IBS--Free at Last! http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/ Your resource for low-FODMAPS living. Recipes, product reviews and your questions answered. en-US 2010-03-20T16:36:12-04:00 What about vinegar? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IBS--FreeAtLast/~3/xOks0ykDPNI/what-about-vinegar.html Sprinkling your own oil and vinegar on salad is the FODMAPS-friendly way to dress it, since most commercial salad dressings have one or more ingredients that are not allowed during the elimination phase of the diet. I am often asked... Sprinkling your own oil and vinegar on salad is the FODMAPS-friendly way to dress it, since most commercial salad dressings have one or more ingredients that are not allowed during the elimination phase of the diet. I am often asked which vinegars are OK to use? The answer is that any filtered vinegar will do, in a 1 tablespoon portion. Filtered vinegars include white vinegar, white or red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, rice or rice wine vinegar, and most flavored vinegars.

Unfiltered cider vinegar does retain some sugar in it, and it has an excess of fructose, so it is probably not appropriate during the elimination phase unless it is a minuscule portion. You can recognize unfiltered cider vinegar because it is cloudy in appearance, not transparent, like filtered or distilled vinegars are.

Balsamic vinegar has a 2 grams of sugar in a 1 Tb. portion, but luckily for us balsamic lovers, there is more glucose than fructose in it, so it is allowed on the elimination phase. For more information about the role of the fructose to glucose ratio, click here.

]]> Dietary Fructose Intolerance Extras Fructose Glucose Patsy Catsos 2010-03-20T16:36:12-04:00 http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2010/03/what-about-vinegar.html Sucrose, By Any Other Name... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IBS--FreeAtLast/~3/dRU9s0WxpBY/sucrose-by-any-other-name.html Sucrose--good old table sugar--is one of the few allowed sweeteners on the elimination phase of the FODMAPS diet. In an effort to be more specific, more exotic or healthier-sounding, manufacturers use a great many different words on the food label... Sucrose--good old table sugar--is one of the few allowed sweeteners on the elimination phase of the FODMAPS diet. In an effort to be more specific, more exotic or healthier-sounding, manufacturers use a great many different words on the food label that all mean essentially the same thing: sucrose. Here is a list of allowed sugar names you might see in recipes or the ingredients section of a food label:

  • sugar
  • cane sugar
  • confectioner's sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • superfine sugar
  • naturally milled organic sugar
  • sugar syrup
  • cane syrup
  • evaporated milled cane juice
  • organic cane syrup
  • organic sugar
  • beet sugar
  • bar sugar
  • berry sugar
  • castor sugar
  • icing sugar
  • refined sugar
  • cane juice crystals
  • invert sugar

Raw, unmilled, unrefined or darker colors of sugar have not had the molasses removed, and have an excess of fructose, so should be avoided on the elimination phase of the diet.

Remember, even if sweetened with sucrose, your treat shouldn't have more than 40 grams of sugar per serving during the elimination phase of the diet.

To learn more about the sweeteners named above, start with one of my favorite sites, Cook's Thesaurus.

]]> Extras Sugars Patsy Catsos 2010-03-12T22:17:19-05:00 http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2010/03/sucrose-by-any-other-name.html Polyols 101 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IBS--FreeAtLast/~3/CDm3K1pbQgk/polyols-101.html Many of my clients tell me that even a few small pieces of sugar-free candy or gum cause diarrhea. Ditto for the well-know effect of prunes or cherries. What do these foods have in common? They contain polyols, also known... Many of my clients tell me that even a few small pieces of sugar-free candy or gum cause diarrhea. Ditto for the well-know effect of prunes or cherries. What do these foods have in common? They contain polyols, also known as "sugar alcohols".

Technically, they are FODMAPS carbohydrates, and they are sweet! Most polyols are poorly absorbed, and wind up in the large intestine when they are consumed. In the large intestine, polyols are fermented by gut bacteria. They are also capable of drawing water into the large intestine. Together, the excess gas and excess fluid can cause distension of the colon, which cause bloating, flatulence and looser stools for the IBS sufferer. In a double whammy, eating or drinking sugar alcohols worsens fructose intolerance!

