FODMAPs what are they?

Sometimes you’re so hungry and confused that you need a map to find the food you saved for later. Or sometimes, if you’re being a total bitch to yourself you like to hide snacks all over your house so you won’t eat them, to later frantically hunt them down like a pirate on a treasure hunt. What you’ll use then is a food map, but what we’re about to talk about now is FODMAPs.

Seriously, I can’t be the only one who’ve stumbled across this term on the internet and having my tiny head voice read “food maps”. Lazy reading obviously, but please tell me I’m not the only one? Either way, what is FODMAPs and why are we seeing this word thrown around every health blog as the new superdiet that will save your life while saving the depleting oceans? Okay, that’s no true, and by the way, our depleting oceans are a serious issue. I apologize for making a stupid joke about it. I do love and care deeply for our blue planet. By the way, if you haven’t, check out Blue Planet on Netflix! That shit’s amazing!

But, back to FODMAPs. What are they? What do they do? Should you try it? Read on to get a better understanding of what FODMAPs are.

What are FODMAPs?

The first thing we need to do is to break down this two-faced word. The word itself is a mouthful, so buckle up your seatbelt… FODMAPs stands for, again, get ready for it, Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. I told you it’s not exactly in the category of “baby’s first words”.

Most likely, that long word didn’t make things clear for you at all, so to make it simple, FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols, which for some people cause a bad reaction in the gut.

It goes down in the gut

Once again, some people, have a hard time breaking down these short-chain carbohydrate foods which are high in FODMAPs. High in FODMAPs means that these foods are more likely to cause a bad gut reaction in some individuals. How exactly does it work? In our gut, we have a million bacteria called the microbiome. Probiotics are another trendy health thing, and what they essentially are is healthy gut bacteria. Living, stable, high-income taxpayers who like sports and go clubbing on the weekend. Well some of them might be more into fine arts and crafts, but bottom line, they are a bunch of bacteria living in our gut to make sure we stay healthy.

Since these bacteria are actually living things they need to eat, and unlike us, they can’t be picky with what they get. What you eat, is what they eat. That’s where we have prebiotics, which are foods that feed the probiotic bacteria with healthy nutrients. Fruit, vegetables, fiber, fermented foods are all part of the prebiotic family. But, even some of these healthy foods can in some people cause a bad reaction to our microbiome. This is where FODMAPs come in.

What happens is that these carbohydrates don’t break down properly in the large intestine. The gut bacteria just don’t know how to break it down on the dance floor together with these short-chain carb guys, they get out of sync and the whole party is ruined. Essentially, what happens is that the bacteria produce excess gas due to the bioproducts of the fermentation process. And, don’t we all know what happens when we have an overproduction of gas in our system..? We get bloated, experience discomforts, or serious digestive issues.

Foods high and low in FODMAPs

It’s hard to point out exactly which foods have the highest amount of FODMAPs. Since everyone reacts differently to different foods, and the quantity of the food we eat can have an impact on our guts as well, we can’t say exactly which foods to avoid.

What some research has shown is that there are some common foods which can cause these symptoms, and they are apples, pears, broccoli, cabbage, watermelon, cereals, pasta, milk, and bread. You can find more complete lists here. But, remember that these are just a general list. Some of the high FODMAP foods will work fine in some people while some of the low FODMAPs might not.

Is it healthy?

I have to make it clear that you shouldn’t jump on this “diet” before you’ve actually been to a nutritionist or dietitian who specifically told you to try the low FODMAP diet. Since there’s a lot of restrictions on this diet it’s important to understand that you can get nutrient deficient if you just “try it out” with no actual reason behind it.

The low FODMAP diet is also meant to be a temporary diet, not a lifestyle change! The main reason people with gut problems get on this diet is to slowly introduce these foods back into their diet again so their gut bacteria learn how to break them down properly.

Then again, we all process foods differently. Just because you read that your favorite Instagram influencer is on the low FODMAP diet and is feeling super duper amazing, doesn’t mean that it’s a magical cure and will make you feel amazing too. When we read about these new diets, superfoods, and miracle juices on social media and on the internet, we have to put our professor glasses on and think about the sources. How reliable is this source? Is this an actual nutritionist/health coach giving this advice? Can they back up what they’re saying with proper research? Do I have digestive issues?

