If you are interested in healing your digestion and treating conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, then you have probably been looking into following a low FODMAP diet. This is a type of elimination diet where you eat only foods on the low FODMAP list, then gradually add one food at a time to figure out what your body is sensitive to.
Before you can start this type of elimination diet, you need to know what foods you can eat, and which ones you can’t. Here is a list from Functional Medicine Los Angeles, trusted functional medicine Burbank practitioners, of the high and low FODMAP foods so you know what to eat or avoid.
1. Avoid These High FODMAP Foods
First, you should know what foods you are avoiding or reducing. Most people will skip them entirely, but depending on your circumstances, you might just want to reduce how much you consume them for a while. To start with, you should avoid garlic and onions as much as you can.
These tend to affect your digestive system, so stick to other ways of seasoning your food—our functional medicine Los Angeles doctors should know.
Many fruits are on the high FODMAP list and should be avoided because they can be high in fructose. These include, but are not limited to:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Grapefruit
- Mango
- Peaches
- Pears
- Blackberries
There are many vegetables you can eat, but avoid some of them, like cauliflower, asparagus, artichoke, and larger stocks of celery. Most meat is fine, though you want to avoid sausage and chorizo. Avoid wheat products, including baked goods, pasta, bread, biscuits, and cereals. Some nuts are not allowed, like walnuts and pistachios. Our functional medicine Studio City experts also recommend avoiding sweeteners and a variety of other foods. Make sure you see a complete list of foods that you should not consume while following the low FODMAP diet.
2. Enjoy These Low FOODMAP Foods
An easier way to plan your meals is to know the low FODMAP foods. That way, you can print out a list of these foods and head to the grocery store, making sure you only pick foods from this list. This is not a comprehensive list of low FODMAP foods, but they include some of the major options for you. Be sure to check out a full list for meal-planning purposes.
a. Most Vegetables are Allowed – luckily, you can continue eating most vegetables. Here are some favorites: broccoli, olives, pears, carrots, smaller stalks of celery, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, kale, lettuce, spinach, pumpkin, red peppers, and many others.
b. Low-Fructose Fruit – If you are a fan of fruit, don’t worry. There are still some you can enjoy, but you want to stick to the low-fructose fruits, like cranberries (1 tbsp only), mandarin, passion fruit, oranges, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, and raspberries.
c. Meat and Fish – Continue eating most of the meat and seafood you already enjoyed, including poultry, cold cuts, chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, canned tuna, shrimp, and crab.
d. Cereals and Grains – With the baked goods and grains, just make sure they don’t contain wheat or gluten. This includes foods made with buckwheat flour, brown or whole grain rice, – corn or oats, rice bread, shortbread (limited amount), and potato bread.
e. Other Foods and Sweeteners – You can have some sweeteners, including aspartame, golden syrup, glucose, and most jams or jellies. Condiments like peanut butter, mustard, mayonnaise (with no garlic or onion in ingredients), fish sauce, maple syrup, ketchup (limited amount), and many others are allowed. For alcoholic drinks, our functional medicine doctors suggest you stick to clear spirits, one beer, one glass of wine, or whiskey. You can have coffee as long as it is decaf or regular and with lactose-free milk.
3. Easy Ways to Sneak in Fitness
You probably know the importance of getting regular exercise, but finding time to get it done can be a lot more difficult—our functional medicine Burbank doctors at Functional Medicine Los Angeles are all too familiar with this. However, there are ways you can sneak it in during your normal day without ever scheduling the exercises or hitting the gym. Every little bit helps, son on your busy days when you can’t find time for a regular workout, the following tips will be very useful.
a. Start Parking Far Away
Keep in mind that the more you walk during the day, the more ‘accidental’ fitness you are getting. Every time you go to the store or anywhere else with a parking lot, you have a very easy opportunity to get in a little bit of exercise. Functional medicine Los Angeles practitioners suggest parking at the very back of the parking lot, furthest away from the office building or store. If you have kids with you, they are also going to get some extra walking in, which is good for the entire family. Make a habit of always finding the parking spot furthest away from where you are going, and those steps will start increasing.
b. Speed Walk When Running Errands
Another great way to use walking as a way to sneak in some fitness during the day is by speed walking when you are running errands. If you need to go grocery shopping, functional medicine Studio City experts recommend you walk as fast as you can down each aisle until you find what you need. If you are going to the mall, avoid the escalator and elevator and use the stairs. Park near the store at the opposite end of the one you need so that you are not only walking through the parking lot but all the way down the length of the mall, as quickly as possible.
c. Try to Exercise While at Work
If you work part-time or full-time while the kids are in school, then you can take advantage of that time to get in some more fitness.
For example, when you are talking on the phone in your office, you can do wall sit or lunges. When waiting for a fax to come through the fax machine, start doing squats.
Always use the stairs in the office, and walk to get your coffee or pick up files instead of asking your secretary to do it for you. These small things will add up quickly.
d. Never Just Stand Still
Any time you are just standing there waiting for something or someone is an opportunity to get in some exercise. Los Angeles functional medicine providers advise standing on your tiptoes and seeing how long you can stand at the grocery store. Tighten your stomach muscles from the moment you arrive until you see your children leave the school if you are waiting outside for them to come out at the end of the day.