8 TIPS FOR RE-INTRODUCING FOODS AFTER A FULL FODMAP DIET
- Go slow. Try each food back for at least 3 days before going on to a new food. That will give you a chance to see if any of your old symptoms return.
- Start with a food that you think you used to tolerate. If you do well with it, try another in the same category. And keep progressing.
- Do the reintroduction when you are feeling well, not in the middle of a flare, on a vacation or around the time of big life events. Other factors (like stress) can aggravate your symptoms independent of the foods you are reintroducing. It is ok to stop phase 2 until the flare stops or life gets back to a normal pace.
- Involve a dietitian. The FODMAP diet is a very restrictive diet and an experienced dietician will help support your nutritional needs throughout the process.
- Understand that factors other than your diet may cause your symptoms . If you are unsure about whether a food was actually causing problems, you can try it again another time or two, but wait several weeks between the trials of that food.
- Know that some foods generally allowed on the FODMAP diet, like carrots and oranges, have high sugar levels and may need to be eliminated too.
- Over 60% of the world's population has problems digesting lactose, you may want to wait longer to reintroduce dairy products
- Once you are eating everything you tolerate and are eliminating the foods that bother you, talk with your doctor or dietitian to make sure you are getting all the protein, calories, and other nutrients you need.
This article, as well as all others, was reviewed and edited by a member of our Medical Advisory Board.
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