There is no one miracle diet, just as there’s no one size fits all. Of course, we have foods that are more nutrient-dense than others, but that doesn’t mean that they are healthy for everyone. That’s why allergies exist for example. If you do feel like you could be suffering from these digestive issues, book an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian and see if the low FODMAP diet is actually something for you. Don’t just do it because Kim Kardashian might have mentioned it in the caption on her latest Instagram post.

 

 

 Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fodmaps-101#definition

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390324/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24150797

https://www.medicinenet.com/low_fodmap_diet_list_of_foods_to_eat_and_avoid/article.htm

Why Calories doesn't matter

We have a lot to say about calories. We can’t eat to many of them, because we will gain weight, we can’t eat to few of them because we will reach an unhealthy weight. We count them more intense than we ever did our math homework, and we shame ourselves after eating a food containing “too many” of them.

Calories are simple. They are a unit of energy, that our bodies get from food. They are essential for our life and bodily functions. Calories are our gasoline, our fuel, the hype man that keeps us liiit.

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When we talk about calories we usually think calories in – calories out, and burning more calories than you consume leads to weight loss or weight gain, if the opposite. This is true, but the kind of calories you consume does make a difference in the way our body processes them, and determine fat loss or weight loss.

Nutrition is science, and just as a science experiment react differently to different chemicals, so does our bodies – chemicals being the different kinds of food we eat. Food comes in three major groups – proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (and vitamins and minerals).

For some reason we have put these these guys in different groups, The good group and the bad group. Lately, carbs have been put into the bad group, while fat and protein are the good dudes.

So calories, are they simply just a matter or calories in – calories out. Yes, they are, but our body does process different kinds of calories in different ways, which will result in different results in terms of our body weight and composition. Let’s paint up an example. You are about to get down and dirty on three plates of food containing equally 1000 calories each. The first plate has 1000 calories of fat, the second plate has a 1000 calories of proteins, and the third plate has a 1000 calories of carbs. Out of all these plates, which one would make you put on more weight? You might say that all of them will make you put on the equal amount of weight, right? Not really.

Carbohydrates contains 4 calories per gram. The carbs that we should be eating, from real whole plant based starch such as potatoes, rice, fruit and vegetables contains a shit load of nutrients and fiber, which helps speed up our digestive system, putting our metabolism in high gear. Carbs are not the enemy, contrary to our believes based on fad diets and media. The right form of carbohydrates will not make us fat, they will help us burn fat. Vegetables, fruits, potatoes, rice, whole grains are your best friend in terms of health and managing a stable weight. Of course there’s bad versions of carbs as well such as processed bread with a ton of added ingredients like corn syrup (fancy word for sugar), vegetables oils, and all those other chemical bullshit. Carbohydrates are not the enemy unless we make them the enemy. A pure baked potato with veggies and salsa is not the same as a baked potato loaded with butter, cheese, and bacon. The potato is not the one causing a flabby stomach, it’s the butter, cheese, and bacon. See the difference. Don’t blame the good guy.

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Proteins contain 4 calories per gram, and they are very essential for the majority of things in our body. Our DNA are made out of proteins, our hair, skin, cells, you are basically protein. When you eat the right protein, like whole plant proteins you get your proteins plus an addition of minerals, vitamins, and the astonishing fiber. Our bodies work harder to break the fiber down, and voila, we burn more calories through digestion. Beans and legumes are your best protein buddies! A bunch of your green veggies does also contain a lot of protein, and no additional fat. Eat your plants, people. Another note to think about is that everything contains protein. If you get the right amount of calories that your body needs everyday, you will never become protein deficient.

Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Fat can make us feel fuller when coming from the right sources, such as whole plants like avocados, seeds and nuts. When fat comes from processed fats such as oils and animal based fats without any fiber, it tends to leave us unsatisfied and craving more food, especially more fatty foods and sugar. The fat sources without any fiber isn’t the best friend with our digestive system. Since it’s pure fat, it goes straight into fat storage without leaving us full. It puts pressure on our digestive system, and can cause bloating and constipation. Nobody likes hard shit, let’s get real.  Fries, cookies, bacon, and other processed meats will go straight to your waistline, and also into your arteries for that matter, clogging that shit up.

