Paleo, ketogenic and now FODMAP diets

More than 80 million Americans are afflicted with digestive sensitivities. What are digestive sensitivities?

Digestive sensitivities include stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and visible abdominal distention after eating.

FODMAP foods are those saccharides and polyols are short-chain carbohydrates that, if poorly digested, ferment in the lower part of your large intestine (bowel). This fermentation process draws in water and produces carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and/or methane gas that causes the intestine to stretch and expand. The result is strong pain, bloating, visible abdominal distention and other related symptoms. These foods include milk and dairy products, wheat, onions, garlic, asparagus, black beans and artichokes.

To help alleviate the symptoms, many registered dietitians have their clients go on "Elimination diets" to identify the foods causing the digestive sensitivities.

Elimination diets are not

•Deprivation Diets

•Chicken and Rice Diets

•Starvation Diets

Elimination Diets are:

•A tool to help you identify dietary triggers

•A chance to remove potential allergens and reset

•An opportunity for your body to heal inflammation

The best way to get started on finding out what causes digest issues is to food journal and meet with a registered dietitian to get started on a FODMAP or elimination diet to detect what's causing digestive issues. Some techniques include using a food journal, collecting recipes, and stocking the pantry with easy-to-digest foods avoiding FODMAP foods, dairy and gluten to start.