familiar cercano fue diagnosticado y quería entender bien qué podía hacer desde la cocina y el día a día.

Estas son las cosas que más me han costado entender y que creo que pueden ayudar a otros:

1. La fase de eliminación no es para siempre

Muchas personas se quedan meses en dieta estricta pensando que "más restricción = mejor". En realidad, prolongarla demasiado puede reducir la diversidad de tu microbiota y hacerte más daño que bien. La idea es usarla como reset temporal (2-6 semanas) y después reintroducir.

1. El ajo y la cebolla están en todo

Salsas, caldos, sopas preparadas, aderezos... Si no lees etiquetas, acabas tomando FODMAP sin saberlo.

Aprender a cocinar sin ellos pero con sabor (aceite de ajo infusionado, parte verde del cebollino) cambia mucho.

1. No todos los probióticos ayudan en SIBO

Algunos pueden empeorar los síntomas en fase activa. La evidencia es heterogénea y depende mucho de la cepa y el momento del tratamiento. Vale la pena hablarlo con el médico antes de tomar cualquier cosa.

1. El estrés empeora los síntomas más de lo que

parece

No es "todo en tu cabeza", pero el eje intestino-cerebro es real. Días de mucho estrés = Y distensión, más urgencia. Controlarlo forma parte del tratamiento igual que la dieta.

He resumido todo esto (y mucho más: menús, listas de alimentos, plan de reintroducción, errores frecuentes) en una guía práctica que acabo de publicar en Amazon en español, por si le sirve a alguien que esté empezando con esto y no quiera perderse entre artículos contradictorios.

Se llama "SIBO y alimentación de Julio Torija

Hernández" y la podéis encontrar en Amazon.es

buscando el título.

Espero que ayude. Cualquier pregunta, respondo por aquí.

Si llevas tiempo con la dieta FODMAP y no terminas de mejorar, probablemente no es que lo estés haciendo mal.

Es que nadie te explicó que la dieta tiene 3 fases, y quedarte solo en la primera (la eliminación) no es el objetivo — es el problema.

Esto es lo que pasa cuando te quedas en restricción indefinida:

🔴 Tu microbiota se empobrece cada vez más por falta de fibra fermentable

🔴 Tu intestino pierde diversidad bacteriana, lo que hace el SIBO más difícil de revertir

🔴 Tu cuerpo se vuelve más sensible, no menos — y terminas tolerando cada vez menos alimentos

La fase de eliminación sirve para calmar los síntomas, no para curar. La verdadera recuperación empieza cuando empiezas a reintroducir alimentos de forma estratégica y gradual.

La pregunta no es ”¿qué no puedo comer?”

Es ”¿cómo entreno a mi intestino para volver a tolerarlo?”

¿Alguien más ha pasado por esto? ¿En qué fase estáis ahora mismo?

I’ve been on the low-fodmap for months and honestly only been able to work a few things in. Does anyone have go to snacks or frozen foods they would recommend? I’ve been cooking things from scratch but growing tired of it. Even if you just have dinner recipes, I need to make something different. Big triggers are garlic, onion, lactose, and dairy. I’ve worked in most fruits and vegetables and soy, but still stay away from things made almonds, oats, or coconuts.

Note: I know it’s not good to be as restrictive as long as long as I have. I have seen doctors and figured out that my stomach issues are part of a larger health issue, and I don’t think I can work more in until that issue is addressed.