Yes, calories in – calories out is a true statement, but the kind of weight we will gain or loose depends largely on the calories we eat. It also determines how we will loose or put on weight. Processed fats together with animal fat is going to make every calorie less nutritionally dense, and get stored right away on your body as flabby fat. More fiber leads to a higher satisfaction, faster working digestive system, and let’s not forget the most important part – an overall healthy lifestyle! And don’t get me wrong, just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean that everything you eat is magically amazing. Fries are vegan, Oreos, potato chips, and vegetable oils are vegan. The real key here is whole plant based foods. Real foods. Untouched and pure.

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Another side note: Of course life is about pleasure as well, and we can’t eat strictly whole plant based all the time. It’s okay to “treat yo self” and live! That’s as important for a healthy lifestyle. Kale might nourish your body, but chocolate will nourish your soul.

Guts are sexy, and we know it

In the honor of hump day, let’s talk about something really sexy – your gut, stomach, tummy, belly, dun loop – a loved child has many names. It might have a lot of names, but not too much of an effort gets put into our guts, if we’re not trying to loose it.

Taking care of our liver seems like something that people are thinking about a lot, especially us young adults who sometimes end up on a high roller, dancing and (especially) drinking the night away.

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What we actually should focus on is our guts. I mean, if you drink like a crazy person, yes, your liver is in a bit of a trouble and you should probably quit that shit. Our gut though, is so much more important than we acknowledge. So, what does our guts do? Well, we know that’s the place where the food gets down and dirty, and becomes, yeah, poop. We don’t think much more about it. Sometimes our guts work slow, and we just accept that. But, there is more to the gut than poop transformation.

Our gut is essentially our temple. With a million of bacteria living in there, we need these guys to be in their best shape to help us stay healthy. An upset stomach isn’t just the cause of slow poop. Our bellies are the one in charge of our immune system. All those million bacteria, are the guys responsible for our immunity.  The lack of these bacteria, can cause illness,break outs, and make it harder for us to sleep or perform well in other areas of our life. When you get a cold, the first thing you think about isn’t that your gut is going bananas, right? That “gut feeling” you get, it’s a real thing. Our stomach is connected to our brains, which makes it our second brain. We need to nourish this intestine maze like our lives depended on it, because it kinda does.

H2O – Agua, liquid, water, splash splash. Drink water! So important for our health. We are essentially 80% water, we developed from water, water is life, and life is in water. So drink that shit! Start to count your glasses. Aim for one gallon a day! Get at least 3 litres in your system. Dehydration causes our bodies to slow down. If you feel thirsty, you’re already gone to long without hydrating.

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Keep it moving – We know that exercise is extremely healthy for us. Keeping your body moving helps everything move on the inside as well. Movement is essentially good for everything. The least we can do is to stretch in the morning, or take a walk. I know that it sometimes can be easier said than done, but the importance of moving is essential for human life! We were born to move, we’ve been moving since our entire existence, so put that booty into work (I mean, it’s hump day after all…)

Fiber, fiber, fiber – Fruit, veggies, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, eat them all! Our digestive system contains an enzyme called cellulase which is designed to break down plant matter. This keeps our guts going, and staying healthy. The only place where we can find fiber is from plants! The more fiber we eat, the more healthy bacteria we have in our guts. Plants are life, life is plants.

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Probiotics – Kombucha is a dude, who’s very hot and heavy on the market right now. The fermented tea is all over the place with its healthy bacteria. – probiotics. As mentioned, we need these bacteria in our system. You don’t need to throw you money away by buying daily doses of kombucha to get your bacteria buddies. Probiotics can be found in ther fermented foods, such as pickled vegetables like kimchi and sauerkraut. We can even find probiotics in dark chocolate! So if you’re not a fan of the pickled flavors, grab some chocolate.

Avoid processed foods – This shouldn’t come as a surprise. While fiber is our stomachs best friend, processed foods is the enemy. It literally kills our healthy bacteria squad and makes the bacteria turn against our body, resulting in a weaker immune system.

Regularity – This is probably the hardest of them all. Keep regular times. Rise and rest at the same hours. Your body will adjust to your routine, making it easier to keep your stomach in good shape. I know, this one is really hard. Especially with our buys schedules,but you know, we can all do our best.

Snooz it  – Get proper sleep! Snoozing it, is another essential part of human life and proper body funtioning, including your lil guttie.

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Our stomach is our center point. Everything we eat, or come into contact with will end up in there. If our healthy bacteria are missing, we can’t depend on our stomach to help us fight out the bad bacteria, which will result in us getting sick. So next time you look down on your little belly, give it some love, because it loves you.