Some sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, occur naturally in fruits such as apples, pears, and the "stone fruits," which include plums, prunes, apricots, peaches, cherries and so on. Sugar alcohols are often used to sweeten "sugar-free" foods (such as candy, gum, low-carb items, and bubbly water) and liquid medications. They can be recognized on the food label's list of ingredients by the ending "-ol". Examples are xylitol and maltitol.

Note that erythritol seems to be an exception. Studies have shown it is well absorbed and unlikely to cause GI symptoms.

]]> Dietary Fructose Intolerance FODMAPS Fructose Fruit Sorbitol Sugar Alcohols Patsy Catsos 2010-03-10T10:02:00-05:00 http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2010/03/polyols-101.html Orgran Gluten Substitute http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IBS--FreeAtLast/~3/W2GW9nkTR5Q/orgran-gluten-substitute.html Wheat-free baking can be a real challenge. Gluten, one of the proteins in wheat, gives baked goods a characteristic structure and texture. Finding a substitute for gluten in baked goods is an ongoing project for food companies and home bakers.... Wheat-free baking can be a real challenge. Gluten, one of the proteins in wheat, gives baked goods a characteristic structure and texture. Finding a substitute for gluten in baked goods is an ongoing project for food companies and home bakers. A reader has asked me to evaluate Orgran Gluten Substitute for a FODMAPS-elimination diet.

The nutrition information says there is no fiber, so therefore no (measurable) fructans or galactans. Also, there are no (measurable) sugars, thus no lactose, fructose or sugar alcohols. It is highly unlikely, therefore, that the remaining carbohydrates in the product would contain enough fermentable, osmotically active carbohydrates to meet the definition of a FODMAP.This product is probably fine for a FODMAPS-elimination diet.

If you have used this product, please leave a comment and let us know how it worked in your kitchen!

Ingredients: Superfine rice flour, pea extract, maize starch, vegetable derived gums & cellulose, guar gum, methylcellulose, carboxymethycellulose, monoglycerides from vegetable.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 10g/0.3 oz.
Servings per pack 20
Calories 30 Calories from fat 0
Amount per serving - %DV
Total Fat 0g - 0%
Saturated Fat 0g - 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg - 0%
Sodium 0.1mg - 0%
Total Carb 5.6g - 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g - 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%

Source for ingredients and nutrition information: www.celiac.com]]> FODMAPS Product Ideas Patsy Catsos 2010-02-24T21:50:12-05:00 http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2010/02/orgran-gluten-substitute.html FODMAPS in Coffee? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IBS--FreeAtLast/~3/wgbOu64I9GI/fodmaps-in-coffee.html According to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, coffee does not contain fiber, and would therefore FODMAPS-friendly. However, I have just become aware of some recently published details about the nutrient composition of coffee (J Agric Food Chem, 2007,... According to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, coffee does not contain fiber, and would therefore FODMAPS-friendly. However, I have just become aware of some recently published details about the nutrient composition of coffee (J Agric Food Chem, 2007, 55, pgs 1999-2003).

According to this report, the average 9-ounce "cup" of filtered coffee contains 1.3 grams of fiber. Most of the fiber is a fermentable type, and would be defined as FODMAPS, in the galactans category. People who drink three "cups" of coffee a day could be consuming about 4 grams of fiber, equal to the amount in 1/4 cup of cooked beans. Who knew?

Many people, including me, would find it very difficult to give up coffee entirely for even a week or two, to do a completely FODMAPS-free elimination phase. I'm going to suggest, instead, that people undertaking the FODMAPS elimination diet cut back on coffee somewhat, but not to the point that would cause caffeine withdrawal symptoms, during the elimination phase.

If you decide to be a purist, you could wean yourself off coffee over a week's time--watch out for rebound caffeine-withdrawal headaches if you do this. Then, after the elimination phase of the diet, you could add de-caf coffee back during the galactans challenge. Challenge with decaf to avoid confusion about the impact of caffeine itself on bowel habits.

Once in a while someone who is apparently a good candidate for the FODMAPS elimination diet doesn't improve much during the elimination phase. Before calling the experiment a failure, it might make sense at that point to completely wean off coffee and see if any further improvement takes place.

]]> Fiber Food and Drink Galactans Patsy Catsos 2010-02-17T13:44:28-05:00 http://www.ibsfree.net/ibsfree_at_last/2010/02/fodmaps-in-coffee.html