disaccharides – Truffleicious blog

The Fodmap diet day 4

OK guys. Low Foodmap foods, do you know which they are? Have you already identified foods that give you uncomfortable bloating, wind & possibly pain? Yesterday, I shared with you some of the foods I have noticed, over a period of time, cause me problems. Today, I am listing a few “Safe Foods”, in my next blog I will deal with foods to avoid. Please remember, these will vary from person to person & only through trail & error can you identify which applies to you.

In my previous blog Food, what can I eat. I posted a photo of my homemade gluten/dairy free cake & asked “can you eat this on a Low Fodmap Diet”? The answer is as inconcise as this diet itself. Whilst it does not contain any gluten, dairy, additives, preservatives, artificial colours or flavourings it does contain sugar [carbohydrate] SUGAR . All sugars are categorised as monosaccharides, disaccherides or polysaccharides & are a source of chemical energy for living organisms, including humans. I think you can probably work out the answer, if you have read my previous blogs on this subject. Sugar occurs naturally in whole foods, but is often added to processed foods to increase the flavour. As to much refined sugar in bad for our health, in general, try replacing it with natural sweetners such as some “Safe Food” Fruits.

SAFE FOODS ( This is not an exhaustive list).

Bean Sprouts, Carrot, Cucumber, Endive, Ginger, Green Beans, Kale, Olives, Parsnips, Red Peppers, Chives, Tomatoes, Courgettes.
Blueberries, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Papaya, Passion fruit, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries.
White Potatoes, Turnip, Swede, White Rice.
Proteins: Meat, Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Eggs.
Fats: Coconut Oil, Lard, Olive oil, Homemade Mayonnaise
Fresh Herbs, Salt/Pepper, Spices except those containing onion/garlic powder. Balsamic, Red wine & cider vinegar. Seaweed, Sundried Tomatoes.
Water, All teas {No milk} Homemade soups using safe ingredients.

: Eat Me

That’s it for today guys. Please follow my blog & leave any comments you feel are appropriate. See you next time, with info on foods to avoid.

The Low Fodmap Diet.

So, what is it all about? FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccarides & Polyols.

Fermentable: Carbohydrates. are the sugars which are easily fermented in your digestive system. They include all of the short chains of sugar molecules mentioned below:

Oligosaccharides: Carbohydrates. Are a saccharide polymer containing a small number of monosaccharides [simple sugars] which can have many different functions. Being Non digestible food ingredients, they selectively stimulate the growth of prebiotic bacteria in the colon. We cannot digest and absorb these.

Disaccharides: Carbohydrates. Double sugars Formed when two monosaccharides are joined together & a molecule of water is removed from the structure. [hydrolysis]. Three common examples being sucrose, lactose [discomfort causing sugar] & maltrose.

Monosaccarides: The most basic form of Carbohydrates. Any of the class of sugars, that cannot be hydrolysed to give a simpler sugar. Some have a sweet taste examples include glucose [dextrose], fructose & galactose.

Polyols: Sugar free sweeteners. Carbohydrates, but not sugars. Used volume for volume in the same amount as sugar is used. Unlike aspartame , saccharin & sucralose which are used in very small amounts. They are included in a variety of foods we consume each day.

The low Fodmap diet was developed in Australia at Monach University by gastroenterology professor Peter Gibson and Dietician Sue Shepherd & has been adapted for the UK by reserchers at Kings College London.

Now you all understand the meanings of the catchy acronym. Tomorrow we will be investigating some of the low Fodmap foods & the care you should take when embarking on this diet.